First off, I want to thank everyone for their reviews and for the support you all have given this story. I'm glad you are all enjoying this so much and I only hope I can continue meeting expectations :)

Now, trivia fact: I based a certain outfit someone will be wearing on a Duel Monster's clothes. Kudos if you recognize it. Now, onto the chapter!

Mai cast a furtive gaze around the courtyard, watching the guards patrolling above her. She gave it one more moment before stepping out from her hiding place, making her way quickly across the courtyard for the stables. It would defeat the purpose of sneaking out if anyone saw her, especially since she was sneaking out at dawn. She knew just how much trouble she was about to cause, and she could already hear Vivian scolding her and Jean Claude's anxiety fueled response, but right now? She could not make herself fully care about that. Mai needed some time alone and away from the castle, just for one day.

She had not gotten much sleep the night before. While she had been able to converse and interact easily with Jean Claude and even acted as if she was back to normal, it had not fooled Vivian. After the two women had returned to Mai's chambers they'd started talking—the conversation from the night before was still weighing a good deal on Mai's mind, and it had been another reason to keep her up.

"I'm not buying it."

Vivian paused, setting the now folded dress on a nearby chair and looking over at Mai. Evening had fallen and the two women were readying themselves for bed. Vivian had already gotten into her nightclothes, but the other woman had not yet changed into her nightgown and was sitting with her arms crossed over her chest. "Not buying what?" she asked Mai.

"Gurimo's story about Alister. I can't make myself believe it."

"Why not? I find it plausible," said Vivian. "Bakura likely was planning an ambush in retaliation for what happened—"

"And he just conveniently set that trap in the same place Gurimo and his men were traveling, when Gurimo had only just left? Right," retorted Mai, rising to her feet and beginning to pace. "Isn't it odd that Bakura chose to ambush a small group of guards and even kill one of them? We've heard the stories of the Thief King since we were teenagers. Since when has he ever wasted so much effort on a small group of guards? He would have waited for Jean Claude, if nothing else—besides, he struck me as one who doesn't waste effort unless he has to."

"He's angry over what happened in the forest, Princess. I doubt he'd be inclined to be merciful or towards Jean Claude. If that Aurosian boy returned to the same place Bakura was and spoke of what transpired, then Bakura more than likely knows of who you ran into."

"But what was the purpose of ambushing the guards, especially since the Thief King has such a limited number of men on his side right now? Surely, he'd wait until Jean Claude himself was traveling through the forest," replied Mai irritably. "I was in Bakura's company for the better part of a week, and right now he only has three members of his gang left to him. And even if he used Shadow magic—"

"Shadow magic?"

"It has outcomes as a warped mirror, Viv, but trust me—it's not dangerous as long as you don't anger the ones using it," replied Mai impatiently, noticing her friend's horrified face. "Anyways, he would not waste so much time and effort on such a small group, and even if he used Shadow magic why would he kill the only man who couldn't fight? It's cowardly and something I doubt Bakura would do."

Vivian seemed as if she desperately wanted to ask about the Shadow magic mention, but ultimately refrained. She mulled over what Mai had said. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "Are you this concerned over what happened because Alister died?"

Mai stopped pacing, sitting back on the edge of the bed again. "Yes. Don't you think it strange that I ask Jean Claude to send Alister home, and not even an hour afterward Alister's drowned in the river?" she asked at last, looking up at her lady in waiting. "It's troubling, to say the least."

"I think you're just feeling guilty that Alister died, and that's why you're finding everything so strange," replied Vivian comfortingly. "What happened to him wasn't your fault, Mai. You couldn't have known. You were just trying to help."

Mai shook her head. "No, that's not it. I find it so strange because…Vivian, remember the Aurosian boy I told you of? The one who was the reason Raphael and Alister rebelled against Jean Claude in the forest?"

"Yes I remember…why? Does he have something to do with this?" Vivian inquired. "I don't see how he would, even if he did tell Bakura what happened to you. The only reason I can think of is—oh Princess, please tell me that he's not a member of Bakura's gang and that you didn't lie to cover for him last week," she groaned.

"…Well…he did help take me away from the dragon and did make sure I didn't run off," Mai said slowly and sheepishly. "But he's a good kid, Viv. He's not an official member of the gang. The only reason he's around them is because he doesn't have anyone else to turn to in the forest," she added, noticing Vivian's exasperated glower. "But that's not my point. If he's been with them for as long as he has, why would Valon let Bakura kill Alister? It doesn't add up."

"Mai, I'm afraid I can't help you much in those suspicions of yours. I have yet to meet any of these people and see them for myself. I'm not saying I don't believe you, but as I haven't met these people, I can't offer any advice on the matter," replied Vivian wearily. Even as she spoke, however, a sudden thought seemed to occur to her. She said, "Highness, does Bakura really have so few men left to him?"

"Bakura supposedly attacked one of the White Dragon's kits, and the dragons have been in an uproar since," said Mai, rising to her feet and resuming her pacing. "They've been decimating Bakura's band of thieves and the forest since, from what I gathered…you remember me telling you that, right?" she asked. Mai could not remember if she had told Vivian about Mizu, and for the moment she found it prudent to omit the cause behind the White Dragon's attacks.

"Of course. That's why you asked about origins of Jean Claude's sword, right, Highness?" asked Vivian.

