I know that this was a bit shorter than my other chapters, but I'm sorry. It was mainly just a filler. I made some changes to the last chapter, changing when Fianola fell down the stairs. Before it was before lunch, now it was after lights out.

CHAPTER 9

Time stopped until Fianola's cry faded from the air. All of the pages and squires were frozen and didn't even move when they heard the sickening crunch. Hanna was the first to react. Sobbing for her sister, she brushed past Beron and flew down the stairs. Jasson and Ryne were quick to follow. Hartok was white with fear and tears fell down unnoticed on his face. Jerom supported the beaten boy. Burch and Kodi stood next to each other, too scared to move.

Beron stared down the staircase in shock and started to run down the hallway. That triggered Kodi into motion. Making an impossible leap, she tackled him and they both crashed to the floor. Kodi didn't even know that she pulled her dagger out until she saw it against Beron's neck.

Beron's face was a mask of fear. Kodi pressed harder and willed herself to make the final cut. She couldn't.

"Don't do it." Burch said, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Killing him won't help Fianola and she needs your help now." Kodi struggled with herself for a moment and then slipped the knife into its sheath. She turned her back on Beron and gave him not a second thought.

Burch and Kodi quickly walked to the staircase to see their fallen comrade. Behind them they could hear Beron's Dogs picking themselves up and leaving, but they only focused on Fianola. Gritting her teeth, Kodi just prayed that Fianola wasn't dead.

As soon as Fianola came into view, Kodi unknowingly started to cry. The unconscious girl's leg lay at a strange angle and blood trickled down a huge gash on her forehead. Her breathing was shallow and her face was as pale as death. Her friends knelt by her, too surprised to act. After Fianola, Kodi was the oldest there and took the action upon herself.

"Jasson!" Her voice came out high and there was a lump in her throat. "Run to Duke Baird and get him down here quick." Jasson obeyed, running faster than anyone had ever seen him run. "Ryne, do you know any healing magic?" He shook his head fiercely, squinting to hide his tears.

"Kodi," Hanna's voice was broken by sobs. "Fianola wouldn't want us to tell." Kodi nodded. Sometimes the stupid page honor worked in her favor. If they told, no doubt the adults wouldn't let Kodi get her proper revenge. No one hurt Kodi's friends and got away with it.

Fianola moaned in pain and Kodi wondered what was taking Duke Baird so long. Leaving Fianola with Hanna and Ryne, Kodi went back up the stairs to look after Hartok and Jerom.

"Is she bad?" Burch asked. He was also pale and his eyes were overly bright. He hadn't wanted to look at Fianola.

"She's," The words came out a sob and Kodi cleared her throat. "She's not good. At least her leg's broken and she's knocked out. She's not breathing too well either." Burch nodded, his face frozen in sadness.

The ten year old Hartok dissolved in tears and Jerom ran down the staircase to check on his friend for himself. There just children, Kodi thought. They act and think older, but they're just children. Kneeling down, Kodi hugged Hartok as best as she could without disturbing his own cuts and bruises.

"Will she be alright?" Hartok stammered, his eyes wide with fear.

"Of course. Duke Baird's the best healer in all of Tortall. Hush now." Kodi motioned for Burch to come sit by her, but he shook his head. Kodi understood; Burch wanted to prove that he was strong, although he was as affected just like the rest of them.

"How's she doing?" Kodi called to Hanna and Ryne. At first there wasn't an answer, just the sounds of Hanna weeping and Ryne's sniffling. Ryne was able to keep his sniffles back for a moment to answer Kodi.

"She's the same." He called back up the staircase.

Just then the Duke hurried around the corner, led by the frantic Jasson. Pushing the sleeves of his dressing robe up, his hands already brimmed with magic.

"Where is Fianola?" He asked wildly. "You didn't move her did you?"

"No," Burch was calmer than Kodi or Hartok, but even he had to fight back the tears. "She's at the bottom of the staircase."

The Duke rushed down and Jasson came over to sit by Kodi.

"I'll stay with Hartok, if you want to be by Fianola. The boys and Hanna probably need you down there anyway." Kodi heard Jasson's unspoken message: I don't want to see Fianola all broken up like that again. Kodi silently handed Hartok to Jasson. Jasson and Burch sat down and leaned up against the wall, both closing their eyes.

Padding down the stairs quietly, Kodi tried to not disturb the duke. He was already healing Fianola. Hanna, Jerom, and Ryne stood nervously. Hanna had her sobs under control now and they matched Ryne's sniffles. Standing beside them, Kodi didn't know how much time passed before the duke stood up.

