Kagami swallowed. “That... seems to be a foregone conclusion....”

“It sure ain’t a party invite,” said Reiko, shifting just slightly into a stance more favorable towards a possible attack.

“So? Are you coming with us quietly, or do we have to make you?” the spokesman said.

Ayame jerked her shoulder out from under his hand, glaring. “Make us?” She grasped the hilt of her wooden sword firmly. “What, you feeling lucky?”

His eyes narrowed. “That a challenge?”

“And here I thought that was obvious.” The girl smirked, bringing her sword up. “Go ahead- make my day.”

The warrior didn’t say a word. He just smirked right back. Drawing his weapon, he lunged forward.

Ayame ducked under his blade, whirling around behind. Not giving him a chance to face her, she kicked him in the back of the knee. His leg buckled, setting him off-balance. Quickly she kicked him again, this time in the seat of the pants; he toppled forward into the booth where all the trouble started. She dimly heard the vendor yelling about the disruption as she whirled around, sword ready. “So, who’s next?”

Those at market had backed away, forming an observational circle around the scene of the conflict. Before her she saw Reiko, face tight with concentration as she worked to fight off multiple opponents. She also saw that Shizuka and Kagami had already been imprisoned by their would-be combatants.

Ayame didn’t even think about her actions. Her only thought was to free her friends. With a wild battle cry, sword aimed at the two soldiers, she charged.

Smack! The wooden blade got intercepted by the upraised palm of the one soldier she had not accounted for. Breath catching, Ayame froze where she stood. Before she had the chance to recover, an arm looped around her shoulder joint- the arm of her first opponent, the one she had turned her back on. His other arm hooked through her opposite elbow. Ayame kicked wildly, struggling and swearing. Damn it, why didn’t those two use their magic?

Reiko’s head jerked up at the loud string of colorful curses a few feet away. She knew that sound, and it meant Ayame was royally ticked off, and probably in trouble to boot. Sparing a glance in that direction, she saw the rest of her friends neatly captured. In that moment of distraction, one of the men she was fighting hit her in the gut. She doubled over with a gasp, the wind knocked out of her. In that moment he grabbed both her arms, twisting her wrists up behind her back.

Still wheezing, she kicked at his legs; his shin guards made that a futile gesture. So instead she kicked upward. Her foot met its highly sensitive target with a heavy thud. He jerked, making a noise like a mouse at the moment the trap swings shut. Reiko threw herself forward. Gotta help the others! She made her way towards her friends, still catching her breath.

Shizuka bit her captor’s palm. He jumped. She pulled her head up, screaming. “No! Run away!” Then he slapped his hand back over her mouth.

But she was too late. As one man huddled forward, still whimpering, another came up behind Reiko. Slowed as she was by the gut strike, the girl was unable to dodge the heavy blow to the head he delivered. She collapsed with a soft sound. He easily swung her now-limp form up and over his shoulder.

“Right. And that make four.” The voice behind Ayame’s head sounded imminently satisfied. “You, Eyvind- stand by in case this one here tries to make any more trouble. The others’ll all come quietly enough, now. Henrik, grab the things they had with them. We’ll bring them along.”

“Hey, what about the damage done to my booth?” said the vendor. “That’s a whole day’s worth of work lost to repair it, I’ll wager. Likely more.”

“We know where to find you. You’ll get something for your trouble.” The head fighter sounded resigned.

“Yeah, and he’ll do a big enough load of business telling this story to more’n make up for any losses,” one of the others grumbled. On that note, the four of them were led away, their future now even more uncertain.

Miara woke in the early morning to the sound of footsteps and urgent voices outside her chamber. Even as she sat up in bed, one of the Timadolos, Chaeli, rushed inside. She propped herself against the door, catching her breath for a moment before speaking. “Pardon me for disturbing you, Lady Miara, but you’re summoned at once. The Zantaros have disappeared!”

Miara’s jaw worked. “I’m coming.” Tumbling out of bed, she paused just long enough to throw on a dressing gown and a pair of slippers. “Lead the way.”

They walked so fast that by the time they reached their destination, she was still tying the sash. Strangely, she found herself looking at not her father but Sir Zarin. “Tell me what’s going on here.”

He made a tsk-ing sound with his tongue. “My, aren’t we short this morning, Lady Miara?”

“Sorry, but I got woken up too quickly to be anything but blunt. As I’m sure you can tell. So why don’t you just get right to the point? Why did you want to talk to me? And where’s my father?”

Zarin made the same noise. It was a habit that had always grated on her nerves. “I am your father’s representative. This is a problem of the utmost importance, but it is for you and I to deal with. You more so than I, given circumstances.”

“Yes, yes,” she said impatiently. “But what is the problem?”

