Disclaimer: I do not own the stuff Tamora Pierce does. But I do own many other people. And the concept of something that will come up later so I won't post it now. (I am really just doing this so you will keep reading this story until you figure out what it is.)
A/n: this is updated so it isn't as short! Yay!
Rajen ran. Finally she reached the tree that had been her home for the past three weeks. There she stopped to curse herself using all the curses she knew. "Why?" she asked herself after she ran out of curses. "Why did you let yourself get caught? Why can't you just take the food and run? But noooo, you had to knock over a pot! And know you are talking to yourself again." Since she left home, Rajen had developed the hobby of talking to herself. She sighed and climbed the tree, sitting on her favorite branch. She surveyed the damage of her escape. She had a few scrapes from when she was running through the woods, and a sore ankle. She had tripped twice. I really should steal in the night, she thought. I am the only person who stays up all night looking at the moon. Taking an apple out of the bag of food she had stolen, Rajen looked up at the sky. It was about three hours before sunset. "Good," she said, taking a bite out of the apple. "I have time for a nap." She finished the apple, and slept.
UOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUOUO
She woke up soon after the sun set. She moved to a position to where she could see the moon easily. Rajen sighed. She loved the moon. She leaned against the trunk of the tree, gazing up at the moon and stars. She wore black breeches, a white shirt, and no shoes. A breeze blew her hair into her face, but she didn't mind. Rajen stopped fussing over her hair years ago. As she hugged her knees, she started to hum, but stopped herself abruptly. No one could find her, a thief, and in men's clothes, definitely not in Galla. She sighed again and hugged her knees a little tighter. She was cold. She needed a cloak now that she was farther up north. I guess I'll have to steal one, she thought. And this time not get caught.
Soon Rajen was lost in thought; listening to her surroundings. An owl hoot, a mouse scurrying through the grass, the rustle of leaves in the breeze. But then she heard another sound. Footsteps. Rajen held her breath, straining to hear them. The footsteps came closer. Then came an urgent whisper. Slowly Rajen shifted her position so she could look down. She saw two men, standing at the base of her tree, whispering fiercely. Both men were dressed in black. Rajen could only catch a few words of their argument. From what she could hear, the men were arguing on how to capture someone. A girl. Suddenly something hit her on the head. Pain seared through her skull. She cried out in pain as her vision grayed.
A/n: Hey everyone! Sorry about the shortness of this chapter before I changed it. Inspiration hit, and then left. Really quickly. I know this chapter is still sorta short, but my chapters are usually longer, definitely when there is dialogue. There will still be flashbacks in the next chapter.