Author Note:
Sorry about the delay you guys. I'm well aware the chapter's a bit over two weeks late. I had a huge project for school, which basically would help decide if I graduate college or not, so that needed to be done. Then I managed to get violently sick. Sick and typing at the computer don't mix. And then my best friend and her daughter (my goddaughter) moved in with us. So it's been a bit crazy. All that, plus, this is the really big climax. All that's left is a short epilogue, which I can guarantee won't be very long. So yeah, I wanted a lot of effort to go into what is essentially the final chapter of Gift. Ok, so now onto the other stuff. Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure you'll all be pleased with my 16 page chapter to make up for the shortness of chapter 10.

Addendum:
All chapters 1-11 have been revised.

Review Replies:
Me: Glad to hear it. Another non-checked chapter cause I'm still a bit sick and very lazy, and it's nearing midnight, and I'm way late.

Nomad: Sorry; life kind of caught up with me. Glad you like though.

-11-
Power

The next day dawned foggy and humid. The air felt heavy, and even after breakfast the pages had trouble seeing their hands in front of their faces as they stood outside the stable where their horses had been picketed. Inara leaned against the wall, while Sam and Benton stood next to her yawning. They'd been told to separate by years by one of Lord Padraig's messangers.

"Could it be any harder to see?" Benton groaned. Sam shook his head.

"Doubt it. How many fingers am I holding up?" he asked, taking a few steps back and holding up his fingers to Benton. The other boy squinted and then shook his head.

"Couldn't tell you. Do you think Lord Padraig will cancel what ever it is he's going to make us do?"

"I don't think so," Inara put it. She shuddered a bit. She didn't like the feeling she was getting. Something was going to happen. She didn't know how she knew, but her whole body felt weird. There was something in the air besides the fog. "Sam, do you think the fog is natural?" Of the three of them, Sam was the only one with the gift.

"Yeah; as far as I can tell, there's no magic in it," he told her. Inara sighed and checked her belt. They weren't going to be taking their horses, but they were allowed any other weapons they desired. Inara had her sword and dagger at her side. Tucked hidden into the belt was the dirk she'd received only a few weeks earlier. She didn't trust how she'd acquired it, but a knight didn't refuse to use any weapons at their disposal if need be. She just wouldn't use it unless she had to.

"Head's up," the three second years heard Nick call. All three looked in his direction, only to see four figures riding towards them out of the fog: Lord Padraig, Sir Zahir, Mistress Daine, and Rikash. All but the two shape shifters rode horses. The pages all instantly quieted down when they were in view.

"Lovely weather isn't it?" Rikash asked them with a smile. The pages all responded with a slight chuckle. Not knowing what was coming was making them nervous.

"We're just waiting on two more," Lord Padraig told them, looking around. His eyes settled on two mounted Bazhir by the court yard gate. "Good, they're here. We can begin." He paused as he looked over the sleepy looking pages. "We're going to work on your tracking skills over the next two days, as well as your survival skills. The desert is not a forgiving place. Nor is it an easy place to survive on your own. Thus you will have to work together to complete this task.

"I'm going to divide you all into two groups. Sir Zahir and I will escort each of the groups to a separate starting oasis. Both locations are equally distant from your ultimate goal. Somewhere in the desert, Master Numair is waiting for you."

A murmur swept through the crowd when he paused. They were supposed to track down a mage through the desert; alone? The prospect was exciting, if they could pull it off. However, as Lord Padraig had said, the desert was not an easy place to survive. And with the fog, it would be easy to get off track or even lost.

"Calm down. Our two Bazhir here, have just told me that the trails from each of your starts to the finish have been started. Sir Zahir and I will be riding along a perimeter of your travel area, and Mistress Daine and Master Rikash will be monitoring you from the air," he assured the pages. "You have a few minutes to collect your thoughts, and then I will split you up." He turned his back to the pages and began to converse with the other adults and the two strange Bazhir men.

"What do you think?" Sam asked Inara, who didn't look like she was too happy with the way things were playing out.

"I don't know. Something seems off."

"About Lord Padraig?"

"No, I just don't know. I feel like something bad is going to happen."

"I'm sure if the half-breed is too scared, Lord Padraig would let her stay behind," Hakim put in. Since his older friends had become squires, he'd been pretty much ignoring Inara and her friends, but occasionally he put his annoying two cents in.

"No one asked you, ibn Ahbar," Benton told him. Hakim just sniffed and turned his back to his year mates once again. Inara sighed and shook her head. Lord Padraig was signaling them back over.

It took ten minutes for the training master to group the pages. Inara's group was to be lead by Corin. Lord Padraig had chosen to place Sam, Nick, Arwin of Stonegate, Benton, and Asten in the group as well. The other seven pages would be a group lead by Martin of Tameran. Having her friends with her was the only thing that made Inara relax slightly. That and Lord Padraig chose to lead Corin's group personally.

It took the pages two full bells to reach the oasis on foot. They were to use a bell of time to plan out their strategy, and then start. After giving them their instructions, and handing a horn for emergencies to Nick, Lord Padraig rode back the way they had come.

"How do we start?" Corin asked them, when they could no longer see the training master.

"You delegate, Corin. Lord Padraig made you the leader this time," Asten told his friend. The younger pages looked to the two oldest boys for directions.

"Ok, well, we all need jobs. This is going to take a while, so we'd best be prepared to make camp," Corin suggested. The others nodded, encouraging him to go on. "Inara and Asten are the best with swords but I want Asten as a scout, so I want Inara and Sam on defense of the main group. Everyone else will take turns scouting ahead and behind," he added.