Zarin cleared his throat, a sound as dry as his voice. “The Zantaros have disappeared. Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say, escaped. They stole out of the house in the middle of the night, even going so far as to fight with the guards at the door and conceal themselves in the woods. That is where they were lost.”

“Lost? You make them sound like stray puppies or something.”

He gave a little cough. “If I may say so, Lady Miara, you speak as though you are not taking this crisis seriously enough.” He paused. “For that matter, you do not look terribly serious at this moment, either.” His hand took in the robe and her trailing, unkempt hair.

Miara’s jaw set. She chose to ignore the latter comment and get right to the point. “Dolos Chaeli told me they’d disappeared when she woke me. Why did I need to come here just for you to reiterate it? Not to mention that I think you’re exaggerating the gravity of the situation.” She paused, gathering her robe closer around herself. “Quite frankly, I’ve been expecting them to do something like this. Why do you think they were able to lose themselves in the woods, as you put it?”

“Lady Miara, are you saying what I think you are saying?”

“I’m saying that I decided it was best to let them go. I said I was expecting it, didn’t I? I saw they were restless. So I put the word out among the guards to not put up more than a token fight should they catch them trying to leave, or even to look the other way if possible. And I have to say I don’t blame them for leaving.”

“How can you say that? Their place is here-”

“Their place is this whole world, not just our little piece of it. We can’t keep them confined to this house indefinitely!”

“But they are new to this world, not ready to venture out on their own. It is your job as the Priestess to see to their training and guidance. I understand you might not see that, given your youth and inexperience in your position-”

“Inexperience?” Miara’s eyes blazed. “I have been the Priestess since I was twelve. I may have been young for it then- there’s no record of anyone younger- but I’ve learned a lot these past four years, and well you know it.”

“Then you ought to have learned that it is most prudent to err on the side of caution, and ensured they were kept close until such time as you were sure of them.”

Miara threw a hand out. “This is precisely why I made the decision I did! I knew full well that if I so much as brought up letting them venture out by themselves, you would vote me down, and Father most likely would too! Do you think I didn’t want to go with them? But I can’t right now- you know that! What am I supposed to do, hold them prisoner until I’m free to travel around with them?”

Zarin coughed again. “Remember that they did fight the one guard who prudently tried to stop them, and he sustained injuries, albeit minor ones, as a result.”

“So what, you’re saying I should have kept them under lock and key? No. Their destined role is not to site docilely in one place. They’re here to defend this world- they’re not going to be willing to wait indefinitely, and I can see why.”

“But they do not know the lay of the land, the nature of the culture. They are unprepared to take care of themselves.”

“They have undergone intensive training in the nature and ways of Taran, not to mention their abilities, since they arrived here. And based around what I saw of the events at Court, they are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Don’t the bruises on said guard prove that? No, I stand by my decision.”

Another, delicate pause. “Then you do not wish to send out a search party to find them and bring them back? It would not be difficult. They have not had time to get far.”

“No.” Mouth pressed into a firm line, she met Zarin’s eyes without blinking. “And if I hear that you have ordered otherwise, to say I’ll be angry is an understatement. I may be young, as you so carefully pointed out to me, but I’m still the Priestess.”

“I see.” Zarin’s spare visage was carefully blank.

Miara maintained the staredown for a moment longer. Then, with a lift of her chin that clearly said this conversation was over, she whirled and stalked away.

“Lady Miara, where are you going?”

“Back to bed.” Then the door slammed behind her, and she was gone.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It seemed that the town, whose name was still unknown to them, was too small to have anything resembling a jail. Then there was the fact that no one had said if this was a formal arrest or not. They had instead been locked in a couple of storage rooms in the cellar of an abandoned house, without so much as a word about who was so interested in their whereabouts that these measures were being taken.

“Augh!” Ayame thumped her fist against the wall, wet with the moisture from some mysterious leakage from above. “That damned sound is driving me insane! It’s been dripping all the live-long day! Can’t they fix whatever’s doing that? And bring us some food. I’m hungry again. We’re prisoners, but we’re still human! It’s been hours.”

“Will you stop your complaining?” said Shizuka, sitting huddled on the floor with her face towards the wall. “It isn’t making things any better.”

Ayame snorted. “You’re no one to talk. You’re the one whining about oh, if only I could do this, if I had just done that- heck, you haven’t moved from that spot since they threw us in here!” She paced back and forth wildly, like some sort of caged creature. “So you did squat- leave it alone and move on!”

Shizuka spun around as best she could in her seated position. “Look, you don’t need to remind me I’m incompetent! I already know that- this morning proved it!”

“Then I’m not reminding you, I’m agreeing with you! Why didn’t you do something, huh? You’re the one so gung-ho to learn all about magic- then, when you can use it, you just stand there like some statue or something!”

