A/N: Well quite obviously this is Chapter 2. For the people who asked, yes. Nawat hasn't disappeared he will be around a little later including Aly's child-she was pregnant at the end of tricksters queen. Oh yeah, thanks redflame1020 for EGC (Evil Girl Child), a couple of my more twisted friends –including myself- loved it. So people please R&R!

Disclaimer: -insert drum roll/fanfare- Everything, the characters (including the world) that you recognise belong to Tamora Pierce...-insert drum roll/fanfare- (It's not fair! Hang on, I own the perfectly evil assassin don't I? Muahahahaha…ha…cough…erm… Maybe this isn't so bad…)

Chapter 2: The Price of Failure

Servants, raka and luarin alike scattered to either side as Aly flew down the path through the gardens towards The Grey Palace. She burst into the entrance hall panting as people stared while she turned and ran full pelt towards Dove's quarters. Halfway down the hall she hesitated and stopped, she couldn't run straight in on a powerful mage. Once again she wished she had her Mother's and brother Thom's multipurpose gift rather than her and her father's sight.

"Trick-?" She asked.

"Secret told others," it replied to her unfinished question. "Ysul is coming."

Assured that she could expect some magical back up Aly continued her mad dash down the hall. Reaching the thick wooden doors to Dove's private study, she paused when she saw the guard standing to attention outside the door, leaning against the wall as though all as normal. Then Aly noticed the knife in his side, and his glassy eyes. She stopped cautiously in front of the door. Her heart thumping painfully in her chest she carefully eased the door open, ready to jump aside at the slightest warning.

The room was half demolished and smoking. The desk and chairs were over turned; the bookshelf had been pushed over. Not even the maps on the wall were completely unmarked; some burnt by the gift, others ripped from where they had hung in the struggle. There was no sign of the assassin or of Dove.

"Secret say Dove not in this room," Trick said puzzled.

"Then show me what Secret sees," Aly replied.

The creature jumped clinging to the wall flattening itself as images formed in its depths.

Aly was confused by the blurred image she saw until she realised that the small darking was looking from under something. Glancing around her she heard a keening coming from the book case. Hurrying across the room she lifted a smashed shelf and released the darking trapped underneath. As soon as the small creature was free it nearly flew across the room to the hanging that obscured the doorway into the adjoining meeting room. Puzzled as to why Secret was so distressed and mentally kicking herself for not thinking to look there first when she realised the study was empty, she pulled aside the hanging and gasped. If it was possible the meeting room was in a worse state than Dove's study.

She spun her knives at the ready at the sound of running feet. She glimpsed the fire of Ysul's gift before his power draped like cloth over herself and the surrounding rooms. Voices spoke, and then Taybur Sibigat captain of the Queen's guard entered the room sword drawn, quickly followed by (general) Fesgao Yibenu and Ysul-the head mage of the chain. Ysul hurried to the far end of the room his magic flicking out overturning the large meeting table to reveal two unconscious forms. One was Dove. Hurrying over the three of them watched as light glowed around Ysul's hands to flowing into Dove. She groaned. Satisfied she was alive Aly left the others to deal with Dove and went to look at the second unconscious figure.

Amazingly it was the assassin. The same man who had tried to kill Aly before still with the knife wound in his shoulder. He just didn't know when to give up. How both he and Dove had managed to be knocked out at the same time was a story Aly couldn't wait to hear. The man stirred and groaned. The sound of his waking brought Fesgao and Taybur over in a flash. Sword drawn Fesgao looked ready to kill the man right there where he lay. She watched, amused as Taybur tactfully maneuvered himself so he was between the irate general and the assassin. Returning her attention to the assassin Aly performed a twist in her mind that dimmed out Ysul's magic and highlighted the many spells that covered the assassin. There was a collection of spells, from ones to silence his movements to at least four death spells that would prevent him from telling the truth in an interrogation…at least before he died.

"Ysul?" Aly asked.

"What?"

"I need you to remove some death spells for me."

Fesgao glared murderously at the assassin.

"Why do you need him to remove death spells from this piece of filth for?" He growled. "He'll be tried and sentenced to death for an attempt on Dove's life anywa-."

Taybur's polite cough interrupted the general.

"Yes he will be tried and sentenced accordingly, but don't forget being a spy is Aly's job. She's got to get what information she can from him."

The man now fully awake spat at their feet,

"Kill me now, I won't tell you anything-,"

His defiant voice was cut off in a scream of pain that made everyone presents blood curdle.

"Please! Kill me now! Kill me before my master does! Kill me before he punishes me…Please!"

He collapsed in a dead faint at their feet.

Exchanging a startled look with Taybur, Aly crouched beside the man who even unconscious twisted and thrashed on the ground.

"We definitely can't kill this man yet, he has information I need, Taybur needs if we're to keep Dove safe."

Nodding in agreement Taybur said,

"I'll get some of the guard to find him a suitable place to stay… and to organise a watch. You'll be the first to know as soon as he even shows a slight sign of waking. Then I'll leave you to you're job."

Aly nodded as Taybur went to the door way to call some of the guard. Turning to Ysul she asked,

"Do you have enough power to remove these death spells? Actually all the spells you can. I'd rather we didn't have any unpleasant surprises later on."

Nodding Ysul bent over the unconscious assassin,

"Did you tell the Duchess that Dove is alright? Her grace was beside herself. She wanted to come down hear herself but Fesgao convinced her to leave it to us."

"I'll tell Trick to tell her darking, she can even watch…if she isn't already. I'd invite her to come in but-"

Trick spoke up from Aly's shoulder,

"Her Grace says to inform you that she is perfectly content to stay were she is with Midget showing her what the darkings see."

Aly grimaced; sometimes Winna was as quick as Dove.

"If you need help I can provide I'll be in my office. When Dove wakes up tell her I said I can't wait to hear her explanation as to how both she and the assassin managed to knock each other out."

Back in her office, Aly slumped in her chair with a sigh. Ysul agreed whole heartedly. Others like Fesgao and Taybur weren't so sure Dove should be travelling if someone was trying to kill her. Dove would be livid. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth despite herself. There was trouble brewing was there? She grinned. The future looked like it held not only trouble but entertainment as well.

(A/N: This is a little preview of the next chapter – Heishi's awesome name is compliments of LettuceNPudding- Thanks heaps Lettuce!)

Assassin's POV:

My name is Heishi Masunaga; I'm a Yamani assassin by trade known as Uindo - the wind. At least I was. Was until I was "hired" by my current master to do his work. And now I've failed. Twice. He doesn't permit failure. I will be punished…painfully and eventually fatally. I cannot escape. I have tried many times. There is no escaping my master's grip…even through death...

A/N: Well how was chapter 2? I'm serious, if people don't leave a review I'm going to rig the back button-and the exit button as well! -so you leave a review anyway! Thanks for all the reviews! My inbox is very happy at the moment…as long as it gets some more reviews.

One person answered my question… I'm looking for a name for Aly's Spy Network…a little help here? What do you want it to be called! Any ideas? Aly's Spy network takes wayto long to type –actually I just used cut and paste…Yeah, yeah I know I'm lazy.-

So far I have:

1. "The Wheel" (from AerinAlanna)

2. "The Net" (also from AerinAlanna)

So give me some ideas! Or if u liked one of the ones above tell me! (In other words please LEAVE A REVIEW!)