A/N: Ahhhhh, yes. I'm sure you're all tired of me asking for forgiveness so I'll only leave a reason. Before I had my computer to myself (lucky me) and now I'm sharing it with two other people who just so happen to be internet/computer addicts like me. So writing time let along posting time is hard to come by. That is all.

Dislcaimer: Don't own. Don't sue. If you sue I'll direct you right to this part here. (and don't steal either, the things/people you don't recognize belong to me and me alone. Ask if you think you might want to use them.)

x..:..x

King Jonathan sat behind his desk unable to bring his concentration to the work in front of him.

Arra. She was an intriguing character. Despite her seeming openness to tell them her story their was most definetly something secret about her. No, he didn't expect a moment-by-moment retelling of her past but . . . what was it about her that made you want to know?

Jon thought back to one of his conversations with the Pheonix, one during the time Arra fell ill.

"I don't think even we ever knew everything about her," The Pheonix began. "She came to the Shang when she was four but . . . those four years always seemed important."

"What do you mean?" Jon asked.

"I mean . . . those four years were the big mystery, the unknown of her life. She wouldn't let out much about it and yet you had to trust her, she was only, after all, four but . . ."

Jonathan waited patiently as the Pheonix took a drink from what he'd offered earlier.

"But there was always a knowledge about her. It was odd. When I met her she was . . . I believe six and yet she seemed so much older. She talked proper and she already knew a few languages--I learned that one later. When you look into a young persons eyes they always seem just . . . innocent. No matter what has happened at that age they are innocent. But when you looked into hers . . ." The Pheonix trailed off. Jonathan waited, realizing he was reminiscing. "Her eyes held an unnatural knowledge, and I've not a clue how to explain it further."

Jonathan leaned against the back of his chair. When going through something day by day it is like only seeing something tree by tree and not the whole forest. Was it odd that Liam had been attacked with the same poison Arra had first come to them contaminated with? His mind said yes. Was it normal she'd come down with a sleep disease that not only sucked her life force but also her Gift? His mind supplied a no.

How many other variables were there he had not yet even heard of? What was it about this Nameless Shang?

Those four years . . .

Someone burst through the door. "King Jonathan we bring urgent news!"

xXx

"What have you been up to in the last . . . has it already been two years?" Arra nodded and took a swig of her drink. "Say something, anything, I haven't heard you really say anything for years now."

"What do you want me to say?" She asked.

The silence streched and placed itself over them. Joel's eyes grew soft and Arra could somehow feel that he knew she didn't really want to say anything but she tried again anyway. "I really did miss you."

He reached a hand across the table and cupped her cheek. He didn't say anything just stared at her. Only after a small while she pulled away and stood up. "I need to be getting some rest. I have to leave early tomorrow."

Arra stood up to leave but just as she walked past him his hand shot out and caught her own. It was pure reflex to try and pull away but his hold proved too strong.

"Arra I'll come with you wherever you go." It seemed like a lasting promise encompassing more than this one moment. Arra nodded wordlessly and walked on into her room.

A loud ear piercing screech shot through the silence some time later. Following it came another, less painful, one. The frist had already shaken Arra from any chance at going to sleep soon. She dressed quicky only half noticing what she was doing.

Yawning she thought, At least I had a few good hours of sleep. Maybe I should thank that annoying bird for helping me to an early start.

Arra hadn't really unpacked anythng so she left the room clean. Stepping out of the room she realized the bird was still screeching.

The innkeeper (who, she remembered, was also the bartender) was all a riot, yelling and complaining.

"Sir? What is it?" Arra asked.

"Its that bird! The people will complain and possibly ruin what little business I get!" At least he admits he gets little business. He took a deep breath but his tone wasn't much different. "There's already a girl out there, I think, but she's not doing a very good job."

"I'll take care of it." Arra took out her handling gloves and put them on just in case.

"Quiet you stupid bird!" A female voice said, a voice that sounded oddly familiar. When Arra came into view the voice stopped suddenly; the bird, too, stopped his noisemaking.

