"There's a fever, I will not let it show."

iv.

My mind snapped just before my ninth year; broke entirely. I remember the fervent mindlessness that engulfed me; I broke a man's arm in my ardent madness. Sliced at calves, spun my leg beneath feet, taking them out from under my assailants. My father looked on apprehension was prominent on his scored face as I, his little demon, battered his Initiates and beleaguered the room with their anguished bodies. The hisses and sharp in-taking of breaths made the haze lift; the fog cleared and I remember my father's furious blue eyes boring down on me; he was aghast at the lunacy, yet he was eyeing me like I was a good hand of cards; a hand which he might play to his advantage. So he said, with a wave of his hand;

"Up!"

He commanded of his Initiates and they all hefted themselves up. Some of the bolder ones threw me a dangerous glare, but the others were all too consumed in their agony to even dare a glower in my direction. With a careless jerk of his head, my father moved into the middle of the room and stood before me; his temples gleamed starlight in the first of the morning's gentle rays. I frowned quite puzzled, panting from the exertion of my battle, but his face was severe and stony as he bore his chin at me and barked;

"Algol, defend yourself."

I bit my tongue. Did he really expect me to fight him? I stepped back and he encroached on me, taking my momentary uneasiness into account and to his benefit as he lunged at me, very quickly – much quicker than I would have ever anticipated. I yelped and danced out of the way, quick and nimble on my feet. I landed, my knees sprung up like those of a frog's as I snapped my head up and beheld my father's blazing face; he looked to me as though he had been waiting for this; as if he would test my mettle personally. I'd show him what kind of daughter he'd rendered. I jumped up, he allowed it and watched me carefully; calculating his next move perfectly.

I was down with a cry as his foot was kicked into my stomach, throwing me back onto the floor in a sprawling heap, sliding back ungracefully. "Think!" He snapped, and I got to my feet with a stagger.

I took a moment; I eyed the area around his feet, up to his hands which were balled into fists and then to his upper body. He was in the middle of the room; there was no advantage to be gained for using the space around him. I bit my lip anxiously in thought and began to panic. I wouldn't be thrown down before my father again. I ran at him, he stood motionless as though my attack could do very little and I twisted myself just as I reached him and threw a punch at his face, he ducked out of the way smoothly and caught my ankle in an iron grip before twirling and thrusting me back to the floor again. I grunted as I landed heavily, my face reddening with this new defeat.

He stepped back lithely and eyed me closely; there was no feeling behind those eyes which I could see. He looked down on me emotionless; he was not my father in that moment; he was my adversary. With a snarl I threw myself back up and lunged towards him and caught his wrist in a weak lock, which he allowed again. With another shriek, I let him go as spikes jutted from his gauntlets; he strolled nearer to me as I backed off, he seemed amused with my reaction;

"Always be prepared for surprises. Your enemy doesn't want to die any more than you do."

He assured me calmly in the midst of my second attack. I gripped his arm and pulled him towards me, he turned and gripped my hand and pulled me through the steps until I managed to climb up his torso and rest my bare feet against his chest, my hands now locked behind his neck; I grinned a wry smile and raised my eyebrows while his own eyes widened in realisation. Without remorse I launched myself away from him, throwing him back violently to the polished floor while I flew through the air in a fluid flip. I didn't hear the gasp the other Initiates made as I rocketed towards the wall and smashed into it painfully. I had overestimated how far away I had been from it and found my body connecting with the solid wood panelling and I fell to the floor with a thud.

Peering up, my eye twitched painfully and my father was looking at me from the floor. We both knew who had one that bout when he gave me a lopsided smile and remarked idly,

"Always mind your surroundings."

I found a smile and panted heavily as he got to his feet gracefully and offered a hand to me to help me up. I took it and was gently hauled to my wandering feet. My hand was trembling and he held me close. "You did very well." He said in a hushed voice and I peeped up at him and smiled softly as his eyes were no longer blistering.

My days were filled in Nepal with training, intense and burning, but I enjoyed the power bestowed for my work. Father never repeated that spar which we shared, as usual I would battle the Initiates and it was thoroughly drummed into me that I was not to break their bones anymore. I could feel my body hardening, my attacks quickening, becoming more and more deadly. I knew I was being crafted into something even more ghoulish as the days dragged on, quietly and without sunshine without my sister's energy to brighten anything up.

While my physical training came on by leaps and bounds; the theory was dreadful. I could still only communicate fluently in Arabic, my English was dreadfully broken, I could barely string a sentence together and I could scarcely write in either languages. My father sighed, his eyes downcast at my slowness in grasping the delicate nuances of language and ruled I should dedicate more time to it and not gallivant about the house and yard so much. I didn't resent it as much as I thought I would, but I found then that I had a short fuse when it came to my own inability to grasp simple symbols that were written down on a piece of paper. I gnashed my teeth and complained that it was too difficult. My father only raised one of his eyebrows and said grandly,

"Well you must keep trying. You will learn this."

Suddenly I felt like Talia and my temper dimmed, forgotten as I heard him reiterate to me what he usually recycled over and over to Talia and it struck me that I hadn't asked him about her. "Father?" I started and he looked round at me from behind his desk, "Yes, sweetheart?" He replied and I fiddled with my pen;

"How is Talia? When will she be coming back?" I heard him sigh heavily and I looked up at him,

"She is well..." He said evasively and I frowned. "Her tutors tell me she is learning at a good rate,"

Jealousy spiked in my blood. Of course Talia was much faster than I, and I knew it. But it didn't diminish the blow any less. I was still too much her sister to not feel the envy of her learnedness and I nodded blandly. He peered at me suddenly and asked from across the room, "You miss her?"

