Chapter One

At the Inn Table

Tag yawned and stretched, her eyes slowly moving around the crowded inn. She yawned again, and wondered dully why inns were always either crowded, or empty. Really, she had never been to an inn that was only half full. hmm...

"Excuse me, Miss... would you like anything to drink?"

Tag glanced over her shoulder at the blushing girl, and shrugged. "I dunno. What do you have?"

"Umm..." The girl paused, looking nervous. "Oh, um, I really don't know... beer? Milk?"

"I see. How clean is your water?" Tag asked, turning around fully to inspect the girl. She was too young to be serving in a crowded atmosphere like this, what with drunk men...

"Clean water? Oh, um... I don't know, miss... I'm sorry." The girl shifted her position, looking like she was on the edge of tears.

Slightly alarmed, Tag's eyebrows rose, and she patted the girl's arm kindly. "Nothing, then."

The girl curtsied, and bolted for the kitchens, before stopping, and turning towards another table, looking terrified.

Tag shook her head, and turned back around, tapping her fingernails against the wooden table, watching as a handsome knight pulled the nearest beer towards himself, laughing loudly. She eyed the flying bird symbol on his chest, not recognizing it. He must be a new knight then, for Tag made it her business to know all knights sigils, in case she ever got into trouble.

Not of course, like Tag was the sort of person who annoyed other people... she grinned wryly, but stopped, realizing that some one was watching her. She looked up, and met the bright green eyes of the man sitting opposite her.

"Hello darling!" He said, beaming at her.

Tag scowled. Stupid man... Wait... where had she seen him before? Scowling harder, Tag glared at him, taking in those green eyes, shaggy brown-red hair, wide smile, and fine features. Nothing clicked. Oh well.

"Is there no hello for me?" He wondered, leaning forward and smiling benevolently at her. "What have I done to deserve your hatred, Mistress?"

"Please don't flirt with me," Tag said, sighing and leaning back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You haven't answered either of my questions," he pointed out, leaning back as well.

"Do I have to?" Tag wondered, genially interested.

"S-something t-t-to drin-nk, s-s-sir?" The young serving maid was back, looking absolutely terrified as she stood in front of the young man.

"No thank you. Currently, all desire in me is fulfilled," he said, glancing at Tag's horrified look with amusement.

The girl scuttled away, and Tag stared at the man, scandalized.

He smiled back, and held out his hand. "Hello, I'm Aerseth!"

Tag stared at the hand, and then looked up at him, frowning. "That's nice. If you want women, scaring them isn't going to work. Like that comment about your desire? No."

Aerseth looked shocked. "Really? It's worked before, I'll have you know!"

"Oh really?" Tag asked sarcastically. "On who, pray tell?"

"Her." Aerseth nodded towards one of the older serving maids, who looked to be in her late teens. Currently, the girl was giggling as she served meals to the knight and his men.

Tag laughed loudly, and instantly muffled it by covering her mouth with one hand. Snickering, she looked back up at Aerseth and his hurt look.

"Ha!" She broke into peals of laughter again, and resorted to chuckling into her arms, unable to stop herself.

"It's not that funny," Aerseth muttered, disgruntled.

Tag wiped away a tear, and grinned up at the young man, snorting into her hands at the look on his face.

"Stop!" Aerseth gasped. "Stop laughing at me!"

"I can't help it!" Tag shrieked, laughing hysterically. "Those kind of idiots fall for ANY kind of man!"

Aerseth sniffed disdainfully, and turned away from Tag. "You're not a very nice person, did you know that?"

"I don't have to be," Tag replied truthfully, her laughter dying away. "So, your name's Aerseth... that means trickster in the Old Tongue."

"So I've heard," Aerseth replied stiffly, still refusing to totally forgive her. "Why were you laughing at me?"

Tag suppressed giggles, and waved her hand towards the serving maid, who had somehow found herself sitting on a man's lap. "Those sorts of people are stupid," she said, shrugging. "They'll go for anyone, as long as he looks nice and has money."

