Tales of Meridya by the Bard, Pelainus [Part 1]

Once upon a time, there exists the land of Meridya, ruled by the Princesire, Tadhg, and his wife, the Queen Saoirse--yes, yes I'm using the 'Medieval Story' characs--who were fair and just to all their subjects. Tadhg's father, Lucan, had died in battle against Rothar, the King of Delwyn, who'd barely survive the War of the Sovereigns. Even so, Rothar was determined to conquer Meridya as a present for his eldest son, Peridan, but Tadhg's army were so skilled that Rothar never managed to commit much destruction.

Then, in Rothar's fiftieth year, when his son Peridan was twenty and five, Rothar's first grandson was born, and they named him Kirby Evandar Peridanson. At the age of four, Kirby was shown to have great skill in swordplay and archery, and have many a time bested others at his skills. Convinced that his grandson's abilities signified his great power, Rothar gathered his sons, including Peridan, and his army, and attacked Meridya.

Alas, that year was a peaceful one for Tadhg and the Meridyans, considering that it was the birthyear of Tadhg's princess, Vanora Firestar, born only several weeks earlier, and the people expected no harm. Therefore the attack upon them were shocking, and many fled the land to safety. Tadhg and Saoirse were killed in battle, but Vanora, who survived, was given to Tadhg's brother, Teinn, and was forever exiled from Meridya.

Immediately after, Peridan and his family moved into the former Princesire's castle, where they lived. Coincidentally, Kirby was given the same room in which the Princess Vanora had, but no one thought much of it.

On the other hand, the moment Teinn realized they were exiled, he escaped into the only safe haven the family had left--Elder Forest, and he raised the child Vanora as his own in the clearing by the river, known to all as Woodland's Crush. Changing the princess' name to Brynn, he taught her etiqutte and maners, palace terms, archery and swordplay, hopeful that maybe, one day, the princess can claim her throne again. Although uncle and niece were exiled, many of their loyal serfs left their places to serve Brynn, and they became her Forest Guards, proclaiming her as the Lady of Woodland's Crush, where they all set camp.

In Brynn's eighth year, Rothar, angered at how many of the Meridyans chose to defy his orders in their loyalty for Tadhg's exiled family, decided to head to Elder Forest to flush out the outlaws. In a ferocious battle, Rothar was killed, and so was Teinn. To avenge her uncle's passing, Brynn took with her a small band of the Forest Guards whom she trusted utmostly, amongst them Oarin son of Jaont the blacksmith, Rhaecus the centaur, and Yenril the archer, to raid the castle for provisions and money.

While everyone else was busy looting, Brynn felt a curious feeling to see her old room. Entering the chamber that was once hers, she saw a boy sleeping in her room. Gripped by a sudden feeling of hate for the person who threw her family into exile, she was ready to shoot an arrow at the sleeping form which was Kirby when he woke up and saw her face clearly by the light from the moon behind her. She couldn't hold back an audible gasp when she noticed that he was only older than her by mere years.

It was strange. She was younger than him, and her bow was strung, with an arrow pointed at his heart, yet Kirby felt that she wasn't here to kill him. His eyes flickered to hers, and he saw something in them that made them shine, not with anger or hate, but with a feeling of loneliness and abandon. And of longing.

She was getting ready to kill the boy, who was obviously a son of Peridan, and she gritted her teeth in longing for the death of her foe. But he continued to look at her, and gave a soft smile. There was nothing patronizing about it, yet she was instantly ashamed for even thinking of killing anyone in such a way.

It was only a brief instant, but he noted--and commited to memory--the whole scene: moonlight behind her, seemingly making an aura around her red hair. He memorized everything about her, from the exact shade of her blue eyes to the shield-pendant that hung around her neck. It was silver, and there was a picture of a stag on it. Kirby blinked, and the girl was gone. He sat up abruptly, getting onto his feet as he ran towards the balcony where hence she entered his room. Looking down, he saw the girl, arrow still affixed, talking and walking with a centaur and several others. Except for the centaur and the girl, they were all carrying small bags filled with gold.

On impulse, Brynn turned and looked up behind her. The boy was up, he saw them with bags from Peridan's treasury. And yet...he did nothing to raise the alarm, as though he wanted them to leave without getting caught. Rhaecus saw where she was looking, and laid a hand on her shoulder. 'That, Brynn, is Evandar, eldest son of Peridan, and yet from what they said about him, he is nothing like his grandfather, Rothar.'

Brynn was confused. 'I was just about to kill him, Rhaecus,' she said softly. 'But I couldn't.'

'That's good,' Rhaecus said soothingly. 'He is not your enemy, Brynn. He never was one of them.'

