Hi again! soz it took so long! Thanks to all you reveiwers i don't think there were any questions that you want answering.

This chapter is dedicated to Kara Adar for her lovely reveiw and for staying with me through my pointlessness.
Soon i will have a point. (There is one don't worry) neway, on with the story.

Chapter Eight

There were curious stares as the group walked into the training courts, a number of sand floored squares and an archery range at the edge of the forest. Kel held a small conversation with Raoul before introducing her, much to Asa'a embarrassment.

She sat down on a tree stump near the horses. It wasn't that she didn't like horses, she argued with herself. It was only the sitting on them and moving that wasn't pleasant. Aranias, Liam and the rest of the group that had found her began to warm up, joking as they did so.

All over the courts men were fighting, warming up and shooting. Asa was surprised at the air of good humour around them. It's not that strange, she scolded herself. Even the men at home were like this. She relaxed on the log watching the fighting and storing any moves and teaching in the back of her mind. Joel and Pete had begun a friendly duel with swords and she smiled staring at the two fighting. In Eve they fought in groups, never straight on like this.

Raoul watched her curiously. Kel had explained why she had come and he had at first thought she was just like other ladies watching the men, despite her betrothal. But the avid attention to the duel made him smile slightly, reminded of the first time he had seen his now squire, when the boy had been just a page.

Aranias watched the other pages completely at loss. Fight one on one? On your own? It was unusual, and in Eve he had been taught only a few moves that were to be performed in groups. This style was completely new and he was fascinated.

Suddenly it was his turn, against a year-mate named Wallis. He gripped the practice sword, confused thoughts running through his head. This was a new thing thought up by Padraig haMinch. Once the pages had made their practice swords they would have a freestyle fight to determine what they already knew. Then they would be taught the basics. Aranias gulped. One on one fighting was normal here. Damn.

He struggled to fight but every move her knew needed someone else behind or beside him, despite the fact that those moves were supposed to be against two people.

Finally Padraig haMinch stopped them. "What on earth are you doing boy? Surely you don't think that will work? It's like you expect someone else to appear and do the next move for you! And that your opponent is two people not just one!" Aranias stared at the ground knowing it would do no good to point out the differences in his own country.

Raoul watched from the fence together with the Own who had gathered to watch the new Prince. A team fighter he was. Not an independent one, even if he had that kind of training. It was one of the reasons he had picked the boy to be his squire. As a member of the own he could be invaluable, since he always looked to his comrades and their fights to fight with them.

Later he had found the reason for the boy's first incapability vaguely amusing. It seemed that Evians were more like members of the Own than Knights in their fighting style.

He snapped back to the present and wondered if the girl was bored. She had turned her attention to another set of duellers although he noticed her eyes often strayed to the bows piled by the archery range. He wondered why.

Liam also watched her, although perhaps more subtly. She wasn't a normal court lady anyway. Or anything else for that matter. Unique was the word. He groaned a little when Raoul announced an archery contest. It was his least favourite thing although he was quite good at it. Aranias wasn't very good but was famous for lucky shots.

Asa stood up and followed them to the Archery range, longing to have a go. None of her bows were as good quality and all but the smaller two had to be left in Eve. She longed to try the larger again – or any. Somehow, she doubted she would get a chance.

Leaning of the fence she watched each man take three shots noting each slight mistake that caused the arrow to go askew. Finally, by a few lucky shots and shouted corrections (in Eve) from his sister Aranias had come into the last round against two other men Asa hadn't seen before. He was last and the arrows were all in a clump around the bull's-eye. Aranias groaned. He'd never make it through. After one foul shot he turned with a pleading expression on his face to his sister.

He smiled innocently. "Can I have the honour of passing it over to you?" He asked with a flourishing bow. She gaped at him. He rolled his eyes. "Just shoot for me will you! It's not that hard to understand. I'll lose!"

"Is that so important to you?" she replied wryly. Yes, yes, yes! Her mind screamed. Aranias pouted. "I have to win!" he exclaimed making pretence at seriousness. "It wounds my manly pride if I lose! And then you'd have a depressed brother on your hands!" "Is that so bad?" Joel called out. "You're don't talk much when you're depressed!" Aranias glared at him before turning beseeching eyes on his sister once again.

"It's against the rules!" someone called out. "No it isn't" Aranias objected. "She's a relative." Raoul sighed. He'd get nowhere with his squire like this. He raised his hand and nodded in assent.