"Yeah and let me tell you, I'm not entirely believing that story either. During my stay in the forest I got the general impression that the master of the White Dragons only allows one person to keep any of the dragon scales, so for a forge to conveniently have some of the White Dragon's scales just as Jean Claude is passing through that area…I'm sorry, but that's far-fetched. There's too many coincidences, Viv—I'm having trouble ignoring them."

Vivian frowned, reached for Mai's nightgown, and rose to her feet. Mai saw her and soundlessly moved behind the changing screen, beginning to undress; Vivian waited patiently until Mai held out her clothes and swapped them for the nightgown.

"It is odd that Jean Claude would come by that sword so conveniently. If I had not seen him do something similar once already, I would just say he was fortuitous enough to be at the right place at the right time," Vivian said at last.

There was a distinct pause from behind the screen. "…What do you mean?"

"I told you last week, remember? Jean Claude got everyone to move out of the camp we were staying at. He marched us to an area of the woods, far from the place Bakura told us to wait at. Not even five minutes after we stopped, you ran into us. It was as if he knew exactly where you would be, and even knew that you would be injured—he had someone who was skilled with healing on standby and told him to be ready."

Mai came out from behind the dressing screen and fluffed her hair out, going back to the bed and sitting on the mattress with a frown. "That's definitely odd. How could he have known where to be? It just doesn't make sense," she said, looking visibly frustrated. "It's not just that, though. Everything he's told me so far, from the coup d'état to how he got his sword…I just can't make myself entirely believe anything he's said, but I don't understand why I'm so suspicious."

Vivian frowned again. "Is that what's been troubling you, Princess?" she asked soberly. "He did already lie to you once, as we found out this afternoon, so it's entirely possible that you're calling everything into question because of it."

"I just don't know, Vivian!" Mai burst out, looking even more frustrated. "I should have been seeing all of this so much sooner, and by all rights I should have been asking these questions when I first arrived. You know me, Vivian—I'm not nearly so trusting in what I hear. And yet it's like I'm viewing this whole situation through fogged glass! Every time I start thinking over Jean Claude's story, the details get murky and I just can't focus on any one aspect of it! I didn't even remember you telling me about how Jean Claude rescued me!"

"To be fair, Princess, you were carted off by a dragon. You've been trying to recover from that since you returned," said Vivian comfortingly, gently but firmly sitting Mai on the mattress again. "You're all worked up over this, and right now you're only making yourself even more confused. Take a breather and stop thinking of it for the moment…besides, it's high time you told me about this Jou you've been conveniently leaving out of the conversation."

Mai let out a strangled laugh. "Are you seriously asking me about him now?"

"Why not? It's been eating away at you even more than what has transpired with Jean Claude—besides, I told you I wasn't going to let you off the hook until you told me what was going on." To prove her point, Vivian folded her arms across her chest and began tapping her foot impatiently. "Well?"

Mai gave a resigned sigh. She looked Vivian in the eye a few minutes later. "No judgment, you hear me?"

Without further ado, she began telling her everything that she had omitted from her original story, from the moment that Jou had first "told" her of the curse he was under to meeting Kaiba and healing Mizu. She still avoided mentioning Yami's suspicions of her being under a memory charm, as she did not want to alarm Vivian. She managed to get to the point where she told her of the attack Jou had made on her, but this part was harder to tell than the rest of the story and Mai had to stop.

"And there you have it," she said flatly. "That attack was likely why Jou came here, but whether he came to finish me off or apologize is something I don't know—I didn't give him the chance to talk."

Vivian toyed with a corner of the coverlet. "So… this Jou attacked you randomly and out of the blue?" she asked. "He didn't warn you at all?"

Mai was about to say that no, Jou hadn't, when the memory of frightened red eyes and a pale, scared face peering at her through the darkness of the night resurfaced. "He did," she said slowly, frowning. "He told me to run."

Vivian nodded, more to herself than to Mai's question. "The impression I got was that he was constantly protecting you, no matter what harm came to him."

"Yeah, but come on, Vivian. Every prince does that for me!" she retorted, flopping onto the mattress. "Every man I know has tried that route with me. Even Jean Claude is no different. And look where that's gotten me every time. The man in question just ends up wanting to use me later, if not betraying me—and Jou proved to be no exception."

"But in the past, Princess, you've never been this upset when that does happen. Granted, none of your past suitors tried to kill you, but you've always brushed their actions off and continued on your merry way. None of those ultimate betrayals has ever bothered you the way that Jou's attack is troubling you now."

Mai groaned. "But it shouldn't be!" she said irritably. "I don't even know him, Vivian! Stupid dragon, stupid curse…I shouldn't have ever agreed to helping him. I should have just been a good hostage, told Jou to find himself someone else to aid him, and left it at that!"

Vivian mulled over her thoughts for a moment before finally speaking. "You're not going to like me very much for saying this, Princess, but maybe you should give him another chance."

Mai started, sitting upright. "You want me to…why?" she demanded, sounding indignant but feeling a thrill of unease. She gestured to her bandaged shoulder. "I already gave him one and look what happened! Besides, he's the one who kidnapped me to begin with!"

