(-a/n-Hello All! Oops I left the bold thingy whatsit on…Ah well ;D Wowee! I have over 500 reviews! 500!!!!! I'm so insanely happy :D That coupled with the half a tub of Ben and Jerrys ice cream that I've just eaten, life is looking very good at the moment! I've also found some more great music for some later chapters. You've know idea how much fun I'm finding writing this :D It's also an amazing cure for boredom…let me explain…anytime I feel bored I just think of this fic and my brain goes into overdrive with plot twists and ideas for this story :D lol. I also find myself suddenly getting up in the middle of breakfast to go and check the age of Cleon say, and this morning at 2am I woke up and thought…actually I won't tell you what I thought, it would ruin the surprise… I've also been listening to Fallen relentlessly…I think the play count stands at 455! Lol. I'm obsessed…it's official. Still it's all worth it when I read the fabulous reviews :D

My second point to this author's note is a thought that struck me the other day…Probably about half of you live in America, that's like half the way around the world and yet you can still read what I write and review etc.! I mean half the way around the world! That's a hell of a long way away!...well I thought it was amazing! I do so love the internet, more specifically :D

Purely out of interest it would be great to hear on which side of the globe my reviewers live…lol…Anyone live anywhere out of UK and USA?

x17SkmBdrchiczxx Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! –Dances happily- ! You leave such nice reviews :D –gives reviewer a chocolate brownie- :D

the. dead. addict.Thanks!

EclipsaThat's good, I don't like my stories getting predictable :D hehehe, got to keep you all on your toes. Yep I had a fab b-day, thanks for reviewing ;D

Anonymous Is this nativewildmage? Lol sorry if it's not, thanks anyway ;D

BlackWidow12Thanks, I had a wicked b-day! Hehehe, you are indeed a loyal reviewer! –hands over a shiny golden badge with loyal reviewer engraved upon it- :P

Golden23Yeah, Kel was good at the Shang moves…but not Shang in particular, just self-defense type things. Thanks for reviewing, I've just eaten a bowl of ice cream, or rather half a tub! Mmm, Ben & Jerrys :D

Yabberlihehe, I don't mind fangirl squeals :D Yeah it was so fun, but it did take hours… I know I'm rubbish at underwater Frisbee, it always seems to slope up or down…Thanks I had a lovely b-day, I ate so much chocolate :D

theknightofkonahanope, I have to wait another year to drive in the UK, you have to be seventeen. Which is a shame :( Lol. Anyway thanks for reviewing :D

ErynfaerYep! I know I love reading you can procrastinate all homework and jobs for hours if you've got something good to read. I do like to try to included different characters in my fics, I think that bringing in characters which we already know, like Aly, George, Fanche etc. make it more realistic and probable more interesting than tons of new characters.

HasamakiYep, I sure did pig out, I'm going to have to be rolled back to school, I don't think I'll fit in the bus anymore…hehe, joking :D My fingers are going to burn off fat as I type up this chapter! The new way to beat obesity; typing! Lol hehehe (sorry I'm in a slightly strange mood as I've just eaten half a tub of ice cream ;D ) Thanks for reviewing.

SavingSaturnI love George and Aly too, I'm currently re-reading Tricksters Choice (yet again) :P I'm not sure how soon, soon will be, but you will get answers eventually :P

Me Thanks!

Sarra's wildchildThanks!

ElentarielNo, Kel's not going to meet Alanna (yet) …

I love Fallen! Hehehe, I have a great many things up my sleeve ;D My arm for one…lol I would love to sit here typing until I've finished this story but unfortunately life gets in the way… still I hope you won't have to wait too long for some answers ;D

Asf Thanks!

SaphirePhoenixYeha! I always wanted them to meet and get on, although Aly doesn't know who Kel is…Thanks for reviewing ;D

Erythahehe, I try to keep in with Canon, except for the whole Kel getting kicked out thing! lol which does form quite a large part of my fic, but anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying it, thanks as always for reviewing ;D

manicpony24sixteen! Practically a pensioner! Lol, joking.

queenoftheostlerslol, I know, I always think, yes it's the holidays I can update loads, but I, or rather my mum, seems to find things for me to do…I hope you're having fun on your riding holiday :D

Bertie Botts Thanks :D

epobbpAh, okay! Thanks for reviewing!

reflect.cloudsThanks!

