A/N: I'm sorry, I promised someone I'd get it done by Sunday (sorry flyery), but I had no timerunning away from tomatoes! Here it is, and it's dedicated to my sister (can't remember fanfic name, but you know who you are!), flyery, and nicolerenea (again). To my sister, for yelling at me every time I didn't get a certain part right or do a new chap in time, thanks! To Flyery, for a great new review, it helped me a lot! And to Nicolerenea, who I love (not in the girl/girl way either: D), for her reviews (she does it every time!), her advice, inspirations, and for reminding me why I am evil (I updated as soon as I could, just for points: P) And now…for the chap!

Unexpected Ally

"Get up…it's not safe to go to sleep here." Ruff hands shook her. Ria opened her eyes to see a tall, well-worn man standing before her.

"Who…who are you?" She asked tentatively.

"I'll tell you later, we have a lot of running to do." He looked at her questioningly, "Can you walk?"

Ria tried to stand up, sagged a little bit, but got struggled to her feet. "I think so…"

The man took one look at her, shook his head, and grabbed her hand and ran down the alley.

"We have to get out of here as fast as possible…if you can't make it in time, I'll carry you."

Ria wanted to pull back, to stop, too ask him the million questions in her head…but she found that as hard as she tried, she couldn't pull free. As she ran she pondered why he was doing this…and why had he knocked those men cold.

She stumbled and the man, who had been running like his life depended on it, spun, catching her weight as she fell.

"Don't worry, I can…I can walk." Ria rasped, and tried to stand, only to fall back again.

"No, you can't." He said with evident amusement, and picked her up, and started running again. As he ran Ria closed her eyes and tried to become a small ball.

Ria started suddenly, even as she was being held in his arms, as she realized something strange. Who was this man who could pick her up and run so fast with so much weight?

She looked up, and buried her head against his chest as he ran towards a huge gap in between buildings. She realized he must have climbed up to the rooftops sometime…but why was he running towards the gap?

She felt giddy as her stomach dropped. She knew that he had missed the jump… they were going to die. She opened her to watch her last moments of life, and watched in amazement. The man was scaling the roof! He had grabbed a drainpipe and was sliding down it like he was used to it. He thudded to the ground and regained his former speed.

"We're here." He said in that voice of his, gruff, but gentle.

She whipped her head around just as he put her down, so she was unsteady on her feet, and the man had to steady her.

"Follow me. You can ask your questions in a moment."

Ria followed without complaint. She walked behind him into the inn, for the place that they had stopped at was defiantly an inn, with a sign on the front having the letters H…A…I…D…E in fading letters on it. Ria realized it must have said something different…but she could make out the words and the picture on top.

"Swiftfoot, grab me some ale, would you."

Ria had walked into a crowded room with lower city men and women sitting all over: flower girls, thieves, brawlers, and drunks…the whole crowd was there.

Ria glanced at the walls of the place while following the man to a table with a high backed chair at the head with a kingly looking man sat in. The person who rescued her went up to the chair, beckoning her to follow his lead, and bowed to the man in the chair.

"My Liege."

The man in the chair nodded at him and said, "Yroix, you did well on this trip…"

The man was about to continue when Ria burst in and said, "Who are you!" Angry and impatient.

"Me?" The King Man looked amused. "I am the King of Thieves. I am Marek Swiftknife. Welcome to the Dancing Dove."

A/N: I told you there would be some interesting people in this chap! Well, how do you like it? You know the drill, R&R!