**Dart, Garren, Zion, and Kaelin are pounding on a heavy door, that appears to have been locked, bolted, and chained shut with a couch shoved against it just for good measure**

Dart: C'mon, Shade! You have to come out sometime!

Shade: **from somewhere behind the door** Hssssssssssssss!

All: o.o

Kaelin: Am I imagining things, or did she just hiss?

Argh. I reach the end of the semester, and with this closing comes the dreaded post-Christmas exams. The bane of every student's existence. And so, in a vain effort to escape this reality, I've been re-establishing my fetish for Escaflowne. It is, and might always be, my favorite anime. Heck, it's what got me hooked on drawing the stuff, at any rate. Not that my parents are entirely pleased with this. Dad made the mistake of allowing me to paint a mural on my wall shortly after I found the earliest screenshots for the movie, and as a result I've had a half-finished, six foot high mural on my wall of Van and Hitomi set against the back-drop of a lake at night for, say, the last two years or so. The scenery takes up most of the picture, unfortunately, and scenery's not my big thing. Oh well. Maybe I'll post a picture of it someday, if I get it finished before I move out. Scary thought, that. I've been seventeen for a week now and I'm still in denial about the whole thing.

Alright, enough ranting. For now.

Son of Darkness- Well, there will be more females coming into the story, but I haven't really made up my mind about much more than that, though. I won't be resurrecting anyone, though the idea's interesting. I SUCK at writing those sort of things. :P

Sors- Garren? Don't worry. He'll be back, sooner or later. -.-; He'd kick my ass if I didn't let him back in. Oh, and in answer to your poking, there will be a Ulara sidestory coming up. I do have it started, just not finished. ^^

Magical Mage- ^____________^ don't worry. The whole 'big secret' bit will come out in due time. I'm a big fan of the whole startling revelation thing, and I do have it planned out in my head. It won't be for quite a while yet though.

Kaelin's POV:

I wasn't happy about having to turn to my brother for help. We've both lived in Bale for years, though with one thing and another (and a bit of intended avoidance), I hadn't really seen him since my fifteenth birthday. Until now, that is. To be honest, if I had thought that I could have brought Zion and Ry into the city by any other way as safely, I would have. But as usual, I came up shorthanded on options.

It's not that I don't trust him. Of course I don't trust him; only a fool could honestly trust anyone in my family. That was something I'd grown up with, however, so it was a secondary matter. But following Lyke up the broad staircase, watching his back as he chatted solicitously with Ry, I couldn't help but wish that I knew what he was thinking.

The room my brother led us to was on the top floor of his establishment, and as insensibly embellished as the downstairs entrance. He called the dining room, but much of the space along the walls that was not taken up by gaudy Tiberoian tapestries was occupied by rows of squat, polished bookcases. For all of his show for business, Lyke really is a scholar at heart. I believe it was he who first taught me to read, after his tutor resigned. Not that the plain wood of the shelves did anything to sober the mood of the room. A narrow tasseled runner, embroidered with a dizzying swirl of purple, gold, and crimson thread was stretched overtop of them, and a large blackwood figurine of a rearing elephant was stationed at either end. The wood floor was covered with plush carpets of varying hues, changing in places where the light from the large stained glass window fell across it. Large chandeliers, fashioned to looks as though they had been made from cartwheels, hung from the ceiling on thick iron chains. In fact, the only thing that could have been called plain was the large table set in the center of the room, surrounded by matching ladder-backed chairs. Carved stone bowls, the bottoms filled with lavender incense, smoldered gently on the table. The result of the whole affair was to leave me with the vague impression of a circus carnival and feeling slightly nauseous.

"Flamboyant," Ry commented to me in a low voice as we filed into the room.

"He has to be colorblind," I stated blandly, not bothering to keep my voice down, "There's no other explanation."

If Lyke had heard, or even cared, he gave no sign. Waving a hand carelessly at the table, he moved toward the seat at the head of the table. "Please take a seat. Dinner will be up momentarily. In the meantime, may I offer you some wine? I managed to obtain a particularly fine vintage from a vineyard outside of Doneau. I think you should find it quite to your liking."

