Responses to Reviews:

Jillessa Heronstairs: Thanks for being my first reviewer! I'm so glad you love the idea! Reading your review made me super happy! Perfectical is a great word :D Thanks so much for your advice, it looked ok on the computer, but I looked on the phone, and saw what you meant, the paragraphs do look quite long. I'll definitely try and make them shorter, and follow both of the things you suggested. Hopefully this chapter makes you happy again!

The-Finale-Hope: I'm really happy you like my story and find it intriguing! Thanks for being my second reviewer. Here's the update! :)

Tessa awoke to a rapid succession of urgent raps on her door. She jumped out of bed hurriedly to find out what was going on, however, she was greeted calmly by Jem and Will sitting at the table, waiting to start breakfast.

"What's going on?" Tessa asked, feeling annoyed she had been frightened for nothing.

"Sorry to wake you, but we thought it best if we explain who we are before we set off on our journey. As you know, we can't stay in one place for too long. I apologise for Will's rather rude method of waking you up, I did request that he wake you up gently." Jem explained, looking remorseful.

"That was me being gentle," Will replied sarcastically.

Tessa decided to ignore him, and served herself a bowl of oats to eat, after which she joined them at the table. She then looked at them both expectantly, awaiting their explanation. Tessa noted that the cut on Jem's arm was now barely a scratch, it had reduced to a faint white scar.

Jem started off the explanation with, "Will and I work for a secret organisation, called the Clave. It aims to free people from the oppression of the king. We have been tasked with escorting you to the leaders, who wish to speak with you and offer safe asylum." Tessa took in a sharp breath before he could continue. She had heard whispers of the Clave, of the honourable things they had done. Some stories included supplying poor villagers who were being attacked with weapons, or saving people from execution. They must think her important if they had sought her out personally.

Will resumed the explanation, saying bitterly, "We've been trying to track you down for half a year. You're not easy to find."

"Well I'm sorry to have wasted your precious time," Tessa replied angrily.

"Please, you two, we don't have the time or energy for fighting," Jem said in exasperation. Tessa looked down guiltily, and gestured for him to continue. "We hope you will come with us, and that we've proven we mean you no harm. Our destination will be Baskerville."

Tessa nodded in confirmation. The Clave had powerful allies, and she believed they really could assist her. Furthermore, after spending some time with the two friends, she realised she missed human company. It had been lonely travelling on her own for so long.

"Very well, I shall come with you. Can I ask where you're from and why you joined the Clave?" She asked Jem inquisitively.

Jem smiled and replied, "As you've probably guessed, I'm from the kingdom of Asiana. My parents died when I was young, so King Elias took me in when he learned of my healing 'gift'. I worked in the infirmary at the castle, as I grew up and developed my 'gift'. When King Elias learnt of what was going on in this kingdom, two years ago, he requested that I help the Clave. He knew I could be of use to them. So I travelled here to see them, and it was then that I met Will. We've been good friends, and have worked together on missions ever since. Will's like a brother to me," Jem said, glancing at Will fondly.

Tessa then looked to Will, expecting to hear the story of how he joined the group. However, he got up and started clearing away the bowls. "We'd better get a move on, unless we want the guards to come knocking on the door," he said, paying no attention to her gaze.

Jem merely sighed, and helped pack their saddlebags. When Tessa came out with her packed bag, she found Will had left, so she looked at Jem enquiringly.

"Will has gone to get some horses for us to ride. It would be a long journey on foot," Jem replied, reading her thoughts.

"Aren't horses expensive? How could you afford three?" Tessa asked guiltily. She had no money to offer them in exchange for a horse.

"Don't worry, Will has his methods, and I don't doubt him," Jem replied mysteriously, and left it at that.

As they waited for Will to return, time seemed to drag. How far had Will gone to get the horses? Surely he should be back by now, she thought worriedly. To pass the time, she decided to ask Jem some questions about his friend.

"You and Will seem so… different. How did you become such good friends?" Tessa asked, sounding puzzled.

"I know it probably doesn't seem like this now, but Will really is a good person. He just hides how he really feels sometimes. He's built up a wall that is hard to penetrate," Jem replied, answering thoughtfully.

"How did you get him to let you in?" Tessa inquired.

"We bonded over loss, I guess. Don't worry, he'll tell you someday," Jem replied sadly. So they had both lost someone dear to them, Tessa thought. She wondered who Will had lost – his loss must have been great if he shut himself off from others so much.

At that moment, Will barged in the door, wild eyed, with his hair sticking out in all directions. Tessa guessed he had run here, judging by the way he was panting. Behind him were two horses, which he guided skilfully with the reins.

"We need to go. I only had time to get two horses," Will said breathlessly. Tessa and Jem exchanged a quick glance and then ran outside with their bags. Unsure of which horse to get on, Tessa stood to the side awkwardly.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Jem asked of Tessa.

She nodded, having grown up with horses on her parent's farm. Of course, most girls wouldn't know how to ride a horse, but Tessa was not most girls.

"Ok then, can you steer mine?" Jem asked sheepishly, "I'm not very experienced with horses. I normally ride on Will's. He's been trying to teach me, but I still haven't gotten the hang of it yet."

Tessa laughed as his pale cheeks were tinted pink, and accepted his help up onto the horse. Jem then settled behind her.

Will started galloping into the distance, and she brought her own horse into action, catching up to him. This time, she heard the clip clop sound of the horses' hooves racing along the cobblestone path, and she let out a yell of excitement, enjoying the ecstasy of riding again – of the sun on her back, and the wind on her face. Jem laughed behind her in response, and she felt his arms wrap around her waist, as he fought to stay on the horse. She tried to ignore the fact that this was the closest she had ever been to a boy, and that she could feel, in detail, the muscles on his arms and his stomach clenching.