A hesitant knocking sounded on the wooden door, followed by the voice of the guard posted outside. “Hey, you two- what’s up in there?”

Neither one of them noticed. Shizuka scrambled to her feet, breath heaving. Her eyes welled up with moisture, but it didn’t fall. “Stand there? I’m not trained for this sort of thing! Magic and fighting’s all new to me- you know I’m no good at it! You don’t need to rub it in! Not to mention you didn’t fare much better, and you’re the one all into that sword fighting of yours! I’m just a dancer!”

By this time, they were as close to nose-to-nose as two people so different in height can get. “You’re ‘just a dancer,’ huh? That’s just another excuse!” There was a rusty groan as the lock opened, a sound neither of them acknowledged. “You’ve been whining about how lousy you are, you’re so worthless, because you can’t face up to the fact that you just messed up!”

Hinges creaked as the portal swung open. They were too engrossed in their fight for the sounds or movement to register. They didn’t even notice the guard approach. “Hey, you two- settle down-”

He never got to finish. Shizuka balled up her fist and punched upwards. Ayame ducked. The fist made a direct hit to the guard’s jaw.

It may have been a wild, amateur punch, but it was surprisingly forceful. The crack resounded around the room as he collapsed in a limp heap. Shizuka simply stood there. Her mouth opened and closed as she gaped from her hand to the fallen guard and back again. “Me- I- how-”

“Yo, what are you waiting for?” Ayame straightened, her typical grin back in place. She up held a cluster of keys. “Let’s lock him up and blow this joint!”

Ayame poked her head out of their impromptu cell. Pale eyes looked left, right, and left again. “The coast looks clear. I can’t see or hear anything. Let’s go.”

The hallway wasn’t significantly better than their prison. The ceiling just missed brushing Ayame’s hair; it was a wonder that the guard had been able to stay out there for any time without feeling claustrophobic. The floor was plain packed dirt, the walls an old stone just visible under damp, slimy mold, a sickly shade of green illuminated by one torch thrust into a niche in the wall.

“There isn’t much to search- that’s good.” Shizuka sounded relieved. “Are we going to just try the doors, or should I try to sense them?...”

“No need for that. It looks like there’s only one more door to choose from.” The rusty lock resisted the key for a moment before giving. Hinges whined in shrieking protest as the door opened. Light spread into the dark little chamber. Kagami sat on the floor in one corner, chin on her hand in what the others called her “Thinker” pose. Reiko leaned against one wall, arms folded. Her bangs flopped forward as she studied her feet, effectively concealing her upper face.

Her head came up at the sound of the door. “Where’d you come from?”

“Gee, thanks. That’s quite a welcome for the people who made it possible for us to break outta this joint.” Ayame put a hand out. “You two coming, or what?”

Kagami got to her feet. Her expression showed great relief. “But I don’t understand. How did you get out of your cell? I tried to open ours by magic, but the lock wouldn’t budge. I don’t know if it was iron, or the fact that I simply didn’t know the right spell to use. It might be out of my forte. But back to your escape....”

“Oh, yeah. That.” Ayame dangled the keys. “Look what we got a hold of.... And in answer to how that happened, Shizuka here punched out the guard.” Both her eyes and voice were immensely proud. “Didn’t know she had it in her. But then, who knew he had a glass jaw?”

Reiko stepped out into the hall, straightened, and winced as the top of her head struck the low ceiling. “But how’d she get the chance to pull that trick off?”

“Well....” Shizuka blushed. “We were kind of having a bit of a fight, and well, I, well, I kind of....”

Ayame actually had the grace to look ashamed for a moment. “She was trying to punch me. And it wasn’t a little fight- we didn’t even notice the guard come in to break it up. But I dodged, and our little gal over here T.K.O.’d him. We’ll make a fighter out of her yet!” She clapped Shizuka heartily on the shoulder. The smaller girl put a hand on the wall for support.

“Enough of this. Let’s get outta here. I keep feeling like I should double over to stand up in this tunnel. Let’s get upstairs and see if we can find our gear.” Reiko grabbed the torch and headed for a narrow staircase at the end of the hall.

“What’s our strategy for if we meet any of the others?” Kagami whispered.

Reiko’s fist clenched. “I’ll handle that.... On that thought, here, one of you’d better carry this.” She thrust the torch into Kagami’s hands. “If any of them come at you, swing it at them.”

Kagami nodded, a shade paler. “If you say so....”

The door at the top of the stairs had no lock on it. From the look of things, said lock had been ripped from the wood some time ago. Reiko put her eye to the gap. A nod and an overarm beckon indicated that the coast was clear.

