I rested well. I had spent far to many sleepless nights trying to camp in the mountains, sleeping on the floor of my caravan. It was comfortable, if nothing else windowless room, though a little stuffy. However, when I woke up, well rested and confined, I desired to leave quickly.

I went to the wooden door and tried to push it open, but it was locked.

“I expected that.” I muttered under my breath. I sighed and took out my dagger. I hadn't expected that they would have let me keep it for so long.

I was about to break the lock with my dagger, but I heard voices on the other side of the door.

“I can't believe we're stuck here overnight,” one voice said.

“We do what we can.” The other muttered. “Unless you would like to be fighting.. and dying.”

“No, no, no. This is fine. Don't know why we need to guard 'em though. He's on our side isn't he?”

“Kathryn was more concerned about him being attacked.”

Would it be better to slice and carve my way through people that might try to stop me, or should I continue playing along as though I were an ally? I would try the latter. idly, I rapped on the door. Their muffled voices stopped a moment.

“Yes?” One of them called out.

“Lemme out.” I said. “It's dark and stuffy in here. I want out.”

“...Can we let him out?” I hear one whisper to the other.

“I don't know. Should we ask Kathryn?”

“Do you know where she is?”

I sighed. “If I were meant to stay in here, don't you think I would have food, or water here? Even in prison they give food and water.” Well. Sometimes they did. Depended on the prison, and of course, the prisoner.

“He's right.” One whispered to the other. I head a latch open on the other side of the door. The door swung open and revealed two men in a hallway. They wore simple tunics, and had sheathed daggers at their sides .

“Thanks.” I said. Dolts. “Uh, no idea where I would find Kathryn?”

One of them, one who had long brown hair, shook his head. “Nay.” he said. “She spends most of her time in the northern wing. No one's 'lowed to go there.”

“Ah, I should keep that in mind.” I said. “Though, I don't see any windows here, so I don't know how I might tell if I'm going north.”

“It's alright,” the other guard said. He had short, bristly black hair. “It's down that way,” he pointed down the opposite hallway. “If you go down that way, go left. Everyone's a little disoriented after spending a few days underground. No sun, no stars. It's easy to get lost..”

“'deed” The other guard said. “ Apparently, it was easier to have the hideaway spread over legions of land, rather than have a few stories going a little deeper.”

“Though this lazy bum,” the long haired one said, grinning, “He would complain of the stairs then.”

“No, I wouldn't.”

“You complain about the ladder coming into this place!'

“No I don't”

The long haired one laughed, and then said in a squeaky voice “oh, this ladder. I'm going to kill myself on these! Why can't we have some stairs!”

I smirked. “Why are you two here?”

Long-haired shrugged. “Making sure you don't have your throat slit while you sleep?”

“Much obliged.” I drawled. “I'm up now, so I suppose you can leave.”

“I don't know...” Bristly said slowly. “ We were told to stay here and-”

“And what? Guard an empty room?” I chuckled, and turned my back on them. “Well, have fun. I'm going to stretch my legs.”

Long haired patted me roughly on the shoulder. “Yeah, take care. Don't want to have your throat slit while you're awake, now do you?” he grabbed bristly by the arm and pulled him along. “Come on, Jr. Let us lay waste upon the ladder that haunts your dreams and make our way to a pub to partake of some drinks.”

“The ladder's dangerous!” he snapped as he was pulled over along the hallway and out of my sight.

I smirked and walked down the hallway. They were nice enough. Shame they were so stupid.

With my hood pulled up, hiding my face, I wandered down the hallway. I passed many people, but it didn't seem as though this place was well protected on the inside. Most of the people I passed ignored me or nodded in my direction. Either Kathryn was a trusting fool, and didn't bother with protecting her hideaway, or it was so well protected on the outside that they didn't need any protection inside. Likely, it was the latter, otherwise I think that Kos or Justin would have created chaos in here, killing many, taking the stone already. Instead, I had to come in here, create chaos, and take the damned stone.

