Ok, this really had to be rewritten, because of…everything. Well, the beginning parts are the same, but I had to redo a lot of it when I got into the next two chapters and everything started going downhill. Thus, the new version of Chapter 12. I hope you all like this better (or I might have made everything worse, in which case I'm probably wasting my time, but that's ok, because it's summer and I'm bored.)

Chapter 12

She looked at Ver. He seemed nervous and kept stealing glances at everyone around them as if nervous about being overheard. She hesitated; then led the way into one of the empty rooms nearby. It looked exactly like the one that the "witnesses" had been kept in; it had the same bare, sparse furniture and dreary atmosphere.

"What in Mithros are you doin' here?" he demanded as soon as the door was closed. "Don't ya realize that this place is filled with them nobles? Why would ya come here after what happened Midsummer? We woulda kept ya safe."

"I told you that it was a long story. I thought you didn't even know what happened on Midsummer."

"'Course I do! Every'un does! Dal was there! Every'un wants ta know why you're still here!"

"Ask George about it sometime." Then she realized something. "Were you lying about everything else in there too then?" she asked.

He frowned. "No, what we said was all true. It's what we didn't say that's more important, though. Never tell a noble everythin' ya know, didn't nobody teach ya that?"

"Wait," she said. "What's so important that you didn't say?"

He hesitated. "Remember how Dal was there that day?" She nodded. "Well, me an' 'im was goin' 'round that night, an' we saw that noble that was supposed ta have left the city in one 'a the taverns talkin' treason. Dal recalled 'is face. He wanted ta go stick a knife in the man's back then an' there, but I tol' 'im he was too drunk ta do it right. It was true too."

"Why were you two drunk?" she asked suspiciously.

He laughed. "Lass, it was Midsummer! There wasn't a somber person on the street!"

"Just because you're three years older than me doesn't mean that you can go around getting drunk. Or calling me 'lass'."

"You don't care when George calls ya that," he pointed out.

"Because he's old enough to be my father!" Then she remembered the important thing about this conversation. "Wait, so you saw Joren in a tavern talking treason?" Why did that sound familiar? Kai wondered. She paused. "Didn't you say that you saw that Fang in a tavern that night too?" Ver nodded. "Were they talking to one another?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head. "Same person, Kai. Don't know how he got back in the city so fast, but he did."

She closed her eyes. "We're in so much trouble."

"Wanna come with us?" Ver offered.

"No," she said, opening her eyes. "I promised. Besides, it's not so horrible here. That girl, Kel, is nice. You'd like her," she said, smiling.

"I doubt it," Ver said. He had a terrible loathing of any and all nobles.

"Ver! We're leavin' without ya!" someone; Dal, Kai thought; shouted from the hall.

"I gotta leave," he said apologetically. "I'll tell Danai you're alright."

"Thanks. I'll see you all soon," she said, hoping that it was true.

The thieves left and Kai went up alone to where the original group was still arguing in the first room.

"We can't do anything about them!" someone shouted. "We have to protect our people first!" It was Sir Raoul, and he was upset about something. "We can't have fights like this happening all the time!"

"Calm down," the king ordered. "All we need to do is just stay organized. Now, who has an idea?"

Kai made her way quietly to where Faleron and Kel were standing with a few of the other squires who were there.

"How was it?" Kel asked as she walked up.

"Umm…informative," she said carefully. She paused, wondering how to say it. "We might have a problem with Fang."

"Why?"

"It's Joren."

No one said anything. Kel was pale, and the rest looked furious that he would go back on his promise.

"Are you certain?" Faleron asked finally.

"Yes. One of my friends was there that day and then they saw him in a tavern that night. We're sure."

It was then that the door opened and who should walk in but the baron of Pirates' Swoop himself.

Kai felt her eyes widen. He actually looked like one of then, she thought. He wasn't in his street clothes anymore and could have passed for a noble if one didn't already know who he really was. Which was not a noble, she convinced herself firmly. He was like her, which was how she knew beyond doubt that she could trust him. Right?

She watched, not paying attention to the arguing around her, as he greeted Alanna; then the king walked up to him, and, as it was clear that he was about to say something, everyone quieted.

"I see you got the messenger, George," Jonathon said conversationally. "Did you get the whole story?"

'I heard everything that Thayet wrote," George replied, eyes sweeping the room. "She said that you had some of my lads here. I assume that they all left." Kai smiled. Even though he looked like a noble, his first concern was of his thieves, just as a street dwellers' should.

"Of course," the king said. "Just missed them, in fact."

"How many of them?" George asked suspiciously.

"Fifteen; all that came in. You could ask Lord Geard's squire's maid, in fact. She knew a few of them," he said good-humouredly, as if amused by that.

"Oh?" George said, unsurprised as he turned to Kai. "Who was it?"

Kai bit her lip as she tried to remember everyone. "Dal and Ver," she started, and saw him smile at something. "Matt the pickpocket. Hage. Justin. Kordel. Treble. Tomothy. That's all I can remember," she finished apologetically.

"That's good," he said, nodding. "I'll speak to Rukas, the new king, later. They're all becoming a little careless."

