So this what if story has been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. I finally wrote up enough chapters to know it should hold my interest for long enough to complete it, so I decided to post it here. As I mentioned in the summary, it's very AU. I use the characters and kingdom from the books but none of the plot. In this story, Karigan is older, closer in age to Zachary, and she becomes a Green Rider while his father is still on the throne. Her journey to join the Green Riders is decidedly less eventful than in the books, but it has already occurred when this story starts so don't worry-there will be action pretty much right away!

For those of you who have read my other Green Rider stories (Dark Magic and The Four Elements), don't worry, I'm still working on them, too. The Four Elements is almost done, and I've got a bit of a sequel written already. Like them, this one will have a pretty heavy focus on the Karigan/Zachary relationship while still maintaining a plot outside of that. However, this one will have more political intrigue (one of the reasons I wanted to start earlier was to explore what happens when Zachary ascends to the throne instead of Amilton). And the enemies/long-term direction will be very different from those stories and from the books themselves-I don't want to just re-use other plots. That would be boring.

As with all fanfiction, I don't own the characters or setting and am not making money off of this. Honestly, I'm just doing this because sometimes, you fall in love with certain characters but not necessarily the plots. And I've been a major Z/K shipper since the first book and really wish there was more interaction between them. . .

Karigan G'ladheon tiredly dismounted from her messenger horse, Condor, and handed the reins to a nearby stable boy. Normally, she would have taken care of the horse herself, but she simply did not have the energy. With the summer solstice nearing and all the festivities that accompanied it, the messenger corps had been busier than usual. Karigan had been on three message runs in the past month, generally with less than one day of downtime between them. She wanted to eat a hot dinner, take a bath, and then crawl in her bed and sleep for three days.

Karigan side-stepped a couple noblewomen as she walked towards the castle. She noted that they cast a single look at her before pointedly turning away, moving in the opposite direction. Karigan could not suppress a small snort. It was not the first time someone in the nobility had looked down on her since she had come to Sacor City six months before, and she doubted it would be the last. She found it ironic, however, that before she was called to the Green Rider corps, many of the lesser nobility attempted to ingratiate themselves with her frequently. As the only daughter and heir of Stevic G'ladheon, one of the wealthiest merchants in all of Sacoridia, many nobles attempted to curry favor in hopes that they could persuade her to direct some of the G'ladheon fortune their way. As soon as she donned the green uniform, however, she somehow became unworthy of their attention. Not that she minded—in truth, she felt that the fewer interactions she had with the nobility, the better.

Thinking of her life before becoming a Green Rider caused a wave of homesickness to wash over Karigan, a wave simply made stronger by the fact that she had not been to Corsa once in the six months since she had begun her tenure as a Green Rider. She had heard the call just after finishing her courses at Selium, but she had tried to resist it for awhile (though she was admittedly not sure exactly what she was resisting other than a strong urge to travel to the capital city). After riding into the next town wearing nothing but her nightgown, however, she finally realized that the call was not something one could simply resist. And so she had talked with her father who, though he did not understand her reasoning, had given her supplies for a lengthy journey and allowed her to go. It had taken nearly three weeks for her to ride to Sacor City, but she had ridden right to the door of the Green Rider barracks without knowing where she was headed. The captain of the corps, Laren Mapstone, had seemed unsurprised to find an unfamiliar young woman suddenly eager to sign up for the messenger service, and it had quickly become clear why. A brooch had chosen Karigan, binding her to the service until it decided to release her, and she had begun delivering messages throughout the kingdom.

The six months Karigan had served as a Green Rider were not unpleasant, but Karigan still had not completely grown accustomed to her new life. She had slowly made some friends among the other Riders, but she was not as close to them as her family or her best friend from Selium, Estral Androvian. And while delivering messages for the kingdom could be challenging and exciting work, most of the message errands Karigan had taken so far had been rather mundane.

The one interesting aspect of Karigan's new position, however, was the fact that the brooch granted its wearer special abilities. Some might even say it allowed the wearer to practice magic—though one would not want to say so too loudly since most Sacoridians distrusted all magic, no matter how minute or well-intentioned. Karigan had discovered her ability mostly by accident when she needed to hide from a couple robbers on the road. In dusk or at night, she could fade out, making it impossible for anyone to find her. This ability had helped her out a couple times since the discovery though generally for more mundane tasks.