Asa hopped over the fence trying hard to hide her glee and also pushing down the slight unease their stares gave her. It wasn't new. Anyone staring at her felt uncomfortableTaking the bow from her brother she twanged the string, before taking an arrow off the floor. Setting her feet apart, she distanced herself, letting the target and the arrow become the only thing in focus. She pulled the string back to her ear with her thumb and let go.

The arrow thudded forcefully into the centre.

Taking another she repeated the process. Another embedded itself into the centre of the target. With one more shot she was in the last round against a tall brawny man whose name she had forgotten. It was a sudden death, one arrow each. His thudded straight into the centre. No way can anyone beat that, the watchers thought with a slight sigh.

However, Asa let fly just the same and there was a collective gasp. Raoul walked purposefully to the target. Instead of two arrows, there was what looked like three.

She'd split the arrow.

Aranias cheered. "I won!" He was immediately pounced on by friends. "You didn't win!" Joel cried. "I don't see how a load of lucky shots and cursed good sister means that you win!"

Asa watched with a tiny sad smile. Her brother had changed. Of course he has he's not ten years old any more, her mind protested but she knew it was more than that. He had grown up, changed from the slightly solemn little boy to a playful young man. It was his friends that had changed that, she realised. He had always been joking and had often been the idea behind the numerous pranks they had played as children. She could even remember taking great delight in formulating her own pranks and jokes. She could almost hear a faint echo of their laughter even now. It seemed strange that she had been that innocent child once. Though, the start of the dreams and visions, the loss of friends and the solitude of being the youngest princess in the palace had hacked away at her innocence, even before her brother had left. Unknown to Asa it was a strange retention of that innocence that kept her sane, through all dreams and visions.

Aranias however, had left to become a knight instead of staying cooped up in the grounds of the Everton palace all his life. He was less solemn and but had tucked a bit of solemnity somewhere just for when it was needed. Indeed, it was his ability to know what times were for solemnity and when to stop joking that was the real change. The two had grown apart, to quite different ends.

She was jerked from her reverie by Raoul. "Since it seems unfair for this Squire of mine to get the prize perhaps it goes to his sister." All eyes tuned as her head jerked up to quickly shake. "Sure?" he asked. "You don't even know what it is yet."

Doesn't matter what it is! Asa thought indignantly. I shot four times! There were ten rounds before that! She didn't voice her thoughts aloud though. She never did.

Aranias grinned at his friend. "She won't take anything." he whispered. Liam found himself vaguely wondering why exactly he wanted to know that when it was the kind of thing that immediately became clear.

Asa had finally managed to find words, uncomfortable under people's gazes. "My lord I didn't win though," she replied. "It was only four shots. Give the prize to him." She nodded in the direction of the man who had shot against her in the last round.

Liam and Joel exchanged rueful glances knowing exactly what their friend was about to say. "Aranias—" But he had already started into the group's (and particularly his) catchphrase. "Asa, how can you be so wrong! The purpose in life is to win! Didn't you know that?" Men chuckled at the well known phrase that had come out of a few late night card games.

Asa would have smiled at his joking phrase that he had once written in one very long letter, describing Squiring. However, she could already feel herself drifting. The people before her eyes disappeared and she was floating in a mass of colours, all mixed together. It was just at this time she often felt afraid. What if she continued to drift and never came back? But all thought disappeared and all there was were the strange words, and the voice, though calm and commanding, reminiscent of hounds and a huntress mixed with children's sounds and simply peoples' emotions, made her throat hurt.

"Real things are not won in life or war. Remember that in days to come. You do not win in war you simply stop the dying. Life is for living – happiness cannot be won. In approaching battles, you all will know. Winning is just something made up by mortals to ease pain. You can win among mortals, but fate is not beaten, simply made to veer into a different path. You may see the changing of fate but you cannot win."

The voice left her but the drifting did not. There was no world that she could see. With the more powerful, it took longer to return, but Asa began to panic. The difference would usually be only a few seconds not ten. But then, time was different here.

Pain tugged her and things swam into focus. Her brother had seen her wandering and cut her hand. She glared at him, snatching it out of his grip. "Much as I appreciate you calling me from wandering, I'm sure there were other ways than sticking a knife in my hand!" she tried to snap. It came out as a croak. Keladry passed her a water canteen. She gulped a little to sooth her aching throat and handed it back, tugging her hood around her face, trying to ignore the stares and shocked whispers.

