Disclaimer: Once again I do not own anything you recognize as Tamora Pierce.

Chapter I- Trouble (A/N Isn't that original?)

She met her teacher, Larric, outside. She smiled at him and he asked, "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," replied Adrian.

"Let's ride!"(A/N I've always wanted to say that!) With that, Adrian and Larric nudged their horses into a canter. They cantered along a small dirt road with trees lining the sides. The trees swooped in and created an arc that covered the two riders. When the waning sun finally disappeared behind the trees, Larric and Adrian stopped for camp.

Little did they know that all around them, masked men were watching. The man who appeared to be the leader asked his scout, "Are you sure it's her?"

"Of course Master," he replied smoothly.

"You, of course, are not lying because you know perfectly well what would happen. Do you remember Saman?" The scout nodded nervously. "Well that is what happens to fools who lie." The scout nodded and backed away carefully. "Well then, all of you, kill the man, capture the girl. Don't screw up." All the men around the Master grinned evilly and moved off to catch their prey.

Meanwhile, Larric and Adrian were eating and joking together. "Do you remember when you got drunk and tried seducing the head Shang?" Adrian asked Larric playfully. "She beat you to a pulp." Adrian and Larric started laughing.

"Yes, I'll never go near a drink again!" exclaimed Larric.

"O, but you will, I know you will. Why you had one yesterday you big oaf!"

"All right, all right, you win."

Suddenly, Adrian heard a twig snap, and immediately jumped up with double swords in her hands. Larric stopped laughing and jumped up also, carrying twin daggers. Both preferred to fight with double weapons.

Adrian and Larric found themselves surrounded by fifty men. "Oh, we're in for it now," Larric muttered.

"Tell me about it," said Adrian. Then, the men attacked. Adrian parried, kicked, and thrust, killing men left and right. Her eyes blazed red with anger. She heard a yell and her attention diverted to Larric. He was on the ground being attacked by a large, burly man. Adrian drew her dagger and threw it at the man. He fell to the ground dead. Adrian then felt a pain on her arm. She looked down and saw a large gash. She looked up and saw a large man grinning at her.

"Why are you so happy you stupid bastard?" she asked before killing him. "Never be happy until the fight is over and you've won," she said to the dead body. Then, Adrian went and stood over Larric who couldn't fight anymore. "You holding up big buddy?" she asked. He smiled faintly. Adrian returned his smile. Adrian continued to fight, but she was tiring. Her blows began to get feebler and still, men kept coming.

"Larric! Get out of here!" she yelled.

"No, I will not leave you here by yourself!"

"You're injured, and not helping me much! Go save yourself!"

"NO!"

"Please do this Larric. If I am to die I want to know I saved at least one person. Go." Larric got up and fought his way out of the fray. He took a look back at Adrian and saw her fighting ferociously. Before she was overcome by men and knocked to the ground, he saw her smile faintly.

Adrian saw Larric get away, took one last look at him, and turned to her attackers. They were overpowering her now, and they knew it. They saw how tired she was, so they put in an extra effort. Then, an excruciating pain came to the back of Adrian's head. She saw black instantly and crashed to the ground unconscious.