A/N: I know this is short, and probably even a little late. But please forgive me. I've been under a lot of stress, my school hates me, family's a little crazy . . . you know that old cliché. Thank you for reminders for me to update (they make me feel loved or something like that. To me it means you actually care. Lol.) But, the biggest and most annoying reason for . . . a lot is because I got stung by a BEE. No, I'm not allergic, but my hand swelled up and I couldn't even tie my shoe. And as I write this it is still pretty swollen. And then, because I am just oh so lucky, I got stung on the other hand right in the middle of one of my soccer games! How annoying.

So thank you for understanding, please do enjoy the chapter.

Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN. BELONGS TO TAMORA PIERCE. Except of course anything you don't recognize from her books and the story line.

x...:...x

Liam stood before her, his mouth slightly agape. Then finally: "What?"

How do I explain in such a short amount of time? I need to leave now. Arra forced herself to slow down, Liam didn't need a rushed explanation with no real answers in it, that, utimately, made most people more confused. "Liam, I'm leaving for a while. There's a city that needs my help."

He was in control, she could tell, just very surprised. "Why your help?"

"I . . ." She trailed off. Taking a deep breath she continued. "Its a debt I owe them, possibly for the rest of my life. "

"This debt, why do you owe them something?"

Arra wanted to stop the words from coming out and just leave. That's what I'm good at, running away or leaving or . . . but before she knew it Arra was explaining everything to him, well everything she'd mentally allow herself. "Did you ever hear why I was the Nameless Shang?" Liam shook his head. "Their biggest reason was because they found out I had the gift and because they found out in the worst possible way.

"Since I had not had . . . training in my Gift I suppose it was inevitable. Well, you know what happens when you don't have any control over your Gift or you've at least heard stories," Liam seemed to be catching on but didn't want to believe what he was hearing. "I think you know what I'm talking about, well I . . . I just . . . I was in Scanra when it happened, in the Scanran part of the Grimhold Mountains. I . . . don't really want to get into details but the town was destroyed and I think maybe a dozen people had survived in all, thought they were all in some way injured. I stayed with them longer to help rebuild the city, most of them were just angry and sad but I understood. I stayed until I was called by the Shang Council before I left I promised the city of Cragwey they could call upon me whenever they needed, it was my debt to them."

Arra looked to Liam, hoping he understood and was relieved by what was there. He stood and said grudgingly. "Then I suppose you have to go then?" Arra nodded. He nooded and kissed her on the cheek. "Just come back, that's all I can ask."

Arra smiled. "I've got to come back, I'm still learning about my Gift."

"That can't possibly be the only reason."

"It is." She said simply. "Unless there's something I ought to know."

Liam sighed but said nothing. Arra caught on and thought maybe she'd gone too far with her joke. She opened her pack and pulled something out. Arra pulled Liam down to her height and pressed a kiss hard on his mouth while placing something in his hand. When she pulled away she said. "This," She said indicating the bracelet she'd put there, "is my promise, I'll come back and for you more than anything else."

"And the kiss?"

"Well, that will just have to last you until I come back." She answered once again feeling the pressure of the necessity to leave. Would she make it to Cragwey on time?

"That's not going to last." In one swift motion Liam pulled Arra into him kissing her deeply and thoroughly momentarily pushing Cragwey to another part of her mind. After a few moments she pushed away breathing a little more hard than before.

"I need to leave." She said in as much composure as she possibly could. It couldn't be prolonged any longer. Arra walked out the door and practically ran down the hallway.

xXx

In all of his nineteen years of life Liam didn't think he'd seen someone move so fast. Just pack up and leave so fast. Not counting the King's Own of course.

He opened his hand slowly to reveal its contents. There sat the bracelet, made of silver that looked like an exact replica of vines. They wrapped around each other, intwining so much it was impossible to trace one single strand. Or maybe its all one vine strand tangled on itself.

Liam closed his hand and slipped the ruby decorated bracelet into his pocket. Even if he didn't really want her to leave he knew she had to, it was part of who she was.

