Crow was munching noisily on the jelly-filled doughnuts at the table while Score and Pixel consulted with Shanara, making the happy smacking sounds of discovering the sticky red surprise inside each munchkin. Shanara seemed to find it distracting, because she kept looking confusedly at Crow. Score had hastily explained her away as their foster child, of sorts, but even in her distress, Shanara couldn't help but stare at the enigmatic girl.

"So who exactly is Dorian?" Score demanded, angry with Shanara for not keeping better tabs on Helaine. Shanara colored a little.

"We're...he's...we're very good friends." She stammered eventually. Score frowned, but Pixel raised an eyebrow.

"He's your boyfriend." It wasn't a question.

"I...yes. In a way." Shanara twisted her lips, and Pixel smiled.

"Are you kidding?" Blink interjected. "All they do is spend their time making lovey-eyes at each other and forget to feed me! It's disgusting!" The three humans ignored the crabby Blink, and continued on the subject of Helaine.

"They probably just went wandering somewhere Shanara." Pixel hypothesized with a sigh, and was met with a glare from the other two. "You guys are taking this way too seriously. I don't know about Dorian, but Helaine can take care of herself."

Score refused to be placated. He trusted Helaine, but not her companion. "Pixel, will you at least use your ruby and find out where they are?" The other boy nodded, and concentrated. A full minute passed by before he opened his eyes.

"It's no good. They aren't on Rawn, at least not alive."

Score cursed quietly, and a quiet lump surged in his throat. Damn Helaine. If she was going to run off with his heart like that, she ought to be a little more responsible.

"But it's entirely possible that they left Rawn on some sort of excursion. We should be able to find them using your pool, Shanara." Pixel silenced the thumping in Score's head with his irrepressible logic.

"Oh. Why didn't I think of that?" Shanara brightened a little.

"Probably because you were too distraught to think. That's what we're here for." Pixel returned. Shanara seemed satisfied with this, but then a shadow caught her expression.

"This might take awhile. I have to prepare the pool. I...uh...I have been lax in my scrying lately, and the pool has to be respelled every so often."

"How long?" Score demanded.

"A few hours. We have to wait for one of the moons. Seden just set an hour ago, but Nonan should rise a little before noon." Crow looked up at this as Shanara gave a pained expression. "Sorry. I've been...distracted lately."

"Pixel?" Crow asked, still gazing intently at Shanara. "What is a moons?" Pixel smiled and joined the little girl, explaining, as Score paced off to wait for the moon in seclusion.





Helaine contacted Dorian and informed him of her intentions to return before the evening. He did not seem upset that he'd had to stay at the inn on Ekeln-An the previous night, only a little amused at Helaine's quaint desire to spend a little more time with her father.

When Lord Votrin was cornered by a local merchant and haggled about the treachery of the country roads, Helaine slipped outside to the practice fields. She leaned up against the stone wall of the stable and watched as the youths struggled with their broadswords. Helaine smiled. There was no greater joy, no greater rush, than being swept away by the rage and descending on the enemy with powerful strokes.

Helaine heard someone come from the stable and stand beside her, but didn't turn to look. It was probably Borigen, or one of the lackeys, come from grooming. She was reasonably startled, however, when a deep voice asked, "Do you remember me, Lady Helaine Votrin?"

Turning, she eyed the speaker carefully. He was dressed in the easy garb of a warrior, with a vicious scar across his cheek and a long suffering nose that had most likely been broken several times. He was a whole head taller than Helaine, and leaned casually on his sword, as one would trust a childhood friend. She pursed her lips and looked him over once more before shaking her head.

"You broke my arm when we were children." He reminded her gravely, but with a lilting smile that dispelled any grudge. Helaine cocked her head slightly, trying to see the stranger in a new light.

"Mardren!" She cried suddenly, seizing upon the memory of the pompous boy she'd despised.

"If it pleases you." Mardren smiled wryly, giving a slight bow. "I never forgot the drubbing you gave me."

"You deserved what you got." Helaine informed him.

"That I did. I was a dreadful child." He took his weight off his sword and spun it around in a show of dexterity. "I wonder, could you still defeat me?" His voice was teasing and light, so Helaine refused to take offense.

"I rather think I could," she replied. "I've been in practice, and," she broke off and touched the scar on his face gently, "I can you have been too. Shall we have a jaunt?"

"I can think of nothing I would enjoy more." He said with a smile, unbuckling his sheath and leaning it against the stable wall. Helaine did the same, and they sauntered over to the center of the practice field together. Mardren disarmed two of the students with a grin on his part and bashful smiles from them. It was clear he had become some sort of local hero, judging by the reaction his presence elicited.

Armed with the dulled blades, Helaine and Mardren took their stances, and with a lunge, he began his attack. As they exchanged blows, Helaine became aware that all battles around them had disintegrated into an audience. She parried a thrust to her heart and countered with a brisk underhand stroke, all the time marveling at the improvement in Mardren's skills. Though Helaine had her sixth sense that foretold where his attacks were aimed, her opponent had no such magical aid, but was defending himself rather effectively. He had size and raw power over Helaine, but she was nimbler and more rapid with her blows. It was, surprisingly, a fairly even match.

Helaine was beginning to tire, to her horror. It had been around ten minutes since the fight started, and Mardren seemed as fresh as though he'd just started. Gritting her teeth, Helaine intensified her efforts. She couldn't win through endurance, she realized, so she decided to take advantage of what she'd always thought to be her greatest flaw. Possessing rather feminine hips, Helaine's center of balance had fallen from her chest and she discovered a whole new category of thrusts available to her. Mardren's classical training would not lead him to suspect low attacks, because they were ungainly and difficult for full grown men.

Helaine pounced and cut way under Mardren's range, slapping his knees. He grunted, but was forced to raise his sword above his head in order to have a clear aim at her. Helaine seized her chance and sprang up between his arms, pressing her sword against his throat. It was over.

"I win," she panted quietly, inches away from his face. Mardren nodded quietly, reverent of the space between them. Helaine froze and stared, discomfited at the heat that was rising on her face. Suddenly a small boy tugged on her tunic and she glanced down. The magnetic forces keeping her close to Mardren collapsed and they both fell away from each other.

"Who ARE you?" the boy demanded, his voice full of wonder.




*****
How ironic. Score is fretting over Helaine and she's running around with her former enemies.
Don't worry...everybody will be happy in the end. And, YES, there is a definite reason for EVERYTHING. It may not seem like it right now, but Crow, Dorian, Lady Brielle, Mardren and anybody else I made up has a precise part to play, and YES, Helaine will be going home soon. She just has to learn a few things first.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy. This story is my dirty little indulgence after writing analytic papers on Chaucer and Dante.
Feel free to submit input...I know my writing can be vastly improved, and would greatly appreciate some feedback.

Also, seeing as the next chapter will be the fifteenth, I'll probably break and say thank you to various people (oh how I love you!) and try to clear up a few things. I just really (to quote Ms. Marionni) DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME!

So yeah, next chapter, I promise, I'll extend my gratitude. For right now, just get that warm fuzzy happy feeling because you know I care (even if I didn't send a Hallmark).


Righto, that's enough out of me!

Aroo!

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