Zion nodded dumbly, still recovering from the initial shock of seeing so much wealth in one place. Standing awkwardly with the top of his head almost brushing one of the hanging chandeliers, he looked distinctly out of place as he pulled one of the chairs out from the table and started to sit gingerly before suddenly remembering the great sword he carried slung across his back. Flushing, he undid the strap that passed across his chest and set the massive thing on the floor with a muffled 'clunk' before taking his seat. Ry looked a little more at ease, unimpressed if he didn't look like he quite belonged in the lavish surroundings. Strange, he didn't look like the sort that you'd find rubbing elbows with the wealthy. Then again, you can never tell.

Picking up a small ivory tiger from where it lay on the tabletop I turned it over in my fingers. It was an old piece of work and the once-pure colour had begun to stain brown in some spots, but ivory never lost its value. Surreptitiously I slipped it down the front of my shirt, concealing the movement by brushing the hair out of my eyes, which fell immediately back into place. Lyke, who had left the table to fetch a flagon of wine from where it was stored in a rack at the back of the room, didn't notice.

"Kaelin? Would you like some as well? And your friend?"

Ry nodded and I shrugged, feeling the spirit stored in my vest pocket bump against my ribs. "Whatever. Just as long as you don't spit in it or anything."

The bottle thumped onto the table and Lyke raised an eyebrow at me. "As memory serves, you were the one with that unfortunate habit, not me. I would have thought that you'd have outgrown those childish suspicions."

I flashed him a grin, acutely aware of the smooth ivory warming against my skin. "Old habits die hard." I told him glibly.

He shook his head, opening his mouth to speak, but a polite knock at the door forestalled his comment. The door inched open slightly, and a woman's face poked into view. "Master Alphine?" Ah. A servant.

"Tara?" Lyke's voice carried a hint of annoyance. "I rang for dinner five minutes ago. I expect there is a reason for this?"

Tara's flushed face paled noticeably. Probably in her mid-twenties, she had a plump, girlish face and large green eyes that belied her age. At the moment they were huge with worry, and her hair, which was caught up elaborately in a multitude of tiny plaits, swung back and forth as she nodded vigorously. "It's Merriam, sir. She took ill just now and almost fainted onto the stove. Please, sir."

Lyke left the bottle alone, concern replacing annoyance almost instantaneously. Moving quickly toward the door, he turned before exiting, Tara hovering anxiously at his elbow. "I'm sorry Kaelin but I have to attend to this. If you'll wait on me?" Without another word he swept out, closing the door after him.

For a moment the room was silent as we listened to the retreating footsteps in the hallway. When all sounds had faded at last, Zion heaved a sigh and slumped in his seat. "Damn."

Getting out of my seat, I padded across the carpets and cautiously opened the door, peering into the hallway outside. When I was satisfied that it was empty I pulled my head back inside and slowly shut the door. "What are you so relieved about? All he did was offer you some wine."

"It's not that. This whole place has me on edge. I've never seen so much wealth in one place before, that's all." Zion reached across the table to a fruit bowl nestled in between two incense dishes. Selecting a rather shrunken looking apple, he rubbed it one his shirt before taking a bite. "I don't know how you can stand it."

I shrugged and looked over at Ry, who had moved to one of the windows and was watching events on the street below with passing interest. His sword, I noticed, still hung at his belt. "Well?"

He glanced at me before turning his gaze back out to the shadowed streets. "Well what?"

"You don't seem very impressed."

"I've seen better. Or worse, depending on how you want to look at it. Your brother seems to be nice enough."

I laughed. "Oh, he's very polite. He'll keep being polite, right up until he's swindled or robbed you of every last bit of coin you have."

"Hyfe foughf-" Zion swallowed his mouthful of apple. "I thought you said that you're the thief."

"A thief and a merchant are two sides of the same coin." I told him. "Seriously? He puts on a nice show, but when you get right down to it you can't trust him."

