A/N: Yay! Another chappie. And this one is really special. teardrop it's the only thing that I wrote during my sweet 16 (4/20).

It has been requested that ages and looks of all characters be given again… I will oblige.

Tomas of Emtuem – 16 years old. curly, coarse, jet black hair; irritable looking face, round shaped face, big hazel eyes, full lips, pleasant nose, and the tallest.

Eric of Emtuem – 14 years old. dark brown wavy hair, heart shaped face, full lips, round nose, beady eyes with thick framed glasses (but the glasses look nice on him)

Arthur of Emtuem – 11 years old. curly, ear length, jet black hair; heart shaped face, happy chocolaty brown eyes, cinnamon freckles, pleasant nose, thin dimpled lips.

They all also wear robes like this: black robes, but these were not those in the style of a master mage. This seemed to have been made with them in mind, but there were the distinct features of pockets, no sleeves, and ties instead of buttons.

It has also been requested that I name the chapters for easy reference. This I deny though because it is my Authoral creativity that dominates those kinds of decisions (ahhh… lot's of big pretty words… a.k.a. I think it's cooler just to have like Chapter 1, Chapter 2, so on and so forth.)

And, Kelly are you crazy! My story has been nothing but bickering… but I will be happy to add more witty people yelling at each other if that is what it takes to get an audience.

p.s. long enough author note?

Protecting the Head – Chapter 5

Neal and Kel started to look around everywhere, seeing where Eric could have gotten to, while Arthur just laughed and laughed, and Tomas scowled and sat cross-legged on the floor.

"Where could Eric have gotten to?" Kel mumbled to herself opening the door to the privy, despite the fact that ALL of the doors and windows in her suite of rooms were squeaky (a kind of primitive security system, really…).

"Oh, you won't find him in there," Arthur laughed out.

"Really," Neal demanded. "Where, pray I ask, may we find the little… boy?" he asked trying to find an appropriate noun to describe the fourteen year old.

Tomas glared at his brother, anticipating his brother's answer, and Arthur glared on back. "We have to," said Arthur.

"We promised each other that only by our OWN will, may the person reveal their OWN power…"

"Well, he chose to, since he just disappeared!"

"So if something happens to me you'll just blab to the world what I can do!"

"That's different, and you know it!"

"Boys!" Neal cut in. "What are you arguing about!"

Arthur cut Tomas off before the sixteen year old could even start. "Why Eric disappeared. And we KNOW…," he said. Then motioning over to his eldest brother, Arthur continued, "HE just won't let me say."

"And for good reason too, you blabbermouth," Eric's voice came from nowhere.

Kel and Neal rapidly looked around the room, for surely it came from inside. But Eric was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm not blabbing," Arthur shouted to the air. "You're the one who up and disappeared."

"Because you WOULDN'T stop laughing!" Eric's voice replied.

"I can't help what happens! It was so funny! The look on your face…"

"Shut it, baby!"

Something then clicked in Kel's head. Eric sounded like exactly what he sounded like in the forest. What were Tomas and Arthur just arguing about? Their powers. Not telling anybody somebody else's powers. It was beginning to become obvious now…

Kel began to talk slowly and cautiously. "Do you have the ability to disappear at will, Eric?"

A sharp "NO!" was her reply.

"Liar!" Arthur shouted. "Like you could do it, and she wouldn't notice!"

"I only did it because you started LAUGHING at me!"

"I only laughed because-"

"Will you two shut it!" Neal exclaimed. Then he turned to Kel. "Have you seen this before?"

Kel nodded her head. "When we first met they didn't trust me so they… Oh, for the love of Mithros! Will you take the spell off of me already!"

Tomas shook his dark, curly locks. "You've known us, for what? Not even a day. There's still time for you to betray us."

"To which, I say," Arthur spoke up, "We've tested her TRUE intentions."

"You just like to be the one arguing, don't you?" Neal asked.

Arthur proudly nodded his head, then replied, "Speaking of arguing, Eric does have the ability to disappear at will."

"Toadbottom," Eric unsatisfactorily commented.

"You are NOT telling them what I can do." Tomas fiercely said.

"I wasn't about to!"