"I didn't forget that much, Mai," said Vivian wryly. She sobered and said, "I don't know this Jou, and for all I know maybe he was trying to kill you… but based on what you told me, I don't think that his visit last night was made just to finish you off. I think he was genuinely trying to apologize, and if he comes back again maybe you should let him explain himself. If nothing else, you can get some closure."

Vivian rose to her feet and moved across the room when Mai did not reply. "It's late, Your Highness, and at this point all you're doing is stressing yourself out. This will keep until morning—and don't worry. I'll help you sort through it all tomorrow. Right now, it's time to get some sleep," she said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

She'd barely gotten much sleep the night before, spending it restlessly tossing in her bed. Her thoughts had been scattered, from the conversation she'd had before bed, to Jou's curse, to Alister's death…it had been already hard to sleep, and all these thoughts had made sleep near impossible.

Mai had decided that what she needed was to get away from the castle for a brief spell. After all, Hermos did have some good places to shop, and Mai had been dying to explore the city ever since she had seen the bazaars. It would be good for her mental health just to get away for a day, and she was already looking forward to ditching her concerns for a day of shopping.

She slipped inside the stables, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light inside the building. She was more than capable of saddling her own horse. All she had to do was find her saddle, and then she would be out of this castle and—

"No, Eatos, I don't have anything for you."

Mai jumped so violently at the sound of the gruff voice, she could have sworn her heart had tried to escape her chest. The voice had come from around the corner of an empty stall. Mai realized then that she'd just heard Raphael—and it sounded as if he were talking to someone else. Curious, she silently moved to the corner and peered around it.

Mai had been expecting to see a woman when she turned the corner. Eatos was a girl's name, after all. However, when she looked around all she saw was Raphael leaning on a pitchfork, a pile of hay on the floor behind him. He was not looking at her, however. His attention was fixed on something above him. Frowning, she tried peering up into the rafters of the building to see what it was he was looking at, but it was too dark to make anything out.

"Don't give me that look," he added, and this time she heard a fond and exasperated note to his words. "I warned you when we came here."

Maybe he's finally gone mad, she thought morbidly.

Raphael leaned the pitchfork against the wall, then held out his arm in front of him. He held that position patiently, and at first Mai did not know what he was doing. After a few seconds of silence, however, she heard rustling feathers and claws on wood.

Something large and tawny flew from the rafters, flapping its large wings in the air around Raphael to steady itself before perching on the man's arm.

Eatos wasn't a woman. Eatos was an eagle—and a beautiful one at that. Mai had never seen one so large, not even in Thystia.

The tension bled out of Raphael's features and he offered a warm smile to the eagle. He reached out with his other hand, gently stroking the feathers on its head. The eagle almost seemed to lean into the touch, a soft cry rising from it as it sought attention. Mai realized that for the first time since she'd arrived Raphael looked completely at ease, reassured by the eagle's presence.

"Eatos, you really should be in the forest," he told her quietly. "Palace walls are no place for you. There's no rabbits here, only mice—and that's hardly a meal for you."

Eatos levelled him a look, and while Mai couldn't see it she felt the reproach in the gaze. She bit back a laugh—the bird was an intelligent one, too.

Raphael did chuckle, though. "All right, that's fair," he said. "I can't tell you what to do."

The eagle turned its gaze to an empty stall across from them. Her eyes lingered on the stall before turning back to her master, another low cry leaving her.

Something twisted in Raphael's features. "No, Grarl's not here," he said, his voice heavy and resigned. "I don't know if he's ever going to come back. I'm willing to bet he's running around in the forest if he's not dead."

It took her a moment to figure out who Raphael was talking about. Then the realization came, along with a sense of amusement and disbelief. "You named your horse Grarl?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Both the eagle and Raphael turned to her, and the tension that had left the taller man returned in full force. He did nothing to dislodge the eagle on his arm, however; Mai had to wonder how he was able to accommodate the eagle's talons that were possibly digging into his arm. "Is there something I can help you with, Princess?" he asked, the barest hint of an edge to his voice.

This was likely an attempt to get her to change the subject, but Mai did not fall for it. "Did you really name your horse Grarl? That's something you'd call a bear, not a horse. Come on, hon, I don't bite," she added with an exasperated sigh. "I'm genuinely curious."

Raphael's eyes narrowed as he studied her. Eatos was also watching her intently, unblinking in her gaze; Mai had to avoid making eye contact, remembering the few lessons she'd had in falconry. "I wasn't the one who named him," he said at last, his voice stiff. "My younger brother did—he thought Grarl looked like a bear."

Mai blinked, surprised by the information. Valon had never mentioned Raphael having any siblings. Then again, Raphael's family had never come up in conversation before now. "Oh…so you have a younger brother?"

"And a sister," he said, gesturing to the eagle. "She named Eatos."

"How old are they? Your siblings, I mean," she added.

Raphael's face spasmed briefly. "They're dead," he said curtly. "There was a flash flood, years ago. It took my parents too."

Mai grimaced. Oh…that's why Valon didn't bring them up. Oops.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she offered at last, suddenly awkward.

Raphael studied her a moment, then offered what was supposed to be a nonchalant shrug. "It's been years since they died. I've had time to make my peace. That said…thanks," he told her gruffly. "Now, you're in here for a reason. What are you doing here so early?"

Eatos still seemed to be sizing her up, her gaze oddly human in how stern it was. Mai found she didn't quite like it. She averted her eyes, trying not to look at either Raphael or Eatos. "I'm saddling up my horse," she said at last. "I'm going out to Hermos."

