Star woke up aching and cold, not to mention that every thing looked blurry. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a couple times. That was a little better, but not by much. Then she realized that she was facedown on the leafy forest floor, groaned and rolled over onto her side. That still hurt. She touched the back of her head gingerly, then pulled it away quickly, feeling a hard lump.

"Ow," she muttered softly. That was about all she could think, so she repeated it several times. "Ow, ow, ow. What in the world was that,"

Finally managing to stand up, she shook her head, trying to clear the fog. Then she realized something. "Hawk? Where are you?" She looked around. Lying on the ground was an assortment of wolf and human corpses. But though she looked over the clearing, there was still no sign of Hawk.

"Someone attacked, probably kidnapped Hawk," she muttered, trying to determine what had happened. "Not me though. Why? Because … I don't look that much like a Kaled'a'in and I don't have any magic? So then they probably thought I was just a friend, and not to be worried about." She noticed a splash of feathers to the left.

"Hy'a… not Hy'a." She walked over to see if the bird was still alive, but to her relief, it was only a pile of feathers. They had probably taken the bird too.

"So." She straightened her shoulders. "Time to go get Hawk back." Star collected the packs, her daggers, Hawk's sword, bow and quiver. Looking around she found the trail and set out upon it at a ground devouring pace.

***

Star walked, as swiftly and silently as Hawk could have ever wanted, making the falling leaves sound loud. She missed nothing, following the bandit's trail. But somehow they never came into sight. Somehow the trail was barely warm when she got to it.

Could they be using magic? The Tayledras already do, perhaps they can too. It occurred to her that she was no longer thinking of herself as Tayledras. Is that good or bad?

She had no answer for that question, so she pondered what she would do when she did catch up to them. It's not like I have anyone to help me. And if I left even one of them, and they had seen me, I wouldn't give myself odds on life. It would be best, she finally decided, to just sneak Hawk out and set a blind trail.

***

Two months later, Star found herself far past the plains and forest, yet she never seemed to near the bandits. There were small villages, which she questioned as best as she could, but few of them spoke her language, and most of them were heisitant around strangers. That spoke of past threats from those Star was tailing. Just how far is their range?

She approached a new village cautiously. Some of them had taken it upon themselves to drive out all intruders with any weapons at hand, and she had very slightly missed their affections. There was some sort of Headman near the entrance, so she decided he would be the best to speak to.

"Sir," she asked in the main tounge that had – apparently – been the main language of Urtho's camp "is it possible that I pass through your village and ask a few questions?"

He looked at her with no trace of emotion. "What questions need you ask? I will not have you take my people away. We have just recently settled."

"That was the farthest thing from my mind, sir. My brother went missing two months past, and I have been searching for him since. I had wondered if any of your people might have seen him or the band that took him."

The Headman relaxed slightly, but just barely. "There is a band that passed through three days hence. Do you know the marks of the ones you seek? Or are you going blind?"

"I do not know their marks," Star replied, shaking her head. "They got me from behind, and I never saw any of them. But their trail was quite obvious, it is that I have been following. Who is it that passed here last?"

"Kalishie's band, at least thirty blood-raised men. Not to mention Koraki, but he probably won't be with them. A blood-path mage. They went two south and one east."

"Thank you sir. I will be going now."

***

Star lay on her back, staring into the stars. Mph, staring into the stars… I wonder what Hawk's doing…

As if to answer her silent question, she faintly heard the murmers of a camp settling down for the night. The bastards, they were using magic. I thought that they were at least a few days away. She stood up, rerolled the sleeping bag and went off to find the camp. Though she was a little winded, she had the advantage of surprise and the choice of ground, and was not minded to loose this perfect opportunity.

Even if they were making the trail cold, or a false trail, they didn't seem to think that the level of magic nessecary to make a place invisable was expendable. All the better for her. She caught the first flickers of firelight and started to slow her pace, circling the camp in ever decreasing circles.

There. There was a large dark body and a smaller one. The smaller one must have been Hawk, as there was no way that he could grow that much in a week. But what was the other…

Closer now, she noted the light bouncing off of the first body. It made it seem gold tinted, perhaps it was a guard, but probably a prisoner. And when she was finally only a few meters away, she saw that it was not even human.

A gryphon! I wonder if it can Mindspeak. If it could help me get Hawk out… she took a few steps closer, a mear meter away from the firelight.

"You had better not be doing what I think you are," came a harsh, quiet voice behind her. She reacted purely instinctively, whipping around and slamming her fist into the voice's nose.

***

Snowfalcon had finally caught up to Kalishie's band, and had been trying to get close enough to talk to Krylon. The stupid gryphon had got himself caught minutes after they had first seen the band, leaving Snowfalcon to trail them south.

When he had seen the other approaching the encampment, he had tried to avoid them. But when it became plain from the way that they were moving that they were not part of the band, and that they were trying to get to the mage next to Krylon, he had had no choice but to stop them. If they had given away his position, neither he nor Krylon would see Silver Gryphon again.

What he had not expected was that the person would be a fighter. Snowfalcon found himself staring up at them, his nose throbing. Thankfully he was slightly taller than most, or that would have probably concused, and it wasn't broken. As it was, he hoped that he would be able to find a Healer fairly soon.

The other said nothing, just stared down at him. Kaled'a'in features, he noted absently. No Mage-Gift, though. Mindspeech? Maybe.

"Sorry for startling you," he said, when it became apparent that they weren't about to say anything. "But if you had given away our position, we would've been as good as dead."

They looked surprised. "You're not a guard? Sorry about your nose, then."

"You Kaled'a'in?" he asked. It was becoming more and more likely, given their features and their accent.

"Tayledras," they corrected.

"Huh?"

Seemingly oblivious to his confusion, they extended one hand. "Starwhisper K'Vala, that mage's sister," she said, indicating the man next to Krylon.

"Snowfalcon," he answered, shaking her hand. "The gryphon's patrol partner."

"So," she asked, folding her legs and dropping down comfortably, reminding him that he was still rather sprawled. He sat up. "What was your plan to get Krylon out of there. I didn't have much of one to get Hawksong out, maybe we could just change yours a little."

Falcon thought for a moment. "Yes," he said slowly, blue eyes glinting, "it just might work. Here's what we'll do."

***

*Hangs head.* Sorry for not posting for so long. But here, I updated. Now review so that I don't go into a slump.

Thankee's to all reviewers, have hot chocolate. It's cold over here…

No one answered the question, so anyone who knows can post it this time. From Take a Thief: Which temple is Skif's cousin Beel a novice at?

Fireblade, feel free to answer.