Ry turned away from the window. "So why the hell are we here then?"

I shrugged. "Because we can't really trust anyone else either. And at least with Lyke I know what to expect. We are family, after all. And since to him it seems that I've put my trust in him, that puts me at an advantage."

"But what if he knows that you don't trust him?" Zion asked.

"Oh, he knows that I don't trust him. I never have. But what he doesn't know is that I know that he knows that I don't trust him. And as long as I can stay a step ahead of him, we don't have anything to worry about. Oh, and speaking of which? Watch what you accept from him after this. He has better manners than to drug guests the first time they sit at his table, and I don't think that he'd stoop so low as to drug the wine, but you never know."

"Drugged wine?" Ry gave me a look. "You must have had quite the childhood."

"That's not the half of it. My youngest brother's a real bastard. Tried to stick a little knife in my ribs once when I stole his toy dog. I have seven siblings and sadly Lyke is the best of them. Which is odd, 'cause he's also the oldest. Funny how things work, huh?"

"Hilarious." Zion looked slightly pale, for some reason. "So what are we going to do?"

I shrugged. "Whatever we were going to do in the first place. We just have to be careful about how we go about things. Speaking of which-" I gave Zion a pointed look "-if you plan on moving around outside at all, we're going to have to do something about you're looks."

"What's wrong with the way I look? Oh right, the temple." He scratched his chin sheepishly. "I guess I do stand out a bit, huh?" He thumbed the pale scars marring the left side of his face meaningfully.

"Just a bit." I replied dryly. "We might be able to pass you off as a merchant's guard or something, but you're going to have to leave your sword behind. You may be able to get away with towering over everyone, but people will definitely notice a big knife like that. I'll pick some things up this evening and take care of it tomorrow. You too, Ry. You look like a cloud of doom always running around in that coat."

Lyke returned a short time later, pushing open the closed doors and sweeping through with four tray-bearing servants in tow. With another murmured apology he took his seat, motioning us to do the same as the food was laid out on the table. Garbed in blue and white, with the silver tree-and-thorn crest of Alphine sewn over the heart, they moved quickly but surely, keeping their eyes down as they set out the dishes. Three woman, but Tara was not among them. I made a mental note of this fact as I reached over a bowl of fruit to pick up a dish of what looked like curried chicken.

As the servants filed quietly out, shutting the door soundlessly behind them, Lyke spooned rice pudding onto his plate. "I hope you'll forgive me if I chat while you eat? It's rare that I have company that's not related to business."

"Whatever," I told him around a mouthful of curry, deliberately letting some of the yellow sauce dribble onto the white tablecloth. "Oops." I dabbed at my mouth with a napkin. "You wouldn't mind passing the cheese? No, not that one, the other one. With the walnuts. Thank you."

For a few moments we ate in silence. Across from me Zion picked at his curry, a slight frown creasing his brow as he carefully picked out the raisins, pushing them into a small pile on the side of his plate. I raised an eyebrow, but when I caught his eye he just half-grinned and shrugged. Suppressing a sigh, I turned my attention back to my own plate. Picky eater.

At last, when the plates were almost cleared, Lyke pushed his away. "Kaelin, you never did say how long you were planning on staying."

I looked up briefly from my rice pudding and shot a warning glance at Zion and Ry before answering. "I dunno. A week, maybe? We ran into trouble with a merchant in Hoax, so we figured it might be a good time to get out and see what the rest of the country has to offer. Unfortunately, sleeping outside with the ground as a mattress and the stars as a blanket isn't as appealing as it sounds."

He rolled his eyes. "What did you steal this time?"

"Why do you always assume the worst about me?" I complained, and then corrected myself. "Okay, we were going for his coffers. But we got surprised on the way out, and it's taken us the better part of three days to shake his bully-boys off."

"Interesting. And here I thought that you were going to meet up with someone in Seles."

Through sheer force of will I managed to keep my face smooth, though a wave of anger blossomed in the back of my mind. So the jackass kept tabs on me? It wasn't surprising, but still!

