The late night stars twinkled, casting light into some areas, making them perfect for moonlit walks. The landscape was ideal also, it being the middle of a forest, where the stars twinkled through branches, casting the forest in a pearly light. Of course, that wasn't what Akili was here for, not in the least.

Blonde hair aglow in the moonlight, and emerald eyes searching, Akili crept along in the shadows of giant trees, making no sound except the light tapping of a cloth bag against her uniform. The green and black midriff top with black lining the edges of her sleeves and the bottom of her shirt looked like it blended in with the shadows around her. Black and dark green cargo pants only made the effect better, and the small dagger and lead tipped stick hanging by her side made her look dangerous. You didn't want to be caught around here.

Where was here exactly? Here was where Akili had trailed a group of murderers to their hideout, deep in the forest. As a Kings Guard, it was her job to find and bring in criminals, especially these ones. They had brought down her partner only days ago, where she had watched as he passed on into the Afterlife. Her eyes narrowed, she had spotted movement in another shadow, and was positive that it was Scrailen, the look out for the night.

Making no sound, Akili snuck up behind him, positive that she was invisible. Oh was she wrong. Three shadows around her flicked to reveal Tralien, Muffer, and Butchens, who happened to be in the gang also. The only one missing was the gang leader. Then realization dawned on her as Scrailen whipped around, attempting to swipe at her with a dagger. Akili gasped, and pulled out her wand just in time. Blocking his blow, she grabbed his wrist, flinging him over her shoulder and into the tree behind her.

My POV

Muffer laughed, "Aw look, the big bad Kings Guard sent out a little Trainee to get us. I'm quaking' in me boots!" He snorted, and slapped Tralien on the back. I had to think up a lie fast, since I was only a Trainee, and it wasn't my shift. I had no back up or other Guard members waiting. I was alone. I had hoped to take them by surprise, but my plan had failed. Now only one option was left. "Didn't you notice?" I asked, hoping I sounded convincing, "You're surrounded. Twenty Guard members on each side of you and you've no escape route." I hoped they bought it, for the sake of my own skin. Butchens gulped, "No joke?" Then, just to make my voice even colder, I thought of Evins, my partner.

"Nope." And then I lunged. I dove straight for the fallen Scrailen, knocking him across the head, to make sure he was out. Then, I took my weighted wand and brought it down across Butchens' knees. Tralien grabbed me, throwing me against a tree. I picked myself up, my back throbbed horribly, and my vision spun, but now was not the time to faint. With Butchens immobilized, and Scrailen out cold, the only two left were Tralien and Muffer. The latter of the two jumped forward, "No joke, my ass, you're the only kid here!" I ducked, ramming my elbow into his stomach. He grunted, falling to the ground as Tralien charged at me.

The large burly man was twice my height, myself being only 17. He knocked me to the ground, and I found his large hands against my throat. My wand came up to his throat also; we would see who lasted longer. Rolling about in the dirt, we each tried to get a purchase on the other, when I heard footsteps. There was a large smacking sound, and Tralien's grip on my throat slackened enough for me to get a proper breath. Black fuzzed around the edges of my vision, and the last thing I saw before I blacked out was the uniform of the Kings Guard.

-------

"Akili, you awake?" I heard the voice, just reaching my ears through the thick black blanket that surrounded me. I stirred, and muttered, "Marshals?" Yes, I was sure now, that was none other than my best friend Alex Marshals, also a Trainee. As I pushed back the heavy blanket on my mind, reality came into focus, and along with it, the pain. As soon as I opened my eyes, I felt as if a sledge hammer had come crashing down on my skull. I moaned and covered my face with a shaking hand. "Hey, Keels, I'm not even going to ask if you're feeling better, but may I ask what the hell you think you were doing? You probably nearly got yourself killed!" That was Alex for you, as soon as you wake up he lectures you on how you nearly didn't.

I sighed and rolled over, suddenly finding the strength to open my eyes and speak. "Shut up." I hissed, straight and simple. Alex blinked, obviously shocked. "That's the most annoying thing to hear, when you wake up after jumping a group of bandits. Tell me what happened; don't lecture me on what could've happened." Obviously I wasn't feeling all that great and I didn't want to put up with his worries. Usually I wouldn't mind, but since I was feeling a little, well, edgy… I just couldn't stand it. "You are the most infuriating girl I've ever met!" Alex said, near yelling. "Can't you think like a normal person just once?" I chuckled, which frustrated him more. "Nope, then life might get boring. Now spill, what happened to the bandits?"

