Falik had been home in Persopolis for a number of weeks now. His family and the Training Master had been right. Being back in the hot sun of the desert and spending time away from Corus and the scene of so much pain had done wonders for him.

Any time that Falik had slid in to a black mood or he was found brooding his mother and sister would pressgang him in to some task or his father would have him running errands. He also spent time with the other young Bazhir practicing his warrior skills, some were impressed by what he had learned at the palace.

Right at this moment he was sat in a window seat in his family's spacious parlour. In his hand were eagerly awaited letters from Corus. He had been promised visits, although none had come yet, but letters were a close second.

He sorted through the pile which included one from Alexander, one from Damien, one from Gwynn and one from Katherine.

He decided to save it until last, worried about what it might say. They had not parted well and it was mostly his fault.

Katherine rode into Persopolis gazing at all the buildings. She rode besides her mother Klyn and the pack horse. Her mother decided that Katherine should come along since she wasn't doing very well at the palace.

"Come Katherine, or will be late to see Master Kaleem." Klyn said poking her daughter with her boot.

"Coming mother, wait we're going where." She asked.

"We are going to see Master Kaleem Al Basiri. He has some information I need for my book. And here we are." She got off her horse and knocked on the door. A servant opened the door.

"I'm Klyn of Blackwater, I've come to see Master Kaleem."

Katherine stood behind her mother feeling very uneasy. She hadn't seen or spoken to Falik in over a month. What was she going to do?

The family's house servant, Wasim, interupted Falik's reading with a polite cough.

"Master Falik, sorry to disturb you but your father has visitors. Will you be receiving them until your father returns from his meeting?"

Falik looked up from his letters somewhat puzzled. He'd had no idea that they'd been expecting guests. His father must have arranged this whilst he'd been away the previous week visiting their tribe.

"Of course Wasim, show them in."

He stood up and adjusted his clothes. He wore the loose tunic and trousers common with the Bazhir, they were his favourite midnight blue colour. His black hair was loose about his shoulders.

Wasim ushered the guests in announcing them, "Lady Klyn of Blackwater and Lady Katherine of Blackwater."

Falik was startled for a heartbeat, then remembered his manners and bowed deeply to Katherines mother. As Katherine stepped in to the room Falik bowed courteously to her. He kept his manners distant and polite, thinking it was best to keep things proper and unsure of how Katherine would be with him after everything that had happened.

"Lady Klyn. It's a pleasure to meet someone so deeply respected by my father and may I say as accomplished an author as yourself and Lady Katherine. A thousand blessings to see you well and in my house."

Inwardly he cringed! A thousand blessings!

At that moment the front door creaked open and he heard his father and mothers voices drifting down the hallway.

Katherine followed her mother and Wasim into what looked like a parlor. She waited, hearing her name being announced she walked in. Her heart started racing as she saw who was in the room. What am I going to do...

Klyn bowed to the young boy. "It is a pleasure to meet the son of Master Kaleem, and I thank you, young lord, for the compliment." She said rising and smiling. She turned to her daughter and saw how uneasy she was. "Katherine don't be rude..." She whispered.

Katherine bowed back to Falik. "A pleasure..." She said quietly as rose and looked at him.

Klyn knew what had happened between them. She had forced it out of her daughter, convincing her that it would make her feel better. Though, she now figured she should leave them be to talk. "Wasim, I need a couple of things from my packs. Would you care to show me where they were put?" She said following the man out the door.

How could she do that. Katherine's only thought was. She knew what was going on. She knew she would of have to talk to him. She turned and looked at him. "Falik..I..was worried about you." she said, holding back her tears.

Everytime Gwynn had metioned Falik it had broken her heart, cause she knew that she didn't do her best in fighting against his attackers, but knowing that he had gotten hurt and changed because of it, had caused alot of pain and sorrow for her in the last couple of weeks that he had left.

Falik watched Klyn walk out of the room. Now that Katherine's mother had left he felt the tension drain out of him. He looked at Katherine as she started to speak.

Suddenly a massive smile crept across his face. He swiftly covered the distance between them in a couple of steps and swept Katherine up in to a massive, tight hug.

