Thanks Cessy for correcting my first chapter, I didn't realise just how many mistakes were still in there- all changed now. It's not a response, just a thanks. There was reasoning ebuhind the summary, it just wouldn't fit.

School was good, Drama was excellent! The chapter may take a couple of days to write, but I'll try to get it up as soon as I can. Sorry if there are a few mistakes- I don't really have loads of time to re check completely.

I've decided to do two recaps (Short ones) for those of you who have a memory like mine, it'll refresh what happened at both scenes.

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

Chapter 23 : Confessions, Frying pans and the Return of Bob

Recap In the castle: "No Jonathan, that's not an option." Daine started to bang her head against a nearby wall.

Recap in the woods: "But he's covered in stitches!" Alanna gaped at her husband, who stirred under Neal's magic hold.

---------------------------------

"Daine, what are you doing?"

"Trying to make you disappear, but it doesn't seem to be working too well." She stated as if it were obvious.

"O, carry on as you were then."

"Have you decided yet?" Interrupted Kai, she was tapping her foot impatiently and pretending she had better things to do involving her nails.

"Decided what?"

"I'm not going through all this again with you." Jonathan stared blankly back at her. "Fine, a quick summary of the past events; I posed as Kel and killed Raoul and Buri, kidnapped the real Kel and hid her away in the forest. Following me so far?" Jonathan nodded.

"You then, as I knew you would, sent your best fighters, and Neal, to bring her back- leaving Tortall pretty much defenceless. Even if they were to come back now, it would still be too late. I then offered you a deal in a witty way involving a curious cat- to hand over the crown to me, or face the consequences. You still haven't made up your mind yet, but I'm asking for your answer now."

"Didn't you leave out the bit where I outsmarted you?"

"You can't outsmart me Jonathan; you have the intellect of a pig- wait- even less than that."

"In my defence that pig only beat me because luck was on it's side, not mine… Don't you remember when I killed you with the poison though?"

"That never happened."

"Yes it did. It was in the study, about an hour or so ago. I outwitted you and you are just too ashamed to admit it."

"Let's move on shall we? Back to that deal I struck you moments ago-"

"-Don't go changing the subject now, own up to the fact that I beat you and I won't say anything until you do."

"Finally- it will give my ears some rest."

Jonathan made a zip-like action across his mouth, folded his arms then turned his back on Kai. He made his point clear, that he was seriously going to keep quiet until she admitted defeat. Kai was determined to make him break, or at least get him to confirm his end of the deal without words- whichever came quicker.

"I guess we'll have to finish the deal without words then. Nod once for handing over the crown, and sit on the floor with your legs crossed if you want a war on your hands…" She watched Jonathan carefully, she could see the cogs working in his mind- they were small and rusty, but still there. After waiting long enough, she stepped closer to him and knocked on his skull.

"Hello; Anyone in there?" Jonathan shook his head. "I'll go over it once more- nod for making me Queen, or sit down on the floor with your legs crossed for making me annoyed and killing thousands of your people. Now, over to you Jonathan."

The seconds that slipped by each seemed like an eternity, and still he hadn't made a choice. Then, after Daine had stopped banging her head against a wall and actually realised that the fate of Tortall was resting on Jonathan's shoulders. It didn't look good for anyone from where she was standing, she thought as she tended to her bruised head.

Kai decided to take action, Jonathan needed a push in the right direction and all would be hers, the Kingdom, the crown and the army…and she had a killer plan to give him that push. She dived for the Daine, who seemed to be in a state of wonderment for some odd reason.

"Get off me!" She screamed, trying to grab Kai's hair. "Or I'll…I'll-"

"You'll what? Cook me, or wait- sew me up? That's all you're good at Wildmage- ladies like you can' stick up for themselves, why do you think it's always you that gets protected? It's because you're so vulnerable.

Daine kicked furiously, but who was she kidding? She wasn't a knight like Kel or Alanna, it was hopeless- everyone was going to die and it would be because of her. Kai was right, she was a useless, good for nothing lady; all she could do was cook, sew, change into animals, talk to animals and ask for their help in dire situations- but none of those would help her now. There was something Kai didn't know about her, not even Numair knew, that could help her…

"Look over there fatty!" She shouted, pointing in whichever direction her finger happened to end up.

"I'm still carrying a little holiday weight, so if you wouldn't refer to me as fat just yet…" Kai confessed.

Daine squirmed and broke free from Kai's grasp. She stumbled to a table and grabbed the only thing here was. She then swung it round by the handle with surprising strength, where it hit Kai's face with a loud 'clang'.

"My nose- you broke my nose! It was the best feature of my face and you ruined it!"

"How's that for a lady who can't do anything, huh? Just don't mess with Daine and her trusty –frying pan? - Again. Humph."

(The Forest)

George was helped up to his feet, even though he insisted that he was more than capable. They hadn't heard anything from the acid-dipped cats, which made them feel safer- for the moment at least.

"Everyone, listen. The mud has dried, so mount up- we're moving out."

Packing up her bags, Alanna heard a twittering above her. She followed the noise up until she saw a branch with a bird perched on it. It swooped down and landed on her leather saddle, tweeting further. She then noticed something peculiar about the bird- not the fact that there was a name tag attached to its feathers reading, 'Hi there, My name is Bob.' The odd part was the note attached to the bird's leg. Carefully untying it she checked who it was addressed to.

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.

She finished reading, and saw the bird still sat there. "Go on, go back." It didn't even flinch. "Fine, do you want another message to send back?" She opened her saddlebag and ripped a piece of parchment off a spare page. On it she wrote-

Dear J,

I don't think that splitting up is the best thing to do at the moment as there are creatures out here that just aren't meant to be alive. I'll talk to the others and see what they have to say, but we will double our pace. On second thoughts, Numair and I will guide the others in the right direction, but return promptly after. This wood isn't natural. Hope to see you soon, if I don't make it tell Lord Wyldon I never liked him.

A.

Reattaching the scroll, she shooed the bird off her saddle. "Off you go then. Move. Skedaddle. Fly away. Fly home. Get lost. What are you waiting for?"

"Tweet. Tweet. Tweeeeet."

"You're not being serious."

"Tweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet."

"Ok, fine. You drive one hard bargain for a bird named Bob." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pouch filled with berries. "What colour, blue or red?"

"Tweet."

"What? Your name should be greedy, not Bob…" She let him eat the berries off her open palm, then watched him fly off with the note attached.

"What was that all about Alanna?" She turned around and realised she was being watched curiously by everyone. "There's a slight problem back at the Palace…"