Raphael's eyebrow rose. "Don't saddle your horse. I'll do that," he told her, starting to move. He tapped Eatos's back as a silent signal, then lowered his arm and threw it up to allow Eatos extra momentum. The eagle immediately took off, leaving the stables and disappearing entirely.

Mai hurried over to him. "I can do it," she told him firmly.

"If Jean Claude or Gurimo sees you doing manual labor, I get whipped again," came the too curt reply. "I'd rather not do that, thank you."

Mai winced, stopping altogether. She let Raphael go, waiting for him to return with her mare. He led the horse out, fastening her to a tether pole before going for the tack. He moved in silence, and it wasn't until he had secured the saddle when he spoke. "Does Jean Claude know you're sneaking out?"

"Not everything I do needs to be reported to Jean Claude. He doesn't have control over where I go," she said irritably, annoyed by the question about Jean Claude. "I just need to get away from the castle a bit—I've got a lot on my mind and could use a distraction. Jean Claude's sweet, but he pesters."

"And you're going without your lady-in-waiting?"

"She's keen on having a conversation I don't want to have."

The taller man's other eyebrow rose, but he chose not to comment on it. Instead, he asked, "Where exactly are you going?"

"I told you, I'm going to Hermos," she replied, watching as Raphael began fitting the bridle to the mare. "They had some interesting looking bazaars. I've been dying to shop there since I saw them."

He did not say anything in reply, but he did not have to—Mai could feel the wave of disapproval rising toward her. She scoffed. "Oh, come on, I don't exactly have a forest retreat to go to with my little animal friends. Shopping takes my mind off things," she said.

"Oh I'm sure it does," he replied stiffly.

Mai fidgeted. Normally she would have offered a retort, but then she remembered that this man was most likely still grieving over Alister's loss. She waited, watching Raphael finish saddling the mare before she spoke. "I'm sorry, by the way."

He paused, turning his head marginally to look at her. He said nothing, but his gaze was prompting her to continue speaking.

"I'm sorry about what happened to Alister," she clarified. "If I'd known that his death would be the outcome of my talking to Jean Claude, I would have let matters be. I'm sorry for your loss, again."

Raphael's whole face darkened as she finished speaking. She caught a glimpse of anger that flashed in his eyes when he fully turned to face her. "You should have known that to begin with," he said, the barest tremor in his voice. "Of all the people here, you should have known what was going to happen."

A wave of both confusion and anger rolled over her. She drew herself up, affronted. "Are you seriously telling me I should have just magically known what was going to happen?" she retorted. "I'm no mind reader, Raphael! That's not fair! Look, I didn't know Bakura would mount an ambush. If anything, you should be blaming your stupid horse for throwing Alister—!"

"Grarl hasn't thrown off a rider since he was a colt," Raphael said, his voice dark and tight with anger. "He doesn't get nervous around magic. Not even Shadow magic can make him throw a rider."

She scoffed. "Come on. He's a horse. Are you seriously telling me that you trust your horse, more than you believe eyewitness accounts?"

"I trust Grarl more than I trust you—does that count?"

Mai bristled, frustrated, confused, and angry. Raphael did not allow her to speak. He led her horse out of the stable entirely, forcing Mai to follow him. Before she could speak, he practically threw the reins in her hand. "Have a good day, Highness," he said flatly, and then he turned on his heel and disappeared back into the stables.

Mai scowled and repressed the sudden urge to let out distinctly unladylike curses at the man. She took several steadying breaths as she led her mare out of the castle; she took care to avoid the drawbridge, instead using a side entrance. Once outside of the castle, she mounted the horse and rode in the direction of the road that led into Hermos.

She was still fuming as she started her ride. Raphael had to be one of the most infuriating men she'd ever dealt with! What was his problem, anyways? She'd thought Alister had disliked her the most, but it seemed Raphael had been holding back a good deal. If it was not for the fact that she owed Valon for saving her, she would go right back inside and tell Jean Claude about the man's attitude. Where did he get off blaming her for—

"You should have known that to begin with."

Mai's anger dissipated into a frustrated confusion. What had he meant when he said that? It was almost as if he believed Mai had deliberately sent Alister to his death—but why would he think such a thing? Mai certainly had not intended for Alister to die when she'd spoken to Jean Claude on the matter.

She remembered the look of horror that had been on Raphael's face when Jean Claude had ordered Gurimo to take Alister to the forest, and her frown deepened. Maybe…maybe that horrified expression had been because he had known what the ultimate outcome of Alister's journey would be. But how? He couldn't have known Bakura would ambush the group, so the only alternative left was that—

She heard the eagle's cry seconds before it flew in front of her. Her horse whickered in surprise and nearly reared as the eagle flew past its head. Mai steadied the mare as best as she could. Once the horse had calmed, Mai's eyes went to a fallen log where the eagle had landed. She realized it was Eatos; she was still in view of the castle, though she was out of sight of the main gate. Eatos must have seen her come out.

"What do you want?" she asked irritably, scowling at her. "Unless you can apologize for your master, I don't want anything to do with you."

Eatos watched her evenly, lifting one of her feet and shifting position. She had something in her talons, she realized, and the only reason the bird was on the log was because she did not want to spook Mai's horse again.

