Sorry it's taken so long to get the next chapter out and that it's so short. I've been trying
to juggle work and grad school applications at the same time and my brain is slowly dribbling
out of my left ear. It's a real mess to clean up too...brains stain you know. Anyway, here's
the next short installment. If you have any suggestions please share them! i can't promise
that I'll use all suggestions but I'd love to hear them. For those of you that asked, we may
find out a little more about Piper's family, but for the most part, they're out of the picture.
They abandoned her. They do have influence over her though.

Chapter 4

Early the next morning, Piper walked to the training field with her head held high. The
previous night, she had seen a reflection of herself in the mirror in her bedchamber. She
looked like a half drowned cat with her hair sticking out at odd angles. Most of the bruises
she received were covered by her cloths. She was grateful for that at least. Her pride wouldn't
allow her to show weakness.

She marched over the hill and past the shrub that she once hid behind. The sounds of
metal on metal and the exerted grunts of training ceased as she walked on the field. The guards
all stopped what they were doing to watch Piper and her stunning lack of hair. Each was
desperately trying to understand what had happened to her. They all looked at her as though
she was their own daughter or younger sister and this sudden change upset many of them.

She ignored all of them and continued on to the far end of the field where Bear was practicing
archery. She stood several feet behind him as he took aim and fired. The arrow landed half
an inch from center target. Piper smiled. Of all of the things that she learned from the guards,
archery was thing thing that she had the greatest talent in. She practiced for hours in the
afternoon because it was the one thing she could do that didn't require a sparring partner.
She could have hit the target perfectly in the center.

Bear turned to see Piper smiling slightly behind him. He didn't react to her sudden change
of appearance. She looked him straight in the eye.

"I'm ready to learn now." She said evenly.

He merely nodded and handed her his bow and quiver. "Collect the arrow and bring
them back to the guard house. Then we will begin. He walked away from her without giving
her a chance to reply.

**********

After another hour of fighting with Bear, Piper had a whole new set of bruises, but this
time she felt a lot better.

"Don't let me touch you." Bear said as they circled each other. He lunged at Piper and
she clumsily ducked beneath his reach. She didn't, however manage to get completely out of
his way. His foot caught her hip as he tripped over her. She looked not a little amazed, as he
fell to the ground and she remained standing. He recovered quickly and rolled into a crouching
position.

"Very good." He sounded almost impressed. "Or at least it would be if you had done it on
purpose." Piper sneered at him and massaged the throbbing pain in her hip. "Are you alright?"
Bear asked, not sounding terribly concerned.

It was then that the both of them noticed the uneasy stillness on the training field. Piper felt
the little hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She saw Bear look behind her. He snapped
to attention. Piper had never seen him look scared like that.

Slowly, she turned. The sight of the man behind her filled her with more dread than she had
ever known. Philip Mark stood perfectly still, arms crossed over his chest, and his dark eyes
controlled and neutral. Piper took several involuntary steps backwards. The Sheriff looked
around at his various guards.

"Can anyone explain this?"

It seemed like hours before anyone spoke, but it couldn't have been more than a few seconds.
Richard stepped forward. "Sir." He began. Philip turned to him and waited. "We meant no
harm sir. She came to us one day, said she wanted teh be a guard like us. The girl's got a lot
of heart sir, and she's stubborn as a mule too. We taught her a few things. It never disrupted
our training. She's got some talent."

Philip raised his eyebrows in mild surprise.

"Talent?" His dark tenor voice seemed doubtful. "Show me."

Piper and Richard looked at each other in silent communication. "Piper." He said simply.
"Why don't yeh go and get yer bow and some arrows." Piper was relieved to have something
to do. She ran off to the guard house to follow Richard's orders.

What was going to happen? She wondered what the Sheriff would do now that he knew.
She would probably be on her own. Why would he keep a ward that was so improper?

She reached the guard house and picked up the needed items. Before she started back
she took a steadying breath. "Alright." She whispered to herself. "You may still have a
chance. Calm down. Do this right." She wasn't on the street yet, which meant there was hope.

Piper jogged back to where the others were. It was obvious they had been talking, probably
about her. Richard gave her a small reassuring smile.

"Alright, Piper." His voice was warm. "All yer goin' teh do is show the Sheriff how good
yeh are with yer archery." She watched as William and Steven, two brothers with the tendency
to orchestrate elaborate pranks and jokes, set up a target. The target was further than she had
ever shot. Once again, she looked at Richard for some comforting reassurance. All she got
was a nod of encouragement. She looked at Philip, and he returned her gaze with evident
doubt in his eyes.

Block it all out.> She thought. She turned to the target. William and Steven were clear
of it. She concentrated her entire focus on the target. She pulled an arrow from the quiver
slung over her back. Her focus never wavered as she raised the bow, notched the arrow,
pulled it back and let go. The thin sliver of wood shot fluidly through the air, and Piper knew,
even before it hit the target, that it was a good shot. The arrow hit the center of the target
and the sound it made seemed to echo through her mind. She smiled. When she turned to
face the congregation of men behind her she saw that all of the guards smiled too, if only
slightly. They were proud of her.

The Sheriff stood a little apart from the rest. He didn't smile, but he didn't seem displeased.

"Impressive." He said. Piper didn't answer. The tone of his voice didn't invite any response.
He looked at her, his eyes squinting and his forehead furrowed, as though he was trying to remember
her name. After a second he shook his head giving up on the attempt.

"I would like to speak with you about this." He said to Piper. "After this evening's meal,
come and speak with me in my chamber."

Without another word, he walked away. Piper watched him go. The man that rescued her as
an infant and sheltered her all these years seemed to have a darkness to him that went deeper than
the ebony hair and midnight eyes. He was never what anyone would describe as a frivolous or
lighthearted man, but Piper wondered if there wasn't something else going on to make him even
more brooding than usual. She supposed that she could ask him when she talked with him this
evening, though that might not be such a good idea. Prying into his personal affairs at the moment
when he held her future in his hand was certainly one way to tempt the fates.

Richard sighed behind her. "Yeh've done good, lass. I wish yeh well this evening." He patted
her on the shoulder and walked off to take care of his many duties.