I wandered down the hallways, checking each door I passed. Some I only listened to, listening carefully. In some rooms, I heard near-silent shuffling, or breathing, I passed by them. As for the others, I used my dagger to break open the door, or a simple twisted wire on normal locks. There were mostly libraries, some rooms with many shelves, filled with strange items. These I looked over, but I did not find the stone. Strange items, odd pendants, and books bound, some with odd locks. However, I saw no stones of any kind.

The entire place was far to big. I would have to search it from one end to the other, top to bottom. It looked to be tedious task, and one that I needed to do quickly

***

Hours passed, and I wandered more. Finally. I came to a large room, with hallways going five directions. Perhaps I had found the center of the entire hideaway. Quickly, I began to go over in my mind how to best go about searching this place better.

Footsteps echoed down a hallway. I ignored them. I had passed many people, none of which really cared that I was there. If I was lucky, whoever it was would stop and ask me if I needed help. Maybe it was even the two guards from earlier. If I was lucky this time, they would give me the grand tour!

A moment passed, and the footsteps sped up, I turned and saw Almond rushing at me, dagger drawn, eyes filled with rage and hate.

I moved, dodging his dagger as it sliced the air where my torso used to be. I moved quickly, and slashed at his outstretched arm. He moved to get out of my way, but I felt my dagger slice through the cloth of his long-sleeved tunic, and a thin stream of blood flowed down my dagger.

I tumbled three steps back, and stared at him. Slowly, he pulled his sleeve back, and stared at the thin, deep gash in his arm. It was the first time I had ever, ever bested him in battle. Even when I was younger, and he tried to teach me of swordplay, no matter how good I got.

“Well...” I said in disbelief.

“...Well done.” He said softly. He looked up at me, and then quickly ran at me. His dagger almost planted itself in my stomach, but I moved, and only gained a new gash in my side.

“You shouldn't have stopped.” He snapped. He spun around, and made for my neck with his dagger, I leapt backwards, and landed on all fours, dagger clutched lightly in one hand.

I felt a sudden slamming from behind, and saw the shadow looming over me. The wind was knocked out of me, and I was thrown across the room. I rolled across the floor, blood from the wound in my side leaving a long red mark on the floor.

I rolled onto my back, and stared up at the stone ceiling. I caught my breath, and tried to lift myself up. Almond leapt upon me, kneeing me in the chest. The air was once more knocked out of me. My vision swam, and when I could see straight again, I saw Almond hovering over me again, his dagger over my face.

“I told Kathryn it was a bad idea to have you in here.”

“She told you I was still here” I asked. He nodded.

“Of course. She tried to convince me that you were telling the truth.”

“And now you're going to kill me anyway? Just for walking around?”

“As soon as we found out you had left your room, I knew you were up to something. You're no idiot, Stiri. You knew you should have stayed.”

“Stop talking!” The shadow snapped. “You can kill him! Kill him now!” it called out.

Almond looked down at me, smirking. His grip on his dagger tightened. I tried to move my hand, to stab him with my dagger. However, he had my arm pinned down with his leg.

“You're dead, Stiri.” he whispered.

“Almond!” I voice called out from one of the dark hallways. He looked up. I turned my head, and tried to move, but he still didn't let his hold on me go.

Kathryn entered in the ground room. She carried that damned doll with her, her white dress dusted the floors.

“You said if he did anything, I could kill him!” he pleaded. She looked at me, and then at Almond.

“...I did.” she said. She looked down at me again. “I did what I could. You should have headed my words, you should not have wandered around this place... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for your pain.”

“He doesn't feel pain.” Almond snapped. “The perfect assassin. No pain, no fury, no rage. Nothing.” he smirked. “That's why I thought you would be a better assassin than I one day.”

“Just kill him!” The shadow snapped.

“Kill me, Almond.” I said. “If you think that wil-” I gagged as Almond took his one free hand and wrapped it around my neck. I reached up and tried to push his hand away. I felt my fingers brush against the cold chain of the pendant, and catch on the string from the bottled flames. I tried to unleash my power: feeling icy and cold surge through me for only a moment, but then it seemed to linger at my skin.

“I cannot let you use power you do not understand, Stiri.” Kathryn said. “ Even if it means your life or death, We do not know how it will harm others.”