"You're either really smart or just want to watch me work," she griped under her breath. She dismounted her horse when the eagle made no indication of moving, heaving a sigh as she approached. "All right, what is it?"

Eatos bent her head gracefully, lifting the object in her talons with her beak. Mai realized it was a necklace of some kind. Curiosity replaced her irritability, and she took the necklace from the eagle.

The pendant of the necklace was on a leather cord and had been carved from oak. It was small but intricate, carved into the likeness of an angel. Whoever had carved it had spent quite some time making this, she noted. It likely had not been an easy task to put the feathers in the wings or the folds in the dress, as well as the tiny face and even the hair. This had likely taken days, if not weeks.

"Where did you get this?" she asked the eagle, surprised. It was not a gift from Raphael—after the conversation she'd had with him earlier, she doubted he would be in any mood to even look at her. Why the eagle had brought this to her, she had no clue.

She lifted it up to put it around her neck when the eagle let out a cry and went airborne. Her great wings beat the air around her head, Eatos screeching indignantly. Startled, Mai dropped the necklace. "You give me a necklace and yet you don't want me to wear it. What do you want me to do with it?" she asked, annoyed.

Eatos dropped to the ground, caught the necklace in her beak, and returned to the log. She quieted again, waiting patiently for Mai to take it from her. Mai frowned at her but approached slowly. This time, when she took the necklace, she made sure to place it in the money pouch at her side. Eatos, who had been watching her intently, seemed pleased by this decision and once more took to the sky. She must have deemed her task finished, whatever it had been.

Mai watched the eagle fly off, her eyes following the eagle as she landed on a windowsill in the northern tower. She'd found where Eatos was likely staying—it made sense, as she'd gained the general impression the tower was vacated due to repairs. She did not see the eagle staying with the messenger pigeons, and the stable was likely too crowded for her.

She remounted her horse and started toward the road to Hermos, grumbling all the while about ridiculous birds and stupid necklaces. Thankfully, the road was still in view of the castle and it was open on all sides. It was a deterrent for any bandits, and about twenty minutes later she finally arrived at the mouth of the town. After she'd stabled her horse and promised to be back later that afternoon, Mai stepped out into the street and gave a contented sigh.

"Time to forget my troubles," she announced brightly, heading for the first line of shops she saw.

"YAMI!"

The furious roar startled everyone in the clearing out of a sound sleep. Marik nearly toppled from his perch in the tree. Had it not been for Jou, who'd seen him about to fall and lifted his head to steady the Enterran, Marik would have likely plummeted to the ground. "Thanks, Jou," he said, visibly relieved.

Jou rumbled and lowered his head to allow Marik a safe passage to the ground, curling back up once he finished. Marik looked back at the dragon and felt the briefest stab of pity for him. Jou had spent the past two days curled up in a small ball at the back of the clearing, and even before then he'd been in a wretched and miserable mood since the attack on Mai.

"YAMI, YOU WRETCHED FOOL OF A KING, WHERE IS HE?"

He turned his attention instead to the sound of the furious voice that was cursing violently in Enterran and English alike, and he frowned when he could not immediately see Bakura in the clearing. "What in the name of…Bakura?" he called, looking around for the source of the angry voice. "Bakura, what's going on?"

He heard growls from behind him and he turned. Jou had lifted his head and his lips were drawn back in a snarl. His gaze was riveted on the shadows near the largest oak tree in the clearing. It took Marik a moment to understand before he realized that the steadily growing mass of shadows was Bakura. He grimaced—it had been some time since he had seen the man that angry.

Téa leaned out over one of the platforms and looked down. Spotting the ever-growing patch of darkness beneath her, she looked for Marik and saw him across the clearing. "What's happening?" she called. "Why's Bakura so angry?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied, stepping back as the darkness began to spread. His eyes began darting around the clearing, wondering where on earth Ryou was—the other white-haired man was good at calming Bakura when he was like this. "Stay there, Téa, you're safer where you are!"

"Oh yeah?" she retorted, smacking at one tendril of shadow with a suddenly procured broom. "Tell Bakura that!"

Jou finally uncurled and rose to his feet, padding to the other side of the clearing and keeping well away from the shadows. He stretched his neck enough to catch the back of Téa's dress with his teeth, and then lifted her into the air. He returned to the part of the clearing he'd been in before. He set her down gently and curled up once again, but his growls grew in volume. He was keeping a defensive posture around Téa.

Marik tried getting closer to the other man, trying to understand what had put him into this state. "Bakura, calm down!" he said, yelping when another tendril of shadow lashed out and very nearly cut his face.

He felt teeth on the back of his shirt, and he was lifted into the air the same way Téa had been. Jou had likely deemed the situation too dangerous for Marik, and as the Enterran was one of the people who believed he had not deliberately attacked Mai the dragon was especially concerned. While he appreciated the gesture, Marik really needed to find out what was going on.

"Jou, put me down!" he said, starting to struggle. He stopped when he heard and felt fabric ripping. He scowled. "This is the only shirt I have left to me, please don't rip it!"

He noticed another patch of darkness enter the clearing. Yami emerged from the shadows, earning a rare sigh of relief from Marik. It was probably the first time he'd been happy to see Yami at all since he'd met him.