Grace of MasbolleOf course! Lol. Thanks for reviewing :D

The Sherberty LemonThanks!

Hyperbookworm Not yet, but you will…thanks for reviewing :D

CIRPG lol thanks, not sure I understand the riddle… but it's gotta be better than doing maths! Lol :D

Michi Thanks!

Pie of Doomehhehe, thanks!

Devouring Sarcasm Phantasmlol. Yep, I've been re-reading Tricksters (again) which prompted me to have a situation which they had to fight their way out of. Well done for picking that up! Hehe. I don't know how I get so many reviews; there are just lots of lovely people out there! –hugs all reviewers-

truffletruffle01Thanks!

oirishgoddessThanks! I hope your show went well. What dance were you doing?

ella plain and simpleThanks!

kgwoozleThanks!

bookworm-4-ever2012teeheehee thanks ;D

JaBoyYaNo, Alex is my own character.

rosie lol, I like the Oliver Twist accent ! teehee, thanks for reviewing :D

LadyKnightSusanThere will be many a fluffy scene in the future, never fear. Thanks for reviewing :)

brezzybrezKel's not going to meet Alanna…yet…

katiebug123Okay I'll be more careful. Yeah, originally I hadn't included Aly in the great scheme of things but as I re-read Tricksters I noticed how it mentioned her having to fight her way out of several situations with her Dad, which got the cogs whirring in my brain…Thanks for reviewing ;D

On top of cloud 9Thanks!

mangoladyThanks!

Mrs. Dom Masbolleooh…um tenth grade? Gah… this is confusing…I'm in year eleven in the UK, wait let me check…according to a site I just found, yes I am in Tenth grade. Hehehe. Does the American school year start in September? Thanks for being an ever-faithful reviewer!

Evil Bunny of Deaththanks!

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Confusedknight xxx

Alex collected Prince from the stable and George and Aly also led their mounts away. When they were outside the village, they all mounted up, Kel sitting in front of Alex; Prince being able to bear both of their weights with ease.

Despite the fact that it was pitch black, the moon shone down illuminating the landscape around them as they cantered away from the village. After about twenty minutes George signalled for them to halt and dismount. He led them down a path, away from the roadside to a small pond which glinted eerily in the moonlight.

They had hardly spoken at all as they'd departed from the village, each lost in their own thoughts. But now George made it clear that he wanted answers.

'Okay…so my daughter is found up a chimney; that doesn't bother me, I'm far too used to her antics,' drawled George. 'But when a girl is with her, one whom I know nothing about, listening in to a meeting between myself and one of my top agents, then I wonder what exactly is going on.' He turned to Alex, 'You obviously know her, but what is she doing travelling with you when you're meant to be working?'

Alex sighed, he'd hoped that it wouldn't have to come to this, but fate had deemed otherwise.

'She's going to be working for me,' he said.

George's hazel eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Kel.

'She hasn't been trained-,' began George, but Alex cut across him.

'George I can't run things single-handedly in Scanra. To glean all the information I need I would need at least thirty agents. Thirty which I know we don't have. I know that you've got your agents with the clans, but it takes years to plant them there so I know how difficult it is to get more spies in. Not to mention the fact that very little of their information ever seems to find me.

I need help. I have to keep myself at a distance from Maggur, I have to move around, meet with different people from all over the cities and classes. But to have Kel there stationed as a maid or a slave, amongst other workers, the information she could ferret out would be a tremendous help. It doesn't have to be complicated spying, just a poke or a prod here and that would do it. Kel can look after herself, you saw how she dealt with the Tyrans.' Alex sighed and sat down, motioning that the others should do so too.

'Maggur is clever George. Far cleverer than any other threat you've had to deal with for a long time. He is careful, he is discreet and he doesn't make mistakes. He moves slowly, far too slowly for anyone to recognise until he has solidified his position. He is worming his way, inching towards his final goal. He drives wedges between allies, breaking down centuries of comradeship between some of the more powerful clans. He has a very small force of devoted agents, he doesn't trust others and his army is growing every day. Tortall could be looking at a serious threat in five years or so from now, a big enough threat to go to war against.'