Voices broke Karigan from her musing, and she paused and looked around. She was taking a shortcut to the Rider Barracks through a far corner of the castle gardens. Karigan had never met another soul there though she knew a gardener had to come at least occasionally to keep the plants pristine. However, the voices she heard certainly did not sound like those of a castle gardener. "You don't have to join me if you don't wish to, but of course-"

"No, I definitely plan to join you. I was just questioning the plan."

"It's simple enough. He goes riding at least twice a week at approximately the twenty-first hour. He nearly always takes the same route, entering the forest where it meets the field outside the stable and continuing down the path that follows the stream. There is a clearing about two miles into the forest where I should be able to see him well but he will not be able to see me. I already have my spot picked out which should allow me a clear line of sight."

"If you plan to shoot him, I don't see our purpose."

"You are there as backup. If something goes wrong, I will not be able to reach him quickly from where I am, so you will need to intervene."

"And you're sure he will pay?"

Karigan heard the jangle of coins before the first said. "Half up front."

The second man gave a low whistle. "It seems like quite a bit of coin for a fairly simple job."

"You know why I asked for that much."

"I know."

"It doesn't bother you, does it?"

"As long as I get my usual cut, I will be happy."

Karigan heard movement, and she quickly hurried away lest they catch her eavesdropping. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she suddenly felt much less tired than she had before entering the garden. She had just overheard a plot to kill someone. Of course, she was not sure who or even exactly where and when the deed was to take place, but it sounded as if it would be sooner rather than later.

Knowing she was not equipped to deal with the ramifications of what she had heard, Karigan sought out Captain Mapstone as soon as she entered the Rider barracks. She found her in her office, frowning over a piece of parchment spread on the desk in front of her. Karigan knocked on the doorframe to get her captain's attention, stepping into the room when the captain looked up and gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Rider G'ladheon. It's good to see you back in one piece. I assume the ride was uneventful?"

"It was, but that's not why I'm here." Quickly, Karigan explained everything she had overheard in the garden. Captain Mapstone's frown deepened as she listed to the explanation.

"Where did you say this occurred?" she finally asked.

"In the back corner of the west garden."

"And they were having this conversation in broad daylight?" Karigan shrugged. She, too, had found it a bit odd, but that section of the garden was fairly secluded, so it was not inconceivable that someone would choose it to plot a murder. "When was the last time you took a break longer than 24 hours?" the captain questioned. Karigan was sure she had the best intentions by asking, that she simply meant to ensure her Rider was of good health and sound mind, but Karigan could not help but bristle at the implication that she had somehow imagined the meeting.

"I assure you, Captain, that no matter how tired I might be, I am certainly not hearing things."

"I don't mean offense, Karigan. I know that after a long message errand, I often don't feel quite like myself. I don't doubt that you heard something, but perhaps it was not as sinister as your tired mind made it out to be."

"I recounted the conversation to you."

"And you're sure that you are remembering the details correctly?"

"I am."

Captain Mapstone sighed. "I don't disagree that it's suspicious, but it does not necessarily imply murder," she remarked.

"They said they were going to shoot someone."

"Do you know who?"

"No," Karigan admitted.

"How about where or when?"

"I told you everything I know!"

"Karigan, you have to see that there is not much I can do here. We have no idea where or when or even if this murder is going to occur."

"Isn't there someone you could talk to and. . . I don't know, strongly suggest people avoid riding into that forest by themselves at night?"

"I would hope that most already avoid such actions."

"Then it should be all the easier to figure out who they're talking about."

Captain Mapstone sighed again. "Okay," she finally agreed. "Let me think about this for a bit and talk to a couple other captains. Perhaps one of them will have some idea of what we can do with this knowledge or maybe even a thought of who they were talking about."

