-1Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns it all except for a few unfamiliar characters that I might add later in the story.

Summary: what if Keladry of Mindelan was not founded in the castle after she defeated

Blayce? What if others were injured and they couldn't find her? What if they left her alone injured in the dark castle to be discovered by Scaran warriors.

A/n: this is my first story please review and constructive criticism is welcome as well as any suggestion what so ever.

Dom saw a figure he ran towards and the closer he got the clearer it became. It was Kel sitting on a bench of a fountain with her back to him looking into it's depths silently . He approached "Kel thank the Gods, we thought you were dead" he said relieved. She did not reply. He came closer and put a hand on her shoulder "Kel?" she spun around to face he gasped as he looked at her once beautiful face.

Her eyes were black as night with blood red tears pouring from them, and her lips were solid blue. "why didn't you save me, Dom, Why?" she whispered. He stared at her in shock this was not, could not be happening. His throat closed up and made unable to speak she turned away from him and started to walk away.

As soon as he was able to speak again he shouted "Kel, wait up, don't leave me here" he ran to catch up to her his brain trying to sort out what was happening.

Dom caught up to her as she approached a house, opened the door and walked right in. After a moments hesitation he followed. He stepped into a trap and within seconds was behind bars in a small cell. "this is what you get for leaving me" she hissed at him. Kel laughed evily and started to turn the doorknob to close and lock the door but suddenly he was thrown into blackness.

Dom awoke suddenly yet he could still here the door being turned and her malicious laughter then realized he wasn't still dreaming and that some one was coming into his room. His reflexes took over, he grabbed a dagger in both hand and pretended to be asleep.

-Dom POV-

I listened to the hushed conversation outside my door with nervousness, it was in Scaran but luckily Neal has, of recently, been trying to teach the language to me so I was able to catch the gist of the conversation.

It seemed that the Scarans had found the secret exit and a force of fifty men entered, they planned to capture all high ranking warriors to bring to the king, and kill the rest . I also heard some joking and the word drunk so I assumed that they were making fun of the entire fortress being drunk, to which I cursed as well.

That means that I was on my own for battling them, everyone would be deeply asleep or unconscious because of the heavy drinking the night before. 'who did not drink' I thought, suddenly I had it 'Numair'.

Now all I had to do was kill the men outside my door sneak, with out getting caught, to the mage's quarters and wake him up in order to get rid of the enemy invaders. 'Sounds simple enough now to just put it into action.'

At that very moment the door opened and two heavily armed Scarans came in after seeing he asleep they laughed and said something about being to easy. 'to easy' I thought 'I am not gonna give up with out a fight'

I leaped out of my bed the daggers in my hands. The soldiers jumped back in surprise and the hesitation gave me enough time to slash the first man across the chest. He collapsed on the floor writhing in pain before becoming still.

I turned to face the other man who grinned at my evilly while pulling out his broad sword.

We swung for my heart, I parried the blow but the tip of the sword brushed my right bicep. I winced in pain before continuing to battle him looking for on opening, while at the same time trying to be as quiet as possible, so not to alert the other soldiers of our battle.

My arms were starting to get tired the man could put much more force behind a broad sword then I could a dagger and I had no time to grab my sword which was on the wall across from my bed. I searched for an opening 'there' I threw my weapon at him right at the heart. He saw it coming and tried to duck, but this only ended up making the dagger end up in his throat instead killing him instantly.

I grimaced and pulled my daggers out of the dead men, before wiping the blood off the weapons with a cloth.

-end Dom POV-

Dom slowly opened the door and stuck his head out to check if the cost was clear. When it was he slipped out of the door, closing it behind him so no one would see the bodies, and started to head down the stairs. This time with my sword in it's sheath at my side.

Dom got out of the headquarters alright, but silently cursed the fact that Numair had his own room and laboratory built on the other side of the fort.

He snuck along the fortress wall keeping himself plastered to it for hopeful camouflage if the need arose. When the first group of soldiers came past whisperingly, he threw him self into a niche in the wall made for emergency weapons. They were placed every two hundred yards along the entire fortress wall, making them suitable hiding places for Dom to hide in as he crept quietly to Numair room. It was using these hideaways that allowed Dom to reach the Mages room unscathed besides the small wound he accumulated on his bicep in the fight in his room.

-Dom POV-

Finally I made it, I saw the door ahead but I looked around carefully not wanting to spotted now that I had made it successfully. 'There' I thought 'there are two guards in front of the room, one of them was six-foot four with a humongous axe, while the other was scrawny with a small one handed sword. There were about five guards within hearing reach of them.

I needed to think of a plan that would get rid of the guards quickly and silently. 'The best option would be to throw both of my daggers and kill both of them within in seconds before they can raise the alarm, but if I miss, which is unlikely, I will have to fight forty-seven to one, impossible odds.

I decided to take the risk, I waited until they were leaning against the wall, so hopefully they would still be "standing" and then threw the daggers. The first one hit the man with the axe right in the heart, he grunted. Because of this the other man turned right as I threw my other dagger instead of the heart it hit him in the arm. He screamed in pain which alerted the others.

I made a dash for heading straight for Numair's room pushing over everything that got in my way. I burst in to a Mage who was bleary eyed with sleep. I bolted the door behind me and explained to him the situation.

"Numair, we've been invaded there are about fifty soldier headed here right now to try to kidnap us, please use your magic or something to stop them before the entire fort is killed"

"You know Dom I can stop them by putting them in a coma like sleep but it will use all my magic and it will take several days for it to replenish meaning that I can't search for Kel's body for at least four days"

I sort of expected something like this, to be so close yet so far away. My thoughts were interrupted by the banging and creaking of the door. My throat clogged up so all I could do was nod in agreement.

Numair immediately started to mumble things under his breath before whispering to me "on On three open the door so that they come crashing in, alright?" I once again nodded my o.k. my throat still tight.

"one" I approached the door and put my hand on the bolt

"two" I tensed up and waited for the command.

"THREE" I pushed back the bolt and was thrown back ward with the force put on the door

Numair started to mumble things again and slowly was surrounded in a black cloud of magic. The soldiers run for him there swords drawn but all of a sudden he yelled some words that were in different and much more powerful language.

The soldiers each were thrown back about three feet before lying still on the ground. I turned to look at Numair in awe, his face was rapidly loosing color and he was panting heavily I ran over to him and helped him back into bed before leaving the room to go check up on the rest of the fort.

Thank you for reviewing:

SarahE7191: She sends it to her son, George

the. dead. addict. : sorry it took so long but here it is

buehazegrl :Thanks

Sorry for the extremely long delay in the update I will try to update every other day this week but I need some motivation (REVIEWS) I really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, want to know what you guys,(girls) think and any ideas or suggestions are completely welcome along with constructive criticism