Yep, as I thought. Lots of questions. Lucky for me, they were mostly quite similar.

Q & A:

Who is Vistra? Is she Lauryn? Lauryn=Vistra? And does she (Vistra), Danel, and Axe make up Nobles' Bane?

For the sake of the story, I will… abstain from answering the 'is Vistra actually Lauryn' question. You will find out later, of course, but for now… just guess. (I mean, this is supposed to be Lauryn's story, and would I really bring in a sudden and new, main female heroine now?). And as a random fact, Vistra's name was not randomly chosen. There is a reason for it. That too will be revealed later. And is she and her two companions the trio of Nobles' Bane? I believe this chapter shall answer that question quite clearly.

Why doesn't Vistra like Corus? (And to keep things clear: Lauryn was not born in Corus and that was not where her family died. The reason for Vistra's dislike of Corus has to do with a few other things that are not related to Lauryn's sad past.)

This information will be revealed within the next two chapters (not including this one).

A.N.: Gee…I did a great job of answering questions, didn't I? All of the answers were basically: 'to be revealed'. oh, and I also noticed that quite a few reviews contained parts where the readers threw stuff at the writer (yes, that would be me). Try to restrict the missiles to useful things. No food, cuz it gets spoiled and the canned stuff usually sucks. Let's see, I have a list of things that I need around here somewhere… And here's some vocab/key words I want everyone to know (no, I'm not trying to insult your intelligence (you probably know these already), but I'm trying to keep confusion to a minimum). Jade= Green. Cobalt= blue. Russet= brown. Alright. On to the chapter…

5. Mission Jailbreak

Nobles' Bane: Chapter 3

"Jade is in position at the east wall for Mission Jailbreak," Vistra whispered into the small, thumb-nail sized pin at her collar.

Danel's own quiet whisper came through her pin to her ears, "Cobalt is in position on the jail's roof."

Silence.

"Russet?" Vistra whispered in question.

"Hold on," she heard Axe's whisper.

At times like this, Vistra was infinitely glad of Axe's Gift. He had magicked three pins for each of them with which they could communicate with one another as long as they weren't too far apart.

"Russet is ready on the rooftop facing the north wall." Axe's voice resonated from Vistra's collar. "Waiting for your word."

Vistra gave the area around her one last glance, a hand absently fiddling with the green sash she had around her waist. "All right. It's a go."

The northern wall, the wall with the jail's entrance, suddenly exploded, throwing bits of wood and rock everywhere.

Vistra once again thanked the gods for Axe's Gift.

There were shouts of men. Vistra had already checked the soldiers who were guarding the jail: they numbered eleven. Of course, there were more soldiers guarding the fief's lord's house, but the house was on the other end of the village. As long as no one from the jail was able to rise a cry for help…

Vistra jumped forward, her whip snapping like an angry snake in her grip. She saw Danel flying in the air, easily leaping off the jail's roof. His blue sash flapped in the air like a little flag at his waist. Arrows started to fall, one by one, from the building across from them. Vistra didn't need to glance up to know that Axe was there.

A soldier raised his sword and started toward her with a yell. Vistra just laughed and flicked her wrist; her whip wrapped around the man's sword and jerked it out of his grip. Then it coiled back and snapped against the tender skin on his back.

She heard the unmistakable whisks of Danel's slashing moons flying through the air towards their targets. He had tried to teach her how to throw his dangerously sharp, wooden weapons. The odd things were about the size of half of her palm, and Danel always whittled them into the shape of a quarter moon. The inner curve was not sharp, but the outer curve was deadly. After too many scrapes with the keen edge of the outer curve, she had declared that she would stick with her regular throwing knives, and that Danel could continue using his moon discs.

Her whip snapped in the air, wrapping around men's legs and ankles, causing them to trip clumsily to the ground where she could knock them unconscious with the hilt of her sword.

She frowned. "Where are the keys? I don't seem them on any of the men."

Danel turned his head toward her, and she didn't need to take the black scarf away from around the face to know that he was laughing. "Of course, you can't. I've got them," he said as he tossed them to her. "You go on ahead; I'll stay out here, handle the rest of these guys, and then go get the wagon."

