A/N Whew I'm on a roll. I HATE MCAS!!!!!!!!!! They are pointless I don't really need a diploma (especially when you need to miss classes to get it). I am so mad, I just had to retake a stadardized test that I had already taken. The reason you ask? I'm a Junior, that is the only one that I saw. Now I have more classes to make up (oh goody). But on a brighter note I'm going to a Rooney concert tomorrow night! I'm going to meet them I've made up my mind. I hope everyone's lives here are good. How many of you have visited my website? What do you think of it? I've added another Zira pic to it.

Wildmage: You like Falkin better (finally people who like Falkin are coming out)? I'm sorry about my evil cliffies.

Celidh: I hope this is better, though probably the tension won't let up until the end. Hey were reaching the climax.

Rymira Sedai: THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!!! Reviews are marvelous and always appreciated.

Lona: It gets more intense in this chappie I think. Thanks for the review.

Insert Catchy Name Here (how bout Mildred (hehe)): Oh good it was a surprise that makes me happy. I hope you didn't combust.

TARA!!!: How are you! I miss you so much! I feel bad for Falkin too. Thanks for the review. Why are you never around when I come down to the school?

Sudha: Don't skin me! I like my skin where it is. I'm glad you like it though!

Exxxxroomie: Have you started A Business of Ferrets yet? It was great seeing you! See you soon! (Did you realize you signed your real name?).

Dragonwing5: Hehe I'm glad you like it. Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter XXXII: The Storm Breaks

Tobit's keen blue eyes surveyed the horizon. Henri stood behind him, short stocky and blond, his muddy eyes squinted towards the sun.

"I don't like it." He pointed to a haze along the road. "Reinforcements. I say we attack, wipe them out now before they have a chance to take more Tortallian lives." He spat. Tobit's eyes never moved.

"I am the commander here, Henri, and as long as I say stay, we stay," he said coldly. "We will not leave the fort unprotected. It has the last of the water. I don't suppose you would like to die of thirst in the desert?"

"No Sir," Henri said.

"Good, I didn't think so. Every step that those reinforcements take means that they will be one step weaker than us. We wait."

"Yes Sir." Henri saluted and climbed down the wall. Tobit stood stiffly until Henri was out of sight. His fingers found the hilt of his sword; they gripped it, turning his knuckles white.

"We wait," he whispered.

~*~

Falkin looked at his shield. He was in his tent, and the noon sun beat though the canvas, surrounding him with an amber glow. Falkin's fingers ran over the smooth face of the cold metal. He remembered the day it had been presented to him. He looked at the falcon in its dive, an azure sky spread around it. He carefully put the leather cover over it, and left the tent. In one day they would be at the border, and in one day Falkin would cease to be a knight of Tortall. He began to dig in the sand outside the camp. His fingers were chapped from the sun, and it was slow painful work. When the shallow grave was dug Falkin picked up the shield one last time. He thought of his brother, and how his parents had save for months in order to get it made for him. He thought about how proud they were of him when he had come out of the Chamber of the Ordeal. His mother had presented him with the shield hours after, she was very proud of the design, and his father had recounted all the protection spells he had ordered for it. He thought of his mother with a whalebone needle and a steel thimble sewing the cover to the shield so it would stay clean and strong.

Tears rolled down his sun burned face. He gently laid his shield in it's grave. Tomorrow he would fight the country he had sworn to protect. With each handful of dirt he covered the sign of a Knight of Tortall. When he finished he rose, and turned. Neal was standing there.

"You have done the noble thing Falkin," he said, quietly. He was holding the simple round leather shield of an Antithean soldier. He held it out to Falkin. "I have put the strongest spells I could on it." Falkin took the shield, holding it gingerly like a newborn. He lifted his eyes to Neal's, and saw sorrow in his as well. They stood there together for a moment, then reentered the camp.

That night found them heading further south towards the Tortallian border. Just as the sun began to rise they reached the boundary. Quietly they made camp.

"We attack tomorrow," Falkin said firmly. "Hold the Tortallians out of Antithean lands, that is what we came to do."

~*~

On the other side of the border a battalion of the King's Own arrived at the fort. Tobit stood at the gate, and welcomed his own reinforcements. Liam grinned at him.

"They're all here, I made sure that you got the best, Tobit," he said. Tobit smiled sadly.

"Thank you Liam. How was the journey up?"