Looking at Evandar [Kirby] again, Brynn finally drew her arm back, and shot an arrow at him. The arrow hit the balcony, and Kirby picked it up. It was made from the elder tree, and he turned to Brynn again, and he watched as they left, carrying bags of loot with them.

Fanfic Now: Mr.& Mrs. Smith--What's Next? [Part 3]

Continuing from Part 2...

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'We're cut off,' Jules said, thinking rasionally. 'The only other option is...' she turned to the screen door. They ran towards the balcony and looked down. 'Will it work?'

Wyatt shrugged, cocking his head to one side. 'Only if you trust me.' He held out his hand. Jules stared at it warily. 'After that little stunt you pulled back there? I don't think so.'

'Look, Electra, this is for our best interests--'

'Our? There is no 'our' in this mission, Andrian,' Jules fumed. 'As the wise man said, "First we try, then we trust." We already tried. And unfortunately, I still don't trust you.'

'Come on, Electra,' Wyatt said impatiently. 'If we don't go now...'

'They'll catch us,' Jules said stubbornly. 'So go ahead. Leave me here. I don't mind at all. Nothing makes me happier. I can get out myself.'

Wyatt scowled. As much as he'd hate to admit it, he was strangely reluctant to leave her behind. He didn't want to leave her there with those goons behind her. What was this strange feeling that kept binding him to her? With a sigh he did something he'd never done before: reaching into his pocket, he took out the Evelyn gem and gave it to her. 'Is this enough to gain your trust?' he said quietly.

Jules took it. 'It'll do for a start,' she kept the gem. Then she took hold of Wyatt's hand. The moment their fingertips touched, an electric shock traveled from him to her, and she blinked. Whoa! Now that was something you don't see everyday. Their eyes locked, and his grip on her hand tightened. In quiet silence, they both climbed over the railing, perching dangerously on the railing. Now they just had to wait for their cue to go...

BAM! The door was opened. Throwing the battering ram aside, Rothbart's security were in the room just in time to see two figures jumping down from the balcony. A couple of them went to answer Rothbart's plea of help while the others rushed to the railing and looked down. The water was murky, and they could see nothing in the fast growing darkness.

'Should we go?' one of the guards said. 'Nah,' his superior said darkly. 'It's too dark. Besides, the tide is high, and the current is strong. They're probably swept by the current to their deaths.' He took one last look before leaving.

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Meanwhile.........

Jules struggled to stay afloat in the strong current when she felt someone grab her arm. 'Here,' Wyatt hissed, his wet hair plastered to his head. 'Follow me.' He started swimming with strong strokes, following the current until they arrived at a small, hidden cove several feet from where they jumped. A man was waiting for them there, and he helped Wyatt get to his feet, getting sprayed with droplets of sea water as he did so. 'Gee, Wy, why do you have to get me wet everytime we do this? More importantly, why do I always have to do pickup duty?' His eyes turned wide as Wyatt helped Jules up to her feet. 'And the million dollar question is,' the guy took a proper look at her. 'Who's the babe and what the hell is she doing here?'

Wyatt and Jules exchanged looks. 'Long story,' he decided, eyes still on her. 'Do you have time?'

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'So that's how you met her,' the man, whose name turned out to be Seth, chuckled. 'She sounds fiesty.'

Wyatt acknowledged that with a nod of his wine glass. 'She is. Fiestier than anyone I know.' He looked past Seth, caught up in his own thoughts, remembering her witty remarks; the soft, barely noticeable pout when she was tense; the way she'd run her fingers through her hair.

But he loved her eyes the most.

They were big, shiny orbs of blue. Sultry, burning with passion despite the icy demeanor of her expression. Outwardly, she was harsh and defensive, ready to lash out at anyone who insulted her. He felt that she kept to herself, rarely opening up to anyone outside her close knit circle of comfort. But when he looked into her eyes, he sensed that she was just as vulnerable as anyone else, maybe even more. She carried herself well, and her appearance was that of a knowledgeable and mature young lady, but inside she was just a little kid with trust issues, refusing to be hurt any longer no matter what, reminding Wyatt of a phrase his father once said to him, 'Gain their trust, but trust no one.'

He didn't realize that he'd said that out loud.

'Excuse me?' Seth asked, leaning closer. 'What was that?'

'Nothing,' Wyatt said, biting his lip. Seth chuckled. 'You were thinkin' about her, weren't you, Wy?'

He scowled. 'No, I wasn't.'

Seth grinned again. 'Now, you're lying. Hey, Raphael,' this was to the guy who just came in. 'Wyatt's thinking about our visitor!'

