A/N: Thanks for your reviews. I hope that I've done a good job so far. A lot happens in this chapter, but even more comes in the next, and I hope to have that out by the end of the week. Please read and review, but most importantly, please enjoy.

Review Returns-

Nativewildmage: Seeing Kel blow up at Neal is always fun. Thanks for reading! x17SkmBdrchiczxx: Thanks for your review. Sunkissed Guacamole: Here it is! Raoul's fate… Makes you shudder, huh? Thanks for reviewing. Mage of Dragons: Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Book Two of Keladry, Lady Knight
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Chapter Six
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February, 461
Somewhere North of New Hope…
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Owen awoke suddenly. It was dark. He was slung in the back of a wagon, with his friends. Kel's elbow dug into his back, and Neal's right arm was slung across his face. Both were fast asleep. Lilla huddled near his head, thumb firmly positioned in her mouth.

Owen's head pounded, like he had drunk too much ale. He tried to remember what had happened, but he couldn't. Had he had too much to drink? Although his memory was groggy, he began to put the bits and pieces together. He had to get them out of here.

As he sat up, he realized that the wagon was not moving. He peeked out of the flap and saw seven big Scanrans, sleeping in bedrolls. There were more snores coming from the front of the wagon.

If they were going to leave, it had to be done now. Owen turned back to his friends and frowned. He shook Neal and Kel's shoulders, but they didn't stir. It had to be magic. Owen sighed. He couldn't carry them.

It was a hard decision, but Owen finally picked up Lilla and crawled out of the wagon. He couldn't leave the little girl to the Scanrans, especially with the possibility that they had found a new mage to replace Blayce. He moved noiselessly into the shadows. The ground beneath him was rock, so he left no tracks. Finally, when he reached the tree line, Owen felt like he was far enough away to breathe.

Carrying the young girl through the forest, Owen went over his options. He didn't know where they were. He was weaponless and barefoot. As the cold gripped him, he realized that their coats were gone as well. Owen cursed the Scarnans, and kept on walking.

After what seemed like seconds, but was probably an hour or more, Owen suddenly caught a glimpse of light ahead. Moving slowly and silently, Owen tried to get a glimpse of the light.

In a clearing just ahead, there was a small cottage. Through the window, Owen saw an elderly lady, her long gray braid hanging down her bed from beneath a nightcap, just ready to blow out her candle for the night. He ran to the door, and knocked. There was no answer.

"Please my lady, I am Sir Owen of Jesslaw, and I need your help!" he cried.

"The door opened a crack, and the silvery blade of a dagger slid towards Owen's throat.

"Please," he croaked. "The girl."

More light appeared.

"Harod!" Owen guessed that this was the woman's voice. "Stop it!" she cried. The man slowly lowered the dagger, glaring warily at Owen.

"Who are ya?" he said, keeping his knife between him and the knight. "And what'r ya doing out here with that girl?"

"I am Sir Owen, a knight of Tortall, and this is Lilla. We were bewitched and kidnapped by Scanrans; we had two companions, Nealan of Queenscove and Keladry of Mindelan."

"Mindelan? She's the lady knight of Tortall?"

"Yessir." Owen confirmed. "Are there any villages nearby? Anyone who could aid me? I have to go after my friends."

"Do you realize-"

"Harod, that's enough. Invite the poor boy in. I'll get him some vittles, and he can tell us about his problem while he eats," the woman scolded. "I'm Tysia, and this is my husband Harod. Now come in here, out of the cold."

Tysia ushered Owen inside, and took Lilla from his arms. She carried the girl up some small wooden stair, grabbing a thick quilt as she passed it. While Tysia settled Lilla into bed, Harod gave Owen a bowl of warm milk and a pair of warm wool socks. After a kettle of stew was set over the hearth to warm for their guest, Tysia and Harod sat down at the table with their guest.

"Now tell me how you came to be wandering in the forest with no coat," Tysia ordered. "And for goodness sake where are your shoes?"

Owen relayed the story, beginning with the day that Merric and the other children had disappeared. But there wasn't much to tell, and soon Owen came to the moment where he was standing on their doorstep, dagger pointed at him.

"There's a village due west of here. In the mornin' I'll take ya thar," Harod said when Owen was silent.

"How far is it?"

"About ten minutes, as the bird flies."

"Well, what about as the horse trots?" Owen asked.

"Nearly half a day," Harod said. "And it's not a journey I'm a-willin' to make in the dark. We'll go in the mornin'."