The portal lacked squealing hinges as well as a lock. It flapped against the door frame as Shizuka, who brought up the rear, stepped through. The faint thump was an eerie undertone to the darkness. At another gesture, Kagami held the torch aloft so they could peruse their new surroundings.

The redistribution of light didn’t make things any better. The room had wider floor space and a higher ceiling, but that was about all you could say for it. A few ramshackle bits of furniture propped against walls where the paint peeled and flaked. Moisture stains decorated the ceiling, and as for the floor, well, they didn’t study it too closely, in case that which rustled faintly underfoot proved to be even more unpleasant identified than left unknown.

A hallway branched off one rotting wall, a second door leading through another. This one, from the look of things, had taken an even further beating than the one they had just come through. Its latch was still intact, but the wood itself would probably give in with one good shove. Gaps between the boards let in the quiet sounds of the night. Through that door was the way to freedom.

Reiko raised a cautionary hand. “Before we all go charging out,” she said, voice low, “we need our gear. Ayame, Shizuka, you two stand watch here. Kagami, come with me and help carry everything.” Kagami swallowed before silently nodding assent. Reiko led the way into the hallway beyond.It followed the same pattern as the rest of the house; it was bigger, but looked as though it had endured a lot of wear. Kagami held the torch higher again, studying the terrain. “I’d say this is basically the whole of the house,” she whispered. “It doesn’t appear very big. Be careful to test the floor on each step. It might well give. Abandoned houses often do that.”

“That’s so comforting to hear.... C’mon.” The two made their careful way along the small corridor. Kagami now held the torch low, so as to subdue the effects of the light.

A thump and a rustle behind one of the of the doors made them both start; Kagami nearly dropped the torch. Reiko grabbed her elbow, dragging her into another previously searched chamber. “Careful with that thing, will you? Do you want to burn this place down around our ears?”

“Hey, you were startled too!... But it’s got to be a guard in there. What are we going to do? If we ignore him and just search all the other rooms, he could easily come out and find us. Not to mention that it’s likely he’s got our things in that room.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.... Just leave him to me.” On suddenly noiseless feet, the girl slipped out into the corridor.

Kagami waited, alone but for the torch. It didn’t do much for the darkness. The interminable silence was broken by an abrupt and definite thud. A moment later, Reiko’s voice floated out into the corridor. “The coast is clear. We hit the jackpot. C’mon and help me carry all this stuff downstairs.”

Kagami ventured into the new chamber. In the pale flickering light she could just make out the prone form of a single guard. He was unconscious, but seemed otherwise unmarked. “What did you do to him?”

Reiko slipped her arms through the straps of her backpack. “Pressure points are a wonderful thing.” She took Shizuka’s briefcase in one hand, Ayame’s sword in the other. “Can you get everything else?”

“Oh, of-of course.” In a matter of moments, Kagami had gathered the last of their admittedly small number of belongings.

Shizuka jumped when they emerged through the doorway. “We heard a thump- what happened? We were going to go after you, but Ayame said that would leave your backs unwatched, and I can’t handle a fight on my own-”

“Just one guard. Not a problem for me. He never knew what hit him.” Reiko handed Ayame her sword. “Hopefully you won’t need this anymore tonight, but keep it out all the same. I don’t know how long he’s going to be out.”

“Enough jabbering.” Ayame hefted the wooden blade. “Let’s beat it!” Lifting the latch, the foursome stepped out into the cool Trevelyan night.

It was amazing how different the town looked when bathed in moonlight. Cool and otherworldly, the little nondescript village actually looked mysterious. Then, of course, there were all those shadows, shadows that might well conceal others watching the house for any sign of disturbance....

It didn’t take any signals for all of them to know they must move as quickly and silently as possible. Luckily for them, the night watch on their prison had been minimal. Apparently the two they had knocked out were the only night guards, at least as far as they could tell. Now it was imperative to put as much distance between themselves and the old house as possible. After all, on the off chance that there were in fact more wardens hiding about, the quicker they moved the less likely they were to be captured again.

The further they went, the more the night noises increased- noises broken by sounds that were plainly human, not to mention rowdy. The source of the ruckus came into sight readily enough. It was the only building around where light and noise streamed from every window. It was also the only one with a sign over the door painted with an ale mug, foam brimming over the side. From the sound of things those inside were engaged in that age-old occupation, bar fighting.

Shizuka stopped in her tracks, staring. “What the-” she winced as a couple of silhouettes reeled past in a joint punch-out. “I didn’t know people actually did this sort of thing!”

Ayame and Reiko each grabbed one of her elbows. “Oh, just come on,” Ayame said. “They’re having fun. Let’s get past while they’re otherwise occupied. No one will even notice we’re out here.”

Bang! The door slammed open. A figure careened through, colliding with them in an indistinct flurry of limbs. Reiko grabbed his shoulders, pushing him upright and away. “Hey, pal, watch it, will you?!”