I should have known. "Cobalt, I thought I left you back in Tortall." She held up her arm to which Cobalt answered, flying and landing perfectly. Arra was ready to walk away but Cobalt disagreed with that plan. In a flash of blue and white, he spread his wings to their full span and gave a semi-soft cry.

With his wings obviously obstructing her view she could take a hint.

She spun around and Cobalt brought back down his wings though still perched rigid. Suspicion led the rest of the way. The girl tried to turn away from Arra's view, slightly covering her face with one hand and started to walk away. Arra acted. She grabbed on of her shoulders and forced the girl to face her.

Arra narrowed her eyes. "I thought I left you back in Tortall, too."

Lianne smiled sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" Her words were tight and bitten off. Lianne opened her mouth but found no words in her fear of Arra's anger. Arra grabbed her forearm and pulled her along to the stables. Might as well multitask.

Arra let go of Lianne's arm for a moment to grab Ghost's saddle. The princess stopped following until Arra gave her a sharp look and she continued. Arra stopped for only a short while and turned to the stableboy from the day before, "Go and tell the innkeeper I'll be leaving now and all the money I owe him is in the room. If he doubts me tell him to se for himself and make it quick before I'm gone."

The youth nodded quickly and left.

"Now, Lianne, I want you to tell me what you are doing here." Arra placed the saddle on Ghost's white back.

"Well, you see . . ." She started slowly but then quickly picked up speed, "I had caught word you'd left. I-" She paused. "well I didn't really think anything, just packed and left."

Lianne flinched when Arra pulled one of the straps. "I see. Did you leave a note or anything saying you'd left?" She seemed calm but Lianne could tell anger lied just below the surface.

She swallowed. "No."

Just then Joel walked in; he smiled briefly towards Arra and continued on to ready his horse without so much as an explaination. Well of course not, I know where he's going. With me.

Arra led Ghost oustide with Lianne still in tow. Arra gave her an expectant look.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to ready your mount?" Arra asked. "I know you didn't get here by walking."

"Am . . . am I going with you?" Lianne ventured carefully.

Arra looked her straight in the eyes with a hard gaze. "You are coming with me because I do not have the time to turn back and I can't send you back on your own." I could send her with Joel . . . but I don't think he'd go.

Lianne practically ran back to the stable with a new excited tremor to her movements. Arra sighed and scrounged for a scrap of paper. She found nothing and just decided to take one of the sheets from her sketchbook. Grabbing one of her drawing utensils she wrote a short note to King Jonathan.

Lianne is here with me safe and sound. I can't bring her back just yet there won't be enough time and I can't wait for you to send someone. Who knows what could happen in even that time.

I'll bring her back safely. No harm will come to her.

Arra

She held her gloved arm aloft and whistled to Cobalt who few instantly to her. Not having anything to tie the note to him she hoped he could hold it in his beak for the full way. Pkease let this work. Cobalt accepted the folded scrap of paper in his blue tipped beak. She repeated where he was to go with it over and over. By the glint in his dark beady eyes Arra had the feeling he understood. She threw him to the air and he headed off immediatley.

Arra turned around to find both Joel and Lianne ready to go.

"Who is this?" Joel asked pointing a thumb in her direction.

"Joel this is Lianne she'll be coming with us. Lianne, meet Joel the Shang Hawk." She hopped onto Ghost and said quickly. "Let's go!"

o o o

Talking didn't seem to be a problem with them. For the full two and a half days of their travel talk came easy and Arra had a chance to see Lianne in a light she'd never before seen. In Corus she'd been talkative only if necessary and though they did have nice conversations, they never seemed to flow. Maybe its because she's away from there.

A bird may sing a new song once it's freed from the cage.

The only thing that had really bothered her during the trip was Joel's lingering eyes. She tried to look away or ignore but she knew what or rather who he was looking at.

"Arra how much farther?" Lianne asked. They'd been traveling through rocky terrain for sometime now.

"Just around this hill then its sort of dug out and the city sits inside of it." Lianne nodded and continued to follow.

