The rain poured down. The cave sheltered them from a late spring downpour which felt as though someone was emptying a washbasin over them. Britta was huddled in her blanket, her keen eyes trained on the sky for any lightening.

There! A flash, so bright that it split the sky in half. It had struck the skeletal tree; she couldn't see it, but she knew. She heard a gasp from behind her. Diana had woken, and her eyes reflected the small amount of light coming from the black, cloudy sky. Britta felt a hand on her shoulder, and then Diana's warmth at her side.

"It hit the tree." Britta whispered.

"I know. I felt...." Diana's voice trailed off, and she reached behind them.

She brought out the money box her fingers stroking the polished wood absentmindedly. Distractedly, she pulled it open.

"It's not what I expected from Mistress Core." Commented Britta. "I'd have thought she'd use something more.... decorative."

"There's only-" Diana paused, taking a deep breath. "-only one gold piece inside. I thought there'd be more, but...." Her voice trailed off, and Britta looked in to see what she meant.

"It's okay. We'll earn more."

"I was hoping we'd get a better start." Said Diana, her eyes glinting angrily in the half-light.

She put it down roughly, jolting it on the floor. Britta quickly picked it up herself. The base of the box had been jolted out of place. Where the bottom was supposed to intersect with the side there was a small gap where something glimmered beneath.

"Look," She whispered pointing excitedly at the box.

She wriggled the base until it suddenly came loose and slid out. Britta placed the base carelessly on the floor and Diana crowded closer to get a good view. Nestled tight inside it were several items. The first item was a ring, deep green and set in a silver band. The next was a locket, then there were two bracelets, and last a torn piece of paper which looked like it had been left outside, even though the writing on it was not weather worn. Diana squinted to read it.

"It's for us." She said, quietly. Her eyes lit up in wonder. "Britta and Diana." Diana began to read. "I know you will find this. I've asked Mary to give it to you. She understands the importance of this, and I know she will keep you safe. You will grow up never know me except from this letter. I hope it will be enough.

The items I have hidden are dear to me, the ring and the locket, there is a pair of them, their partners belonging to your father. Leave them in the box, they are for him. The bracelets are yours; the jade (green) is for you, Britta, like your eyes. The ruby is for Diana; it matches your spirit, I know that you will keep Britta safe. Find your father, it should be safe to return now. I can't tell you who he is, least this is read by others.

Just know that the very mountains are a danger to your lives."

"Who's Mary?" Asked Britta.

"Wait. I can't read the bottom." Said Diana, passing the scrap of paper to Britta.

There was a letter or a symbol on it, which looked familiar, but though Britta strained to remember if or when she had seen it, she couldn't.

Diana was fingering the bracelet with the small red stone. The string was finely woven but tough. It was such a pure white that it almost glowed. The string coiled neatly around their wrists so they stayed in place. The backs of the stones were flat so they were comfortable against their wrists and they were engraved with their names in delicate writing surrounded by a wreath of lines that intertwined. It was strange that such detail was put into a place that was not often seen. They slept with the bracelets on and never took them off again despite the fact that it was not something boys were often seen wearing.

***

They were greeted by a stray cat as they entered the city a few days later. Britta bent to pet it while her sister looked in wonder at the city surrounding them. She pulled Britta up to look

It was bigger than anything they had ever seen. It stretched off into the distance, like a great spider's web, the castle dominating it from its perch on the hill. Its four magnificent turrets grazed the sky. Diana could imagine the Emperor up there, surveying the city. To think this was only a section of the Empire Dereges. No wonder the name meant 'Empire of the Kings'.

The houses were about the same size as the ones in Weatherston, except clustered tightly in together, like handfuls of seeds had been dumped from the sky. As they got closer, Britta could see that the buildings were cleaner. In Weatherston, goats and chickens roamed freely. Here, they were penned in tightly, bleating pitifully. Britta shivered at how sad they sounded.

Their clothing was dirty compared to those of the town folk roaming about early in the morning. Britta washed them frequently but they were travel-stained from their two month or more trek through the forest.

The streets became more and more crowded as they moved along and they themselves became more and more paranoid that they would be spotted, though it seemed unlikely. Tongues of flame, receding as the morning wore on, still licked the sky and people became more and more numerous.

Women supported babies on their hips, and bags and baskets filled with goods, no doubt going to the market. Children ran about, playing games of chase and getting under everyone's feet. There were some men in uniforms with the royal crest on them, blinking sleepily in the light, perhaps coming back from a night patrolling the town.

The twins, pleased with their success of getting to the town, decided to celebrate with some brought food. As Diana had said, a tavern was the best place to hear of any jobs for them to take.

They found one nearby, its wooden sign swinging from side to side, painted brightly with a word written in ornate letters which neither of them could read. Inside, it was dark, and smoke wafted through the air.