“Well, if it isn’t the spitfire! What you doin’ out this time of night?”

A pause. She blinked, finally taking in he who had just crashed into them like a human bowling ball. Sure enough, she recognized that crazy red hair. “You again? Do you do anything other than crash into people? Someone should hang a warning bell around your neck.”

Another crash as the door slammed open again; light from behind silhouetted a much taller, broader figure. “You little rapscallion, get your sorry hide back in here and finish what you started!”

White teeth showed in the dark in an insolent smirk. “Sorry, gals, it’s been fun, but I think it’s time for me to-”

“But- but- how did- you- escaped prisoners!” The tall figure finally came into focus. It was one of their captors. “And the kid’s with them!”

“-run!” Four more voices finished the sentence. Then, as one mass, the whole group of them- the red headed boy included- tore off down the street as fast as their feet could carry them.

“Hey, spitfire, what’d you do?” The boy pulled up between her and Ayame. He appeared to be quite fleet-footed.

Ayame answered. “Long story. Tell you later.” Reiko just grunted.

Shizuka’s voice drifted up over their shoulders. “Um, if we don’t get away soon, there won’t be a later....”

Reiko grimaced, hitching up her backpack. “Why do we seem to spend all our time these days running?”

“Hey, that’s why I always make sure I got a bolt hole.”

Reiko grunted again. “Now why am I not surprised you need a place like that everywhere you go?”

“Halt! Halt where you stand, and no one will be hurt!” It was the voice of the leader of the guards again. He was now flourishing a crossbow.

The boy whirled just long enough to flip a rude gesture, then kept running. Seconds later, he was darting into a narrow gap between two shops. A crossbow bolt whizzed over their heads, striking a tree nearby.

Their unexpected new companion came to a halted at the end of the alley. Kagami sagged against the wall, trying to catch her breath. “‘Exit, pursued by a guard,’” she paraphrased through her wheezing.

Ayame blinked at her. “What the?-”

“Oh, never mind.”

“Anyway, it’s not one guards, it’s lots of guards!”

“Not to mention quite a few drunk brawlers after him,” Shizuka added from where she kept watch at the end of the alley. “And whatever he’s doing, he needs to hurry, because they’ll be here any second....”

“Got it!” Whatever he did, it had worked. What had looked to be blank wall now swung open into a gaping dark hole. “I’m outta here.”

Ayame tapped him with her sword. “Hope you got room for four more in there, ‘cause we need to hide as much as- more than- you do. Me and Reiko are good, but we can’t fight all of them. And they’ve seen you with us.”

“Um, I think we’d better just go-” Shizuka, in a movement of uncharacteristic assertion, pushed forward. “Quick, get out the flashlight.”

Ayame rummaged madly through her backpack. Errant bits of supplies scattered around her feet. “Ah-ha!” She held it up in triumph. That triumph didn’t last long, because Kagami yanked her through the doorway, slamming it shut behind her.

A beam of artificial yellow light illuminated their new surroundings. A wooden staircase led down into darkness beyond, flanked narrowly on either side by walls haphazardly constructed of ill-fitted boards.

“Ack!” The boy jumped back, reeling into the boards with a solid thunk. His startled expression was positively comical. “Holy Hells! What’s that?”

Ayame pointed it at her face in the spooky-visage position as they made their way down the stairs. “A flashlight.”

He eyed it as though he were expecting it to leap from her hand and attack him. “Where’d it come from? Is it magic?”

Kagami cleared her throat. “Actually, your typical flashlight operates by an electrical system powered by batteries that you must change periodically-”

Reiko gave her a nudge with her elbow. “Now’s not the time for scientific chit-chat, okay?... Yo, kid, where are we going here, anyway?”

“You’ll see.” His eyes flickered in the direction of the flashlight. Apparently it still worried, or at least puzzled, him. “There’re places like this everywhere. Put in ages ago, during the wars. Bolt holes for if the village got attacked. Most people’ve forgotten they exist. So now,” he flashed a grin of the sort usually accompanied by tilting a hat at a rakish angle, “they’re bolt holes for me when I get into something I need to get out of fast. They’re one of the first things I look for when I get somewhere I’ve never been before.”

“Again, I’m not surprised you need stuff like this,” Reiko muttered.

“Hey, you’re sure no one to talk, you’re the one who got recognized by that guardsman fellow.”

“Only because he came out to haul your butt back in to finish the fight you started. If you hadn’t barreled into us we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Um, hello? ‘Escaped prisoners,’ anyone? I think that beats a bar fight any day.”