Alex calmed down, and put a hand over his face. After a few minutes of collecting himself, he began to tell me what had happened after I had blacked out. "Well, I had been feeling worried about you, you hadn't come after watch duty, you know, since we live in the same complex. So I went out to look for you, asking around and stuff-" suddenly I cut him off, "I don't want to know about how you found me, I want to know what happened!" I cried, exasperated. "I thought you might find it interesting, you know, the information to your whereabouts, but that's not what you want to hear. Well, when I found you, you and the big lummox were wrestling on the ground. As soon as I saw you wouldn't last much longer, I whacked him across the head. Then, some backup came to help out as the other guys woke up. So, I wrapped up the bandits, nice and cozy in their chains, and Ivan carried you back here for me." By the end if Alex's long explanation, I was confused as ever. "Wait, so how did Ivan get there?" Ivan was a friend of mine, poor and street trash as he was; he was an honest man who had a few dirty tricks up his sleeve. Alex sighed again, obviously feeling as exasperated as I was. "That's why I was trying to tell you how I found you. I bumped into him and he asked around. I wouldn't have found you-" he trailed off; this must have been hard on him to say this, and admit he had help. "-without Ivan."

That's when Ivan himself made his grand entrance. Shaggy ebony hair flopped into his face, and green eyes looked about until they zeroed in on me. He walked over, obviously happy that I was awake. "So, how're you feeling, Fuzz?" He only called me Fuzz for reasons unknown to me. I looked up at him, surprised the Guards outside had let him in. I raised an eyebrow, and he shrugged. It was our code for 'Don't Ask'. Then I smiled, picturing the confounded people outside. "All right, I'm a little wobbly. And you?" again, Ivan shrugged, this time more from carelessness about his own well being than from secrecy. "I'm fine, as far as street rats go." Alex grumbled and muttered under his breath, "Street rat, indeed." I elbowed him in the stomach, and looked towards Ivan; it had seemed that he hadn't heard. "Well, at least I don't flounce around in that uniform like it's royal robes, only getting it because I paid my way in." Ivan shot back, tugging on my woman's styled shirt, and Alex's long baggy one. It seemed he had heard. Then, because Ivan knows how protective Alex is, plopped down beside me on the bed, and put one large muscled arm around my shoulders.

I swear just then that a vein popped in Alex's head. He began to shake, and you could see the fury boiling in his brown eyes. "Let. Go. Now." He said, rage making him unnaturally cold. Ivan promptly ignored him, tightening his hold on my shoulders and scooting closer. He whispered in my ear, "Hey, you wanna get outta here afore he 'splodes?" I giggled, which proceeded to make Alex even more furious. Abruptly, Alex pulled back his fist, and hit Ivan square in the jaw. Taken aback, Ivan slowly lifted his hand to his face, "I was just kidding!" He yelled, before landing a punch of his own. I watched as they traded blows for a while, before several hospital attendants pulled them apart. I sat there, in shock for the moment. As the two were thrown out of the room, a young attendant walked over to me and whispered in my ear. "I'd give anything to have two guys fight over me like you just had them do. You must be a very lucky girl." I sat there for a moment, letting the words sink in, and finally realizing what she had been implying. I laughed. "No, no, Ivan had put his arms around me because he just wanted to make Alex mad, and Alex thinks of me as a younger sister. That's all. There isn't any relationship or anything." The attendant looked at me funny, and then walked away.

A moment later, a small runner entered the room, and stopped to gasp for air. She handed a letter to another attendant, and dashed out the door. "It's for you, Miss." She said, handing the note to me. I opened it reluctantly, reading the contents. And what contents they were. Those must have been the most frightening words I had ever heard. My breath caught in my throat as I read:

Dear Trainee,

I have a friend of yours, he won't give his name but I assure you he's a friend. Light hair, blue eyes, you know him. If you want him back alive, you will hand deliver the contents of the bag you wear at your side to this address. Go behind the old theatre building, and to the left. In the forest after about a mile or so, you will find the head quarters that had been destroyed by your friends. I'll meet you there with the boy. Do this or the next time you see him, it'll be one of your next murder cases.

Signed,

I didn't have to read the rest, I knew who it was, and I knew what he wanted. The leader of the gang I had trailed. My hand reached for the bag that I wore at my waist. I knew exactly what he wanted, my little brother for…

The Hourglass.