Diana went to the dark polished bench to say her order. "A loaf of bread and two cups of water."

The barman nodded and gestured for them to wait on a nearby bench. A man was already sitting there, but he moved aside so they could sit down.

"Good morning sir," she started.

"And to you, young lad. Where are you from?" His face was hidden in the shadows, and his voice was rough and uncultured.

His question was so sudden that Diana floundered for a moment before she found the words. "We come from a town on the edge of here." She said in her deepest voice. "We're looking for work."

"What jobs are you's interested in?"

"We're still figuring out that bit" Diana admitted. "We're just looking for something that'll earn a decent wage."

"Ah, any family?"

"No" It was Britta speaking this time. "That's why we're looking for work and not working for a relative."

He nodded. "Well, I might just have a job for you. What are your names?"

"Oh, um, Duane and Bren."

Another nod. A strange look crossed his face and he gave a seemingly involuntary shiver before talking some more, "Bren, you move quietly, I scarce heard you coming. I'd bet both of you's have good aim. I might just have a job for you."

The twins leaned in eagerly.

"Oh, I won't be telling you now. How 'bout you meet me here on the 'morrow, I want to put you through your paces, see if you be the trustworthy type."

Coming from the dark, bearded man it seemed an ironic statement but they both nodded.

Do you think we should? Asked Britta.

We don't have to turn up, or we could run away.

But surely, well, he offered us that job straight after I said we had no family. No one to notice us if we go missing. Britta unconsciously pulled herself straighter and tried to look less feminine.

Diana turned and nodded. "We'll be here, what time."

"Best be dawn. Can you make it?"

They nodded affirmatively and walked out after paying, taking a portion of the food for that night.

After eating the rest of the bread Britta pulled out her hunting knife again and cut off the hair that had grown on the walk there. Both of them spread out blankets and rested their heads on the bundles of clothes that they had taken with them.

The morning dawned bright and cold and Britta could hardly wait to meet the man again. Her mind had been whirling with all the possibilities the whole night. She was all too pleased to finally be going to find out. Shouldering their bags, they walked down to the town.

"We'll keep talking through The Voice so he can't hear us, we need to both agree." Said Diana as they left.

Britta nodded, "I'll only be accepting if the job is decent. Not something like we've done in the Abbey, like getting wood or something and cooking isn't really a man's job."

Diana shrugged, "It'll be worth it. I just don't know how long we'll be able to keep this disguise up."

They both left to the tavern not long after, slinking through the town in the pre-dawn light. When they arrived the man was already sitting there, as he had been the previous day with nobody else nearby. Slightly uneasily the twins sat down.

With a brief nod, the man took a sip of his drink. "Didn't think you'd be comin'. What I'm offering you ain't for the 'alf-hearted. I don't expect anything less from you's because of your background. You gotta understand that I canna' offer you all the details 'til we know you're there to stay, and it will take training. A lot of it. A year, two years-" Britta wished he would just tell them what it was. "-but you'll become skilled in many things. To get the gist of it, we are guardians of this town. We protect it, and we need two new protectors. There'll be missions you need ta' do, but most importantly this is secret. I can't even tell what the missions will be, but, as I said before, you will need to train for 'em." He waited for the twins expecting them to talk.

Instead, Britta nodded, glanced at Diana briefly, and asked, "Why were we not to have a family?"

"It's not a job you can go home for Christmas now, is it?"

Another nod.

"So, do you agree? I can take you to see the headquarters and other people that are training."

Is this.....?

A good opportunity?

Yeah, I don't know if I trust him but by the end of it we can buy ourselves a house and everything, which is more than can be said for a lot of jobs.

We could go and then run if anything happens.

Well yes but in the first place, I mean, think about it. We're girls. How can we train to... do whatever they're doing?

Britta shrugged. "What are we training to do?" She asked aloud.

"Basic things. You'll choose a skill. I'd bet you'll be good at archery," he said nodding at Diana. "You'd also practice strength and stealth. You move surprisingly quietly Bren."

They nodded.

This isn't a split second decision. Diana reminded Britta as she stood up.

"How does it pay?" Britta asked.

"Two gold pieces a month, extra if you's do well."

"We'll go." Diana decided.

The man stood up at once.

"Follow me." He said, pushing the door open and letting it swing shut so that Britta had to dart through before it hit her.

They were taken through town to the outskirts before the man turned through the forest. The trees were wider spaced than they were in White Hart woods, big enough to ride through. It was easy to move quietly, though this time she was conscious of glancing down at her feet.

They came to a small area where a great black horse was tethered. The man easily hoisted himself up onto its back and held out his hand for Diana.

"Do you know how to ride?" He asked.

