Sorry everybody, I decided that I hate the first few chapters and that I am going to completely re-write them. I know that this update took forever but the workload with school has been tremendous and i finally decided rather then waiting for me to write the other chapters over and update them all together i will do this now, the wait has been two long already.

The plot is the same one as before exept now the chapters go in to a lot more detail hopeful to clear a few things up.

Dislcaimer: Tamora Pierce owns everything in this entire story except the plot that is not from her books and the characters that i come up with and introduce along the way.

Special Thanks to my Beta-reader Gretta99

To all but one person at Blayce's castle, the sun beginning to show on the horizon was a relief. The light brought a warm tone to everything it in its path, vanquishing the dark, in order to begin a new day.

That one person was Domitan of Masbolle, who paced in front of the double doors to the castle, for some reason, unknown to him, they were bolted shut, not allowing him access to the building. Oh how he wished that he was able to open the doors, he needed to in to find his missing friend and comrade.

They, the group of traitors, (some following orders other going against the crown), who had followed his friend Keladry to help set her captured people free, attacked the castle several hours before dawn's first light was seen on the horizon. Keladry, or Kel as known by her friends, had entered the castle after victory was assured against the castle's guardsmen.

She had yet to return from her battle with the mage, Blayce. Dom seemed to be the only one who noticed that their leader was missing. All of her friends were exhausted, from helping the wounded and piling the dead. Dom, instead, continued to pace, trying to distract himself from the sense of failure that he had started to endure when she had not returned after an hour had past since she entered the dark, foreboding, castle.

Kel had entered the castle to; defeat Blayce, the death mage, in order to stop the devastation that his metal monsters were creating on the Tortallan army, to stop the murder of innocent children that became his play toys before death, and most importantly to complete the task that was given to her by the Chamber of Ordeal and to fulfill her destiny of becoming The Protector of the Small.

As the sun continued to rise over the horizon the feeling of the need to leave became greater. The group realized that soon the King of Scanra would hear about the fall of his death mage's castle and seek revenge. They needed to leave the area while still possible, especially because there were wounded and children who needed to be moved, and would have to be transported, much slower than the pace that brought them here.

Dom realized that they needed they needed to be moved immediately in order to have a chance to outrun the Scanran army in the worst possible scenario. But in order to get away from the enemy safely, they had to sacrifice the chance of getting in the castle to rescue Kel, or at least her body, if she had been killed in the act of trying to defeat Blayce. It was a sacrifice that he was unwilling to make.

Neal walked over to him, he was extremely pale, most likely from using up a large, if not all, of his magic supply. "Dom", he said, "We have to leave Now. it can't keep every one alive for to much longer, we need fresh healers."

"I know", he replied, "but Kel still hasn't returned"

Surprise and shock illuminated his face "Still" he whispered. With a little stronger voice "Well, have you tried to find her? I mean I know it's a big castle but she is six feet tall, and a knight in full suit. I mean that wouldn't be that hard to miss, I mean…"

Dom cut him off, "Don't you think that I thought of that, Neal! The gate is bolted shut, I don't know how to! There's no other visible way in."

Neal was silent for a moment, "We…we, should do what she would have wanted. If Kel was alive she would be able to lift the bolt and come out and join us, so as much as I don't want to admit it, she probably didn't make it." He did not cry, probably trying to convince himself that she was still alive, or stunned in to silence.

"But what if she is hurt and is just unable to move, leaving would be a death sentence to her." Dom exclaimed his voice becoming harsh with unshed tears.

"What do you want me to do?" Neal shouted back with the same tone of voice "My best friend is up there, if you have a plan that will allow me to save the refugees and rescue Kel as well as staying ahead of the Scaran army please inform me!"

Dom was silent for several seconds, "Well, there is one thing that we could do to help her, in case Kel somehow does mange to get out of the castle alive."

"Oh cousin, could you tell me your magnificent plan? For even now, as we speak some of the refugees lives are slipping away!"

"We leave Peachblossom"

"What?"

"We leave Peachblossom, he won't come with us without his mistress unless Tobe persuades him to and then he still will be vicious. So, we leave him behind, tied lightly to a tree, so if she immerges after we leave she will still have a way home that will allow her to escape the grasp of the incoming Sancrans.

Neal considered it for a moment, hope blooming in his heart, "Yes . . . yes that might just work, lets do it"

Dom ran off the saddled horses, he grabbed the very irritated Peachblossom and walked the resisting horse over to Tobe, who he then explained the situation. Tobe turned pale as he heard that his mistress had yet to return, "She can't be gone, she was the only family I got left"

Dom in turn tried to comfort the grieving boy. "Tobe, listen I know you're upset but we have a plan to help Kel for when she leaves the castle. But. . . we need your help, you need to try to convince Peachblossom to stay behind and only leave if his master is with him."

Tobe was silent, tears streaming quietly down his face. "What that gonna do if she's dead?"

Dom shook him gently by the shoulders "Listen to me. The refugees can't hold on much longer. You're her only hope; if she is alive she will need a way to get back home. We need you to convince Peachblossom. Please, it is our, her, only hope."

"I guess," Tobe mumbled under his breath sadly, believing that if Kel hadn't come back yet she wouldn't ever, yet he wanted to give the people hope that she has a chance to return.

Tobe walked slowly in the direction of the horses head down and slumping slightly. He started to talk to Peachblossom to explain the situation and what they needed and expected of him. While he was doing this Dom was, as fast as he could, saddling extra horses that he had found in the former stables he need to assign each horse to a single or pair of people. The wounded would need to be carried on some one else's horse, for there were not enough of the animals to be able to hang slings between them.

Within two hours, everyone had a horse to ride, that was saddled and ready to go. Almost all the children were tried to their horse to lessen the odds of them falling off. With one last prayer sent back towards the silent castle, and Kel's vigilant horse, Peachblossom, Dom turned away forever, never looking back to Blayce's castle, to lead Kel's former people back to Tortallan soil.