'Oh, is he?' Raphael said, putting down Wyatt and Jules' knapsacks on the floor. After Seth picked them up, they were escorted to a pre-booked hotel room a couple of floors beneath Rothbart's suite. Offering Jules the bathroom in the only bedroom, Wyatt showered in the other, smaller bathroom situated in the living space of the suite. Seth started preparing drinks while Raphael went down to retrieve their stuff.

'Here,' Raphael said, giving Wyatt Jules' bag. 'Give it to her. She'll need it when she comes out.'

'Right,' Wyatt took the bag and entered the bedroom. Leaning on the wall beside the bathroom dor, bag at his feet, he rapped the door with his knuckles, the back of his hand facing the door. 'Yeah?' a voice called out from inside.

'It's Wyatt,' he said. 'I've got your bag out here with me.' Pause. 'Are you coming for it?'

'Yeah,' Jules called again. 'Just give me a second.' She came out two minutes later with a bathrobe on. 'Hey,' she said. Wyatt nodded. 'Hey.' Silence. Then he passed her the bag. 'When you're done, we've got dinner waiting for you.' One last look, then he left the room, closing the door behind him, leaving Jules curious.

'So?' Seth demanded as Wyatt entered the living room. 'What did you say to her?'

'Nothing much,' Wyatt made his way to the fridge. 'What are we having for dinner?'

Seth's gaze faltered. 'Uh, Rafe?'

Rafe shrugged. 'Up to you. I'll call room service. What do you want? Seth?'

'Filet mignon,' Seth said smugly. 'With mixed vegetables and a dab of potatoes at the side.' Rafe nodded. 'Wyatt?'

'Steak au poivre,' he replied immediately. 'With fennel, green beans and herb-roasted potatoes. Steak medium well.'

'And I'll take the salmon,' Rafe concluded. 'What about the girl?'

Wyatt looked up. 'Electra?' he thought a while. 'She'll take the same as mine.'

Seth rubbed his hands in glee. 'And wine?'

'Red,' Wyatt continued. 'Two bottles is more than enough.' He turned to Rafe. 'Go ahead and order. She'll be out soon.'

'Aye aye, Captain,' Rafe nodded and gave a two finger salute before calling Reception with their order.

Fanfic Now: Mr.& Mrs. Smith--What's Next? [Part 2]

Continuing from Part 1.....

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Removing the bread from the tip of her sai, Jules kept the weapon away and walked towards the counter. Pouring hot water into her mug, she filled it almost to the brim and dumped a tea bag inside.

'Earl Grey again?' Ben's voice called out, implying that he'd had his eyes on her after the little stunt with the sai. Jules shook her head and smiled. 'How did you know?' Not like she didn't know how he knew. She drank Earl Grey every morning.

'Please,' Ben shook his head. 'I might not be as good as your mom and dad, but I am observant enough to know that's what you drink every morning. Idiot,' this was under his breath. Jules caught it and pretended to take offence. 'Hey, back at cha.'

'Brat.'

'Backatcha.'

Ben thought hard. 'Donkey.'

'Backatcha.' Jules took a sip from her mug. The tension between them was now gone. Ben groaned. 'Don't you have any other lines?'

Jules smiled. 'Don't need to. "Backatcha" works pretty much most of the time. Look, time out. I really need to get started on my work, okay?' she grabbed her mug. 'I'll see you in a bit.'

Ben cocked his head. 'Julie?'

'Yeah?'

'What happened last night?' Ben asked. 'Where were you?'

Jules thought a while. 'Maybe someday, I'll let you know.' She headed up the stairs to her room. Closing the door behind her, she set the mug down on her sidetable and plopped down onto her bed. Ben's question about her whereabouts last night rattled her. Her entrance last night was either very obvious (which wasn't possible--hey, she was a sucessful thief after all, managing to steal stuff others tried and failed to steal) or he was a better agent than she thought he was. Yeah, that was probably it.

The reason why Jules couldn't come out with a proper excuse to answer Ben was because she herself wasn't sure. She'd snuck out last night, traisping around her neighbourhood, and had fun just being alone. It was quiet at night, and with everyone sleeping, it seemed so peaceful. She was suddenly reminded of an event three years ago...

________________________________

3 Years Ago....

'And again, why are you stealing my mark?' Jules frowned in annoyance. Her partner was just as irritated. 'Gee, I stole your mark? More like you stole mine!' he shot out. Jules raised an eyebrow. 'There's no need to get so pissed off, Andrian.'

'Oh really?' Wyatt Andrian frowned. 'Then what do you suppose I do, Electra?'

They were crouching on the balcony outside a hotel room, hidden by the darkness of the night. Upon meeting Wyatt Andrian, youngest master thief, Jules had introduced herself as Electra, not daring to use her middle name, just in case anyone who knew her parents found out about her as well.