She glanced around. There were five unconscious soldiers, two from Axe's initial explosion and three whom Vistra had knocked out herself. Another three men had arrows poking out from their bodies; two men had their throats cut from Danel's moon discs, and the last Danel had cut down with his sword.

Vistra nodded. "I'll try to be quick."

Vistra hurried inside the jail, which was still slightly dusty from the explosion. She carefully navigated around the debris and glanced around.

Five men and one woman were behind standing within their cage, gaping at her.

"Nobles' Bane!" one of the men shouted out with a raspy voice.

"Indeed," she said with a mock bow. "At your service."

She quickly knelt by the door and started fitting key after key into the lock until finding the right one. Of course, Danel could have picked the lock, or actually, any of the three could have just picked the lock (although, she had less patience for it than the others), but they found it easier to just use the key.

There were two men who wore shackles around their ankles. She had heard about these men. They were relatively young, and they were strong and able.

"So tell me," she said with amusement as she worked to unlock the fetters. "What have you done to warrant these shackles you wear?"

The man whose chains she was unlocking glanced at the other shackled man. Then he said, "We accidentally set one of the lord's soldiers on fire."

"Accidentally?" she asked as she moved onto the second man, finished with the first.

The second man grinned. "Accidentally," he agreed.

"Well, you're lucky you were village men and not servants or slaves. They would have killed you for sure."

The first man glanced at her suspiciously. "How did you know we're village men?"

She stood and helped the second man to his feet. "We may be setting you free, but we need to make sure none of those who we set free are true criminals. We always check on those whom we are about to set free beforehand."

"And we all meet your approval?"

She would have smiled if she hadn't had her black scarf concealing her face. "Yes."

A foreign presence pressed at her mind questioningly. Axe, through his pin, was wondering why she was taking so long.

She sent back a feeling of reassurance.

"Quickly now, my friends are waiting with a wagon outside."

"What happens to us now? Where will we go? We cannot return home," another man commented.

"No, you cannot," she agreed. "But we will leave you at Corus with money. It is then up to you to decide what you will do."

"We'll be …free?" the single woman asked incredulously. She had been a slave before she had been jailed.

"Yes," Vistra said gently.

"Well then, why are we still standing around here for?" one of the men demanded. "Let's go!"

~*~*~

The ex-captives stared at her, mouths opened in little circles of surprise.

Even with his concealing scarf, Vistra knew that Danel was laughing at her. Axe, too, was having trouble hiding his amusement from his eyes.

Vistra shook her head. "Well, if you won't let me approach you, then I'll just have to ride on the wagon with the others." She started to head towards the wagon.

A horse, his flank covered in numerous old scars and his eyes dark with arrogance, stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

She glared at him. "Well?"

The horse glared back.

Vistra gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine, fine. I'm sorry for leaving you behind during the jailbreak."

The horse continued to glare at her, his tail lashing fiercely behind him.

"I won't do it again," she continued.

Bile continued to stare at her relentlessly.

"Really I won't," she said.

The horse straightened and then turned, finally conceding enough to offer her his side. She quickly mounted onto the saddle before he changed his mind.

Danel had to lift his hand to his mouth to smother his laugh.

Axe had more control. "You ready, Jade?" he asked her quietly.

She straightened. "Of course."

She leaned down toward her horse as soon as they set off. "I'm going to get you for that."

Bile flicked an ear towards her, but then turned his gaze back to the front, dismissing her threat as unworthy.

She heard a quiet chuckle from her side and turned to see Danel, his eyes glinting with teasing laughter.

She made a face he couldn't see. Men, she thought. Horses or human, they're all alike.

But then Danel rode too close beside her for Bile's liking, and Bile tried to take a bite out of Danel's leg. Danel's agility was the only thing that saved him from injury.

And she couldn't help it. She had to laugh.

~*~*~

At Corus

"Would you like some help, old mother?"

The woman jumped and whirled, staring at her and nearly dropping all her groceries.

