Chapter Two

The night air was crisp and cool as Rusell and Reinnan walked down the narrow cobble stoned street in Corus. Both sides of the street were lined with apple trees, and as the Dancing Dove shrank into the background, the two women walked down the center of the street; black cloaks silhouetted against the moon lit sky.

"So, what have you been up to all these years?" questioned Reinnan, as she looked at Rusell with a solid stare that told her not to dare lie about what she had been doing.

"You seriously need me to tell you, I expected higher, I had assumed you already knew." Rus and Reinnan both laughed and Rusell continued, "Well mostly the rebellion, other than that nothing really, I put my life into the Senallii and believe me everything would have worked out perfectly if it hadn't been for Julian, that…."

While Rusell had been talking, Reinnan noticed a reflection in the glass of a street lamp, and thought she saw a man following them for one brief moment. Then, she pulled a small extremely reflective dagger, she had polished it meticulously the night before, out of her sleeve; and while palming it carefully in her hand, so as not to cut herself, she checked behind them and around all of the corners. Noticing their follower, Reinnan slipped in one fluid motion around a corner. Rusell, oblivious to all that was happening because she was transfixed by the brilliant colored lights flashing in the sky, suddenly found herself alone. Immediately, Rus cast an illusionment over herself so that she was invisible to everyone, including those that have the sight, and threw her voice up into the air so that it would be impossible to pinpoint her location from the sound of her voice.

"You know I hate it when you do things like this, some of us just aren't as fast as you. I'll bet someone was following us, either that or you playing one of your jokes on me, like that time you ditched me by a trash can back in Recantka," called Rusell.

Meanwhile, George Cooper was crouching behind a rather prickly bush waiting for an opportunity to reveal himself. However, when he noticed that one of them was gone (the taller one who he had assumed was "Reinnan") he began to worry that he had been spotted.

"No, I can't have been spotted", George thought to himself. He, the king of thieves, was never ever noticed while tailing someone, that is until now. Then, suddenly, the other one (Rusell) had disappeared into thin air, causing George to conclude that she must have the Gift. George began to creep around the bush to take a better look at things, and he heard someone clear their throat, in a fake and almost mocking way, behind him. He spun around with one of his many carefully concealed knives in his hand, ready to attack if necessary, only to end up face to face with Reinnan's dagger.

"Damn, she's good, I didn't even notice her, hey, where's the other one, aye, she's probably on the other side of me by now," thought George, to himself again.

"How nice of you to introduce yourself," expressed Reinnan with a half smile and a cold stare.

"I was just about to, if you'd give me the courtesy of lowering your knife," returned George while slowly bowing, "if you please, I'd prefer to not have to worry about my nose being sliced off," he delivered with a light, almost mocking tone and a calculating look.

Reinnan began to smile slowly and wondered, "I like him, although I still would like to know who he is, and why he was following us."

Now, Rusell had indeed moved to a position behind George, she had not removed her invisibility illusion yet; however, because Reinnan had locked eyes with her earlier, signifying that she knew she was there.

"I would like to know why you have been following us, I repeat FOLLOWING US, all the way from the Dove...Your highness…" Exclaimed Rusell, while becoming visible; she had already figured out who this man was. Rusell did not like being followed; she really didn't like being followed.

Reinnan, guessing what might happen, lowered her weapon and crossed her arms over her chest and gave them both a skeptical look that seemed to say, " I'm not getting involved in this."

"Well, my dear lady Russell, I've been following you for two reasons: first, because I felt that it would be beneficial to us all if we became aquainted; and second, to figure out why you couldn't get your ale to explode… I don't think you were focusing hard enough." A wicked grin spread across George's face; his eyes remaining slightly cold because he still didn't know if they planned to harm him, that dagger looked really sharp. He knew that Rusell wasn't expecting him to have overheard he conversation with herself.

"I'm the King of the Rogue; I hear everything in the Dove," he said while shrugging his shoulders in fake innocence. Noticing the ripe red apples growing on the trees, George reached up and grabbed one, offered it to the infuriated Rusell, and when she didn't take it, shrugged again and took a large bite.

Meanwhile, Reinnan had concluded that this King of the Rogue, was nothing that she had expected from the King of thieves. She had always expected The Rogue to have been a lot older and much more vicious and abrupt; he was kind of quiet and a little devious. His intentions seemed well enough, although she didn't trust him, but he had said the part about feeling it was beneficial for them to meet with all sincerity. Unexpectedly, Rusell kicked George in the shin, and as he was jumping out of the way and getting ready to counter her blow, she threw a blast of pure illusion at him, which caused him to pass out.

"Really Rusell, couldn't you have contained yourself, why'd you have to hurt him, I found him rather entertaining actually," drawled Reinnan.

"Its not like I intended for him to be hurt, it was self defense," replied Rusell, "Hey, and anyways, you never got around to telling me what you needed my help for."

"That can wait, I think we should get him to a healer, you could have injured him."

"Right, now, how are we supposed to get him anywhere?" Rusell questioned sarcastically.

"As it turns out, I know a healer that lives just around that corner. Wait here, I'll go get her."

"Hurry, I don't want to be by myself with him when he wakes up."

A/N: okay, sorry it took me so long to update, I've just been extremely busy, and yes I know, the writing's kind of choppy, and the grammar/punctuation is a little weird, Its ten o'clock at night...What can I say...it makes sense though.

Read & Review please!