A/N: And last chapter of the this section. As promised, I'll put the next one (Guide) up as soon as I've moved and gotten internet up at the new house. Until then, I'll try to do a few oneshots to tide everyone over. Be sure to add me as a Favorite Author or to your Author Alerts list to get an email when Guide goes up. It's been fun sharing Search with you all again :)

Story Note: This chapter will feature various characters at different points in time, all setting up them up for what happens in Guide.

Aubrey: Sometimes more than one winds up hurt.

Saberin: I've already got 1 oneshot in the works :)

Raider: Yes please! I'm always looking for new books to read :)

Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan. And still not Australian.

Gabby took a deep breath as she leaned against the cold stone wall in the nook above the chef's garden. She heard Lina's crutches coming towards her. She clasped her hands together as she realized she'd be confronted.

"Halt's back," Lina's voice said as she leaned next to Gabby. "Caitlyn and I will be going to Redmont soon to rejoin Liam."

Gabby sighed heavily. "What do I do, Lina?"

"What?"

"I know we aren't desperately close but…what do I do? You seem to always know the right place to go."

She could hear Lina shift her weight. "What do you mean?"

"Kane and I plan to get married."

"That's not exactly a well-kept secret, Gabby."

Gabby leaned closer to her. "You and Liam were new to this country while you two were engaged. What were your living arrangements?"

"Well," Lina said slowly, "Alyss and Will hadn't married yet either. I was staying with Halt and Pauline. Halt took Liam as a formal apprentice but he already had training and Halt didn't want us living under the same roof. Liam built our cabin and alternated between his tent and Will's spare room."

Gabby gripped her cane. "I don't think his mind has changed about that type of thing."

"You and Kane have spent the night together before. To our knowledge you've never done anything you shouldn't."

"But where will I go upon his return? I can't stay with Halt and Pauline. It'd be too strange."

"I guess you don't want to go back to your parents?"

"No," Gabby said shortly. She calmed down. "No…they still see me as the little girl stumbling around in the dark."

She felt Lina's hand rest over hers. "It can be hard for parents to let go of their children, Gabby. I still can't see Scout being a princess."

"But you're a princess."

"I was one. I haven't made the withdrawal formal but it's going to happen. Scout's going to choose to stay in Hibernia as their heir."

"How do you know?"

Lina squeezed Gabby's hand. "She went through more in the past two years than she has her entire life and she still went back."

Gabby sighed. "I suppose."

"Don't be so nervous. We all love you."

Kane stepped aboard the Wolfwill with Elizabet in front of him. Kineta had gone up the gangway first and gone straight to the room they'd all share. She had yet to miscarry but felt terrible pains at random that worried everyone. She'd spend the voyage in bed. Once Kane safely escorted Elizabet up the swaying plank she darted away to the room. Talia, cuddling Russ close to her chest, was right behind him. It was too windy for a baby to be above deck and Talia felt protective of Kineta anyway. That was best, though. They were the only females on board side from Elizabet.

Since his companions were all going to the room Kane joined them. He hoisted the large pack he carried onto his shoulders and followed Talia. Kineta was still under strict orders to refrain from carrying anything heavier than a feather and Talia had her arms full with Russ. Elizabet had a small pack but all it held was two stones from Shigeru's garden, a painting of a bird in a tree, and the leather-bound journal and pencil she'd been given to communicate. Kane was left with the extra clothing, food, medical kits, and weapons. The things to care for Russ alone made up a good portion of his pack.

"You may have to stay in Araluen a few days," Talia told Kineta. "This is the longest you've held onto one, right?"

Kineta nodded. "Listen Talia…if I start…"

"Kane will take Elizabet and I'll stay with you," Talia promised.

Scout reunited with Gwen and Kelly with great joy...and Lady Melissa with a sour taste in her mouth. Sean became scarce. The absence of the royal family piled up work to do and he didn't have Kineta to help him. The citizens were elated to have Sean and Scout back with the promise of Kineta to follow soon. It seemed the common man hadn't a clue about Elizabet. Best leave it that way for now.

