A/N:

You guys are soooooo awesome!!! Love you all! Thank you, thank you, thank you: Yeah, like I would tell YOU my NAME!!!, PLEAZ UPDATE, InfinityGemini: Thank you! Very, very helpful! shopping101, flamingirl, dancrchick, idontlikemilk, Lydia Gwyn, pixiegurl, butterscotchwarrior, awaiting impatient person: Thank you!! And don't worry. Christian and Gavin will come back. And I could put in a fist-fight, but then they're best friends. And I'm always against friendship being broken because of a girl (or guy). shopper101: Hahaha. I really wish, but my works/ideas are so mediocre compared to the ones that do get published. sassafras, lady gwen, Crazayladay: Sorry! I didn't mean to offend. But I'll remember now that her name is Alanna. Lol. greeniegurl101: Thank you! And Darrin's coming back, just wait and see. Ginevra lily, Kola-Pup, Aarzu: Aw, you don't like Ryder? I love Ryder! Oh well…maybe you'll change your mind after reading this chapter…? d, Elyse Bennet, CrimsonEnchantress: Yup! I'll definitely let you guys know if I made any changes., stubble96, kkroonie, Valiant Warrioress: Actually, when I started this, I tried writing it LOTR style (sort of), but later on found out that I couldn't. I tried, but I just could. Sad really. Though it I can do it, I definitely would. CaptainFantastic: River Lucarno is from Ella Enchanted. I used this river in A Happy Ending? as well., jaioublie: Nah. Remember that he wears a mask, so people all around just began assume that he's in his thirties. But no one knows for sure if he is or not. azurestarr, Rowenhood, smartblondee: Lol, I just got your name now. Shows you how slow I am. Your name actually made me laugh out loud., Basketball Girl, Gaerwen, jar4christ, Vanessa-Black and Zabini, Daffodil8728, Skeet, secludeddark, A Vision: Thank you so much for pointing out that mistake. Yeah, it's a mistake. A big one on my part. Anyway, the moment I read your review, I was like, "Crap!" Then I went and changed it instantly. Danna, whiskeygirl

If I missed you, you can yell at me. Now, here are my comments/answers:

1) Since most of you like Tania's eyes purple/violet, I will not change it.

2) I'm still in the process of editing Fairy Blood. I'll let you know if there are any big changes.

3) Last of all, I got a flame for Fairy Blood. I know the story's not that great, Gothamin, but did you have to be so acidic? Sheesh. If you're reading this, my reply to you is in my profile.

Chapter 7: To Trust Someone

"I'm sure that right about now, people are out on the streets, cheering him," Tania mused aloud as they rode back to the palace.

"No," Farvon replied, glancing at her curiously. "They have taken the Araven Road. Ryder is not the type who enjoys getting attention. He's a very reserved man. If we take the usual route, we might meet up with them three-fourths of the way."

Their dirt path united with Araven Road a few minutes later. The three weren't on the road for too long when the sound of thundering hoofbeats alerted them of approaching company. They looked back and caught sight of Ryder, still leading his legion of six knights.

When the two parties united, Farvon and Lucas joined Ryder at the front, with only an exchange of nods as greeting. Tania meekly rode at the very end of the line; for some reason, she did not want to be noticed. The knights regarded her with evident curiosity, but they remained silent.

They rode to the palace in the same manner. The sound of hooves trampling on dry, cracked ground was all that could be heard. Tania used this opportunity to study the men before her.

Through silent observation, she noticed that though these knights were heavily armed, they wore no armour, save vambraces worn to protect the forearms. None of them wore chainmails or helmets. Their attire was just like Lucas's or Farvon's. The weapons, however, were the opposite. While armours were scarce, arms were not. Each had a sheathed dagger worn on one side of the waist, a sword on the other. Two were carrying their own longbow, while three others had their own crossbow connected to the saddle.

Ryder seemed to be the odd one out. Tania could only remember him with one weapon: the broadsword he used during their little duel. Though this was the only weapon of his that she knew of, she suspected that he was the one most heavily armed. His other weapons were just concealed extremely well.

The knights were all young. None of them looked like they were older than thirty, so it made her wonder exactly how old Ryder was. They all rode in a way that expressed great authority. They were poised and confident, and they were very watchful of their surroundings. She could tell by the way they rode.

"Viper!"

Tania snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Farvon riding towards her. She gave him a questioning look and said, "What is it?"

He grinned at her. "Your training for today is not over. However, since I have matters to attend to, you will have to train under someone else's guidance." His grin grew wider. "Ryder has agreed to take the job. And don't worry. He is an expert on pretty much all types of combat. You will be in very, very good hands."

