Hopefully the next couple of chapters come a little faster. I just haven't had any time to sit down and write lately. Anywayz, on with the chapter!!!!!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Tamora Pierce's stuff…

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The room was deadly silent as the Leader contemplated how he was going to explain their current situation to Luke. Sighing, he finally said, "I suppose I should start at the beginning."

"That would probably be best," agreed Luke, finally settling down.

"About twelve years ago, the Rogue as we know it today was still in its prime," the Leader began. "I myself was the Rogue, and the prosperous times brought by the Rogue before me was still intact."

"Wait," Luke said suddenly, "if that's true, than you must be…Marek Swiftknife?"

Marek smiled. "That's correct," he said, "I was wondering how long it would take you."

"Well considering you supposedly died twelve years ago I think I was pretty quick," Luke replied sarcastically.

"I'll get to that," Marek said with a dismissing wave of his hand. "Back to the story. The Rogue was doing well; however, in early spring of that year a stranger came to the Dancing Dove, headquarters for the Rogue. His name was Igor Furtashak, a Scanran. At first he just seemed like a man fleeing from the warring clans trying to get rich, but as time went on he revealed that he was much, much more than just that."

Marek shook his head sadly as he paced around the room. "He turned against us at midsummer, when he assassinated one of my inner-circle, Romy Donner."

"Donner…" Luke interrupted, "was he related to Loni?"

"Her father," Marek replied. "After his death, Igor turned a good portion of our foreign contacts against us with bribes, threats, and deaths which isolated us enough to keep most of our activities within Tortall. We were still strong inside our own borders, but our influence and outside trade was cut off. Now that he didn't have to worry about any outside interference, he started picking apart our strongholds one by one. The first to fall was Port Legann, then Homensdale, a village on Lake Tirragen, then the town of Russak on the Scanran border, and finally Port Cayne was taken because of the top agent of the Rogue there turning traitor.

Marek stopped pacing and stood in front of the sitting Luke. "No one expected Corus to fall as quickly as the others because of our strength, my leadership, and a powerful ally who was outside the Rogue." Marek's face turned hard as he continued. "Igor proved to be one tricky bastard. He knew that no one sealed to the Rogue could betray another member to the Provost, but he wasn't exactly sealed to the Rogue. He turned in a couple of our people, and then bribed some of the palace guards who had arrested them to say that I had arranged their arrest. Well, it didn't take long for the remaining members of the Rogue to become divided: some against me and some with me. It was almost too easy for Igor to pick us apart. We still had one more chance, our outside ally."

Marek's expression didn't change, but Luke noticed that his eyes, which had been full of sadness and anger, became dominated by a silent rage. "But he decided that he couldn't get involved, that he had more important matters to attend to, leaving us at the mercy of Igor. At midwinter's eve, the Dove was attacked. My followers and I were forced on to the roof for the safety of the innocent bystanders. However, we were soon overrun, and I was separated from them. One of Igor's henchmen hit me in the shoulder with a knife, and the force sent me tumbling off the roof. I remember hitting the ground and pain beyond what I had ever felt laced itself through my legs, and I blacked out.

"I'm guessing that's why you walk with such a heavy limp," Luke said. "What happened after you woke up?"

"I woke up two days later in this very room," Marek said. "By then most of my still loyal followers were either dead, missing, or working for Igor. Lila and Trows' parents were among the dead." He looked at Rhazier, who was sitting quietly in a chair. "Rhazier's father and eldest brother were among the missing."

Luke just sat quietly. 'All of the members of the inner circle lost a family member to this madness' he thought. 'I wonder how Josua is involved in this?'

"That's not even the worst of it though," Marek told Luke solemnly. "Even though all of the assassination attempts against Igor were thwarted, his second-in-command, a man named Nicoli Lungrak, wasn't so lucky. One of our agents succeeded in putting poison in his drink. However, before he died he managed to choke out a prophecy."

"Prophecy?" Luke said with an eyebrow raised. "He was Gifted then?"

"Nicoli possessed a strong Gift. He was able to throw fire and move heavy objects," replied Marek. "He also was known to receive visions of the future."

Luke sighed. "Well then let's here it," he said. "I'm sure this prophecy isn't anything good."

Marek nodded. "The prophecy told of two possible futures," Marek explained. "The first possibility is the coming of the Fallen One, who will fight and triumph over the force of good, bringing about the destruction of Tortall. The second possibility is the coming of the Hidden One, who will fight and triumph over the force of evil, and save Tortall and the Rogue."

Luke looked at him. "I'm guessing you think that the battle between good and evil in the prophecy, is a battle between the Fallen One and the Hidden One?"

