Title: Knotted Destiny
By: QT
Edited By: buttons7

Summary: A new era is arising as darkness sets over the vast kingdom of Tortall. People are slain ruthlessly, cities are destroyed, people's hope diminishes rapidly. The only one who can turn the tide and return things to a balance is an unknown and unexpected hero.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's characters, however, I do own this plot.

"..." Talking
'...' Thinking
blah Dreaming

Lord Wyldon of Cavall gazed into the deep blue eyes of the lad that accompanied Lerant. About to speak, he snapped his mouth shut when he was pushed out of the way by a large burly man. Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak stepped into view. He had short, curly black hair, almost black eyes, and a broad, ruddy face.

"Lerant! It's good to see you're alright," he said seriously as he rested his hand on Lerant's shoulder. "We had heard a scream, and ran over to where you walked off, but we were too late. When we arrived at the river's edge, you were already too far away to be safely rescued. We-we thought you were dead, Lerant."

Kalasin, who had been returning Lord Wyldon's gaze, looked at Raoul. His eyes showed the emotions he was feeling; relief that Lerant was alright, worry that he had been in danger, or worse, and a love for the boy. 'He sees him as a son,' the girl realized, shocked that this great hero could be so affectionate towards people.

Raoul continued, "You must be in the favor of the gods in order to have survived that fall, Learnt. No one has ever survived it!"

"My Lord," Lerant said softly, bowing his head. "It just wasn't our time to enter the Black God's realm-" A low rumbling interrupted Lerant whose cheeks turned pink.

"Go fetch some food from the mess hall, and once you're done eating, come back here. I wish to talk more with you, only you," replied Raoul with a glance towards Kalasin.

"Yes, my Lord," Lerant replied with a bow.

Kalasin bowed sloppily, before following Lerant towards the large building that served as the mess hall. With a quick glance back at the two men, she gulped. Both were staring at her intently, questioning looks on their faces as if they knew her but couldn't figure out how.

"He looks a lot like Prince Roald, doesn't he, Raoul?" asked Wyldon.

The large man nodded, his black eyes not leaving the boy's figure. "I'll bring it up to Lerant when he returns," was the simple reply.

Kalasin's eyes widened when she entered the mess hall, staying close to Lerant. Everyone in the room fell silent, turning to get a good look at the two new arrivals. Lerant seemed to not notice the change in the people, but Kalasin did. She no longer felt like a young lady, but a small child.

Roald's eyes flicked towards the door when it opened, the scent of freshly made biscuits reaching his nose. 'Now's my chance,' he thought as a dainty girl slowly walked in, concentrating on not spilling the tray of food. Swiftly, the Prince walked up to the girl. Muttering an apology, he pushed her to the floor. The tray clattered on the ground, landing next to a stunned maid. His exit was unblocked, he was free.

Sauntering out into the hallway, Roald smiled victoriously. The path ahead of him was dimly lit, and soundless. Behind him, in the room where dinners were held, laughter, and talk were audible. Soon he found himself running towards the stables, away from yelling guards.

Entering the wooden building, Roald went straight to his horse's stall. The gelding was bay colored with a white sock. His mane and tail were as black as Roald's hair. The yelling was growing closer as the Prince quickly secured the saddle onto his mount. "Come on, boy," the Prince said, clicking his tongue against his teeth as he led the gelding out of the stall. Mounting up, Roald lightly kicked the horse as the door to the stables burst open. The soldiers ran inside, only to watch the horse and rider avoid capture, and head towards the forest. "I'm coming, Kalasin," muttered Roald as he urged his gelding onward.

Kalasin watched Lerant walk out of the mess hall when he finished his meal. They had eaten at a vacant table, and the talk, which had stopped when they first entered the building slowly resumed. Now she sat alone, feeling a bit sick from not eating in two or three days. 'I'm not hungry,' she thought scolding her stomach, which let out a groan.

"Eat this, it's actually good."

Kalasin jumped slightly, staring at the dumpling being offered to her. Looking up, she saw the one who offered the food was a dark skinned man. 'A Bazhir, no doubt,' she thought to herself as she further looked him over. He had short dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and wore a loose white cotton shirt.

"No, thank you," she replied quietly, looking away from his piercing gaze.

"A small lad like you should eat. How else will you grow? Besides, your stomach wants the food," he said with a nod towards Kalasin's growling belly.

Taking the dumpling with a shaking hand, she carefully bit into it. Surprised by the wonderful taste, she continued to eat it, watching as the Bazhir sat down across from her.

"You're the one we nearly lost Lerant for?"

