Author's Notes: Holy hell this one did not want to get written. My sergeant decided it would be a fun idea to try and kill me yesterday and now I'm bruised and banged up so meh. Oh well great workout though. Now I'm just sitting on my couch with my puppy watching Zombieland. I finally got this one written FINALLLY! Let's emphasize the finally here. All so anyways, let me know what you think yeah? And uh if it sucks I'm really sorry. I tried. Love you guys!

Chapter 2:

Alex sighed as she moved down the little trail only she knew of through the woods. She turned and looked over her shoulder feeling the wind pick up and push her golden locks behind her as she continued to move. She climbed the hill, mindful of the simple blue dress she was wearing and carefully stepped around the large rocks. She continued on deeper into the woods easily knowing where she was going.

She moved aside the familiar low lying branches and stepped into the clearing deep in the woods surrounding her little village and knelt down carefully picking the necessary herbs she'd need to help Mrs. Bennett get over the fever that seemed to be growing worse by the day. Each time she attended the pregnant woman she wondered if that day would be the last but she continued to hold on obviously trying to fight for her life and that of the child still in her belly.

She gently set the herbs into the leather bag she'd brought along and began to carefully pull the weeds and tend to her herbs with a surprisingly loving gentle hand for someone everyone thought so cold. Though they all held nothing but sympathy for the beautiful blonde everyone knew she was cold as the winter's snow.

She rose to her feet when she was done going back to the village to her home knowing she would have to boil certain herbs and mix them a certain way to make what she needed to hopefully break the fever in the pregnant woman so she would be healthy enough to deliver her child.

"General?" Cragen looked up. He and three other men were standing in the King's throne room pouring over the maps and setting markers so the King would easily be able to see what their scouts were reporting on the barbarians that were so close to attacking their border villages.

"Yes?" He stood up to his full height looking over the young foot solider who shifted his weight and looked up at them nervously.

"This is for you sir." He held out a folded piece of papyrus and Cragen knew instantly that "concerned citizen Alexander" had written another letter to the people concerning their supposed ill treatment. Didn't they understand that they were only doing what they could to keep them protected? He frowned and took the letter not looking up at the look the King sent his way knowing what it was that he'd asked his favored General to take care of.

When the meeting had ended, he called to Cragen wanting the man to stay. "Tell me General Cragen is that another letter from our favorite concerned citizen?" The man asked. He was only a slightly bit older than Cragen. In his youth he was a very good looking man but now he was portly and aging not as well as everyone thought a King should.

"Yes my Lord. I'm afraid it is." Cragen frowned looking down.

"No luck at all finding out who he is then?"

"No my Lord. Each time we've rounded up various rebels they refuse to give him up if he's among them but they all tell us they're not. I've got spies in some of the more prominent groups but they all say the same thing he's not among them. We do have some new intelligence that tells us he may be in the Northern border villages. I am planning to send some of our officers out there to see what they can discover."

The King nodded, "What about that daughter of yours? She's a Captain in my army. She's known far and wide for her bravery and intelligence. Her men adore her and yet you keep her as far away from the battle as possible. I think you want to keep her as far from that as possible and if that's the case then send her on one of these trips. From the looks of the things the Barbarians' are planning to come from the South. It would keep her out of harm's way should they attack while she's away."

"Of course my Lord. I know Olivia would be honored to do this for you. What of Elliot? Should I send him the same way?"

"Yes. Send him to another. There are many border Northern villages and we will need to stretch ourselves thin to find him. If he is found, as experienced as your children are I think they would be able to put a stop to what's happening without needing to call out a platoon to do the work."

Cragen nodded, "Yes my Lord. I will tell them both. With your permission sir I will prepare them for their trips and send them in a few days time."

"Of course."

Cragen bowed showing his respect for the man before he left the throne room knowing his children were training with their men on the training grounds.

Olivia laughed as she grabbed Fin's shoulders flipping easily over him with her momentum alone and landing behind him planting her foot squarely in his back to send him flying. He landed and tried to roll but she beat him to it holding her sword to his neck. He smiled up at her and she smiled in return offering her hand to her childhood friend. "I almost had you Captain." Fin said with a smile.

"Never." Olivia murmured with a laugh.

Elliot and Munch stood on the sidelines with the other men and women in their platoon. "He's never going to beat her." Munch said with a laugh watching the way his friend stood up and the two walked back towards their group.

"Is there anyone here willing to take on their Captain other than Fin?" Olivia called smiling as her men didn't say a word.

It was a well known fact that Elliot seemed to be the only one who could at least land a blow and if rumor was too be believed he had even beaten the Captain once. Elliot folded his arms watching as Olivia tried to get someone else to fight her. He could still remember the little tiny girl he used to play with in childhood that waved around a little wooden sword. It was strange to look at how much they had grown and changed. Olivia was a woman now and as beautiful as they come. Of course he viewed her as his sister and nothing more but he would be blind if he didn't say he saw the longing looks often cast her way by various men and women who sought her bed.

Of course Olivia had once confessed to him that she had no interest in the opposite sex and preferred the warmth and softness of a woman's body to that of a man's but she was so busy with war and it's tactics that she ignored her bodily urges and focused on that instead of trying to bed a pretty skirt for the night. When he'd first learned they'd gone to a tavern and compared their tastes in women. They'd both discovered they preferred blue eyed blondes.

Shaking his head he watched as Olivia sheathed her sword everyone scattering as General Cragen walked towards them.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked as she moved to her father.

"Elliot, Fin, Munch come here. This concerns you three as well as my daughter." Cragen motioned all of them towards him.

"The King wishes to place a priority on finding this man Alexander. The war is coming there can be no doubt of that and he wants him found before his soldiers are forced to deal with the barbarians and unhappy citizens."

"Surely they realize that everything we're doing is for their benefit." Olivia immediately argued.

Living in the central capital things were not nearly as bad as they were in the border villages. She frowned watching as he father shook his head. "They don't. So he wants me to choose a few officers to send the northern villages where intelligence says he's located. I want you four to go. Find him and bring him back here before the war breaks out. We need a united front of soldiers and villagers if we have any hope of winning this war."

Olivia frowned wanting to object but knowing she couldn't when her superior officer was ordering but not only that it was her father telling her to do as he needed.

"When do we have to leave sir?" She asked.

"In a few days time. We'll get you each prepared and send you to the different villages. Communicate with each other when you can but try to snuff this problem out before it turns into a rebellion and a war we're fighting."

"Yes sir." They all responded so easily.

Author's Notes: Dammit all to hell I hurt. I'm ending this one here for now. Let me know what you think yeah guys?