I mulled over the conversation I'd had with Daxton as I went to bed that night.  It was clear he was struggling with the choice he had to make, and was equally torn between the two.  I hoped Redwar would be able to tip the scales in the right direction.  If anyone could do it, it would be him.  

I consented to letting Valeria have the bed that night.  After her being such a good friend to me, it was the least I could do.  

Perhaps that hard floor had something to do with the reason I was up a little earlier than the rest.  When I woke up, I knew I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep.  

I looked up at Valeria.  She was still knocked out, but the lightening sky outside indicated she wouldn't be for much longer.  

Then I listened to the tavern.  It was silent, but I knew that it wouldn't be for very long.  Mrs. and Mr. Finnley were always the first to rise and prepare for the day.  

However, right now would be a perfect time to practice my sneaking skills.  

One of the things Redwar had taught me about being silent was that one was swift but delicate.  If one was slow and worrying about making noise, they'd make more noise.  The key was to move quickly, but delicately, treating everything as glass and being aware of all.  

I quickly buckled on my sword, making sure that it didn't thump against the floor, and also grabbed my dagger.  It'd become a matter of habit to have my weapons always with me.  I felt naked and exposed without them.  

Watching Valeria, and lifting up my sheath so it wouldn't scrape on the ground, I rose up from the floor.  I smiled at the sight of her sleeping.  She looked so relaxed and peaceful.  

For a moment, the wild idea grabbed hold of me to launch myself up her and give her a surprise awakening.  But I quelled it, although that wasn't to say that I wouldn't do it sometime in the future.  Smirking at the thought, I continued my quest.  

Padding across the room on bare feet, I reached the door.  This was the first obstacle.  I knew the hinges didn't squeak, as Mrs. Finnley wouldn't allow that, but the door knob might make some noise.  

The key was that it made little enough noise that no one noticed.  I took a deep breath, grasped the door knob, and turned it in one quick, swift motion.  It was better to get all the sound over with quickly, instead of inching along and making individual squeaky sounds.  

Sure enough, the sound it made was over quickly and smoothly.  I glanced back at Valeria, who hadn't stirred.  So far, so good.  

I pulled open the door slowly, testing to see if the door creaked.  But it didn't and I slipped expertly out of the room, being careful to not bang my sheathed weapon on the door jamb. 

I pulled the door shut behind me, and let the door knob slip back into place with the faintest of clicks.  

Pausing, I listened.  The hall was silent, although small sounds of sleeping people floated across.  Good.  Now where did I want to go today?  

There was no place I could think of that would be better than the stable.  Except, I happened to remember that there was a staircase hidden at the end of the second floor hall.  I didn't know where it lead, and I was curious.

I eyed the boards along the hall.  From previous experience, I was pretty sure none but a few creaked.  Still, those creaky boards could give me away.  Maybe not to sleeping people, but if I was in a Ravagerian fort...  

But if I was quick, the creaks would be minimal and in quick succession.  If there wasn't any singular creaks, but rather a whole bunch of small ones, that would be less suspicious.

This was where having a small, light body, came in handy.

Crouching slightly, I kept my sword close to my body and passed through as quickly as I could.  Remarkably, the boards were not that creaky, and only let out two or three small squeals of protest before I reached the end of the hall.  

I let out a breath slowly and looked up at the stair way.  No doubt these boards would be the creakiest.  Crammed into the very end of the hall, along the right side where it wasn't visible unless you came down here, it didn't look to be used very often. 

There was a railing along the edge of it, which looked pretty solid and it was thick.  Maybe...  

I narrowed my eyes and ran my hand along the railing.  My hand came away coated with dust, and my mind with an idea.  

I gripped the railing with both hands and lifted my leg.  Wedging my foot in between the end of the banister and the railing, I hopped up.  

I nearly fell off the other side of the banister, which would have been embarrassing and exposing.  But I caught myself just in time and rebalanced.  Now I was perched on the railing.  

I smirked.  This was something I used to do at home in a friend's two story house.  

I scurried up the railing, and reached the top quickly.  I swung off and landed with bouncing knees and ankles.  This diminished the sound of my landing.  

Having successfully avoided the creaky stairs, my smile widened.  But it wasn't over yet.  Before me loomed a door that I was almost sure would have the squeaky hinges, and furthermore, I wasn't sure it was unlocked.

