I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter- the gravy seemed to be a big success. Well, here goes with the 20th chapter…Wow, 20 chapters already?

This one isn't as long as the other before it, but is still about 900 or so words. Enjoy! (I might edit the first few chapters so they're a bit longer, what do you think?)

Another thing, school is on Tuesday sigh so I won't have as much free time to update and all, forgive me?

Disclaimer is as always; if you don't know what it is, read the other chapters please…

Chapter 21 : Pouncing, claws and Bob the Bird

Recap: "…your metal swords- the one to slash and stab with, since I have a feeling we'll need them."

The howls of hungry predators approached, they'd found their scent and we're coming in for the final blow.

"It sounds like there are lots of them…I don't think it's a good idea to stay Alanna, you know how rubbish I am with a sword…"

"Neal you're fine with a sword. But don't you see? There is no where for us to go."

"What? Of course there is- there's plenty of hiding places in this forest, I'm sure there's a river somewhere that would make them lose our scent, or there's a couple of trees we could climb up, oh everywhere. I personally don't see a flaw with any of my plans…"

"Apart from the fact if we'd try to run they'd surely catch up within seconds, we have horses to look after and the problem of being knee high in mud, no neither do I. Our only option is to stay and stick it out."

"Fine- but if I get killed, you're getting haunted by me, that's for sure."

"You're not going to die Neal."

"How do you know Numair? You're all right saying that when you've got a black robe on your back- but me? Oh no, I had to get stuck with healing powers, what good are they when I'm about to be eaten by some monsters? Not very, I'll tell you that."

"Neal, stop whining." Alanna was able to quickly silence Neal. It was either her words or the rustle of leaves that did it.

"What was that?" Dom asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"I think it's that third curse…but why haven't they pounced already?" George's common accent was still strong, which made it hard for anyone to understand him- but they got the general idea, they were all thinking it.

"They've surrounded us. We're trapped, so why rush it? I mean we'll probably be tenderer if they scare us to death first…"

"What makes you think they pounce George?" Neal's voice was quivering, and he was now backed up against them all, forming a circle around the horses.

"What makes you think they won't?" George was curious even at the worst of times.

"Mainly the fact that it has claws, or maybe talons…" They all turned around slowly, after it dawned on them that for Neal to know this, he had to be facing one.

(Back at the castle- Jonathan POV)

"I should have gone with them Jonathan, you know I'm more use there then I am here…"

"But Daine, you're more use to the Kingdom if you're not dead."

"What are you saying?" He opened the door to his personal seating area, she stared in awe around the room, it was filled with magnificent oak tables and shelves, topped off with luscious red seating. He motioned for her to take a seat.

"Before Kai drank the poison, she told us a riddle to say the whereabouts of Kel, I'll tell you this first but then I need to contact Numair- In the caves of the feared Immortals she dwells, Surrounded by endless forest and danger, whether she's alive or dead only time will tell.' That was her riddle, and the answer is so obvious I'm surprised we didn't get it sooner. I didn't expect Neal to get it of course, but Numair? I thought he'd be a bit quicker…I suppose this Kel crisis has had its effect, what do you think Daine?"

"I think you should get to the point sir. I really don't see what insulting my betrothed and Nealan has to do with Kai's riddle, but that's just my personal opinion, I could be wrong your highness."

"Of course, how foolish of me, drifting away from the point like that." A cough from Daine made him realise he was doing exactly the same again. "Well, she's in a cave in the surrounded forest-"

"That bit even I understood."

"I would hope so; but let me finish. Kai told us that it's an Immortals cave, right?"

"I don't know, I wasn't there."

"Well she did. And the only Immortals around here are Spidrens, and they don't live in caves, see?" He pointed to a five year olds sketch of a spider in a hole, stuck on a wooden board on the wall.

"Aw that's cute, did one of the nursery's children do that for you?" It wasn't bad for a youngling's drawing; apart from the fact the Spidren had six legs instead of eight.

Jonathan looked confused, "No, I did it. A child couldn't have drawn that well…"

Daine avoided the King's eyes, "O, that picture! Sorry, I was looking at er…"She scanned the room, looking for some other badly drawn piece of parchment, he eyes sopped to one that hung above the fireplace. "That one…silly me, yours is erm, very original."

"That's very kind of you Daine, everyone else just said it was a waste of good parchment. I'm glad you see otherwise." Daine smiled nervously, she still felt slightly intimidated by the room, the King, and well, this whole situation. "Now, back to the riddle Kai left us. This is a map of the surrounding woods, if you can call it a wood. The city is over this side, and everywhere else is mostly wild." He motioned towards a map suspended from the ceiling, covering an entire wall.

"I thought towards that side was Tyra and Galla?" (A/N look at me looking things up on the map of Tortall! Apart from the fact I'm not sure where the palace is in the country…)

"Right you are, but the woods around us aren't as deep as they might seem, in fact, you could get from one side to the other in less than a day- if you don't encounter anything on your way, of course. Unless you go around in circles, it does that to travellers- that's why we rarely get any attackers that come through there, they just get lost."

"So you're telling me your champion, George, Neal, Dom and the love of my life, are probably going to get lost and we'll never see them again?"

"It's possible, yes."

"Then why did you send them out there?"

"I have faith in them not getting lost."

"Faith won't protect you from me if they never come back."

"Let's hope they will then. Back to the riddle, so we now know that it's not a Spidren cave, so what is another immortal? Well the list is endless, but I have a hunch tht by immortal, she meant God, or Goddess."

"But who would want to hurt Kel? I don't think she's really met many to be honest, and even fewer that she's angered."

"I thought you might know, but what if she wasn't out to get Kel in particular? Just trying to hurt us all, to wound the city…"

"Or as a distraction? So there is some sort of Immortal in the caves, or a monster of some description, but Kai and a God and/or Goddess kidnapped Kel so we'd send all our best fighters, and Neal, to go and rescue her, leaving Tortall open to attack."

"And we walked right into it. Mithros be, we need to contact them all now and ge them back here at once."

"But what about Kel?"

"Dom, Neal and George can carry on the search, but we need Numair and Alanna back." Jonathan cleared his desk with one sweep, leaving only one scrap of paper; on which he wrote:

To all,

This is bigger than we first thought, a God is behind it all, and Kel is only a distraction. We need Numair and Alanna back immediately, George, Dom and Neal are to stay and search for Keladry but return ASAP once she is found. Hurry back, a fight is dawning.

J.

Daine brought a willing bird over to the desk, and tied the note to it's leg. She then released it from the window. "Fly strong Bob."

"I thought that moose was called Bob?"

"No, his name was Barry."

"Ah."

Just then the doors swung open, revealing a shadowed figure. "Miss me?"

"Well Alanna you've only been gone a couple of hours max…"

"Jonathan, I don't think that's Alanna…" Daine backed away, pushing Jonathan back with her. "You really need spectacles your highness…"