"Two in front? One behind?" Nick asked. Corin nodded.

"We'll switch off every two bells or so," he added. "Benton and Asten will scout our front first, Arwin will take the back. We'll rotate from there. The rest of us will keep a look out for the trail."

"What about camp?" Inara asked him. Corin bit his lip for a few moments, thinking. "Arwin and Benton are good shots, so they'll do the hunting. Not too far from where we make camp, mind you," he told the two of them. Both boys nodded. "Inara, you're best at skinning and cooking, so…"

"I'll do it," she told him.

"Nick will be responsible for the latrine. Set up and clean up. We don't want anyone being able to track us."

"Yes sir," Nick replied, with a mock salute.

"That leaves Sam, Asten, and I to set up camp. Sound fair?"

"Definitely," the pages replied, while some nodded. Jobs handed out, they began to talk about the best ways of tracking, and how they'd go about making sure they didn't run low on water or rations while they were marching. By the time the hour was over, they had finished and were ready to start. The scouts fanned out and the pages moved out of the safety of their oasis, into the open ground. A small shudder swept through Inara's body one more time.

They'd decided that north was the most likely course taken, judging by the horse prints in the sand. The heavy fog that had set in earlier had started to clear, but seeing the distance was still minimal. However, the fog kept the wind from completely obliterating the hoof prints.

Three hours later, they found a pile of dung slightly off the path they'd been traveling. It was a good sign; it meant they were still heading in the correct direction. The pages had been ordered to keep notes of how their tracking went, although how detailed, was never indicated. To be on the safe side, Asten suggested they determine how old the waste was before moving on.

He, Benton and Sam were debating on it when Nick came back into camp, slightly out of breath. Inara handed him a flask of water, a bit grudgingly. They only had two and both were nearing empty. They needed to find water.

"Thanks," he told her, after taking a tiny sip. Even though they knew their teachers weren't far off, they knew this was a test, and no one was going to mess up. Inara nodded and screwed the lid back on. "On the left; about two miles north of us, there's a group of riders. Don't know if they're friendly."

"How long until they reach us?" Asten asked. "Are they riding fast?"

Nick shook his head in response. "Maybe about an hour," Nick told them. He placed the scope they'd managed to bring back into his belt purse. They decided that the scout who would go furthest in front would take the scope, while the other two would use their eyes.

Asten frowned. "You get a good idea?" he asked Benton and Sam. The two second years nodded. "How long?"

"Day and a half," Sam replied. "Approximately. We've got to start moving faster if we've only got until dusk tomorrow to reach Master Numair," he added.

Asten nodded. "Inara, run and fetch Corin in the rear. He's the leader, this is his call. Benton, you get Arwin. Nick, sit and rest." The three pages nodded and obeyed his orders.

Ten minutes later, the seven pages grouped together, and Nick and Sam gave Corin their information. A few curses later, Corin looked at the group.

"I know we're down on time, but we don't know if this group is friendly or not. We're going to have to get off the trail. We've two choices," he told them. "Veer a good distance off the track and keep going, or find someplace to hide and wait for them to pass by. And we haven't much time to decide," he reminded them.

"We need to reach Master Numair," Benton whispered first.

"Yeah, but we need to be alive to do it; preferably all of us," Sam retorted.

"And we're low on water," Inara added. "If we could find someplace…"

"We'd be able to rest too," Nick suggested.

"Did you find anyplace?" Corin asked him. Nick sighed and shook his head.

"I did," Arwin spoke up. "About a half mile off the trail on the right. With the scope we'll be able to see them pass. There's plenty of shade, and a small spring to refill the water flasks. We can wait them out there," the first year suggested. Corin nodded.

"Everyone in agreement then? We head for cover?"

The seven pages nodded, and with Arwin in the lead, they made for the oasis. It was a bit small, but there was plenty of low cover, so long as they laid flat, which, considering they'd been walking for so long, wasn't that hard to accomplish. Inara and Nick set about refilling the flasks, while Arwin and Benton kept look out. The other three went over what they knew about the trail, and planned how they could speed up.

An hour later, some of the boys who weren't on lookout were dozing in the shade. Inara lay on her back, next to Sam who had the scope. The boy was on his stomach peering out into the distance they'd come. Overhead an eagle soared. The fog had finally lifted enough that they could see a decent distance around them. Inara followed the raptor's flight with her eyes. It didn't appear to be hunting; just enjoying its ability to fly. As she watched the bird, she slowly began to drift to sleep.

Suddenly, an ear piercing screech reached her ears. It took all her self control not to bolt up right as her eyes flew open. The sound appeared to have woken the other boys as well. Inara glared up at the eagle which was now circling low over head.

It wasn't until Sam poked her arm twice (the signal that the riders were in viewing distance) that Inara realized the screech was no screech but a warning; that the eagle was either Diane or Rikash keeping an eye on the pages. Due to the fog, Inara hadn't noticed them before.

The girl passed the signal on to the other boys and Corin crawled on his belly up beside Sam. The younger boy handed him the scope, while the rest positioned themselves silently so they could see better.

Corin watched intently for a few minutes before hand signaling the group around him. There were twelve riders in the group, all appearing to be men. Their clothing suggested that they were Bazhir, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. As the riders passed by, their pace remained steady; obviously they hadn't noticed the seven young pages.

The bird/mage overhead changed its flight to follow the riders as Corin lowered the scope. "We wait a half bell more," he told them. "Then I want us to double our pace."

The other boys agreed and set about making the preparations to leave. Inara let out a sigh of relief, before following her friends. Already she felt better than she had that morning.

