~Two years later

      "No! Please no!" Edvin begged. Abby and Jesper giggled as Edvin tried to snatch the map in Jespers hand. Jesper was quick though, and danced out of Edvins reach.

"Come on Ed! You've been working on this stupid map for weeks now, come have some fun!" Jesper teased. Edvin glared at the two of them and shook his head.

"I promised the Oberjarl I'd have that map finished by a week from now." He moaned. Abby rolled her eyes jokingly at the older boy. Jesper handed it back.

"You're so boring." She said. Jesper laughed at her remark and took her hand, leading her away from Edvin.

"We can watch the match without him." He said. "Besides, The twins will meet us up there." She looked at him with a smug look. He laughed and pulled her through the village of Hallasholm. The two of them could hear the wrestling match taking place in a field a little ways away from the city. The match was between Lugion Deepwaters, and Frother Blacksmith. Abby was betting on Frother since he had been kind to her when she had first arrived in Hallasholm. He had made her a intricate iron sword that had images of the Skandian Gods etched into the grip. She and her surrogate brother Hal would spar often. He was amazed by her skill at first, and began to teach her some of the things he was taught by Thorn.

   "Fancy seeing you here, Milady." She heard one of the twins say. She smiled as Ulf and Wulf approached them from the right.

"I wouldn't miss a good match." She said, digging her elbow into the nearest twin.

"Is Hal going to meet us here?" The other asked. She shook her head.

"Hal and Stig are at the shed working on the ship." She said. The twins nodded their understanding and they all carefully watched the match. It wasn't too long before Frother had Lugion pinned underneath him. When they announced the winner, Jesper groaned as he passed Abby a coin. She smiled as she took it and slipped it into her shirt. Jesper glared at her as he watched her place it where she knew he wouldn't even try to regain it.

    After the match, the four of them walked through the village streets. The rest of the crew was off doing other things. Stefan said he wanted to mimic some girls and trick them into thinking he was cute. Ingvar said he would be taking care of his three year old nephew, Which Abby didn't find safe since he was as blind as a bat. Edvin was making the map. Stig and Hal were working on the ship, And Lydia was out hunting that morning. As they were walking, The twins began to argue and they soon left, leaving Jesper and Abby to walk together.

"So why aren't you hanging out with any of your other friends today?" Jesper asked, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. She gave him a sad smile.

"I don't have any other friends. None my age at least. No one wants to befriend an Araluen." She said. Jesper said nothing for a moment, they just continued walking towards Karinas eating house.

"I don't understand why people have to put labels on people." He mumbled. She nodded a bit.

   They reached the eating house and Jesper wrapped her in his arms, their usual way of goodbyes. When he pulled away, he had a grin that made Abby feel uncomfortable.

"Bye Abby." He began to walk away. As his back was turned, he held up a coin over his shoulder so she could see. She gasped in horror and quickly looked down her shirt and saw the coin was gone.

"Jesper! I will get you for that!" She yelled at him as he began to run away. She didn't know what made her more mad, that he had stolen the coin, or that he had somehow reached down her shirt to get it...

***

The next morning, Abby started the bread dough and ran outside the fetch water from the well as she heated up the ovens. As she ran outside, she was startled as she was greeted by a man she had never met. He did not tell her his name, but he simply informed her that the Oberjarl wanted to see her right away. She ran back into the kitchen and told Karina she would be back and than ran up to the great hall.

   Erak said nothing as Abby entered his quarters, but she instantly saw why she was there. Across from the Oberjarl, sat Gilan. Her Godfather stood as she entered the room, folded his arms and gave her a stern look.

"Abby." He said simply. She said nothing for a moment, then she spoke.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, more forcefully then she intended. "If you think you're taking me back to Araluen, you're..." She was interrupted by Gilan.

"I'm not here to take you back yet, Abby. I just came here to inform you that your father is starting to come around. We gave him an apprentice and it seems to be helping a lot." He said. She rose an eyebrow.

"What is the name of his apprentice?" She asked curiously. Gilan smiled a bit.

"Maddie." She couldn't believe what she was hearing! They let Maddie become an apprentice but not her?!? Gilan must have seen the anger in her eyes because his smile faded into a frown. "What is it?" He asked her. She sat down in one of the chairs and let out a deep breath.

"You let Maddie become a ranger, but not me." She looked really hurt. Gilan rose an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you wanted to be a ranger. Alyss always said you wanted to be a Courier." He said. She glared up at him.

