She met Twitchy in an open area near the camp and she couldn't help but notice several men and women who hadn't gone to bed or weren't on sentry duty gathered around to watch. Twitchy also noticed their audience, he shuffled a little away from them. He dashed that hope in a blink of an eye, when he drew a dull knife and threw it at her. Arie rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a nasty bruise. Several people jumped up and were shouting at Twitchy. One man looked like he was going to tackle her mentor.

"Shut it!" snarled Arie. One solider looked at her like she was nuts.

"He just through a blade at you! With no warning!"

Others were shaking their head in agreement. Arie sighed and went to pick up the knife in question. She held it up so everyone could see it was shaped like a knife, but had absolutely no edge to speak of. Even tip was round so that it would be nearly impossible to actually stab someone. However, that didn't stop it from bruising you if you were careless, Arie thought feeling phantom pains.

"The whole point is to teach me to expect dirty tricks. People won't always fight fair. You of all people should know that."

"May I try?" It was a female voice from near the back. Arie saw her head even over the other soldiers. She had mouse brown hair that hung flat against the back of her head and was cut just above her shoulders. Hazel eyes peered into Arie's grey ones. Several men stepped aside and greeted the newcomer.

"Kel! How's things been?"

"Good to have you back squ- I mean Lady knight."

"Lady knight!"

Most of the men looked at her as if she were a comrade and with respect. Odd, Arie thought, what have you done to gain their respect? When she pulled her way through the crowd, Arie realized the girl was a good bit taller than her. She was well muscled and broad shouldered. Her body bore the scars of becoming a knight and fighting as one. So, this was Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight, and Protector of the Small, she she thought with no small amount of awe. Arie was about to nod when Twitchy shook his head.

"Pardon milady, but I don't teach nobles, an I needa make sure this one ain't going soft."

Lady Kel nodded and took a seat near Lerant. The young man said something to her that sounded suspiciously like,

"You're still alive?"

She smiled politely. "Pleasure to see you again too, Lerant."

Before Arie could turn around she heard the telltale signs of an attack. Soft quick footsteps, and the indrawn breath of men who were looking past her. Arie dropped, a blunted knife sailed over her. She turned the weapon Twitchy had thrown at her against him, lashing out at the opening under his arms. He back peddled and she was only able to graze him across his stomach. He grunted, but didn't touch the spot she had struck. That would give her more chances than he was okay with. His words from long ago came to her.

'When ya fight, fight ta win. Drive the other person back. Use anything to unsettle em. Don't let em think.'

She dove forward kicking up dust as she came within striking range. A foot lashed out at her ribcage and she blocked. Then she realized her mistake a second too late. His blunted knife was coming down towards her shoulder. She hissed in pain as the metal connected with her shoulder with a painful thud. She dropped feigning pain, though maybe she wasn't pretending as much as she would have liked to have been. Some of the men gathered around got up and made like they were going to intervene. Twitchy looked to them shying slightly. Arie used his moment of distraction and kicked his legs out from under him. Then she stabbed the ground next to his head.

"Your dead."

Instead of looking upset that he lost her mentor laughed. "You make an ol' man proud."

She grunted and used her good arm to help him up. Her other one burned and throbbed. "You're not that old."

He chuckled and patted her injured shoulder. Arie couldn't help the squeak, pain rolled through her and she nearly dropped right then and there. Sweat broke out over her brow as she struggled to remain standing.

"Go get checked by a healer."

"I am a healer," she snarled at him.

Still laughing he walked away. Arie grit her teeth and almost didn't notice Kel walking up to her, with a young boy striding in her shadow. He had short hair that didn't quite veil his blue eyes. Arie guessed his age to be between fourteen and sixteen. He had strong arms, was built well, and was dressed in Mindelan tunic and pants. His hands were scarred, but most of them were faded to point they were hard to distinguish. Only Arie's work at with her mother allowed her to recognize them. This boy had been whipped bloody years ago. Looking at the woman's eyes she could see this woman had not been the one to do it. Her eyes were not that of the kind of person it would take to raise a hand against another person without just cause.

"I can take you to my friend. He's very good at healing bruises."

Arie glanced around and noticed Lerant off to the side, waiting. For what, she wondered. The throbbing in her shoulder was only growing worse, reminding her she had other things to worry about.

"Sure."

Kel and the young man lead her off and they came to Sir Nealan's tent. "You awake," Kel asked.

Neal's face appeared in the flap of his tent. His hair was pushed to one side like he had been laying down. "Mithros! You're here! When did you get here?"

Kel smiled as he came out of his tent and hugged her. She hugged him back. "Good to see you too. We arrived a few minutes ago." She looked him up and down noting the bags under his eyes and his paleness. "Have you not been sleeping?"

Neal sighed. "Not as much as I should."

"Why not?"

Neal scrubbed his hands over his face. Finally, he muttered through his fingers. "She wants to be a knight."

Arie was confused, who wanted to be a knight and why was that bad? Wasn't he a knight? Kel snorted and looked very amused. The boy next to her didn't bother hiding his grin.

"What's wrong with that?"

Neal peeked through his fingers at Kel. "I blame you," he told her sharply before he took a deep breath to calm himself. "She's two and my baby! I don't want her going through the pain and suffering we went through. You went through." He started muttering to himself.

"Didn't you say something about Queenscove always has a knight to serve the crown, and it is their duty. That's why you left the university and became the oldest page ever, right?" Amusement was sparkling in her eyes, but her face was without emotion. Her friend glared at her.

"Did you come for a reason other than to taunt me?"

Kel motioned to Arie. "I think she broke her collar bone."

Neal turned his green eyes on her. "I left you not even an hour ago."

"I can do it my-," she didn't even get a chance to finish her protest. The young man's Gift was already settling into her. She could feel the pain subsiding along with a tingling itch of the magic working.

"You're lucky, it didn't break, you're just very bruised. What were you hit with?"

Arie pulled her blunted knife from her belt and showed it to him. Neal looked it over and grunted.

"And you let someone hit you with that?"

"It's not like I wanted him to."

"Him?"

Arie growled at Neal's tone. She was not a defenseless child that needed a knight to protect her. "I have a friend who teaches me knife skills, his way of teaching is very hands on. This," she held the knife, "was the compromise he and mother came up with."

"He wanted to use real knives?" His voice cracked like the words were strangling him, Arie shrugged,

"That's how he learned," Arie said defensively. "I wanted to learn that way, but my mother ended up objecting," she explained. This however, didn't seem to help, Neal looked at her with an open mouth then he turned to Kel.

"Do you hear this? This is a compromise!"

Kel smiled slightly at him. "You became a knight," she reminded. She turned to Arie. "Be careful, if we let him get started, he won't stop."

"I can see that."

Neal glared at the two of them. "Har har," he said before he then went back into his tent only to come back with a small bag and a cup of steaming liquid. She wouldn't ask where he got it. "Drink." he told her.

Arie sniffed the drink then winced. It stank. She sighed, tried not to breathe through her nose, then drank it down while pinching her nose. She shuddered and handed the cup back.

"Have a cup in the mornings and evenings, it will help prevent your muscles from getting soar."

Already she felt better.

"Now get some rest."

Kel and the young man led her back to her tent. Both of them said goodbye and promised to see her tomorrow. Arie was about to slip into bed when Lerant appeared by her tent flap. He was carrying food. Arie's stomach growled.

"I didn't see you eat."

Hesitantly Arie took the food. He blushed then ducked his head. "I have to go, I'm on duty." Then he was gone before she could even say thank you. Arie sat down in her tent and ate before going to bed.