The seven pages indeed doubled their pace, while also stopping much less often to take rests. The plan was to cover as much ground as they could without exhausting themselves. Once, they accidentally got off track, mistaking a print of another horse for their quarry. The riders had trampled much of the trail, so they were going on instinct, skill, and any physical signs they could find.

The diversion cost them an hour, as well as a long angry rant from Corin. Nick kept quiet for a while, as he was the one who had spotted the random print.

When they finally stopped for lunch, several hours after midday, Corin had calmed down a bit; however, he was still avoiding the first year. To keep the boys separated, Inara asked Nick to help her with the rations, while the other five reviewed the notes they'd taken that morning.

"I said I was sorry," Nick told Inara as they rummaged through the packs. Inara smiled and pat his shoulder.

"He knows. This is the first time Lord Padriag has let him command anything," she explained. "Corin's just afraid that if he makes any tiny mistakes, he'll never get another chance at this."

"Guess that makes sense," Nick replied, following behind her. She nodded.

"Of course it does. Now go get the cheese from Asten; it's in his pack and I can't find it."

Nick ran to do as he was told, while Inara got out the ham and bread. She began putting together their very meager lunch. Hopefully Arwin and Benton would succeed in finding food at night, otherwise, they'd run low on energy and Corin would be forced to slow their pace the next day.

By the time lunch was done, Corin seemed in a much better mood. He appeared to have completely forgotten he was ever upset with Nick. The older page even seemed convinced that their group was doing fine, and gave everyone compliments. Inara was beginning to wonder if his food had been poisoned, somehow, as they headed out onto the trail once again.

When Arwin, Nick, and Asten went off on scouting duty, Sam and Benton slipped into a quiet conversation at the front, leaving Corin and Inara to bring up the rear.

"You ok?" she whispered to her cousin. Corin just shrugged, not really answering her question. "Corin?"

"I'm fine," he said flatly. Inara jabbed him in the ribs. "What?"

"You can't just go from super angry, to joyful. There's a lot you're capable of Masbolle, but crazy emotional moodswings are not in that list," she informed him, crossing her arms over her chest. Corin sighed and shook his head. She jabbed him again.

"Oww... quit that," he snapped quietly.

"Not until you talk; you're still upset?"

"Well yeah. Ma's a commander, I kind of hoped I could be too. Screwing up isn't a good sign."

"You made a mistake. I'm pretty sure your ma made a few mistakes too, Corin."

"Still… I just figured we'll probably do better if we're not yelling at each other; if I'm not yelling at everyone," he told her.

"Ahh… the intelligence of a leader. When did you develop that?" Inara asked him jokingly. She definitely agreed that harmony within their group would get them farther than arguing.

"Very funny," Corin laughed. "Haven't seen you trying to take any type of command?"

"Don't want it," she confided. "Personally, I'm perfectly happy taking orders and not giving them."

"Nothing like Ma are you?" he added. Inara just shook her head. "Oh look, Sam found more poo, goody," he said, looking ahead and rolling his eyes. Inara giggled as they raced toward her year mates.

They didn't stop for supper until well after night fall. The last trail sign they'd found told them they had indeed closed in on Master Numair's location. They were about half a day's ride from their quarry. It had taken a bit of convincing from all the pages to get Corin to consent to stopping for the night. Only when Asten reminded him that Lord Padraig might see a revolt as failure, did he reluctantly agree. As the day wore on and the sun had gone down, the eagle's cries above had become more frequent, apparently assuring that he or she was still there. Inara was grateful for that presence.

Just as they agreed on, Arwin and Benton went off to hunt while Inara set up a fire for cooking and Nick dug the latrine. The other three boys pitched tents and Sam used what he'd learned from his teachers to form a protective circle around their camp. He wouldn't seal it until Arwin and Benton were back.

"Want me to light it?" Sam asked Inara, coming up behind her as she struggled to light the flames with the flint. Normally she would have loved to let him do it, but survival was at stake.

"No thanks; I've got to do this. And who knows if we won't need your gift later on," she replied.

"It's just a bit of fire. It won't sap my gift," Sam argued, defiantly. He seemed angry.

"My whole family has the gift, Sam. You never know if that little bit you use on something frivolous is the little bit that means the difference between life and death."

Sam just shook his head and walked off. Inara sighed. She didn't understand why he was so upset. She hadn't let him light the fire for her; so what? Boys were odd.

A short while later, Arwin and Benton returned with four desert hares. Asten and Nick helped Inara skin and clean them before Inara put them in the stew she'd begun to prepare. The hares, plus the beans, rice, and vegetable soup mix they'd been given would make a very decent supper for the seven pages.

While she cooked, the boys sat and joked around her. Occasionally, Inara would put her two cents in. When the group finally started to fall silent, Arwin began to hum a hymn to Mithros. Before long the whole group was singing loud enough to enjoy, but quiet enough not to attract too much unwanted attention.

Halfway through their third song, Inara served the meal. Even Arwin thanked her. Every since Gilyith and his cronies had left, Arwin and Edmond had been nicer, or at least not horrid. The pages were happily enjoying their meal when a bird soared into the campsite and landed beside the fire.

"Looks like your chaperone's arrived, pup," Asten laughed. The eagle nodded as much as it could and shape shifted its head until Daine's face rested on the bird's shoulder.

"Well, that's a bit unnerving," Benton commented, looking away.

"Forgive me for not changing completely. Or would you want my husband to kill you when he finds out you saw me naked," she replied back.

"Sorry," Benton muttered, although he still wouldn't look at her. Daine shook her head.

