Hi. Mrs. Dom Masbolle can't seem to find the time to work on this, so I'm writing for the time being.

Who am I? I used to be known as The Shang Kudarung...now I am Sazerac. I also deleted Thief (yes, I can't ever spell that!) so that's out of the question.

On with the show!

Plight of the Phoenix

Chapter Five

(Sazerac)

It turned out that that the plan to go to Fort Steadfast wasn't the actual plan at all, since one of his mages had soon received a missive later that afternoon that informed him that whoever they were picking up was now staying at a nearby inn. An inn which they had passed by three hours ago.

Needless to say, Raoul got into an "I'm Looking For The 'Jon Is Irritating' Club", and an "Oh Mithros I Really Need My Sleep" kind of thing.

Strangely, however, the Shang Phoenix was quite quiet for the rest of the ride. Raoul suspected that this had something to do with the hushed conversation the Leopard had had with her the day before when he had quietly sneaked out to ensure his men were sleeping and that there was no trap mechanism to spring him in the morning (he had learned that the hard way).

Oh, how he liked mornings.

The inn, once they had finally backtracked the entire way, wasn't much at all actually. If he were in the mood to exaggerate, he would say that the timber holding it up would snap any moment because the nails were rusty and the inside wasn't lit very well. However, it did have its uses even if there was only one room free and found to be a domain for the desperate because it had alcohol and food. He had to admit - the wife's cooking was lovely. He had a sneaky suspicion that he and the members of the Own were charged more then what was normal, though.

It was an hour later when they discovered that Room Two, apparently, currently housed the person they were looking for. Raoul decided to leave him be...

...ooh, the world was made of such pretty colours...the white, the red, the blue...the white...

...and that was wooziness he was feeling now, wasn't it? He needed to sleep… and now!

Keladry was irritated. The Leopard had passed on the news that her parents had to stay in the Yamani Islands longer than expected to find a new princess and thus couldn't come back in time to see her the way they had promised.

The trials required to face during Shang Training were harsh and unforgiving - all throughout it, every moment, every second she prayed she would see the stocky, brown-haired and dreamy-eyed father of hers and her delicate, pale-haired and elegant mother.

She twisted around and punched the trunk of the tree she was currently sitting on, eyes ablaze.

They had promised...! They had told her they'd be there when she finally returned to Corus...! They...!

The pain in her hand meant nothing to her...she had trained under pain, taught to believe in it as the only other guarantee in life other then death, and trained...trained until the shang had literally fallen to the ground, exhausted.

And even then, they were asked if they could raise themselves up again and continue fighting that pain! Fighting it, and thus being able and learning the truer value of everything they had in their lives compared to the physical and mental beatings the Shang would learn in their first few years.

Damn it all! Just...damn all of it!

Her violent thrashings had brought some snow down from a higher branch and landed on the pale hands that were nearly drawing blood from clutching her hair. This brought her out of her inner thoughts and into the real world, where she realized the damage she had nearly caused to herself.

No, they wouldn't have wanted this.

A calmer, more composed facade draped itself over her face. Having lived in the Yamani Islands for a while and having to learn to protect herself from traitorous, treacherous emotions showing on her face or within, she now had quite a varied collection of masks she could easily use.

Even so, Kel found that she had gotten worked up, finally at a far-enough distance from the rest of the group to release her pent-up anger...even if it was the poor unfortunate tree that suffered because of her. And even then there were quite a few shouts and even a few hoots and catcalls coming from the inn, which only made her headache worse.

At least she didn't have to be in there with them...

Soundlessly, something else fell from the branch above to land on hers. She leapt into action reflexively, somehow managing to leap up, daggers in hand, finding footing in the used-to-be-snow-covered bark. The sight of dark, water-slicked hair, tanned skin and green eyes didn't even mildly calm her a bit until he stretched both arms out directly toward the side and rested his weight on his front foot in a way that prevented him using any kick - the Shang way of saying that you are not armed and had come to talk.

Kel's eyes flashed briefly, but the only response she gave him to his action was to simply unclench her muscles.

"Leopard."

His eyes were soft as he moved to sit on the branch, legs dangling off the side closer to the inn. She copied his movement and closed her eyes, taking a brief moment for meditation.

"Reminiscing?" he whispered softly.

Kel gave a sad sigh. "Shang Training." That was all the answer he needed from her.

They sat in quiet contemplation beside each other, the wind whistling past them, the breeze flitting in and out.

"Phoenix," The Leopard began. "Maybe you should stay inside for tonight."

She was confused, and allowed some of that to seep into her expression.

"Why? It's perfectly fine out here."