"Really? Because it feels like you're ready to become a public gossip!"

"Why do you always think that!"

"Because it's true!"

"Back to Eric, boys!" Neal shouted.

"What about me, mage man?" Eric inquired.

"Well, I was just wondering when you were going to come out of your oblivion and tell us yourself your big secret without your brothers having to go through your diary,"

"I do NOT keep a diary!" Eric shouted. Despite that, after a slight wrinkle in the air (and yes it WAS meant as a wrinkle) Eric stepped into a watching audience.

"It's called manifestation, mage man. Though, I suppose you were about to say that…"

"The name is Sir Neal, boy."

"The name is Eric of Emtuem, half-wit."

They locked furious gazes for a moment while the three other occupants of the room tried to get as far away from the proverbial wills as possible. But Kel just had to intervene, because of the fact that this arguing was getting extremely old and supremely annoying.

"Can we please just call a truce, if just momentarily, to not argue? We haven't got anything accomplished, besides introductions because of all this bickering."

"I'll stop if HE'll stop," Neal replied.

"I'll stop if HE'll stop," Eric echoed. "Besides, what DO we need to do?"

Kel decided to let all of this frustration out on the poor boy. "Well firstly, I need to find you three NEW lodgings because you'll cause a rucus if you stay in my rooms. Next if we're planning on journeying to Emtuem anytime soon, we'll need to pack supplies. And if you want privacy, for some unknown and most likely absurd reason, we need to do this quickly. PLUS Neal and I need to ask a couple of friends to come along with us, because we certainly can't do it ourselves. And if we need to do that then you'll HAVE to take the stupid spell off of me so that I can tell them what's happening. Is that enough or do you want me to continue!"

By the time she finished, Eric looked like he wanted to crawl underneath of Kel's desk, curl up, and die there (as any sanely thinking person who faces the wrath of Kel should feel). Which, of course, made Kel feel absolutely horrible…

"Oh, I'm sorry Eric," Kel sincerely cooed. "I'm just getting really frustrated. I shouldn't have taken out on you."

"Don't appologize to him Kel," Neal said. "It's exactly what they want. They'll make you feel guilty and then you'll have to help them. Besides he was the one who disappeared."

"Are you implying that we WANTED the lady knight to yell at our brother!" Tomas said.

"Surely not," Neal replied in a mock tone. "That was just what I said, and what I say always implies the opposite."

"Neal, hush!" Kel said. "The next person who even THINKS about opening their mouth to argue will be sent to help the new training master out with manual chores for a month! And Neal don't you tell me that I can't make you do that, because despite the age difference, I can haul Yuki up here, and you KNOW what she'll do!"

Silence and the summer crickets filled the room after the outburst while the boys cringed at the thought of manual labor. Neal flinched at thinking what Yuki would do to him if Kel gave her a report of what happened (not to mention the humility of the girl yanking him by his ear through the whole castle… and that wouldn't even be the worst). Kel was meditating again, because she was definitely having some built up emotions after THAT fiasco.

Kel then sighed with happy relief. "Now that that's finished, I think that I have thought of a temporary solution to the rooming problem."

"We're just going to stay with you, lady knight," Tomas said firmly.

Kel rounded on him. "Like I've explained countless times, you WILL get discovered and it will be MORE of a court gossip if you are staying in my rooms. I know you would like your privacy and this solution will solve that problem, if not momentarily." Pause for dramatics. "You three will stay in Neal's rooms."

Immediately there was a pointed outburst.

"But he's a pig!"

"They'll keep me up all night!"

"There won't be enough room!"

"But what about Yuki!"

"SILENCE!" Kel commanded. "I'm sorry but if you can think of a better arrangement OUT of my rooms, then let's have it."

The males were all silent. After another pause for dramatics, Neal spoke up. "I know." Pause and large smirk. "They can stay with Dom."

A/N: Muahahahahahahaaa! Evil cliffie. I know. I WILL update soon. I probably will have half of Chapter 6 written by tomorrow. But if you want faster updates tell me why I should. :)

p.s. I can't figure out what is funnier… Mage man Nealan or Sir Neal… he he heee….