"Lord Padraig should be here with my clothing shortly," she added, before turning to Inara, who was frowning. "No worries dear, I'm not going to interfere unless one of these young gentlemen tries anything funny. Otherwise, I stay out of things. This is your test."

Inara smiled and nodded, grateful that she wouldn't be forced to do anything the others didn't have to do, like sleep in a tent or away from the group. Daine was just there to make sure nothing happened that shouldn't to a female in a group of boys. She completely understood. She understood a lot more now that she'd gone through all the changes at the beginning of the year.

When they finished cleaning up, Inara volunteered for the first watch of the night; pointing out that didn't feel she'd done anything worth calling work all day. True she and Sam were elected as the guards of the group, but she wanted to do something. And the first shift when you'd been marching all day long was certainly the hardest. The boys had agreed to let her without a fight, and Inara took her place beside the banked fire and began cleaning her dagger in the moonlight. Behind her, she could hear Daine who had shifted back to full bird preening behind her. Or at least that's what she assumed the shape shifter was doing.

Her friends seemed to have fallen asleep almost instantly. Inara envied them for a few minutes, but when she realized she was having trouble keeping herself from yawning, she turned her attention back to her weapons. She double checked that her blade was beside her. Suddenly, she heard a twig snap in the distance. Inara jumped to her feet, grabbing her sword as she went. She motioned for Daine to stay put as she crept forward toward the sound. A low horn call reached her ears. It signaled the arrival of a friend and Lord Padraig walked into the center of the oasis the pages had chosen for their camp leading his mount. Inara kept the sword raised until she could see his face.

"Very good; a horn call can always be figured out and imitated," Lord Padraig told her. Inara nodded her understanding as the training master handed her a bag of clothing. Inara mumbled her thanks, as he left just as quickly as he'd come. It seemed no one was going to interrupt their test in any way more than was necessary.

Inara pulled Daine's clothing from the bag and set them behind a tree well out of the boys' sight, before going back to her post. A few minutes later, footsteps behind her made her spin before she heard the mage's voice.

"It's just me," she told the girl. "You've got good reflexes," Daine told her.

"Thanks. You've got to be fast when you use a sword."

"I've heard you're good with one," she said, leaning against a tree and looking down at the girl. Inara shrugged until Daine gave her a look before smiling and nodding.

"Alright; I'm good with a sword."

"Good. Modesty is underrated sometimes," she told the girl. "I'll let you get back to your job. Night," she told Inara.

"Sleep well, Mistress Daine," Inara called back.

Inara's watch was a good three hours long. She finished cleaning all of her weapons by the end of the first; had exercised and practiced her sword patterns during the second, and for most of the third, she'd counted the stars as they twinkled in and out. Towards the end of her shift the fog that had plagued them all day long began to roll back in. Inara grumbled. She hadn't liked not being able to see during the day; and she didn't like not being able to see in the dark even less.

Someone shifted behind her, but when she spun to look nothing was there. She yawned a few more times. She wondered if she shouldn't wake Benton a few minutes early for his shift since she was so tired. Finally, deciding that sleep would be a good thing, she crept towards the boys, and found Benton's bedroll.

"Benton," she whispered, shaking him. He stirred slightly and rolled over. She shook him harder, as another yawn consumed her. The boy wouldn't wake up, and a very pleasant smell was enveloping her senses. Just behind her, Inara heard a bird screech, and someone, with a very strange voice cursed loudly. Inara managed to look up as a loud thump hit a near by tree trunk.

"Leave the damn bird," someone shouted. It was the last thing Inara heard before she succumbed to darkness.

Inara blinked bleary eyes awake what must have been several hours later. It was still before dawn, and very little light made it difficult to see. That combined with whatever bit of the drug was still left in her body dulled her senses. The girl's first thought was that she should have heard whoever had taken them coming. Her second thought was that Sam had forgotten to seal the protective circle before they went to bed; followed by the idea that if they ever got out of this, she was going to kill him.

Finally she could see clear enough to make out her position. She was seated on the ground, her arms tied behind her, and her back to a tree. Her ankles were tied as well. On one side of her, Asten slumped forward; on the other, was Nick, and Benton was tied beside him. A second tree across from them held Corin, Sam, and Arwin. All six of the boys were still under the effect of the drug, but luckily they were all alive. Mistress Daine was no where to be seen.

Inara blinked a few more times to get a fully clear picture. They were at the rear of a camp. Figures were moving about in the distance, but they were most definitely no where near the desert. In fact, Inara was pretty sure she was too cold to be anywhere south. This close to dawn, she should have actually been pretty warm. She could hear voices in the camp, but they were too far off to be distinct.

The page moved on to examining her circumstances. The bonds that held them in place were simple rope. Apparently these people didn't think too highly of the pages. Granted, they had removed their weapons. Inara could see her sword on top of a pile just beyond the trees they were tied to. However, Inara could still feel the dirk against her abdomen. Apparently, the kidnappers hadn't thought to check for concealed weapons. Royal pages were probably considered too stupid or too honorable to do such a thing.

On her left, she felt Asten begin to stir. He groaned, mumbling something about his head hurting. "Shhh," she warned quietly. It was probably best not to let anyone know they were awake. Asten blinked the drug induced sleep out of his eyes and looked around.

"What happened?" he muttered, trying to stay calm; Inara could see the panic in his eyes, just as he could see them in hers. "Where are we?"

"Drugged," she whispered back. "No idea." She began to wriggle her hands. They were bound too tight for her to get free. "Are your bonds loose at all?"

Asten struggled for a moment before shaking his head. Inara muttered a curse. "We don't have anything to cut the other ropes, even if we could get our hands free," he told her. Inara shook her head in response.

