A/N Wow another chappie in less than a month! If you haven't yet go to my site (the link is on my bio page), look around, and SIGN THE GUESTBOOK!! I want feed back on the site it took me forever to make, and I think it is kind of cool (the about me section took the longest time funnily enough). Also if you ever want to chat with me I have an AIM screen name specifically for ff.net people it is Aer Aktis. I wouldn't be on if I didn't want to talk with you so don't be scared.

cytocine: Thanks I'm glad the story doesn't drag! And yes things are coming to a climax.

Jarka Ruus: I'm glad you liked the new chappies. I didn't take a very long time in updating either! Thanks for the review.

Eve of Mirkwood: Ya Zira has a tough life (I wouldn't want it). I'm so glad you like the story though, also thanks for going to the website.

Catwoman-Huntress: Yes I have a website, it is just up, and the address is on my Bio page. I would check out your story but it is based on something that I have never read. I'm sorry, but I'm glad you found mine.

Ivy Dragon: Shae is in this chappie. I'm glad you liked her dream. I removed the punctuation from it to give a flowing other worldly feeling I hope that it worked and didn't just make it confusing.

Dragonwing5: Thanks for the review.

Asphodel: Thanks for checking out my site, and thanks for the review!

Exroomie: I miss you! Do you think you can come up and watch my play this coming weekend? The roses didn't take long because of a lovely thing called copy paste hehe. Talk to you soon.

TARA!!!!: I miss you soooooo much! There is no one at my new school that reads fantasy. It is very annoying. I hope that running goes well for you, good luck with doing the required running (I always lied about that "ya sure I ran 180 miles total over the summer"). Email me I've lost your email address.

Genevieve: Hehe your screen name makes me think of the Camelot song. Thanks for the review.

Everyone read review and enjoy!

Chapter XXIX: War and Peace

Shae looked up from the letter she was reading. Jasson stood above her. He gestured to the folded piece of paper in her hands.

"From Zira?" he asked quietly. Shae shook her head, smiling sadly.

"No, Tobit." Jasson sat down next to the beautiful Antithean.

"You miss him," he said. Her brown eyes lost focus, and she stared across the garden. Jasson looked at her, and began to think that she hadn't heard him. Her lips parted, and she exhaled gently.

"Something is happening at the border. He doesn't know which side he should take," she rushed, her words tumbling over each other, and her accent becoming stronger, "but what scares me is I not do know which side either." Jasson noticed for the first time how thin she had become since Zira left. Her eyes were large and bright in her face, and she had developed a nervous habit of pressing her tongue against her upper lip. "I want to do right for both sides," her accent thickened more, until he barely recognized the voice that was speaking. "I not can give up my family, but I not can give up my friends as well." She lowered her face into her hands, and her body convulsed with sobs. Jasson sat there awkwardly then put his arms around the girl. She clung to him, crying. They sat there together, under the decorative trees. Jasson's eyes wandered upward, into the top branches. Shae's eyes focused on the dust, and Jasson's boots. She closed her eyes, and straightened.

"I'm sorry," she said composing herself. "I have been on edge all week, and ready to fall apart at the first kind word." She laughed sadly at herself.

"Let's walk," Jasson said, smiling. Shae nodded and stood. Her hair was down, and swung back and forth brushing her waist.

"Zira and I have never been apart for more than a day, now we have been separated for three weeks," Shae shivered. "I don't know how much longer I can bear it. I can't even leave to go to visit Tobit, your father has me under house arrest."

"It must be hard," Jasson said quietly. "I" he trailed off, and smiled at Shae. "I have never had to go through what you are going through right now. How did you meet Zira?" Shae smiled.

"We were born on the same day. My mother was a good friend of the Queen, and so the Queen asked her if I could be Zira's companion. We spent everyday together since then. When we were little we shared a cradle."

"Did you still see your family?"