Tania gaped at him. She then looked at the knights riding in front of her and saw them exchange glances. She could tell what they were thinking: Why would Ryder give so much attention to him? He, who is a mere beginner, not to mention…how old?

They did have a point. Why on Tierra would Ryder, the Ryder, agree to train her? It didn't seem right. Or plausible.

In need to receive an answer that would satisfy her, she rode forward, catching up with Ryder at the front. She rode nearby and looked pensively at him.

After a period of silence, he acknowledged her with a slight turn of his head. It was enough to encourage her to speak.

"Why did you agree to train me?" she asked, not oblivious to the fact that the knights behind her were listening and waiting for an answer as well.

Ryder shrugged. "I have a lot of free time. And I won't be leaving Frell anytime soon."

"But that doesn't explain why you would waste your time with me."

She could almost see him raise his eyebrow. "Waste time?" he echoed. "Do you really think so?"

"Well, not waste time, but…"

The sentence trailed off as Tania looked suspiciously at her surroundings. She seemed to be in the fairly large forest that was located at the eastern side of the palace. She knew that the eastern side had a gate, but was mostly forgotten since it was rarely used. This did not, however, stop the King from placing forty guards there. He was a protective man.

She thought that that was where they were heading, so she was surprised when Ryder led them somewhere else. She found herself dismounting, along with the others, in the middle of the forest.

The silence was heavy. Tania wondered what they were doing there, in the middle of nowhere. She leaned against a large, grey boulder and watched confusedly as five of the seven knights took torches from their packs and lit them.

"Move out of the way, Tania," Farvon said sternly. "You don't want to get hurt, do you?"

Tania looked at him bewilderedly, but obeyed nonetheless. She left her spot and stood beside Lucas, who patted her absent-mindedly on the shoulder as he watched Ryder step forward and stand right in front of the boulder she had been leaning against five seconds ago. She shot him a confused look, then turned. The moment she did so, Ryder muttered something under his breath…

The boulder began to split, startling Tania. She took a step back. She was the only one to do so. The others seemed unperturbed it, as if they had been expecting exactly that to occur.

The crack ran around the boulder smoothly, until it had carved one gigantic circle. Tania watched in amazement as the circular piece of rock pulled itself out, and rolled to the side, revealing a very dark opening.

She froze. No…we are not going in there…No…

One knight stepped forward and entered, with a torch in one hand and the reins of his horse in the other. Tania waited for the horse to go rowdy because of the darkness, but all it did was snort and trot on.

The other knights followed. Ryder stood at the side, holding his own torch, and waiting for everyone to file in. Tania, on the other hand, watched in horror as Lucas and Farvon entered with no hesitance whatsoever.

Now she was left alone with Ryder. She turned and looked at him suspiciously.

The silence was deafening. Despite the mask, Tania knew that he was staring back.

It was he who broke the silence. "If anyone here has the right to be suspicious," he said coolly, "it should be me. I have just revealed a secret passage to you, and I've only met you today."

She raised an eyebrow. "So why did you do it?" she challenged.

He replied with a voice that revealed no emotion. "Because Farvon trusts you completely, and whoever Farvon trusts, I trust as well. So enter. We must not linger out here."

Tania paused. Then, after looking at him warily for the last time, she took her horse's reins and entered the tunnel. Her stallion made a ruckus more than the others, but she managed to calm him down. She waited in the dark for Ryder, who followed a few seconds later, with his own horse.

He muttered something inaudible once more, and the slab of rock smoothly rolled back in place.

The dark was endless. Tania suddenly felt short of breath. She did not like the dark, and that, added to a closed space with limited air, was not a delightful experience. She found herself walking quite close to Ryder, who was holding the only source of light available. The others were too far ahead.

She never liked having to rely on someone other than herself, but in this case, she had no choice.


It was dark inside the tunnel. Tania couldn't see more than four feet ahead of her. There was a cold draft, but she didn't know how there could be draft, since they were in a closed area.

All that could be heard were her footsteps and the horses' hoofbeats echoing throughout the stone walls. Ryder, as usual, was remarkably silent. It was as if he was on a hunt, treading the ground soundlessly and eyeing the deer before him like some predator…

"How long have you known Farvon?"

Tania started. Since he had been quiet for the past few minutes, his voice startled her. He spoke quietly, with a low and formal tone in his tenor voice. She wondered why he was so sociable all of a sudden.

"Four months," she replied, looking at him carefully, though pointlessly. His mask hid whatever expression was on his face. (And his voice also revealed nothing.)

"Four months," he echoed. "Not long at all. How could he make a judgment about you in such a short amount of time?"