Jules was grousing. The target was hers. Hers, dammit! And now thanks to the timely--Not!--interruption of Mr. Andrian over there, she had to share her credit. The target that day was Kalein Rothbart, owner of Rothbart Jewels, who was staying in the town's most expensive hotels situated by the seaside, The Diamond Treasure, owned by his partner Miguel Rodriguez. The two were going to host a 2-day exhibition on the different diamonds and gems that were found around the world.

It was there that Jules was planning to swipe the Evelyn gem, a large diamond found in Rothbart's mines, which he named after his daughter. Somehow the Andrian guy decided that the Evelyn gem was his mark as well, and he started messing up her plans.

She was doing perfectly fine when security came in and arrested her just as she was about to blow the vault in the hotel safe, where the diamond was kept. Well, okay, she couldn't blame them; she was planning to steal diamond anyway. But then she realized that she'd been caught because of Wyatt Andrian's glitches [apparently he cut the wrong wire, setting off the alarms instead of shutting them down.] Even then, she could still take care of herself. She was just on the verge of taking out the two goons that guarded her when Mr. Cocky came in and rescued her like some freakin' damsel in distress! Now that stung.

After escaping the goons, the two thieves decided to work together to get the gem: 50-50 for each of them. Eavesdropping on Rothbart's conversation with the Head of Security, they found out that for safekeeping, Rothbart was going to keep the diamond in the vault in his usual room--one of the Presidential Suites on the fifth floor, complete with balcony, hot tub, and a marvelous view overlooking the sea.

Dumping their bags and equipment behind a large bush some distance from a section of the sea directly under Rothbart's suite, the thieves took only the necessities: Wyatt, a couple of handguns, ammo, and some other electronic devices to break the safe; Jules, her sai, quite a number of sharp, silver handled knives and, as back up, a SIG P226. Both wore bulletproof vests under their clothes. Using a rope, Jules and Wyatt then proceeded to scale the wall to Rothbart's suite balcony five floors up, the balcony being the easiet and least protected way in.

So here they were, crouching outside the balcony, shielded by several potted plants. It was the perfect hiding place. Rothbart never comes out to the balcony just in case there was a sniper waiting for an opportunity to kill him, and they probably weren't expecting any company, considering the lack of guards to guard the place.

'Electra,' Wyatt hissed. Jules turned around. 'What?'

'Nothing,' he shrugged. 'Just wondering: why so quiet?'

Jules shook her head, but stopped and pointed. 'Hear that?'

Someone was rapping on the door. Inside the room, Rothbart, who was having a soak in the hot tub after depositing the gem, quickly pulled on a robe, and hurried to answer whoever it was. Opening the door, he saw a waiter pushing a trolley with some plates on it. 'Room service, sir,' he explained. 'You ordered the lobster pate with the Caesar salad and wine?'

Rothbart nodded. 'Yes, just leave it here.' He gave the waiter a tip. 'Thank you.' Closed the door behind the waiter. Looked around before pushing the trolley into the bathroom. Closed the door behind him again. Wyatt blinked. 'He eats, he drinks, and soaks in the hot tub at the same time? Doesn't he have anything better to do?'

Jules resisted rolling her eyes. 'Come on. We can go in now, steal the gem, get out of here.' She opened the screen door and entered, Wyatt right behind her. 'Wait,' he held out a hand as they passed the door to the bathroom. Jules frowned. 'What now?'

Giving a soft chuckle, Wyatt crept to the door and locked it. He grinned at Jules, who threw her hands up in the air, half impressed, half exasperated. 'Can we turn to the situation at hand now?'
'Of course,' Wyatt said, pulling out a small device from his pocket. Attaching the device onto the safe door, he pressed a button and there was a soft click as the safe door opened to reveal the Evelyn diamond. 'There you go,' he whispered, pocketing the gem. Jules was now indignant. 'Hey,' she hissed. 'I thought we said fifty-fifty!'

Wyatt gave her a roguish smile. 'I guess I lied.'

'You little--'

Then they heard it.

An unmistakable rapping on the bathroom door. 'Hey, someone, let me out of here!' Rothbart yelled through the door. Silence for a moment. Then a loud slamming sound from the bathroom. Alarms came on. Rothbart started laughing like a maniac.

'Shit!' Wyatt cursed. 'He had a panic button installed in the bathroom of all places? Doesn't he have anything better to do?'

But the worse was yet to come. Suddenly it seemed that someone was trying to crash the front door down. 'You inside! Open up!'

'Help me!' Rothbart, hearing the commotion, decided to join in. 'Secure the Evelyn gem!'