I shrugged, and then reached for an apple. "That was these two here, but they met up with me early on in the mountains. Then we changed course and headed for Hoax."

"Ah. So-" he paused for a moment, searching for a name. "Dominick, was it?" he inquired, looking at Ry. He nodded his head, and I almost shook mine before I realized what I was doing. Then again, I don't know why I was surprised. Anyone who's been running from the temples as long as he claimed to probably changes their name more often then they do their clothes.

The conversation grew steadily less interesting from there. After ten minutes or so of small talk, Lyke pushed his chair back from the table at last. "Well I don't think that I can help you very much in terms of this merchant, but you're welcome to stay here for as long as you have need. Just try to avoid getting into trouble? I've spent a long time working on a decent reputation, and I would want to have that ruined by someone discovering that I have ties with thieves."

"So what? You already deal part-time with the smugglers."

Lyke waved his hand dismissivly. "So does everyone else. But no one wants to admit it. It would be just plain degrading." He gave one of the bell pulls a sharp tug, and moments later the door swung open to admit a slim serving girl, hardly more than a child. "If you'll follow Darcy, she'll show you to your apartments."

"Uh, I think the three of us will be sharing an apartment, if that's not to much to ask."

Lyke's smile didn't waver. "Not at all. Darcy?"

One by one we left our seats and followed the girl out into the hall. Getting up from my seat, I hesitated, and then grabbed another apple for later. But before I could leave, Lyke's voice brought me up short.

"That's an interesting pair you've landed yourself with. From what I've seen, you usually like to work alone."

Clenching my jaw briefly, I hooked my thumbs into my belt and turned around. Lyke was leaning against one of the bookcases, still smiling slightly. Inwardly I cursed. Part of what made Lyke so difficult to deal with was that damn smile. He could be looking into the jaws of death and that bloody grin would never so much as twitch. It was better than a poker face, for the simple fact that you could never tell whether or not you had him cornered or if it was the other way around. "Solo has its benefits, but sometimes it pays to have a bit of extra muscle along."

"Ah. So tell me, what happened to the coffers you stole?"

"You really think I'd tell you that?" I asked disgustedly. "I'm not an idiot Lyke. Goodnight," I told him turning for the door.

"Goodnight. Oh, and Kaelin?"

I hesitated, glancing back over my shoulder.

"I'd prefer if you left the ivory tiger. I'm rather fond of it."

Dart's POV:

Bells were tolling somewhere in the city, their joyful peals echoing out over the rooftops as they rang out the hour. Lying comfortably between a set of clean sheets for what seemed like the first time in ages, I groaned and buried my head under the down-filled pillow. /What time is it?/ I asked groggily. For some reason having a full night's rest made me feel more tired than when I'd settled in the night before.

//Seven. They decided to let you sleep in//

/Huh?/ I sat up, rubbing my eyes. Pale morning light streamed through a gap in the heavy velvet drapes, illuminating a stretch of carpets woven in more somber shades of dark blue and green. Whatever tastes Lyke may have had for décor, it didn't extend into the bedrooms. The large black lacquered bed on which I sat took up most of the floor space, but there was also a small nightstand and a plain wooden chair that was currently burdened down by the heap of clothes I'd tossed over it the night before. An old map of Endiness hung framed on the painted white walls, the room's only real decoration aside from the frosted glass filling the windows. The door was closed, but the sounds of conversation in the next room carried through in a muted undertone.

/How long have they been up?/ I asked sliding out of bed. The apartment we were staying in consisted of three small bedrooms and one slightly larger common room, but it was large enough that the guests could move around without disturbing one another. I wondered how Ark knew.

In answer to the unvoiced question Ark replied dryly //They were arguing about something again. That woman has quite an impressive voice when she uses it properly//

I started to pull my clothes out of the heap on the chair, then stopped as a package on the nightstand caught my eye. Vaguely I remembered Kaelin dropping it off the night before, after she'd come back from wandering around the city. Pulling away the grimy paper, my mouth twitched as I rifled through the contents. A low, broad brimmed hat. Coarsely spun trousers and a light, blue-grey shirt. I sifted through the rest of it, but aside from a short brown dustcoat it was occupied by several flat flasks of healing fog.