They shook their heads. "Never tried sir."

He grunted. "Thought as much. You'll choose a horse when you get there. Expect t'be taught everything, well-" He gave a gruff laugh, "Expect to be exhausted as you try 'n learn."

Britta bit her lip, wondering if it was possible for her to learn the skills he spoke of. Suddenly, she wanted to prove herself. She remembered watching the men at the Abbey training each morning and wondered if she could one day best them.

Neither of them admitted to saddle sores from the next hour of riding. Britta's head ached with the constant jolting of the horse's movement, and her attempts to pick out features that meant that if she needed to she would be able to find the same path back again.

By the time they arrived, it was near midday. They emerged suddenly into a large, clearly man-made, clearing. In the middle was a somewhat rickety building; though it was large and made of heavy stone the roof was faintly uneven and Diana could pick out the peeling paint, even from where she stood.

"I'll get you introduced." Said the man. "There're cabins 'round the back which you can settle into later."

He led them through a large door into the well-lit room, then through another door further in, after a series of confusing turns they were stopped in front of another door.

"I'll be going in and telling the overseer you're here and why I picked you's."

They nodded, silently Britta strained her ears. She could hear the mumble of voices. Briefly, she wondered if she should use The Voice and listen in, but she didn't know how, and this was not the time to experiment. She wanted to save her energy, sure there would be tests or something coming up.

After a few minutes, the man came back out.

"We'll be going to get you measured up for clothes in a minute. First, you've to choose the skill you'll learn."

"What are the options?" Asked Britta curious.

"Sword is the basic one. Or archery. They are the options most choose to do."

Britta nodded.

Will you do archery Di?

Yes, I think so, you?

Not archery.

"You'll have trouble with a sword, you're too much of a mouse."

Britta almost rolled her eyes, "I know, but I don't want to do archery."

He nodded slowly "The other weapon is a dagger, but I don't think..."

Britta interrupted. "I want to use the dagger." She said, eagerly, before clamping her mouth shut.

He leaned back. "Ok boy, you'll be doing dagger. Just beware that it's not as simple as it might seem. All three weapons take time to master, if you do well over a year you'll be picked for something very important."

"I didn't choose it because I thought it would be easiest." She muttered.

Ignoring her the man walked past her. "Follow me." He said.

Di, do you think they'll make us take our clothes off to measure us? Asked Britta nervously, she felt a prick of her sisters' unease at the thought.

No, or at least, I hope not.

After a few more corridors they came to the tailors. They had to separate, Britta going to where a sign with the image of dagger hung on it. Their measurements were taken by a man with a knotted rope who whipped it out and around her shoulders. They were told to come the next day to pick up their clothing and weapons. The next area gave them each a bed roll, plate and eating knife as well as blankets to put on their beds. Then they were led to a cabin.

Once alone the twins began setting out the items they had been given.

"Usually we fit more into this but most o' the men're on mission." He nodded at the tiny space. Presently there were two beds in it, but there were fittings for a bunk to go atop of them. The man left them with a nod and instructions to be in the courtyard when the orning bell rung.

The cabin was made of pine wood, painted brown. It smelt musty, and was very small. There were two beds and no privacy between them which made the twins grateful that it was only them in the cabin. Britta was not long in bringing in a pine branch to both sweep the floor and get the place smelling nicer. There was one window in the tiny space between the beds with no glass but a tight wooden shutter to block out the light, and a door made of thin wood. They opened the shutters but, not sure what to expect, left the door closed.

When everything was cleaner Britta took a proper look at the place. There was a lantern next to each bed on top of a bedside table with three draws inside to put clothes. The leather practice clothes and light armour she and Diana would be wearing would be hung on the hooks by the door. There was a worn mat by each bed, but otherwise, the floor was stone.

"What do we do now?" Diana asked her, sitting down on the bed. Britta shrugged.

"We better get rid of the skirts." She said quietly. With a nod from Diana, she knelt and picked up the fabric.

We'll say we're going for a wash sometime tomorrow.

She glanced at the sky. "It must be nearly dinner time, where do we go?"

"We can ask around and see." Suggested Diana, standing up again.

With purposeful footsteps they left the cabin and looked around the rough, 'U' shape the structures fell into, grouped around a central courtyard. The people standing around were wearing plain, non-decorated clothing with swords or daggers strapped to belts by their side or, Diana noted, bows slung over their backs.

Hesitantly they made their way over to a man standing nearby. He turned when they came near, his brown eyes narrowing as he took in the two 'boys' small frames.

"Why would you be recruited? Mice."

"Better mice then cows," Britta muttered quietly.

He took a step towards them. "So, why would you be recruited?" His voice, Britta realized was less menacing and more curious but all the same, she didn't need to feign dislike.