“That’s not my fault-”

“Calm down, both of you!” Kagami held up two placatory hands. “At least hold off on the bickering until we get to our destination.” The argumentative pair sent each other a pair of mirroring dark looks before clamping their mouths shut.

The staircase came to a halt at the mouth of a warren-like tunnel, floor and walls alike of hard-packed dirt. Roots showing through those walls indicated they were underground. Gradually it straightened and began to slant upward. Soon a faint breeze registered, whispering across their faces like the touch of a cobweb.

The boy flipped open a trapdoor over their heads. Dimly they caught a crunchy rustle, as though leafy camouflage slid aside at the movement. They emerged in a small forested glen off the immediate road leading to and from the village. As for the village itself, they were far enough away to not be able to make it out, at least not in the dark. The only structure in sight was a small woodsman’s cabin, run-down and dirty. But right now it looked like a palace. Anything was better than sleeping in the open, especially in conjunction with their narrow escape.

The boy opened the door with a mock bow. “Home sweet home.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Ayame slumped her backpack onto the floor. “Got blankets?”

“Some came with the place. Over there.” He gestured to one corner with his thumb. “I only carry enough for me.”

“Yo, it’ll do....” As the girl made herself a little nest, she added, “Never thought I’d hear myself say a blanket on the floor was as good as a real bed. M’ standards must be lowerin’....” Her voice trailed off as she started to sink into sleep.

As the rest of them followed Ayame’s example, Shizuka asked, “What was the name of that town? We- well, we weren’t there long enough to find out....”

“Hogback.”

Kagami’s head came up. “We were imprisoned in a village called Hogback?” She passed a hand over her face. “Oh, how ignominious.”

“Hey, since we seem to be stuck with you for the moment, what are we supposed to call you, anyway?” Reiko said.

The boy’s voice was muffled from his cocoon of blankets. “Jiro. Jiro Blaze.”

Reiko snorted. “Blaze? Is that for real?”

Her answer was a long, loud snore. Jiro was already fast asleep.

Ayame pulled herself up on her elbows in response to the insistent jostling of her shoulder. “Man, it’s hardly light out! What’re doing? You know I’m not-”

“-at your best before noon,” Kagami and Shizuka finished in unison. “Yes, we know that,” Kagami continued. “But we had best make our plans now, while we can. They might still be searching for us, and the sooner we decide what to do next, the more likely it is we’ll be able to lose them.”

She scanned the room, eyes still bleary. “Yo, where’s the redhead?”

“He was gone when we woke up,” Shizuka answered. “But his things are still here, so it’s not likely he’s abandoned us.”

Reiko blew a chunk of hair out of her eyes as she crawled out of her blanket roll. “Really? Pity, that.”

“Hey, don’t know how we’d’ve escaped without him and this bolt hole of his,” Ayame said. She pulled a brush out of her bag- it amazed them all how she managed to fit such a massive amount of junk in her backpack and still have room left over- and began to run it through her hair.

“We wouldn’t have needed it if he hadn’t barged in in the first place.”

“Well, like it or not, he’s here for the present,” said Kagami. “It’s best not to bank on his being around for much longer, however, so we had better make our plans in his absence. Particularly as he doesn’t know our story, and it would be unwise to tell the truth to anyone at present.”

“Here’s a plan for you, then,” said Reiko. “We get all our stuff together and get out of here before he gets back. The sooner, the better.”

“Hey, spitfire, that’s not exactly a flattering thing for a guy to hear first thing in the morning,” Jiro’s voice said behind them. “Especially from a gal he’s just spent the night with.”

“My name is Reiko, kid. Try using it.”

“Ooo, aren’t we testy first thing in the morning?” He whistled.

“Blame the company I’m suddenly keeping,” she retorted. “And we only ‘spent the night’ in the same location- which, by the way, we wouldn’t have needed to do if not for you.”

“Ooo, hit a nerve there. It sticks in your craw that you needed my help after all, huh?”

“It does not ‘stick in my craw.’” Reiko got to her feet, taking the few paces across the room to where he lounged in the doorway, one arm propped on the frame, other hand in his pocket. It was now evident that the only real height he had on her was his hair. His eyes were right on a level with hers. She hadn’t noticed until then that they were green. “I’m not the one who’s out trouble-mongering-”

He barked a little laugh that made her spine stiffen. “Trouble-mongering? You, who had the guards chasing after you? Pretty impressive, I’d say.”

“I bet you’d know about that first-hand, wouldn’t you? What with your talk of always having yourself an escape route. Listen, pal, we were doing just fine without you, and we’ll continue to do just fine. So if you’ll scram outta that doorway, we’ll be moving on. And so can you.”

