Hello again! First of all I AM SO SORRY 4 BEIN SO SLOW. pelase 4give me i dont have any excuses only disatisfaction with the chappie and tiredness.

ok so now thats done id like 2 sai many thanx 2 reviewers. i think i answered all reviews with emails where i could please leave an address if u havent got a user account.

Im not amazingly pleased with this chappie although. I think its spectrallady who gave me some of this idea so big thanx 2 her. This is a filler chapter, im basically editing the next so it should b up some time soonish.

xxx

Chapter Ten

The leaves rustled almost in time to the men's chatter. Asa stared around her in wonderment, hands gripping the reigns tightly. Fire Child plodded onwards whether she did anything or not, which was a great relief since she had no idea what she would do if he stopped or moved a different way. She was further from her residence than she had ever been, but they were nearing the coast and her homeland at each step.

The birds above were familiar and she almost smiled at their dowdy colours. They had always been her favourite birds – ugly to look at yet with beautiful songs. She fixed her eyes on the dirt track ahead of her. They were almost nine days ride from Corus; it was nearing late afternoon. The nights before had been interesting to say the least – sleeping in a tent was a new experience – but she wouldn't hesitate to repeat it. Well that's good since it's impossible not to tonight! she thought quirking a corner of her mouth at her folly. She had known about all this before coming so berated herself when she became too awed by the landscape or things that they did. Unfortunately, being told about things and experiencing them were very different things and she caught herself staring far too often.

It seemed that Liam also noticed her amazement because he was explaining things at almost every turn. Grateful for his help, she didn't question it trying instead to think of a way of repaying him. So far she had come up with no suitable ideas.

The call to stop and make camp rose up and slowly she dismounted slightly less sore than she had been during the first few days of riding. The outfit she had brought from Everton had been duplicated quite a few times in different colours – although as they had been made by the Queen's seamstress, Lalasa, they were of considerably better quality than the one roughly by Asa herself. Soft leggings covered her legs coupled with a tunic that reached her knees. Someone had found shirts that fit her in the Page stores although the sleeves came over her hands. She wondered just how big a page was meant to be. Over all this she wore her long cloak and hood. Asa didn't miss dresses.

While the tents were set up, she found Kel and they had their usual practice with the glaive. She had become quite friendly with the Lady Knight having slowly got over her awe of her. Kel was practical and didn't seem to judge people and stayed open to almost all suggestions or comments made by people – she was incredibly fair. The two shared a latrine and a tent which Asa found slightly uncomfortable although her qualms had been dimmed a little. Luckily there were no dreams, only a few seemingly unimportant and almost unnoticeable things foretold which people were beginning to ignore. She was glad of it, as it lessened attention on her.

Finally, out of breath and bruised, Asa followed Kel to the edge of the camp and they set up the tent. Unfortunately it was now very windy and the two began to regret their decision to practise before the light went. Kel smiled wryly. "Neal always said I never made things easy for myself!" Asa turned a little so she could see the older woman while still clinging to the tent ropes with all her might.

"Seems we both have to be mad to be the things we are!" Kel laughed at this, struggling with her own set of ropes. "Shame neither of us are mages – it'll be cold without a fire." Seeing Asa's baffled look she explained, "With wind like this we can't make a fire in case it spreads. This is a permanent base camp for a few weeks though so the fire should be sorted tomorrow." Asa nodded thankfully. Cold when it was dark was something associated with bad dreams and she disliked it with a passion.

When the tent was finally set up the two wandered off in search of food. The mess tent had already been set up and it seemed a mage fire had been used to cook the food. Asa sipped her soup with cold hands and grumbled silently that it was this cold in spring. Luke, Joel's cousin, had no misgivings about voicing his discomforts and he and Aranias started a friendly competition over who was worse off.

When Aranias proclaimed that his brain was so frozen he was surprised he could still think, Luke retorted that no-one would notice and that if his fingers dropped off people would miss them more – at least they did something useful! Asa felt the beginnings of a smile crease her numb face, Luke did have a point. Aranias turned to his sister for support she told him so. He glared, while everyone laughed. Drawing himself up, he stared haughtily at her.