"Hard, but I didn't spare the men. They needed to reach here as soon as possible. We'll attack at dawn and quell the Antitheans into submission." Liam replied.

"We will do what we must," Tobit said firmly. "I have a feeling both sides will pay for the lives they took from each other." Liam looked at his friend skeptically. Tobit sighed. "We have a moment, come into my office and rest." Liam nodded.

When Liam woke, Tobit was sitting at a table drawing on a map. Liam rose from the bed, and looked over Tobit's shoulder.

"The enemy is stationed in this dried riverbed, it is a strategic place, but if we attack from this direction, and create a stop gap here I believe we can wipe them out and stop the war quickly." Tobit said indicating the different locations on the map. "We'll leave in an hour." Liam nodded, and began dressing.

~*~

Falkin looked out at the rising sun; his people were prepared and rested. He knew that today was the day. He lined his men up in the dried riverbed carefully. Neal had left them in the night. Falkin missed him. He paced back and forth; his mail was hot in the sun. Kiké walked up to him.

"Pacing only makes your people nervous," she said quietly. Falkin reached up to run his fingers through his hair only to realize that chain mail covered his head.

"I am about to be a traitor to the land that I grew up in," he said. "How would that make you feel? The men I will be fighting I went to school with. Their leader" he broke off. He couldn't think of Tobit. That would only make him run. Kiké put her hand on his shoulder.

"Lead us well," she said. The ranks grew silent. The horizon was hazy, and the first forms began to come into focus. The Tortallian army was a formidable sight; they flashed blue and silver, and approached slowly, majestically.

"Steady!" Falkin roared, "Archers string your bows! Notch your arrows!" The approaching army came closer. "Look for their eyes! Don't waste arrows! Pull back, take aim, loose! First row step back second forward! Take aim, Loose!" A volley of arrows rained down among the Antithean soldiers. Several fell. The Tortallians kept approaching. The two lines were facing each other. "Draw!" Falkin yelled, as his own sword flew from its scabbard.

~*~

Alanna, King Jonathan, and Numair bent over the Dominion Jewel, fortifying their troops on the border. The spell was growing, morphing, strengthening.

~*~

"Marry you?" Jasson said in shock. "Mithros! What happened in Antitheos?"

"I became Queen," Zira said desperately. "Jasson, please!"

"What did that change?" he asked. "Falkin always knew you'd be queen." At Falkin's name Zira closed her eyes, then opened them, they were glassy from unshed tears. "Zira, you still love him!" Jasson said horrified. He stepped backwards. "Why are you asking me this? I am the prince not some way to get back at an untrue lover." Zira's eyes blazed.

"You'd best keep your mouth shut about what you don't understand," she said her voice dangerously quiet. "I need you to marry me. Antitheos needs you to marry me."

"What!" Jasson yelled. "Zira who are you asking to marry you, me, or the prince of Tortall." Zira glared at him.

"Both, Jasson I don't have time for this."

"Do you love me?" Jasson asked quietly, this wasn't how he had imagined a marriage proposal. Zira stared at him unbelieving.

"Of course I love you," she said. "But that's not what's important right now."

"Well it is important to me," Jasson yelled. "Of course a person like you might not understand that. You've always been cold Zira. You aren't human. I don't know why I ever thought you were. You are a ruler. You value your position above everything. The individual doesn't matter to you. You just roll right over them, and continue on. Well Zira, it does matter, and you will never be a good ruler until you realize that." Zira fumed at him.

"What are you then?" she said stiffly. "You are a coward, Jasson. You don't know what to do with your life. You have been placed in a position of responsibility, and you turn your back on it. What do you know about your people? What do you know about politics? You've been spoiled. You've led a life far away from war, and hate. Well wake up it is in your country too. You ask me if I love you more than I love Falkin? Well here is my answer; who I love doesn't matter. I can never act on my love, I have been given responsibility and it must always come before my love. What I do effects millions; I cannot do what I want to. When will you grow up Jasson? When will you learn that life isn't what you want? Maybe I am cold, maybe I am cruel sometimes, but you," she looked at him with contempt, "you do nothing. When will you become a prince?" Jasson turned away from her.

She left the room tears pouring down her face. She ran blindly. She felt It throbbing before her, and she followed the power. There was only one other way to end the war. Her body morphed again, and her lithe form ran through the palace's winding passages.

Don't be too hard on Jasson. He has a point.