Prologue

"You're daft, Jos."

"He's right, she'll just turn ya down."

"And if she doesn't-!" the three young men glanced at one another and then burst into laughter, Berk's arm over Asnier's shoulder, and Sidden bent double clutching his stomach. The fourth boy, Jos, stood erect before them, his pale face stern; his dark eyes bright. He made no answer to his friends' taunting, but his jaw was working visibly. He never should have told them what he planned to do. It was foolish, and he had known it at the time, but Jos had never been one to listen to his own forebodings. He preferred to seek his friends' council, trusting their insight more then his own… these were however the most common reactions to his many confidences.

"Seriously though, lad, of all the pretty girls on the Isle, you had to fall for the only one who loves the sight of blood on her hands." Berk shook his head at him ruefully.

"That isn't true!" Jos hissed, his long delicate hands balling into fists, a heat rising to his face. Sidden put a hand to his shoulder, "Settle down Silverdog, Berk was only joking." He used the name he and the others had given Jos when he was very little, and had first arrived on the Isle. Jos and his mother were northerners, and when the boy was small he would go out nights and howl as he had at home, expecting the wolves to answer. Instead only dogs and coyotes would awake and make a confused answer. The other boys did not know what a wolf was, and Jos had described it to them. Since then he had been known among them jokingly as Silver Dog.

Jos glared into Sidden's friendly eyes, his dark hair falling over a white forehead. He was still paler then the others, and now during the winter months he seemed almost a ghost. "I find no humor in it. I should never have told you my feelings!" he hissed.

"You're probably right." Sidden nodded, then held Jos's shoulder as he tried to stride away with what little dignity he still had. "Another little joke Josy! Please, allow us our mirth, you know we will help you in the end."

Asnier reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. As shortest and youngest of the lot, not to say a foreigner, Jos was nearly used to being treated as everyone's younger brother. "Of course we'll help you… though the best help I can think of is trying to convince you to use a smaller bow."

"You do aim rather high." Berk guffawed.

"You three don't know anything." Jos said curtly, still glaring.

"I do know your ladylove is more likely to split a lip than kiss it. And I also know-!" he continued loudly as Jos tried to protest again, "-that that will not deter you at all." Asnier sighed. "And that nothing will stand in your way."

A small smile lit up Jos's pale and so often solemn face, "So you'll come to the market with me?" he asked hopefully. Asnier rolled his eyes at him, "Of course we will… you'd look like a fool wandering around there by your lonesome."

"He'll look a fool in any case." Berk commented, "And us with him."

"Hush Berk, the dog might bite you."

Jos glared at them all a last time, and strode off toward the marketplace. His friends followed at their leisure, still laughing and joking amongst themselves. But once Jos was out of hearing range Asnier turned to Sidden gravely. "If we were true friends we wouldn't allow him to do this."

Asnier sighed, "You know as well as I that he'd do it anyways… this way perhaps we can ward him, at least a little."

"Maybe we should tell his mother?" Berk offered, only half in earnest. Jos's mother was a well known healer and a force to be reckoned with. She was very protective of her son, and the boys had learned early on that keeping secrets from her that involved Jos was very bad for their health.

"He'd kill us Berk., and rightly so. …let's just get through and done with this. Maybe she'll turn him down nicely and we'll all go for a pint afterwards." Sidden looked up at the gray sky hopefully. It was too cold and windy to be outside for long today, the air was full of wind-chimes and the flapping of the leaves, the underlying roar of the sea and a dampness that seemed to reach intently for the islanders' bones. Not a day for the market at all.

They caught up to Jos behind Minda's butchery, where he crouched behind a large bin, peeking over the top and biting his thumbnail as he always did when nervous. The three gave each other a pained looked, and Asnier tapped Jos's shoulder. "Jos, what're you-"

"Get down!" the boy hissed, "She's right across the path! …they always come at this time, I knew she'd be here."

The three friends followed Jos's gaze to the small family that stood outside the spice tent. Asnier drew in breath as he recognized the HuMan ambassador and his wife. He had no clue what possessed Jos to approach the least approachable girl in the kingdom at very possibly the least approachable moment of her life, but he couldn't help being relieved someone was there to pick up the pieces afterwards, even if it was him and his friends.

A/N: This is the beginning of Rockchild, sequel to The HuMan Prince, but it can be read on its own, I think. You don't have to read the first book first, and all that. Still, it would probably be a good idea. Please enjoy and review!