A/N: Wow, two chapters in an hour and a half! Here is Chapter 8, a nice long chapter to make up for Chapter 7's depressing shortness. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: The world is Tamora Pierce's.


Whispering Winds: Chapter 8

Kayla watched as Shyam rode towards her, whole and alive. "Shyam!" She called in delight, but he seemed not to hear her. He rode on through the forest, and Kayla followed him, wondering where he was going. The Shang Wolf seemed to have no destination; it was just a leisurely ride through the forest. Suddenly, Elsu pulled up short, snorting with fear. His eyes were wide as his ears flicked back and forth. Shyam tried to calm the stallion, but Elsu reared suddenly, spooked by the rustling of the bushes that surrounded them. Finally getting his horse on the ground again, Shyam looked around, confused. He tensed, hazel eyes wary as a group of men spilled out of the forest around him. The leader seemed to be a man with dark black hair, and cold gray eyes. Watching him, Kayla shivered as the man's heartless gray eyes seemed to meet hers.

"Brock," one of the men whispered, "are you sure this is going to work?"

"Silence, you fool!" The man called Brock snapped back. The men converged on Shyam, who was watching them calmly.

"Do something!" Kayla muttered feverishly, watching Shyam as he sat in the saddle. One of the men stepped forward and cut the strap of Shyam saddle, dumping the Shang Wolf on the ground. The knife had also cut Elsu's side, and with a scream, the horse turned and bolted. Suddenly, Shyam was on his feet, and the men closed around him. Kayla felt herself being pulled away, but she fought the sensation.

"No!" She screamed, trying to return to the Shang Wolf. "Shyam!"

The scenery around her changed; she was in a sheltered forest glade, and the same men that had killed Shyam lounged about the clearing. Brock paced in the middle, gray eyes cold.

"Are you sure this plan is going to work, Brock?" One of the men asked from where he was sitting against a tree.

"Of course it will work," Brock snapped, holding the man's gaze with his own until the other man looked away. "We have already killed her mentor," Brock continued, "and once we have her cousin trapped, we can lure the other princess out."

The other man looked unconvinced. "But her cousin and the prince are inseparable," he murmured, "how do we lure one out without the other?" Brock grinned, but it did nothing to chase the coldness from his eyes.

"I have my ways," he told the other. Kayla listened, shocked. They were obviously planning to trap her, using her friends and family, but she didn't recognize any of the men. What had she ever done to them?

"After we kidnap the princess," the other man asked, "what happens?"

Brock grinned maliciously. "Her parents will certainly pay for her release," he murmured. "Queen Keianna will do anything for her daughters, and once we have the queen in our grasp…" his slow grin left nothing to the imagination, and Kayla shuddered with fear. "My father's debt will finally be paid," Brock murmured quietly, sounding even more bloodthirsty than before.

Kayla found herself beginning to be pulled away again, but this time, she let it, her mind whirling with what she had seen and heard.

"You have drawn the attention of the Trickster, little one," the voice boomed all around her. Kayla looked around, and found herself in a plain stone room.

"Where am I?" She asked, but the rich voice merely chuckled. "Who are you?" She asked again, but the voice did not answer. "Why have you chosen me?" She asked desperately.

"Do you think that someone who spends time with thieves and knows their tricks will go unnoticed?" The voice asked, and Kayla glared at her surroundings.

"So you chose me, just because I know thieves' tricks?" She demanded, and the voice gave a booming laugh.

"No, my dear child," the voice said, clearly amused, "it's because you have a great future ahead of you. And we gods always keep an eye on the ones who have been Chosen."

"Wait," Kayla called as the room and the voice faded. "What do you mean?" The voice did not reply.


Kayla sat up with a start, finding herself in her bed. Small hands thrust a glass in her hand; sniffing it, Kayla found it was full of water, and she drank thirstily.

"Dani?" A small voice asked, and Kayla blinked, letting her eyes adjust to the semi-darkness of her room. A familiar face loomed up at her: Mite.

The boy stared at her. "Why didn't you tell me you lived in the palace?" the boy demanded, sounding awed.

"Mite…" Kayla tried to explain, but she was too tired, and the young boy rushed on.

"Dagger was worried about you," the boy continued, ignoring Kayla's blush, "and so was Da."

"Thank you for bringing me back here," Kayla told him, and that was all she had time to say as Kyia burst into the room, followed by a healer.

"Are you okay?" She asked, enveloping the other girl in a hug. Kayla laughed and squirmed underneath her cousin's crushing hug.

"Kyia, I'm fine," she said, but her cousin didn't look convinced.

"Kayla…" she started, but Kayla waved it away.

"I'm fine," she said firmly, waving the healer away. Her gaze landed on Mite, and she cast around for a suitable name to call him by. "Daniel," she called, and the boy looked from left to right, as if unsure if she was talking to him. Looking surprised, he trotted over to her bed.

"Daniel," Kayla continued, well aware of Kyia's gaze, "will you go to the market and deliver this message for me?" She handed him a blank piece of paper and held his gaze, making sure he knew what she was referring to.

"Yes, Lady," Mite said obediently, then leaned forward. "Dani," he whispered, "how did you know my real name?" Kayla just grinned at him and straightened.

"Thank you, Daniel," she said, loud enough to draw Kyia and the healer's attention. "You may go now." Grinning, Mite nodded and fled the room.


"Kyia, I'm fine and I don't need to see a healer," Kayla insisted once more.

Kyia looked unconvinced but withdrew anyway, taking the healer with her. "Just stay in bed and rest," she advised before shutting the door.

