Whee, thanks for the reviews. Ff.n keeps screwing up my formatting, so if it's funny, just lemme know and I'll re-upload the chapter. Had a wonderful holiday, now heavily into revision, hence lack of updates. I seem to start every new chapter/fic with an apology lately, so here's yours – sorry about that. I'm glad joining the Riders isn't too cliché, and Dom turning up quickly :P

*

"You got the wrong one," hissed a voice, the owner of which was apparently invisible.

"Didn't," insisted a lower tone grumpily, this one belonging to an enormous figure, the type one expected to find with a club in hand. "They said one like this one. They – they explained her, like. And, the people was concerned for this un, shouted a – a warnin', 'n all."

There followed a sharp slapping sound. It appeared that the first speaker didn't like this turn of events at all. "Idiot." The voice was thin and reedy. "They do that with everyone."

The gruff voice mumbled something that was barely audible, about unfairness and favouritism.

"Nonsense, Den," a clear, youthful sounding person protested. "Nobody blames you for not having been blessed with magic. Besides, I think we could find – oh, I don't know – something to do with your young warrior, eh?"

*

Kel dragged herself up in bed, frowning. She put her hands to her throbbing temples, wondering about her dream. Perhaps her mind was trying to fill in what had happened when she had been unconscious, or something, albeit filling it with utterly ridiculous and senseless rubbish.

The room was now empty, regrettably. Company like Commander Buriram frankly scared her, but she had enjoyed talking to Domitan. She sat listlessly for a few seconds, allowing her thoughts to collect, before throwing off her blankets and setting her feet on the ground. She struggled into her clothes, wondering at her weakness – she had only been knocked unconscious, after all. Shaking her head in bemusement, she left the tent.

"Do you know where I could find Comm – Evin Larse?" she asked a nearby couple, choosing the less frightening of the two at the last moment and figuring Evin would be easier to talk to than Buriram anyway. From the way their hands were entwined and his eyes lingered upon her face, as though he couldn't bear to tear them away, not even to address Kel, she guessed they were lovers. Momentarily, her heart twinged, but she kept her face impassive.

The boy scratched his head, ruffling already messy brown hair. "Do you know, sweet?" he asked the girl.

She was a pretty thing, huge blue eyes set against tanned skin. Kel wouldn't have picked her for a Rider, save the attire. She looked as though she'd faint at the sight of blood. Then again, that was something Kel had felt very much like doing during her first battle, and she was sturdy enough. "That tent," she informed Kel, pointing. "Say, aren't you-"

Kel winced. "The second female page in living memory? Well, I was, anyway." She placed a light but firm emphasis on 'was', reminding them that it was in the past tense.

They blinked as one. Kel stepped back slightly, vaguely unnerved by this. "Uh, no. I was going to ask if you were the one out of Taylor's squad, who the rat bags got."

"Oh." Kel faltered slightly, having been caught off-balance. She was too used to being interrogated about her former knighthood dreams. Silently, she chastised herself for being too free with her tongue. "Ah, yes, yes, I was."

The boy leaned forward, interest kindling in his gaze. "I heard about you, actually. They say you were merely comatose when you were returned, entirely unmarked. Can you recall any faces, names, places?"

Kel shook her head. The boy's steady stare was beginning to unnerve her "Ah – so, can you tell me where he is?"

"Third tent to your right," the blonde girl instructed, eyeing Kel curiously. The interest passed, however, much to Kel's relief, as the couple returned to what they had been doing before she had interrupted.

Obediently, Kel left them alone, moving to stand outside the third tent to the right. She swallowed nervously and wondering if she'd look stupid if she tried to knock. She was saved from her indecision as to how best to alert them to her presence by the blue-eyed sergeant from yesterday.

"Awaiting divine inspiration?" he enquired, mouth curled in a teasing grin.

She brushed her hair out of her face, tilting her head back so she could look up at him. "Not exactly," she admitted. "A door, maybe."

He tilted his head on one side, fixing her with his bright blue eyes. "Is the lack of privacy getting to you? Let me guess, you have a hidden secret?" His gaze narrowed speculatively. "You're really a boy, and the page thing was an attempt to regain normality?"

She frowned at him. "Ah, no. I just want somewhere to knock."

He flashed her a grin. "My apologies, my lady, I suppose I've been spending too much time with my cousin. The sight of a female is enough to send my brain into overload. As to knocking, why bother, when you can just go in?" With that, he pushed open the flap and entered the tent. Kel gulped and followed.

Luckily, Evin wasn't getting up to any of his nefarious deeds at that precise moment. He leaned back in his chair and offered the two a wide grin. "So, my lovelies, what can I do for you?"

"You can save me from that idiot," Domitan muttered, sinking into a seat. "Mithros, the fool hasn't stopped asking me questions since I woke up this morning. I swear he's been thinking up more since last night."

From the use of the masculine pronoun, Kel surmised it wasn't her that was being spoken about. Evin's smirk widened. "That's a shame. I really felt that you two were beginning to connect. So much so that I've suggested Nicholas join the King's Own on a permanent basis."

"Milord wouldn't allow you to," Domitan shot back, hands tightening on the edge of his chair.

"Milord wouldn't mind if he knew the bargain I was prepared to strike," Evin said carefully, the grin vanishing off his face, though Kel had her suspicions that it would reappear shortly.

"Which is?"

Evin leant forward. "Now that would be telling," he said confidentially.

Finally a grin spread over Domitan's own face. "You're lying," he announced finally, triumph tingeing his words. "There is no bargain, short of banning all social engagements throughout the realm of Tortall for the next three centuries that would induce Lord Sir Raoul to enter into such an agreement, particularly with you."

"And who says that isn't the exact bargain I've struck?" Evin wanted to know. This comment earned him a cushion in the face. This appeared to knock some sense into him, because he then remembered that Kel was there too. "So, what was it you came for?"

Kel was standing awkwardly, but not because she felt left out of the friendly exchange going on around her. She glanced up sharply at Evin's question, then felt her throat seize up. "I – I-" she managed, before her world flickered, and blackened.