A/N: Short, but it starts us on the path we are needing to go. Mmm . . . fun.

Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter!

Chapter 3: A Stranger's Help?

"We would like you to travel with us, or if you want we'll travel with you. Bottom line, our two groups should combine." The sitting man said.

"What reason have we to trust you?" Lana questioned. And she expected the answer from the blond man who was sitting with them as if he were an old friend. But it was the man with the odd eyes who answered her and he gave her an answer she wasn't sure she liked.

"I know what brought you here," He said, his voice eerily calm, "I can help."

That struck home. Lana swallowed. If he spoke of what she thought he did . . . could he really help?

Another part of her mind battled. How could he know? This was much to strange. She shouldn't trust him . . .her own brother didn't even know. How could this complete stranger know?

Lana found her eyes locked onto the light gray ones. She could not tear them away. Those eyes spoke too much of things that should not have been seen. It was the man who tore his gaze away and when he did Lana noticed her hear beating hard and fast. "You should not look too deeply into my eyes. You may find a future you don't like."

"What are you talking about?" Vincent snapped.

Lana ignored her brother. Her voice came out quietly. "What are your names?"

The blond man reached for her hand and kissed it. "I am Leon Tiroth."

When he held her hand just a moment too long, Vincent interjected a cold smile on his lips. "Easy there, Leon."

His dark blond eyebrows rose. "And I take it you are with him?"

Lana snatched her hand from his hold. "He is my brother."

"Yes that will explain the protectiveness as well." Leon's smile was back. Lana kept her face straight. He has not even seen a protective brother yet. If Damien were here . . .

"And I am Zain." Lana flicked her eyes to the man still standing. She could not get caught in his eyes again.

Lana thought for a moment, thrumming her fingers against the wood of the table as she usually did when she thought. "I go by Lana." When Vincent did not introduce himself Lana decided to do it for him, "and this is my brother, Vincent."

"Lana, what are you--" Vincent began a protest but she cut him off. She didn't know why but she knew these two wouldn't harm them for all they were strange.

"And there's my other brother, Damien, who is asleep at this time." In the silence that ensued, Lana took some of her pale green Gift and prodded the two men with it. Leon owned no magic she could feel and when she searched Zain he sneezed. Lana pulled her Gift back to herself. Zain spared her a look with the smallest of smiles playing at the corner of his lips showing a dimple on his left cheek.

He had some sort of magic but she couldn't tell what kind.

Lana swallowed. "All right, let's say that I trust the two of you. Why should we join the two of you or even the other way around?"

"We shouldn't." Vincent murmured but was quickly shushed by Lana.

Leon smiled. "Because we know the Yamani Isles better than the two of you and we can get you wherever you need to go."

"Better than a native Yamani could?" She asked.

"Just as good." Leon assured.

"Why?" Her voice was firm. There had to be a reason. If there wasn't, she would sell her right arm to the highest bidder. Whether they would tell her or not, she could only guess.

Leon shrugged. "You are an interesting lot and seem to be headed towards interesting things."

Once again silence followed as Lana thought it out. She was fully aware that Vincent was still sitting rigidly on her left. Both of these men were strange but intriguing. All instincts said she would be crazy to trust them. But then Zain's words replayed, I know what you're looking for. Did he know? Lana found herself asking again.

"I plan on leaving in a few days, not exactly sure when. We are staying until my other brother seems fit enough to leave. He doesn't do well on boats." Lana said.

Catching her agreement on their proposition Leon stood. "Until that time then."

Both of them walked out without another word. Zain stopped at the door and looked back towards Lana with those odd eyes.

"Lana," Vincent finally spoke. "What did you just do?"

"I think I just got us some traveling companions." She heard the words come from her mouth and she still couldn't believe they were true.

"Damien will be furious."

She sighed. "I know."

Damien massaged the bridge of his nose, "You what?"

Lana and Vincent winced. To anyone else it would look like he was taking it relatively calm but they knew Damien better. He was furious just as they had predicted.

"What could it hurt? To have guides help us find our way around the Isles?" Lana reasoned.

"Guides that we know nothing about." Damien said tightly.

"Except for their names and those could even be fake." Vincent added.

Damien turned on him. "Oh, don't you start siding with me now. Why didn't you stop her? You were down there!"

Vincent snorted. "You make it sound like an easy thing. You know how she is."

At that they both turned on her. She smiled sheepishly. "So what it boils down to is, its my fault?"

"Exactly." The both of them said simultaneously. Lana sniffed, nonplussed.

"Fine. I take full responsibility for this, if anything bad comes from having them travel with us."

"Well, we won't have time to blame you if they kill us in our sleep," Vincent drawled with a crooked smile. Lana laughed.

"You and I both know if they are planning something like that, they have another thing coming." She wiped her eyes of the laughter tears. "There's no need to worry there."

The subject was dropped and the triad decided maybe they should rest up, all of them this time, if they planned on leaving in a day or two.

Lana woke up in the middle of the night. She couldn't remember her dream but she had a feeling it hadn't been bad. She sighed, there were reasons she didn't like to go to sleep early.

Her body knew where it was going. She stood and went to her packs. When she reached the bottom she took out something wrapped in thick cloth and uncovered it. Lying there was a sword, pure milk-white. She touched the blade lightly.

Yes, it had been wrong that she'd taken it. But . . . the sword didn't seem to mind. In fact, it agreed. Lana jerked her hand away from the sword. How had she known that?

She swallowed a lump in her throat. Had that man Zain really been talking about the sword and the map she'd found? Or was it just her mind placing his words with something she knew?

Lana picked up the sword, it fit her hand perfectly and weighed little for all it looked heavy. She went into a few practice sweeps, ones she'd been taught in her childhood.

She didn't notice she was smiling. Smiling at the prospect that this Zain might be able to help her find a grand adventure.

A/N: Thats all I have for you today. Come back again in a week or so. And don't forget to send a REVIEW! They make me happy. well, most of the time.