Karigan could tell that the captain still did not believe her and likely would not take the conversation seriously, but she could also tell that she would achieve nothing further by continuing to talk with her. Instead, she nodded and left the room, returning to her own bunk. She quickly hung all of her riding gear and changed into a nightgown but realized as soon as she lay down that sleep was not going to come easily to her that night. Her mind was still reeling with the implications of the conversation she had overheard. She knew that she had not imagined anything. Someone was going to be killed, and she had a strong suspicion that the deed would occur relatively soon. If the captain was not going to take her seriously, she would simply have to take matters into her own hands.

With that thought in mind, she drifted off to sleep.

Karigan put her plan into action the next night. She went out to the stables at dusk, quickly saddling Condor. He seemed to sense her urgency, for he did not make his usual request for treats but simply waited quietly while she prepared him for their outing. Given the late hour, she only saw one stableboy; if he thought it odd for her to be out so late, he said nothing. Once in the sprawling field surrounding the stables, she loosened Condor's reins, allowing him to set the pace as they made their way to the edge of the forest. They reached it in just a few minutes, and she slowed their pace as she searched for a good spot to observe without being seen. It did not take her long to find such a location, a small break in the trees that formed the boundary of the forest a few dozen paces from the main path. She carefully maneuvered Condor into the gap, concealing them both behind the trees as they waited.

Unfortunately, despite waiting until nearly midnight, Karigan saw no other riders entering the forest. She sighed, shaking out her numb limbs before mounting Condor once more. She would just have to try again the following day. She had not truly expected immediate success anyway though she had hoped that she would not have to keep watch too many nights.

Karigan's patience was finally rewarded on the third night. She saw the rider when he was still a good distance from the forest, and she quickly mounted, waiting until he passed the tree line before following. Condor's hooves made no sound on the soft dirt as they rode down the familiar path. The rider in front of them was moving quickly but not so quickly that Karigan lost him. The moon was fortunately nearly full, making it easy to see both the path in front of them and the lone rider they followed. Unfortunately, the light from the moon also meant it would be easy for whoever planned to attack to see the rider as well.

As Karigan followed the rider, she noted that he never once looked back. Karigan frowned, for she suspected that was due more to inattention on his part and less to do with her ability to stay quiet. He was apparently very comfortable with the route and had no concerns that someone might try and harm him. That inattention would simply make her task more difficult.

They rode for about twenty minutes through the trees with Karigan glancing around often, wondering if the men she had heard talking were following them or not. Would they still attack if they saw a second rider? They did not seem averse to killing so maybe they would just kill both her and their original target. That was not a very comforting thought and caused Karigan's hand to drop to her saber.

The trees began to thin, and Karigan realized they were reaching the clearing the first man spoke of. She began searching the trees though she was honestly not sure exactly what she was searching for. The moon was fairly bright, but it would still be easy enough for a man to conceal himself in the leaves of some of the giant trees surrounding them. Karigan began to wonder if perhaps she should have warned the rider at the beginning so at least he was not walking into the situation unprepared. Of course, he could have dismissed her concerns as easily as the captain.

Condor's ears flicked, his head canting to the side as he looked toward some trees ahead of them. Knowing that his hearing was far superior to hers, Karigan followed his gaze, staring at the spot he had turned toward. A shaft of moonlight slanted through the trees, and it glinted off something in the branches of the tree Condor was staring at. With a start, Karigan recognized it as the tip of an arrow. The mystery rider was headed straight into its path, and given the distance, Karigan doubted the shooter would miss. Without truly considering her actions, she squeezed Condor with her knees. He understood immediately what she wanted, accelerating to a gallop. It did not take long for her to reach the other rider. She heard the other rider's exclamation of surprise, but she did have time to react before something pierced her shoulder. She cried out, falling forward but somehow managing to hook her good arm around Condor's neck to keep herself mounted.

Condor slowed, and she saw the other rider slowing as well. Her shoulder felt like it was on fire, and her arm hung limply next to Condor's neck. Her vision was starting to blur, likely from the pain, and she felt herself slipping sideways. Condor seemed to realize she would not be able to stay in the saddle much longer, for he stopped alongside a few bushes just as her good arm finally lost its grip. She fell off into the bushes, barely registering the pain as their branches scratched at her skin. Bile rose in her throat as she forced herself to stand, stumbling towards the mystery rider. He, too, had stopped though his dismount was considerably more graceful than hers. She saw him start to approach, but her vision was worsening, and she could only make out a vague outline. She saw two more figures appear behind him and cursed herself inwardly. How could she have forgotten about the second man in the conversation she overheard?