"That will be alright, thank you," Owen said. His instincts where telling him that it was not alright, that he needed to get to Kel and Neal, but Owen couldn't intrude anymore on this couple's kindness. "What about Lilla? I'd hate to take her into danger."

"She'll stay right here with me," Tysia said. "There hasn't been breath or sigh of a young thing here in ages."

Tysia sent Owen off to bed, a straw mattress that her own son had once slept on, up in the loft of the cottage. Lilla was lying on another mattress nearby. Owen thought that after so much sleep, his eyes would never close, but soon he felt himself being shaken awake. Sunlight streamed in through a crack in the roof.

He followed Harod down to the kitchen area, and he gave Owen some boots and a warm coat.

"Beaver," Tysia said when Owen asked what kind of fur it was. "Belonged to my Rupent." A blurry looked washed over her face, but within moments it was gone. Tysia made both Owen and her husband sit down and eat a good meal before they left. Owen's mind was a jumble, and thinking hurt, so instead, he concentrated on moving his spoon up and down from his mouth to his bowl. He didn't stir until a sweet voice pierced his focus.

"Sir Owen?" It was Lilla. She stood at the top of the stairs. When Tysia had readied her for bed, she stripped the girl down to the wool gown she wore beneath next to her skin, folding the other layers of her clothing nearby. Lilla had apparently tried to put the overcoat of her dress back on, but she missed a button, making the fabric bunch. Owen reached up and lifted her down a few steps until they were on the same eye level.

"You're awake," he said with a smile. His hands fumbled at the buttons, straightening them for her.

"Where are we? What happened?"

"We are at the cottage of a nice old couple, Tysia and Harod. They are going to help me find Kel and Neal. I think that they are with Tobe and the others."

"Can I help too? Tobe said-"

"Lilla, I know that Tobe said one for all and all for one, but this could be very dangerous. Kel would kill me if I let anything happen to you. I need you to stay here with Tysia." Lilla caught Owen's neck in a bear hug.

"Okay, I 'ill do that. But you have to promise to get 'em back safe," she whispered. "Now go have a jolly adventure." Owen kissed her cheek and set her down, feet on the floor. He hurried to the donkey that Harod had harnessed; the boots Tysia had lent him pinched his feet slightly.

Mounted and about to ride off behind Harod towards the rising sun, Owen turned around to look at Lilla, who stood with Tysia in the door.

"I promise."

…..

Owen and Harod rode for nearly three hours before the old man said anything to the young knight.

"Do you know how far into Scanra you are?"

"I have no idea where I am," Owen said truthfully.

"You're up near Hamrkeng, home of King Maggur."

"We must have been out for days," Owen said. Thinking of Kel and Neal, going on to that horrible place made Owen shudder. His eyes teared when he looked up; the sun was blazing directly into them.

Wait, he thought. Shouldn't the sun be behind us?

"Where are you taking me?" Owen demanded, pulling the donkey to a stop. "

"Hmm?" Harod asked.

"I thought that you said that the village was due west. We are going east."

"Hush, lad, I'll tell you everything. But first we have to get to a safe spot." Harod dismounted his donkey and walked over to a large sycamore tree. Looking around him suspiciously, he pushed on one of the knots. A door opened in the side of the tree, showing the entrance to a winding flight of stairs.

"Come quickly," Harod said. Owen hesitantly followed. The wooden door creaked to a close behind him.

"Jolly adventure, my foot," he mumbled under his breath, as he followed Harod down the stairs.

…..

Kel awoke to find a tall, familiar, dark shadow standing over her. She was strapped into a wooden chair, reclining into its back. Neal was in a similar chair beside hers. His right arm was bandaged and he was usually quiet. His eyes seemed to shine a bronzy color, instead of their normal emerald glimmer. Kel looked back up at the man, forcing her eyes to focus on his face.

"Sir?" she asked, startled to recognize him. Without a word, the man sunk a thin knife into her right forearm. He quickly applied a thick, orange poultice to the wound and bound it with a filthy length of rag.

"Welcome to the service of King Maggur," Raoul said. Kel's arm surged with pain, but she still recognized Tobe, standing near the doorway. "You, Boy. Take our new recruits to the king."

"Yes, Sir," Tobe said, blank copper eyes staring straight ahead. Raoul unstrapped Neal and Kel.

"Yes Boy," Neal agreed.

"Take us to our king," Kel added.