HEEEELLOOOO once again. Wow…it hasn't been that long now has it! whoot whoot, cheer for alex and applaud for her so that she can cry and think, wow, peeps actually appreciate me!

TEEHEEHEEEHEEE

Anyhoooooo… here goes my thankies!

Fell4adeadguy – two shadows…yeesssss..dundun DUN! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

Insomniac-Reader – oooo yeeesssssssss..the hunt IS on. But we have no idea…WHERE the hunt is GOING! lmao…!

Heather-marie – I'm so glad…that we have you wonderin…you're right. Most fics ARE predictable, and while they may be enjoyable, it's different when you have to guess what you're reading about. Actually. We're just writing…I mean we don't QUITE know how to get 'em out of this whole death thing. So cross ur fingers!

Lady Knight 1512 – you're Australian?1 how kool is that! Actually, I'm Korean. Born in korea..immigrated when I was 6 months old. And not a citizen of u.s. yet. Lol. Yes..that was the whole point of the title. Race against death time limit. We'll just have to see if she MAKES the time limit. And I absolutely love, adore, 3 long reviews. So yours made me VERY happy!

XxXRoseVixenXxX – updated updated updated! Hope that was soon enuf for you! And I'm so glad you liked fate has led us. I cringe and wince at some of the stuff that we wrote!

NarwhalGirl – really? Is it an absolute must to save numy? Cuz….what if I don't feeeel like it? ;) just kiddin…w'ere trying here.

Yollandak – aaahhh! She wrote it! lol…please don't "push" me off a bridge! LOL ur review made me laugh so hard!

Megster – nerd camp? Like band camp? No I'm just kidding…. Sounds so effin fun tho! I wish I was psychic like yooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu

LexiLoLo200 – ((sigh)) I'm out of skool…and into high skool now. I'm gonna miss middle skool so much…well mostly my teachers and some of my friends who are going to a diff skool! Graduated? High school?

Wild black fire – UUPPPDDDATTEEEE! LOL … hints are the greatest. And I 3 your word…WHHHEENEEEESSSS! Mind if I steal it! ((takes word away and laughs maniacally))

kevin - get over it...we luv marriages. ;) jk...btw. study group was awesome...but was stupid too.

Read and REVIEW PLEAsE! and we vill luv you foreva! D

Daine had set off her only companion was Cloud. Neither spoke. Neither wanted to.

Daine was past tears. At the moment she was somewhat enjoying wallowing in her sorrow and grief.

And for once Cloud wasn't trying to snap her out of it.

Back at Corus everything was in a bit of a lull. Everyone was having trouble getting their minds around the latest developments in Numair's murder. They moved like a dream not really knowing what to do anymore.

Alanna and Jon sat alone in a corner of the library. They seemed to be the worst of the lot. They didn't say anything. They didn't even bother to pretend to be doing something some what important. But there was something that was going on that they had never talked about.

Jon broke the silence first,

"I'm scared," he whispered.

Alanna took his hand. The king was not one to admit fear.

"So am I," Alanna whispered back.

"No. I think you misunderstand...I am absolutely terrified..."

"Jon..."

"I don't think He'll let him go..."

"Jon..." she said again.

"I don't think he'll let her go either if she even makes it that far,"

"Jon..."

Alanna, I know you know what I'm talking about,"

"But He let you go,"

"He didn't quite have me...He has Numair...He's had him for a week...He didn't want to let me go...The Goddess and you made him." Alanna didn't say anything. "Do you know what He said to me before He left? He said, "I'll see you soon,' I had nightmares for weeks,"

"Oh, Jon...Daine will do it..." She reached over and gave him a hug. And then they sat in silence and did not speak for many hours.

The party from Dunlath sat silently in the newlyweds' suite of rooms. The happiness of the wedding was rudely cut short by recent events.

Henry sat at the chess board moving various pieces around. Elsinore stared into the fire and Tillie sat with a book, reading the same page over and over again.

Finally she looked up, "Where's Maura and Lasku?" she asked.

Everyone was searching for the missing pair.

It was something to do.

And all though there were probably many more important things to do, they didn't feel like doing them. So they pretended they didn't need doing so they did something else that really didn't need doing anyway just to pretend that it did need doing and that they were doing something that needed doing.

The fact was, it did need doing and they needed to be doing it. Well, maybe not all of them. But it needed doing none the less because it was important. (A.N: and oh my God I think it's a little late. That was really confusing…the thing from above.)

And the reason that it was important was because they were no where to be found. Maura and Lasku, that is.

And this was not just, 'oh don't worry they're out climbing trees" missing, it was, 'They are obviously not climbing trees so maybe we should be a little worried," kind of missing. So they got worried. Because it was something to do. (AN: okay i'm doing it on purpose now. sorry.)

And it needed doing, (AN: hehe.) So they did it. (AN: and i will stop now. I really am taking the seriousness out of the situation! )

They all searched and all unfortunately did not see the note placed quite clearly on a table with an explanation that would probably only worry them further.

Daine kept pushing on well after dark.

She needed to find the place where Tristan had called on Revenge and she had no idea how to even begin to do this. She also knew there was something important that she had forgotten but she couldn't remember what.