"Gil, why on Earth would I want to become a Courier? It's all grace and perfection. I know I may look like my mother, but I have my fathers personality." She said. Gilan bit his lip and nodded.

"Yes you do. So what are you going to do?" He asked.

"I want to stay in Hallasholm. I have friends here, and a roof over my head, a job, and I get to be who I want to be." she explained. Erak nodded his agreement.

"She's a hard little worker. Karina said she couldn't be more proud." He said. Gilan let out a deep breath.

"And what will you do if your father wants you back?" He asked her. She said nothing. She simply stood and left.

***

"Where have you been all day?" Hal asked as he approached her on the shelf above the water.

"Hiding." She said simply. He sat down next to her and nudged her with his elbow.

"Come on, tell me. A little Araluen to Araluen." He said grinning. She rolled her eyes.

"You're only half Araluen." She said. He shrugged and gestured for her to to on.

"My Godfather arrived this morning. He told me that they let my Cousin Maddie become a ranger. She's apprenticed to my father. She always gets her way, and I'm sick of it. Gilan said when my father is ready to take my back, then I must leave Hallasholm and go live with him and Maddie. But that means I'll be stuck with her for another four years." She said with disgust. Hal said nothing for a moment.

"Wow, um...maybe you can talk to Erak and see if he'll let you stay?" He said. She let out a shuddering sigh.

"My father has say over what becomes of me." She said sadly. She turned to Hal to see his eyes full of sadness. "What is it?" She asked him. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Mam and I were not going to tell you till your birthday." He said. Her fourteenth birthday was in a week.

"Tell me what?" She asked. He gave her a weak smile.

"We want to adobt you." Abby felt her heart surge with joy as he said the words. She had grown to love Karina as she had loved Alyss, and she had grown to love Hal as a brother. Nothing could make her happier.

"Really?" She asked, not believing what she heard.

"You've been like a little sister to me, Ab. Mam says you're the daughter she's always wanted. We both agree if we feel that way, we might as well make it official. That is, if you want to..." He said. She gave him a big grin and threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"Of course!"

***

"Abby." The whisper startled her out of her sleep. She jumped when she saw Jesper standing in the corner of her room. She pulled her covers tightly around her and stood.

"What are you doing in here! Karina will kill you if she finds you in here!" She whispered harshly. He walked over to her and pressed his index finger over her lips to silence her.

"I need to speak with you." He said. His voice sounded scared. She rose her eyebrow and gestured for him to speak, but he shook his head. "Not here." She rolled her eyes and forced him into the corner facing the wall while she changed into a dress. Once she was finished, he helped her out the window and she landed in the snow up to her knee. She gasped at the rush of cold that went through her body. Jesper landed lightly next to her and took her hand, leading her away from the house. They were both careful not to be seen, and they were almost successful, until Thorn looked out his lean-to door to see the two of them disappearing behide the tree line.

     They walked for about ten minutes in silence until Abby couldn't handle it any more. She pulled out of his grip and stared at him, waiting for the answer to why he pulled her out of her warm bed and into the cold weather.

"I was in the great hall when I heard the Oberjarl talking in hushed voices to a stranger. He was tall with dark hair and wore a strange cloak. I couldn't resist the urge to eavesdrop. They were talking about you." He said. His eyes were full of fear. She knew the stranger had to be Gilan.

"What did they say, Jesper?" She asked. He refused to meet her gaze. She placed her hand on his cheek, moving his head until he was looking into her big brown eyes.

"Hal already told the crew that you accepted his offer. That you will become his sister. The Oberjarl told the stranger how Hals mam had asked if you could officially become part of their family. The stranger looked angry. He told Erak that you cannot be bound to Hal and Karina. He said...He said that he was taking you back to Araluen tomorrow morning." Jesper said sadly. Abby stared at Jesper in horror.

"Gilan is taking me back? No!" She felt the urge to run. Run away from everything. If she ran, Gilan wouldn't be able to take her back to her father. Jesper took her hand and pulled her too his chest in a tight embrace.

"We can't let them take you from us, Abby. You're a Heron now, and we don't abandon one another. Let's go round up the crew and tell them the situation." He went to walk back to Hallasholm, but Abby grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks. She didn't have anything to say, she just stared into his eyes.

"Thank you, Jesper. I'll never be able to repay you." She said in a hushed whisper. He said nothing, just stared at her for a moment, looking as if he was fighting with himself. Abby realized what part of him won the arguement when he pulled her to his chest and kissed her on the lips.