A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the rapid Themes :) I give you, Search!

New Readers: This is the 3rd in a series, following Lost and Found. The main stories are also accompanied by a series of oneshots in 100 Themes Revival. You do not need to read the Themes to keep up with the story, but you really need to read Lost and Found before you begin search. Updates will be fast, as this is a re-posting of a story I wrote a few year ago, removed, and am now releasing again with new editing. Because the stories were written before Flanagan's Lost Stories and Royal Ranger, this fanfiction disregards them.

Disclaimer: I'm not John Flanagan. And still not Australian.

Scout knelt behind a line of bushes with Kane, William, Daniel, and Ace. At fourteen years of age, Scout had been sneaking out to go hunting with the boys for years. Her parents had given her a bow at age nine and she'd become proficient with it. She'd taken to sneaking out at night to go hunting with Daniel or Kane, pending on which fief she was in. The princes William and Ace were in the same fief as Kane but guards made it difficult for them to get away. Kane, now age twenty-three, had become a Royal Scout. It was a position Scout aspired to even though there were no girls in it. The life as a Battalion Lady also appealed to her, but she didn't want to learn how to dance, speak diplomatically, or dress for occasion. She just wanted to shoot her bow and sneak around.

William, age twenty-two, was the tallest of their group. He stood over six feet and was broadly built like his father. He trained daily to keep his physique and often rode on diplomatic assignments for his parents, the king and queen of Araluen. Everything about him just screamed royalty. From his set jaw to his handsome eyes he was a crown prince through and through. He wasn't bad with a sword, either.

Daniel, age twenty-one, had finished his apprenticeship as a Ranger under Stuart and now presided over Whitby fief. He'd come to Castle Araluen to receive a mission but before Gilan, the Commandant, sent him away Daniel was allowed to spend some time with his family. Scout's father Liam was to be sent on the same mission and he'd brought his family with him to check in. Their gathering had been long delayed.

Ace, William's nineteen year old brother, wasn't bothered with the prospect of becoming king so he didn't worry about training as much as William. Instead he poured himself into learning medicine and healing. He was on his way to being a great physician as he studied under the Head Royal Healer.

Scout felt somewhat pathetic. She'd always been the youngest in their close-knit circle. She and her sort-of cousins were close but naturally the large group had split into smaller cliques. The four oldest boys and she were the hunters. If Scout couldn't be a Royal Scout then she'd gladly settle as a huntress in a small village. The idea of being in the forest all day almost every day living independently excited her. She could easily sell her kills to a local tavern or restaurant. The idea didn't sit well with her parents but soon she'd be old enough for their opinion to be just that; an opinion.

William and Ace still technically lived with their parents but as princes that wouldn't change anytime soon. They had to be at the castle in case King Horace and Queen Cassandra were called away and someone needed to take over. Their sister Rosalina was pretty and charming but had lacked the leadership her brothers possessed.

William and Ace, now that they were both of age, snuck out with the help of guards they'd befriended long ago. Daniel had met up with them in the woods, opting to camp rather than stay in his family's apartment. Kane lived in the barracks. He could come and go as he pleased when he was off-duty. As far as they knew, none of their families knew about the midnight hunts. Scout was sure she'd be allowed in the Royal Scouts if she revealed how she slipped away from her Ranger father and Charmed Lady mother on an almost weekly basis but that would mean revealing she lied to her parents.

Rosalina joined them a couple of times when she was younger but bonded most closely with Carissa, Daniel's eighteen year old sister. Carissa was smart and had a sharp tongue. She had her mother's winning smile and her father's survival instincts. She'd be a rock-solid Courier when her apprenticeship was up, much to her mother's delight, but her friendship with Rosalina could very well launch her into a different type of service.

Quinlan, Daniel and Carissa's thirteen year old brother, got on with Scout's twelve year old sister Caitlyn well. The two also accepted eight year old David, son of Gilan and Jenny. David adopted his mother's love for cooking. Nobody saw him being in the kitchen his whole life but he followed Jenny around her restaurant like a lost puppy. His six year old brother Dalby wasn't really close to anyone. He was the youngest of the Araluen 'cousins' and as such became a tagalong to whomever didn't shoo him away.