"As a younger sibling you should treat me with respect! And that goes to the rest of you too!"

"Younger in years, older in sense," Asa retorted, surprising herself. Luke smiled, nudging Liam. "Ah but no-one can top Ara in common sense, it unheard of." Liam struggled not to snort at the nickname. Joel did so openly, laughing at Aranias' outrage.

Finally they cleaned plates and headed through the wind outside, waving goodnights. Entering the tents she found Kel already there, cross legged on her bed-roll, reading a letter. Looking up as Asa crawled through the opening, trying to let the least amount of wind in she grinned. "Cold?" Asa surprised herself by rolling her eyes something she usually refrained from doing in the presence of people she didn't know very well.

You do know her though, her mind whispered, you've spent the last week travelling with her and almost two before that training together. Usually a few weeks, especially with an adult, was no time at all but there was something about Kel that put her at ease. For that matter, she had known the Prince barely any longer and found herself showing more emotion with him than she meant to. It was something to do with Tortallans, she decided finally. It seemed they were far easier to talk to than people in her Homeland.

She hadn't realised she had glanced at the letter curiously but Kel had and answered, smiling a little ruefully. "This is what comes of being a Lady Knight riding with a separate section of the Own than the one your husband is commanding. Letters can be the only correspondence for months, sometimes."

Asa stared at her, suddenly realising that being a Lady Knight had its drawbacks. Instead of voicing this she replied, "Aranias said in one of his letters that the own weren't allowed to marry. How…?" Kel nodded. "That was true a few years ago but after Raoul's marriage to Commander Buri it was decided that if the commander was allowed to then why not his troops? It still forbids anyone who isn't an officer to marry. It was partly Raoul's idea I think – he always was fair and at the time him and my friends were trying to set me up with Dom. I suppose I should be grateful but I think you should be glad your best friend isn't Neal and isn't trying to match-make you!" It was true to the extent that Neal wasn't the young princess's best friend and matchmaking her.

Asa looked at her hands, busying herself with making sure the lantern didn't overturn and set them on fire as they slept. "I don't have a best friend," she whispered, face turned away. A sudden glimmer of her old spirit came back undermined with something else. "And besides – I'm already match-made!"

Kel smiled at this, though she hadn't missed the conflicting emotions undermining it.

"No best friend? How can you be so sure?" Asa looked up again, and spoke frankly. "Never had one in Everton except when I was a small child and children tried to get in favour with the monarchy. And besides, prophesying and rumours scared them all away. It was easier in the end to stay alone – not that there were any other options." She forced herself to lighten her tone and smile. "At least I had no-one to leave behind."

Kel studied her for a second, suddenly realising that this magic that gripped the girl didn't give a wish for solitude but forced it upon her. She had seen her once, hood thrown back and eyes sparkling, and had known that she used a hood and air of distance to hide her emotions just as Kel used her mask. However, Kel had found friendship and lost hers – this girl, almost a child still, had spent her life alone, lacking not only the friends but some of the skills of friendship.

"Is Everton very different from here?" Asa frowned. "Maybe. It's more formal and there's no concept of women fighting like they do here." She shrugged. "Less variety of cultures – foreigners are very rare. Here's more interesting." Well duh. Nicer people for a start!

"You know, before Alanna the Lioness there had been centuries since the last Lady Knight, they were more like stuff of legend for us. Of course there were the Shang – but they're always a completely different class of people from the rest of us. If Alanna hadn't become a Knight we wouldn't have the Riders and I wouldn't be here. There are still people who object so really it's no time at all since women were only ornaments. You can be whoever you like within reason. What you do doesn't change who you are."

Seeing the younger girl begin to contemplate she smiled at her. "Think on it. Not everyone can be your friend – but not everyone can be your enemy either. Sweet dreams." Asa huddled further into her bedroll, shivering. What if who you are includes something you can't change? What do you do then?

xxx

ok so as i said thats a filler the next should b up a lot quicker than this one!

plase read nd review it reminds me 2 update and i love 2 know wot u think.

Thanx!