A/N: Well, here's chapter two. Thanks to anyone who reviewed the first chapter! I hope this doesn't seem slow at first. If it does, well, know that by the end of the chapter more things start to happen. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Two: The Note and the Maze

Brianna was trembling.

No matter how hard she tried to still them, her hands simply wouldn't stop shaking as she pulled her bed covers back and lay down. Her conversation with Farid kept replaying in her mind. She couldn't stop thinking of the pain in his face as she told him everything was his fault. Why had she said all those horrible things to him? She didn't even believe the words she'd said in the first place! True, it was because of Farid that her father was dead, but she knew he never would have chosen for Dustfinger to die in his place. So why had she said all those things?

That's an easy one, she answered herself. Because you needed to lash out at someone, and he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

She had been so frustrated when she ran into Farid. Whenever she was as upset as she had been then, she found that it was immensely satisfying to just yell at someone, blaming them for all her troubles. It was only afterwards that she felt guilty and wished she had controlled her tongue.

It seemed that her whole life had just fallen apart in the last few months. It used to be great- she had lived at the castle as Violante's maid. She and Violante were like sisters. Brianna was generally happy, her mother was generally happy, and as for her father...well, she still had nightmares about him sometimes, but she managed to ignore thoughts of him and live her life anyway.

And then Dustfinger had returned. She had been so confused when he came back- all the thoughts and feelings she thought she had buried resurfaced. Ten years. Ten whole years he had been away, and then suddenly he was back, with no explanation of where he had been. She had no idea what to do or think: part of her wanted to be angry at him, and another part wanted to hug him and be grateful he was back. She had been both furious and relieved at the same time.

When Cosimo the Fair returned from the dead that had clouded thoughts of Dustfinger. He was so beautiful. When he desired her presence how could she help but grant it, when it was just such a joy to look at his face? Their love had not been a true one, at least not on her part, but he was too beautiful for her to stop it. And then he had gone off to war and died. He was gone, as if he'd never come back to life at all.

But things didn't go back to the way they had been before at all. Violante was angry that Brianna had spent time with Cosimo that she should have spent with her and had kicked her out of the castle for it. That was far worse for Brianna than Cosimo's death.

Then, on top of everything with Cosimo and Violante, her father had died. Gone forever, before she even had a chance to fix things between them. And the reason he had died? For an Arab boy she didn't even know! How could she help but feel angry toward Farid?

Her life was horrible now. Her mother cried all the time. She worked for Orpheus, who she despised. And there was a constant ache in her heart, as if when her father died he had taken a part of his daughter with him, leaving her broken, incomplete.

Nights were the worst for Brianna. After being strong all day, keeping her emotions under control, she couldn't keep the tears away as she lay in bed, surrounded by darkness. That was actually the reason she had been out walking in the first place: she had been having terrible nightmares and had needed to escape. She had already been depressed because her mother had been crying earlier, and her horrible dream had topped off a terrible day with a terrible night as well.

So she had walked, hoping the quiet and the cool night air would comfort her. Far from it- she had simply worked herself into an even more upset state, thinking of all the things she usually tried not to think about.

And then, as she was passing the graveyard, the boy had so conveniently been there, just when she needed someone to lash out on. But she got no satisfaction out of it. Instead, she felt incredibly guilty. She couldn't stop thinking of the pain in Farid's eyes.

Tomorrow, she decided, she would apologize. Not something she was fond of doing, but she knew she wouldn't stop feeling guilty unless she did.

She and Farid certainly didn't have to be friends, but they didn't necessarily have to be enemies either.

oOoOoOo

It was easy, so easy, to catch Farid alone the next day. Brianna was working in the kitchen when the very boy she needed to talk to walked in.

"Orpheus told me to make him some tea," Farid said in answer to her questioning gaze, avoiding her eyes. Being in the same room with her was obviously making him uncomfortable.

No wonder, Brianna thought guiltily, thinking of last night. She opened her mouth-

"Don't speak to me," Farid snapped at her.

Brianna was a bit taken aback. "But-"

"Don't say a single word to me ever again," he said murderously, glaring, "or you'll regret it."

For a moment Brianna couldn't say anything, but then she managed, "Fine! I don't want anything to do with the boy who caused my father's death anyway!"

She regretted it as soon as the words were out of her mouth, even more so when she saw the hurt in Farid's black eyes.

He quickly turned and exited the room, Orpheus's tea apparently forgotten, and Brianna stared after him, cursing herself.

She had been about to apologize! How had it gone so wrong?

oOoOoOo

Farid didn't know how he managed to get through the day, but somehow he did. He couldn't stop thinking of last night, and earlier that day when he ran into Brianna in the kitchen.

I don't want anything to do with the boy who caused my father's death anyway!

He had heard it all before, from Roxane and Orpheus, so why did it affect him so much when Brianna said it?

It was because she looked so much like her father. It didn't matter that it wasn't Dustfinger, it still hurt to hear those words coming from someone whose face so closely resembled his.