Kagami peeked over Reiko’s shoulder, bestowing a hesitant smile as she hooked a hand around her friend’s elbow. “It’s not that she doesn’t appreciate it,” she said, “she’s just blunt, she’s not a morning person, now if you’ll excuse us, we all have to have a little private conversation over here....” She dragged the silent but still sullen Reiko over to where the rest of their little group waited.

“Why d’you keep picking at him like that?” Ayame hissed. “I’m trying to convince these two he’d be useful to have along- we need a guide or something, and he’s our only option now- but he’ll never agree to join us if you won’t give it a rest!”

Reiko snorted. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the only one of us doing the picking around here. Man, guys like him really get on my nerves.”

Jiro’s voice echoed from the doorway, amused and impudent. “And do other guys get on the rest of you?”

“That’s it!” Reiko shot to her feet. “I’ve had enough-” She launched herself across the room, both fists raised.

Jiro backpedaled into the clearing, raising his hands in a mock-placatory gesture even as he continued to smirk. “Whoa there, I don’t usually fight with chicks-”

“That’s too bad, ‘cause I’m fighting with you!” On that note, she drew her arm back and delivered a handy right hook to the corresponding side of his face.

He rubbed the spot where she’d struck him. “Hey, not bad.... If that’s how you like it, I’ll play along.” He jumped forward, latching onto her around the waist.

“What d’you call this, the leech fighting style?” She drove her knee into his midriff. He reflexively let go. She sprang back out of range, bouncing from foot to foot, laughing at him over her fists.

Behind them they heard Ayame call out from the door of the cabin. “Yo, you guys gotta come see this! Those two are duking it out, and it’s looking good!”

“Hear that?” Jiro smirked. “Can’t let a cute gal down.” Then he hit her with a neat upper cut.

Reiko reeled back a few steps, massaging her jaw. Pretty good- not many can sneak in past me like that. “For someone who says he won’t fight with girls, you’re sure making a good show otherwise.” Spinning, she kicked out behind her.

He just barely dove out of the way. “Doll, you ain’t seen nothing yet!” Still prone, Jiro rolled sideways, swinging his foot around to catch her ankles.

It was Reiko’s turn to leap aside. “No, you ain’t seen nothing yet!” Using the spring, she leaped again, this time both feet catching him in the side just as he started to pull to his feet.

“Man, you can’t let a fellow up!”

“In a fight, anything goes. Deal with it!”

“Right, then- you asked for it!” Jiro flew at her, his fists moving in a flurry of punches and strikes. It took both arms- not to mention a good bit of concentration- to block and parry the blows.

In a moment of luck she intercepted one fist; it slapped into her palm instead of her jaw. Catching his other wrist, she twisted. Jiro dropped down to one knee. Releasing his hands, Reiko took a step back and kicked her left leg up and around at his head. Jiro had just enough time to rise into a crouch; hands flying up in reflex, he caught the limb just before she hit home. The cuff of her pant leg bunched up above her ankle under his hand.

The two froze, watching each other, morning air broken only by the sound of their breathing. The one could not let go, the other effectively suspended by that grip holding her foot a hand’s breadth from its intended target.

Jiro’s eyes flickered downward. There, a strange little mark showed on his opponent’s ankle, just below his fingers. Small, brown, but all too distinctive, it was like a tiny beacon.

Eyes widening in shock, the boy took a deep, ragged breath. He staggered, then promptly plopped into a limp heap to the ground, dragging Reiko down along with him. Her other leg skittered crazily for purchase before she skidded down into an abrupt and awkward split.

She let out an indignant squawk as she fell, arms flailing. “Yo, Zippo or Blaze or whatever you call yourself, watch it! You almost made me pull a muscle! Let go of me, you flame-brained moron!”

One thumb traced the little birthmark, a touch as light as a butterfly’s footstep. His head came up. Green eyes wide and stunned, breath still catching, he stared from her to the others and back again. “Holy Hells.... Who are you? What are you?...”

With a twist and roll, Reiko finally yanked her foot from his grip. The boy’s hands sagged into his lap as he continued to stare at the four of them. The dazed look started to fade from his eyes. “What d’you mean, what are we?” she said, voice testy as she began some seated stretches. He didn’t answer.

Shizuka knelt down next to her. “Um, what did you do to him? He just... froze. He looks like he’s seen a ghost....”

“I didn’t do anything! We were just fighting, then he grabbed my kick right out of the air, and next thing I know he’s doing that!” She waved a hand to where he still sat on the ground, watching them “But at least it’ll convince Ayame to leave him behind- we don’t want a spaz like that trailing after us.”

“I dunno....” Ayame said thoughtfully as she drifted over to the two of them, crouching down beside Shizuka. “He was holding his own pretty good against you till then. That’s something, given the kind of dojo you go to. We’ve just got to find out if he does this regularly....”