"Calm yourself, Bakura, I am here," said Yami smoothly, addressing the mass of shadows. He did not flinch when several spears of shadow launched themselves at him, barely missing him and disappearing into the forest around him. "What is the matter?"

A pair of glowing red eyes swiveled onto Yami and Bakura's voice was distorted with fury when he spoke. "Where is he, Yami? What did you do?"

"I will not answer anything while you are in that state," Yami responded evenly, though the barest hint of a warning colored his words.

The shadows violently dispersed, much to everyone's surprise. Though Bakura was now normal again, and he was once more human in shape, his eyes still glowed red and shadows clung to his body as if they were writhing snakes. "What did you do with Ryou?" he said furiously. "What have you done, Yami?"

"I will be honest, in that do not know where Ryou is at this point in time. I will not deny my part in his disappearance. I asked him to do something for me. Rest assured that he will be returned to you safely, provided he does nothing to draw attention. Given who has taught him how to hide in plain sight, this should not be a problem."

Bakura snarled in fury. "He is not your charge, Yami! If he dies, I'll be trapped in the Ring!" he said fiercely. "You may have been some glorified king once, but you are nothing but his shadow now! I won't stand for you ordering—!"

"Ryou is surely not so careless as to get himself killed," said Yami coldly, his eyes flashing. "I may not answer to you, but Yugi will be just as angry at me if your 'charge' comes to harm. That alone will have me take all precautions. I do not sacrifice his friends."

Bakura glared furiously at him before abruptly bursting into shadow and leaving the clearing. The stream of shadows that made up Bakura flew, vanishing from view and into the forest.

There was a startled yelp, one they all recognized, and Marik's eyes shot to where Bakura had disappeared. He hurried over, helping the fallen figure. "Valon, are you okay?"

Valon let Marik help him up, watching the thief go with wide eyes. "Cripes, what did you lot do t' make 'im mad? I don' reckon I've ever seen 'im so angry—and wait, where's Ryou?" he asked, his eyes scanning the clearing. "I don' reckon Ryou would let him…"

Valon trailed off as his eyes landed on Jou. His face promptly darkened. "Oh look. It's here."

Jou's eyes flashed with hurt and pain, and his lips drew back in a half-hearted snarl.

"Oh, come on, you two! Knock it off! It's too early for this!" snapped Téa irritably, moving between the two parties. "Valon, that's not fair. He's still human, despite his curse."

"Yeah? Coulda fooled me," the Aurosian retorted. "'e already attacked someone once, didn' 'e? I'd just be victim number two, unless he ate Ryou."

Jou's eyes lit with white-hot pain and the fight left him. He lowered his head, his growls dying and almost vanishing altogether as he slumped.

Téa was aghast. "Valon! How could you say that? He hasn't attacked anyone on purpose, Yami already said Jou didn't!"

Valon glowered and looked away, his eyes flashing and his fists clenching, but he said nothing further.

Marik had not been paying attention to the argument at all, something close to anger stirring as he looked at Yami. "What did you make Ryou do?" he asked coolly. "Bakura's right to be upset if you put him in danger."

Yami's gaze swiveled onto the Enterran. "It was Ryou's choice to make when I asked him. I will refrain from telling you where he has gone for now."

Marik opened his mouth to continue arguing when Yami said calmly, "You already tread on thin ice with me, child of the Ishtars. Bakura is your ally and I do not desire to set him against you by telling you what I will not say to him."

Téa shot the magic caster a concerned look. "But he'll be okay, won't he?"

"Of course," Yami replied. "As I've said, I assured Ryou's journey would be safe. What he does from the end of that journey, however, is up to him."

Marik exchanged worried glances with Téa, and even Valon looked concerned by Yami's reply. He did not know what it was that Ryou was doing, but Marik could only hope that he would return to them safely.

Ryou was their friend. Marik had very few of those, and even thinking about losing one made him feel nauseous.

"Yami, I hope you know what you're doing," he said at last, turning away. "Valon, let's burn off some of that angry energy you have. We need food and firewood. You're more than welcome to stay here if you like, but if you do we need help."

"Oh, this is absolutely terrible news!" Jean Claude cried, pacing the throne room. "Did she say where she was going?"

Vivian held onto the parchment she'd found on her dresser that morning, managing to maintain her composure. He was understandably worried about Mai, but he'd been in here fretting for what had felt like hours. She was growing tired of it; if it was not for the fact that he was a prince she would scold him for being so worried. For pity's sake, he could have mounted several search parties in the amount of time he'd spent worrying!

Besides, it was not the first time Mai had snuck out of a castle and without Vivian. It was something she did if she felt too crowded by everyone and desired some alone time.

"She has only been gone for an hour, two at the most," she said evenly. "All her letter said was that she was going into Hermos. It's nothing to trouble yourself over, my lord."

"But there are all sorts of brigands and ruffians in the city she could run afoul of!" he said impatiently. "Why didn't you go with her?"

A spike of irritation flared within her, but Vivian managed to keep it under control. "I woke up to find her gone," she replied. "She must have snuck out while I was still asleep—this is not the first time she's done this, my lord. The princess knows how to take care of herself in a city."

She curtsied to him, smoothing out her yellow gown when she stood upright. "Even so, my lord, I'll go into the town and find her. She does need an escort, and you're right in that there are pickpockets."

