Lily smiled sweetly at her old lover, Jason. He still thought she was his lover, but he was not that smart. Lily had liked him for his looks and then she had realized how stupid he was. With the realization came her idea to use him. She still let him believe that if he proved himself to her that she would come back to him. He tried to everything he could to get her back, even moping around when she left for her father’s “country estate”. But, he was a good contact for this reason. Many of the people at the palace remembered her father, and though the king hadn’t ordered her locked up, she was watched.

The king had ordered a guard on her for her “protection”, but the funny thing was that it was Jason. And he was so easy to lose while she was off doing “Lady like pursuits” just as the king wanted. She let the king believe that she was a perfect little noble woman who sat around doing embroidery most of the day. The king, Govan, didn’t even know that she had ever had a lover among his guard. So, it was so easy for her to sweet talk Jason into letting things slip, and then to go off to her embroidery and sneak off to give knowledge to the rebel side.

The one skill she never let out was that she was a trained as an assassin by her father. It was how she killed the guards who might recognize her without Jason. She hadn’t even told the rebel side that she worked for right now.

Jason, liking her smile, leaned forward to kiss her as if that would bring her back to him. Lily quickly turned away and then pecked him on the cheek, the entire time thinking that he was so disgusting in his with his stupid fumbling ways. He might be handsome and have a lot of muscle, but he was so disgustingly stupid!

Jason smiled lightly, though disappointed that he had only gotten a peck on the cheek and whispered, “Can you stay at you embroidery for a while pretty Lily. King wants me to go with a group out hunting. There are enough guards here to protect you right? I don’t need to assign you one like the king told me to?” Jason put a big hand on either side of her head so that he could hold her still for a kiss. Lily kissed him back instead of trying to pull away. He was to strong for her to be able to pull away anyway and it might upset Jason or it might lead him to try and do more. She had kissed him before she had found out how silly he was anyway, so it wasn’t that big a deal.

Finally, Jason pulled away and when Lily had regained her breath she whispered huskily, like he had actually attracted her, “Of course Jason. I will wait with fear every second you are gone.” Jason smiled, patted the top of her head like a dog and then leaned in for another kiss without grabbing her before she had time to escape it.

When he had finished he said, “Never worry Lily, I will come back for you, my love. I will prove that I am worthy of your love again oh Lily.” And then he walked away, leaving her to her “embroidery.”

This escape would be easier than most. Lily slipped by many guards through the shadows and to the wall. She slipped through a crack she had found in the wall and then she used the shadows to get to the kings forest. She had a fairly good estimate of when the men would get to the forest for the rebel side and she knew that she would be ahead of them since they would just be tacking up their horses.

When she found the rebel camp she asked for Zalnara, saying she had news. A rebel guard led her to the rebel leader’s tent and knocked on pole of the tent. Zalnara yelled, “Come in.”

Upon seeing her, Zalnara asked, “So what news brings you here right now?”

Lily kept her stone mask on her facial expressions and said, “King’s men are coming. Jason told me himself, because he is to be one of them. They come on a hunting trip to the forest. It would be a good time for a skirmish so as to kill a couple men.”

Zalnara nodded and turned toward the back corner of her room and said, “Jervon, please write a notice that I am bringing major mages and leaders to my tent to discuss this.” It was then that Lily noticed a young man in the corner writing away furiously. He had blonde hair that was cut in a page boy hair cut and blue eyes with pale skin.

Zalnara, noticing Lily’s discomfort at not knowing who this boy was said, “This is Jervon, my new scribe and personal gaurd. Jervon this is Lily.”

Lily berated herself for not noticing the man. She needed more practice if she didn’t note everyone in a room. She did see that beneath Jervon’s shyness that he kept stealing glances at her even as he pretended to be keeping his head down while saying, “Hello my lady.” She could tell that he was fascinated to meet her even if he pretended to be shy.

Zalnara then called to the guard outside the tent, “Guard, fetch messenger Hanrad. He said that he would be willing to attend Aura as a messenger and servant. Tell him to summon her to the meeting. He can tell her however he wants that he is her new personal messenger. I want all the other messengers to summon the people on this list.” Then Zalnara turned back toward Lily and said, “Thankyou. We will watch for the men. You are dismissed so that you won’t be missed.” Then Zalnara turned toward Jervon and said, “Give the list to the guard and then escort Lady Lily out of the camp please.”