Marek just nodded.

Luke sighed. "And I suppose I represent the Hidden One?"

"That's what Rhazier and I believe."

"What are you not telling me?"

Marek and Rhazier both looked surprised. "What?" Marek said.

"You're obviously not telling me something," Luke stated matter-of-factly. "Any one could be the Hidden One, I know I'm not the only outsider to come to Corus. There had to be some specific detail that makes you two certain that its me."

To Luke's surprise Marek just grinned. "Can't ever take anything at face-value can you kid?"

"I'd be a fool to," Luke replied with a grin of his own.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that an extremely gifted fighter wanders into our midst at the very moment when the Rebellion is about to try to overthrow the outsiders," Marek explained.

Luke nodded, but he wasn't convinced. 'It must be a very important secret for them to keep it from me,' he thought.

Rhazier, who had been silent most of the time Marek had been talking, now spoke up. "Whether you believe us or not, I do not care. What I care about is the future of my home, and I am willing to die for the safety on its inhabitants, which may very well happen. However, I believe you are the one who is destined to save Tortall. So Luke Thatcher, will you rise to your destiny?"

Luke looked at him and then at Marek and grinned. "What the hell."

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"So he's the Hidden One huh?" Loni asked Rhazier as they sat in Rhazier's rooms.

"Yep," Rhazier replied, "but he doesn't know why he's called the Hidden One."

"You didn't tell him?" Loni said with her eyebrows raised.

Rhazier gave a small smile, "would you have?"

"I suppose not."

It had been two days since their meeting with Marek, and Rhazier was catching Loni up on what had happened over breakfast while Luke was still sleeping.

"Still," Loni said, "what will you do when he finds out?"

Rhazier shrugged. "We'll take care of that when the time comes."

Loni sighed. "I suppose he knows about the enemies slowing growing stockpile of weapons, mages, and warriors."

"He was there when Marek opened the letter," Rhazier replied. "It was the first thing we told him after he acknowledged that he was the Hidden One."

Loni nodded and stood up. "We are due to receive a sample of a new type of magical solution developed in secret at the University in Carthak. It will turn the wearer invisible and totally resistant to heat."

"When and how much?"

Loni glanced at him, "three days at the earliest, we can't afford it falling into enemy hands. As for how much…it depends how well it works. If it goes off without a hitch, we'll need it at all of our supply and training bases."

"How much?" Rhazier asked firmly.

Loni avoided his gaze. 'I don't know the exact figure…"

"Humor me," came the short reply.

"Around 600 nobles," Loni almost whispered.

Rhazier scowled. "Loni," he said deceptively calm, "I hope that estimate is wrong because you know damn well that we can't afford to blow money on questionable items like that."

It was Loni's turn to scowl. "Rhazier," she began, "we need to have every possible advantage over our enemies as we can get. I've already checked the budget, and we can pay the money."

"You didn't already pay the money did you," Rhazier replied, his voice deadly calm.

Loni blushed slightly. "Not all of it," she muttered.

"LONI!" Rhazier roared, knocking his chair over, "WHAT THE HELL WILL WE DO IF IT DOESN'T WORK, IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED WE'RE ON A LIMITED BUDGET!"

Loni refused to back down. "Calm down," she said. "You have to take some big risks sometimes."

Rhazier glared at her. "With big risks come big falls," he shot at her.

"And big rewards," she shot back.

Rhazier glared at her. "Now is not the time to be taking foolish measures."

"Stop being such a big baby!" she shouted at him. "I did what I had to do, now is not the time to be overly-cautious!"

"Well no worries of that." Rhazier said sarcastically.

Loni just gave a groan of frustration as she went to the window. The day was bright and clear and a slight breeze made the trees sway to and fro. Laughter could be heard coming from some children on the street. "I remember when I was like those children", Loni said softly.

Rhazier's glare disappeared as he made his way to stand by Loni at the window. "We're the reason there's still laughter in the streets", he told her. "And we'll be the reason it continues."

Loni turned to him and smiled. "I hope so."

Rhazier returned her smile with one of his own and took her hands. "Believe it," he said.

They both stood there gazing at each other when suddenly a loud yell broke the silence. "LONI, WHERE THE HELL DID ALL THE FOOD GO!"

Loni pulled away blushing slightly. "Looks like Luke has woken up," she said.

Rhazier shook his head. "Hungary as usual."

"I'd better go find him some food before he tears the kitchen apart," Loni said before walking out of the room.

Rhazier watched her leave, and then turned to the window again where the children were still laughing and playing. 'One day you to will be like that again Loni,' he thought, 'I promise.'

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