It had been six years since she had departed from her king. The painful memories she held however made it seem as if only six minutes had passed.

Jane's original orders were to seek out Lavinia's location and bring her home but the Illimitato made an unexpected return just before she was to set out with Dragon. Sir Theodore had led her, Gunther and Ivon into battle, not aware that he was aiding to deliver what the enemy had came for. One of the Illimitato had gained possession of Jane's sword and used it to keep Dragon at bay while a second knight advanced on Jane, ready to throw a sack over her head from behind. Furious, Dragon unleashed a violent surge of flames down upon the woman without regard to destroying Jane's weapon. The knight dodged out of harm's way, leaving Jane in its immediate path.

"JANE!" Dragon held his throat in surprise of hearing his voice.

Jane found herself hitting the ground as the fire heated the air above her body. Gunther rolled away from her and held his sword up to block a strike from one of the other enemy knights.

"Gunther" She meant to yell his name, overlooking the mimicry disease, but it had come out as a whisper.

"Run." Gunther whispered back, straining as he had also attempted to raise a voice he didn't yet have.

One of the women took the hilt of her sword and brought it down forcefully to knock Gunther out. Two others stood by waiting for him to drop into their grasps while the other three continued to keep Sir Ivon and Sir Theodore busy. Jane refused to let them take Gunther and charged after them but the woman who attacked Gunther, shoved her back.

"He is our property now."

Sir Ivon headbutted the knight confronting him out of his way and kicked her down. "Sorry, lass. Wear the armor, take the beating." He stopped in realization "I can speak again?"

Dragon watched the lead knight, Octavia, deliver a painful blow to Jane, finally taking the young knight out. He plunged down toward Jane, surrounding his body around her protectively

"She is not yours." He snarled at the knight.

"Withdraw! Now!" Octavia barked. Her eyes met up with Sir Theodore's as he stood down as a result of the fight ending abruptly. He caught the sight of Gunther being taken away.

"Unhand my knight at once." Sir Theodore demanded, making his way to Octavia. She fell into a defensive stance with both her own sword and Jane's in hand. Dragon approached her, poised to attack when she tossed down Jane's sword.

"We will return for the girl." She promised before catching up to her departing knights.

Sir Theodore and Sir Ivon exchanged glances and pursued her only to be confronted by a long row of Illimitato knights with swords ready. Down the road, two guards continue to lead Gunther away.

"What could you possibly want with boy? He is no use to you as a squire." Sir Theodore tried to reason.

Octavia stepped forward from the middle of the line. "As captain of the guard, I will finish his training. That is unless you wish to leave your king."

Sir Theodore shook in anger. "I detest such a thought! I would die for my king."

"And one day you shall, old fool."

Sir Ivon unsheathed his sword but was signaled to halt by Sir Theodore. "And what of the boy's father?"

The woman chuckled. "What of him?" And she left it like that following the departure of the Illimitato.

Jane looked down from the partially clouded sky as she lay against Dragon on a hill top. After that day, she had left Kippernia with Dragon, promising to bring back Gunther and Lavinia. Everyday that had passed in the last six years was a day she longed for the simpler days when she quarreled with Gunther on who was the best and sat at the mid day meal with her friends. She missed them all deeply but remaining there would have left not only herself but everyone else in danger. It was better to set out and attempt to retrieve who she lost than sit and wait to be hunted.

There hadn't been much progress in her search. Hearsay from the villages told of Gunther last being seen with unfamiliar knights on a far edge of Kippernium territory. This was only a fortnight after she had set out and no word of him since. She had heard rumors of Magnus Breech being sentenced for death for selling the castle's secrets. Jane couldn't think of one person who cared either way if the merchant remained in existence. As for Lavinia, there were only dead paths that left her where she began.

"Awake are you?" Dragon groggily asked.

"I was thinking of Princess Lavinia. She should be now the age I had been when I left the kingdom. Looking back upon it, I dreamt that six years into my future I would complete my training and become a knight. I suppose it did not turn out that way."

Dragon gave her half smile. "Afraid not, Jane." His head craned upward suddenly. "Get your sword ready."

Jane reached behind her back and pulled her sword over her shoulder carefully. "I did not hear any noise." She looked around them wondering who possibly climbed up the hill to find them at this early in the morning.

Instinctively, she struck out to the side so that her sword clanged against another. One swift attack after another the intruder came after her. Every flick of the sword was careful and calculated to a point she struggled to keep up. She winced when he barely missed her throat which then Dragon found it time to step in. He roared a wave of fire in the knight's direction which caused him to back off. He left himself open to Jane who cried out as she quickly disarmed him of his sword.

"Yield." She warned, holding the sword to his chest.

"We have been searching for you for quite a while, squire." The man spoke in a smooth tone. Something in his voice made him come off cold but familiar.

"Dragon..." She began.

"Want me to roast him, Jane?" Dragon asked eagerly.

"No. I believe he is Gunther." Jane stared at the knight unsure of herself. If only he would remove his helm.

The knight removed the armor that protected his skull to prove Jane correct. A twenty year old Gunther glared back at her.