Vistra smiled and tried her best to look benevolent.

The old woman surveyed Vistra, taking in her measure. Whatever she saw, she must have approved, for the old woman let Vistra hold some of her purchases.

"What's a young woman like yourself doing, wandering about by herself in the middle of Corus?" the old woman inquired.

Vistra laughed, flicking an annoying lock of red hair out of her eyes. "I was just enjoying the fresh air."

"By yourself?" the woman continued to press. "I didn't know them nobles approved of their daughters doing such things."

"Well, that explains it. I'm not a noble's daughter," she said lightly.

The woman narrowed her eyes even as she continued to walk forward. "You aren't a slave. Or servant," she stated.

"No," Vistra agreed.

Silence was the old woman's reply.

"My daughter works as a servant. She usually does the shopping, but she's sick," the old woman suddenly said.

"You are taking care of your daughter's children," Vistra observed, studying some of the contents she was holding.

"Yes," the old woman nodded. And then, "Tell that young man who shadows you to come out from wherever he is before I lose my patience."

Vistra blinked in surprise. And then she laughed. "Danel, come out and help me carry groceries."

Danel suddenly appeared at her side and took the rest of the purchases the old woman carried. He stared at the old woman. "How did you know I was there?"

The old woman nodded knowingly. "I have six grandchildren. I've learned a couple of things from watching over them. When are you two planning to have children of your own?"

Vistra flinched. Danel glanced up at her and grinned.

"Never," Vistra said before Danel could speak. "We aren't married."

The old woman stared at her, aghast. During that distracted moment, Vistra was able to reach by the woman's thick waist and lift the woman's purse from her belt.

"You aren't married? But--How old are you?"

"Twenty two," Vistra said honestly.

The old woman was shaking her head. "Twenty two and not married. Indeed. If a pretty girl like you can't get married--"

"Old mother," Vistra protested.

"You. You marry this girl before she slips away from you," the old woman ordered Danel.

"Yes, ma'am," Danel said, his eyes glinting with laughter. He glanced at Vistra. "Hear that? Let's go get married."

If her arms hadn't been full, she would have smacked Danel over the head. Instead, she smiled sweetly. "Maybe later."

"Well, this is the end of my path," the old woman said. "Thank you so much for helping me carry my things."

Vistra handed everything back to her. "It was nothing, old mother."

"Don't forget about my advice, young man. You marry this girl before you both get as old as me."

As Danel and Vistra turned to leave, Danel threw his arm around her shoulders. "So, Vistra. Let's set the date of our wedding--Ouch!" Danel suddenly cried out, rubbing a hand to the back of his head. "You hit me!" he accused, an insolent smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Vistra just laughed. "I sure did."

~*~*~

The Old Woman (from her POV)

She shook her head as she opened the door to her home and started to transport her purchases inside.

They were odd, those two. The girl had stepped seemingly out of nowhere to offer her some help. The first thing she had noticed about the girl was her red hair. It fell straight just below her shoulder blades. And then, to go along with that odd red hair, she had the darkest gray eyes. And although the girl was pretty, something about her red hair disturbed her.

It doesn't belong on her, the old woman concluded. The girl didn't seem at all like a redhead.

And then that odd young man who had been following her around. He was handsome, no doubt about it, and he knew it too. He had had pale blond hair and hazel, almost green, eyes.

Odd, those two.

A sudden thought struck her. She dropped her groceries and reached immediately for her purse.

Oh, no. No, please don't let them be thieves. Not after I had spent so long in the marketplace trying to make the most of the few coppers we had.

To her immense relief, her purse was still on her belt. But it was…it was…

She pulled the purse into her hand and dumped the contents into her palm.

And stared.

There were three copper pieces, just as there had been earlier. But then, beside them, there were also…also…

There were also five golden pieces.

Five whole, golden pieces. And they glinted in the palm of her hand, as if laughing at her.

"Trina!" the old woman suddenly turned, calling out for her daughter. "Trina, look! Look at what I have! We'll have a feast, a grand feast. Just you, me, and the children!"