~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sorry for taking so long to update, I don't own this, blah blah blah. p.s. may contain some spoilers of Trickster's Choice. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chap 3 Nerolie rushed inside. There was nobody in the common room, so everyone must have been already in bed.

She ran down the hallway, banging on the doors as she went. "GET OUT!" she screamed. "FIRE!"

Doors rapidly opened and the rooms emptied of their inhabitants. Nerolie ran into her own room and shoved all of her belongings into the saddlebags. Quickly leaving the room, she reached Cosmo and Numair's room. She slammed her fist against the door, having no result. She tried the door handle.

"Locked." She grunted to herself. She could, of course, pick locks but that would wastes valuable time she just didn't have. Time to try the less gentle but more effective practices. Taking fighting stance, she crashed her foot into the door with all her might. Once, twice and the door crunched open.

Numair was draped across the bed, snoring. Cosmo lay, Bundled up on the floor.

Nerolie dashed across the room, kicking Cosmo and shaking Numair. "Up! Get up! Right now!" They sat up, yawning.

"Nerolie? What's going on?" Cosmo asked sleepily. "FIRE!" she cried. "Grab your most important things and let's go!" "Mithros, Minoss and Shakith!" Numair swore as he leapt into action, grabbing two duffel bags. Cosmo grabbed another and together the raced downstairs.

The Fire was spreading everywhere. Cosmo and Numair poured water on the fire, seemingly from nowhere. They all burst out the front door, the opal vibrating immensely. In unity they fell onto the grass, gasping for air.

Several moments later, Nerolie spotted the young serving girl. She was silently watching the fire whilst tears rolled down her face, her face a mask of utmost horror. Gunther, the little stable boy, was clutching at the girl's skirts, sobbing profusely.

Nerolie got up and made her way over to them as soon as she had regained her breath.

"Are you alright?" She could have kicked herself for asking such a stupid question. The maid looked at her like she was insane.

"No," she said incredulously. "Our ole' lives we been livin' 'ere. Now where are we to go? There's nowt a thing for us 'ere."

"How about you travel with me? You'll be safe. I'll take you to the next town, or all the way to Corus if you'd prefer." The girl gave a tiny, quivering smile.

"You'd do tha' for us?" She asked, not masking the hope on her face. "It's the least I can do." Nerolie said, feeling sickly guilty. It was, after all, her fault that these two had lost the only home they had.

"I do not know your name," Nerolie said, smiling softly. "If we are to travel together, I'll have to know that."

"It's Ivy Oliver, miss." Said the maid shyly, curtsying. Nerolie straightened proudly.

" I am Nerolie Rowan. Also Nerolie of Quentin and the Shang Kitten." Ivy gaped.

"Well, let us ready ourselves if we are to leave tonight." Nerolie said feeling a little embarrassed. "I don't suppose that you'd have an extra horse? Only I don't believe that Darcie will enjoy the extra weight."

"Oh, Gunther an' I 'ave our own horse. She was a wild foal bu' had a bad sickness, so we took 'er in an' raised 'er up." Ivy said proudly. Ivy and the still- sniffling Gunther went to retrieve their horse whilst Nerolie readied Darcie for the ride.

"Oh, why tonight?" Nerolie muttered to herself. "I was looking forward to a bed for once. Just once."

"Pardon?" Cosmo asked, having snuck up behind her.

"I- Nothing." Nerolie replied glumly, realising it would do no one any good if she complained.

"You did very well." Cosmo said, laying his hand on her arm. "If it weren't for you, Numair and I would be dead!" Nerolie laughed half- heartedly.

"You should have seen the look on your face when I woke you!" she giggled suddenly.

"I was just having a dream about you. I thought I was seeing a phantom of some sort." He leered. "We could recreate the dream that you so rudely interrupted." Nerolie sighed.

"Not right now, Cosmo, I am really not in the mood."

"We're 'ere!" Ivy announced, trotting up to them on a sturdy brown mare. Gunther sat huddled in the saddle behind her, staring at the charred Inn dolefully. Their horse looked very strong and was much larger than the limber and graceful Darcie. Darcie was built for speed; their horse was built for endurance.

"Mount up, Cosmo. We'll find suitable camping ground down the road." Nerolie said briskly, leaping into the saddle with ease. Numair walked up, leading three horses by rein.

"We're leaving now?" he asked, frowning.

"We will camp, just not right here." Nerolie apologised, shuddering. She was thinking of the assassins and what would happen if their leader came back while they were unarmed and sleeping.

Numair and Cosmo mounted, Numair quirking an eyebrow. "There are two dead men in the stable," he said quietly. "Might you know anything about it?" "Probably," Nerolie said, raising her own eyebrow. "How about we just drop it, eh?" "Forward!" Cosmo called, with all the extravagance of one raised by player folk. The company moved off. The sky was a pearly grey before Nerolie called for a halt. She had unofficially become the leader despite the fact that Numair was much older. Cosmo was about to fall off his horse and Numair was slumped in his saddle, fast asleep.

Bemused, Nerolie poked him and he bolted upright, blinking. "Wassup?" he slurred. "We'll camp here, I think." Nerolie said, helping Ivy and Gunther to dismount.

Soon all were curled up on their cosy sleeping mats and fast asleep.

When Nerolie awoke, the sun was high in the sky. Numair was the only person who was up and he was using a speaking spell, talking into his palm. Who he was talking to Nerolie didn't know and she didn't much care anyway.

Rolling onto the ground, she scrounged around for some sticks and rocks to fashion a crude cooking fire. Out came her flint and panpipes from her saddlebags.

Striking the flint against another rock, she coaxed a tiny flame out of the spark. As she fed dry grass and small twigs into her little fire she played a lively tune on her panpipes. Every time the flame licked a larger piece of wood she played a higher note or a trill. She always played into the fire. It seemed to be a release for her weary soul. The fire danced before her eyes and she played along to it's rhythmic swaying.

When the fire was fully fledged, she laid down her pipes and noticed Numair looking at her strangely. She ignored his curious look and retrieved her bow and arrow. She wasn't a perfect shot but she was very good at the least. Good enough, it would seem, to be able to bring in game and defend herself.

"I'm going to wash." She announced, rising. She was still wearing her crinkled and thin dress. "Take this," Numair told her, passing her a fishing reel. He smiled. "Bring us in a fat one," Cosmo mumbled, wrapped in his blanket with his eyes still closed.