A feeling, deep in his gut, rose. It twisted into his belly and clutched his heart and continued to tickle his mind just asking him to remember. He tried to shake it away. Since his Ordeal, he had tried to throw that one picture away above the others. But the bracelet, he grabbed it through the pocket material, it hadn't been in the vision- nightmare . . . whatever it was!

Despite not wanting to, he pulled forth the picture in his mind:

She was still, her skin white as marble and just as perfect. He didn't really touch her in the vision but somehow he knew if he did her skin wouldn't be warm. Her wavy hair tumbled around her too still face. There was also something he had not expected in the picture. She was in a dress, one that clung to her thin body in a style of dress he had never known to be in Tortall.

She was dead he knew.

In dreams, nothing has to be said for something to be understood. It was the same with the Ordeal's vision. Arra lay still on a slab of some sort and behind her stood a crowd of people. One, he knew, was sad though he could not see the face but . . . he was truly sad. Another stood beside him. Somehow Liam could tell this one was not sad at all, in fact he would venture to say he was . . . happy.

But she had this very bracelet with her in the vision.

He grabbed the bracelet once again through his breeches just to be sure it was there. I couldn't have stopped her even if I wanted to.

Did the Ordeal often show things that the person feared most? If so then did he fear her dying more above other things? Or . . . or was it some kind of message-vision from the Chamber?

"Maybe I'll do some research on this insignia." Liam murmured to himself.

xXx

Arra tried not to push Ghost too hard, but Cragwey sat in her mind, unmoving and imperitive. The sky and temperature were unnaturally kind, not a cloud took residence in the sky and the night was cool though promised to become cooler. Arra pulled her dark blue on light blue cloak around her tighter and continued the pace. She needed to get there as soon as possible but the Grimhold Mountains were far off. I'm not going to make it in one night and I can't over-do Ghost or she won't make it the rest of the trip.

Arra sighed. "Come on girl," She said patting Ghost's side. "We'll ride till the sun is almost down and then stop for a rest."

Ghost, in response, shook her head, flicked an ear and continued. Arra took it as a good sign.

The sun carved its path across the sky, its daily journey, and when the promised break-time came Arra felt as if she hadn't gone far enough. She was ready to continue when she noticed the sweat streaks down Ghost's flanks. At the moment Arra sat in between two major towns. That's perfectly fine. I don't want to stay in a big Inn.

She decided to take residence at a small inn. Arra let Ghost be taken away by one young stableboy, but he looked capable. She hoped Ghost would be rested and ready for how early she wanted to continue their journey the next day. Only a few hours of sleep, nothing more. She requested one small room, she wouldn't be using if for long anyways.

Arra debated whether or not to go down to the bar. I probably shouldn't . . . what good would it do me? She went down anyway for at least one nerve soothing drink. Arra ordered from the bar instead of sitting down at a table waiting.

"Ain't ya a mite small to be getting drinks?" The man said making a sign with his forefinger and thumb indicating 'small'. Arra only glared and he got the picture.

She waited for a few moments before something warm slid up from the top of her thigh and rested on her hip. A hand, she realized. Then a voice from behind her came close to her ear and whispered huskily, "Hey there."

Without so much as a second thought Arra spun around fist ready. She threw off the hand from her waist and let her fisted hand meet the man's face despite the height difference.

"I'd forgotten how good your right hook was, and how fast you were to use it." He said from the ground.

Arra's eyes widened. She then noticed the honey brown hair and dark expressive grey eyes. There he sat, right there on the ground, just smiling up at her. She didn't notice the bartender say her drink was ready. She only stared. The thought passed her mind unwanted. He loves me . . .

Finally she swallowed. "Joel?"

x..:..x

A/N: Ack! Please forgive me for the lateness and the shortness. I know, I know.

Oh yeah, remember to keep voting for the sequel and prequel stuff if you haven't. I'm keeping up the votes.

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