Been a long three months hasn't it? But I give you an update. I hope to have another chapter coming to you soon, so just bear with me.

Translations:

Tinu-daughter

Ontaro- parents

Nîn lisse laito-My poor baby

My Little Fighter: Chapter eight: Trouble's Brewing

The morning dawned bright and awoke Mae from her slumber. The sword fighting competition was today, and not only was it her favorite event, she knew she'd see Bryn today. Mae swung her legs over the edge of the bed in excitement. Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it. Quickly, Mae got dressed and got herself ready for a day in the heat and a day full of excitement.

She hurried down to the kitchens, where her family had already gathered. Even in her excitement, she still couldn't beat any of her family down to breakfast, but she couldn't less. Nearly skipping, she joined her family at the table, swinging her legs.

"You're in good humor today," her mother commented.

"I am indeed," she replied, beginning to pile food onto her plate.

"And hungry," her father said. "Mae, perhaps you should wait." He gestured to the hall that was just beginning to fill with people.

"Sorry," she said, leaning back in her seat. "Just a little excited, I guess."

"No harm, no fowl," Aragorn replied, smiling at his tinu.

"I hope you're going to behave today," Arwen remarked to her daughter.

"Oh, I will. I promise, naneth," Mae replied sweetly.

Aragorn looked over at his youngest suspiciously. She wanted something, he knew that tone. Ignoring the notion, he turned to his son. "Are you sure you don't want to so much as judge the competition today?" he inquired.

"Yes, ada. I'm sure," Eldarion replied.

"Can I?" Mae asked. And there it was, what Maethoriel had wanted.

Everyone who was close enough to here the inquiry, turned to look at her. "Mae, have we not gone over this already?" Aragorn asked her.

"I meant judging, not competing," Mae replied, quickly, seeing all the looks she was getting.

"I know what you meant. The answer is no," Aragorn replied.

Sighing, Mae crossed her arms over her chest as the rest of the court entered the hall.

"Maethoriel, sit up and act proper," Arwen said, quietly.

Obeying, Mae uncrossed her arms and sat up straight. As the tables filled, her father stood up in greeting, ready to make the announcements for the day's festivities. Mae knew them by heart. That night she had gone around confirming the activities for the next day, planning her escape to find Bryn. So, Mae turned to look out one of the many windows behind her.

O.o.O

Bryn's back ached horribly. He was groggy and he could barley push himself up into a sitting position. He hissed in pain as he succeeded in sitting up. His back burned like fire, and he saw many spots before his green eyes. He blinked a couple times to make them go away, but it did nothing to help.

He sighed, realizing he was still out on the plain, lying next to the outer most wall of the city. His shirt lay by a rock some feet away, severely out of reach. He couldn't possibly grab it, not with the pain and the dizziness. He looked around, dazed by the brightness of the sunlight. He desperately wanted to move towards the rock, to have something to lean against, something to help the throbbing in his head.

It took Bryn sometime before he made it to the shade of the giant wall. He continually stopped, feeing dizzy and about of breath from the movement. He leaned up against the wall and rested his sweat filmed forehead on the cool rock.

Relief flooded through his head, but his back hurt terribly from the movement. He looked around at the field, making sure we was alone. He noticed that where he had been laying, blood had stained the grass and dark red. Maybe that's why he felt so dizzy, he had lost a good amount of blood. Bryn sighed and let the blinding pain engulf him and he sank back into unconsciousness.

O.o.O

Mae sat on her chair, quietly swinging her legs, doing her best to keep her promise to her mother. It was especially hard, as she was looking for Bryn constantly and couldn't find him, without moving to look around the guards that stood in her way.

"Falathiel," Mae asked, as sweet and calm as she could be. The heat was making her irritable, and not finding who she was looking for didn't help. "When is the competition going to start?"

"In a few more minutes, Mae," Falathiel replied, trying to keep her patients with her sister's constant asking.

Mae sighed again and leaned back in her chair and crossed her ankles. But just as she did so the announcer called the audience to attention. Mae immediately sat up her interest perked and a new hope in finding Bryn as the first two competitors took to the field. Mae examined them intently to see if either was Bryn, but to her dismay, neither were. Even though she was disappointed she stayed at attention.

His form is wrong, Mae thought to herself. No! You can't shy away like that! What are you doing, you stupid boy? These thoughts and others accompanied Mae's mind as she watched, forcing her to forget about Bryn for the time being. Although, as every new competitor took to the field she scanned the crowd and the fighters to see if they were Bryn, but they never were.