"Behind!" she warned. Her words were softer than she intended, but the other rider fortunately heard, spinning on his heel to face his new opponents. Karigan tried to reach for her sword as well to make things more evenly matched, but the fire seemed to have spread to both her arms now. In fact, it seemed to be spreading over her whole body. Her knees buckled, bringing her to the ground. This time, she could not stop the bile, and she heaved, spilling her dinner on the ground. Her entire body was shaking though the night was quite warm.

Fortunately, the other rider did not need Karigan's help with his opponents. It seemed like no time at all passed before he was standing over her, a bloody sword hanging loosely by his side. Now that he was closer, Karigan could make out a few more of his features though everything still seemed to be concealed by a haze in her mind. She thought she recognized him, but it was difficult to say. Given the speed with which he had dispatched the two men—who, given that they were hired for the job, were likely trained swordsmen—Karigan suspected he was a master. But that could not be right. The only sword master Karigan knew was Arms Master Gresia who trained the Riders, and the figure in front of her was definitely male.

Karigan suddenly realized he was speaking. With great effort, she forced her mind to focus on the words he was saying. "Are you okay?" he questioned. That seemed a silly question. Of course she was not okay. The fire was still burning her body though it seemed to have finished with her skin and was now burning through her organs. Not that she could tell him that. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure she had a mouth anymore. It had burned for awhile but that had stopped sometime before.

She suddenly felt two arms around her. It was a pleasant feeling, a definite improvement to the burning though that was still occurring as well. She felt her body leave the ground, and her head began to spin. Fortunately, her stomach was empty, so the heaving that accompanied her aching head was unproductive. She came to rest on something soft, and the arms left her for a moment before encircling her once more. She felt movement below her, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she noted that she must be on a horse.

As the amount of movement increased, her eyes slid shut. Images danced in front of them, images that were much clearer than the hazy pictures she was seeing before. Karigan saw a young girl running down a dock, her feet bare and both arms in the air, waving at someone. It did not take her long to recognize herself, likely running out to greet her father back when he used to go out with the trading ships from time to time. The picture changed then, showing the same girl but older, her hair pulled back in a loose braid as she held a practice sword in two hands. She had grabbed her bottom lip between her teeth, concentrating on the task in front of her.

A third scene appeared. This one showed Karigan looking not much older than she currently was. She once more held a sword, but this one was an edged blade. Once more, her face had a look of intense concentration, but it was also covered in dirt and caked blood and other unidentifiable filth. Gone was the innocent-faced girl from her previous vision, the girl who thought that taking sword lessons would be a fun way to spend a class period. The Karigan in this vision looked like a warrior, someone who had seen both friends and enemies die and had even caused the deaths of some of the latter. The Karigan in the vision raised the sword, but before she could swing it, the vision changed once more.

The next vision seemed much happier than the previous one. In an echo of the first vision she had, there was a small red-haired boy running down a path, a wide smile on his face. He reached out his arms, and a nearby man caught him under the shoulders, picking him up to spin him around happily. Though the man looked rather weary, the smile on his face removed most of the worry lines. He looked vaguely familiar though Karigan could not name him. Before she could study his face too long, the vision changed again.

The visions were coming faster now, leaving Karigan little time to analyze their content. The next showed Karigan again, older than last time though likely not yet past thirty. She looked just as weary as the previous vision but there was a lightness to her features that Karigan had not seen before. She had her head turned to the side, smiling at something out of sight. Before it could show in the vision, however, the scene changed again. It showed a battleground, seeming to be focused on the man in the front. He wore full battle regalia, so it was difficult for Karigan to make out his features but she thought it might be the same man that had greeted the small boy in her previous vision.

The scenes began to blur together. Karigan caught glimpses of some of the people she had seen before—the small boy, the man—presumably his father, herself, but the majority of the figures passed too quickly for her to ascertain their identity. It was not long before the pain of the wounds caught up to her, and she fell unconscious.