They aimed their arrows and prepared to shoot. The Ward set up at Castle Araluen for orphans of parents who died in royal services would enjoy the 'mysteriously donated' meat. They'd been trailing a deer all night and hit the jackpot when the young buck unknowingly led the group of hunters and the huntress to an area where two other bucks fought over a doe. The arrows whizzed in unison. William and Scout aimed for the one on the left while Ace and Daniel took the one in the middle. Kane, the best archer of the group, had two arrows plunge into the head of the deer farthest on the right before the others could blink. Scout wasn't sure if they could call Kane the best archer. She and Daniel were both excellent marks. Kane simply had a faster draw time.

They went to their felled prey and began field-dressing. The meat was delivered to the Ward's kitchen and Scout sprinted back to her family's apartment as the sun rose. She scaled the wall to her third-story bedroom, kicked off her boots, took off her dress so she only wore her shift, and slid beneath the blankets just as her mother opened the door. She lay still with her eyes closed as she heard the crutches Lina had used since Scout could remember lightly tap the ground. Most wouldn't notice the noise they made but Scout had grown up with it.

"Scout it's time to wake up," her mother's gentle voice said. Scout feigned sitting up and stretching. The yawn that slipped out was real. Lina just shook her head. "Who were you with all night?"

"What?" Scout tried to play off but she knew she was caught. Lina raised an eyebrow.

"Don't insult me Scout. Where were you and who were you with?"

Scout lowered her eyes. "I went hunting."

"With whom?"

Scout stayed silent. She didn't want to rat out her cousins but her silence didn't matter.

"It was the princes, Daniel, and Kane, wasn't it?" Lina asked. Scout nodded. She'd learned it was best to just be honest when Lina correctly guessed something. "Hm…breakfast will be ready in ten minutes."

Scout sighed and put a fresh dress on. She laced the bodice tight over her flat chest and re-braided her hair. Of course, Caitlyn came in to annoy her.

"Papa and Mama are angry. What did you do?"

"I went hunting."

Caitlyn clicked her tongue a most annoying way. "You aren't supposed to go hunting without Papa and Mama's permission."

Scout threw a sock at her. Caitlyn squealed and ran to tell their parents. She felt satisfied when she heard her father lecture on tattling followed by his lecture on how the girls should help their mother while he was gone. Scout didn't know why they got the same stern talk they got every time Liam left but they did. Lina, despite her disability, was among the most independent women Scout knew. She saddled and rode her own horse. She went to the market alone and worked as a Battalion Lady on the Special Task Force in addition to heading the Charmed Battalion's school. Princess Rosalina didn't even know the difference between a longbow and a recurve bow.

"Yes Papa," she heard Caitlyn say after a while. She joined her family in the main room, hoping her father wouldn't pull her aside to give the same lecture to her privately later.

"We've got news for you now that you're both here," Lina announced as she set breakfast on the table. They made their plates quickly. Scout felt her mouth water as the aroma of skillet-fried seasoned potatoes and cheese filled her nostrils.

"What is it?" Caitlyn asked as she began stuffing her mouth.

"Small bites," Lina corrected her. "Never take more than half the length of the fork's prongs."

Scout smirked quietly. Caitlyn may be the more prim-and-proper of the Leaf sisters but things like table manners and social cues came more naturally to Scout. "What have you got to tell us?" Scout asked as she took another bite with emphasis on the proper amount of food going onto the fork.

"You two will be attending lessons under Princess Rosalina for the next couple of days."

Scout groaned while Caitlyn cheered.

Once dishes were piled and left outside their door for the kitchen servants the family finished getting ready for the day. Scout's father sharpened his weapons while her mother intricately wove braids into her long hair. There was a knock on the door.

"Enter," her father said. Scout leaned back to better see their visitors. It was just Quinlan and David. The two Rangers' sons acted like anything but. It was probably why they got on so well with Caitlyn. The three were outcasts when it came to Rangers' children. David enjoyed running numbers for his mother, Quinlan spent more time with books than people, and Caitlyn...Caitlyn was just different.

