Thank you to my reviewers of the previous chapter, though there were a disappointing few of you. =(

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Reprise:

I tried to open the door, but there was a padlock on it and a heavy bolt which was rusted shut. I shoved at it desperately, but it wouldn't give. Right. Looked like I was trapped here. I turned around with some apprehension, and started as I saw a man in the doorway.

Surely that was Cadvan?

--

I stared at the man, trying to work out if it was indeed Cadvan. He had dark brown, slightly unkempt hair; dark, stern eyes; and a tense expression. He walked slowly into the byre, his eyes fixed on me as mine were fixed on him. When he had reached the centre of the byre, he stopped, turned his body to face me and frowned.

"Do you see me?" he asked, his voice rough.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to contain my joy. This was Cadvan! Cadvan!

Cadvan stared at me, his expression blank but I knew how shocked he was. "There are not many as can see the likes of myself, though perhaps my art fails me."

"Who are you?" As if I don't know. Though I'd better be sure.

"I am Cadvan, of the School of Lirigon. Now, mistress, how do they name you?"

"My name's Kayla. Kayla of…of Pellinor."

"Of Pellinor? That School was sacked, a long time ago. It was thought none survived." He examined me dispassionately. I fidgeted uncomfortably, waiting for him to say something. I suddenly understood how Maerad had felt as he looked at her; his gaze made me feel exposed. "You were not always a slave?"

"No…I used to live with my mother and father in Pellinor. I was…" I quickly did the maths - "nine when Pellinor was sacked." I began to wonder what would happen when Cadvan scried me. It was inevitable that he would, and he would see immediately that I was lying.

"What is your mother's name?"

"Mary. She died when I was twelve." This much, at least, was true, and I cast down my eyes as I thought of her.

"My apologies," Cadvan said courteously. He paused before asking, "And your father?"

"I've not seen him for years." This, too, was true.

I turned away and went to stroke the cows to escape his gaze. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him sink down into the straw. I glanced at him fervently and saw he had his head in his hands. I ran my hand over a fawny-brown cow and looked back at Cadvan. I could still barely believe I was here. Not twenty minutes ago, I had been sitting reading about this very situation, and now here I was in Maerad's place.

"You cannot stay here, if you are of Pellinor," Cadvan said at last. I turned to face him, hope in my heart. Was it possible that I could take Maerad's place completely? "Could you - perhaps - spare some milk?" he asked.

I handed him a bucketful wordlessly and he drank from it deeply.

"A blessing on you, and on your house," he said formerly.

"That's okay," I replied. Not even my milk, I thought.

"Will you be coming here again today? To the byre, I mean."

"You're not leaving me here! I've been here twelve years," I lied, "I'm not waiting any longer!" I walked forward, grabbed his sleeve at his elbow and dragged him out of the hut. He wrenched his elbow out of my grip and I whipped around to make sure he was coming. He was stood with his arms folded, frowning at me.

"I would sorely like to rest, Kayla," he said, sounding disapproving.

"Oh, come on, you wimp, no pain no gain," I replied, impatient to get moving. I took a fold of fabric near his elbow again and started pulling him out.

"Well, we can't leave like this. You will need to be hidden. Here, stand in front of me and I shall put a glimmer spell on you." He placed his hands on my shoulders and I marvelled at the fact that this was Cadvan. "Larnea il oseanna, lembel Kayla inasfrea! Do you know what that means? Have you the Speech yet?"

"No, but I know those words." I recalled his choice of words with a jolt. "Yet?" I asked in surprise.

"You are a Bard, are you not? I am sure I can feel it."

"Er…yeah." I was a Bard? I was a Bard??!!

"Come, then. Let us leave. Is there anything you would like to bring?"

I glanced around the byre, and suddenly my eyes alighted upon something…The lyre. Maerad's lyre. I snatched it up and showed it to Cadvan with a smile. "Just this," I replied truthfully. I had taken nothing with me except The Gift in my inside jacket pocket. In case you are wondering why I was wearing a jacket inside, the heating was broken.

Cadvan watched me for a few more seconds, taking in my scruffy jeans, my black converse. He nodded almost imperceptibly and I knew he was going to take me with him. As he left the byre, he made for the south wall. "Now don't speak. I cannot make us unheard as well," he said softly in his deep voice, sending electricity up my spine. I couldn't hope but notice that he was just as gorgeous as all Pellinorites imagined him, despite his dishevelled appearance and the shadows under his eyes.

It was horrible going through the open squares, with Gilman's men lounging against the walls and toying with their weapons. It was very hard not to shrink behind every wall and hide in the shadows when I was so unused to the idea of magery. I shuddered involuntarily as the dogs lined up beside what I assumed was the Great Hall sniffed at us, but the men holding them looked straight through us.

I kept close to Cadvan for fear of discovery, walking as quietly as I could, until Cadvan gestured that we should climb the wall. I stared up at it in apprehension. I've never been too keen on heights, and I couldn't climb. Cadvan stowed the lyre in his pack before we began. The wall seemed very high, but I copied Cadvan as he set his foot against the wall and found it was not as bad as I had thought it would be. When we reached the top of the wall, Cadvan held out an arm to stop me, waited until there were no guards around, and then gestured for us to cross the narrow path. Together, we climbed down the other side. As I jumped down the last few feet and landed with a thump on the ground, I realised with relief that there would be no dogs to chase us, because neither Cadvan nor I belonged there.

Then I realised that Maerad was still missing, and Gilman would send out the dogs.

I looked down into the stoney valley, the ground sweeping away before us, a constant steady slope of boulders and mountain rubble covered with sparse scrub and the odd tree bent against the harsh winds which swept down from the mountains, the Osidh Annova, eastern border of the Inner Kingdom. I rough track meandered aimlessly down the centre of the valley, strewn here and there with stones from some landslide.

I glanced at Cadvan with some delight, and grinned.

"And so we are out," he said, a prophetic tone to his voice. "Now all is left to do is to walk."

I groaned, but followed him as he set off. As I glanced behind me I saw the setting sun staining the Cot red and throwing all the valley into shadow.

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I am SO glad I decided to re-write this. It's not bad; much better than the first version.

Please, please review =)