'If Maggur is this clever, then why don't we kill him and be done with it?' demanded Aly. 'If he is the brain behind it all then surely once he is removed then their plans will fall to pieces.'

George shook his head, 'It's not as simple as that.'

'Maggur is a very tricky man to pin down,' confirmed Alex, 'He's always on the move, accompanied by his loyal guards. But there's no way of knowing that if you did kill him, another would not step into his place. Ideally the only way of preventing blood-shed is in an alliance, but that won't happen until Scanra is united under one banner, and I fear when that happens a state of open war-fare will be declared.'

'So what can we do?' asked Kel, her voice quiet but steady.

'Infuriatingly little,' said George, 'My agents keep me informed on his movements and I can tell the King to start saving the royal treasury as war seems imminent. But these things can't be let out, in keeping things quiet, with only a select few of his Majesty's friends knowing, then we can quietly arm up. And just when the enemy thinks they are going to surprise us-'

'We are in fact ready for war,' finished Alex grimly.

'So is that what you've been doing?' asked Kel, 'Keeping an eye on the situation?'

'Amongst other things,' replied Alex.

'Alex is one of my special agents,' said George, 'I said there was little that could be done, but there is still some things that can be done to hinder our enemy.' By now George seemed to have accepted that Kel was going with Alex into Scanra.

'If you're going to be working with Alex then you need to know the full picture,' said George, 'Right from the beginning.' George glanced up at Alex, who sat oddly stiff, staring out into the night.

'Four years ago Maggur was a nobody, an insignificant commoner who had recently risen to captaining a private group of soldiers working for Birtrus, a Scanran Clan Chief. One day Birtrus died, whether by accident or foul-play, but he died.

Naturally Birtrus' eldest son took over from him and still only a young man of nineteen, he turned to Maggur for help. Maggur saw his chance and took it. For months Maggur whispered poison into his ear until all the young man saw was plots against his power. The young man turned against his own family, convinced that they were seeking to overthrow him.

Maggur watched as the young man murdered his family, one-by-one, in the dead of night. He killed his mother, two sisters and fiancée before turning on his ten-year-old brother. The ten-year-old's dying screams awoke his other brother. The middle brother, only just seventeen years of age, rushed in to find his eldest brother standing over the body of the young boy. Then the deranged man set upon the one remaining brother; however the middle brother managed to overpower the elder and kill him.

Maggur, being the piece of filth that he was, told the entire clan that the middle brother had murdered his family, a story which was backed up by his loyal servants. The seventeen-year-old fled for his life, hunted for crimes he didn't commit.

Meanwhile Maggur consoled the grieving clans-people and took over the leadership for himself. It was quite a large clan to begin with but since gaining control of it, he has gradually been building it up and developing an army of his own. His clansmen are trained in the art of war. His most loyal advisor Stenmun is in charge of the army, a seven-foot giant who has quickly whipped the men into shape.'

'Doesn't anyone notice if Maggur is building up a bloody great army?' asked Aly ludicrously.

George raised his eyebrows at Aly's choice of language, but continued with his story.

'All the clans have armies, Maggur's is just well-trained. The thing with Maggur is that he moves slowly, so people tend not to notice him. He carefully plants information within fellow clans, creating suspicion between them and the others. He picks on one clan at a time, making them feel like they are about to be attacked by a different clan, then he offers them an alliance; protection. He pays his soldiers well, earning their loyalty. Without their soldiers the old clan chiefs have no power, and simply become minor advisors in his ever growing clan.

Every now and again he has to take a clan by brute force, but the battles are usually short-lived. A well-trained army is no match for villagers wielding axes. So now he seeks to earn the loyalty of the clans closest to Hamrkeng, I'd say it would be his eventual plan to make himself the overlord, if not King of Scanra.'

'Surely someone will stand up to him?' asked Kel, 'From what we hear, the Scanran clans are always fighting, and there's an awful lot of them to bring under one banner.'

Alex sighed, and spoke for the first time in several minutes.

