War was coming and we all knew it. The entire battle school was practicing, even when there were no classes. Everyone was expected to fight, and fight we would. Everyone wanted to prove themselves.

One day, Horace and I were practicing when Halt and Gilan walked up. I was glad to se Gilan, because I hardly get to even write to him.

"Horace, we need you to go on a mission with Gilan and Will." Halt said.

"Ok, where are we going?" Horace asked, confused.

"Celtica," Gilan replied.

"Gilan, can I come?" I asked.

"I don't see why not, unless Sir Rodney has a reason." Gilan said.

Halt went to talk to Rodney while I went to find George.

When I did find him, I told him I was going to Celtica with Horace.

"So you're leaving me here again?" he asked. He brought a hand up to stroke my cheek as he asked that.

"Yes, but it's only to take a letter to the king reminding him of the treaty and asking him for troops. It won't be long." I said.

"That's what you said last time, and it took twice as long as you said it would." He had a point.

"I know, but I can't just sit back and wait."

"I gotta get back to to work. See you at lunch." he said, kissing the top of my head.

I went back to the dormitory to pack my stuff. Rodney came in to talk.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I don't know. George isn't happy that I'm leaving again. Especially because it's with Will and Gilan."

"He'll get over it, don't worry. He always does."

"I know, I just don't like doing this to him."

"I know you don't, but in your mind you have to prove yourself. He will understand that."

Then, by the time lunch came around, I was in town. Some how, I had managed to aquire Gilan along the way.

"Where are you going anyway?" he asked.

"To lunch at one of the inns." I said.

"Why when you can get free lunch at battle school?"

"Why are you following me?"

"I was just asking, sorry!"

"I promised George I would meet him there."

"Oh, can I come? I never really got to meet George."

"I guess, but if he wants you to leave,  you will leave."

"Ok."

We got to the inn, and George asked, "Cora, who is that?"

"Gilan. He followed me and wanted to actually meet you. I couldn't get rid of him." I muttered.

"I can here you by the way." Gilan said.

"I don't care." I replied.

"I'm starting to regret letting you come."

We then sat down to eat, and Gilan started asking random questions.

"How is scribe school going?" Gilan asked George.

"Ok, I guess. There has been no rest pretty much. We've been writing letters telling all the fiefs to gather their forces."George replied, warming up to Gilan. Once you get to know him, Gilan can be a good person to have around, but when he wants to be annoying,  he does it well.

"I heard a rumor that Nigel is looking for you though." Gilan said.

"What this time? More letters that others screwed up?" George muttered angrily.

"On the contrary, he told me to give you this note if I saw you." Gilan grinned.

"This says that I can have the rest of the day off because Rodney told Nigel that Cora is leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Wow, maybe he should find this stuff out more often." George laughed.

"So you basically just said that I should leave more, just so you can get the day off?" I asked, pretending to be offended.

"I'll just be going now." Gilan said grinning.

"You know I didn't mean it like that!" George exclaimed.

"Is sarcasm a foreign language to you?" I asked laughing.

We decided to go for a walk in town after lunch.

The thing with George is he doesn't act like he has a crush on me when we're in public, or when someone is around. Now if it's just us, with no one in ear shot, he does sorta show his feelings for me. Like right now, he has an arm around me. He wouldn't do that if there was someone actually around. He hasn't kissed me other than that one time after the Harvest Festival.

"George, I want an honest answer. Are you mad at me for leaving again?" I asked quietly.

"I'm more frustrated with the situation than anything. I just know that one of these times, you might not come back, and I don't want that to happen. I can't say that here is completely safe either, because I would only be fooling myself." he replied.

"I just thought you might be mad at me, because I'm not forced to go on these missions. I volunteer for them. It kinda is my fault that I go on them."

By this time, we were by the trees where we had the picnic on the day of the Harvest Festival.

"Cora, I could never blame something like this on you. You volunteer for these missions because you have the need to prove that you are not like any of the other girls to everyone else. I already know that you aren't. I couldn't get mad at you for that."

"I just know everyone is so stereotypical about girls, even Halt!"

"You'll prove them wrong, and I know you will."

"I already proved to Halt, Will, and Gilan that I can move silently and without being see, so that counts for something... Right?"

"Of course it does."

He pulled me in to a hug, and I hugged him back. I already knew I was going to miss him when I left, I mean, how couldn't I?

We just sat there in the shade of the tree with my head on his shoulder and his arm around me. Nobody walked past. The road wasn't used very much anymore.

Eventually, we headed back towards the battle school. I then remembered that Horace, Will, Jenny,  Alyss, George, and I were going to have another picnic, but this time in the yard of the castle. George forgot too, so he can't make fun of me.

We got to where all the others were, and started to eat. I sat between George and Horace,  who was looking nervous for some reason. I dismissed it as him not being sure about the trip.

Once we were done eating, we all sat there talking. Horace wanted to know if anyone else heard about Alda, Byrn, and Jerome.

"No, why?" I asked as George tensed up.

"They've been released from jail. They also went to join Morgarath." Horace replied.

"Good, mabye I'll get to run them through by the end of the war, because you know I'll be the first one they look for." I growled, surprising even George. I never liked those three.

For the rest of the evening, I was with George at the scribe school meeting some of his friends.

"So this is the girl you've been telling us so much about." one of them said.

"Words don't do her beauty any justice." another grinned. I was blushing and all six of them knew it.

"What was your name again?" the third asked.

"Cora," I said softly.

"And what school do you go to?" the fourth asked.

"Battle school." I said, gaining confidence by the moment.

"Really? Rodney accepted a girl?" the fifth exclaimed.

"Only after  he had me prove my strength. He told me to hit him. When I punched him, he flew back a bit. Everyone who was there keeps telling me it was 10 feet at least, but I don't believe that." I explained quickly.

"Come on Cora, it was 10 feet. Rodney said so himself! You also broke his nose, busted his lip, and made half his face swell. In two punches!" George said, in a bragging manner. The others were looking at me with wonder.

"He told me to. I didn't want to hit him, but he, Halt, the Baron, and Horace made me! Now when I hit Alda, I wanted to! He deserved it." I said softly.

We were in their dorm room talking, so it wasn't really in public, and George's friends knew about his crush on me. He was comfortable with them seeing him actually act like he's in love with me. They won't judge him and he knows it. He had an arm around me, and it was hard for me not to lay my head on his shoulder because I was falling asleep, but I wanted to stay alert for the conversation.

"Well, Cora has to get up before dawn to leave with he brother and two rangers so I'll take her back to battle school so she can get some sleep, and I'll be right back." George told his friends.

Once we got outside, we ran into Horace.

"Rodney just sent me to come get her. He thought she might need some sleep." Horace grinned.

"Bye George. See you when I get back." I said.

"I'll be waiting for you." he replied.

The next morning, we left.