The All Important Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me (except the obvious) but are Tamora Pierce's. Wish they did- I could use the money.

A/N: Whoa this is so much harder than I thought. I get so anxious posting chapters because I'm worried that they're not as good as they could be. I wrote three chapters before getting the nerve to post the prologue. Perfectionism will drive me mad in the end. Until then the story continues...

P.S. Think this is better what with the dialogue and action. Hope you enjoy. And sorry for the lame chapter titles- its purely an attempt not to do numbers and theywon't betoo imaginative.

Oh and thanks to my one reviewer sirladyknight for the encouragement- it really helped.

Chapter 1

Jay opened one eye wearily as she finally deigned to respond to the insistent tugging on her night gown sleeve, as she was trying to sleep in the back of the wagon. She sighed as she realised that Tally, a three year old insomniac with a mean streak, was not going to let her sleep any more without a fight. She had joined the merchant family at Tyra where her ship had docked. After brief enquiries about travellers heading north to Corus she had found the Thatcher family.

Rather than sailing direct to the capital she had instead decided to travel across land on the Great Road South (rather ironically named she felt since she was travelling determinedly in the opposite direction) to see the sights. It seemed to be the ultimate act of freedom, wandering leisurely across Tortall, her new home. That was until she met the little slave driver (she smiled inwardly) Tally. For a three year old she was remarkably demanding, seeming to take a malicious pleasure in making Jay's tasks as difficult as possible. She could quite possibly rival the over indulged children of the Carthaki nobility, Jay thought wryly.

She had however immediately taken up on the Thatcher family's offer of a place on their wagon in exchange for her care of the little mischievous girl. She'd even grown rather fond of her, realising her misbehaviour was largely due to an overactive nature. She had, however, had to keep an eye on her exploits rather than the scenery passing them by. She'd kept her from being burnt in the scorching sun of the desert and in Persopolis she'd preventing her from running off into the grand market's crowds. They were now just three days from Corus and Tally had still not worn herself out.

Regretfully she levered herself up and lifted Tally from the floor, placing her on her lap and attempting to inject some calm into the child with her soothing voice "What's the matter little monster?"

Tally giggled at her teasing and pulled one of the strands of her hair. "I'm not a monster."

"Are you sure? You certainly look like one to me, look at all this yellow hair" she countered pulling one of Tally's own locks. "Perhaps I should warn the others just in case."

Tally emitted another shriek of giggles as she started to bounce up and down on her knees. "It's not yellow! It's blonde!"

"Whatever you say yellow top" she ruffled the little monsters hair affectionately. "Why are you up at this time then?" She glanced at the gap in the cotton curtains covering the back of the wagon. The first light of morning was just approaching and she guessed there was about another hour before the other wagons started showing signs of movement.

As she directed the question toward the writhing toddler she heard a distant noise, sounding like the clang of metal on metal. She quickly hugged Tally to her side and climbed out of the wagon shushing Tally who wriggled relentlessly in her grip. The noises were still distant but seemed to be getting louder. It wouldn't be long until the camp awoke. She knocked on the side of Tally's father's wagon.

"Darrol!" she whispered urgently. He had finally managed to persuade her to call him by his given name rather than 'Sir', overcoming the conditioning of her childhood. She knocked again on the wagon's side until Darrol appeared from behind the dark blue curtains, half clothed in breaches.

"What is it Jay?" As soon as he had asked a shout burst from the dense forest followed by yet more metallic sounds of weaponry. He abruptly grabbed his boots and directed Jay to take Tally back to the wagon, before waking his wife and alerting the other merchant families. Almost immediately the camp was bustling with activity, as Jay watched from the wagon, peeping from behind the curtain. The men, including Darrol and his two grown sons, surrounded the camp wielding their modest but serviceable weapons, an assortment of daggers, knivesand short swords.

The sounds of battle seemed to be approaching until it finally broached the camp. From the wagon she saw what could only be bandits falling back from men in dark uniforms. Trapped between the travellers and the uniformed soldiers, the bandits fought recklessly pushing back towards the camp. The soldiers proved to be ruthlessly efficient however as they cut through the hordes of bandits. The camp, awash with cries and shouting, was now completely overrun.

Jay watched fearfully from the wagon, worried for the families she'd got to know during the long journey. Suddenly she gasped and withdrew from her view point as a figure lurched towards the wagon trying to escape the carnage. Sword in hand he grabbed the side of the wagon as Jay, allowing herself a momentary look at the whimpering form of Tally under the bed, hurriedly searched for something to defend herself. She quickly grasped the first hefty object that came to hand as the heavily built bandit swung himself inside, taking the measure of Jay with a quick glance.

Jay swung her makeshift weapon, a wooden stick with base attached at the end which was one of Tally's toys, bereft of the coloured rings that had moments before encircled the post. The man quickly raised his forearm, anticipating the strike and only grunted when it hit his arm with as much strength as Jay could throw into her attack. He grabbed the toy and wrenched it from her hold, throwing it aside and instead wrapping one of his giant hands round her neck. Jay crying out in pain, attempted to loosen his hold; fingernails raking the back of his hand.

For the first time since he'd entered the wagon the man spoke in a grave, rumbling whisper, "Don't move or make a sound, my girl" He raised his sword to her cheek and she felt sudden pain as the sharp blade made a neat cut on her cheek bone, followed by the wet sensation of blood rolling down her face like tears. Her finger nails, still biting into the flesh of his hand, went still as she tried to gulp for air. His grip encircling her neck cut off all oxygen and she could feel herself growing weaker as she suffocated. From the corner of her eye she could see Tally frozen in terror from the hiding place Jay had concealed her when she had returned from alerting Darrol. For once she was not moving or making a sound, but instead stared in terror at Jay and her attacker. Jay prayed she was smart enough to stay that way as she anticipated the point where she would pass out. The man's entire attention was on listening for signs of the progress of the battle, apparently unaware of the lethal grip he had on Jay's neck.

Her vision was going dimmer and her lungs cried painfully for air when a figure suddenly crashed into the wagon, lean and tall, sword in hand. The bandit turned abruptly, his grip released but it was too late for Jay as she slumped to the floor her mind blank and her eyes seeing no more.