Scout found it hard to put aside her feelings for Daniel. Being around Warden made it slightly easier. It seemed he guarded her whether he was on shift or not. He took meals with her as often as Kelly and Gwen since daily meals with her cousins were no longer manageable. During the day, Warden was always in her mind. However when night came things changed. Scout couldn't bring herself to share her bed with Kelly anymore. Nightmares of those hungry nights locked below deck made her thrash around and she couldn't bring herself to give her maid cause for concern. Scout placed three candles in her window, as promised, and lit them each night. Daniel filled her every thought once she was alone. When she woke from a nightmare she wanted him to be there comforting her, even though of course nobody came, and when she didn't have those terrible memories she dreamed of him. It wasn't anything too intense…just their hunting together or playing together as children. Kane, William, and Ace were usually there too, and sometimes Caitlyn or their parents. Always Daniel, though.

It made her feel extremely guilty.

Daniel lay down in his bed in Dun Kilty's inn. He knew Scout wasn't there but it was the port the cargo vessel he'd hired to carry him from Iberion to Hibernia landed. It was long past sundown and he was in unfamiliar territory. He'd travel to Roscrea with a guide in the morning, but for now he needed to sort some things out…including what he'd say to Scout. At first glance everything was in his favor. He'd successfully intimidated the younger guard and she'd gone out of her way to tell him goodbye in Araluen. While Scout and Gabby's stunt during William's wedding dance brought a change in plans he'd still come out on top. Warden thought Ace held her affections. Daniel knew Ace didn't like her any more than William did. The Araluen princes and Hibernian princess were genuinely like cousins.

"I've got to think of something," Daniel sighed into the empty space.

Caitlyn held Scout's bow firmly as she drew back an arrow. She released. It whizzed through a branch of the apple tree far above her head. Caitlyn smiled and caught the apple that fell. She took a bite and sat down at the tree's trunk. She lay down the bow next to her quiver and took out the book she'd been reading. It was beautifully illustrated, like her mother's Nihon-Ja folklore book. She'd heard about Flynn Masque growing up but her stories of choice as a child had always been Nihon-Ja. She knew the illustrated book belonged to Elizabet but Elizabet was gone at the moment. Taken, just like her sister, and not yet returned.

Caitlyn missed Scout dearly since she left but the independence brought on a new kind of life. Without Scout's shadow she was free to do things she'd always shied away from for fear of being made fun of. She became better with a bow and grew more comfortable in the woods. Once she used to chat when her older sister and parents fell silent because she hated silence but now she found it could be enjoyable. Caitlyn read one of the stories as she ate her apple. It was a beautiful book, really. Its price was easily that of both her parents' monthly salaries, but the stories were simple. Why would a child read them over and over? Sure, she and Scout studied their Nihon-Ja book, but that was…Nihon-Ja. The words were lines written vertically. Reading Nihon-Ja was special. But this book? Sean and Kineta had the means to give her a full collection yet Elizabet latched on to what was clearly a worn copy.

She turned to the last page of character profiles. It was Nezi, a clever merchant's daughter with blonde hair and dark coal eyes. The girl in the illustration almost looked like someone Elizabet could grow up to look like . Caitlyn tossed her apple's core far away where squirrels could feast upon it and turned to the back cover. She ran her fingers over the smooth binding. She paused at a…ribbon? The placement seemed like it could easily be mistaken as a bookmark when closed but in reality it was trapped behind the hardcover. Caitlyn tugged at it a little and a false lid opened up.

"No wonder the back cover's so thick," she mumbled to herself. She found a folded sheet of paper yellow with age. Caitlyn glanced around. No one was around her. She wondered if she should turn it over. What if Elizabet didn't know it was there? What if she did? Curiosity swarmed into her mind and she picked it up. The ink had faded but was still legible.

My dearest Lizzie,

I am so sorry I had to take you to the orphanage but a jail is no place for a child. When you find this I hope you are able to forgive me. If you ever want to seek me out, I will be waiting for you at Claymound Jail. I do plan to make arrangements for someone decent to adopt you. When I find a good person I'll seek you out, even if you've already been taken. I'll let no niece of mine be raised up a farmer's free laborer.