Panicking, Jules hesitantly looked out the peephole in the door. She saw what was coming and immediately ran back towards Wyatt just as half the door broke open. 'Gee,' she said sarcastically. 'They've got a freaking battering ram!'

Both thieves exchanged looks. 'Crap!'

Fanfic Now: Mr.& Mrs. Smith--What's Next? [Part 1]

I figured that since I love the show so much, I'd write a fanfic about Mr. & Mrs. Smith and maybe I'll do one for Alias. But why the hell do I bother writing disclaimers when no one takes much notice of them anyway?

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Years after the ending of the show...

Dublin, Ireland.

'Jane, are you sure that the man we're going for is inside?'

Jane Smith rolled her eyes. 'For the hundredth time, John, yes!'

They were in an abandoned building in the Land of the Leprechauns, opposite a large hotel, and John was starting to get on his wife's nerves. Their target for the day was Paolo Martinez, and he was proving to be a hell of a recluse. They'd barely gotten a sighting on him.

Until now.

'There,' Jane propped the sniper rifle on the ledge and looked at Martinez through the scope. Martinez, in a fancy suit and designer shades, was walking purposefully towards his limo, surrounded and watched by his ensemble of bodyguards.

'How long do you need, Janey?'

'Two minutes, John, two minutes.' She gave a smirk as she aimed for Martinez's head. 'Which is probably faster than you can say--' she shot off two rounds. Both bullets met their mark. Martinez started bleeding like a bloody waterfall. '--"I do."' she continued.

John copied her smirk. 'Good girl, Janey!' he was pleased. 'Now that we're done, what do you say to a bit of sight-seeing before we go home?'

Jane grinned. 'Actually, I was thinking of something else. Something in the terms of...a word starting with 'S'.'

John blinked, surprised. Jane nodded. She was waiting for a chance to do this. John gulped visibly. 'You mean--?'

'Yes,' Jane smiled. 'We're going shopping!'

'Shopping?' John blurted out. His thoughts were more on the explicit side. Jane looked at him curiously. 'Of course. What did you think I was suggesting, John?' She finally caught it by the blush on his face. She tutted. 'God, John, you're really dirty minded, you know that?'

'Yes, yes I am.' It saved time to agree when Jane was in one of her ranting sessions. He sighed. He just hoped to everything holy that this time, Jane wouldn't max out their credit cards like she did on their last "job".

Hopefully.
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Benjamin Danz lifted another forkful of eggs into his mouth. Ever since the whole deal with the "John & Jane Smith On The Run From Their Respective Agencies" fiasco, the couple were persuaded to get a kid by their--well, actually, John's--lifetime good friend--well, actually, more like a fellow agent--Eddie, to throw suspicion off themselves.

Considering that Benjamin was now "thrown to one side"--as John so cheerfully put it--while on the run the Smiths decided to adopt Ben as part of their cover. Long story short, they found that they clicked together as a family when Jane found out that she was pregnant.

With twins. A girl and a boy.

Then naturally as expected [yes, I'm rambling] Ben immediately backs out and says that now that the Smiths have their own kids he might as well leave. And anyway, short-story-turned-rambling-short, they managed to convince him to stay with them. And here he is.

Smiling softly, Ben failed to notice when the other female species of the family entered the kitchen. 'Morning, Ben.'

'Oh, hey, Jules.' Jules Smith headed straight for the fridge, taking out a carton of OJ and pouring the contents into a glass. 'Want some?'

'Nah,' Ben shook his head. 'So...' he asked carefully. 'Where were you last night?'

Jules froze. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

Ben shook his head. 'You're gonna hafta be better than that,' he said laughingly. 'Just because Jane and John are out doesn't mean you can start sneaking around.'

Jules scowled. 'I wasn't sneaking around.'

'Oh really?' Ben raised an eyebrow. 'Then why were you back at, let's see, three in the morning? Come on, Julie, spill.'

'There's nothing to spill, Ben,' Jules frowned, sipping from her glass. 'I just had something on.'

Ben sighed dramatically. 'I hate to do this, but I'll play the parent card.' He cleared his throat. 'Electra Jules Smith, where were you?'

To her credit, Jules didn't blink. Not even when he mentioned her first name. Her parents named her after two people: Electra, daughter of Agamemnon, and Clytemnestra, and Elektra Natchios, the comic book character, famous for being Marvel Comics' most deadly assassin and for her trademark weapon: her Japanese Sai.

'You know, Benjamin,' she drew out the vowels of his name in her upper-class drawl. 'I wouldn't do that if I were you.'

'Oh right,' Ben scoffed. 'Whatcha gonna do, skewer me like a shish kebab? You're a brat, you know? A spoiled brat with nothing to do besides eating, sleeping and making out.'

'Back at cha.' Jules took offence at the "making out" line, but ignored it.

