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Author's Notes:

Here's chapter nine. enjoy. Review are much loved.

Chapter 9

I think the king is a keel, she told hersel;f as she got up to head back to the Stewrd's Pride inn where she would sleep when she was in Minas Tirith, to sleep and ponder over how to tell the king that she had no choices in her life so how could she refuse to go hunt down Farre in the company of a viritable swine?

Naru was still floating in the half silent state just before waking from a very comfortable night of sleep. The beds at the Steward's Pride were deep and very soft with very thick and warm down blankets. Naru really couldn't remember when she'd slept so soundly, certainly not back at Celenuri Castle.

No, Hitherd had been there too long for her to be able to remember sleeping soundly. Hitherd, a corrupt man, one of her father's former allies and advisors was a handsome enough man except for his eyes, so cold and distant that they made a woman feel dirty just by looking into them. That was one of the things wrong with him, with Hitherd. He assumed that every woman would just come skipping to his bed when he so much as crooked a finger. Worse, was that more than few had, and that was what the true problem was. He didn't seem to realize that a female could find him utterly and completely repulsive. As Naru did.

And he didn't respond to being told no. He didn't respnod to a fist in the belly either. At one time he had cornered her in an empty courtyard and when Naru had hit him he had only smiled. It had convinced her that he was indeed mad.

Though along with the fear and shame she felt at the memory of the man, she also felt that slightly comforting flash of pure and simple rage. Suddenly realizing that her hands were clenched in her covers she slowly relaxed them and brought herself out of her dark reverie. Telling herself that this did no good, he tossed back the covers and stood up. AS she walked she happened to look downat herself, and halted. Oh, my, was that HER body?

Where she had once been soft, Naru could tell that she was soft no more. That thin layer of softness was gone and through her thin night shirt, Naru could see the clearly her hip bone in the front. Naru softly eased her hands over her body exploring some of the slight changes. there was just a bit more muscle in her legs and looking in a tall mirror, Naru found that she could see the faint outline of her ribs when she breathed, having lifted her shirt a bit.

Not all displeased by this, Naru pulled her night shirt over her head and relaced it with a sturdy off-white tunic and a pair of rough wool breeches befroe sitting down on the bed (still rumpled) to pull her boots on. She was just doing the laces on her left when there was a knock on the door.

Stumbling, Naru hopped over to the door and opened it.

"Lady!" The maid Loel launched herself at her former mistress's siter and knocked them both back into Naru's room. "Oh, Lady I though for sure that you were dead, oh! What with that King taking you off and all. And when I came here to work, and heard that you were staying here i was sure that it wasn't you! What's with all this 'Hunter' nonesense?"

"Ah," Naru said, "Loel? Could you let go? I need to finish with my boots."

"Oh, Lady, let me--"

"NO!"

Loel blinked at Naru owlishly.

"I mean that, Loel, I'm not a lady anymore. I'm just Naru Hunter, in the employ of the king. I'm just... me."

"Oh la- ah," Loel fumbled a bit then she blinked and looked at Anru for what seemed the first time. "You've changed."

Naru smiled crookedly as she sat back on her bed and motioned for Loel to sit in a chair. "I suppose I have, Loel. I'm not the lady of the castle and you're not the lady's maid anymore."

Finished with her boots, Naru sat back, her expression serious. "You have been something of a friend to me for a long time, Loel. I wuld like to be your friend. Not you're friendly superior, but your equal friend. Ther's no title to keep us from being actual friends. Not anymore."

Loel looked uncertain for a moment before she beamed. "i would love to have friendship with you, Naru Hunter."

"Good," Naru grinned back. "As a friend, tell me what happened back at Celenuri, and tell me everything, Loel, please."

"Well," Loel said, not really knowing how to tell her very new friend all. "The King put a new Lord on the chairs. His name is Areless." Dimples flashed across Loel's fair face. "Pretty as you please, to me at least."

Naru stared at Loel for a ful minute before bursting into laughter. Eru, this felt so good, so free. Never had Naru ever had a friend who had felt comfortable enough to talk of any man as pretty. To tell the truth, Naru had never had a friend who would even speak of a man. 'Twas improper, you know.

"Funny, is that? Well I suppose you would find a possitivel blond lengend unattractive. Look at who you like as a girl."

That shut Naru up and quick. But then she just started laughing again. "No, Loel, I was just thinking of what some of the people back at Celenuri would think of us talking of men, of all things."

Loel smiled. "And to think, of us talking about and unmarried man. Tak, the scandal."

Naru smiled at the Celenuri word meaning something between a 'tsk' and a 'sniff'. She missed the sound of that language sometimes.

"Oh!" Loel sat up stiffly. "I forgot!" There were two men downstairs that asked for you. One was dark with a cloak and the other..." Loel grinned but that faded when she saw the look on Naru's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing other than the fact that I've no wish to see that... thing again."

Loels brows went up. "Oh really?"

"Not like that! He's just such a... Keel."

"Hmmm," Loel said. "Then stay here."

"Can't. That cloaked fellow? I have a feeling I know who he is."

Loel nodded and stood up.

"No, stay," Naru motioned her back down.

"I'll be back but I have to leave by mid-morning for another assignment." Then a thought struck her and Naru frowned. "Wait. Why are you here?"

Loel grinned. "To get a job."

Naru left, and trotted down hall and stiars. in a corner table she saw Raleon Hunter and The man who had to be the king. As she approached the hooded man looked up.

"I'll go," Naru told the king, ignoring Raleon.

The hooded man nodded. "Good," the king said. "I'll want a report in two weeks."

He got up and left after a nodd to the innkeeper. Damn, Naru still didn't know his name.

"Look's like we should be getting comfortable. If we're to spend the next two weeks together. My charming little hunter."

Naru didn't bother to even look at him before he got up and strode back up to her room. But in a small window next to the stairs Naru watched him raise a toast to her.