Jervon finished his list, got up and bowed to Zalnara and said, “As you wish my Lady.” He then turned toward Lily and motioned toward the door saying, “Please come Lady Lily.” Lily walked through the door and waited for him. She didn’t need escorting, but it was best to follow Zalnara’s wishes. Once Jervon finished giving the names to the guard, he walked with her to the edge of the camp, just in time for Lily to see that the camp was being attacked! Somehow the men from the palace had found the camp! They weren’t just hunting! She should have no better! But the men had moved so swiftly that she hadn’t even guessed! Jervon grimaced and said, “Lady, I must get back to my Lady Zalnara. Can you make it back to the palace without being noticed from here? Or would you like help getting out of the camp.”

Lily replied without letting emotion show, “Go to Zalnara, I will be fine on my own.” Then Lily had an idea, “No, wait, can you tie me up and bring me near the fighting? I will be recognized. Gag me and blindfold me too. Then leave me and go to Zalnara.”

Jervon, who had been about to leave turned around and whispered, “Your wish is my command, Lady” Jervon trussed her up, Just like she had asked him to. He left her near the fighting, slumped against a tree.

Lily heard a voice scream, “Lily!” and then strong hands grabbed her up onto a saddle. It was a fighting saddle meant to be ridden astride, but someone, who she suspected to be Jason, held her sideways, probably because of the fact that she was a lady and she was wearing skirts, and her feet were bound up. She would get highly questioned and Jason might get in trouble, but it would mean that all deaths and disappearances would be taken as a rebel assassin or spy. All in all, she felt like it was a good days work that she had done. Even tied up and being carried sideways on a horse and a big hand stroking her hair.

Lilli hated being dragged along. Why did the guy have to drag her? She would willingly walk. But, the guy dragged her by her ear and so she stumbled along with him, trying to ease some of the pain on her ear. Finally he released her for a second, but the next thing she knew she had a blindfold on and he had thrown her over his shoulder. Again he went on but this time she heard the other boys footsteps as well.

Finally, she was dropped and her blindfold was taken off by gentler hands. She was in a dimly lit room with no windows and rotting board walls. There were mostly boys and a couple of girls sitting around the room’s floor playing dice, card games, drinking, sleeping, or talking. There was one older boy though who sat on a chair looking bored. Lilli, from what she knew of pack hideouts, could tell that this boy was the alpha male of the pack. The girl standing near him was probably the alpha female. The alpha male was obviously the pack leader since he sat in the chair. It was rare that the alpha female was the pack leader.

The rough boy who had dragged her to this place snarled at her, “Don’t forget to be nice to your elders. The alphas don’t like disrespect.” Then he kicked her lightly and walked forward toward the pack leader.

The older boy in the chair said, “Hey Jordan, where did you pick up the bitch?” The alpha female eyed her and said, “She looks quite furious at the way you handled her Jordan. You’re never going to pick up a girl with an act like that.”

Jordan, as Lilli figured that the boy who had dragged her was called bowed his head and said, “I found the bitch in a patrol. Says her name is Lilli and she’s a thief looking to join a pack, told her that not many thieves live outside a pack when in the city.” Jordan did not reply to the queen. Lilli figured that he didn’t care to.

The older boy in the chair then said, “Thank you for bringing her here Jordan. You are dismissed. Largon will watch her.” Then he turned toward Lilli and said, “Well Lilli, we will give you a trial run here before allowing you in the pack. Our pack is the garnets and I am pack leader and alpha male, Rebin. When you address me you can call me sir until you are of higher status. I don’t care what age you are in this pack, but if you get in trouble, you get yourself out.”

Then, the girl behind his chair spoke up, “I am the Alpha female Sarah. You address me as pleases you. I act as all ye younger ones mother hen. So if you’ll come with me I would be happy to get you settled. Rebin normally gives a one week trial.”

AN: Well here is the next chapter. Hope that you all enjoy it. Please review.