'And that's where Maggur's genius lies. He creates suspicion and rumour on a scale that's never been seen before in Scanra. At the moment none of the clans trust each other.'

'And they all run to Maggur for protection,' Kel whistled, finally understanding. 'So what can we be doing to slow the inevitable?'

'Alex has been busy planting false rumours all over the place, making sure that there's nasty rumours about Maggur flying around too. It's all about delaying. Every week that we delay is a week that Tortall becomes more prepared. Of course none of the citizens are aware. Fortresses are being re-built slowly to provide the soldiers with more suitable lodgings. The armies are recruiting and training more and more soldiers as the Immortals might return. Things are slowly clicking into place although only a few people realise it.'

'What I've been doing recently,' said Alex, 'Is trying to ferret out Maggur's spies in the clans, to kill them before their whispered poison gets to work in the way it did originally.' Kel nodded, understanding.

'So what sort of information am I going to be looking out for?' asked Kel.

George shrugged, 'Hints about Maggur's plans, or who his informants might be in that particular clan, general titbits of information, anything that might help Alex.'

'As fascinating as this conversation is, do you think we could discuss such matters at more sociable hour?' asked Aly with a yawn. 'Da are we staying here tonight?'

'I think it's a safe enough place,' said George looking around.

'Who were those Tyrans that came after you earlier?' asked Alex as he unpacked the tent.

'Some old acquaintances, the usual, nothing to worry about…' George evaded the subject. 'What I do want to know is how they managed to find out which village I'd come to…' he trailed off, also beginning to unpack his tent.

Within minutes they were all fast asleep, weapons close-by, just in case.

The next morning dawned bright and early, seemingly only minutes after Kel had gone to sleep. She groaned and sat up, pushing her messy, tangled hair out of her face and blinking sleepily. Alex, as usual was already up, talking quietly to George. Aly was sitting by the pond and as Kel left the tent Aly beckoned her over.

Kel was still wearing the same grubby shirt and breeches that she'd been wearing the previous night, but her feet were bare. The two girls dangled their feet in the cool water, ripples spreading out across the pond's smooth surface.

'We're going back home today,' said Aly glumly.

'Home?' questioned Kel, acting the ignorant commoner.

'Pirate's swoop,' said Aly. 'I just know that Mother will have something lined up for me to do and you can bet on Mithros that it will be boring. You see I'm nine years old and she feels that I must be deciding my way in life. I don't have the gift so that rules out being a healer or a Palace mage and I couldn't imagine anything worse than going to the Convent. Most people feel that I should follow in my mother's footsteps, but I don't want to become a knight.' Aly's eyes sparkled, 'What I really want to be is a spy…but I haven't mentioned that one to her yet, she would just explode.'

Aly looked sideways at her companion. 'You're so lucky, not being noble-born. No one expects you to do very much with your life, but I'm surrounded by heroes and famous people and they all seem to expect me to live up to all that,' Aly said sorrowfully.

Kel said nothing, glancing out across the water, not voicing her true feelings that Aly could have her place any day. Kicked out, exiled to the convent, raped, almost dying from exposure, working on a farm, starving and now with the prospect of an equally dangerous and hard life as a spy, Kel felt that Aly's relatively cushy existence really wasn't a cause for concern.

'This is going to sound so horrible,' sighed Aly, 'But now that Mother has fallen out with the King she's at home so much more and she always wants me to be doing something, rather than sitting around and flirting with the village boys.' She grinned wickedly at Kel, 'It's such an amusing past-time, especially once they start fighting over you.'

But Kel wasn't interested in Aly's tales of flirtatious afternoons spent at Pirates swoop.

'The Lioness had an argument with the King?' Kel asked, shocked.

'Didn't you know? I would've thought they heard her shouting in Carthak!' Aly rolled her eyes, 'Yes, you know the girl who tried for knighthood, the one from Mindelan. Well she was made to leave and Mother was not happy. She was still angry over the girl being put on probation, but when she heard that the girl had been made to leave she jumped on her horse, galloped off to the city and from what I heard, burst into the throne room, sword-in-hand and told the King exactly what she thought of him.'

'I had heard about the Lioness' temper,' said Kel absent-mindedly.