"Because I am trustworthy!" Tania replied hotly.

He chuckled. "Yes," he said, still as impassive as ever, "that's what they all say."

She glared at him. "Are you always this mistrustful of every new person you meet?"

"I'm not mistrustful," he replied calmly. "Just very careful."

She rolled her eyes. "There is no difference," she retorted. Sensing him glance briefly at her, she waited for a comeback.

There was none. He remained silent.

She looked at him curiously. "Does…does Farvon trust easily?" she asked.

"No," he replied instantly. "He is almost as cautious as me."

"Then I am a fortunate one."

"Very," he replied curtly. "I still do not understand how he can trust you so quickly, but since I have faith in Farvon, I will not doubt him."

She shot him a curious look. "How long have you known Farvon?"

He glanced at her, then said, "I've known him since I was a toddler. And when I was old enough, he became my trainer, which lasted for about eight years..."

"Wait a minute," Tania interrupted, "I do know that before moving to Devlin just a year ago, Farvon lived in Frell for twenty-two years. And since you knew him as a toddler and he became your trainer later on, this means…" She paused and glanced at him. Either he was actually looking straight ahead, or he was pretending to look straight ahead. There was a strong possibility that his eyes were on her.

When he did not say anything, she continued. "This means that you lived in Frell for quite some time." She looked at him intently. "You spent your childhood in Frell. And Farvon trained you there. And when it was all over, when you reached the point where you were just as good as him, maybe even better, you left and travelled all over Tierra, going on many missions and whatnot. That's how you and your knights became famous."

She stopped and waited to catch her breath. It had grown quieter than before, if that was even possible. Ryder still seemed to be looking straight ahead, but she had this strong suspicion that he was gazing right at her.

He was the one who broke the silence. "Impressive," he said, with a dangerous edge in his voice. "I suggest, Viper, that you don't reveal this information to anyone."

"No one knows that you're from Frell?" she said incredulously.

"No," he said flatly. "I would not have told you anything, but since Farvon has deemed you trustworthy, I decided that there would be no harm in doing so." He turned to her, and this time, she knew that he was actually looking at her. "Do not tell anyone."

"All right," she said, a bit irritably. "Calm down."

"You don't understand," he said coldly, "I do not want anyone knowing of my connection with Frell."

She stared at him. "Ryder," she began, "you trust me because Farvon trusts me. I trust you because Farvon trusts you. Do you actually think I would—could—betray someone who is close to Farvon?"

"Many people in this world are heartless," he said bluntly. "Many don't care about what they are asked to do, just as long as they are rewarded with money, power, or whatever they want."

Tania narrowed her eyes at him. He had practically accused her of potentially being one of them! "Well," she replied with an icy voice, "if I find out one day that I happen to be one, I'll let you know." She sent him a fierce glare and picked up her pace.

The nerve of him! she thought angrily. He may be a legendary fighter, but he has no right to act as if he's my superior!

"I wouldn't try to walk so fast if I were you," he drawled from behind. "In a few moments, the tunnel will split into three passageways. You better stick with me, if you don't want to get lost."

"Maybe I'd rather get lost than spend one more moment with you," she muttered under her breath. But despite this, she stopped walking and allowed him to catch up with her.

They started walking together once more. No conversation passed between them this time. Tania made sure to walk as far away from him as she could.

Finally, they reached the part where the tunnel separated into three passageways. They were equally dark. None of them gave her comfort. She couldn't even try to guess which one led to the palace.

"Left," Ryder said quietly.

They turned left. They walked quietly, side by side. Tania looked straight ahead determinedly, no doubt trying to forget the man walking oh-so-gracefully beside her. (The torch was just floating by itself; that was all.)

After a few minutes, Ryder broke the silence once again. It surprised Tania, but that did not stop her from scowling.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. Like her, he was looking straight ahead. "I cannot help being suspicious of everything. A year of travelling all over Tierra has given me many enemies, some who are extremely dangerous."

Tania turned her head slightly towards him. "I understand," she replied wearily. "But I am not one of them, Ryder."

He remained silent. Tania sighed and patted her horse distractedly.

This is a long route, she thought. How long have we been walking in here? Are we almost there?

She suddenly felt a sharp jerk. Tania wheeled around and glared Ryder, whose hand was wrapped around her arm. Whether the glare had an effect on him, she didn't know.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

"If I hadn't stopped you, you would have hit the stone door after a few more steps," he replied coolly. "You should be thankful."