She was exhausted. It was the kind of exhausted that combines lack of sleep, traveling well into the night, and crying for most of the day. As a result, she was about to fall off Cloud. It was then that she was jerked awake by the sound of approaching hoof beats.

Two horses.

One on either side and they were closing in fast.

She kicked Cloud into a faster pace. And then faster...and faster...and faster...until the pony was going all out. The other animals matched her pace and she could see them now but the riders remained dark and featureless. She was getting somewhat frightened.

"Stop!" a voice called. So she did. She was so abrupt that her pursuers kept going a few paces before turning back. But by this time she had wheeled around and was about to go off in the other direction.

"Oh come on, Daine!" another voice and she was so surprised and lacking in the adrenaline that had fueled her moments before that she really did slip off of Cloud.

"Maura! Lasku! What...What...What on earth are you doing here!" The pair came forward and helped her to her feet.

"We were looking for you," Lasku answered.

"I told you I was going to go alone," she said. She was annoyed and angry that they had followed her.

"Well, we couldn't just leave you!" Maura argued.

"I didn't want any one dragged into this!" Daine yelled.

"But it's unfair for you to have been dragged into this. That's why we're here. So you aren't being dragged alone." Lasku offered, "Really, we don't mind. You know, a little adventure and all that,"

"Will you take this seriously!" Daine yelled, "This isn't some game! This isn't some stupid adventure! Numair's life is on the line and so is mine! And now you're following after I told you not too and now your life is on the line too, you kidnapping, Tusainian spy!"

It got quiet.

Daine knew she had struck a nerve.

"Lasku?" Maura asked.

"Seriously?" The man seethed, "Seriously? You want seriously! How Gods' damned serious do you think we're being here! We left to come searching for you so we could help you get to death so you can argue with the Black God! I don't think we could be any more serious! So sorry for caring about you! Please excuse me for trying to lighten the situation and trying to cheer you up a bit! Thank you so much for taking me for someone who is so close minded that they think it's a bloody game to go cavorting off to death! And for your information I am Gallan! I am Tortallan! I am not Tusainian! And I figured you had forgiven me for that after you hit me. It was bruised for days afterwards!"

There was another extreme silence. And then Daine broke down and began to cry again.

"Oh-Oh-Oh, Daine! Don't cry! Please? I didn't mean it!" Lasku said now.

He pulled her into a hug and rocked her back and forth. Maura patted her on the back, but at the same time couldn't help but feel a strange twinge seeing him comfort her.

"N-no. I'm sorry! T-thank you...I-I-I shouldn't have y-yelled at y-you like that. I-it was r-really l-low."

"No...no...I understand...You've been through a lot..."

"Still..."

Maura started a fire with her small gift and it cast light upon their faces. Daine's was tear- streaked.

"I think," said Maura, "That we should just pretend that conversation never happened. It would save us all a lot of trouble." The other two nodded.

"Okay. Now that we've agreed on that let's set up camp."

"But we have to keep going!" Daine exclaimed.

"Daine," Maura said sternly, "You are going to kill yourself of exhaustion and then you would be helping no one."

"At least you'd be in death..." Maura whacked Lasku on the arm.

"Besides you could be going in the completely wrong direction." She continued. Daine could not argue with that but she did anyway.

"Why? Do you know what direction is the right direction?"

"No, but I happen to know how to find out,"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, and you would too if you had remembered just one thing,"

"And what's that?"

Lasku reached into his cloak and gingerly pulled out a roll of parchment that was yellowed with age, "You seem to have forgotten something..." he said tapping it on her shoulder.

Daine's eyes widened,

"Oh Horse Lords! How could I have forgotten that! The single most important thing and I forgot it!"

It was the scroll. The scroll with all of the spells and instructions needed to find the place of Numair's death and the means to get there. In her mad dash to get going she had completely forgotten it. Immediately she felt even guiltier for yelling at the pair.

Without them her cause would have been lost from the start.

Tristan had arrived at the palace of Tusaine quietly and unnoticed. He snuck into the throne room of the king of Tusaine and stood in a corner until the king entered.

"Majesty," the mage said and took a few steps forward and made executed a sharp, polite bow. The king gave a yelp of surprise and staggered backwards.

"Wha-! Who! You!" He seethed, "What are you doing here!" Tristan gave a smile,

"Majesty, I pledged my allegiance to you...I am a man of my word,"

"I told you to stay away from here...You consort with demons!"

Tristan replaced his smile with a look of hurt,

"But, Majesty...I did that to help you. Do you know how much it hurt? And I destroyed an enemy...There is no more Numair Salmalin." Damien had to admit that he had a point.

"Besides," he continued, "Think of what else I could do for you..." He took a step forward. His voice was kind and hypnotic. He loved weak minds...He had just planted a seed into the king's brain and he could control it...

Tristan flopped on the bed and practically cried at the softness of the pillows. He did cry when he saw the books.

Daine wanted to find the whereabouts of Numair's death that very night.

Maura and Lasku persuaded her against it. They were both about to keel over from exhaustion.

So they agreed that first thing in the morning they would unroll the scroll and immerse themselves in the secrets of death.

DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUUNNNNn..

That was good..secrets of death. What will death hold for daine and her trusty followers?

Well..you'll never know I guess.

MUAHAHHAHAHAHAHAA

But I will be nice.

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Aaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA