"tú ag oiliúint orthu suas le bheith arrachtaigh!" Lynn shouted at the Genovesans in her native language. They didn't understand her. All they knew was she was staring at the little Genovesan children in horror. There were little girls and boys running around the market area with purple cloaks tied around their necks and shooting fake arrows at each other. What she had said in the common tongue was, "You are training them up to be monsters!" But the Genovesans didn't understand her.

"Speak in the common tongue, girl!" The closests snapped, smacking her across her cheek. It had gone that way for the past two weeks. If she didn't speak in the common tongue, she would be punished. So far she had only been smacked, but it still hurt her. She hadn't spoken the common tongue the whole time though, because she knew it would annoy them if they couldn't understand her. She kept silent most days, but when she really needed to get her point across, she would speak Celtica.

   Lynn was unable to explain the emotions she felt as she saw children as young as five years old running around, pretending to be assassins. It was sickening.

"This way." One of the assassins tugged on her bonds, renching her foreward, towards the massive fortress that towered above them, far greater then castle Araluen. They led her in and the guards let them pass without questioning them. The corridors were dim and had an eerie feeling to them, that made Lynn uncomfortable. They stopped at a black door and knocked. The sound echoed throughout the fortress.

"Come." A voice full of athourity said loudly. The Genovesan opened the door and shoved her in. Lynn gasped as she saw the man she had longed to see most of her child life.

"Hello beautiful." He smirked at her. "Long time no see." She swallowed hard and tried to regain her speech as she stared at her old friend, who had died eight years ago.

***

   Emmy felt a moment of suspense as she flew through the air, then that feeling vanished as she hit the cliff face. She dropped from the drape at impact and landed on the ledge safely. The contact with the wall took her breath away and she had a pounding head ache from it, but she had no time to dwell on the pain. She had a ship to catch.

   She jumped from the ledge onto the bank and ran as fast as she could towards the docks, avoiding anybody who would report back to her uncle. The dock came into view and she wanted to shout out in joy as she saw that the hounds had yet to leave. That joy soon vanished as she saw Javat get off the ship to push them out to sea. She was still to far away, so she sped up, running as fast as her long legs could carry her. Javat jumped back on the ship with the help of Dannie and Oilge. She could still make it. She ran even faster and when she reached the dock, she jumped as far as she could. The pain started the second she hit the hard wood of the deck. She rolled a good meter before stopped and staring up at the crew that had gathered around her. Looks of concern were etched in their faces, which made her smile a little.

"Mind if I join?" She half teased half groaned. Quint held out his Hand and she took it. He pulled her too her feet and steadied her.

"You're a hound. You don't need permission." Quint said smiling. Willy said nothing, just manned the tiller.

"Alright boys, back to work." He said rather bitterly. Quint eyed Willy curiously, but followed orders and left to man his station. Once the boys had left, Emmy stood awkwardly, not knowing where she could be and feeling useless. Willy gestured for her to come to where he was standing at the stern, but she glared at him and turned so her back was facing him. "Emmy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything I said back there." He said. She turned around and glared at him.

"Then why did you say it? Am I really that meaningless to you? Just some girl that'll get in your way?" She sneered. He glared at her.

"I'm just worried about Lynn, Em. It was my frustration speaking." He said. She shook her head.

"No. Deep down you know you meant every word you said. The only reason I came back was for the crew. They are my brothers now, and I won't have you leading them to their deaths if I can stop it." She said. She then walked away from him, leaving him to think about her words.

***

  Two weeks later, The Hounds arrived on the Araluen coast, where MJ and Will were sitting around a fire, watching them approach. When they anchored down, MJ jumped onto Wolfwill and embraced Willy tightly.

"Alright, let's go now." MJ said. Will stepped on the ship and shook his head.

"Let the crew rest on dry land tonight." He said. MJ glared at him.

"But every minute we waste, Lynn gets farther away from us." He said. Will let out a sigh.

"I know you're worried, Mik, but it won't be wasted. The crew is exhausted and you're asking them to go another week without proper sleep. Let them have one night." Will said. MJ reluctantly nodded once.

"Fine." He said. Willy let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Mik. One night, I promise. We'll be ready to go before

dawn." Willy said. MJ nodded gruffly and Willy led the boys off the ship and onto the dry land.

   They all sat around the fire that evening, saying nothing, just thinking.

"How did it happen? How was Lynn taken?" Javat asked, breaking the silence. MJ shifted uncomfortably. Will bit his lip and begun.

"We were on our way to the gathering. We stopped to make camp and She and I left MJ to fetch firewood. We were talking, and I finished, so I left, and she didn't follow. I thought she was getting more firewood. It was Angel, Lynn's horse that alerted us. We found this." He pulled the piece of purple fabric out of his pocket and passed it around the circle. "We ran after them, but they were to far ahead. They were already out of our line of vision by the time we reached the shore. We rode back to Redmont, wrote to Erak, and left out horses in the care of Halt. We came back here to wait for you."

   The crew was silent. When the fabric came to Willy, he didn't touch it. He had Quint, who was holding it, give it back to Will.

"We will find her." Willy said. MJ scoffed.

"I am such a disappointment to the corps." He said. Will rose an eyebrow.

"Why's that?" He asked his former apprentice.

"I had an apprentice for three weeks and I already let her he captured! Three blasted weeks!" MJ exclaimed. Will rolled his eyes.

"Mik, I was captured after only being an apprentice for a year. These things happen, it's not your fault." He said. MJ glared at him.

"Lynn is different." He stood and without another word, left the fire and laid down in his bedroll a few meters away.

***

  "Jackson? Is it really you?" Lynn ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. She pulled back a little to study his face. "But you're dead?" She exclaimed. Jackson grinned and kissed Lynn on the cheek.

"Yes, it's me, my darling. And no, I am not dead. Lord Flinchshire ran me out of the estate after the hunting incident where I accidently shot his beloved dog. He told everyone I was dead." He explained. Jackson had matured since Lynn last saw him. His jaw line was very chiseled and his eyes looked as if he had seen to much in his young life. He had changed since the eleven year old boy Lynn once knew.

"What are you doing here? Why are you with Genovesans?" She asked. Jackson smiled again.

"That, my dear Lynnette, is a long story. I shall save if for another time. All you must know is I am the master here, and no one will harm you under my protection." He said. He took her hands in his own and looked into her eyes. "Remember when we were little! Lynn? Remember how I promised to free us from service? That day has come." He smiled. Lynn bit her lip and rose an eyebrow.

"Oh, well, I am already free from service, Jackson." She said cautiously. It was now his turn to be curious.

"Really? How?" He asked.

"Well, Lord Flinchshire has released me into the hands of a craft master. I am an apprentice now." She said. He smiled.

"Wow, I'm happy for you. What is your craft? Courier? Cook?" He asked. She grinned.

"Even better. Ranger!" She squealed happily. Jackson's eyes darkened and he dropped her hands, staring at her in horror. Be turned to the Genovesan, who simply nodded. Jackson's eyes were instantly filled with anger, and he shook his head in disbelief.

"I thought you were better then that, Lynnette." He said. "But if you associate with their kind, then I guess not." he turned back to the Genovesans. "Lock her up. We don't want king scum loose in the country." Lynn felt a pang of pain as he said the words. Her childhood friend, rejecting her because of who she was. The Genovesans took her by her arms and led her down towards her prison cell.

***
Hello! Thanks for reading, I hope you liked it! I'll introduce Jackson better in the next chapter. Please comment and vote! Love you!

~Avis