"I've got a dirk in my belt and down my leg. Hidden," she added in response to his questioning look. "Hopefully, Nick's loose."

"A bit," was the response on her right. Inara turned to look at him. "Been awake a while now. Didn't want to move," he told her, opening his eyes. "This is not my idea of a good time," he added, sourly.

"Sam forgot to seal the ring?" Asten asked. Inara nodded. "Not his fault. And it's not yours either, pup," he added, reading her face.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Inara asked him. She was slowly loosing a battle with her nerves.

"Because we have to be," he replied. Nick nodded.

"It's what my Da would say. If you lose your head, you've lost your battle. Stay calm in even the worst situations."

"I hope your da was right," Inara replied.

"Me too," he added, giving her a tiny smile. "I got my hand free. Where's your dirk?"

"Just under my belt and down the leg towards you," she told him. The boy fumbled for a few moments, but managed to free the blade. He unsheathed it and immediately saw the raven armory emblem. "Where'd you get this?"

"We've been kidnapped and tied to a tree, and you're worried about where I got a weapon?" Inara asked him. Nick blushed and began to cut the ropes tying her wrists, when she tilted toward him. As soon as she was free, he handed over the blade so she could cut Asten free.

"Wait for Benton to wake up before cutting him loose," Asten told them. "We'll be in serious trouble if he bolts before we have an escape plan."

"What about ankles?"

"Doubtful they'll notice our wrists untied if our hands are behind our backs," Asten muttered, taking the dirk from Inara and cutting his ankles free, working quickly. "Cut the ankle tie underneath," he added. "Keep your legs flat. It'll look like they're still tied." The older boy handed back the weapon and Inara did as she was told, before passing it to Nick, who followed suit, before stashing the blade in his own belt so he could free Benton when the time came.

"So far so good," Inara breathed. She didn't like how far her sword was from her body or how far the horn was. Although, it didn't seem like it would make any difference. They didn't appear to be anywhere nearby the desert.

"I hate to put a damper on things, but how are we going to reach the others?" Nick asked, as Benton began stirring. Nick slipped his hand out and calmed his friend as he woke. Benton was known for freaking out at the littlest thing. Being kidnapped while he was sleeping was certainly not little. Inara turned to Asten for an answer while Nick began whispering to Benton and explain how to free himself and make it look like he was still trapped.

The third year page just met her eyes, a sad look on his face. Inara shook her head, as Asten bit his lip. "No," she whispered. "There is no way I'm leaving them here," she added.

"What do you want to do?" Asten snapped, and immediately regretted it. Inara already had tears in her eyes at the slightest suggestion that they'd have to leave the other three behind. "We were lucky you even had the dirk," he told her. "Pup, listen," Asten continued, his voice calmer, softer, as if he was trying to comfort a little kid. Inara peered up at him. "We've got the numbers. We'll get away. We'll get help, and come back for them."

"He's right," a new voice said. Across from them, Corin had woken up and was listening. He seemed remarkably calm. "I don't like it, but he's right."

"Where do we go?" Nick asked him. He and Benton were now paying attention.

"No!," Inara croaked. "I am not leaving them. Period," she told them. "We don't even know where we'd go." She glanced around quickly while the boys glared at her. There wasn't a single sole anywhere near them. Once again, these kidnappers had underestimated the pages. She bit her lip.

"Inara, you're going to go. You're not going to argue," Corin told her, slipping into forceful older cousin mode, something he hadn't done since they were little.

"Forgive me," she replied, just loud enough for him to hear. Before anyone could stop her, Inara had said a lightning fast prayer to the goddess and chucked her dirk toward the tree between Corin and Sam. The blade grazed Sam's elbow before falling to the ground between the boys. The pain ripping through Sam's arm caused the boy to jerk awake. Corin prayed he didn't yell.

"Inara!" Corin scolded. "You could have killed us or attracted attention."

"Quit arguing. The blade's in your reach," Benton hissed. "Inara was right. I'm not leaving here without you all either."

"Where is here?" Sam muttered groggily. His new cut bled very sluggishly. It wasn't deep enough to be considered dangerous.

"Somewhere not in the southern desert," Corin told him. Sam nudged the blade closer to him until he could pick it up. The older boy got the dirk and cut his wrists free, then his ankle. He then cut Sam free.

"No more knife throwing, pup. At least not until you practice," he told her, trying to smile, but his face and voice faltered in fear. Inara attempted to smile back. They waited a few minutes for Arwin to stir before Corin shook him awake. He had to slap his hand across the boy's mouth to keep him from shouting. Finally, they were all awake, and free, at least to some extent.

"Now what?" Nick asked the older pages. Corin and Asten exchanged looks. They were just as scared at the younger pages, but as the oldest, they'd been nominated silently to take charge of the situation.

"There's a creek behind you, in a bit of a valley. If we move fast and quietly, and stay low."

"Fast and quietly will work," Asten cut off Corin. "Low won't. Not if we need speed. We've got to do this before the sun gets any higher."

"Any idea where it might lead?" Benton asked them. The boys shook their heads. Benton just took a deep breath and nodded. "It's our only chance."

"We've got to try and grab some weapons. Inara's dirk can't protect us all," Sam told them.

"Go for bows and if you can a sword or two. We need to get Inara and Asten armed," Corin told them. Inara's heart had begun to race. It was one thing to be kidnapped and wait for rescue. It was another to take matters into their own hands.

"I'm going for the horn," Nick told the older boys, his face stone set serious. All the pages looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"On my signal," Asten whispered, his voice shaking a bit. He paused for a moment. "Go!"