"We need to get her up to the infirmary where she can rest and finish healing. Can two of you go to the infirmary and fetch a stretcher for me?" Jerom and Kodi immediately volunteered. Assuming that Jerom knew the way, Kodi followed him. He did know the way and they returned shortly with the stretcher. After carefully placing Fianola on it, Jasson, Kodi, Jerom, and Burch each grabbed a pole and lifted the stretcher gently. Hanna walked behind the solemn procession, finally gotten control of her tears and now comforted Hartok and Ryne. None of the pages or Kodi was crying now.

After laying Fianola on a soft infirmary bed, the Duke sent Burch to Lord haMinch with a written message about the evening's events. Duke Baird didn't heal the other pages' hurts because he had to wait for permission from haMinch, unless it was life-threatening. Waiting for their training master, the pages sat on a bed and Kodi joined them. Suddenly, she seemed exhausted and it was a struggle to keep her eyes open.

Within minutes, Lord haMinch strode into the infirmary followed by a sleepy eyed Burch.

"Where is she?" The training master demanded. Duke Baird came over to talk to him.

"Fianola had fallen down some stairs. I won't know the extent of the damage until she wakes up. I have healed her as much as her body will allow."

"How did this happen?" Lord haMinch overlooked Fianola with a caring eye.

"The pages won't say." Duke Baird told him. It was true. They had said that it was Fianola's choice to tell the story.

"What happened to you?" The training master asked Hartok. Hartok was caught off guard, but quickly recovered.

"I tripped, your Grace."

'The others tripped with you then?" Lord haMinch asked sternly.

"I don't know, I didn't see."

"I saw." Kodi startled herself when she answered. "Hartok tripped and the rest of us fell over him. He didn't see because he was face first on the ground." The pages looked to Kodi gratefully for creating a story for their weary minds.

"Do you wish me to heal them?"

"Just the ones that are worst off. Pages must learn not to be so clumsy." Lord haMinch said it in a manner that told the pages that he knew they had been fighting. The duke quickly healed Hartok and Ryne.

"If they might go to bed then?" questioned Duke Baird. "They have been through a lot tonight."

"They may go." The training master said wearily. "I do expect you to be on time for page training in the morning. Your midnight escapades do not excuse you from learning." The pages bowed and left quietly. Kodi was too tired to stand.

"Kodi of Scanra, you may continue to practice your fighting arts with the pages if you wish."

"Thank you, sir. I will I think."

"You better get to bed, child." Duke Baird said gently.

Kodi didn't even remember how she got back to Daine's chambers. She thought that maybe Captus came and helped her find her way back, but she couldn't remember. All she knew for sure is that when a worried Daine opened the door when she knocked, she blacked out.

Kodi slept late the next morning, only awakening when Daine woke her up. Groggily, she literally fell off her cot. She was dressed in one of Daine's soft cotton nightgown that Daine had probably had to put her in. Kodi's head ached; she sat on the floor and held it in her hands. Daine came back to Kodi's closet, as Kodi affectionately called it, carrying a steaming cup.

"Here," Daine handed the cup to Kodi. "It's for the headache." Kodi took a sip and almost spit it out. Forcing herself to swallow it all, her headache almost eased immediately.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Daine said with raised eyebrows.

"I fell down." Kodi winced as she remembered Fianola. "I have to go to the infirmary. One of my friends fell down too. She isn't doing so well."

"What about you?" Daine insisted. "You are all bruised and broken."

"I'll be fine. Pages take more than this in training and still get out of bed in the morning." Kodi pulled on a pair of loose, black breeches under her nightgown.

"You can check on your friend but then you have to come right back. You need your rest." Daine said matronly.

"I had plans today." Kodi protested as she jerked off the nightgown and pulled on a white silk shirt and scarlet vest. "I was going to practice with the pages. They start after noon and I have just time to visit Fianola before I leave."

"You have to stay and rest. Otherwise you won't heal."

"You're not my mother!" Kodi snapped, instantly regretting her words when Daine winced.

"I know. I just thought that we decided that I was your older sister. As your older sister, it is my job to look out for you."

"I just want to do what I want." Kodi said apologetically. Daine stared at her for a moment and then smiled.

"I think I understand. I sometimes felt the same way when I was your age. Go on." One of Daine's children, Rikash, started to wail and Daine left Kodi's room. Kodi took the moment to put on her gold chain belt and dagger. She left silently so that Daine wouldn't get another chance to convince her to stay and sleep.

Jogging through the halls, Kodi passed noble after noble. She laughed at their shocked expression at a girl in breeches running through the palace when the pages were in training. She made it to the infirmary in just a matter of minutes, although she didn't have Captus there to lead her. Slowing down to a walk, Kodi hoped that Fianola was better when she entered the infirmary.

Fianola was sitting up and drinking some broth. When she saw Kodi, she looked up with a bright smile.

"I'm glad that someone came to visit me." The girl said wryly. "I'm bored almost to tears."

"We were so worried about you!" Kodi blurted. "Oh, but will Beron pay!"

"Are the others all right?" Fianola asked. "Duke Baird said they were but I wanted your opinion."

