So here is Theme 2; I am trying to keep them as chronological as possible, following the timeframe of Lady Knight, though I may have to go back and add some at the end to reach 50. Again, I'm new at this so I'd love to hear your feedback, particularly if you think these are getting out of character. Also, I'm willing to update quite frequently, but if anyone has an opinion as to whether they would prefer each scene to be longer with more time between updates or shorter but posted more often, feel free to share.

Abyssgirl, thanks for taking the time to review, I really appreciate it. I was going for an "unseen footage" effect; hopefully this next update will continue to clarify that goal. One of my favorite parts of the Trickster's series was reading the "letters from home" and realizing that just because all of the action is focused on one character doesn't mean that the others are just sitting around twiddling their thumbs until she comes to interact with them. I knew that these next few characters would certainly be up to something interesting, even if there wasn't enough room to detail it in Lady Knight; I think it's about time that they got to share their side of the story. Enjoy!

And sorry, I forgot this last time, and I know that it's quite important: Remember that the locations, characters, and events occurring in these scenes are the property of Tamora Pierce, as much as I wish I could claim them as my own.

2. Kraken

Raoul lowered his gloved hand, listening as the sound of hooves suddenly fell away behind him. It was quickly replaced by the sighs and curses of the men as they wearily dismounted and promptly sank to their knees in the thick mud. The group around him dispersed quickly, the promise of dry clothes and a warm meal driving the soldiers to trudge through the churned mess of slush and muck to the nearest wayhouse.

It was only their third day on the road, and already spirits were dragging. Life seemed to have lost all purpose, running on an endless loop of riding and eating and sleeping and waking to ride once more. And the damn weather wasn't helping things; even he was not impractical enough to pray for sun, but a morning cold enough to freeze the soggy ground would have been a welcome blessing.

He shook his head, laughing at his foolishness. As much as he tried to deny it to Buri, he was an idealist, not afraid to try to change something just because others said it was impossible. But he wasn't stupid either, and he knew that there were some things that you just had to accept. The weather was certainly one of them.

Dismounting with a squelch, he grabbed Drum's reins and started towards shelter. He hadn't gotten very far when a loud voice made him turn instinctively. He knew that voice, and he knew that tone. Alanna was on the warpath, and while it was probably best to duck and cover, he had changed course to meet her without a second thought.

If the last few days had been wearing on his good humor, he could only imagine that Alanna's short temper was at the breaking point. Come to think of it, he was actually impressed she had held out this long, even with her friends obeying Jon's strict orders to ride between her and the conservative knights at all times.

Upon reaching his friend, he found her deep in a philosophical dispute with a Stormwing who was hovering, amused, just out of the range of her bow. The Stormwing swooped down quickly, her sing-song voice grating on the ears as she mocked Alanna for fearing the mud.

He then realized why his friend was still on her horse, and not hurrying towards her bath like the others. Raoul didn't blame her- with legs that short, the mud was likely to reach almost to her waist, an unpleasant enough sensation to merit consideration even from one as brave as the King's Champion.

From the look on her face, she was ready to throw herself defiantly into the mess. Alanna had always been so stubborn; it was one of the things that had first caught his attention when they were pages and that he still loved about her a few decades later. Catching Darkmoon's reins, he swept his fiery companion up into his arms and set off for the wayhouse once more.

He'd be hearing about this later, but since he was an old friend, he doubted that Alanna would actually kill him. Hopefully. She stubbornly continued with her protests until he shifted his hand to cover her mouth, effectively muffling her complaints, as the Stormwing flew off overhead raining curses on them for ruining the fun.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, watching two young knights ahead of them in the distance. One tripped, earning himself a faceful of mud, and the soft, restrained laughter of his companion floated back to them on the wind. Raoul would have recognized that laugh even if he hadn't been able to pick out the roan gelding she led from a mile off, and the muddy young man who emerged spluttering and waving his arms about could only be Alanna's ex-squire.

A tickling at his chest indicated that Alanna was trying to say something; thinking it was a renewal of her earlier protests, Raoul held her away from his body, threatening to drop her in a stagnant puddle of muck. As he looked into her eyes with a laugh, however, he was puzzled by the expression there. She looked…older, contemplative, more thoughtful than he had seen her in a long while.