She scowled as she watched Ryder step forward. Then, like before, he muttered something under his breath. This time, however, she actually heard what came out of his mouth: avratud. He said avratud, which meant "open" in fairy language. There was no doubt that the enchantment of all the secret doors was created by fairies, but how was Ryder connected to them? Did he and his knights just happen to find these passages, or were they created for their convenience?

The King obviously has very close ties with Ryder and the others, Tania thought. He trusts them completely. She frowned. Who is Ryder? How can he be this powerful? To have the blessing of one of the most powerful kings in Tierra…

Since she was lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize that she was already standing in a circular brick room, and the secret door was camouflaged among the bricks. She only snapped out of it when Ryder nudged her on the shoulder.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked.

She looked at him confusedly. "Excuse me?"

"Where do you want to go?" he repeated, just as calmly as before. "I will take your horse and mine to the stables."

She shrugged. "Anywhere," she replied.

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "You can go to the library." He approached the brick wall, where unlit torches were hanging all around. He reached out for one torch and pulled it. A cluster of bricks separated itself from the wall and revealed a narrow passageway. Ryder stepped back and gestured towards the new passage.

"This will lead to the library," he explained. "Just follow it, wherever it leads you. The moment you reach the end, there will be a very small hole for you to peek through. Look through it to make sure that no one is present in the library. When you are positive that all is safe, pull a small lever, hidden at the bottom-right corner of the door. On the other side, you close the door by pulling the torch on the right side. Do you understand?"

Tania nodded dazedly. She never thought about the idea of secret passageways in the palace…which was silly, since the palace was where the royal family lived, and the availability of many escape routes was imperative, if the need to use them ever arose.

She turned to Ryder. "You're going to the stables?" she said. "Won't they find it strange to see a masked man putting the horses away?"

"Well," he said (and she could have sworn his voice had a teasing tone to it), "did they find you strange?"

She scowled. "That's different. I came with Farvon."

"Don't worry about me," he said dismissively. "I'll be fine. And as for your training with me, I will meet you at the training field at four o'clock—yes, I have not forgotten. Don't be late, all right?"

She gave him a look, and after a short nod, proceeded down the passage.

The passage wasn't as dark as the previous one. It was only dim, no more than that. She walked cautiously, her footsteps echoing throughout the walls.

She reached the endshortly . When she did, she did just as she was instructed to do: she peered through the hole, and when she saw that all was safe, she bent down and pulled the lever.

The door elevated. She passed through quickly, then pulled the torch. The door closed…except it wasn't a door. It was a wooden bookcase, completely filled with real books.

She smiled and shook her head.Clever.


Five minutes to four, Tania headed down to the training field. It was packed: there were at least a hundred men in there, practising with their swords, daggers, bows, and many more. The tournament was going to start very soon, and the number of competitors from all over Tierra was still increasing as it drew nearer and nearer.

It was easy to find Ryder. All she did was approach a very big crowd. She pushed her way through and saw Ryder at the centre, duelling with someone and winning oh-so-easily. She could have sworn his popularity was greater than Farvon.

"I've never seen such speed," someone beside her commented.

Tania turned. She froze when she caught sight of a young man with chestnut brown hair (very similar to hers) and emerald green eyes.

Ethan?

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him carefully. No. Not Ethan. This man's jaw was sharper than Ethan's. The resemblance, however, was uncanny.

She realized now that this was the man, the man she saw fighting on her first day in Frell. The one who shebelieved to beEthan. She breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she had been wrong all along.

"Do you know who he is, Viper?" he asked her.

She looked at him in surprise. "You know me?"

He burst out laughing. "Everyone knows you, Viper. You are the young boy on the road to being a great warrior. The apprentice of a famous warrior. The one who hides his face." He gazed at her curiously. "Why do you wear a mask, Viper?"

"I have a hideous scar on my right cheek and my bottom lip droops," Tania said dryly.

He shot her a look, then turned back to the duel and said, "Do you know who that black fighter is?"

"Of course," she said. "It is Ryder." She applauded along with the others (though she did her applause half-heartedly) when Ryder obviously won.

"He is only here for a two or three days," her companion said. "He will not be in the tournament. He is only here for a quick stopover."

Tania remained silent as Ryder's words of "I won't be leaving Frell anytime soon" ran through her mind.

"Viper! Viper!" someone shouted, snapping Tania out of her reverie.

Tania turned. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was Garret, still looking as ruggedly handsome as ever. Behind him were his usual companions, save Brynn.

So they had found Viper at last.

"Yes?" she said.

Garret grinned roguishly at her and said, "None of us have seen you fight yet."

There were murmurs of agreement. Tania raised an eyebrow. Why should they care if they've seen me fight or not? I'm not part of the tournament.

