Disclaimer: I hereby disclaim anything from Tamara Pierce.

A/N: Long time no update, huh? I'm truly sorry, but you see, there is this horrible thing out there called reality, and I got sucked into it. Also, high school is a bitch, I'm taking the SSATs on Saturday morning, and I'm not too prepared, and I have exams all next week. Hope you all had good holidays. I did, even it was a bit stifled, because none of us were truly in the holiday spirit. Ok, chapter time.

Tlf.

Chapter 4, Rescues and, Believe it or Not, More Thieves.

Bianca backed up, her eyes wide with fear as she did so.

"My…my lords, please, I have nothing of value, Let me by," she said falteringly, fear making her throat dry and her voice shake. The men laughed in her face, baring evil smiles.

"Girl, you have a horse, and even if you aint got nothin', you still got somethin' pretty girl," one leered, reaching out and grabbing one of her breasts and twisting painfully.

Bianca cried out in surprise and pain, before reaching out and slapping him, turning his face about. The group of thieves laughed cruelly, including the man she had slapped, before he turned and backhanded her across the face.

Bianca fell to her knees, seeing stars for a moment and tasting blood. "Let me go," she repeated, spitting out the blood that welled in her mouth.

The men jeered at her, and the man who had touched her kicked her. Her horse let out a distressed whiney.

"Get the maid against the wall, Geoff, show her how it's done," a man in the back snickered. Bianca, wheezing in pain, panicked, and kicked out, her hands flying out, nails trying to gain a purchase, however, Geoff was much stronger then her, and pinned her arms behind her back, pushing her forcefully against the wall. Bianca tried in vain to scream, but he placed a hand over her mouth, disregarding her gnashing teeth as he went to undo his breeches. He had untied them and was starting to push up her skirts when he choked suddenly, eyes wide with surprise as he let her go, and fell to his knees while Bianca scrambled away, sobbing as the other men in looked on in shock as their comrade died in front of them, an arrow in his back.

There was a faint whirring sound before another man fell to his knees, dead. One of the men regained his senses, and pulled out the arrow to study it.

With a yelp, he dropped the arrow, and jumped back looking ready to run. Before he fled, he glanced at his fellow thieves. "The Queen," he hissed, as the other thieves stared at him, before panicking and fleeing, leaving Bianca alone with her horse in the street.

Or so she thought, as several people appeared out of the shadows. Bianca let out a strangled sound, still in shock and in the throes of fear as they approached.

"Don't panic, lass, we won't hurt ye," a female voice called, soothing and reassuring. Her whole body quaked as they reached her, taking down their hoods and revealing their faces. Bianca burst into dry sobs, gasping for breath as she shivered and quaked. She barely heard the woman murmur to her companions,

"She's in shock, best get her to the Inn, and see what Miriam can do,"

She barely heard the end of the sentence before blackness claimed her world.

Puck

Puck worriedly sipped her juice, not wanting a repeat of that morning. Her eyes found her sister's as the healer came down the stairs from Puck's room, where the young lass they had saved was staying. Miriam sat down at her table, and smiled wearily at her sister.

"The lass is out like a candle, and recovering from the shock. She'll have a nasty bruise on her face and stomach though, where the bastards kicked her." She said. Puck nodded, looking furious.

"I'm going to have to get the network out, find the bastards and take care of them." She said, tired. She detested stomping out rebellion. It made her feel like she wasn't in control. Usually, she kept her people in a tight rein, stomping out any notions of rape, murder, and rebellion firmly. She ruled over the common people like a true monarch, keeping everyone in line, and stealing from those who could afford it.

Wearily, Puck rested her head in her arms. "Have ye gotten the lass's name from her?" she asked, words muffled by her arms. Miriam shook her head, and, realizing her sister could not see it, spoke up. "No, but you should check with Fred if he's got anything from the horse." She said.

Not lifting her head, Puck called across the room. "Fred-o! Tell me what ye got on the horse."

The tall, auburn haired man strode quickly form his position from the door, and sat down in the remaining chair.

"A bit of information for ye, the lass's horse's tack was all fine leather. The lass's a noble. Had the emblem on the saddlebags and halter." As he spoke, Puck lifted her head to stare at him in surprise, and took the bridle from the stable manager.

Puck's eyebrows shot up as she saw the centaur rearing in the forest. Miriam looked at her with interest.

Do you know who it is? I'm not one for noticing noble's emblems." She asked. Puck nodded, forehead creased with thought.

"Aye…'tis a new lass, goes by the name Bianca or Brittney or the like, of Forest Stead. What in the seven hells was a noble lass such as her doing out in common clothes at night?" she said, the last part more to herself then to her companions. A loud yawn erupted from her, and the young thief stretched. She nodded at her sister and friend, and stood up.

"I'm off to bed," she said. Miriam instantly snapped into her mother mode.

"Oh, of course! Go on, love, off to bed, get some sleep. You look dead on your feet," she mothered, shooing her up the stairs, while Puck scowled at the treatment.