I hope we meet again soon. Keep your parents and Jackson close to your heart.

Uncle Calvin

Caitlyn reread the letter before putting it back into the false back. No doubt Lizzie was Elizabet. But jail? The only kin of Elizabet's they'd ever heard of was in jail? She closed the book. This uncle of hers would try to get her back. Sean and Kineta needed Elizabet. They gave her a good home and doting on her made them happy. This uncle came from a jail.

She had to get word of the letter to Sean. Perhaps she should have handed over the book to him in the first place. He would have discovered it…maybe. However when Sean and Scout passed through Caitlyn had been unable to let it go. For some reason she'd felt as though she had more to discover.

The gut feeling had proven itself right.

Lina stood in the kitchen of her family's Araluen Castle apartment wrapping up food. She and Caitlyn had left before Scout but had to turn back less than halfway home when one of Lina's battalion friends met them with information that needed to be relayed to Gilan so that he could pass it off to the Rangers. Lady Farrin had been in a hurry to hand off the information and then get back to her mission while Lina was still in limbo from the flurry of events around her family. She had time, Farrin didn't. Caitlyn came in after a while with her usual messenger bag across her torso. Messenger bags were part of the Battalion ladies' uniforms, however the style had changed since the original uniform to better accommodate riding. Lina had given her old bag to Caitlyn years ago when she went through the phase of collecting things in the woods. Flowers, stones, branches, and the occasional live animal made their way home.

But since Scout left her younger daughter had taken interest in other things. She became proficient with the bow Scout left behind. In fact, Caitlyn rivaled Mason's skill and he was a Ranger-in-training. "Have a good afternoon?" she asked. Caitlyn nodded.

"I just went for a walk in the woods."

Caitlyn went to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. Lina shook her head. Scout hadn't been so secretive when she was that age. But then, Caitlyn wasn't the daughter they easily understood. She'd been chatty from age two until recently when she slipped into a more reserved state. Caitlyn went off alone more often and kept to herself. Liam and Lina tried not to worry over it. After all, Caitlyn was in the process of growing up. She was still their sweet always-happy Caitlyn. She always helped when asked and was attentive to the needs of others above her own.

But still, Lina couldn't quite figure out what made her little girl so reclusive. A woman who worked at the Redmont Ward told her it was just the age and to think about how she herself was back then. Caitlyn was fourteen, soon to turn fifteen. She'd never caused lethal harm to another person. She'd never really left Araluen nor was she expected to be proficient in languages beyond the common tongue and Nihon-Ja. She went to formal banquets, but she'd never had one in her own personal honor. She'd never had to rely on hastily drilled skills to save her and others' lives. And she'd certainly never been clapped in chains as prisoner…or by instructors teaching her how to escape from them.

Fourteen-year-old Caitlyn and Fourteen-year-old Lina were very different people.

William went to his room. Upon marrying Anamaria he'd been moved to the other side of the castle far away from his family. Now he and his new wife shared an apartment that would be their home until they were crowned king and queen. It had several rooms his grandfather not-so-subtly implied needed to be filled with great-grandchildren before he died. Lord Duncan was getting old. William wanted kids…eventually. Right now he just wanted to enjoy Anamaria. She somewhat mourned her own Iberion family but all in all their fall wasn't unexpected. He found his wife staring out the glass doors that led to a balcony. She wore an Iberion gown cinched at the waist and baring her shoulders. Tears stained her cheeks and her eyes seemed puffy. He walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her torso.

"What is it?" he whispered next to her ear.

Anamaria kept staring outside. "I can never return to Iberion. I'll never see my family again."

William took her hands in his and kissed them. "You won't ever see that family again," he corrected her. "You've got a new one here."

"Do I?" she asked as her eyes snapped to his. "We're married but does your family truly accept me?"

He held his hand against her stomach. Her figure wasn't athletically toned like the Battalion ladies or dieted to perfection like Rosalina's, but unlike her sister she did more with her life than eat. He actually liked her figure better than the Battalion and court ladies. She felt more natural for him to hold. "We'll have our own soon," he promised softly. Anamaria smiled gently and looked back out.

"I hope so."