DisclaimerI...Don't...own...anything from Tamora Peirce's books. But I wish I did...

Chapter 2

Daine and Numair made their way slowly around the castle and to their room. Everything had gone smoothly with the deception and Lord Thoki had been eager if not pleased that they had come to visit. Right now, they had more pressing problems; a servant was hovering about them and wouldn't leave. She had shoulder length gray hair, even if she didn't look a day over seventeen, and she was a little shorter than Daine.

"Is there anything I can get you? Drinks, food, a tour of the castle?" She curtsied for the seventh time and Numair almost dismissed her when Daine interrupted.

"A tour of the castle maybe? We haven't been here in so long, nothing seems familiar." Daine lied and the maid smiled in pleasure.

"Of course! I'll find someone to take you immediately!" She scurried off and the couple went to sit on a bench a few feet past their door.

"Did she seem, over pleasant to you too?" Daine asked quietly and Numair nodded.

"She had something about her, not magic, but something odd, not like anything I've seen before." Daine thought about this and decided she needed a more 'personal' tour of the castle.

"I'm going to explore by myself for a bit. Can you handle the guide?" He looked at her, startled, then slowly nodded.

"Sure, when will I see you?"

"Before dinner, I'm sure, be careful, okay?" He answered with a kiss and Daine closed her eyes, bones quickly shrunk and her tailbone lengthened. Soon in her place stood a little brown mouse, it scrambled for a hole in the wall just another servant turned the corner. Daine sent out her magic, looking for sign's of the odd power Numair had sensed in the servant. It was everywhere; almost every servant in the castle had some type of weird gray fire glowing in him or her. Odder still, the gray was laced with colors from purple to orange, like a normal human with the gift but very different, like they were physically different but not. She shook her head in confusion and cut off her power to single out only the servants that glowed the most. She found three, one seemed to be the servant that had fluttered around them, the second was in a small room to stories above her and the other was all the way across the castle and a few stories down, in the dungeons. She chose the one above her and quickly headed up a secret passage known only to the Fiefs rodents.

Daine came up and into a little room, possibly used for storage, which housed the powerful power she had felt. In front of her was a pile of moldy hay and to the right was a door that looked like an angry cat had taken out some anger on. In the corner was a human, curled up in a tiny ball and shivering from the cold. This was the source of the power, she cautiously walked up to the girl and looked in her face, and then she nearly fainted. Staring back at her, silent and still as a statue even though she was awake was the girl. She scrutinized Daine with wide reddish colored eyes, her delicate eyebrows scrunched together in thought. She began to open her mouth but seemed to think better of it. Instead, she brought up a long fingered hand and pulled a stray curl away from her eyes.

"What do you want little runner?" she asked in mind speech and Daine was again surprised. She had wild magic? It didn't seem possible, usually Daine could tell when a human possessed her special brand of magic and this girl didn't have any copper fire within her. The girl asked her again then gasped and abruptly sat up.

"What are you?" she asked aloud and Daine changed her voice box so she could speak in human.

"I'm Daine, the Wild mage of Tortall. And you are?" She cocked her head at the girl whose slim shoulders were shaking and she wondered when the girl had been fed last.

"I'm Narami Ishinomori, where is Tortall? I haven't heard of such a place." She regarded Daine with a calm eye and slowly stroked Daine's mouse fur.

"Why are you in here? And where are you from?" Daine voiced the questions in a rush and Narami took a second before answering.

"My family and friends were sucked into a large hole along with many other Demons, we do not know what is going on but..." She cut off and grabbed at the silver necklace that rubbed her throat and seemed to choke her. For a minute, she had a silent struggle then her body fell limp and she regarded Daine with dull eyes. Her sheet of silky, yet tightly curled blue black hair fell over her face and only her ivory skinned forehead could be seen through the thick mass.

"Leave, now." She said in a dead voice and her red eyes glinted off some unknown light source. Daine hesitated, wondering if the girl was okay and the girl lunged at her.

"Get out now! You stupid rat, how dare you provoke me!" She seemed to sprout many small knives from her hands and Daine didn't want to stay and find out how practiced she was with them. She left with a squeak, her back to the mysterious girl who was now muttering under her breath.

Narami's P.O.V

I watched the talking mouse leave and realized how crazy I really was. Talking mice, Tortall, and a wild mage? Whom was I kidding? If any of that really existed, I would bite myself. I rubbed my back and got ready to go to sleep; my wings itched from not coming out in so long. I scolded myself and scratched my back, they wouldn't be free for a long time, if Harumi and I remained here any longer they would start to molt.

"Je ne m'échapperai jamais."

Thanks to Celestial Secrets, my first reviewer.

I hope others will message me!!!

)()()()()()()(The last thing she said was "I'll never escape." I'm pretending French is her native language so you'll here more of it.)()()()()()()(