Kayla waited for a moment, making sure she was gone, and kicked back the covers. Getting out of bed, she made her way over to the roaring fire. Danika, perched on her bed, meowed reprovingly, but Kayla ignored the cat.

Sitting cross legged before the fire, Kayla settled herself into a comfortable position. Letting her Gift out, she let it surround the fire, turning the flames a blue-green color. Her blue-green eyes hardened as she steeled herself for what she was about to do. Sending more of her Gift into the flames, she called out, "I call upon Queen Keianna of Tyra."

The flames roared, and when they had died down to their regular level, Keianna's face appeared in the flames. In the flames, it was a shadow of her normal appearance, but it worked for fire-talking. She peered out of the flames, and finding her daughter, asked worriedly, "Kayla? What's wrong?"

Kayla bowed her head, sorrow once again swamping her. "Mother," she whispered as her voice broke. "Shyam's dead."

"Oh, Mithros," she heard her mother murmur, and when she looked up, she saw tears running down her mother's cheeks. "What happened?"

"He was attacked," Kayla explained, and quickly told her mother about her dream. At the end of it, Kei looked at her daughter with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I don't know what it means," she admitted. "The only man I ever knew by the name of Brock was the man that kidnapped me shortly after I left court. But it couldn't be him," she told her daughter, "he was at least twenty years older than me and is probably dead by now."

Kayla shook her head. That didn't match the man she had seen in her dream. "It could be his son," she whispered, and Kei looked startled.

"It might be," she conceded, but then looked her daughter straight in the eye. "Don't go wandering around," she warned her daughter, "now that we know he's after you."

"Don't worry, Mother," Kayla assured her, "I'll be careful." With a whispered, "So mote it be," they broke the connection. As the flames died down again and the blue-green Gift disappeared, Kayla sagged back, exhausted by that short conversation.

Getting to her feet wearily, she climbed back into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.


"May I have your attention please?" Jasson's voice rang out over the clatter of the feast, and the conversations slowly died down as the nobles turned to stare at the young prince.

Kayla looked up from where she was sitting next to Kyia in interest. Jasson walked towards them, and extended his hand. Looking nervous, Kyia took itand let him lead her to the center of the room.

"You all know Lady Kyianna of Tyra," Jasson continued, and murmurs of assent rippled around the room. "Well," the prince told the assembled crowd, "she was not always Lady Kyianna of Tyra. She has told me who she truly is," Jasson told the nobles, who began to whisper among themselves.

"May I present to you, Princess Kyianna Aceline of Tyra, and my future wife!" Jasson announced, and the hall exploded into whispers. Shocked, Kayla could only stare as her cousin blushed. She watched as Jasson kissed Kyia on the cheek--a court formality--and slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.

Kyia looked over at Kayla nervously, unsure of what to expect. Kayla grinned at her, mouthing her own congratulations. In the din of nobles that crowded up to congratulate the two, Kayla slipped away. There was something she still had to do.


The sun was setting as Kayla turned down the side street that led to Swift's house. Like Mite had taught her, she scrambled up the side of the house, dropping soundlessly over the windowsill and into Dagger's room.

Seeing her, Dagger got up from where he had been sitting. "Dani?" He asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

In the dying light of the sun, Kayla blushed,wondering if coming here was the right thing to do. "I came to see you," she whispered, and Dagger's hazel eyes glowed with pleasure.

Taking her hand, he led her to the windowsill, swinging his legs over and perching comfortably. Kayla copied him, unafraid of the drop below her.

"I'm glad to see you're awake," Dagger murmured, squeezing her hand.

Kayla stared out at the sunset before turning to him, half her face in shadow. She swallowed hard. This had to be the hardest thing she had ever done, but she knew she had to do it.

"Dagger," she murmured, "my name's not really Dani."

"Then who are you?" Dagger's voice, usually warm, was now cold, and Kayla felthis voice cut through herlike she felt the wind that arose now, cutting through her clothes.

"Kayla," she whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear her.

"The princess?" She heard Dagger's shocked whisper, and she felt him move away from her. She looked up, and found that he had moved back into the room, and was staring at her with accusation in his eyes.

"You used me?" He asked, horrified.

Kayla shook her head. "I never used you, Dagger," she pleaded. "I escaped into the marketplace to escape my royal duties for a few hours. I never expected to find you," she murmured, "or your father, who knew my mother, or to fall—" Kayla bit her lip, refusing to finish the sentence. She may have already said too much, and she didn't want to ruin it any further.

Dagger stared at her in disbelief, the tiniest bit of hope shining there as he wondered what she was going to say.

"Then the reason you were crying the other day when we found you was because the Shang Wolf had just died and he was your friend." He murmured, half to himself as things began to fall into place.

Kayla nodded mutely, and looked at him hopefully; maybe he had forgiven her.

Dagger looked at her, and a smile seemed to appear at the corners of his mouth. Kayla thought she saw him smile, but it must have been the dying light playing tricks on her, because his hazel eyes hardened again, and he spat, "Get out of here."

Kayla bit her tongue to keep from crying, but she nodded. Turning around, she let herself down from side of the house, landing hard on the ground. She saw Swift approach her from the doorway, but she didn't want to speak to him, so she fled, back up the street.


In her rooms in the palace, Kayla laid out fresh clothes and sharpened her daggers as Danika looked on with narrowed blue eyes. Kayla looked over everything she had laid out and smiled grimly, blue-green eyes hard.

She would go after Brock at dawn.


A/N: Well, that's Chapter 8, so tell me what you think by reviewing! No flames please!