With a sigh I grabbed the shirt and began to pull it on with some difficulty. Only having one useful hand caused no end of problems: I'd have to find a physician to have another look at it soon.

When I came into the main room I was greeted with the warm scents of fresh bread and sausages, wafting from a covered tray sitting on a wool-stuffed armchair. In contrast to the bedrooms, the walls of the living room were painted a deep yellow, and bright paintings occupied whatever wall space was not taken up by a blocky wooden frieze. Red and black carpets patterned after a maze marched across the floor, strewn here and there with fat velvet cushions.

Someone had dragged a bench to the middle of the room. Zion was sitting on it cross-legged, frowning at the floor while Kaelin fussed over him with a horsehair brush and a jar of coffee colored liquid. He looked up as I entered, and scowled. "Don't say a bloody word!"

I stared for a moment, then turned my attention to the tray. "Kaelin, what the hell are you doing to him?"

//He looks like a piebald//

Kaelin spared me an irritated glance before returning to her work. "The temples are looking for a Serdian right? So- hold still! Do you really want a brush in the eye?" This last was directed to Zion, who was squirming uncomfortably as she flicked the brush across his cheekbones. Most of his exposed skin was stained light brown. Here and there his normal tone showed through in patches; Kaelin was working away busily with what I assumed was some sort of dye to cover these up. "That's better. Now stay still."

"So what are you going to do?" I pulled the cover off of the tray. Fresh bread, eggs, and a few sausages. A mug filled with tea. My stomach growled loudly at the sight of the food, and I dug in indiscriminately.

"I can't make him any shorter, stupid freak, but at least if he's dark enough he might be able to pass himself off as an islander. I'll cover over those scars with some putty or something. No one'll know the difference. It's usually a mixed lot down around the docks anyway, so he should fit right in. As long as he leaves that bloody sword of his behind." She looked up at me meaningfully. "You too. There's a prohibition against anyone but soldiers carrying weapons in the streets nowadays, so you'd just be attracting unwanted attention. That knife in your boot should be okay, though. And for the sake of the goddess, put that damn hat on! Why the hell do you think I bought it?"

/She's such a nice girl in the mornings, have you noticed?/ I ripped off a chunk of bread and shoved it into my mouth, not trusting myself to speak aloud

//Just do what she says. Push her too far and she might decide that you'd look nice all splotchy too//

I jammed the hat on my head and headed for the door. "I'm going to go have a look around. Haven't been here much, recently."

Kaelin watched me go. "Right. For the sake of Soa, hold still!" she added as Zion yelped and gave a little jump.

"You just stuck that damn brush in my ear!" Zion snapped, dye dribbling down his chin.

"I wouldn't have if you hadn't moved, Patches!"

"PATCHES?!"

I left the room rather hastily at that point.

~ ~ ~

I stood on a street corner just out of sight of Lyke's establishment, trying to get my bearings. There was a slight bite to the air; not cold enough for frost, but plenty to remind anyone that the long summer had reached its end. The streets were almost empty, but here and there a few people had begun to go about their business. Once a cart rattled by, the bed piled high with an early harvest of turnips and the sleepy driver swaying slightly on the rickety seat while he guided his placid animal haphazardly. Buildings built from brick and mortar loomed all around, casting long shadows over the cobbled streets.

/Any ideas?/

//I don't think we should head to the docks just yet// Ark said, watching a girl and her mother cross the street in front of us. //It's a little early. Let's head for the temple//

/I thought we were going to avoid it this time around?/ I asked, starting up the street all the same.

//We need to find out if Ayrel's been through here lately. The last thing we need right now is to run into her or her mother head on//

/Notice you don't mention the father/

//Garren's been looking forward to meeting Mathis again face-to-face for sixteen years now. I wouldn't want to disappoint him//

/Funny. You take every other opportunity to/ I rounded a corner and found myself standing on a paved stone walk overlooking the river that cut through the middle of the city. The street was more crowded here; wagon drivers hollered and cursed at one another as each fought to head the queue leading to the docks. Townsfolk wandered in and around the creaking contraptions, unconcernedly ignoring the wagons save to get in the way or exchange a few friendly curses with the screaming drivers.