“Kill him!” The shadow cried out again. “After all this time, finally we have what we want! How long have you wanted to do this!”

Almond looked down at me, eyes focused, dagger raised. His hand shook slightly.

“Do it!” the shadow cried out again. “Do it! Do it for Cara!”

“...For Cara.” Almond muttered. He lifted the dagger.

I gagged, and shut my eyes, waiting for the cold steel to steal away my life.

The dagger fell with a clang onto the cold stone floor. I opened my eyes, and looked up. Almond still looked at me, hate raging through his eyes.

“Cara loved you like a son,” he snapped. “For Cara.”

He loosened the grip around my neck slowly. I pushed his hand away as soon as I could. The string holding the bottle of flames around my neck snapped and flew off my neck, away from Almond and I, and to the floor. The glass perfume bottle shattered, and the flames raged towards me.

Almond leapt off me, the raging flames, hit his shadow first. Both screamed in pain, and Almond's skin blistered and burned from the flames touched the shadow. Kathryn's power over me fell, and I felt the power that had been stuck at my skin escape. The flames, the entire force of the forest fire wrapped around, me. However I was protected. I was protected only by the bubble of icy power that surrounded me.

The raging flames lasted for several minutes. I was worried, because I felt the power start to fade around me. However, soon the fires died out. It didn't last long I suppose, because there was noting to fuel the fire.

I stood up and looked around. One charred body lay near me. I wondered where exactly Kathryn had gone. She was a Magus, so I was sure she was able to survive that. Almond, however, was no magician. His body was entirely ravaged by the force of the flames. I cringed, and looked away. Off to the wall, I saw the remains of a charred doll, nothing but a few wires and blackened bits of porcelain.

Among the shards of porcelain was a stone.

My body was tired, and I stumbled about. I snatched the stone from the remains of the doll.

Looking around, I saw smoke coming from Almond's corpse. It drifted to the ceiling, and was pulled down a hallway. I hid the stone in one of the many pockets of my cloak, and stumbled down the hall.

***

It was hours later when I finally breathed fresh air. The dark sky was just starting to brighten in the east. The last few stars began to fade from view.

Finally free of the smoke, I fell to my hands and knees, and took deep breaths of the fresh air.

Almond was dead. He was, beyond a doubt, dead. Just like Cara.

“It had to happen,” I told myself, “I didn't even mean to. It just happened. He would have let me go. He was going to let me go. the pendant went flying, the pendant..”

I shivered. “I would have been set free, wouldn't I have?”

My head swam, and the world spun around me. I clutched at the ground to steady myself. My stomach churned, my throat closed up. I set my head against the ground.

I didn't want him to die. I had lost all my allies, I at least had one enemy left.

My head swam again, viciously. I shook my head, thinking it to be only vertigo, but it didn't go away. I felt a terrible pressure on my skull. A terrible headache raged. I fell entirely to the ground as a voice materialized in my head. Visions swam through my head. My mother, my home in the capital, the prison I was in, Almond, Cara, Foster. Daggers, flames, assassinations, Corpses. There were a lot of corpses. Pleading eyes staring with tears into mine. Drinking by dying fires in the moonlight. Christen, Rico. Listening to stories. Warmed by flames and furs. Fighting with Rico sending Christen away. Long lonely nights in the mountains.

A voice came through my mind, crystal clear. It has been hard.

“Who are you?!” I snapped.

Kathryn. You have the stone.

“Come and get it.”

I cannot. The village is burning. There are many hurt, many dead, many grieving. I cannot leave them alone when I know I can help. I cannot leave you to wander without knowing what you do with the Pendant . Until you bring it to me, I will try to keep you in line. Until you bring it back, I'm binding my mind to your thoughts.

“You think I can't ignore you” I snapped. “Watch me.” I shivered, And slowly stood up. I wandered into the woods, ignoring as best as I could the chattering voice of Kathryn.

I needed to find my caravan, and head to the forest. There was one last thing I had to do.

