A/N—Please read and review. Thank you. I hope you enjoy. Another chapter that I've had laying around for a while, but the last update for tonight.

Rahallow, Tortall

Summer 458 H.E.

Andera pulled her legs up closer to her chest as she watched the flames dance in the hearth. She was leaning against the edge of her bed with Kaji curled up on top of her feet. Evin sat in the large armchair smoking a small pipe and reading, as was his custom. Mistress Kelly and Benni were at Treabond again. They had come home once to get clothes and had left again. The young mother was strong and healthy but there was some worry over the child, and so Mistress Kelly and Benni had agreed to stay at Treabond as nursemaids for a few months.

Andera looked up at Evin. "You promised me a story." She said after a moment. Evin closed his book and looked over at her, his eyes quiet.

"I did, didn't I?" He said, setting his pipe and book aside. Andera nodded. "And I take it you'd like to hear it now." Andera nodded again.

"Many years ago," Evin began, "a young knight traveled far to the north to retrieve a prized jewel for her prince." Andera leaned slightly closer, excitement building as Evin continued his story. "However, she returned not only with this jewel but also with a young princess for her prince to marry. This princess was not like most. She brought with her her loyal friend, who could hold her own against any knight. The princess could also fight well and she wanted only to become a commoner and teach. But when the princess met the prince, now king, they fell in love and were married not long after. The new queen did many great things for her land and its commoners. Now, I'm sure you have heard versions of this story many times before but I just like telling it."

Andera nodded again and Evin smiled. "My part of the story starts several years later. You see, one of the things the queen did for commoners was create the Queen's Riders, which was open to people of all classes to learn how to fight and serve their queen. I joined these Riders when they were a well-established and very successful group. I served under the queen's loyal friend, Buri, and I must brag—I was a very good Rider." Evin paused and fixed his eyes on the flames leaping in the hearth. "And then the war came. Those of us who were fortunate enough to survive the war faced disbandment when we reached Corus while our commanders—I'm including the King's Own here—faced death. Our commanders fled the night before our disbandment. Most of us left Corus the next day. I came here. I'd met Benni during the war and I had nowhere else to go. All the other friends I had were nobles or Riders or Own, who were losing their homes and lives just like I was.

"Buri showed up here a week after my wedding. She bought that old brick building and turned it into a tavern and she told me what she'd been doing since the end of the war. She had started an organization, centered around a tavern in Port Caynn, that was a network of warriors so when the time came for rebellion against the Gennature, Tortall would have an army. At first we were only old Riders and Own members, but we started training and recruiting others. We also went from Buri's one tavern in Prot Caynn to four taverns throughout Tortall." Evin's smile was broad and his eyes sparkled. "We even train women."

Andera looked at him, wide-eyed. "And the Gennature don't—"

"They know."

"Then why?"

"They know they are going to have to deal with rebellions. The Riders Own has an agreement with the Gennature Commander that says we are allowed to continue as long as we abide by a few rules. We must stay underground and never go public. Also, our leaders, myself included, have given our names to the Gennature. We are monitored, as are out taverns. Any rebellion in Tortall can be placed on our shoulders and we can be arrested and the taverns closed down. Therefore, we act as the Gennature's policemen against our own people. Until, of course, the time is right for rebellion." He watched Andera with an expression she couldn't read.

"How will you know when the time is right?" Andera asked.

"That depends. Hopefully we will see it when an opportunity presents itself. And, we will defiantly be ready." Evin paused again, making sure she didn't have any more questions along those lines. "Do you want to learn?"

"Learn what?"

"To be a Riders Own. You learn weaponry and tactics and strategy."

"I'd love to." Andera said, her eyes bright.

Evin stood up and pulled Andera to her feet, Kaji chattering a protest. Kaji climbed up to Andera's shoulder, still chattering angrily in her ear. Andera followed Evin out and down the street. It was dark, the moon a tiny sliver in the sky and the sun long since set. The stars sparkled brightly in the sky but offered little light for the ground. Andera followed Evin closely, not sure where they were going. The night was warm and Andera didn't even think about the cloak she'd left draped over her bed.

"I didn't know you'd meant now." Andera said after a little while. She couldn't see Evin's face but guessed by his tone he was smiling.

"Why not now? You said you've learned glaive and some Shang."

"Yes. And Iness taught me a little sword while we were living in Yamani. He gave me lessons for fourteen months until ma and pa found out and made him stop. I've practiced some since then."

"Anything else?"

"No."

"Do you dance?"

Andera looked sharply at him, surprised. "Well, yes."

Evin nodded. "And you ride, of course." Andera nodded. "Do you plan on entering the races?"

"If I had a mount I would."

They reached the tavern, which was dark and locked up. It looked strange to Andera without its usual, bustling crowd. Evin unlocked the door and ushered her inside. He lit two candles, handing one to Andera. "The Riders Own runs eight horses on the condition that half of any winner's purse goes to the tavern. Are you interested?"

"Very." Andera said excitedly.

"Then I'll find you a horse to ride." Evin set his candle on the bar and went behind it. Andera sat down in one of the bar stools, waiting. He straightened and slid a small, wooden sword across the bar to her. "My guess is that it's not that different from glaive and that you'll turn out to be a natural."

"What makes you say that?" Andera asked, picking up the sword and seeing how it fit into her hand and studying the smooth, light wood. "You've never seen me practice with anything but a broom stick."

"Ahh, but you are very good at the broomstick." Evin said with a sly smile. "And who knows, maybe it'll turn out that sword is in your blood."

Andera snapped her head up but Evin had bent down behind the counter again. He had sounded much too sure of himself for Andera's comfort when talking about her bloodline. "Have you ever used a shield?" Evin asked from below the counter.

Andera shook her head then caught herself. "No."

"Then we'll save that for later." Evin straightened then hopped over the bar. "Come on." He led her out to the courtyard, where he lit the torches in a ring around the packed dirt center. He looked over the way she held the weapon but said nothing about it and went straight to the lesson. Andera was surprised at how much she remembered from Iness' teachings and how easy and natural it all felt to her. Her muscles were hardened from years of glaive practice and she wielded the small sword without effort. Several times Evin had to tell her to relax and back off. Evin stopped her after a few hours and they were both yawning once they stopped moving. Andera went to hand the sword back to Evin but he shook his head.

"It's yours now." He slung his arm over Andera's shoulders and guided her back inside. Andera extinguished the torches with a wave of her hand. Evin locked up the tavern again and they walked back to the house in companionable silence.