However, Puck ceased to care as she reached her room, shutting and locking the door behind her, and stripping down to her undergarments. Absently glancing at the sleeping woman in her bed, she grabbed the extra mat out from under her bed, and snagged a pillow and a blanket, laying down and instantly falling asleep.

Bianca

Bianca woke up feeling quite relaxed, warm and comfortable. The sun was shining through the window, and someone's light snores were actually quite soothi-wait. Someone's snores?! She knew no one who snored. Then the previous night came rushing back to her. The band of thieves, the slaps and kicks, the attempted rape, the man's sudden death, his eyes clouding over as he died, the three people who saved her, the woman's voice…with a startled sob, she shot up from the bed, trying to assess her whereabouts. Lying on the floor not five feet from her was a woman with her back turned from her, Bianca only making out bed mussed blonde brown hair and a shoulder. Bianca took a deep breath, and sat up, shivering as she realized with indignation that she was only in her shift. She quickly spotted her clothes and, quietly as she could, as to not wake the snoring woman, crept from bed and dressed. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something glittering on the bed stand. A knife. Bianca quietly treaded over to it, keeping an eye on the woman, her heart nearly stopping as the woman suddenly groaned, switching her position lay flat on her stomach. Finally, she reached the bed stand, and picked up the knife. Now, it was time for answers.

Puck

Puck awoke, quite rudely, she might add, with a knife in her face, and wide sea blue eyes staring at her.

"Who are you, and what am I doing here?" the noble girl asked as soon as she'd realized that Puck was awake. However, the noble girl, Britney, or Bianca, something of the sort, started when she fully looked into the thief's eyes. Puck was opening her mouth to speak when the girl cut her off. "Ignore the first question, and focus on this, where, and why am I in the presence of the queen of ruffians?" she asked.

Puck frowned at her, annoyed at the slight to her title, and at having a knife pointed at her. She sighed, and in a blink of an eye, the noble girl gasped as she lay on her back, knife now pointed in her own face, Puck straddling her torso, keeping her shoulders down with her knees.

"Firs' of all, I'm the Queen of Thieves, not ruffians, and I do not like to wake up to knives in my face. And really, Miss, the question should be, why is a noble chit like you doing dressed in common clothes and riding around the city at night?" she said, raising a blonde eyebrow. The red haired girl stared up at her captor.

"How…how…who told you I was noble?" she stammered. Puck rolled her eyes.

"Because, Miss Fancy pants," she started, glowering at the stubborn girl beneath her. "Do you think it would go unnoticed that your horse's tack is made of the finest leather, your family seal embossed in silver on it, and just look at ye, darlin'." She said, looking over the girl critically. The red haired woman looked affronted. "Yer skin's lily pale, yer nails long and treated, though not the pointer on yer right hand, I do believe you broke that last night, and ye talk like a noble." She said, "Ye really thought that no one would notice?"

The girl blushed, and looked ashamed, before regaining her spark. "So? You haven't answered my first question. Why am I here?" she asked defiantly. Puck rolled her eyes again and, knowing for sure that the noble chit wasn't going to try anything, set the knife down, and sat up on her haunches.

"Lass, who do ye think saved yer sorry arse last night? Ye passed out before we had a chance to get anything out of ye. So we brought ye back to the inn." She retorted. The girl looked abashed.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Puck raised her eyebrows at her, before nodding.

"Yer welcome," She said, before looking at the girl. "Will ye not try and kill me now that ye know what happened?" The girl nodded, and Puck stood up, letting the covers that had been around her fall to the floor.

"By the way, I'm Puck." She said carelessly over her shoulder.

Bianca

Bianca felt her eyes go wide at the half naked woman's back, feeling a hot shot of desire flash through her, seeing the lithe body in front of her. Bianca caught herself, reining in the feelings, just as Puck turned around to tell her something. The thief looked at her curiously for a second, before resuming.

"Hey, lass, could ye hand me my shirt? It's over by the lamp." Bianca obediently scrambled up and shyly approached her to hand her the shirt. Puck flashed her a grin and took it.

"Thanks, lass." She said, slipping the tattered shirt over her body, fastening her breech's laces. Bianca frowned at her.

"My name is Bianca, and I'm not a 'lass'. I'm a woman grown." She replied hotly. The blonde thief smirked.

"Right, how old are ye, lass? Six and ten years?" she asked, as Bianca frowned deeper.

"Eight and ten years, thank you very much, I should expect you to be around the same age," she informed petite woman, before adding, "And I'm not a lass any more then you are."

With a wide smirk, Bianca flushed as the shorter woman in front of her roved her eyes down her body, taking in the voluptuous curves and pretty face.

"So yer not," she said with another smirk and a wink. Bianca blushed fiercely, and glared at her. Puck gave her a laugh.

"Now, Miss Bianca, I should expect ye've got some kind of person going frantic with worry over their child, or charge." The thief said, bending down and slipping on her boots.

Bianca gave a guilty gasp. "Rosie!"

Puck nodded at her, grabbing a knee long sleeveless coat vest and a big, wide brimmed hat. "So I thought. Let's be moving then, shall we?"

Bianca studied the girl in front of her, before nodding. "Of course,"

With that, Puck strode from the room, Bianca following close behind.