Fearless Lioness runs on "I am so sorry, I've being to busy starting fics, to finish this one, well I will. And hopefully this chapter cleared up any questions you had about Why Alanna and Thom's mum is alive, if not you can just say and I'll write it specially at the bottom next time"

Ayla and Alanna trained nearly every day for a week, the spring finally turned to summer. Alanna started to learn slowly, exercising her unused muscles and coping the movements, Ayla did.

After a while, Ayla gave her a staff, "Are we going to learn sword fighting like at palace?" Alanna asked breathlessly.

Ayla raised an eyebrow, and shook her head "No, we're going to learn much more useful moves, We have a lot of different people here and I use the best points out of all of them." Ayla said her voice a little proud.

The staff, was surprising heavy in her hands, "It will be easier to handle a sword, now" Ayla said. Then she suddenly moved as if to hit her Shin, Alanna jumped back, "Why you do that" she demanded.

"I wanted you to block me" Ayla told her, she swung at her shin again. Alanna moved her staff, but to slowly and she felt a sharp rap on her leg.

After nearly two hours of gruelling practice, Joab called them to help.

Alanna moaned as she walked, rubbing her bruised shins.

Jason was smiling at her, his lips seemed to stretch from one ear to the next.

"What wrong with you" snapped Alanna, Jason smiled even wider if that was possible.

"Guess what?" he jumped around her, as she walked to the back of the circus, away from the clear space, where people would be walking around in, Jason stepped in front of her, "Go on guess"

Alanna stopped and put her hands on her hips in expiration "I don't know, Pigs decided to fly" she growled throwing her arms in the air.

"Nope" Jason let the sarcasm roll of him "I found out something you can do in the circus" he clapped his hands and dragged her to a small tent near the very back of the camp, the place where the poorest least important people were camped out.

Stretching the length of the tent about a tight rope, about six inches of the ground. Alanna looked uncertainly at Jason.

Jason smiled and jumped onto the taunt rope, her walked wobbly to the centre, his arms out.

"Come on Lana" he said, holding out his hand.

Alanna sighed and took his hand. The rope swung dangerously from side to side, and Alanna grabbed hold of Jason who fell to the floor, with a wide eyed redhead on top of him.

"Not bad" gasped Jason.

Lady Bella of Trebond was watching her daughter in the shape of a rat, with black hair and red eyes.

She tilted her head to the side as Alanna fell off the rope once again.

Despite once being human she couldn't quite figure out why anyone would want to walk on a rope. It brought back the fact that she'd been dead for quite some time.

The rat's head lolled as Bella had a vision. Ciaran the handsome spirit-man had once been trouble or gifted as he'd said with the very same visions. But now Bella had them, the mind splitting glimpses of the future.

Ciaran had approached her telling her of her son who was going to die.

Bella had begged him to help her save her son, and she had forgotten her peaceful existence and her daughter.

Ciaran had said he would bring them both into the normal world, if she would take his visions. Bella had readily agreed.

The black rat was lying down, as pain racked it's small frame.

What a fool she'd been. The visions weren't a gift they were a curse, and she was sure they'd make her crazy soon.

But Ciaran had forgotten one thing, Bella had seen the future. A future with out the lioness, she wasn't going to let that happen.

The black rat stood and silently walked away into the night, her tail flicking behind her.

Thom yawned, the dog butted his hand with a wet nose, and he punched it by accident.

"Sorry" he said as they dog, sat cross eyed looking at his red nose.

Thom remembered what he had been going to do last night. It looked like he was going to be hot again today.

Thom shoulder twitched and he frowned, it had been weeks since it had been hurt. The dog walked a little bit further than necessary as Thom walked to class.

Prince Jonathon, Gary and Alex were just in front of hum.

"Hey" Alex said, as Thom slid past the slow moving boys.

Thom nodded in greeting as Gary cracked a rude joke, sending burst of laughter down the corridor.

"It that a dog?" asked Gary, as the short haired dog, slid around them to follow Thom.

Thom glanced over his shoulder at the dog "I don't want him, you can have him" he said, the others were confused by his bitter tone, so Thom added a little gentler "If you want"

Jon reached out a hand, the dog eyes caught his and then the dog started to growl, he advanced on the prince, his teeth bared.

"Stop!" commanding Thom his eyes wide, he looked at the angry glared "I didn't do that" he said id his own defence.

Jonathon turned his gaze on the dog, and shrugged thoughtfully.

Thom took his place in the classroom, in the middle at the end.

A yawn splashed across his face.

"Thom" hissed Alex, and he turned surprised to the other boy "You ok?" he asked

Thom yawned again and nodded "Just tired"

The priest saw them and slapped a ruler in front of Thom "What are you two doing, No talking" he growled sharply.

Just then someone knocked on the door, a large fat man walked in, his hair thinning and falling away, and his eyes like frozen glass.

"Thom of Trebond" he asked icily.

Thom looked up, with a raised eyebrow, his inside shaking.

"Ye… Yes?" he asked

The man frowned at his small figure and shrugged "Come with me"

The priest looked at him, indignant "Excuse me!" he snarled

"With your permission, of course." sneered the man leading Thom away.

The man took him to an empty classroom, he sat heavily down, and Thom stood shivering "Your sister" he said to Thom he looked at him, "Has killed someone"

Thom's mind couldn't connect, "No she hasn't" he said in denial.

"yes she has. Alanna is a fugitive" he rolled his head on his shoulder "If you see of hear from her, you must tell me immediately" he ordered Thom his voice lowered "Or you could get taken to court as well"

"You mean she's run away?" asked Thom to the man

He nodded "Yes she's dangerous, Kid" and he stood and lumbered to the door "I'll be in touch"

Thom sank to floor "Alanna, why?" he asked to the empty room.