'Funny,' he was scowling now. In annoyance he threw a piece of bread at her. Quick as a flash, Jules pulled out one of her sai--a gift from her mom; in honor of her more vicious namesake--and skewered the bread neatly. 'You were saying?'

Ben shook his head, mouth still gaping. 'Nothing, I was saying nothing.'

'Good,' Jules grinned, walking off. Mom was right, she decided. Something like that could make Ben shut up. For good. Chuckling, she walked back up the stairs to her room, leaving Ben in the kitchen, still shocked.

A Medieval Story [Part 3]

'Saoirse!' Talwen called out from her place at the watchtower. Saoirse blinked, and looked up. Her friend was waving from the top of the tower. In a few minutes, the waving hand disappeared and she could see Talwen running down the stone cold steps. Saoirse grinned, and gave the cuffs that bound her to Tadhg a soft pull, enough for him to understand she wanted to dismount.

Getting down from his horse, Tadhg came over and helped Saoirse dismount from Amergin. He was suddenly pulled out of his skin [metaphorically, not literally] when Talwen came rushing over and gave her friend a hug as though they'd haven't seen each other for years.

'Saoirse!' Talwen yelled in her friend's ear. Saoirse winced. Tadhg, meanwhile, looked faintly amused. 'Won't you introduce me, Saoirse?'

'Right,' Saoirse nodded. Talwen looked at Tadhg with a half-wary, half-amusing look on her face. 'This is Tadhg, one of my father's new knights.'

'Pleasure,' Talwen held out her hand. Tadhg planted a polite kiss on it. 'Likewise, Miss...?'

'Talwen,' she replied. 'Daughter of Gawain and Panama.'

'Ah,' Tadhg looked mildly surprised. 'It's an honor to serve with your father, Miss Talwen.'

Saoirse opened her mouth before either of them could say anything else. 'Shall we go, Tadhg?' she gave the chain a vicious tug, calling Talwen's attention to it. She looked up with bemusement in her eyes. 'What's with the chain?'

Tadhg and Saoirse exchanged looks. 'My father's stupid idea,' Saoirse rolled her eyes. 'He wants Tadhg to tame me.'

Talwen nodded in understanding. 'So now, the question is, will you let him tame you?'

Silence. Then another voice rang out. 'Talwen!'

Talwen's eyes lit up. 'Father!' she cried as the rest of the knights galloped towards the trio. Saoirse scowled darkly, and looked at Tadhg. 'If you don't mind I'd really like to avoid Arthur.' Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed the reins to her horse and led the way to the stables. Tadhg followed suit, leaving Talwen by the gates to greet the knights.

In the stables, Saoirse was having a problem to groom Amergin. Everytime she tried to jerk her hand to make her job more comfortable, she would be jerked back by Tadhg's hand, who was surprisingly strong, almost pulling her off her feet a couple of times. In the end, she went and confronted him directly. 'Do you mind?'

Tadhg looked up and shook his head. 'No.' He continued grooming. Saoirse bit her lip. 'Hey,' she cried out. 'I'm asking you something.' She strode over to him and glared at him. He looked at her again. 'What?' he said calmly, replacing the brush and curry comb.

Acting the part of spoilt brat again, Saoirse scowled. 'I need to groom my horse.'

'And?'

She rolled her eyes. 'And I can't do that if you keep pulling me.' Waited for his answer. Waited for him to yell at her.

But instead....

'Come on,' he took her hand and dragged her over to Amergin, picking up the brush and curry comb. Placing the two items in her hand, Tadhg stepped back. 'Go ahead and groom your horse.'

Wary, Saoirse took the brush and curry comb, alternating between the two to clean Amergin. Her rhythm started to falter when she realized that Tadhg was still watching her. 'What?' she asked.

'Nothing,' he shook his head. 'It's just...you're doing it all wrong. Brush your horse vigorously. They like that.'

'I did,' she snapped in exasperation. 'I just can't when you're watching me. You're incredibly annoying.'

'So are you.' He laughed. 'Come, this way.' Standing behind her, he grabbed her hand and guided her through the grooming process. With him so near her, Saoirse felt strangely comfortable, even more so than when she was with Aodhfin. Biting her lip, she turned around...and found herself merely inches apart from Tadhg. He looked down. 'Yes?'

'I'm sorry.' She said it quickly, not wanting to prolong her embarassment. He nodded. 'What about?'

Saoirse took a huge breath. 'I don't know. My attitude, maybe? I...I had no right to lash out at you like I did. I'm sorry.'

'Sorry enough to apologize twice?'

Saoirse caught herself, before noticing the twinkling in Tadhg's eyes. 'That was mean and unnecessary,' she growled, unable to stop herself ffrom grinning. Heavens above, what had he done to her?