Well, maybe now she would stop talking to him, like he had told her to. Farid hoped so, for he hated the way Brianna always seemed to make him feel even worse than he already did.

oOoOoOo

Brianna blew out the candle and lay her head on her pillow, wondering how the day had gone so wrong.

No, she thought desperately, not tonight. Tonight I'll be strong. But saying that to herself made no difference, and the tears came anyway. Just like they always did, as if her sorrow could be poured out in the form of water, leaving her happy again. If only that were true!

How she longed for some kind of comfort, an escape from the sorrow and pain that was crushing her more and more with each new day. But it seemed there was none. No one understood. Well, her mother did, Brianna supposed, but she wasn't on the best of terms with Roxane. Violante used to be a great comfort to Brianna when she was upset, but Her Ugliness was still angry about the whole Cosimo thing.

Brianna sighed, and then suddenly shot up. Maybe she could apologize to Farid without even having to talk to him. She rummaged the room for a pen and something to write on. When she finally found them, she quickly wrote:

Farid- I'm sorry for what I said in the graveyard, and then in the kitchen earlier today. I don't even know why I said what I did, I didn't even mean it. I had actually been going to apologize then, but things didn't exactly go as I planned. -Brianna

She folded the note and put it on her desk beside her bed, then lay back down and finally began to relax. Tomorrow she would give Farid the note, and then she could forget about both him and that night in the graveyard.

oOoOoOo

Farid cursed inwardly when he saw Brianna coming towards him. But she didn't say anything, she simply pressed a folded sheet of paper into his hand and then walked away. He stared after her for a minute, confused, and then he opened the piece of paper. Something was written on it, and for a moment he wished he knew how to read.

I could take it to Meggie so she could tell me what it says, Farid mused. No, he decided, it's not worth the trouble. He doubted it said anything that would interest him.

He slipped it into his pocket and forgot about it.

oOoOoOo

It was now two days since Brianna had given Farid the note. He hadn't mentioned it at all, though he'd had plenty of opportunities to. Brianna assumed he had read it and chose to ignore it.

Well, it's perfectly fine with me if he wants nothing to do with me, she thought, wondering why it would irritate her. I don't want anything to do with him either!

oOoOoOo

And so the days passed. Farid felt as if he would soon die from despair. Orpheus still didn't write anything for Dustfinger. Maybe he couldn't, or maybe he wouldn't, but the fact remained that the Fire-Dancer was still dead.

And now Meggie was mad at him.

Ten days, Farid! Ten days since you've visited me, and you said you would come more often!

He felt guilty about not visiting and he could definitely see why she was upset, but he also couldn't help feeling that Meggie didn't understand. He knew she didn't know why he was still as distraught as if it had been yesterday Dustfinger died. It had been months, after all.

But Dustfinger had been like a father to him. How would Meggie feel if Mo died?

He loved to see Meggie, but it had grown painful as well. There were so many memories of her connecting to Dustfinger that Farid couldn't help but think of him, and it hurt to think of Dustfinger. Although it wasn't as though he could ever think of anything else anyway.

How long will all this go on? he wondered, wishing for an escape.

oOoOoOo

A yellow bird soared high in the sky, standing out in the dark night. The preparations were nearly finished. Soon her plan would be put to action.

The moon vanished behind a cloud, and Lady Fate disappeared into the night.

oOoOoOo

Farid had been lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, when it happened: everything started spinning.

Faster and faster, and then his surroundings vanished.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

At first he was too dazed and confused to do anything, but then he realized he was on the ground. Slowly, wondering if this was a dream, he picked himself up.

"You!" a panicked voice said. "What have you done, how did we get here?"

Farid spun around. "Brianna?" he said, bewildered.

"How did we get here?" she repeated, looking freaked out.

"No idea," he answered, shrugging and glancing around at their surroundings.

They were somewhere outside, but there were no houses or roads in sight. In front of them was some sort of huge archway, made of two curved black trees. Past the archway was a narrow path, with walls on either side made from leafless, black trees as well, packed so closely together that it would be impossible to walk through them.

"This is a dream," Brianna whispered. "I was in my room a minute ago, I can't have just been transported here! It must be a dream."

"No, it's not," Farid said, for a moment feeling sorry for her. She looked so scared. He realized she had never experienced being whisked away to another world like he had. Was this even another world, though?

A single spark rose from the ground, stopping when it reached the top of the two trees, where it stretched into a thin banner. Golden words appeared on it.

Brianna stared at it, both fear and fascination written in her face.

"What does it say?" Farid asked.

"You can't read?"

He shook his head and repeated, "What's it say?"

Brianna took a deep breath, then read aloud, "Greetings, humans. You have been chosen to enter The Maze. The sun will rise in an hour- in that time you must find a way out of the maze. You must collect three items on your way: a black rose, a pair of silver slippers, and a leaf from a blossoming tree. But be on your guard: nothing is as it seems. If you fail to find a way out of the maze, or if you lack any three items when your hour is up...you will die."

A/N: Hope you liked that. I'd love reviews! It doesn't have to be anything long (though I DO love the long ones), even just a quick 'I liked it' or 'Update soon' makes me insanely happy, and it only takes about two seconds to write. So please review! You'll totally make my day. :)