I don't own any of The Lioness, The Immortals, and The Protector of the Small characters. That honor belongs to Tamora Pierce.

=The Darker Side of the Moon=

=(the next day)=

She hated social events. The whole lot of them were pretty mind-numbingly drab. She understood why the king had them and why she had to be there…but they were still boring.

The red head sighed. She wore the attire of a lady this evening: the dress and bows…It's not like she hated them, they were free to move around, but right about now, she felt like going into the sparring field with one of her friends and just fighting.

"You look bored."

Alanna glanced up into the hazel eyes of her husband, George. Alanna smirked and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Of course I am. I don't want to be here."

"Ahhh, the duties of the King's Champion." He gave her a teasing smile. "Maybe I can convince our dear King to let us off early?" His arms encircled her body. "And go home?"

Alanna raised an eyebrow at his inquiry. "That sounds---"

She was never able to finish her sentence as a bird streaked into the room. It stopped in front of Alanna and changed it's lips into that of a human. It could only be Daine. Daine was the animal mage who could shift her body between animal and human form.

"Alanna, someone broke through the barriers. She's coming here--"

A figure dressed in black robes raced into the room, a short sword in each hand. Knights rushed the person from all sides. The figure caught each knight, flipping around them and slicing at their backs.

Alanna watched the individual curiously while someone passed her a sword. "Well, here's a little excitement," George said from behind her. She saw him taking out daggers from the inside of his sleeves. "And you wanted to go home."

=======

The baby wouldn't hush. It's face crumpled as tears streamed down her cheeks. The keeper, a young boy of about 12 or 13 shushed it as he rocked the child back and forth. He wore the clothes of a street rat: a loose blouse, tattered pants, and no shoes. Strands of silver blonde hair fell over his blue eyes as he pleaded with the child. "Quiet, kid. The Lady won't be pleased."

Almost as if fate was directing her movements, the Lady had appeared. The Lady was young, about 17, and was the eldest of the group. Only standing at 5 ft 5, she could easily be mistaken for a child. Dark eyes and dark hair, added to her mysterious appearance. "Cedric, shut the child up!" The Lady barked. "We have to move quickly and silently. Tortall has a woman that can see through the eyes of an animal." The Lady snapped her fingers and from the woods emerged a half human-half cat creature with skin and eyes the color of honey. It stalked closer to the lady and purred. "We're lucky that Talcon here hasn't found anything."

Cedric stared at the creature. Where had the Lady found this stray? "I can't help it, miss. This child is headstrong for one so young."

The Lady's eyes blazed. "If you don't shut it up, I will."

"No!" cried Cedric. "I'm just saying that the child prefers my sister, Cedar."

Cedric held his tongue. He knew he was hitting one of the Lady's soar spots since his sister was superior to the Lady in skills and mind. Cedar was his elder sister by three years, a great markswoman and a deadly assassin. Many called her Moonlight because she had the long silver hair that seemed to illuminate with the radiance of the moon. She also had the icy cold personality.

"Cedar is on a mission. You know as well as I do that she cannot be bothered when she is working." Was the Lady's answer. "I guess it cannot be helped. However, our Master expects us back before nightfall…We should go."

=(afternoon)=

Neal stood before her.

Kel stared at his back. He was tense, that much she could tell. He was dressed in his armor and just staring into the distance. She knew he was thinking hard about the kidnap.

She hadn't expected seeing him so soon after the incident. He should be with Yukimi right now, she thought.

But that never was his personality. He was always the one who rushed into things without thinking first. He was probably doing the same thing right now.

"Neal," she began.

"Don't start with me, Kel. I'm going after her," he hissed without ever looking at her.

"You can't just do that! You don't even know who took her! You can't just run into anything--" Kel bit her lip. She sounded like a hypocrite. Wasn't it only two years ago when she went after Blyce by herself?

"Forget it, Kel. I'm leaving. I want you to stay with Yuki. Make sure she'll be okay."

Kel stalked up to her old friend and shoved him in the shoulder. "You know that you're the one who should be with her. You're her husband." She forced Neal to look at her, and saw the deep wrenching sadness in his eyes. She couldn't stand to see her optimistic friend look like this…But she had no idea what to say…

Changing tactics, Kel attacked him with her glaive.

Neal's eyes were blank, although his face looked confused. He blocked her, but just barely.

"Look, before you could block my movements better than that. This just proves that you can't think strait. You could get hurt like that! What will that do to help you child?"

Neal finally burst. "What? What does this have to do with anything? Damn it, Kel, I'm tired of all this! I can't do anything. Yuki is crying in the inside, although she won't show it! I can't even save my child! Everyone is tiptoeing around me and offering their sorrow like I really care! You--!"

He wasn't making any sense. That was a good sign. At least he was finally talking instead of letting things dwell inside his mind.

Kel put an arm on his shoulder, and let him talk. She would tell him the information she found later, when he was done.

=End Chapter=