I joined the flow, letting myself be jostled about by the crowd. The grand majority of the people seemed to be traveling in the same direction, so I followed along. At this hour of the morning, there was really only one place that this many people would be going anyhow. After fifteen minutes of being bumped and pushed, the twin spires of the temple slowly rose into view. I use the term 'rose' quite literally. After the roof had come into sight, towering over the rooftops around it, it took another fifteen minutes to reach outer walls. Yes, walls.

//They've been making some improvements// Ark noted. //I wonder whatever possessed them to think that they needed walls and a moat?//

/It's not much of a moat. See? There's some kids paddling in it over there/

//Alright, a ditch then? It's not like these would keep anyone out for very long//

/Probably just to impress people. This is the cult's seat of power in Serdio, really/

//I'm sure that the paper boats are absolutely terrifying under the right circumstances// He said dryly as we stepped out of the crowd and into the doorway of a shop. The walls loomed nearby, twenty feet of grey stone rearing up out of the ground. Beyond it could be seen the upper levels of the temple which, from where I stood now, looked to be the rival of Indel's castle for size, at least.

/So what now?/

//Just ask around a bit. Mention that you heard a rumor that Ayrel's in the city or something like that//

/What if she is?/

//Then we'll have to make a break for it// Ark replied sourly. He hated the idea that Ayrel was forcing us to run as much as I did, but there was no help for it. //Just talk to people, Dart. They aren't going to bite//

I shrugged and moved back off of the doorstep and into the crowd once again, but there wasn't much to learn. A few were willing to share gossip, but most would look at me blankly before moving on again without a word. At the end of an hour I'd only picked up on one rumor that might have had a grain of truth in it, but that placed Asalla at the temple almost a week ago. In any case, the general consensus agreed that if she had been here, she was gone now. When the bells began to toll again, high above the city, I made my way back down the street, intending to head for the docks. Hopefully we'd have better luck finding someone or something that would help us there.

Kaelin's POV:

The day passed. Another followed in short order. And then the rest got sick of waiting and all rushed at us at once. Before we knew it, we'd been in Bale for nearly a week and had still been unable to find a ship whose captain was willing to take us to Fueno.

Heck, just finding a ship was hard enough.

Rain sleeted against the windows when I woke in the later hours of the morning. I'd spent most of last night running around the taverns and dives lining the waterfront with Zion, trying to find a captain. Of course, these areas aren't normally the sort to be frequented by women late at night, even in company, and as a result I'd picked up a fine set of bruises and a nasty lump on my leg 'discouraging' several ale soaked sailors. As much as I hated to admit it, Zion had been useful to have along. Even without his sword, the man was worth his weight in gold when it came to street fights.

I lay under the covers for a few minutes, enjoying the sound of rain splattering against the windowpanes. There was something infinitely comforting about the sound, and I closed my eyes and snuggled deeper into the downy pillows contentedly. Maybe I could lie in for a while. It wasn't like anyone would miss me.

The sound was familiar…

**Rain pelted against the windows.

It was another of the many spring storms that frequented the coast of Mille Seseau and as always, the port city of Furni was being hit hard. Not so hard that the heaving waves would tear apart the docks again, thank goodness, but still hard enough that the driving wind and rain erased all possibility of going outside to play. And so the children were confined to the indoors of the Alphine Estate, located on the outskirts of the western edge of the city. It shouldn't have made much of a difference -the floor space of the mansion alone was at least twice the size of the grounds outside- but, as Kaelin reflected, there were no puddles inside to jump in.