All seven dived toward the weapons pile, grabbing whatever their hands landed on first and dashing down the banks. They began running for all they were worth. Unfortunately they hadn't taken into account the drugs and that they'd been seated for several hours. Nick tripped, but Benton dragged the younger page to his feet. They struggled onward as quietly as they possibly could.

Inara looked down at her hands. In one, she clutched a quiver and bow, the second held her dirk. Nick had the horn, just as he promised. They'd get away, or if they couldn't they blow it as hard as they could.

"Here," Arwin appeared at Inara's side, carrying a sword. It was hers. Inara sighed as they ran and passed him the bow and quiver she'd grabbed. Arwin slung the quiver onto his back and nodded to her.

"Nick," Inara whispered, catching up to him. She passed the dirk to the weaponless boy. The group had managed to get a spear, two more swords (which were given straight to Sam and Asten), two daggers and another bow and quiver set. Benton took the second bow and quiver, while Corin took the spear and a dagger, and Asten took last dagger.

Maybe they would actually get away. Maybe they were going to survive this. Thoughts raced through Inara's mind as they ran. She felt like she was facing the Spidrens from the year before all over again. Not for the first time did she feel like she was being tested by some higher power.

The seven pages had gone only a half mile when the sound of hooves thundered behind them. Inara felt her stomach drop and her heart leap to her throat. They were running blindly, and they were now being pursued, with no hope of reaching anywhere that could possibly help.

"Nick! Blow the horn," Corin shouted. Their need for secrecy was over. They were faced with life or death now. The hoof beats were getting closer as the pages found themselves back into a cliff. Nick continued to blow the horn for all he was worth. Inara spun on her heals, as Corin and Asten shoved all the younger pages behind them. She shut her eyes and whimpered before opening them once again.

What she saw in front of her made her stomach drop another few inches. In front of the pages were not men mounted on horses, but twelve fully grown adult Odocoileus. Inara gulped, breathing hard, as she clutched her sword in both hands. This explained why they'd been so casual with the pages; why their weapons had been left so close by. To the immortals, Inara and her friends were just children. The Odocoileus didn't distinguish children from pages. All they saw was an easy meal. But how? She'd heard voices, hadn't she? And they'd used human magic to put them to sleep? The spell had been a common one. The pages had studied it.

The immortals had slowed to a walk when they realized the pages were trapped. Their eyes glowed a strange red as they stalked closer. A few wore what looked like sneers on their faces.

"I don't want to die this way," Arwin murmured behind her. Inara agreed, but there was nothing they could do, about it.

"They'll pay for this," one of the Odocoileus suddenly spoke. The voice was cold, and not quite human. It was the first time Inara had heard an immortal without any human part use common. She shuddered at the thought. "They said they were pathetic children," it continued.

"They'll pay," a second replied, stepping forward. Inara didn't have the time to contemplate what the creature meant. It suddenly lunged towards them, claws out, as it came, before it came crashing to the ground an hour lodged tightly in its neck. The red glow faded from its eyes as it hit the ground. It was dead. Arwin was heaving behind her.

A second Odocoileus fell to the ground dead in the moments of confusion that followed. Benton was already knocking another arrow when the creatures charged.

"Sam!" Corin called out to the group's only mage. The boy tossed his sword to Asten so he now had two and began focusing all his attention on what he knew. He sent out flashes of light each time one of the immortals tried to get at defenseless Nick, who even in the chaos had not stopped blowing the horn. The flashes let Arwin and Benton get several more shots in.

Inara engaged herself with one of the creatures, willing her attention onto the creature and not her friends. The Odocoileus was nearly two heads taller than she was, and definitely stronger. Inara swung her sword up to block its claws as they swept down towards her skull. Behind her Corin screamed in pain. She cast a glance and saw her cousin clutching his chest. He still clutched his spear in one hand and was trying to pull it out of the carcass of another dead Odocoileus.

Pain on her cheek and neck caused Inara to remember where her attention was supposed to be. The Odocoileus had almost sliced her head off. Anger surged through her body, and Inara fought back with everything she had. Most of her sword's moves were defensive, saving herself from the deadly claws the immortal wielded on each of its forepaws.

"Prepare to die," the creature hissed, just loud enough for Inara to hear over the blood curdling scream that erupted from behind her. The light in the area immediately went out, and Inara's heart stopped beating for a moment. Without thinking, she rammed her blade into creature's stomach, and pulled it back out again.

Inara didn't wait to make sure it was dead. She swirled on her heal and dashed toward a fallen Sam, while shoving the blade into now Benton's empty hands. "Guard Nick!" were the only words she managed to speak as she dropped to her knees beside Sam.

The boy was bleeding profusely from his chest, and gasping for air. Inara's eyes searched frantically until they fell on a tiny crevice at the base of the cliff. She lunged for it, dragging Sam with her, forcing them both into the tiny opening.

"Sam," she muttered, brushing his hair from his face. The boy whimpered and shook in her arms. Inara began to sob. She couldn't do this. "Come on Sam. We need you; you're the mage here. You've had worse," she told him. He gasped and coughed, blood flowing out of his mouth and down his chin. Inara pulled him close, clutching his back. Only then did she realize that the wound was not a chest wound. The Odocoileus had plunged its clawed hand through his back and out his chest. Inara gasped and pushed him away, horrified.

"No!" she muttered, sobbing harder, as she pulled him closer again and began rocking back and fourth. How could this have happened? They were supposed to have been tracking Master Numair. They weren't supposed to be fighting Odocoileus for their lives. Sam wasn't supposed to be lying in her arms dying while her friends battled just outside the small crevice she'd jammed them into. None of this was supposed to be true. "No, no, no, no, no," she replied over and over again.