"Yes, they lived in the palace with me. I have two older brothers. They were great friends of Zira's older brother, Abi," she trailed off, thinking back to before the wars when Abi and her brothers would go off hunting together, and she and Zira would hunt them. Darting from bush to tree, keeping out of sight. Trying to make no sound. She smiled, only now did she realize how dangerous that pass-time had been, and that in all probability their brothers had known that they were there. But at the time she and Zira had been so proud, they could hunt the hunters. Abi had been so full of life, and her brothers had been innocent, untarnished by war and hate. It was only after the wars that her brothers had changed. They would retreat into their rooms only coming out to curse Tortall. Her eldest brother had not wanted her to come to Tortall, she knew that he would kill her if he knew that she was in love with a Tortallian. Jasson looked over at Shae's quiet and beautiful face, and saw a depth of pain there that he had never experienced.

~*~

Tobit was waiting inside the walls, his men clustered around him. He was resolute, and showed his men no clue of his inner doubt. For the first time they really respected and trusted him. He knew that he had sworn his life to Tortall and these men before him. He breathed a prayer for forgiveness to whichever deity might be listening. Night had fallen a few hours ago, and his men stood patiently in the dark. Then Tobit heard the soft click of the tumblers being turned in the door. He signaled his men to stay quiet. The door opened, and Tobit's arm fell. The Tortallian border patrol fell on the unsuspecting invaders at full force. War had begun again.

~*~

Niaussi threw his knife at the first Tortallian he saw, and it satisfyingly buried itself into his throat. He drew his second knife out of his boot, and ran for the leader of the troops, a tall man with bright blue eyes and curly brown hair. Niaussi raised his knife high, and the officer drew his sword. Niaussi smiled, he could beat a Tortallian with a sword. Around them his makeshift army was attacking unrelentingly. The Tortallian blocked the first cut of the knife, and swung his sword at Niaussi who nimbly jumped out of range, then raced in, a cold glint in his eyes. His knife nicked the officer's arm, and he hissed in pain bringing the sword back up, and slashing at Niaussi's stomach leaving a deep gash in his side. With each parry and thrust one would gain ground, and then loose it again. Around them soldier's from both sides fell and didn't get up. A man with wild blond hair, swung at Niaussi, and he parried. When he turned back the officer had turned his attention to another soldier. Niaussi tried to fight his way back to him but was blocked by the blond Tortallian again. He cursed, and raised his knife.

~*~

Tobit had grown numb. He had learned that that was the only way he could fight. He left his brain behind; all he knew was blood. Blood pounding in his veins desperate to keep him alive. He cut down a soldier who was barely more than a boy, and he was laid low in the dust next to a Tortallian of the same age. It was not possible for Tobit to recognize him; the only thing he was conscious of was his own blood. He raged at the attackers. They were killing his men; the men that he had earned the regard of over long hard months. The man who had struck first was fighting a short blond soldier, Tobit watched with half his eye, the other intent on finding his next assailant. He had to get to that man; he was the leader of the revolt. He needed to strike him down. And then the blond man raised his sword high, and it crashed through the knife into the dark haired skull of the leader of the revolt.

~*~

Niaussi fell. It was slow. He thought back to watching Abi fall in that great battle. There was no anger though today. He remembered the graceful curve of Abi's body as the sword of the red and gold Lioness had struck his back, and the body crumpling slowly. He had smiled, Niaussi remembered this for the first time, and smiled as well at the thought of rejoining his friend.

"Eimar, forgive me," he breathed, and thought he heard a quiet "Amane." As he completed the fall the young beautiful face of his sister passed before him. "Shae." His head hit the dust and he knew no more.

~*~

Zira screamed. She sat up in the tent. Power was racing through her, barely contained by the thin walls of her veins, she was glowing. She closed her eyes and sent her power out to the border. She saw Tobit. She saw his men fighting hard against a wave of attackers. She was angry who would dare try to harm her friends. Then she saw who. She saw her people, she saw Niaussi. He was staring up into the night sky, unblinking, unseeing. Zira broke off the vision, and realized suddenly that she could enter into the minds of her people. She was Queen. War had started again, and she knew that she must do anything to stop it. Tortall would flatten her country in an instant. She raised her head. She knew what she had to do.