As the competition ended Mae sighed, not seeing one sign of her friend. "Who do you think should win?" Eldarion asked quietly, leaning over to hear Mae's answer.

Of, course you weren't paying attention. What were you doing the whole time? Thinking? Reading? Mae thought, but she answered anyway. "Déor," she replied, knowing he had the best form and sword handling. Some of the competitors were a joke. They could hardly handle the sword.

Her brother nodded and got up to join the rest of the family over to the Winner's Circle to congratulate the winner. Mae stayed behind and watched the receding crowd. She sighed, again seeing nothing, no sign that Bryn was there.

She sighed, and stood up to cross the field and join her parents and siblings in the Winner's Circle. But she heard something toward her right, near the tall weeds. The grass was almost taller than her small stature, it nearly came to her ada's shoulders. Which made it easy for a grown man to hide in it. She silently crept near the tall weeds, hearing two men's voices. She sat on her knees and leaned closer to the voices, she couldn't see them. Part of her didn't want to. She caught part of the conversation, a part she didn't want to hear.

"What do we do about Bryn?" one asked. "He's not following orders, he won't even try."

"He's the only way to get the girl without much fuss," the other said. "He's an asset."

"You can't be serious about letting him roam the city like this," the first one said. "How do we know he hasn't told anyone?"

"He won't. He's to scared. I know what my son's fears are," the second one replied. "He fears his own death and, surprisingly enough, he cares about the well being of the princess."

Mae gasped in horror. The two men looked over towards the sound, but saw nothing. Mae covered her mouth with her hand, to keep from making any other sounds. Princess? Does he mean to take my sisters or me? Why would Bryn do something that? she thought.

"But you're sure?" the first one said. "He's been so belligerent about it."

"If he knows what's good for him, he'll do what he's told," the second said. "After spending seventeen years under my orders, he knows what'll become of him if he doesn't. He's not going free either, he is going right back to his slave work."

The first one cackled. "Is he still over by the hole in the wall?" he asked.

"Aye," the other said. "We'll have to get him up later for his punishment. He'll be needing a good whipping, to get him into line."

Mae's breath caught in her throat, but didn't stick around to hear more. She knew exactly what hole the two were talking about. Her father knew about it, but he had put the task off, thinking no harm could come of it while he tended to other matters.

Mae slowly and quietly backed up the way she had come. She looked over at her family, who were speaking to the family of the boy who had won. He looked to be about Mae's age, she couldn't care less though. She knew where to find Bryn, and that was enough.

She dashed off towards the wall, keeping as quiet as she could. The way was long and it took a toll on Mae as she ran. She shouldn't have been running during the heat of the day. When she reached the shade of the outer wall, she stopped to rest. She put her hand against the cool rock and held her stomach, trying to catch her breath. She looked around for Bryn, and spotted a body lying at the corner of the wall, where it met the rock of the mountain. Mae rushed over as fast as she dared, not wanting to give herself an attack.

When she reached him she bent down and studied him. He looked pale and breakable. If thought that if she touched him, he would fall apart. She was surprised, though, to see that he had no shirt on and dried blood on his side.

She gasped, seeing the blood. Her stomach flipped and she reached for his shoulder. "Bryn?" she asked, gently touching his shoulder.

Bryn woke with a start and grabbed her arm. Thinking it was a ploy to abduct her, she shrieked and tried to pull free. His grip wasn't painfully tight, just enough to keep her from freeing her arm. What the two men had said was true!

"Mae! Mae, shhh, shhh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you," Bryn said, as gently as he could. He let go of her arm, seeing how frightened she was by being grabbed so suddenly. He gasped in pain and leaned against the rock wall again. He had been forced to sit up when she had shrieked and pulled away. As he was pulled up he jostled his wounds, causing them to throb.

Mae quieted, though she was still shaking. She surprised herself when she spoke. "Bryn," she began meekly. "Is it true that you're trying to take one of my sisters?"

"Mae, you must understand that there are bad people in the city. They're after you," he said, unconsciously, he gently took her hand in his .

Mae's eyes went as big as saucers. "M-me? Why?" she asked, pulling her hand away. He frightened her now. She should have listened to her ontaro. It was dangerous talking to someone she hadn't known or just come into the city. She knew better, now she was in danger.

"That's not important at the moment. You need to get back into the city," Bryn said, calmly but firmly. "Just, get back to your room and stay there. It's too dangerous to out in the city. Don't come to the competition tomorrow. Just stay in you room. Make up an excuse, but promise me you won't leave the safety of the palace."

"But, Bryn," she began, worried.

"Promise me!" He said sharply.

She nodded. "I-I promise," she said, weakly.