He knew that they had both changed over the years; they had seen enough to last a lifetime and no one, not even the sharp-tongued, headstrong, impulsive woman in his arms could make it through unscathed. Still, it was rare to see her this troubled, and he wondered what was on her mind.

There was no use asking; if she wanted to tell him, she would, on her own time. He appreciated that; it was one of the reasons that they had stayed close over the years, even as other old friends had begun to drift away. Gary, with his papers and plans and ideas; Jon, trying to walk the delicate balance between doing what he knew was right and what would gain the popular support; sometimes he just couldn't understand them like he had when they were pages and squires together.

But he and Alanna were both warriors; they had been through it all and came out understanding one another in ways that the others could never share.

"I'd forgotten how attached you get." The words were no longer muffled in his chest, and he realized she had turned her head to gaze ahead as he had been. He wasn't sure what she was referring to until she added, "They seem so young. When did we get so old?"

It had been so long since either of them had taken a squire. Alanna, in fact, never had before. Now, watching Kel ride off to war, he wasn't sure how to feel. She was ready, he couldn't deny that; she had proved time and again over the last four years that she could take care of herself, and even now she still managed to surprise him. It was for himself that he was worried.

When he had first considered Kel as his squire, he had been caught up in the logistics of making everything work, how to keep a young girl safe among a hundred men, the best way to protect her reputation and his own, what gear she would need for the hard road ahead. There had never been time to consider the impact she might have on his life. Looking back, he felt as if he had gained a daughter over the last few years; nothing made him more proud then seeing the confident, independent woman she had become, and he was glad to have had the chance to play a part, however small, in helping her grow to fulfill her promise.

Now that the time had come to let her go, it was much harder than he had expected, but he wouldn't hold her back for anything. She had a lot to prove to the world, and Raoul couldn't wait to watch her do it. And as much as she complained about her insubordinate, insufferable squire, he knew Alanna felt the same way towards Neal. Somewhere among the sarcasm and flarng tempers, they had found the same bond.

Alanna was right, he had never felt as old as he did at that moment, as their ex-squires slowly faded from view. They might never be that carefree again; there was no denying that the war would change them. There was so much that needed to be said, and so few words to express it.

"We survived. So will they. They're strong, and they have each other, like we did. They'll make it." Not nearly enough, and he knew it. Looking at the violet eyes before him, he knew that he had done so much more than just survive over the years- he had killed and healed and loved and lost, fought men and immortals, served in wars and prayed for peace.

But through it all she had been there, to remind him what he was fighting for, to rescue him when he tried to drink away the pain and keep him sane when everything around him seemed to have dissolved into madness. And he would do the same for her. Their friendship was what had kept him fighting all these years. As he set her on her feet at the threshold of the inn, he caught her small nod of agreement and knew she understood what he meant. It hadn't been enough, but it was all that needed to be said.

Together the old friends walked inside, trying to hide the sadness in their eyes as they passed the table of first-year knights. Today, they laughed and called out to one another, glad to be off the road for the night and savoring their warm meals. Today, they were innocent. They had seen battles, seen men die- certainly Kel had experienced her fair share of fighting with the Own- but they had never been to war.

Tomorrow, the next day, in a month if they were lucky, that innocence would be taken from them. It was the way of the world, as fixed and unchangeable as the weather. No matter how much they would have liked to protect the next generation from seeing the horrors they had seen, Alanna and Raoul knew it was impossible.

So they simply prayed that the kids would survive. As he watched Neal slide into the seat next to Kel, draping his arm around her shoulder, he knew that they would make it. The war would be hard, but like him, the two young knights would never be truly alone. And that was all you could ask for.

That's all for now- check back very soon for the next set, which will likely feature the events surrounding Kel acquiring Tobe, particularly a chat between Tobe and Neal. Then maybe Neal, Merric, and Roald's assignment meetings with Wyldon, as well as Kel's interview from Wyldon's perspective and Fanche's assessment of her new commander. I think the next few will be a bit shorter. Have a thought, comment, idea, correction, flame, etc.? Hit that review button and let me know.