"I'll send some of my guards to accompany you, just for precautionary purposes," he said, also rising to his feet.

"No, please, my lord. Don't trouble yourself. I'm more than capable of handling myself," she replied, winking at him. She flicked her arm to allow a dagger to slip out of its holster and lifted it for him to see. "Believe me, I know how to use these. I won't need any other escorts. I'm not a helpless lady, you know."

"Even so, my dear, I would feel better if you go with some of my men when you leave," he insisted. "You make a target for brigands by virtue of who you are."

Vivian repressed the exasperated growl that was bubbling in her throat. She appreciated Jean Claude's concern, but just because she was a woman did not automatically mean she needed protection. She knew how to defend herself—Hermos was not the first city she'd ever been to.

"Very well," she said begrudgingly, curtsying to him one last time before she left the room. She was beginning to understand why Mai tried to avoid staying around Jean Claude for too long—while the man was certainly handsome, he was also a pest.

Almost four hours after she had arrived at the city, Mai was in bliss.

She had spent the morning going through the shops and the smaller markets, but now she had arrived at the town center. It was obvious that this was where most of the trade and commerce was done, and where many quality goods resided. Larger, fancier shops that carried clothes, jewelry, and fine food were on the outer rim of the center, while in the middle the more successful traveling stands had been set up.

Mai had wandered into the midst of this crowded marketplace, her money pouch tucked safely into her skirt, and she was completely at ease browsing through the different stalls. She was currently at one stall that was selling different bolts of fabric, studying the fabric. She could buy a couple bolts of it, and these could be given to the royal tailors to be made into a gorgeous dress. She had grown comfortable in her modified dresses because of her still healing shoulder, and she wouldn't mind having a few more like it.

"We have silk and satin, both imported from Xhiaoren," offered the teller hopefully. He knew she was a noble of some kind—anyone looking at her could tell she was. Like all the other merchants, he hoped to make a sale. Mai always used it to her advantage, as all the shop owners and tellers would try to make her spend more than she had to. But she knew how to wheedle them into lowering their prices, as she'd had years of practice.

She frowned thoughtfully at one bolt of lavender tinted Enterran cotton. That would make a lovely nightgown if it were in a darker shade, she mused. She pointed to the cotton bolt. "What about that color? Do you have anything just a shade darker?"

"Why certainly! I have fabrics from all over the continent," he said, digging through the bolts and holding up a darker lavender. "Feel how soft it is! I made certain not to spare any expense in keeping my fabrics clean and soft."

"I'll take your word for it. I need enough to make a nightgown from it—I love the color and the fabric," she said brightly. "How much for it?"

"Well…it was hard to come by the color of the fabric, and even harder to transport it," he began slowly, and Mai repressed a grin. She knew that tone—he was going to try and make her pay over the price. "Considering how much you want…I would say no less than twenty-five gold pieces."

Mai let her face fall, inwardly smirking. Game on, my friend. "Oh, dear me, I don't think I have enough for that," she said, glancing at where her pouch was. "I mean, I couldn't possibly spend that much! I guess I'll have to return to that other shop—they had the same fabric for my purposes for seventeen gold pieces."

Mai was not necessarily lying—she had bumped into a shop selling the Enterran cotton at twenty gold pieces, but it never hurt to stretch the truth a bit.

The man did a double take. "Seventeen?" he repeated, startled.

She nodded sadly. "I just can't spend twenty-five gold pieces on this fabric!" she exclaimed, deliberately rounding her eyes and putting out her lower lip. "I'm just going to have to go back all the way across town again."

"No no, hold on!" he said hastily, holding up a placating hand. "I normally don't do this, but I'm willing to offer you the same price!"

"Really? That's so generous of you…but I had hoped to find a more forgiving price. This stall has such a variety of fabrics, but if they're still as expensive as the others…"

"How about I sell it to you for fifteen gold pieces, then? In addition, I'll waive the packaging fee," he said, smiling convincingly at her. "So, what do you say?"

Mai instantly brightened, inwardly laughing. "Really? Oh my goodness, you're a lifesaver my friend! I'll let my friends know of your kindness—thank you so much!"

Mai paid for the fabric, promising to return later for her purchase; she had done the same thing for all the stalls she had visited and bought items from, as she had no way of carrying her purchases. Mai set off into the market once more, a bounce in her step. She loved it when she could haggle and got what she wanted in the end.

She had almost made it to the next stall when a croaking voice called out to her. "Care to have your fortune told?"

Mai paused, turning to eye the woman sitting on the stairs of a covered wagon. The elder woman was wearing aqua colored robes and a teal scarf around her neck. An ornate headdress made of purple and pink fabric was on over the hood on her head, a pink star in the middle of it. She was hunched over a small table, and Mai could see nothing underneath the hood. Even so, Mai could feel the other woman's eyes on her.

"Were you talking to me?" she asked slowly.

"I was. You seemed like a kind young woman, and I believe you could stand to have your fortune told," replied the teller calmly. "Call it intuition."

"Sorry, honey, but I don't believe in fortune telling," Mai replied flatly. "Where I'm from it's all smoke and mirrors."

"Ah, but you've not met a true Seer," reprimanded the old woman gently. "Come, see for yourself if my skills are smoke and mirrors. I guarantee that you will be amazed by what you find."

