A/N: If you haven't read any of my stories yet, I would like to point out that I have written two others that you can get to from my bio page! Thanks for the reviews!

~*~ Five Years Later ~*~

*In the US of A*

Phi was sitting down at the table with Tom, talking about his job when she heard the front door open, then quickly slam shut. He raised an eyebrow at her, which she returned with a shrug as Luke hurried in to the kitchen. He dropped off his blue backpack off underneath the circular table, and scrabbled up into the chair next to his mother, looking concernedly past her, watching as Devic stormed by and shut himself up in their room. Phi turned to her youngest son, who had glanced up at her with his big brown eyes, "What is wrong with Devic, Luke?"

He frowned, as if his young mind were contemplating whether it should break the unspoken bond between brothers, that you don't tattle on each other, but finally he looked back up at Phi, "I dunno. I think something happened in his class...He wouldn't talk to me when we were walkin' home."

Phi frowned. Last she heard, Devic was doing very well in his fourth grade class. While she was thinking, Luke turned to Tom and smiled happily, "Uncle Tom! Are you going to have dinner with us?"

Tom grinned, then leaned in and whispered loudly with a tone of mock conspiracy, "I don't know. Your mother hasn't invited me yet..."

Luke turned to Phi and pulled anxiously on her sleeve, "Mommy? Mommy! Can Uncle Tom stay for dinner?"

She glanced up at Tom, then back at Luke, "I don't even know what we're having yet, but I guess he could...You'll have to ask your Daddy though."

"When's he comin' home?"

"He should be back by six."

Luke turned to stare at the clock, and bit his bottom lip thoughtfully, trying to tell what time it was, "So he'll be here in...three hours?"

"Close enough!" Phi rustled her son's auburn hair, much to his indignation, then stood up, "I'm going to go talk with Devic. Luke, why don't you stay here and keep Uncle Tom company?"

Luke nodded happily and began to talk to Tom animatedly about a picture he had drawn in class that day as Phi made her way to Devic's room. She knocked softly on the closed door, "Devic, may I come in?" Hearing no answer, she slowly opened the door and caught sight of him sprawled out, stomach down, on his bed, his head under his pillow. She smiled despite herself at the ten year olds way of coping, and sat down next to him, "Devic? Do you want to tell me what happened today in class?"

Silence.

She frowned a little, "It can't be that bad..."

She smiled triumphantly to herself as Devic sprang up into a sitting position, "Everyone made fun of me in class!"

"Why? What happened?"

He pulled his legs up so that he was clutching them close to his chest, and leaned his back up against the wall, "Because I...I...I don't know what I did...I was up in front of the class, and then I just...just started speaking in a different language!"

Phi furrowed her brow, "Was it Spanish? You know a little of that..."

Devic shook his head fervently, "No, it was another one. I don't know what is was, but everyone started to laugh at me!"

"Do you remember what you said?"

"Kinda..."

"Why don't you tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I don't wanna."

"Please? I might be able to tell you what it was..."

"No."

Phi sighed. When Devic was determined not to do something, then he didn't do it, "Can you at least tell me why you won't tell me?"

"Because..."

"You can tell me anything Devic, you know that..."

"Because I don't want you to...worry again."

Phi started. Usually, Devic didn't care if someone was worried or not. Something must be going on, and she was more curious now than ever to find out what it was, not to mention a little worried, "Well, when Dad gets home, will you tell him?"

Silence.

"Devic?"

"Maybe..."

Good enough. Phi leaned over, kissed Devic lightly on his forehead, and stood up. Before she stepped out of the room, she glanced back at her oldest son. He was staring out his window blankly, his imaginative mind already drifted off.

By the time Alex got home, Phi had thought of something to make for dinner, and as soon as he stepped through the doorway Luke tackled him. He let out a small cry of surprise as he fell back, catching himself just in time to keep himself from falling, "Whoa! What's all this about?"

Luke grinned and pulled on his jacket anxiously, "Daddy! Can Uncle Tom stay for dinner? Please! Pretty please?"

Alex laughed and pulled Luke off, and set him gently on the ground, "Well, I suppose if Uncle Tom promises to be a good boy..."

Tom grinned as Luke ran back over to him, practically bouncing up and down, telling him the good news. Alex walked over to Phi and kissed her, "What's for dinner?"

She frowned, and said half-mockingly, "Nothing for you until you go find out why Devic is so upset."

Alex glanced curiously back at Devic's room, "What happened?"

Phi sighed, "He came home from school today upset, and so I went to ask him what happened. All I could get out of him was that he was speaking in front of the class, when he began to speak another language."

"Spanish?"

"See, that's what I thought, but he told me that it was something else, but he won't talk to me about it."