Aerseth pouted slightly, and then glanced up at Tag. "So, who are you anyway?"

She shrugged, quite unwilling to tell him. "Myself."

"You must be someone important then," he said, placing his chin in one of his palms.

Mildly surprised, Tag raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward. She enjoyed watching people struggle to figure out who she was. most people hardly suspected that the Crown Prince Jakian's head mage was a lazy seventeen year old. However, she supposed that she'd have to be careful with Aerseth. Although he appeared to be stupid and cute, with a name like that, she wasn't willing to trust him.

"Let's see. You're unwilling to tell me your name, but you kindly give me information about your personality... you're used to men trying to seduce you." Aerseth said, tapping his free hand against the table.

Tag laughed loudly, causing a few of the other customers to stare at her wonderingly. "SEDUCE ME!" She shrieked, delighted.

Aerseth laughed loudly too, discovering that her moods were slightly infectious. "YES!"

"Excuse me!" A boy seated himself between Tag and Aerseth, frowning. "Would you two please refrain yourselves from talking so loudly?!"

Tag blinked at him. "get lost, Squirt," she said, turning back to Aerseth, who in her mind, had greatly improved from the dork who had sat down a few minutes ago. "So, what else?"

"Well-" Aerseth began, but the boy cleared his throat loudly, and leaned forward farther.

"I ASKED if you could stop from conversing in such loud tones!" He said, glaring at the two of them. "You were disturbing me and my sister!"

Both Tag and Aerseth paused to glanced over the boy's shoulders at a tall girl who was blushing, and looking uncomfortable.

"Hallo," Tag said cheerfully, smiling at the girl. "Is he really your brother? The two of you look nothing alike!"

"He calls himself my brother," the girl said quietly, looking up at the boy with dark eyes. "Although the truth of it is not to be told."

Aerseth snickered, and Tag kicked him from under the table. "Alright then... Whoa."

"What?" Aerseth looked up at Tag, surprised. Following her gaze, he was startled to see a tall man step into the inn. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced quickly at Tag, realizing that she recognized the new customer as well, with the same dislike. Again, he wondered who she was, but by then, the stranger had noticed their group.

"Ah."

He sat down across from the boy, and pushed back the hood of his cloak. "Tagaerth, dear! What a surprise to find you here!"

"Tagaerth?" Aerseth had heard the name before, and it too associated unpleasant things in his mind. Frowning, he watched Tag's face closely, noting the underlying displeasure in her false smile.

"Should I go around spreading your sweet name?" She asked, clasping one of her hands over the newcomer's. Smiling sweetly, she edged closer to him, and raised her eyebrows. "Surely, though, you don't often come to inns to get drunk."

"Apparently, darling, neither do you," the young man replied, gesturing with his free hand at the empty tabletop. "And who might your friends be?" His light blue eyes flitted up to Aerseth, which made him grin, and then onto the boy and girl.

"What are you doing here?" Aerseth asked quietly, ignoring the question. "Shouldn't you be ordering your minions around or something?"

"Can I get you anything to eat?"

Tag jumped, startled, as the giggly serving maid leaned over to the newcomer, smiling widely.

"Where did SHE come from?" Tag mouthed to Aerseth.

Aerseth blinked slowly, and shrugged lightly, looking away quickly. It was no good, he decided, now that he knew who she was.

Tag pursed her lips, deciding that Aerseth hated her, and turned to the serving maid. "I'm sorry," she said sweetly, but could you please leave? We were in the middle of an important discussion..."

The girl pouted, and turned her back to Tag, speaking directly to the newcomer. "What will you have, sir?"

"EXCUSE M-" Tag began, but before she could finish, the world shifted.

Tag doubled over, clutching her stomach, her head throbbing, as the world vibrated, and slowly... sickeningly slowly, began to move... reshaping... reforming... Someone was screaming, a hand reached out to grab her as she tipped...

Tag fell off the chair as the world blacked out.