Her siblings were scattered through the rooms, playing hide-and-seek, tag, and in general just getting in the way of the servants. Normally she would have been off playing with them, but today she just felt, well, bored. You could only play the same games so many times before you lost interest. And besides, her ninth birthday was approaching, hardly a full week away. Games were for little kids and nine years old was practically all grown up. And her father had told her that when she grew up, she could help with the business. Just like Shane and Lyke.

Seated on a padded window seat, she frowned and chewed on a loose strand of hair. It wasn't fair that they got to help father and she didn't. Well, Lyke she could see; he was sixteen after all. But Shane had hardly turned eleven. Granted, he was under supervision, and any of his decisions were changed or ignored according to whatever father thought was appropriate, but still.

Anyway, where were they? She hadn't seen either of her brothers all morning. Sliding off of the seat, she padded off down the hallway, peeking through the doorways as she went.

She wandered through the wing of the house kept for living purposes, avoiding her other sisters and brothers so as not to be drawn into a game. But they were nowhere to be found. On the landing that stood between the east and west wing of the house, arching over the main hall, she paused and bit her lip. Father wouldn't be happy if he caught her running around in the business areas of the estate, but where else was there to look?

Here the décor was a bit more elaborate, dark mahoganies inlayed with gold and silver sitting on woven carpets imported from Lideria. Father always did like to try to impress people. He said it was the best way to keep them off balance. And when someone's off balance, they're as good as soft putty in your hand. This was one lesson Kaelin had taken in with her mother's milk. Her stockinged feet made almost no sound as she crept through the hallways, trying to look as though she belonged here. The servants she met in the hallway gave her some strange looks, but they said nothing, thankfully.

But the rooms were empty. She had almost given up and was about to head back to the nursery when she heard Father's voice coming from behind a closed door to her left.

For a moment Kaelin stood stock still in the middle of the hallway in agonized indecision. If father caught her here, old Mary the nurse would tan her bottom. But then again, if father was inside behind the door, then that meant that father couldn't sneak up from behind her in the hallway. In the end curiosity got the better of her and she pressed her eye to the keyhole, straining her ears to listen.

"…get in touch with Rona. He'll know what to do." Father's deep voice, calm and controlled as always.

"But Father, this isn't right, is it?" Kaelin gave a start, then pressed her eye harder against the hole. In the room beyond, she could just make out Lyke moving in and out of her line of vision. He must have been pacing.

"Right and wrong are just words, Lyke." A note of impatience crept into Father's voice. "They have no place in the matter. This is business."

"But-?"

"Arron, have the necessary arrangements made with Rona. Milliarda has slipped into the deep end this time, I'm afraid."

"Father!"

"Lyke!" Father's voice was hard, flat. "Clean your ears out and remember this: Business is business. Morals have little place in something like this."

Startled, she pulled away. Was Lyke crying? It sounded like it. Unnerved, Kaelin trotted away, desperate to put as much room between her and that door as possible.

Three days later Vardun Milliarda, a successful merchant who'd just recently begun to expand his trade into the areas that had until then been monopolized by the Alphine family, quietly disappeared without a trace**

I sat up, blinking hard. The rain outside was falling harder now; the din of it beating the glass must have woken me. I pushed the hair back off my forehead at stared dumbly at the coverlet. What had I been dreaming about? It had been familiar, but like most of my dreams it vanished like fog before I could pin the details down.

There was a knock at the door. A moment later Zion stuck his head in. "Hey, are you planning on sleeping all day? You're off to a good start." Pushing the door open farther he leaned against the doorframe. "Ry's already gone down to the docks."

"Huh?" I shook my head, trying to clear it. "What, in this weather?"

"Said he doesn't mind the rain." Zion shrugged. The dye on his skin had faded somewhat after a bath, but it still looked convincingly like a dark tan. "Oh, and we're invited to breakfast again."

"Really?" I yawned. "Lyke's a chatterbox. Now. You. Out." I pushed back the covers and started to rummage around for a change of clothes.