"So?"

"Well," Garret said, "you are the great Farvon's apprentice, and we would like to see how good you are. May I challenge you to a friendly duel?"

"Lucas is also an apprentice," Tania replied. "Ask him."

"We have already seen him fight," one of the men from the crowd said impatiently. He was short and stocky, with a bald head and a lot of ear piercings. "And he is not here. Lucas is very good indeed, but we are curious to know about you. How good can a mere boy be?" He snorted. "You should be playing with a wooden sword, with the other children. You don't belong with the men."

Tania stared speechlessly at him, hardly believing her ears. Is he serious? Is he ACTUALLY serious?

She was not the only one who was staring. Garret and his companions looked very annoyed, while the man beside her, the one who looked a lot like Ethan, had a twitching jaw muscle. She would have laughed if she had not been so shocked by the man's boldness.

Ryder was a complete mystery. Tania had no idea what was going through his mind.

"Are you serious?" she asked the bald man quietly. No one would have heard her if it hadn't been so devastatingly quiet.

The man burst into booming laughter. "I challenge you to a duel," he said loudly. "No doubt I'll beat you in ten seconds or less."

"Are you actually serious?" Tania asked, still stunned. She just couldn't believe this man's narrow-mindedness. It was…incredible.

"Yes, I am perfectly serious!" he shouted. "Jargins never jokes around! Fight me! Fight Jargins!" He smirked. "Or are you scared?"

"Uh…no," she replied to Jargins. (At the same time, she wondered why he just referred to himself in third person.) "Should I be?"

His smirk grew wider. "Yes."

"Okay, then. I'm petrified."

There were a few snickers in the background. Jargin's face turned beet red. He growled and pulled his sword out, stepping boldly to the centre. The previous fighters left the ring silently and placed themselves at the sideline.

Jargins beckoned her with his finger. "Come and fight me," he taunted. "Let's see if you can."

Tania shot him a strange look, then shrugged and unsheathed her sword. All this she did so calmly. As she was about to proceed to the centre, Ryder approached her and whispered so that only she could hear, "I've never seen a better pig to defeat."

She smiled at him, then walked on.

Jargins grinned sinisterly at her. She tried not to shiver when she saw his stained, rotten teeth. "I'm ready to crush you," he announced haughtily.

She shot him another strange look, then turned to Garret. "I'll fight you afterwards, all right?" she said pleasantly.

Garret, still looking rather annoyed with Jargins, gave her a tight smile. "All right."

She turned to Jargins and nodded at him. "I'm ready."

When Ryder spoke up, no one questioned his authority. "On the count of three," he said firmly. "One…two…"

Tania and her opponent assumed their fighting stance.

"…three!"

Jargins actually snarled and leaped forward. Tania ducked as he swiped for her neck. She regarded him with a strange expression on her face, while avoiding his attacks easily. She wasn't even using her sword yet. It was only when he did the downward swinging cut when she did the counterattack.

He was actually snorting like a raving bull as he gave her attack after every attack. All Tania was thinking about was her opponent's crazy peculiarity as he charged at her like a madman. Unfortunately, his anger was not doing anything to improve his moves.

When she sidestepped to her left and parried his move, the roles switched. She was attacking now, and he defending. She decided not to put all her strength in her attacks. After all, there was Garret to fight after this. She was nervous about him, unlike with Jargins. With Jargins, she was just plain…confused. If that was the right word to use.

Tania swiped for his neck; he ducked, and she did a low kick to the knees. He managed to avoid it; she jumped to the side and thrust her sword to his abdomen. He dodged it, then blocked her other attack.

The duel went on. Tania could have finished him off, but she decided to humour him. Besides, she didn't want him to be humiliated more than he already was. She was afraid of him losing all traces of sanity if she finished him off so quickly and effortlessly.

However, since the duel could not go on forever, she disarmed him swiftly and painlessly. His sword flew in the air, and she caught it with her free hand.

The audience applauded. Tania knew that it wasn't a real duel, so she found no pleasure in the congratulation. She didn't deserve to be praised for something so insignificant. She turned and offered Jargins's sword back to him.

"Here," she said quietly.

He snatched it off her hand with a dark scowl on her face.

"It was a good duel," she said. She then turned to Garret. "Ready for that duel you proposed? We can—"

A strong force hit her all of a sudden. She gasped as the heavy impact knocked the breath out of her lungs.She fell to the ground hard and cringed when she felt a sharp pain on her shoulder.

When she looked up, she saw Jargins standing before her, a very fierce scowl on his face. Deep anger was in his eyes.

Moving quickly, he reached out…

…and ripped her mask off.