'Whatever you've heard, it's an understatement, only once you've been on the receiving end of one of her rants can you truly understand-' but Aly's vehement assurances about Alanna's irritability were cut short as her father called her over to start cooking breakfast.

Alex suggested to Kel that they should start their morning routines as was proper. So as Aly cooked the breakfast, half-supervised by George, who sat absorbed in his own thoughts, Alex and Kel began to stretch thoroughly.

Kel was surprised at how much difference her new lifestyle was making. Already her joints were far suppler than they had ever been before. She felt physically fit and also a lot happier mentally since joining Alex. He had given her life purpose again.

They didn't have time to go through all of Kel's exercises, so instead they concentrated on a series of complex blocks, Kel switching her sword between her left and right hands regularly. Wielding the sword with her left hand still felt slightly odd, although it was becoming more and more natural each time she used it. Kel just needed to build up the strength and skill of her left arm to match the right one.

Aly gave them a two minute warning before breakfast and switching her sword back into her right hand, Kel and Alex began a practise free-duel, one in which they could use any form of defence or attack, not just the ones which they had been practising.

Alex was a good teacher and Kel had learnt a lot of the ten days or so in which she had been training. Despite this, Alex was still by far the better swordsman and it didn't take him long to disarm her. Kel however was pleased. If Alex was fighting at his highest standard he could usually disarm her in about fifteen seconds, to last a minute and a half had to be a personal best for her.

They ate breakfast, Alex grimacing at the taste. George noticed and laughed.

'If you think this is bad you should have tried some of the meals Alanna used to cook. It must be hereditary.'

Aly scowled at her father and hit him playfully on the arm.

Once everything had been packed up, Kel and Aly said their goodbyes both expressing a wish to meet each other again at some point. Aly said good luck to Kel and they departed, Kel thinking wistfully of all the people whom she had now promised to meet again. But I've got to survive the next few years she thought, I'll concentrate on that first. Thinking of her past would only distract her.

They travelled Northwards at an alarming pace, Kel somehow managing to learn more over the next eight days than she felt she had ever done before. Each night she went to bed exhausted mentally and physically. Every spare moment was dedicated to a lesson of some sort and Kel, understanding how essential it was that she master the techniques Alex was teaching her, before they entered enemy country, threw herself at the task with an energy that surprised even herself.

Kel's most current project was learning how to build a successful Liar's Palace, one which would survive basic truth spells. It involved building a mental place in her head which she could retreat to if she was questioned. From that 'place' she could lie about whatever she wanted, fooling questioners.

Kel had learnt so much about Scanra from Alex that she was actually looking forward to being inside the country which she'd heard so much about. As a Tortallan, she had been under the impression that the Scanran's were a 'barbaric people', (although she didn't say this to Alex as she had a suspicion that he was a Scanran by birth.) Alex had quickly taught her differently, explaining the complexities of the clans.

'Scanra is a huge country, bigger than Tortall or Carthak, although much of it is open wasteland. The first people that settled there were nomadic, travelling in clans one-hundred strong, staying wherever they fancied. In modern day Scanra, most of the clans have settled down, building villages towns and even cities.

Hamrkeng is the Scanran Capital, and it's huge. You'll have never seen anything like it. It's far bigger than Corus and the City of the Gods put together. It's a neutral ground, in other words it doesn't belong to any particular clan.

The clans and their territories is quiet a lot like the Nobles and fiefs that you have in Tortall,' said Alex. 'Although some clans will move around still or shift their base. As I said before, Scanra is a huge; there are many parts of the country which aren't currently claimed by the clans. But it's always changing clans will move to claim new areas because there is good wood or farmland, or something which can be utilised by the clan.'

'So the clans are slightly nomadic nobles and their subjects, but with fiefs that change and move?' surmised Kel.

Alex nodded, 'But one of the main differences between Tortall and Scanra is that Tortall has a monarchy and a fairly good justice system. The Scanran Clan Chiefs answer to no one, in their clan their word is law. That's why there are so many battles among the clans, because each Clan Chief fears that his neighbour is more powerful than he is. So they try to destroy the neighbouring clans before they get too big.'