Jonathon didn't even raise an eyebrow at this talk happening right in front of him. Kai wondered at that for a second; then decided it didn't matter as long as she wasn't going to get in trouble for treason for it.

"Now," Jonathon said, taking the floor again, "We have discovered almost nothing new after this second session with the witnesses, so, we're open to new ideas."

"How much do we know about the leader?" George asked.

"Very little," Duke Gareth admitted. "He's pale, probably of northern descent, blond, and has a scar on the left side of is face."

"We know who it is," Kai said tentatively, stepping forward. "It's…"

She felt someone not so discreetly step on her foot, tugging her backwards. "Don't tell them," Faleron told her quietly. "They won't believe you."

"Don't listen to her, majesty," Kel said, covering for them. "She doesn't realize what she's saying."

The king was still looking at her, Kai realized. "Who is it?" he inquired, his eyes steady.

She smiled nervously. "What do I know? I'm just a maid."

She glanced around the room uneasily. Sir Raoul was frowning at his squire; Alanna was looking at their whole group suspiciously; the duke appeared to be thinking, and George's eyes were narrowed to slits.

"I would like to know where the Carthakis are right now," Raoul asked, saving them. "Could they identify whoever started the fight?"

"Can we find the one who was talking to the other group too?" someone else wondered.

George shook his head. "We can find out who it was, but they'll be long gone by now. Disappear or leave the city. You won't be able to find them."

"Well, could we at least figure out who supports this Fang?" Duke Gareth asked, his eyes darting to Kai at the last word.

"We could get a few of them," George answered thoughtfully. "Not all, mind. But a good estimate."

Jonathon nodded. "Please do that as soon as possible."

George grinned at his wife. "Guess we'll be staying in the city for a little while longer then, eh?"

She shoved him lightly, smiling. "Fine, but you'll be working then, not taking a vacation to go drink with your old friends."

"Alanna dear, I'm crushed that you would think so little of me."

Most of them chuckled at the couple's antics, but Jonathon cleared his throat as if he were reminding them where they were. Kai almost smiled as she remembered how the elders in the taverns used to talk about the king and his champion.

The nobles began to break up into their separate little clusters to discuss what they had heard and their plans for the future. More than one person was concerned about getting around in the city without guards and how the price for said protection would probably go up while they were in demand. Kai shook her head. Nobles. Servants circulated, bearing trays of drinks with them as they slid from group to group, never interrupting on another's paths like some well-rehearsed dance.

"Kai?" someone asked from behind her. She turned to see Faleron grinning at her. "Pay attention, will you?" Their group had formed a tight circle and were whispering as loud as humanly possible, which, Kai thought, defeated the purpose of whispering.

"So what, we just won't tell anyone?" Esmond hissed. "That's withholding information. They could call that treason."

"Well, if whoever you're about to tell has a high possibility of laughing in your face, then don't tell them," Neal commented.

Kai smiled, but then realized how reasonable the advice sounded. It was then that one of the maids, precariously balancing a tray of full cups, infiltrated their circle. In her palace garments, Kai might have never recognized Sholla, the barmaid from the Dancing Dove and one of George's spy recruits.

"Drinks, my lords, lady," Sholla offered in a perfect palace servant imitation, turning slightly so that Kai could see her face. She gave an almost imperceptible nod toward the door, and was gone.

Kai watched her weave her way between groups, heading, almost unnoticeably, towards the wall where George, his wife, and a few others of obvious important rank were speaking. The ex-thief was, to all appearances, deeply immersed in the conversation, except for when, every so often, he glanced around the room, as if waiting for something…or someone. He saw Sholla, still halfway across the room, gave her a small smile, and turned back to his companions to, Kai guessed, make his excuses and leave.

She also suddenly began paying attention to what people around her were saying.

"Ok, so everyone," Kel was declaring "Don't go into the city by yourself." She was looking at Kai as she said this. "Now, I think we'll have to tell someone about Joren. Any suggestions?"

They all began putting in names of so-called trustworthy nobles. Kai knew that she wouldn't be any help in this conversation so she murmured, "I'll be right back," to Faleron and slid away to the door, where Sholla was waiting with an empty tray. George joined them a moment later.

"This is from Stephan the hostler," Sholla whispered, trying not to draw attention to their group, slipping a paper to the baron. "It's important."

Is this better than last chapter or worse? Opinions?

Mina (who really needs to get a username)

Maliaphire

Wingedrider

bellachaos

DarkAngel2210

BigBigStarr

seabiscuit0810

Keeran Amytha

and anyone else who reviewed. (Doesn't it make you feel all warm and fuzzy when people review? Oh, that might just be me. Never mind.)

Silveni Jinx: Yes, I recently found out that Kai is a male name (oops). Thanks for pointing that out. On the up side, I knew that it was Japanese (or Chinese. Or something like that. cringes at the thought of friends yelling at self for that comment No offense meant to anyone of aforementioned cultures). The point of that comment was that it is purposely a Japanese (etc.) name, just the wrong gender. It comes in eventually. (about the Japanese thing. not the gender thing) I will give whoever can guess what George is hiding $20 (as soon as I can convince my mom to lend me $20)

Give a hoot. Review. (or don't pollute, whichever is easier. The environment is your friend, people.)