"I'll see what I can do..."

Alex turned to Tom and smiled, "So, what are you doing here? Usually you're still slaving away at work!"

"Ya, well, with the new Mars landing, we got to take a small victory vacation...It won't last very long unfortunately..."

"Why aren't you spending time with Ashley?"

Tom frowned, "She went out of town for a few weeks, but she should be back by next Monday..."

"You finally find yourself a girl, and you can never hook up with her..."

"Ya, well, I can wait."

Alex nodded approvingly and walked towards Devic's door, rapping loudly on it.

He heard a small, "Come in..." so he stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He found Devic sitting on his bed doing his homework.

"So, Mom tells me that you were speaking in a different language today? You want to talk to me about it?"

Devic glanced up at him, his brown hair falling into his eyes, "I guess so..."

"Do you remember what language you were speaking in?"

"Not the name..."

"Do you remember what you said?"

"A little bit..."

"Do you want to tell it to me?"

Devic sighed, and reluctantly began to go over, in detail, what had happened that day in class.

A few minutes later, Alex stepped out of the room, his face serious, and called Phi and Tom over, and motioned them to huddle together. Phi spotted his expression, "What is it Alex? What happened?"

"Well, Devic told me what he said...You guys are never going to believe this..."

Tom frowned, "Well, what was it?"

"He was speaking Tortallian!"

*In Tortall*

Devic sighed, stood up, and stretched. He gave William a quick nod and the two left the King's conference room. At 29, Devic had become one of Tortall's youngest captains of the royal army, and he deserved it. Having trained hundreds of new recruits, he had gotten used to the way younger officers act to their superiors, and he could handle any situation that came his way. As they walked briskly down the hall, Will cast a quick glance at his cousin and commander. In the last few years, not much had changed about him. He had grown to be tall and rather wiry, with a thin but athletic build. He had never been one of the largest or strongest boys growing up, and he still didn't come close to some of the other officers, but he made up for what he lacked physically by his strategies and battle plans. Devic had become a renowned tactician, famous, or infamous, for coming up with seemingly crazed schemes that somehow always worked out for him.

Of course, Will was always right by his side to make sure they worked as planned. William had grown plenty, and had been promoted from stable hand to Devic's second in command a long time ago. Of course, before that, he had become an archer for Tortall's army. He had the eyes of a hawk, and frequently served as Devic's scout, but was also well known for his open- mindedness, and also as being the closest thing alive to Devic. But that was because that Will knew Devic inside and out; not just the proud, gallant aspects, but also the darker secrets that the man had hidden away deep in his mind. It was Will's job to keep Devic on track and make sure that he stayed healthy and fit for command.

After a few moments, Devic glanced up at Will, and with calculating eyes, thoughtfully put his question forward, "So Will, what do you think of our new assignment?"

"It sounds like an ordinary mission to me sir, nothing too exciting..."

"Do you really think they would send us on an average mission? Speak freely Will, I want to hear what you have to say..."

Will couldn't help but smile. Devic wasn't being arrogant by saying that the crown wouldn't send them on an average mission: it was the truth, "Well Devic, I'm not sure..." He lowered his voice as they passed by the dining hall where most of the castle inhabitants were eating supper, "You're right, but I can't think of anything of interest in the middle of a forest..."

"Ah, but this isn't just any forest, this is the forest on our boarders with the Scans..." Devic had dove back into thinking, using the soldier slang for the Scanrans, "Is it possible that not all of the warriors have been driven out?"

"It's a long shot, but that could be the reason. Actually, now that I think about it, it makes the most sense. After all, fighting a battle in a forest is tough going, so it figures that the crown would send a man like you to do the job."

Devic nodded, rather absent mindedly, "The men aren't going to be happy about this...I promised them they would have a week's leave..."

"They knew what they were getting into when they joined...Besides, knowing them, they're probably bored all ready."

Devic smirked, "Good point Will. Tell you what, we will leave early in the morning, but I'll give them one more night not worrying about heading off. You get supplies and horses worked out with the servants, and then take the rest of the night off and enjoy yourself. Mithros knows you've been hanging around the Palace much to often..."

"Oh and as if you haven't?" Will teased his older cousin, and gave him a small, friendly shove, "So, were will you be slaving away in the meantime?"

"In my room, as always..." Devic gave him a light push in return and rustled Will's curly brown hair, "Now get out of here before I think of something else for you to do for me..."

Will grinned, "Yes sir. I'll check up on you later tonight, and you had better have eaten something, or I'll be on you worse than a chill in the winter!"

Devic nodded and waved him off, then turned and headed up the main staircase to the living quarters upstairs. He had so much preparation to do in so little time...