Each day they rode they neared the Scanran border. One morning Alex visited a village shop to buy a handful of herbs. When he got back to their camp he mixed the herbs in boiling water, creating a sticky gloop with a strong smell. He had then proceeded to smear the gloop all over Kel's hair, instructing her to leave it in all day so that the sun could work on it. In the evening Kel found a river and washed her shoulder-length hair thoroughly.

When her hair dried it was several tones lighter. It was no where near as fair as the true Scanran's but it wasn't the same brown that it had been before. Instead it was a compromise, a sort of blondish/brown colour that would help her to blend in more.

That evening, upon the completion of their exercises Alex announced that they would have to give Kel a new name, as 'Kel' was not a common name in Scanra. In the end they agreed on 'Lia'.

Kel was inwardly relieved upon taking on a new name. The incident with George could've ruined everything. Kel knew that it was unlikely that anyone would link the peasant girl 'Kel' with Lady Keladry of Mindelan, but becoming 'Lia' would certainly put her mind at rest on that score.

Just before she went to bed Alex told her further details of his plan.

'We're almost at the border now, within three days we'll be in Scanra. Tomorrow evening we're going to stop in a town just north of Mindelan and I'm going to give you a chance to spy around for a bit, a trial run if you like. I'll set you some targets and you've got to see how much information you can find out about them in one evening.'

At the word 'Mindelan' Kel's heart froze, breathe, she thought act normal, you'll only be passing by.

It took all of Kel's self control to keep her face emotionless and her tone of conversation light as she rode through the familiar landscape. She tried to act normal, but the knowledge that her home fief was so close, bought back all sorts of memories which she struggled to push aside.

Kel saw Alex giving her some strange looks, but after midday they were moving further away from Mindelan and Kel calmed down enough to concentrate on the task that lay ahead of her.

As the afternoon wore on, they came down a hill, approaching a small settlement.

'Wait here,' Alex instructed her, handing her Prince's reins and disappearing out of sight.

He returned twenty minutes later, slightly sweaty but grinning.

'A group of the King's soldiers are travelling through. Just find out as much information about them as you can.'

Kel decided that first she would scout around and see where the soldiers were staying, how many of them there were and who seemed to be in charge of them.

Kel pulled on a worn skirt over her breeches, let down her hair and unrolled her sleeves. She wiped some dirt onto her face, and tucked a flower into her hair for good measure. To one of the soldiers she'd look like a young village girl. Kel was pleased at that moment that she was small, scrawny and without a womanly shape, so she wouldn't be attracting any of that kind of unwanted attention. She had six daggers concealed upon her person, but she wasn't planning to have to use them. Best to attract minimal attention, she thought and with that thought firmly lodged in her mind she entered the village.

She could see soldiers coming down the road, their elegant horses creating clouds of dust as they came ever nearer. Kel stationed herself on a bank next to the Inn and set about making a chain of daisies. Though her fingers were deft and nimble, she was barely concentrating on the task in her hands. Every nerve in her body was thrumming lightly, but over-riding all of her nerves was an powerful rush of excitement, she could do this, she would show Alex what she was capable of!

She glanced up, shading her eyes against the sun and she realised that the soldiers were closer than she thought. They rode into the village looking hot, sweaty and at ease with life. Kel counted twelve horses; it seemed to be an ordinary squad of soldiers from the King's army, led by a Knight and what seemed to be a Squire.

A chubby innkeeper rushed out of the building to greet the soldiers. The Knight dismounted and handed the reins of his horses to his tall, red-headed Squire. As he stepped forward Kel's heart missed a beat.

It was Sir Inness of Mindelan, her brother and if Kel was not very much mistaken his tall, red-headed Squire was none other than Cleon of Kennan.

Kel's hands shook, tearing the daisy chain as she asked herself the age old question:

Why couldn't anything in life ever be simple?

(-a/n- A cliffie! I'm truly sorry, I didn't mean to leave it in this way but this is a rather long chapter, and there is more of this little escapade to come, so think of it as part I of a chapter. I also had to include a lot of information on Scanra so that things in future chapters will make sense. So now you know what Kel's going to be doing for the next few years :D Please review :D I would love to hear what you think (and also what country you're from –see the a/n at the start of the chapter- …)

Confusedknight xxx