I keep having this urge to come back and continue with the next chapter…I could be wrong, but I think it's your guys' fault (I mean that in a nice way)! Have I told you guys how much I LOVE hearing from you? Keep reviewing! I need the motivation! I'm sooo lucky that my parents didn't force me to go to the crappiest of crappy dances that's happening tonight so I could post this. I HATE dances. If I wanted to stand in the dark with a bunch of other people and talk while the tacky music slowly deafened us, I would've thrown a party at my house. My best friend is going to be pissed because I told her I might be forced to go, but I really don't give a rat's behind.

Disclaimer: I hear someone's trying to take over the world. When they do, I'll ask them to get rid of this stupid thing! 'til then, I own nothing.

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Chapter 4: Don't Wake Him

The band of travellers fell so quickly that there was no time for any of them to do anything. The next thing they knew, they had fallen into the water below.

Daine felt like her lungs were going to burst as she swam upwards. She broke through the surface and looked around for the others through wet curls.

Numair came up next to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Where are the others?"

"Over here!"

Buri, Raoul, Perin, and Roald clung to a large rock in the lake.

They all swam for the water's edge and climbed out.

"Where's Shinko?" Raoul asked, grasping Numair's hand as he climbed out.

"Oh no! She can't swim!" Buri cried.

Roald instantly disappeared back under the water. The few minutes the others waited for them to surface felt like and eternity.

"I'm going in after them." Numair said.

Daine grasped his arm and pointed to the middle of the water. "Look!"

Roald burst out of the water with the gasping Yamanian. "It alright now." He told her.

She nodded her thanks, still trying to take in air.

The sound of hooves made Daine turn her head.

Cloud was leading their horses towards the water. "It took me a while but I finally persuaded them to follow me down to you guys."

"How'd you do that?" The girl asked, rubbing the pony's neck.

"Oh… a hoof to the flank here…and a nip on the neck there…"

Daine frowned. "We don't need you beating on the other horses."

They wouldn't make it to Tyra in time if they found a way up and retrieved their belongings so they just had to continue onwards. They didn't have much still with them either.

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They found an almost empty tavern on the outskirts of the town where they decided to spend the night.

Numair tried to flatten the out the map but even with magic it would still pop up with a whole bunch of wrinkles in it. He growled in frustration. "Great. The map's wrecked."

"We could always ask for directions when it comes time to leave," Diane suggested.

"We don't need to ask directions, we have a map."

"That map belongs in the fire, it's nothing but a wet piece of parchment with runny ink on it," Perin remarked, adding oil to the fire.

"Shut up!" Numair growled. "You weren't even supposed to come with us."

"Don't yell at him!" Daine snapped. "He didn't do anything!"

"What are you yelling at me for?" The mage demanded.

"That's enough, both of you!" Raoul ordered, yanking Numair away from the others.

"Raoul'll try to calm Numair down a bit. Try to relax, Daine," Buri suggested.

"I didn't do anything! He stared it!"

"That's enough, Daine."

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Shinko looked up as someone came and sat down next to her "Hello."

He grinned down at her. "Shinko, how would, you like to come with me into town?"

She shook her head, "You and I both know we're supposed to stay here."

"Not if Buri and Raoul come with us, what do you say?"

"I don't know…"

"It'll be alright, nothing's going to happen."

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Daine was at the windowsill of her room, listening to an owl's conversation of the nightly hunt. Slipping off her clothes, she shaped changed into a snowy owl and followed it on its hunt. She had just circled the tavern when an odd sight caught her attention. Landing on a nearby branch, she looked closely at the four people slipping out of the stables. She instantly recognized them as Shinko, Raoul, and Buri and Roald. I've got to find out where they're going. She hurried back to her room and put her clothes back on. Dashing down the stairs, she nearly ran Perin over.

"Hey! Where's the fire, Daine? And did you have to nearly kill my foot?" He asked, clutching his half crushed foot.

Daine turned around. "Sorry. Do you know where Roald, Shinko, Buri, and Raoul are going?"

He shrugged. "Into town, I think. I think it was Roald and Shinko's idea but I could be wrong."

She swore under her breath. "Thanks. I've got to go after them." She continued down the stairs then suddenly stopped, having a thought. "Perin."

"Yes?" he asked hopefully.

"Numair's in a pretty bad mood and I don't even want to think what'll happen if he wakes to find them gone and hear that I've gone to chase after them so please…whatever you do, don't wake him."

Crossing his fingers behind his beck, he replied, "Of course."

Smiling, she thanked him before running down the last few steps and out the door.

He turned and continued up the stairs. I think Numair would be most interested in hearing this.

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Alrighty then, that's chapter 4.

CodeRomance: Glad you liked it. There is some similarity between what Perin did and what Mushu did, isn't there? I used that idea because I couldn't think of anything else for Perin to do to cause trouble.

Aravilui: I'm so brain dead that I didn't notice that error! Thanks for pointing it out. As soon as I read your review I changed it so now it's all better!

And I'm too last to be considered "fashionably late" to the dance so I'm definitely NOT going! Yay!