The cold no longer affected her the way it used to - her shivering and clutching her covers closer to her in the middle of the night in winter, training in the mountains and waking up at the crack of dawn. Ever since her initiation, she had originally thought that it was bearable because of all the years training in the chilly air, but now she felt she actually...well, she couldn't like it, could she? Back then she hadn't believed in the Phoenix's powers, but now...

"There's a new layer of snow coming in."

Ah, a new layer of snow. When travelling and snow fell near her, she melted it with her presence unawares, almost as though she cheated the gods by being near as it snowed. The snow would be slightly heated, and melt most of the other snow. The first time this happened she learned that sleeping uphill of their camp was not a good idea because the water went down the slope and, needless to say, the Kudarung was not pleased. No, there was absolutely no problem at all if she inadvertently soaked her best tent. None at all. It was also hard for the horses to leave because of the ground, which had frozen over again during the course of the night.

"Then I'll sleep downhill of the horses."

His eyes were worried. As the leader he knew how independent Kel really was and how she would even disregard her own life to help another.

"Please, Phoenix? I...I'm worried."

Every Shang had a weakness, she was taught. Including the most skilled and powerful, like the former Shang Dragon. Obviously, the Leopard's was his sentimentality. She knew that. Even so, she saw true concern in his voice and sighed, resigned.

"Fine."

Without another word she slipped off the side of the branch and landed in a squat, muscle memory guiding her whilst she was distracted and thinking of other things. The run back to the inn wasn't difficult or tiring, and the volume inside hadn't ceased a bit. Clearly they were all drunken fools.

She climbed up the tree behind the inn and crawled through the window the Kudarung was sleeping in. That was their room, and the Kudarung never really did have the stamina to traverse through the cold. One of her eyes cracked open while she tensed and held her dagger more firmly in her hand. Seeing who it was, she made a noise in which Kel deduced meant 'welcome back, now let me get my sleep' and promptly closed that eye again.

The noise from below was heard even up there, but she found that the other's heavy breathing formed a kind of almost relaxed mood and made it easier for sleeping. She took off the weapons that got in the way when she lay down on the pallet or floor and got ready to rest.

Then she remembered that - oh joy - the lovely Knight Commander was most likely still downstairs and passed out. Which meant another late start the next day. Resignedly she opened the door and looked for Lord Raoul...who was predictably out cold half on the rectangular table and likely to fall down any moment soon.

Kel hoisted him up so he leant on her back. He stirred momentarily but stopped soon after. She scaled the stairs even with his weight and dumped him on the bed in their room. None of the Shang slept on beds unless they had to, otherwise they might relax and the thicker bed sheets would get in the way in case of an ambush.

When exiting the room in search for the Leopard and inform him about their new resident someone politely came up to her.

"So you're the Shang Phoenix?"

She wasn't thinking straight, and mistook his innocent, curious tone as one of cynicism - the usual response granted on her nerves, which were nonexistent because of the traveling. Glaring at him, she noticed the bright blue eyes and coal-black hair. Too pretty and neat for a commoner, and not holding himself up like an extremely high, conceited noble. It had to be one of Raoul's men.

Kind of sad, really, how her fury leaked out into her normal thinking half the time. Like a Phoenix, she would burn before crumbling and being reborn again.

"Yes. So what?"

Like before, she thought his awestruck face was a face of disbelief, covering vile and conservative thoughts. He was in the way of the staircase and didn't seem to want to leave anytime soon.

"Move."

The only warning the poor guy got was a brief flash of her eyes, but shortly after that he found himself flying through the air and trying to tumble awkwardly across the floor in order to try prevent further injury. Kel descended the stairs and went outside, simply deciding to sleep under the tree the Leopard found her on, and was still there. She knew he got the message, and brief thoughts flickered in her mind before it dived through the depths of blissful sleep.

She hated stuck-up people, who thought a young teenager - a girl - couldn't fight.

Didn't she teach them they were wrong?

So...I've made it a habit to not ask people to review. I think it's a bit rude, really. But Fanfiction has done the job for me; with the review button RIGHT THERE and making you feel guilty if you don't. I've sent over 600 reviews already, and over 120 of them in two days. Sweet, no? : K

~Nikki, the 1337. :K

Hey everyone, it's Mrs. Dom Masbolle! I'm so sorry that it has actually been a year since I began this endeavor and that we are only on chapter 5. I want you to know that since I have the reader's best interest in mind I am renouncing my claim on this story and giving it to Sazerac. I love this story and the thought I had put into it in the outline, I can only say that I trust Sazerac to do it justice and that you all aren't too disappointed in me for giving it up (although you get updates, so I bet you're happy!)

Anywho, I will probably stay on as a beta/editor (isn't that the same thing?) and just to make sure it doesn't stray too far from it's original intention.

But I would hope that you'd continue reading and reviewing.

Thanks for sticking with me this year,

Mrs. Dom Masbolle.