Wow. Chapter Fourteen already. Thanks for those of you who have faithfully read my fic up to this point. We're about halfway through now, so bear with me!

Updates will be slow, as usual. I'm having a tough time even getting on the computer, so please be patient. Thanks so much!

Chapter Fourteen: Farid's Mission

Mo passed his hand over his face. Again, a peaceful sleep was just another crazy wish. The White Women had come to him that night - they were beckoning him to come with them, to their kingdom, where he had once been so close to...

Resa and Dustfinger had both said that the Women only came to dying people. Yes, once he had been dying, but no longer. Then why in the world were they still so intent on taking him?

"Bluejay?" Mo turned. It was the Prince. He realized that his feet must have taken him to where the Prince and his bear slept.

"Yes, it's me."

"You're up early." The Prince's dark eyes scrutinized Mo's face.

"So are you," he shrugged. "I couldn't sleep."

"Anxious to find your daughter?"

Mo nodded, relieved that the Prince had thought up a reason of his own to why his companion couldn't sleep.

"We're off to the inn, then?" Mo and the Prince had overheard the soldiers discussing the Adder's plans yesterday, when they had been hiding by the road.

"It's not like the Adder, to stay in a dingy little inn like that," one of the soldiers had said. Mo and the Prince, of course, had pricked up their ears at the mention of an inn.

"Of course it's not. He wants to catch the Jay, that's why." another one had replied, gulping down a copious amount of beer. "He's at the inn by the border. The Wildcat's with him, I've heard."

"The Wildcat? It's a wonder that brute decided to join forces with the Adderhead."

"He wants money. If he kills the Jay he'll be the richest man in Argenta after his master." the conversation went on for another twenty minutes. Mo and the Prince had exchanged glances; they now knew where their enemy was. And Meggie was with him. The Prince and Mo had agreed that they should part with the strolling players on this very day. They had been through far too much danger already. The Motley Folk were entertainers, not adventurers. They were exhausted and completely spent. It would be safest to let some robbers accompany the Motley Folk back to Ombra, the Prince had said.

"Are you afraid?" the Prince asked. He stroked his bear's ears.

"Yes." Mo answered. "For Meggie."

"Then let's head off, shall we?"

"Off you go, then," Dustfinger gave Farid a gentle push.

Stifling a yelp of terror Farid stumbled forward. He looked back at Dustfinger, who just gave him a stern glance, and vanished into the woods. Farid swallowed, and summoning all of his courage, he marched up to the soldiers.

The men caught sight of Farid, and surrounded him faster than he would have thought possible. "Who are you and what do you want?" one of them, a nasty looking man with a wickedly sharp sword in his hand, came up to Farid.

"I- I'm lost-" Farid tried to sound like a pitiful little boy.

"And it's none of my business, is it?" the soldier growled, stroking his sword.

"But I -" Farid pretended to glance around, just like Dustfinger had told him to. "-have information."

"Do you, now?" the soldier looks mildly interested.

"Yes." Farid lowered his voice. "About... the Bluejay."

"And what might the information be?" the soldier leaned into Farid's face.

"I can't tell you." Farid said. "I need to show you. It's not far - maybe half a day away..."

The soldiers released Farid. "If you're not lying you'll be handsomely rewarded, boy." the leader said to him.

Yes. Dustfinger's plan was working.

INKINKINKINKINK

Farid tried to appear innocent and willing. The soldiers were gullible. They followed him like some stupid hunting dogs.

And best of all, Farid had learned lots.

The Adder's going to take the Jay and his daughter back to the Castle of Night for the execution.

The Adderhead's book is hidden well - but rumor has it that it's in the central part of the castle.

The Adderhead has a new herald called the Wildcat.

The Wildcat is going to be used to kill the Bluejay.

Farid summarized all of this information in his head. It was very important that he got back to Dustfinger and delivered to him what he knew. That was where he needed to escape.

After a few hours Farid felt that he had found out enough. He had deliberately led the soldiers away from the robbers' camp, to the south, where Argenta lay. The soldiers didn't seem to suspect anything. When Farid saw that all the soldiers were completely immersed in their own conversations, he made the whistling cry of a bird that Dustfinger had taught him. And another cry clearly answered back to him.

A soldier shouted out, pointing. A flame had begun to lick its way across the road. And then, it reared up into a wall of fire, dazzlingly bright and scorchingly hot. Farid hissed at the flames, making them grow and move forward. The soldiers were panicking, running away. A few brave ones attempted to pour some of their canteen water on the fire, only to find that it made the flames bite harder.

Farid ran for the cover of the trees. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder - Dustfinger.

"Let's go," Dustfinger said quietly. Farid grasped his hand firmly in his, and followed his master deeper and deeper into the woods, until the crackling voice of the fire and shouts of the soldiers had completely died away.

"So, Farid, what have you found out?"

Farid told Dustfinger everything, and he listened without interrupting once. When he had finished Dustfinger stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"We're to head south, then." he said.

"To the Castle of Night?" Farid hoped he sounded braver than he felt.

"Yes." to Farid's astonishment, Dustfinger smiled. "You've had plenty of experience near there, haven't you?"

Farid shrugged. "I suppose so."

"As we go, you'd better make sure fire completely and surely obeys you, Farid. Fire's going to be a very important part of our plan, and if it doesn't bite as hard as it should, Silvertongue will die a very painful death - " Dustfinger glanced at Farid - "And Meggie might not survive, either."

Farid let his fists clench. "I can make fire obey me, Dustfinger! No way I'm just going to let Meggie and Silvertongue get killed because of my mistake!"

"Good." Dustfinger nodded with satisfaction in his voice. "Then we'd better go now, before those accursed soldiers find that you're missing."

Dustfinger glanced at the stars, checking that they were properly headed south and not somewhere foolishly off course. Good. They weren't.

"Farid!" Dustfinger hissed.

"Yes?" Came the boy's voice. He sounded scared, very scared.

"Where did you say the book was?"

"In the central castle," Farid replied.

"Then we'll have to sneak in through the back gates..." Dustfinger muttered, letting a spark dance on his fingertips.

"Why the back?" Farid asked.

"Well, considering that the back has not nearly as many sentries guarding the gates, and that the Adder's room happens to be facing the other way."

"Oh." Farid said. "And then what?"

"Then comes the time for summoning fire." Dustfinger said simply, ignoring the puzzled expression on the boy's face.

"But why-"

"You'll see, Farid." Dustfinger replied, glancing at the sky again. "You'll see."

But inside Dustfinger was wondering whether his plan was such a good idea after all. There were a hundred and one ways that it could go wrong, and if it went wrong, Dustfinger had a grim thought that he and Farid would end up on the gallows along with Silvertongue. No, thought Dustfinger. The Wildcat's going to kill him, as the soldiers said. Dustfinger smiled despite himself. Wow. What an honor. To be killed by the most savage man alive in this world... For Dustfinger knew the Wildcat very well. And the Cat had many horrible tricks up his sleeve, such as an awful weapon that he had made himself, to suit his own brutal needs.

Let's hope that everything goes well. Dustfinger thought at last, finally letting the spark on his finger go out.