'Yes,' he replied. 'But you liked it.'

'Oh, very funny! I suppose you--'

'Suppose what?' Arthur called out. Both of them blinked as they turned towards him. Behind Arthur, Bors and the other knights entered the stables also, Talwen bringing up the rear with her father Gawain. 'Suppose what?' Arthur repeated again. At that moment only did Tadhg and Saoirse realized how close they really were. Pouting ever so slightly, Saoirse moved out towards Gawain. 'Sir, who were the Romans?'

Gawain exchanged looks with his superior; it probably looks a bit unfair that Gawain's relationship to Saoirse was much smoother than Arthur's with his daughter. Shaking his head, Arthur nodded. Gawain started talking. 'The Romans are part of a patrol escorting a Roman commander called Flavian Marcius, who's basically the equivalent of Arthur Castus, former Roman officer,' here, Gawain sniggered, 'back to Rome. Marcius is the godson of the Bishop Larcius, cousin of Bishop Germanius. That's why he's getting royal treatment.'

Ganis nodded. 'And that's also the part of the reason why they're requesting to stay here, at Hadrian's Wall.'

Talwen caught the uncertainty. 'Part of?'

'Yes,' Pembroke, one of the new knights, spoke up. 'Apparently they were--' he sniggered, '--attacked by Woads on the way.' He failed to notice Saoirse's raised eyebrows and continued. 'Anyway, their supplies were gone, and a couple of their horses were stolen in the middle of the night. They blamed everything on the Woads. Probably lost their stuff themselves and too proud to admit it.'

'Aye,' Orionus piped up. 'That's why their commander's requesting a week or so at Hadrian's Wall to stock up their supplies and all.'

Saoirse turned to her father. 'And you said yes?'

Arthur shrugged helplessly. 'Saoirse, what could I say?'

'You could've said no!'

'The Romans were civil to us once. I was once a Roman myself. We should do the same.'

'Civil?' a look of disbelief crossed his daughter's face. 'They insulted my mother's people. They insulted my people. If you grant their request,' her eyes grew cold. 'I will not enter Hadrian's Wall until they leave. Bors.'

'Aye, Saoirse?'

'Where's the key for the lock?" Saoirse turned to him. 'Since I'm leaving, I don't want to Tadhg to be deprived of his stay at the tavern.' Exchanging looks with Arthur, Bors held out the key. Saoirse took it and unlocked the metal cuffs, leaving them dangling on Tadhg's wrist.

'Saoirse,' Tadhg said gently. 'Let it go,' this time in Gaelic. He took her arm. 'Your father's trying to do the right thing here. Don't give up on him.' Ignoring his words, she pulled away and immediately saddled her horse. 'Saoirse! Don't walk out on me!'

At this point she crumpled mentally. Burying her face in Amergin's mane so that the knights, especially Arthur, wouldn't see her sobbing, she spoke up quietly. 'What do you want me to do, Tadhg?'

He spoke again in Gaelic. 'I want you to calm down and think. These Romans insulted your people, yes, but until they aim it directly at you, it's a waste of time trying to best them. Instead, wait for them to make the first move. It's just like swordplay. Wait for them to start playing before you join in. Have faith in your father, Saoirse. He knows what he's doing.'

Saoirse nodded. Brushing her arm across her eyes quickly to wipe away her tears, she stood up straight, looking more regal and calmer than Arthur had ever seen her. 'When are they coming?'
'Before the sun sets tomorrow,' he answered. Saoirse nodded. 'Call me when they come.' Stepping forward, she grabbed the metal cuff and replaced it on her wrist. Turning to her father, she finally betrayed a hint of loneliness and love. 'It's good to have you back,' she said quietly, burying her head against him in an affectionate hug.

X Marks The Spot [Part 2]

Ten years later....

Jules Finley sat down, binoculars held up to her eyes. They were trained on a man in a brown fedora and army coat. Colonel Branden Polansky. He was her target. Wanted by both the Russian and American government, Polansky was one of the most hardcore criminals on the lose. And she was ordered to take him down.

Reaching down, Jules replaced the binoculars and grabbed her Beretta 501 sniper rifle. Looking through the scope, she aimed the crosshairs for Polansky's head. Giving a soft, barely audible, whistle, she waited.

Out of the blue, a figure swooped down in the night. Dermott, her Harris's Hawk, perched on Jules' gloved arm. 'Send him a message, Dermott,' she whispered quietly, placing an evergreen spruce in her palm. The hawk grabbed the spruve with a claw, spreaded its wings, and took off, heading for the Colonel, who was ready to board his limo when he heard the call of the Harris's Hawk.