Mai sighed. Well, what did she have to lose? It was not as if she was in any tearing hurry to return to the castle just yet and she did have some spare coins on hand. "How much is it to prove your point?" she asked suspiciously.

The other woman laughed. "I would be a fool if I tried to ask a price. I saw you haggle with the merchant over there. It's a free reading this time. You have nothing to lose by doing this, my dear princess, so step inside. Let the proof of my skills be my price."

Mai jumped at the mention of her nobility before scoffing. "You made a wild guess."

"Maybe, maybe not." The old woman got to her feet and shuffled inside. "I tell my fortunes inside my wagon. There isn't as much to distract us, and I can focus easier inside. You have nothing to fear. I won't try to rob you or the like."

Mai hesitated before straightening up and heading inside the wagon. She caught an overwhelming whiff of spices and various herbs as she opened the flap in the wagon and stepped inside; the only light that came in was filtered through the canvas and she had to wait for her vision to adjust before she ventured further in.

Clusters of herbs and several strong-smelling bags were hanging from the top of the wagon and she had to stoop to avoid them; on the sides of the wagon were small shelves filled with vials of different colored liquids. There were varying books clumsily stacked in leaning piles.

At the back of the wagon was a small table and it was here that the old woman was sitting, a small silver cauldron in front of her. "Don't be shy, Highness. Make yourself comfortable," she said, gesturing to the empty seat in front of her.

Mai cautiously sat down, eyeing the cauldron warily. "So…what, you need to read my palms?" she asked, eyebrows arching in distaste.

"Oh heavens, no. My eyesight isn't what it used to be, and the light in here doesn't help. All I need is a strand of your hair," came the cheerful reply. "If you don't mind, Princess."

She raised an eyebrow but pulled out a strand of her hair, holding it out gingerly in front of her. "Now what?"

"Drop it into the cauldron, dear," replied the old woman calmly.

Mai hesitated one last moment, then slowly released it over the clear liquid in the cauldron. It did not change color, her hair floating on the surface. "Nothing's happening."

"Of course not, dear," laughed the teller. "I haven't finished."

The woman reached for some strange powder in a small clay jar and dropped a pinch of it into the cauldron. "Now, let's begin. Revelum," she said, her voice sharper as she invoked the spell.

Instantly a cloud of smoke rose, the liquid of the cauldron glowing a pale blue; gold began leeching out from the hair that was on the surface of the potion. After a moment, the potion turned violet, and a matching cloud of smoke rose from the surface of the cauldron to hover in front of them. Mai leaned back into her seat, surprised. The fortune teller paid no mind, instead looking intently at the cloud.

"Let's see here…ah, my suspicions were true. You are a princess," she said, watching as the smoke formed into a golden crown studded with gems. It shifted into a diamond crusted rose. "Tough and beautiful, but this is a façade to protect your heart. You actually care more than you try to let on."

The crown dimmed, becoming partially obscured by black smoke. The woman's mouth turned down in the corner, and even though Mai could not see under the hood she suspected the teller was frowning. "Ah me, but what's this? There is a dark cloud that is hovering over you. You are conflicted and suspicious over recent events, confused as to what you are being expected to know. There is trouble all around you, and your thoughts are very much as a reflection would appear in a fogged window."

Mai sat up, her breath coming in a sharp gasp. Those had been the same words she had used last night in her conversation with Vivian, how could this teller possibly have known—?

"What's more," the elderly woman continued, watching the crown shift into an shadow-shrouded hourglass, "it seems you are in a race against time, but why you are running this race and what will you gain at the end of it is beyond my comprehension."

Before Mai could ask about the hourglass, the shadows shifted one last time into a familiar, black-scaled dragon, its red eyes boring into hers with a ferocity that made her look away. When she looked back, however, it was to find that the dragon was staring at her, heartbreak in every feature. She recoiled.

"You seem to have some conflict about this young dragon. Trapped between doubt and trust, unable to decide whether to believe what you've recently seen…you have doubts as to the dragon's true nature. He attacked you, certainly, but it seems you are questioning that," said the woman in her croaking voice, studying Mai intently. The smoke vanished and she stirred the cauldron absently. "At least, Jou can only hope that you are questioning it."

Mai rose to her feet, the color leaving her face. "How…you couldn't have possibly known about…you couldn't have known his name," she stammered.

The other woman reached up to remove her headdress. "To be fair, I did warn you I had Seer's blood."

Mai was startled to realize that instead of the elderly voice it was a smoother, younger voice.

One that was certainly not a woman's.

"Still, I knew quite a bit of back story going into this, so you could say I cheated a bit."

Mai jumped, peering under the hood with some alarm, and found a familiar pair of brown eyes framed by silver hair looking back at her. Disbelief and recognition both slammed into her at the same time. Mai found that all she could do was say weakly, "Up until you stopped disguising your voice, thought you were a woman."

She saw an amused smile under the hood. "That's the idea, Princess," came the cheerful reply. "Everyone looks for the wanted man, but they're remarkably blind to women. Bakura hates this disguise. I find it to be effective, though, and so here we are."

Ryou gave a small bow to Mai, beaming at her as he straightened. "I was afraid I would have to wait a couple days before you came to the market. I even debated on breaking into the castle, but it seems I got incredibly lucky. How are you doing?" he asked her conversationally.