Hurroks had been seen flying overhead for the past few hours but there was almost nothing they could do until they reached the city. Cobalt had shown up only that very morning with the news from Tortall. Basically, the note said it was alright but if Lianne came back hurt Lianne would have some fault in it.

Arra patted Ghost. Her ears constantly flicked back in a fidgety manner and her muscles would tense at odd times. She knows what's coming. Finally, they made it around the hill and Arra raced forward only to find the city more or less peaceful.

"She's here! She's here!" Cries rose from the small city of Cragwey. Some doors opened carefully and faces peeked through.

Arra noticed the damage around the city. Some houses had collapsed roofs, though most had long claw marks along any surface. Still she walked into the city carefully despite the eerie calmness. Someone came up to her, an middle-aged woman.

"So ya really did come to help us. Surprisin'. I'd thought for sure you'd, if anythin' leave us to die here." She spat on the ground and walked away. Just as she did another, younger, woman came up.

"Please do forgive her. She's close to old age and don't understand."

Arra slid off of Ghost. I've been here for a total of five minutes and already I've been praised and scorned without so much as a word from my lips. "If you don't mind me asking, where are the hurroks I heard were attacking the city?"

"Ah, yes," She young woman owned honest brown eyes and smooth blonde hair. "They only hunt durin' the night."

Perhaps it was the sheer bluntness of her words but Arra was taken slightly by surprise. Hurroks smart enough to hunt at night? Either way she shook her head from side to side to clear it. By now Joel and Lianne had already ridden up. "So, what do you want me to do until then?"

"We'll prepare rooms for ya and ya can wait until the sun goes down. Thas all we can really do." Arra nodded. The city knew her place here. Their protector and nothing else. She sighed.

"Alright. May I request a bow and arrows?" The woman nodded and headed off.

o o o

"Surely you don't plan to keep me locked up here!" Lianne said loudly, which seemed to be her form of yelling.

"That is exactly what I'm planning. Has anyone ever told your your quite sharp?" Arra strung the bow as she talked. Lianne's flace flushed with annoyance at her jibe.

"If I had wanted to be kept safely under lock I would have stayed back in Tortall." She said.

Arra set the bow down and looked at her slowly. "May I remind you that you shouldn't be here at all. So while you are, you will listen to me. And I say you will stay here. You can have a bow and arrows just in case things get sticky."

"Even Joel gets to go!" Arra laughed suddenly.

"He is a Shang where you are not. He is also ten years older than you. I believe he is far more qualified."

"Even if he does act like a child." Lianne mumbled.

"He does, but only sometimes." Yes, it was true he acted much like a child sometimes but Lianne only saw one part of him. Another part of him was a serious fighter. The part she saw was only when he was in a good mood and with company.

Arra finally pulled her hair back and grabbed the bow. With the arrow's already on her back she was ready. Excitement mingled with just a touch of fear in the pit of her stomach. Oddly though, she didn't think she'd die here. There's always a chance though. A picture of Liam grinning passed by in her mind, his black hair falling into his shining hazel eyes. There may be a chance but . . . I won't die.

Joel had been stationed at another end of the small city so they could at least divide and conquer even if it was just an army of two.

The sun crept slowly down in an array off colors. The sun itself glowed bright orange. Horrid cries from the hurroks began to fill the air. Scratching along the cliffs could be heard and finally Arra knew what her job would be next.

x...:...x

A/N: Next chapter, as you have probably guessed, will completely skip over the action scene. HAHA. Just kidding. It will in fact have the action scene, but I warn you after that it might be a bit . . .anti-climactic. I ask that you be patient and hold on for a chapter or two. Hehe, the fun's just beginning.

HOLY CRAP! You guys outdid yourselves. 19 reviews for last chapter alone. It may not seem like a lot for some of those writer-people who get like 5 million, but it makes me smile! And over 6,000 hits on this story. SOOOO! Muchas Gracias! And don't let all of this praise make you forget to . . . yes you know where I'm going with this . . . REVIEW!