For a moment, fear flickered past Polansky's face when he realized what it was. Dermott circled above him, dropping the spruce right in front of the Colonel. One of his aides picked it up. 'Colonel, it's a--'

'I know what it is, Caleb,' Polansky said softly. 'Be on your guard.'

Nodding, Caleb shouted a command to the other bodyguards, who immediately surrounded Polansky and his aide with a protective circle. At another command, the guards pulled out guns and various firearms.

Above them, Jules Hailey chuckled. It took more than that to stop her. 'Dasvidanya, Colonel,' she whispered. Aiming again, she pulled the trigger, the silencer on the rifle muffling the shot. The bullet hit Polansky at the back of the head. Blood was everywhere. His aides were frantically calling for medical assistance, but it was no use. He was a goner.

Slinging the gun over her back, Jules Hailey packed up her stuff and stood up, her profile evident. With another whistle, Dermott, who'd been perched on a streetlamp watching the whole scene, flew back to her, and perched on her arm. At that moment, Caleb looked up, just in time to see a figure vanishing into the darkness.

__________________________________

'Well done, Ms. Hailey,' Lachlan Isaacs said, smiling. Jules wasn't. Her hands were clasped together, and she rested her chin on them as if she was praying. 'What happens next?'

'I'm sorry?'

'What happens next?' Jules repeated. 'What happens to me?' Lachlan shrugged. 'It's your call. You could do whatever you like, or go back to your old job as a researcher. As I've said, it's your call.'

Jules nodded, thinking. 'What happens if I want one last favor before I go?'

Lachlan smiled. 'What favor?'

'I need you to find my father,' Jules said. Lachlan started to speak but was interrupted. 'Not in the way you think. I just want to know where he is. I have issues to settle with him.'

'Okay,' Lachlan said after a long pause. 'After all you've done for us, we can do that.'

'Thank you.' Jules stood up. 'It's been a pleasure.'

'Likewise.' They shook hands.

Walking out of the room minutes later, Jules took one last look at her contact's office, before smiling and leaving the premises.

All she had to do now was wait.

A Medieval Story [Part 2]

Saoirse pulled at the metal cuffs that bound her to her captor, Tadhg. She let out another groan, accompanied by another pull at the cuffs. Tadhg was almost jerked off of his saddle, and he shot her with a glare so intense Saoirse had to turn away. 'Sorry,' she muttered under her breath.

Surprisingly, Tadhg heard the apology, and gave her a wry smile. 'Look, Saoirse, I.......this is not what I had in mind when I joined your father's knights.'

She raised a delicate eyebrow. 'How did you meet him?' she asked, kicking Amergin's flanks, urging her horse forward so she was riding side by side Tadhg.

Tadhg shrugged. 'I met your father when I was in Opirlay. It's a town...well it's smaller than that, so I guess you could call it a settlement. Your father's men were stopping for the night, and I was passing by the settlement at the time. Bors and Gawain invited me to share their meal, ended up fighting both of them when they lost a bet, and I've been travelling with the knights since.' He flashed a mischievous grin.

Saoirse burst out laughing. There was nothing remotely amusing about his tale, but Tadhg was...different. It usually took Talwen, her best friend in the world, a lot of effort just to entice one wry chuckle out of her, but around Tadhg....it was just so easy to laugh with him, talk with him, even fall..

Fall in love with him?

Saoirse blinked. Where did that come from? She shook her head. After all these time, was it still possible? A sudden chuckle brought her back to reality, and she found herself looking at Tadhg, who had a soft grin on his face. 'Penny for your thoughts?'

'I'm sorry?'

'You looked so confused,' Tadhg explained. 'I thought you might have something heavy on your mind. Would you care to share? Sometimes it's much better when you let it out.'

Saoirse started to open her mouth, but closed it. 'You wouldn't understand it.'

'Then make me understand.'

She ran her fingers through her hair. Those four words were so simple, but she couldn't. How could she make Tadhg understand her loss of Aodhfin? Aodhfin, her childhood playmate. Her teacher. They were so close. For years he'd always been there. He'd even left her a small gift when he'd have to leave for home. His signet ring, a present from his brother. It was a small band of silver, with leaves of evergreen woven around it. He gave it to her, and she'd always worn it on a chain around her neck.

Without thinking, Saoirse's hand dipped into her shirt and took the ring out, toying with it as she rode on, remembering about their times together. Tadhg blinked when he saw the ring. Could it be? His eyes darted to Saoirse, who finally realized that she was been scrutinized. 'What?' she said, replacing the ring.

Tadhg struggled to find an answer, until he looked up. 'Well, we're here.' He looked up at the giant wall towering over him. Hadrian's Wall.