I got dressed quickly and pulled a comb fitfully through my uneven hair. The other day I'd picked up a pair of throwing knives from a friend in the city. I lifted them up from where they lay on the top of my nightstand, pulling one from its flat sheath and fingering the keen blade thoughtfully. They were only blades; no hilts. Unorthodox to be sure, but they had saved my life countless times before. They were no replacement for a good saber of course. Sitting on the floor, I grabbed my boot and bent it, slipping the bare blade between the thick leather bottom and the thinner sole. Little knives, but a little knife no one knew you had all the same. I repeated this with the other blade in the other boot as well, making sure that they were hidden.

~ ~ ~

Glowing braziers lined the hallway, radiating an even warmth to offset the damp that was seeping through the brick walls. The light flickered off of the rich tapestries and paintings lining the walls, somehow making the corridor seem darker and warmer than I knew it actually was. Following Tara down the hall to the dining room I let my mind wander. Lyke must be expecting someone important today; it would be costing too much to keep the house this warm for any reason otherwise.

When we finally reached the dining room Lyke was waiting for us, staring out a window across the rooftops. I took a seat, motioning for Zion to do the same. There was a slight chill in the air here that surprised me; no one had been in to prepare the room before our arrival. Tara bustled about now, lighting a thin wand of wood and touching it to the underside of the braziers; watching critically as they crackled to life. When she was satisfied, she continued around lighting various lamps and candles and finally the twin bowls of incense on the table. She set a stone pitcher of water on the table then dusted off her skirts and slipped out, leaving us alone with my brother. The scent wafted slowly through the room; a faint clean smell that reminded me vaguely of mint.

Lyke turned away from the window at last, taking his seat at the head of the table. He looked tired. Dark shadows hung under his eyes, and for once he looked older than he really was, rather than a few years younger. He started to reach for an apple, then paused.

"Where's your friend?"

"Huh? Oh, him. He went out into town earlier on this morning. Said that there was something he needed to pick up."

"Ah." He took a bite out of an apple, then pushed the bowl towards us. Zion muttered his thanks and helped himself to the fresh fruit. I declined politely, pushing the bowl away. Food didn't appeal to me this morning, for some reason. I toyed with my glass without drinking, watching the water swill around in the bottom. "You look tired," I said at last. "Something keeping you up?"

Lyke smiled, then shook his head. "A messenger came in last night with the current prices in Deningrad. Someone's managed to undercut my prices a week back in the spice market there, it would seem. We're suffering a bit because of it."

"Ah. Wachya gonna do about it?"

"There's nothing to do. Things have already been taken care of." He smiled thinly. "My people are well trained."

"Not assassination, I hope." I said bluntly.

"What a horrible thing to suggest. Wherever did you get that notion?"

"Just let it lie, brother dear." I stared back into the glass, watching the water again. Oh well, he wasn't the only one who was a bit out of it. Goddess I was tired. The warmth from the brazier at my back didn't help matters any either. I blinked slowly. The light made pretty reflections in the water.

Then again, I wasn't the only one who was tired. In his seat to my left, Zion had begun to slump forward in his seat…

I snapped my head up, sluggish thoughts moving slowly through my head. What was going on? Pushing my chair back from the table, I got to my feet. Or tried to at least. Before I'd risen halfway my legs turned to jelly beneath me and I slid to the floor, hitting my elbow hard on the table as I went down. But the pain felt far away, distant.

Drugged.

But I hadn't eaten or drank anything. Then how…?

The incense, I realized, struggling through the thick fog that seemed to be choking my brain. That bastard! I raged silently to myself, but the curses quickly lost their meaning. I lay there on my back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, which faded in and out of sight.

Above me, Lyke's blurred face swam slowly across my vision.

"You bastard," I slurred.

Wetness dribbled onto my forehead; cold water dripping from the wet handkerchief he held over his nose and mouth. So that's why he was still standing. "You really shouldn't use language like that, sister. It's most unbecoming in a lady. Besides," he added, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled humorlessly, "you know as well as I do that business is business. And preferred trading status with the Serdian Temples is something that one can't pass up lightly."

Blackness closed in.

Sorry for the delay, but now exams are finished, and I've survived without having a mental breakdown.

…well, that's debatable.