When she and Will had their horses side-by-side, Jem asked Will what had happened.

"Some guards saw me and suspected I had used my 'gift' while I was getting the horses. They've been chasing me ever since, and it's hard to hide two large horses," Will replied, sounding annoyed. Tessa started in surprise, Will had basically admitted that he had a 'gift'.

"I see," Jem replied, his voice laced with concern.

"Don't worry, I think I lost them. And they're on foot, so we should be far ahead of them by now," Will replied smugly.

Jem merely shook his head and said, "Will, one day your cockiness is going to get the better of you."

"And you'll be there to say "I told you so,"' Will said grinning maniacally.

Jem's face darkened slightly, but he didn't reply. Will's face also lost his grin, and she pondered what this meant.

"So how many days will it take to get to Baskerville?" Tessa asked. She hadn't travelled there before.

"About three days if we don't run into trouble. We'll stop in at an inn tonight at Chesterfield," Jem replied from behind her.

As they made their way towards Chesterfield, they passed through farmland and hills, and she enjoyed watching the vibrant green scenery. It reminded her of her home. She was from a large village, but it had many farms surrounding, since the village, like most others, was self-sufficient, growing its own food.

As the hours stretched on, Will and Jem passed the time by retelling old stories and bantering.

"Jem, remember that time we took down twenty men all on our own?" Will boasted cheerfully.

"As I recall, it was more like ten men, I think you're exaggerating a bit," Jem said. She could basically feel his smile, without even looking around. She guessed they must be skilled in fighting as well, if they could take down so many men. She decided that she trusted Jem's estimation over Will's.

"You must be mistaken, it was definitely over ten men, I saw them with my own eyes!" Willed yelled back. Jem rolled his own eyes, but Will continued, "We were back to back, fighting with the last reserves of our strength, and we fought them with merely a sword each. We managed to find a narrow alleyway, so we could fight two men at a time."
Tessa was certainly impressed by this – she didn't have any fighting skills of her own, so she was definitely glad they were accompanying her.

Will and Jem continued telling stories until they reached Chesterville at dusk. They managed to arrive just before the gates were closed, and Tessa had pulled the hood from her cloak down over her face so the soldiers wouldn't recognise her. Luckily, the soldiers guarding the gate were tired, and keen to go home after a long day, so they waved them on without any trouble.

The paths through the city were narrow, so she steered her horse behind Will's, and trusted his navigation. Before they arrived at the inn, Jem and Will discussed what their relationship could be in case someone was suspicious of them. They needed a reasonable explanation for why there were three young people staying overnight at the inn.

Finally, Jem suggested, "How about Tessa poses as my fiancée, and you pose as her brother, since you two look the most alike, while I'm the odd one out, since I'm from another kingdom. The innkeeper cannot dispute that. Only if you're comfortable with those arrangements though," Jem asked Tessa rather shyly.

Will looked like he wanted to argue, but before he could, Tessa replied with, "Yes, that will be fine with me. I don't have a ring though," she pointed out.

Jem pulled a silver ring out of his bag. She noticed it was decorated with the crenellations of a castle around its perimeter. Jem explained that Carstairs meant castle, so it was his family symbol. He then carefully put the ring on her finger, and smiled when it easily slid onto her finger, as if it had always belonged there.

Jem muttered quietly, "Zhè shì yīgè wánměi de jiéhé."

Tessa wanted desperately to ask what this meant, but Will interrupted with, "If you're finished your engagement, let's get moving. I'd like to make it to the inn while there's still some light left."

She had no choice but to urge her horse on to keep up with Will.

When they finally arrived, from what she could make out, it was a quaint inn with vines growing along the front, as if trying to engulf the building. A sign hanging above the front door read, "The Angel Inn." It seemed quiet and peaceful, and she was looking forward to having a good night's sleep. Finding the stables at the side of the inn, they paid a stable boy to brush and feed the horses, as well as to bed them down for the night.

As Will opened the door to the inn, Tessa found she had been deceived by the outside façade. The inside was crowded, filled with raucous laughter and ale being passed around merrily. The innkeeper's wife, a short, stout lady of middle age, came over and asked them what she could help them with. Jem requested a room, and she eyed them with suspicion.

"What are two chaps like you doing here at this time of night with a young lady?" She asked, raising her right eyebrow.

"Just passing through on our way to meet some relatives. We were delayed by one of our horses, otherwise we would have gotten here earlier," Jem replied innocently.

"Well, I can't have you two sleeping in her room. You'll have to have separate rooms," she replied, sticking strongly to her morals.

"I'm her brother, and I'll share a room with her if that's possible," Will said persuasively. The innkeeper's wife softened at this, and agreed with his request. Tessa was surprised she had backed down so easily.

While Will and the innkeeper's wife bartered over the price, Tessa continued to scan the room, looking for any danger. Her eyes focused on a beautiful young lady, who looked around her own age. She had long blonde hair, the colour of honey, and large, expressive brown eyes. She deftly moved, dodging the tables with ease, to work her way back towards the bar.

Tessa felt a slight pinch of jealousy when she saw Will and Jem look over at the girl. However, when the girl laid eyes on them, her face was marred by a scowl, which twisted her features. She felt Will and Jem tense, both of them freezing when they saw her.

Will's face darkened and he spat, like a curse, what Tessa assumed was the girl's name, "Jessamine."

Please review again and let me know what you think! I've got some Wessa and exciting scenes coming up.

I used Google Translate for the Chinese translation, so I'm not sure if it's correct. When I translate it back the other way it doesn't work. If anyone could message me with any corrections or help with it, that would be awesome!

~ SilverJem5