***

As I reached the woods, the last tender flakes of winter fell, rested upon the ground, on my hair, and melted. I had set up a little camp before the forest. I sat before a weak, flickering fire, doing nothing but watching it die. My cloak was wrapped around me, and I clutched it tightly to my chest in an attempt to keep warm.

Kathryn had been silent for a short time. Her voice in my head took periods of leave as she attended to the business of helping the injured townsfolk in the northern village. When she rested, she came back to me, to annoy me, to rattle me.

I think I should tell you something.

“Go ahead.” I muttered. At least she was being conversational now, rather than lecturing me, picking my thoughts apart. The difference between her and Christen was that Christen never had access to all my thoughts. That included memories.

Your mother. I knew her.

“Did you?”

I did. Her parents had helped Baliancia many many years ago. I tell you this now because I believe that you need fair warning. Kos has offered you much, though I think you need to realize who he is.

“He already told me he's my father.”

You shouldn't doubt him. He is. Does that mean you should trust him?

“I never said I did.”

You want to trust him. That is fine and normal. However, you have to realize that now, to do so would be far to risky. Your grandparents were dear friends to me. They lived in Teans, and guarded for me the Moon shard. To put things simply, they were found out, and hunted down. I do not know who finally killed them, be it thieves, or The Vanguard or Vitam, but they were slain. All they left behind was their daughter, who guarded with her the moonshard. To protect it, we had to place a powerful spell upon her. It was far to risky to simply allow her to leave our protection without just cause to keep the moonshard safe. She had no loyalties to any of the groups, and no care to the fate of human magic in the world. She wanted only to leave a peaceful life. So, we-... I placed a spell on her. So long as the moonshard was in her possession, she would never feel harm from us. However, if she let the shard slip into the hands of any but her own kin... A great curse would fall upon her. Do you know the curse I speak of?

I wrapped my cloak around me tightly as I watched the flames of the small fire devoured falling snowflakes. “Her insanity.” I muttered. “That was your doing.”

I could not simply have let her go. Other than set the spell on her, the other option was to keep her against her will inside our underground hideaway. I felt sympathy for her. It was not her fault that she was mixed up in this. The Moon shard was all the comfort she had in the world. I felt that when she passed on, we might be able to find her next of kin, who would have the Moon shard, and tell him of what had happened.

“It's your fault.” I thought.

I do not deny my guilt in your own personal suffering and misfortune. However, I could not have done it any other way. My actions were not an attempt to ruin the life of her child, nor to take away her mind. I did not wish her trapped in torment.

I poked at the fire with a stick. A flame crackled and snapped while flakes gently fell to their destruction.

Of course, Kos has the moonshard now, and claims to be your own father. You mother, as I have learned from you, had descended into madness. It makes sense to me that Kos betrayed your mother, took the stone, and left her.

I wrapped my arms around my cold legs. “She was the daughter of your friend. I would say you betrayed her more.

I am simply warning you. Kos offers you freedom from what you have made of your life. When he erases your memories, what do you think he could do to you?”

I was silent for a time. A simple thought passed through my head, and it was one I would have disregarded entirely, if it had not been for the little voice in my head repeating it.

'It doesn't matter?'

“I suppose it really doesn't,” I whispered into the fabric of my cloak. I smiled lightly. “No matter what I do, I don't think I can really escape this. If I try to flee, and give up the pendant. I'll be chased. People will want revenge. If I keep the pendant, I'll be hunted. There are powerful people after me, and I realize now-”

Now that you are alone

“That it's more then I can do.” I rested my chin in my knees. “I know my limits, and I've reached them. Kos offers the best deal. He wins, best case, I lose my memories, for what they happen to be worth, and live the good life. Worst case, I lose my memories and... Likely become his slave.

Or killed. But... You want the memories gone.

I stood up and kicked out the fire. Light was extinguished from the area. I crawled to my caravan, and curled up on a pile of blankets. I was tired, and my head hurt horribly.

If you could have... if you could have influenced it at all. Would you have died that night in the woods? That night when Almond and Cara found you. Would you rather have died? Or, even, would you rather have survived, but without their help?

I turned over and tried to ignore her babbling. I needed to get some rest. I would be heading into the woods the next day.