Yay, I updated! Sorry this chapter is so short, I'm gonna try and get another up this weekend. This was actually meant to be part of a larger chpater, but then Birle's part turned out way longer than I had expected. So now it's its own chapter. Hope ya like it. Remember to review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Birle woke again to a new day, and for a moment, she didn't know where she was. Slowly, she sat up in the mysterious bed that couldn't be hers and looked carefully around, still half asleep. As she became more aware of things, she recognized the room as one of the Inn's. But what was she doing at the Inn? Why wasn't she back home, with Lyss? Where was Lyss, for that matter?

And then everything came back to her in a flash. The trip to the village, the note, her own hysterics... and, again, the awful realization that Lyss was gone. She probably knew better than anyone in the village just how dangerous the outside world could be. Yet, after a good night's sleep at the Inn- just how she got it, Birle never knew- but, after a good night's sleep, Birle no longer felt quite as panicky as she had the previous night. She was now able to think the situation through rationally.

Yes, Birle knew better than anyone just how dangerous the outside world could be. But then again, she also knew better than anyone just how wonderful the outside world could be. She knew that not all of it was awful. And Nan was right—Lyss had Griffin to protect her. Birle had never liked Griffin quite as much as Lyss did, but she did trust him. She was certain that Griffin would never do anything to harm her daughter- not on purpose, anyway. He could be rather clumsy at times... but still; Griffin wouldn't hurt her, and he wouldn't let anyone else hurt her. That had to get Lyss at least some degree of safety, assuming she remained with Griffin.

There was one thing, however, that Birle was convinced that both Nan and Tahl were wrong about. They had both told her, 'they're gone; there's nothing you can do about it.' Birle couldn't accept this.

As she got up and hastily made up the small bed, Birle was already formulating a plan to find her daughter, before someone- else... did. Someone else. Birle gave an involuntary shudder.

Then, suddenly, Birle stopped dead as a horrible idea that hadn't occurred to her before suddenly did.

They were going to a Trader's Day... in the capital... Birle swallowed, hard. It was almost certain that Orien would be there... and, likely, he would be made a big deal of. There would be no one in the entire city and beyond who did not know he was there. There would be announcements and toasts and declarations and maybe even feasts in his name. And, knowing the heralds, he wouldn't be called simply 'the earl,' as he was in the village. He would be known far and wide as, "Our magnificent and generous Earl, the virtuous High Lord Orien!" Orien. What on earth would Lyss think when she heard something like that? No—not when. If. If only she could get there in time...

Shaking her head to clear it, Birle rushed out of the room to say a hurried goodbye to Nan as well as a few others, and as soon as she had done that she would hurry back to the cottage to close it up and gather supplies. She would make a difference.

Birle sprinted across the open field towards her home at breakneck speed. As long as she didn't trip... but Lady Fortune was apparently against her on that one. Birle felt her foot catch on something sticking mischievously out of the otherwise smooth field, and then she was on the ground, sprawled out in a very unladylike way, getting dirt all over her nice clean dress. That was okay though... Birle had never wished to be a lady, and besides, there was no one around to see. What was very much not okay was the ominous pang in her left ankle. Oh, please say that was just her imagination... she attempted to move it, and gasped at the sudden pain that spread all up her leg. Muttering under her breath, Birle glared at the offending rock that had dared to trip her in her rush.

Wait... Birle knew that rock. Picking it up, she examined it closely. Yes, this was definitely her rock... there was the scrape where she had dropped it in her grandmother's kitchen.

Birle had found this rock along the riverbed shortly after her Grandfather had died. It was the most beautiful rock she had ever seen, covered in blue and green swirls and worn smooth by the river. Birle had been convinced that her finding the stone had been Granda's way of saying goodbye. Her Grandmother had agreed with her when Birle had shown it to her, and the beautiful stone had been placed inside their safe along with the books and map. But what was it doing there? She had always assumed that it had disappeared along with the other treasures contained within that safe. She'd never seen it again 'till now...

Then, an extraordinary idea came to Birle, and she let in a quick intake of breath. What if... she searched frantically for wherever her foot had yanked the stone from. If couldn't have been loose, not with the way she had fallen... she found it. A small indent in the dirt, barely noticeable... Birle tried notto get her hopes up as she grabbed a nearby stick and began frantically using it to dig up the area.

Twenty minutes later, she had a small but foot deep hole in the ground where she believed the stone, now safely in her basket, had come from. Just as she was beginning to despair of finding anything, Birle felt her stick hit something solid. Not a solidness as if she had hit another rock... it was a different kind of solid. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she slowly lifted out a dirty brown cloth bag sealed with a piece of string. Birle pulled it open with trembling fingers, and discovered exactly what she had barely dared to hope would be there. The map her Grandparents had shown her so long ago when they told her about he Inn's treasure, the book they had used to read together, even the one they had never gotten to. Birle clutched them to her breast, squeezing her eyes shut as she did so. She hadn't thought she would ever see these things again... it was almost as if she had her grandparents standing right beside her, and they were trying to help her help Lyss. A tiny tear ran slowly down her face.

Taking a deep breath, Birle carefullygathered everything up- even the dirty old bag, as it had probably been made by her grandmother. Shestood up, brushing off her skirts.And very nearly fell over again. Dammit, she'd forgotten about her ankle. Grabbing the stick she'd used to dig the hole, Birle leaned heavily on it for support.With a last look at where her grandmother had buried the written treasures for her to find, Birle once again hurried off towards the cottage, if not at such an awful speed as before. This sign from her beloved grandparents had calmed her down a lot.

As soon as she walked through the frontdoor of the cottage, she immediately began putting together a pack to take with her on her search for Lyss. Let's see, what would she need... Birle hadn't had time to put anything together on her previous journey with Orien. She hadn't really expected to go anywhere onthat night all those years ago when she had awoken with a burning feeling that she ought to go outside for a moment, just to check on things...

She took the map she had just found, but put the books away in a safe hiding spot where nobody was likely to find them. There was no reason to bring them, and she didn't wish them to be ruined, thought she somehow did almost wish to have them with her.

Along with map, she took bread, some herbs, a waterskin—unfilled; she would be following a stream for a while. The skin was for later when she might not be so lucky. What else... flint would definitely be useful. Yes, she would bring some flint. And a blanket... the nights would be cold...

After finishing putting together the light pack, she locked up the small cottage and buried the key a little ways from the door. Birle thengazed sadlyup at the little house, hesitating to leave it.She wouldn't see it for several days, at least, now. She had no idea how far Lyss and Griffin might have gotten by now, but they had a good head start. She would have to go quickly in order to catch up with them. With a last look at the only pace she had ever really considered her home, Birle turned around and began to try and catch up with her daughter.

Well, there it is. Birle's after them (lol.) Hope you liked it, I'll try to get another up soon. Please review!