"One little bit of gift, huh pup," Sam managed to choke out as his eyes closed. "G-gu- guess y-y-you were right," he stuttered.

"Don't talk," Inara whispered, clutching him with one arm. Instinctively, her hand went to the pendent around her neck. "You have to save your strength. You have to live."

"I'm cold," he said, coughing blood onto her tunic. Inara sobbed and pulled him closer.

"You have to live," she repeated.

"Not gonna make it, p-p-pup," he told her. "Gonna die here?" It was more of a question then a statement. Sam's bottom lip quivered as he fought to get air to the one lung the immortal hadn't torn through. Inara frantically shook her head.

"No! Mithros! Why couldn't I heal? Why couldn't I be like Papa? Or Baird? Or grandpa? Or Emry and Kennith? Or even Donalin? Why did you have to make me giftless?" She screamed at the ceiling of the cavern. Sam had begun to convulse in her arms. "Don't take him from me! Please! Please let him live," she pleaded, sobbing for all she was worth. Her hands grew warm until they reached burning hot. The temperature made her cry out in pain. She bit her lip and gazed down at her hands. They were glowed a greenish tinged white; heat radiated from under her skin. Instinctively, she pressed her hands against Sam's bleeding chest. "Please live," she muttered once more through her sobs. The whole area flashed bright white, for a full five seconds, before the light and the heat disappeared. In the back of her mind, Inara could faintly hear Nick still blowing his horn. Her eyes fought to focus on Sam in front of her. He looked the same. Inara passed out.

"SAM!" Inara lurched forward, her face stark white, her eyes wide. She was breathing frantically. Her mind slowly registered that she wasn't in a crevice anymore. She was sitting on a cot in a tent alone, a small candle burning beside her. Her mind raced, as she tried to figure out what was going on. Her whole body ached and her hands were heavily bandaged.

Inara swung her legs and pushed herself to her feet. The moment she was standing, her head spun and her stomach lurched, forcing bile out of her stomach. She leaned forward as she vomited.

"You shouldn't be standing," someone told her from behind. Inara turned to see Evan and standing in the tent flap. She tried to run to him, but her feet wouldn't cooperate. Instead Evan crossed the room and threw his arms around her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there." Inara just hugged him and nuzzled against his chest. She was protected again. "I should tell them you're awake."

"No," Inara whispered, as he forced her back onto the cot. "I don't deserve to be awake."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's my fault. I don't have the gift; I was on look out duty; I was… Sam is… and Nick… and Corin… Asten…"

"Shhh," Even hushed her until she fell silent, sobbing into his chest, her entire body.

"Nick's fine; a burn on his arm and a bump on his head, but he's fine. Asten's got a broken leg and a broken arm," he told her. Inara sobbed a bit less. "Arwin and Benton have a few deep gashes, and Benton's arm is broken, but they'll be alright. Corin's got a nasty burn across his chest, and a few cuts on his face. He's gonna be fine, too."

"But, Sam?" Inara cried as her lip quivered.

"Pup, he's," Evan paused as the tent flap open again, admitting several adults. Evan was forced away from the girl, as strong arms pulled her into a hug. Inara cried into her father's shoulder, muttering unintelligible words. Only once he'd calm her down did the adults in the room sit down.

"Do we have to do this now?" Nealan of Queenscove asked harshly. An old man in the corner gave him a significant look. Neal sighed and looked away. Inara looked from her father to his old training master, Evan's grandfather. Besides Lord Wyldon, Lord Padraig, Lady Keladry, Master Numair, Mistress Daine, and a stranger were present. "Go easy with her," Inara heard her father mutter as he stepped away.

"We're not monsters Sir Nealan," a voice said from the far end of the tent. Another adult that Inara hadn't noticed at first stood in the entrance way. Inara took a breath as King Jonathan stepped forward. He nodded to the girl who struggled to get to her feet and bow as all the adults and Evan did. "Please, sit, Page Inara. You're still not fully well. We wouldn't be here if this wasn't important."

"I tried to…" Inara tried. "I didn't mean for him to… it's my fault." She started sobbing.

"Has no one told the girl?" the stranger asked.

"You may be a guest here, Gavin Moonstone," Master Numair hissed. "But you don't speak out of turn."

"But she doesn't know," the stranger retorted.

"Queenscove," Lord Padraig said firmly but gently. "Samuel of Tirragen is alive. He shouldn't be, judging by the account we received from your friends, but he is."

"A-a-alive?" Inara struggled to make sure she heard her training master correctly. The man nodded.

"It's not your fault Inara," Mistress Daine spoke up. "I didn't hear them either. I was lucky I got away without only a broken collar bone," she told the page. Inara sighed with relief.

"Where are we?"

"The royal forest," her aunt answered her. "A rider group heard Nick's alarm calls."

"But how?" Now she was confused. How had they gotten from the desert to the royal forest.

"The Odocoileus; it's true; they can teleport; and they can bring anyone they wish with them. They hired human men in the desert to kidnap for them, and then they transport the children out of the area. They're never seen or heard from again," Lord Padraig explained to her. She was about to ask another question when her training master cut her off. "You've been asleep a little over a week." Inara looked away, stunned.

"I have to ask you a question now, Page Inara," King Jonathan told her. Inara gulped and nodded. She was scared, but no where near as scared as she'd been facing the immortals. "What exactly happened in the crevice?"