"Yes..." I said and looked away, "It's lonely here without her." I explained and he bobbed his head.

"Maybe we'll join her soon, in China." He uttered almost to himself and smiled gently over at me, my own smile was broad and full of light, "I'd like that, Father." I made clear and he chuckled warmly at my mirth.

I turned nine years of age on the fifteenth of March – the doctor had decided my birthday in the Pit. On the anniversary of my life, my father deemed me ready to intensify my training. He paired me up with one of his Initiates, a man named Abd-Al-Aziz; to which I shortened to simply 'Al'. He was a quiet man, dark of skin; Arabic, obviously. I could tell straight away, not just because of his name but his face had the look. He reminded me of the men of the Pit, his very countenance was ghosted with memories for me. Not a handsome face for he was much older than I, he looked much older than Father in all honesty; his face was one which was riddled with scars and pain. A pair of dark eyes; inky and bright hung under a pair of frowning black eyebrows. His demeanour to me was very respectful and we would meditate together for great lengths of time.

"Algol," He said one day as we looked over the mountains.

"What is it?" I asked and he turned one of his black eyes on me and asked very frankly, "Do you know what it is the League of Shadows stands for?" I didn't. I knew the basics, but not the inner workings and I shook my head. He nodded and turned away, "Your father is a brilliant man. He has ordered me to watch over your training from now on."

My eyebrows rose.

"What do you mean?" I asked in Arabic and he shrugged, "He just told me to watch over you." I felt the furrow between my brows grow deeper and I looked down at my hands, "He's leaving again, isn't he?"

Al's silence told me I had guessed rightly and I exhaled a breath disgusted. Leaping to me feet, I was ready to storm off when I felt a hand grip the back of my robe. I whirled round to see Al's own eyebrow raised at my pertness and he asked primly, "Have you mediated until you are at peace?"

"No..." I replied weakly and he nodded as if that was the answer he expected and he motioned for me to sit myself back down. I sank to my knees grudgingly. After a while I began to feel gratitude towards Al. When I was done meditation I didn't feel angry towards my father for his looming departure when we sat down that night for our dinner.

The thought of being alone here without both Talia and my father filled me with so much fear; I truthfully thought my heart would burst. He was aware to my pain I thought; his eyes watched me over the table, hard and carefully. I ignored him as best I could, but I fear I squirmed under my father's scrutiny.

"Then you know." He said at last, placing his wine down gently next to his plate.

I peered up from my own plate; eyes wide and a lie on my lips.

"Algo," My father said to stop me. "Don't think me a fool. I don't think you one."

A soft sigh escaped me and I bit the inside of my cheek and looked away from him. My impertinent little shrug made him sigh too, he was sighing at my caginess. He got up and I said nary a word as he moved round the table and vacantly gazed out of the dark window and said gently;

"Abd-Al-Aziz will take care of you. He is no ordinary Initiate, Algol. You will be safe under his tutelage until I get back." He turned and eyed me; my stare was still away from him, locked with the shadows in the corner of the room. "Are you listening to me?" He asked and I nodded without looking round;

"Yes, Father. You're going away and leaving me to be looked after by someone else."

"No," He stipulated frankly and made his way over to my chair and knelt beside me. I could feel his hard gaze on me so I turned to see him. He looked tired as he said,

"No, I am not leaving you. I know you'll be safe, but there are things that demand my attention. I must go. D'you understand?"

"No..." I shook my head, there were tears in my dark eyes and I thought I saw a look of intense sadness run across my father's face. He didn't like it when Talia or I cried. It was a low move, and I knew it was picking at the rotten apple to guilt-trip him into staying but I was so afraid of being alone, buried here in the mountains with no friend or protector of my own. I did not want to be parted from the only presence I had ever truly trusted and had grown to know and love. I shook my head again, "No, I don't understand...Why are you leaving?"

With another sigh my father patted my head and drew me down closer and whispered, "Because I must, sweetheart. The League of Shadows is everywhere, I am the sole leader of our Order, and I cannot be everywhere at once, but hell, if I have to try and be." I sniffed and asked, "Will you tell me now...What it is the League of Shadows stands for?"

Swiftly he got to his feet and ran a hand down his closely-trimmed beard and shook his head as he turned away from me and uttered in English – so I could not understand him very well.

"You are so young..."

"Ab?" I queried, there were tears on my cheeks now. He turned and clicked his tongue once he beheld my bitter tears and averted his eyes before sinking to his knee again and holding open his arms. At once I slid from my chair and hugged him close and felt him gently pet my hair. I heard the pain nip at the back of his throat as he said into my dark mane, "When I return, we'll talk more about the League of Shadows, sweetheart. Just remember that everything I do, I do for you and Talia..."

I sobbed so hard I didn't quite hear him utter staunchly in the cosy warmth of his quarters,

"You and your sister will have a legacy to inherit when I am no more. I swear to it."

So it was, he left the very next day. His departure brought forth by whatever it was that demanded his attention. I stood rigidly at the window and watched him leave; with him he took Talia's friend and protector and a brace of other Initiates. I felt betrayed as I glared out of the window and watched him leave me behind but then I felt a pang of guilt for my unreasonable attitude and pushed it back. I was so fixated on the little black ants milling around the yard getting ready to depart; I didn't sense Al come up behind me. His presence was only felt when I felt his hand come down on my shoulder gently, affectionately; welcomed.

"When he comes back, you will be strong. We will make you strong, child."

"Can you really?" I asked without looking up and I heard his smirk as he spoke,

"Of course; you have talent. As the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul you must be strong."

"Must be strong..." I uttered softly. "I am his daughter...I must be strong."

"Then we will begin right now. Say farewell to that heart, Algol. To be hard is to have no heart."