"Can Caitlyn come with us to play?" Quinlan asked in a hopeful voice.

"I don't see why not," Liam told them. Caitlyn smiled and began lacing her boots.

"Thanks Papa," Caitlyn said.

"Just be back this afternoon for your lessons."

"I will. Good bye!"

Caitlyn rushed out with the boys. Lina finished her hair and looked to Scout. "What are your plans for the day?"

Scout shrugged. "I don't know."

"Yes you do," Liam countered.

"I…um…wanted to go see if Grandpa would help me with my archery."

Scout waited nervously as her parents exchanged a glance. Somehow they had entire conversations in those glances. It made Scout feel uneasy.

"Alright," her father finally said. "And you can be excused from lessons for the day."

Scout couldn't believe it. Her parents put books in front of her and Caitlyn almost every waking moment. They were expected to learn more than even the royal family's children it seemed. They each spoke three languages that were routinely practiced at home and knew enough to get by of many others. They were taught problem-solving, logic, and leadership skills in painstaking detail. They had to learn the etiquette and manners of a half dozen different regions and were expected to have the penmanship of a scribe. They also had several physical expectations but Scout liked those.

Their parents said it was because they could need the skills one day. She loved her parents. They could be annoying, demanding, and strict but despite all that they were good people. Scout admired her father's leadership and wit. He seemed to always know what to do when things got tough and accomplished more in a day than most did in a month. He was used for the most difficult of tasks that the Rangers dealt with. He and her uncle, Will, were the best. Scout was proud of her father. She was proud of her mother, too. She felt Lina was the reason for several of the secrets her parents kept but that didn't really matter. She thought her mother was elegant and witty.

Whenever Scout or Caitlyn needed her she was there. She'd even made Queen Cassandra wait for two hours when Scout burned her hand on the stove. The injury had been simple but still her mother tended the swelling and then sat with her until she fell asleep before responding to the queen. Even then Scout woke up with her injured hand on a pillow and a tray holding warm soup and cool milk by her bed. There had been a note saying Lina would return in time for dinner and that if she needed anything she should send Caitlyn to fetch her. Sometimes Scout was embarrassed by her mother. Lina had a twisted foot since Scout could remember and needed crutches to walk. Her family said she hadn't always been like that and had sustained the injury protecting her. Once that detail had made Scout feel guilty. She felt that her mother was unhappy and limited because of her but a conversation with Aunt Alyss changed that. Scout never really remembered her mother being unhappy. She was covered in scars from a life Scout was too young to remember and was a Lady of the Charmed Battalion but she rarely didn't have a smile. Lina was gentle and caring and Scout hoped she could live up to her someday.

Being excused from lessons was a rare treat. Scout smiled widely. "Thank you!" she told her parents. She went back to her room and got the burlap bag she'd use to bring back her kills in. She retrieved her still-strung bow and quiver and added knives to her belt. Her parents had taught her how to hunt and skin her game when she was eight. They were fond memories.

"Come back before dark," her father instructed. Scout smiled widely. She hugged him tightly before going to Lina.

"Thank you Mama," she said as she hugged her mother. It was an awkward embrace but she was used to it. Constantly accommodating crutches had become part of Scout's life.

"Have fun," Lina told her. "Don't get into trouble."

Scout ran out the door. Liam kissed Lina's cheek. "You do realize you just told our older daughter to not get into trouble? That's like telling water not to get wet."

"I think it'd be considered bad parenting if we didn't," Lina told him. "Now you, Liam Leaf, have duties to attend."

Lina reached up and fastened his cloak for him. Liam kissed her again. "I'll be back by dinner."

Lina smiled. "Good because we promised Jenny we'd eat at her restaurant tonight."

"Tonight…that's right. Why didn't you tell the girls before they left?"

"Scout's hunting with Halt. She won't be back by dinner and I was thinking Caitlyn could keep Pauline company."

Liam kissed her again. "I'll see you later."