Liam knew he was openly staring at her but didn't particularly care. It was downright strange and, though he had seen Irnai the seer girl talk a few times, he usually heard of things she had said – he didn't witness her prophesies. Who was it who had spoken through Asa? The words and voice haunted him as they did every person in the clearing. Even Aranias, who had had the presence of mind to notice his sister's wandering was staring at her in shock. As a child she had never spoken with such power.

Liam was suddenly struck by the picture she made, the strange insight this situation gave. She looked suddenly very vulnerable and young, almost lost, stood slightly away from the people around her, hand hanging limp as the blood dripped to the floor. She's not so different, he realised, she has blood and emotions like us. The picture she made wasn't of the age of her words but of a young girl, perhaps younger than she really was. A sad young girl. She knows this reaction. It's nothing new.

He stepped forward, taking a wad of white cloth from his tunic, and picked up her hand, deep blue gift shimmering at his fingertips. She started, glancing down as he began to clean and bandage her hand efficiently. "It's alright," she said quietly. "Doesn't even hurt."

"Could get infected though," Liam replied, equally quietly. He was a strong mage but liked healing most, above the battle, fire and other things favoured by his siblings. "When it's a cut along the vein it takes longer to close and you're more likely to get illness into your blood stream." She nodded slightly, comprehension and gratitude – more at his unaffected manner than anything else, he felt – showing in her eyes. "I'll remember that," she said almost a whisper. Liam smiled.

Keladry glanced at her old Knightmaster. Raoul gave an almost perceptible nod and pulled out his pocket watch to peer through the glass, rubbing it clean of non-existent grease. He straightened. "Fifth bell after dawn," he announced. "Been out here longer than expected, we'd better get going or we'll miss lunch." He could question the girl later. Her words certainly gave much to think about.

Aranias sighed. "And I only meant it as a joke!" As he had known it would, the tension broke and men moved off, making a few laughing comments but mostly avoiding the subject. Soon the horses were being unpicketed and attention was turned away from her as the now off-duty men made their way to the palace.

Liam almost felt Asa sag with relief as the voices grew fainter. She's that shy? he wondered, interested. It seemed that despite the bouts of spirit she had shown a few times, the girl didn't like being centre of attention.

Raoul had also decided this and simply told Aranias and Liam to escort her back to the palace, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. He and Kel rode back to the palace together, talking and Asa endured another ride on her brother's horse.

"I don't know why you never learned to ride properly." Aranias remarked as they walked slowly back to the stables. Asa gritted her teeth and only refrained from hitting him because she felt that if she took one hand away from its clenched position in her brother's shirt, she might fall off. She settled for muttering curses at him again.

Liam grinned, "We can teach you if you like. It's not bad once you know how." "It's more the moving I mind," she grumbled. "Horses are fine."

She's scared, Liam realised. Probably gets motion sick. His musings were confirmed when she muttered, "At least it's not a ship…"

When they finally reached the stables, Asa jumped off quickly and fished around in her pocket for some sugar (something Shadow liked, for a reason she had never been sure of.) "Thanks for going slow," she whispered to the horse, before being hustled off by the Mistress, who had somehow seen their return.

The Princes flashed her sympathetic smiles as she was led away. It's not even halfway through the day yet! she thought with a silent groan, trying to block the Mistress' reprimanding from her ears. She'd likely heard it all before anyway. A phrase reached her. "It's a ball for your welcome so I hope your listening to my advice…" Damn. Perhaps not all of it. How pointless is a ball like that anyway? She wondered how she would survive the preparations, which unfortunately started that afternoon.

Liam and Aranias spent the afternoon tilting, practicing and calculating more supplies. Liam could have died of boredom. Fortunately (or unfortunately) he kept getting distracted. Why in the black god's realm is she always in my thoughts? he wondered angrily. However, this didn't stop the image of a slight smile and whispered words from invading his thoughts the whole afternoon.

xxxx

Ok, there it is. I have decided that Aranias is out of character from how he was in early chapters. To clean up any confusion, this is how he is and i may go back and change those chaps a little at some point (in the far future!)

Im having trouble getting these chaps finished - i know where they're going but the endings are v hard 2 write so please bear with me if i don't update v. soon. Hopefully not over 2 weeks though. Reviews would be v helpful. I try to read the stories of my reviewers so i hope that encourages you.
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