A small blush covered Kalasin's cheeks as she nodded. "Yes, sir," she replied after swallowing a mouthful of dumpling.

"I'm Qasim. Welcome to Mastiff," he said kindly.

"Thank you. It really is an impressive fort. I've not seen one before."

"If you like this, you'll really like New Hope. The Lady Knight Keladry is in charge there. You'll most likely end up there by tomorrow," he said, adding in, "it's a place for refugees," when she gave him a questioning look.

"I'm not going to a refugee hold, I'm going to battle where I belong."

A laugh erupted from Qasim and nearby listeners. "Leave the fighting to soldiers, boy," said someone to her right.

Clenching her fists, Kalasin glared at everyone in the room. "None of you stand a chance at what's to come."

"And you do?" asked someone nearby.

"I can try! I'm a Conté, and we never give up!" with that, she stuck her chin out stubbornly. Standing up, she made her way to the door, slamming it behind her when she walked out.

Qasim stared at the door, knowing others did the same. '...How can he be a Conté? Roald's at home...'

"Lerant, for the last time, who is it that you've brought here?"

"My Lord Wyldon, I've told you! His name is Kal. He fell into the river from the other side, and he was the one who screamed. I dove in to save him, but the current picked up and we were swept away."

"That boy looks exactly like Prince Roald did a few years ago! Those eyes of his are unmistakably Conté eyes-"

"I know nothing of this, I just know that his name is Kal, and he looks puny for his age, though he isn't."

"Thank you Lerant, that's all," said Raoul with a glance at Wyldon. "We're leaving in two days. This Kal will be sent off to New Hope tomorrow morning. You're dismissed."

Lerant's eyes widened a bit, "But sir! He's my charge. Can I not see to it that he's safely at New Hope?"

"He is no longer your charge, Lerant. He'll be fine."

Frowning, Lerant walked out, closing the door quietly behind him. The sun had gone down, and guards were changing shifts. Other than the guards around the wall, there was no movement. Shaking his head at the thought of leaving Kalasin, he headed towards his room he was given, stopping when someone ran past him.

Cautiously, Lerant looked around before following the shadowed figure he had seen. This led him to the stables where he caught sight of a small, ebony-haired "boy" standing in front of a stall that held a white mare. Crossing his arms over his chest, Lerant fumed. "Kalasin, what do you think you're doing?"

The girl jumped and spun around, staring at Lerant. Biting down on her bottom lip, she gazed at the floor, searching her mind for what to say to him. Looking back up, her gaze locked with his as she opened and closed her mouth, looking much like a suffocating fish. "I'm leaving," she replied quietly.

"You can't get out, there are guards everywhere," he said as he closed the gap between them.

"I have my Gift, Learnt. I can make them sleep for an hour so that I will be able to be far away from here before word gets out of who I am. Lerant, I nearly told the people in the mess hall who I was!"

"Damn it Kalasin. They're sending you off to New Hope tomorrow morning, and the Own, along with myself, are leaving in two days. We're being separated Kalasin, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. She knew she would be leaving him and everyone else behind if she had left, but now that she was confronted with the reality of it, she didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to be separated from Lerant, from his comfort. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying, though the tears flowed fluidly down her cheeks.

Lerant's heart ached at the sight. "Kalasin, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you," she whispered, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

Lerant brushed his lips against her forehead before unlatching the stall. He waited until the mare was standing in front of them before picking the girl up and setting her onto the horse. 'She's far too light,' he thought as he looked at the other horses. "Give me a minute and I'll go with you-"

"No, Lerant, it's treason!"

"Kalasin, your safety is worth it. Don't be so stupid."

Clenching her fist, the Princess closed her eyes, "Forgive me Lerant," she whispered before dipping into her pool of magic. Slipping a strand inside of him, she told him to sleep, and winced when he collapsed onto the floor. Re-settling herself on her mount, Kalasin urged her towards the opening. "Lerant, it's not that I don't wish you to accompany me, because I do. This is just my journey, something I must do by myself, and not put you in danger."

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, she gripped Mavaiya's mane in her fists. When she was stopped at the gate, she dipped into her magic once again, and caused every guard nearby to collapse as they entered an hour's worth of slumber.

After struggling with the gate, Kalasin and her mare took off, using the night's shadows as cover.

AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone, it's very nice to know people are interested. Again, I've hit some brick walls with this chapter. As for my pen name, just call me QT or Kat (my real / nickname) to shorten it up (:

I may not update for a while because school is starting very soon SIGH and I'm going to be having lots of doctor appointments to get tested for a muscle disease thing shudder

If anyone has any suggestions for this story OR a new one that I could write, let me know.