From his build of more muscle than brain she guessed he was a swordsman. She knew that swordsmen were skilled and quick, despite their heavy armour, but she had a feeling this man's advantage was more from strength than speed. She'd seen the men back at the Abbey do amazing things when they fought for real; she'd snuck off more than once to see them fend off raiders.

"We just did, I don't know either but I'm willing to do it." She narrowed her eyes, feeling Diana's surprise at how brave she was being.

He snorted, "You'll be having second thoughts when they work you t' th' bone, even someone using the bows gotta work hard."

Britta rolled her eyes. "I'm not using a bow. My si-brother is, and I think a bow man's has got to have skill too."

"They hide behind walls and pick people off the coward's way."

"And in many respects, a swordsman hides behind armour." Britta knew she would do better to be quiet but thought up a reply to hs next remark even as Diana tried to silence her.

"So what are you going to use then?"

Britta crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "I'm going to use a dagger." She said firmly.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Of course." He said.

Then, on impulse, Diana held out her hand, letting go of her sister. "My names Duane and this is my brother Bren." She said.

He shook it. "I'm Vyde." He said gruffly.

"This is our first night here, where do we get food?" She asked.

"The Big House. Third door on the left."

"Thanks." Said Diana and turned to go there.

The rest of the people they passed took little notice of them and Britta tried to watch them unobtrusively to see what they were doing. Most people were just talking and Britta came to assume the training yards were somewhere else and this was more an area for socializing and, she suspected, a place for meetings.

They went through the hall to get dinner and Britta was satisfied by the plate of food given to them. The potatoes, meat, and gravy would satisfy her that night but if the food stayed the same she would soon add various plants to the plate.

On the way back they saw the man who had brought them there.

"Settled?" He asked them gruffly. At their nods, he continued, "See you's both at the training yards t'morrow. Go out behind th' cabins and follow th' path. But remember to get your armour and weapons first." He handed them a piece of paper.

Do you think that means he's accepted us? Asked Britta.

We better hope so.

They ate just outside their cabins and then got into bed after washing faces and hands. After the shutter was shut and all was dark they slept easily. The next morning Britta hoped she hadn't woken up too early but knew she had when she couldn't hear anything outside. She felt stiff and made a split-second decision to go for a run to try build strength. She knew that with her complete lack of training she would be very behind and hoped she wasn't the only one just beginning here. She pushed open the door and resolved to follow that path to the training grounds first. With swift, silent steps she pushed out the window and made her way into the forest. It was now second nature to glance at the ground for obstacles and on the bare dirt track she had no problem in keeping her feet quiet.

By the time she got to the training area she was panting and felt her muscles burning. She winced, and then scowled, promising herself that she would do this and whatever else she had to do each morning to get stronger and do well in this place.

She walked past the target range and then became aware that someone else was in the training yards. Moving silently she crept up to the sword training area. Inside there was only one man. Britta was behind him but from what she could see he was older than her, maybe five years her senior. He had black hair which was gathered at the nape of his neck. Britta moved closer trying to get his technique and wondering if it would be any use. His movements were quick but she felt he was leaving things unguarded. It didn't take her long to figure out that in armour those areas would be difficult to penetrate.

Then, as though he had worn himself out he turned and looked up as he was slipping his sword into its scabbard. His ice blue eyes caught Brittas. She froze.

At first, she thought he was the Strange-Man, but there was something in his face which made him appear more human. His stare was curious rather than cold and she forced the look of terror off her face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked gruffly.

Britta squared her shoulders. "I came for a run before the others were up." She said, focusing too hard on keeping her voice steady to care what she was really saying. He must be able to see the fear in my eyes – she thought, but the man said nothing.

"You'll need to know how to climb. Practice that."

Britta did not dispute his order. Something about his posture told her he was high up here and she had no desire to let her mask of fearlessness slip. "Where would be a good place to do that?" She asked, wary of his cold eyes.

He nodded towards the path that continued along the other side. "If you go left of there you'll find some cliffs you can practice on." He narrowed his eyes at her. "What weapon are you using? Bow I'd guess."

Britta huffed. "Dagger." She said, wondering why everyone assumed bow. She wasn't that small. She looked at Micah. He was just above average height and yet she was over a head shorter than him.

He nodded curtly. "You'll need a lot of training, you have the build for Bowman."

"I know that," she muttered, "I'll train 'till I've mastered it." She said determinedly. As she said it Britta realized it was true and squared her shoulders. So what if she was a girl? She could still learn. She could, and she would. She was once a scared girl with no family except Diana, but she had learned to live with that. Now she could learn to live with this.

***

Trying to use the accents (Am reading every line Hagrid speaks in Harry Potter) but frankly not getting it. Eh, I'm working on it.