"The duke healed the worst of our hurts. We were so worried about you that we didn't notice anyway."

Kodi talked with Fianola for as long as she could until Duke Baird shooed her out. Captus was waiting outside the infirmary and he led her to the pages' practice courts. After Captus left her there, Kodi shook her head at her dog's strange behavior. When she entered the practice courts, all of Fianola's friends looked to Kodi with a question in their faces. Kodi smiled and nodded fervently. Her grin quickly spread to their faces.

"Ah, Kodi of Scanra, I was wondering if you had decided not to join us." Lord haMinch said cheerfully.

"No, my lord. I overslept and visited the infirmary." she informed him with a bow.

"We were just practicing unarmed combat. Have you had any previous training in this?"

"Yes, my lord. I was taught a few years ago, but I've been practicing ever since."

"We'll see what you can do then." The training master said simply. "Stone Mountain, you did well with her yesterday. Spar with her and see what she can do." Burch nodded and limped over.

All the pages stood in a circle, wanting to see how the best page fought this newcomer. Normally, Lord haMinch would have berated them and made them train, but he didn't. He evidently wanted to watch as well. Nervously, Kodi wiped off the sweat on her hands.

Burch circled her intently and Kodi watched him warily. He made the first move, snapping out a fist. Only a slight movement from his chest told Kodi that it was a feint. She avoided his kick and threw a sharp punch, which he blocked. With new respect in his eyes, Burch was a little less confident of himself.

This time, it was Kodi's turn to attack. She punched ferociously, making Burch be on the defense. Using a trick that her teacher had taught her, Kodi grabbed Burch's arm and twisted him over her hip. Burch hit the ground but was back up in seconds. Now having an idea of their opponent, they both attacked in unison.

Burch and Kodi were hard to distinguish from another as they turned and twisted. At first it seemed as though neither were gaining the advantage and then Kodi's age and size began to pay off. Although Burch was better trained, Kodi wasn't far behind, and she was two years old and that much bigger. Kodi hooked her leg around Burch's legs and pulled sharply. Burch twisted and hit the ground, slapping it and rolling. Kodi was waiting for him though, and got him in a headlock that he couldn't get out of.

"I yield." Burch raised up his hands in defeat. "Well fought, Kodi." Kodi released him and they shook hands. The pages were in shock.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Lord haMinch demanded, eyes twinkling.

"I learned from a friend in Hamrkeng. I couldn't tell you his name; I don't know it." Kodi explained breathlessly. Sweat was running down her forehead and arms.

"That was amazing!" A page said.

"No one beats Burch!" Another awed first year spoke loudly.

"Well, Kodi beat me fair and square." Burch said good-naturedly. Once again, Kodi was awed by his maturity and friendliness. Many boys would be bitter that they had been bested, but not Burch.

For the rest of the afternoon, the pages worked on staff fighting and fencing. Kodi could tell that she had improved and made herself promise to buy a practice sword so that she could improve even more. Scanra's queen should be a swordswoman. Even though she didn't want to rule, she could turn Scanra upside down. She would start by allowing women to become knights and starting the page training earlier. Laughing at the thought, Kodi found a staff at the base of her neck.

"You're insane." Jerom informed her. "I beat you and you laughed. You're insane." That made Kodi start giggling and Jerom rolled his eyes.

When the dinner bell rang, Kodi left to find Daine. Captus was waiting for her and he led her back to Daine's rooms, although Kodi was starting to learn her way around. She wanted to reassure Daine that she was still alive and breathing. She also wanted to apologize more for the morning. Entering Daine's rooms, Kodi flinched. Numair was in the room, Daine in his arms. Backing up slowly, Kodi tried to make her escape, but Daine saw her.

"Kodi, I thought I told you to not over exert yourself!" Daine scolded. "If you tire yourself out, your body won't heal."

"I'm fine." Kodi said shortly, not wanting to talk much in front of Numair. She wasn't afraid of him, but her last encounter with a powerful man hadn't left her on the winning side. She was just a bit wary.

"We have something to ask you." Daine told her. "You and I already decided that we would be sisters, but I wanted to make it official. Numair and I wanted to adopt you, not as a daughter, but as a sister."

Kodi's ears rushed. Being the sister of the Wildmage might prove complicated when she was queen, but Kodi really wanted to agree. Besides, hadn't the Chamber told her to make friends and forget about being queen? It probably knew more about life than she did.

"I'd like that." Kodi finally said. Daine was looking like she had lost hope, and brightened when Kodi agreed.

"Then it's official." Numair was also smiling. "There are papers; we can fix those. Also, you will need to be presented to the Court."

"By the Goddess, WHAT?"

Review and I will update sooner. I really do love reviews, even a word would make me happy, although I'd be slightly disappointed if five people reviewed and I only got five words.