But there was only one way to find out.  I gripped the knob and slowly turned. 

The lock came free, though I had to put in a little more force to convince it to give.  I put my other hand against the door jamb for strength and stability before slowly prying the door open.

The door came open inch by inch.  I waited for the inevitable...  Squeak!  I stopped immediately. 

Eying the gap that I had opened up to that point, I tried to calculate if I could just squeeze through it without opening the door further.  

I switched my foot to the other side of the doorknob and twisted sideways.  Shuffling forward, I felt the door jamb press into my back.  I closed my eyes and shuffled farther...

Yes!  I'd made it.  I pulled the door closed, and let the stiff lock fall back into place.  Then I turned to see where I was.  

As I had expected, the door led to the rooftop.  I was pretty sure it would, since I had seen this door on the roof before.

I smiled widely.  My sneaky mission had been a success.  I inhaled the fresh morning air, the reward for my labor, and took in the rooftop.

There wasn't much to see.  In a corner, a few boxes were stacked and covered with a waterproof tarp.  The roof tapered down slightly towards the edge in front of me, so that water from the rain would drain over the side and down onto the garden.  A railing that came up to my waist lined the edge.  

I set my hands on my hips.  This was perfect.  

I took another deep breath of fresh air, then moved over to the boxes.  I sat down, leaning against one, and watched the morning sun.

Enthralled as the sun rose in flaming bright colors, I forgot that breakfast was soon to be served and everyone would begin to wonder where I was when I didn't turn up.  

Which was why I startled when the old door was opened.  I laid a hand on my sword and started to stand before I realized that it was Redwar.  

He spotted me in a moment.  "Ah, Ravine.  I thought I'd find you up here when you weren't in the stable."  

"Sorry Redwar."  I rose and dusted myself off.  "I just came up here to watch the sun rise."  

He raised an eyebrow.  "More like snuck up here."  

I chuckled.  "How'd you know?"   

He glanced down at my feet.  "You're barefoot."  

"Oh."  Sneaking around in boots was much harder, hence why I'd left them in our room.  "I wanted some practice."  

He laughed, causing me to look up.  "That's good.  You'll need it."  His eyes sobered.  "You'll need a lot of things."  

He turned and walked to the railing.  Gripping it with his hands, he looked out over the stirring city.  "While Daxton and I are gone, I want you to practice hand to hand combat with Valeria and Derrek.  You need to learn more of that."  

I nodded.  "Alright."  

He continued looking out over the city.  "What are your plans after meeting with the King?"  

I raised my eyebrows.  "Well...  Redwar, you know.  I'm going after my parents.  And who knows?  Perhaps the rest of my village as well."  The conviction had been growing in me that I had a responsibility not only to my parents, but to the families I had grown up with.  

He nodded.  "But how, Ravine, are you going to do it?"

I shrugged.  "I haven't thought that far ahead or that detailed.  I figured I'd start the planning later, when the meeting with the King was over." 

"No!"  He shook his head vehemently.  "You must start planning now! " 

His earnestness surprised me.  He continued, explaining it.  

"You know so little and so unprepared for the task that lies ahead.  What do you know about Ravagerian society and how it functions?  About it's fortresses and slavery system?  About it's army?  Your mastery of the blade, while better than the average Thathian, is not enough for what you will face.  You don't know enough about foraging for food, or finding clean water to drink."

"I've only taught you the basics, what I teach everyone I undertake.  But that's not enough for you."    

His hands turned white as he gripped the railing.  "How can I make you understand?  How can I make you see what you're going against?"  His voice trailed off in a whisper.  

I realized he was right.  As it was, I was being naive about my chances of success.  I remembered what Daxton had said about Ravagerian society.  

I walked up behind him.  The city was fully awakened now and the buzz of it reached our ears.  

"Teach me then.  Teach me about what I will face and how to face it.  Give me all that you know."  

He looked back at me.  "There's so much I know.  How can I hope to teach it all to you?" 

"I don't know, but you can try.  We have a long ride ahead of us on the way to Klada."

He smiled at that. 

AN:  Very long chapter here :)  It's also the beginning of a switch.  Now Ravine has to learn a whole lot more.  *rubs hands*  This'll be fun.  

Out of curiosity (I don't think many people will answer), who's your favorite character?