"Go," Bryn said in an urgent whisper.

"But Bryn! They-the men said that you were part of it," she said, hesitantly.

"Not by choice," he said, sighing. "Stay away from the competitions. They'll be there looking for you. How did you know this?"

"I-I heard them talking," she admitted. "Over there." She pointed to the weeds she had taken cover in to listen to the conversation.

Bryn said something that Mae couldn't understand, but by the way he said it, it must've been a curse. "Mae, you need to get to the palace as fast as you possibly can. Don't leave it once you're there. It'd be best to avoid leaving for the rest of the week," he said. "Now go!"

"But what about you? They'll hurt you. And-and you're already hurt," Mae said, her voice cracking. She knew was close to tears, but fought them back with as much force as she could muster.

"Don't worry about me. Just go! Get out of here!" he pleaded.

"Bryn…," she began, her voice cracking.

"Mae, go!" he said fiercely. He was agitated that she wasn't listening to him. He pushed her towards the hole in the wall.

Mae looked at him, utterly shocked. She had never been handled like that. She knew it was for the best, she wasn't listening to him. She snuck in through the hole and hurried through side alleys to the palace.

O.o.O

Bryn sighed as Mae finally slipped through the hole. At least he had warned her. It wouldn't be his fault if she wasn't out for the rest of the week. He couldn't carry out his orders. He'd, at least, escape the severe punishment at the end of the week.

Bryn looked up towards the sky, seeing that it was nearly noon. He'd need to take cover soon, his father's men would be looking for him. He sighed and grabbed a bit of rock from the mountain to hoist himself up. He gritted his teeth, but managed the feat.

He hobbled over to where his shirt lay in the sun. He clenched his teeth and quickly bent down to grab it and straightened himself back up. His back burned, and he could feel that a scab had ripped open and was now bleeding. It's nothing. I've been through this. I just need to find a place to take cover. Stay awake that long. He said to himself.

He slipped the shirt on over his head and grimaced as the fabric touched his sore back. He could manage by sheer will power. He slowly hobbled to the rock and slipped through the hole.

The pathway to the next alley was covered in shade from the wall. He sighed, feeling a bit better about the next task: make it to the alley.

O.o.O.

Mae sat on her bed, with her knees pulled up to her chest, watching as her room dimmed as the sun sunk beyond the horizon. Bryn's warning had taken a toll on her nerves. Once she had made it to her room she stayed there, not moving. Her shaking had stopped, but the feeling in her stomach hadn't.

Why did those men want her? What use could she possibly have for them? Mae took a shaky breath and buried her face into her knees, trying to rid her mind of the thoughts. It did no good to obsess and frighten herself over it. Her ada would protect her. He always had, and always would.

She jumped as there came a sudden knock on her door. "Come in," she called in a wavering voice.

Her parents entered. "How are you feeling, darling?" Arwen asked, sitting next to her on the bed. She wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"I'm okay," she said, smiling at her mother.

"Mae, you know better than to lie," Aragorn said. "What's troubling you?" He sat across from her.

Mae looked down at her skirt and fiddled with it for a moment. "I-it's just… uhm… what would happen if someone tried to take one of us away from you?" she asked, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder, she looked up at her father expectantly.

Arwen sighed and began to stroke her daughter's raven hair. "You told her about the dangers and now she's terrified," Arwen said, looking at her husband in disappointment. Mae looked down at the floor, beginning to tremble again. "Oh, just look at her! She's trembling! Nîn lisse laito!" Arwen hugged her daughter tightly.

"Mae," Aragorn began, causing Mae to meet her ada's eyes. "No one can hurt you or your siblings. I won't let it. No one could possibly take you." He pulled his tinu into a hug. He gently pulled her away and cupped her chin. "No one will ever be able to take you away from me. They'd have to go through all the guards in the palace and then they'd have to go through me." Aragorn placed a kiss on her forehead. "Now, where's all this coming from?"

Mae shrugged, deciding not to tell him of her talk with Bryn. "I don't know," she replied.

"Alright," he said, gently. "Let's go get something to eat."

"I'm not very hungry right now," she said, looking up at her parents.

"Mae, you have to eat," Arwen said.

"I will. I just don't think I could keep it down at the moment," she replied. At least she was telling the truth this time.

"Alright. I'll come check on you in a little while," he said, placing another kiss on her forehead. "Get some rest, sweetheart."

Arwen placed a kissed on her daughter's forehead as well, and they both left their daughter alone, to rest. Mae decided it would be to her benefit to listen this time, so she crawled into bed and lay down.

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