"The same thing that happened at the lake, your majesty," she told him as steadily as she could. "Sam was dying, and I begged Mithros to give me the power to heal him. I was crying and rocking back and fourth and I gripped by pendent, and then suddenly I was really hot. Like my hands were on fire. They were glowing white with a little green," she remembered to add; closing her eyes as if picturing it all as a dream. "I put my hands on his chest and continued to beg Mithros. I couldn't lose Sam... Samuel."

"What kind of stone?" It was the stranger who asked.

"She has a jade pendent," Master Numair snapped. Apparently, he didn't like the other man very much. Inara took a few moments to examine him. He had dark skin, and dark hair. However, he was lighter than any Carthaki she'd met. He reminded her of someone who might have had Kmiri blood in him. "The stone's not important."

"Of course the stone is important," Gavin Moonstone, as Master Numair had called him, replied. "It acts a conductor; at least until she's strong enough on her own."

"Strong enough on my own?" Inara asked. "Forgive me, sirs, but what are you talking about."

The stranger turned to look her in the eyes. His dark brown ones met her green and held them for a moment. She guessed he was in his early twenties. Finally he gave her a tiny smile and tore his gaze from hers. "Your friends said you wished you could have the gift. Congratulations."

"What?" Neal and Inara asked at the same time. King Jonathan, Lord Padraig, and Lord Wylldon gave him questioning looks. Kel and Daine just listened.

"It's speculative," Master Numair cut in.

"It's not speculative. It's true. She has it," Gavin argued.

"It's only a myth. There's no real evidence."

"What do you call this girl? Numair, really! They said wild magic was only a myth, but your wife is living proof it isn't."

"What are you talking about?" Neal shouted. Inara was glad he did. If he hadn't she might have.

"I'm sorry," Gavin apologized. "It's known as the Healer's Touch. It's a pure power which is derived from nature, just like wild magic, and can only be wielded by certain individuals. Your daughter is the first person since the Immortals Era to possess it."

Numair sighed and shook his head. "It's thought to be the precursor to the healing part of the gift. Supposedly anyone who had the Healer's Touch came from a family where the healing gift ran exceptionally strong. However, it's uncontrollable."

"Uncontrollable?" Inara asked, shock still on her face.

"You've used it in the past, just not all at once or on purpose like you did with Samuel," Mistress Daine told her. Inara immediately knew what she was talking about: Gilyith and the lake. But there had been other times. She'd healed the land on the ride south the year before, and Thorville's bruised foot; not to mention her own broken rib. None of it had ever been on purpose, and the only time she'd felt tired was when she did something as big as curing an entire area.

"The power is just pulled out of you," Master Numair told her. "If someone needs to be healed enough, the power will heal them if you're in close vicinity."

"But she hasn't healed everything," Gavin argued. Master Numair glared at him. "Stop that," the young mage, as that's what he apparently was, told him. "It's true the Healer's Touch is relatively uncontrollable, but Inara here has already demonstrated she has some control. With the right training, she could potentially fully control it."

"But that will take time?" King Jonathan asked him. Both Numair and Gavin nodded. "Well, then we have a problem."

"Inara's a page. She's going to end up wounding enemies in the future that it could mean her life if they were healed," Lord Wyldon put in. Inara's heart fell. She'd gotten her wish: the ability to heal, but at what cost? Would she be forced to give up her chance for a shield?

All of the adults were looking at King Jonathan, who seemed to be deep in thought. Inara's eyes sought out Evan who stood in the corner of the tent. She needed to know he was there, no matter what happened. The new squire moved closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "No matter what," he bent down and whispered in her ear.

"You think she can get this power under control?" King Jonathan asked Gavin. The mage nodded vigorously. "Fine; Page Inara will continue her training at the palace in the fall, where Master Gavin Moonstone shall become her teacher until she masters her power.

"Her what?" the mage suddenly wasn't smiling anymore. A deep frown graced his face.

"Master Gavin, you seek safety in my kingdom. You want a young girl trained to master a supposedly uncontrollable power. I think the least you can do is agree to be her teacher," King Jonathan replied. There was almost of hint of a threat in his voice. Gavin met his eyes squarely, before sighing and bowing.

"Yes your majesty."

"Good. It's settled. Now, we'd best let Page Inara get some rest and some food," he said, leading most of the adults out of the room. Only Sir Nealan, Lady Keladry, Evan, and Master Gavin remained. The mage looked the child over, staying a good distance away from her father and aunt. He was well aware both were trained in the use of any number of weapons that could be used to kill him.

"This is what you want?" Neal suddenly asked his daughter, his eyes on the mage.

Inara nodded, through tears. It was all too much. He sighed and nodded, bending down and kissing her forehead. "Then it's fine with me."

Kel touched her arm lightly. "You did well, Inara. I'm proud," she told her niece before dragging Neal out of the tent.

Evan remained, standing between Inara and Gavin. He crossed his arms over his chest. "If you so much as give me any reason to dislike you, you'll wish you'd never come to Tortall," Evan told the mage, leaning down and kissing Inara's forehead just as her father had done before leaving the tent and Inara alone with Gavin.

The mage met the girl's stubborn eyes for a moment, before grinning once again. "I like your friend. He seemed like so much fun." With that, he too left the tent, as Inara collapsed onto her pillow and drifted into a deep sleep.

Author Note:
Ok, so, quick poll – do you want the epilogue and index as soon as it's finished? Or would you rather wait until Monday the 18th? It should be finished sometime this week. I hope. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It is my absolute favorite. I wanted to portray Inara as a very girl page. Sometimes you have to remind people that the heroine is a girl first and a fighter second. At least that's who Inara is. Ok, now I stop rambling.

Fateless Wanderer