My class is freaky. We had to write the first two sentences for stories in L.A. and then switch them with other classmates. The freaky part was that over two thirds of the stories where about people either a) dying horrible and bloody deaths or b) being in the nuthouse and escaping and dying. On another note, my teacher stole my desk. For what reason, I don't know. I was just doing my work like a good little nobody, and he up and just took it away from me in the middle of class. He's always been the craziest one on the staff. Anywho, enough about the crappiest place on Earth! I was going to post this yesterday but my little sister was being the queen of brats and made my dad force me off before I could post this.

Disclaimer: Maybe if my name was Tamora Pierce… but nope, still nothing.

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Chapter 6: Ambush

She refused to talk to him for the rest of the trip. He had been a jerk. How could she want to talk to him after the previous night's disaster? Daine could feel his eyes on her but didn't look his way.

Daine wasn't the only one in a pleasant mood. Shinko bit her lip and continued to stair at Yari's mane, knowing if she looked up, her eyes would wander over to Roald.

Roald looked over at the golden skinned Yamani. An idea formed in his head and he nudged Raoul. "Gee, I sure wish I could talk to Shinko, Raoul."

The knight frowned. "Roald…you know that-" When he saw the look on the prince's face, he clued in. "Oh yeah, but as you know, you can't. But if you could, what would you tell her?"

"I would tell her that I thought she was the most beautiful girl I ever laid my eyes on."

"Yes, she is pretty, isn't she?"

Hearing their words, Shinko turned crimson. She looked up at the woman on her left, playing along with what the prince was doing. "Buri… If I could speak with Roald, do you know what I would tell him?"

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Perin frowned as he rode up next to Daine. "What's with the long face?"

Cloud snorted.

"Not you," he told the pony. They fell to the back of the line where they could privately talk.

Daine sighed. "I really thought Numair was the one. But now…I'm not so sure. I mean, everything was fine in the beginning, but now…I'm not so sure."

Perin had this awful feeling; his conscience. Damn! I thought I got rid of this thing! "Uh, Daine-"

"Everything was going so smoothly up until we fell into the lake… I just don't know what happened. Next thing I know, we're fighting!"

Perin played with the reins of the horse. He knew she'd hate him for this, but he had to tell her. "Daine, the reason you and Numair got into a fight…It was my fault."

"What?"

"It's my fault that we fell off the cliff. I let the horses loose-but it was an accident."

"What has that got to do with the fight between Numair and me?"

"When you and Numair fought, I added my two coppers and when you went after Raoul and the others, I woke him up and sent him after you guys."

"No rhymes with trucking hell you woke him up! And right after I had told you not to! Why did you do it?"

Perin looked at the ground. "I was jealous Numair… He was going to marry you and…" He dared a glance up. If looks could kill, he would've fallen off his horse a corpse.

"Perin, how could you!" Daine saw him wince at her sharp words. She had a thought. "Wait…if it was because of you that Numair and I fought…then…I've got to talk to him!" She rode off ahead of the line to the tall man in the lead. "Numair, I-"

Suddenly, arrows filled the sky. It was some of the Maren soldiers who'd slipped through the Tyra border. They burst through the trees and came rapidly down towards the travellers.

"They must've been sent ahead to try and stop us from reaching Tyra in time!" Numair shouted.

One man with a large double edged sword came charging at Raoul but was quickly unseated from his horse.

Shinko had managed to kill another with her glaive.

Daine had her hands full trying to shape change into a fierce animal between blows and Cloud's rearing that she hadn't noticed how close they were to a ledge. When she had managed to take on the shape of a great panther, she attacked her way through the men, keeping an eye out in case any of her friends fell in battle. When she reached the ledge, she found Numair struggling with one of the few Maren mages in the attackers. She charged forwards, knocking the warrior off the cliff.

The warrior fell, but not before grabbing Numair's ankle and pull the man off the cliff with him.

Horrified, Daine lost grip of her animal form and tried to grasp his hand before he fell. His hand slipped through her grip and all that she had a hold of was air. She watched as the two figures disappeared far below. "NUMAIR!" She screamed, sobbing.

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Wow. Now who did not see that coming? I just realized now that I should've done a Mulan Tortall Style based on the first movie but with Allanna. Ah, well, maybe I'll do that next, after this one. This story comes first! Bangs fist on computer desk to emphasise point.

CodeRomance: It's nice to know that you know what I'm planning on doing but still read on anyways.