Kagami joined them. “It still might not be a good idea no matter how rare the fits are, even if we do need a guide. Particularly since we need a guide, in fact. We can’t be too careful, what with who and what we are....”

“Shh! Careful how loud you say that! We haven’t decided if we’re going to tell him anything yet!” Shizuka darted a look at the boy a few feet away.

“You don’t have to tell me anything. I figured it out.” Jiro had gotten to his feet. He took a couple steps toward them. He moved slowly and still looked a little stunned, although better than a moment before. “You- you’re the- the Zantaros.”

He was greeted by shocked silence. The four of them gaped in collective astonishment. After a moment of her mouth noiselessly opening and closing like a fish just pulled from a pond, Ayame finally said, “But how- we didn’t- we never-”

Kagami recovered more quickly. “We never gave so much of a hint as to the truth!” she said. “How did you figure it- us- out?”

“There were clues all over the place. Your weird clothes, that light thing you had out in the tunnel, how secretive you’re all being. But I didn’t put ‘em all together till now.” He gestured towards Reiko. “I saw that thing on your ankle, and I knew what all the weird stuff meant. Don’t deny it- you’re them. Most people don’t have little brown three-pointed leaves on their left ankle. I’d know that anywhere. You’re Earth.”

“The logical deduction makes sense,” Kagami said, “but where did you find out what the mark would look like and where it would be?”

“Where? Oh- uh- I- hidja- uh- well, everyone knows about the Zantaros!” For a second, he sounded almost too cheerful. “Common knowledge, you know? Well, not all of it’s common, really, but if you talk to the right people you pick up lots of stuff, and hey-” he flashed his insolent smirk- “I get around.”

“Looks like he’s gotten over the shock of the revelation,” Reiko muttered.

Jiro, still smirking, sauntered over to where she sat. “You said it, Babe. There’ll be real merits to hanging out with you lot- where you go, adventures’ll have to follow.... Hey, I see you’re still down. Need a hand up, Bright Eyes?” His palm hovered in front of her eyes, a mirror of yesterday’s collision-meeting.

She made a noise of furious disgust. “Bright Eyes?! That’s worse than Babe!” With a growl she lunged forward, yanking his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a heavy thump. “Take that, Flame Brain!”

“Flame Brain?...” He somehow managed to look nonchalantly arrogant while propped up on his elbows. “Ready for another round so soon? This time I won’t be so easy on you, spitfire.”

Reiko snorted. “Bring it on!” She raised herself up on one knee, braced wide for balance. “I could take you on with one hand tied behind my back!”

“Wanna try it and see what happens?”

Kagami threw herself between the pair, hands raised. “Just stop it, both of you! This isn’t the time or place for personal arguments. We still have to decide where to go before anyone from that village comes looking for us.”

“I’ll tell him where to go,” Reiko muttered as she plumped back down, folding her legs in front of her.

Apparently Jiro didn’t catch this comment, as he didn’t react. “Who were those guys? I mean, what with who you are, who’d be chasing after you?”

Kagami pulled her knees up, chin on her hand in “Thinker” mode. “Well, the most logical idea would be that the Kadowards sent people to bring us back, although I wouldn’t have thought that was Miara’s style.” Jiro started at hearing the names. “What, don’t tell us you know them?”

“What? Me? What do you think?” The boy scratched the back of his neck. “I mean, everyone knows about the Kadowards, right? They’re pretty important and all that. But why would they send guards after you lot?”

Ayame sat studying the clouds again. “Well, we got tired of sitting around their house waiting for something to happen but knew they wouldn’t want us to go anywhere by ourselves, so we kinda decided to make our break without telling them and snuck out of their house in the middle of the night....”

“Yeah, and kind of had a fight with a guard who tried to stop us on the way out,” Shizuka added. “These two did, anyway.” She pointed towards the pair of resident martial artists.

“You fought them?” The boy let out one of his little whistles. “Whew, I’m impressed.” He flipped a salute in their direction before springing to his feet. “What are we waiting for? If they’re trying to get you to come back, they won’t stop now! You’re just lucky you met me- we’ll shake ‘em off so fast they won’t know what hit ‘em.” He jogged towards the cabin. “Hey, you lot coming, or what?”

“He’s actually coming with us?...” said Kagami, voice distant.

“Looks that way to me....” Shizuka responded, just as bewildered.

Reiko crossed her arms and scowled. “Damn.”

And at the end of infinity, in the Temple on the Mountain, the Triplicate Goddess watched a change arise in the pattern woven by the Wheel of Eternity.

A new, different thread was drawing steadily closer to the others. Whatever force led it, it didn’t halt until the thread pulled into the center of the forming pattern. Now this is unexpected.... The Goddess sat back and continued to watch, waiting to see what this unanticipated new addition to Fate would bring.