"At the risk of being improper," he laughed "I've really missed you!"

Katherine felt herself relax, as she saw Falik smile. "I've missed you to." she whispered as she pulled back from him.

She walked over to the window seat and sat down. She untied her hair and ran her fingers through it. "So how have you been doing, I havn't talked to you since the day in the courtyard. To be honest I was scared to say good bye to you when you were leaving." she looked down hiding her blush.

Falik felt shame wash over him. He looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry. For anything I said and did that was hurtful. I...wasn't myself at all. " He looked up and met Katherine's eyes.

"I'm doing better now though. Each day gets easier. I needed to get away from the whole mess, put some distance between myself and my problems. Funny thing is that I miss the palace now. Which I suppose means I should go back soon."

He smiled. "It's been wonderful to be home though, to be amongs the Bazhir and be myself rather than Page Al Basiri for a while. Oh but there are so many things I want to show you while you're here and you must meet my sister! She's desperate to talk to you."

He caught himself babbling. "You must be tired after the journey up here. I think you'll be staying in our guest wing across the courtyard there." He gestured towards the large floor to ceiling doors that opened on to a large courtyard, a bubbling fountain and the opposite builiding that was made out of the same smooth cool stone as the rest of the city.

"Let me check with mother. I'll be right back!"

"It's okay. I knew that you wern't yourself. Though I do have to admit I don't think I've spent so much time in the palace library before that. I even read books about the history from about a hundred years ago. Which to John of Elden he thought I had lost my mind." She looked at him and smiled.

"But I am so glad that you are feeling better. Maybe when my mother's done here, though I don't know how long that is going to take, you can ride back to Corus with us."

Katherine was shocked to hear about his sister. "Why would your sister be desperate to talk to me?" she asked, though it would be nice to meet her.

"I just need to change into some other clothes, my mother got us all the way to some small oasis just about a mile out of here. So we stayed there last night. You'd be surprised at how she rides."

She watched him leave and spotted the letters next to her. She smiled seeing hers.

Falik came back in to the room with his mother in tow. She had insisted on meeting Katherine after hearing so much about both her mother and the girl that had helped save her son's life when he was attacked.

Sanaa Al Basiri was tall for a woman. She wore traditional Bazhir dress, her hair and face covered by a blue veil. Her large brown eyes were immaculately painted with makeup and she wore a stunning gown of light scarlet fabric and covered in intricate Bazhir patterns and tiny mirrors.

Now that she was in her home and away from public she unwrapped the scarf and veil from her face, dropping it on to a table and smiling warmly at Katherine.

"Katherine, may I present my mother, Sanaa Al Basiri." Falik grinned as his mother finally got to meet his friend.

Sanaa bowed her head gracefully then extended a slender hand to Katherine to shake. Falik's mother didn't stand on ceremony for very long.

Katherine stood up and bowed. When she rose she smiled as she shook her hand. "Falik has told me a lot about his family. I feel honored to meet you Mistress Sanaa."

She sat back down and looked at Falik's mother closely. She's very pretty. she thought. "Your gown is very pretty. I love the color." she said.

Katherine looked at Falik and smiled. She loved meeting new people. Specially the family of her friends.

Sanaa smiled at the compliment. "If you like I'll take you to the bazaar to buy some Bazhir fabrics. They're quite beautiful and much more appropriate to the weather here than the clothes they make in Corus."

She turned to her son.

"Falik, show Katherine to the guest room on the top floor. We'll eat in about an hour." She left the room.

Falik grinned. "My mother, ever the gracious host. Follow me!"

he led Katherine out across the large, airy courtyard towards the steps that led up to the guest wing. Halfway across the courtyard he stopped and turned and took both of Katherine's hands.

"I really am glad you're here." He said, blushing slightly, "I thought...well I thought I'd ruined our friendship for good."

Suddenly something popped in to his mind. "Wait here!" He called over his shoulder as he ran back in to the house.

"I would love that." Katherine said to Falik's mother.

She got up and started to follow Falik. "I like your mother. She's very nice." She looked around the courtyard as they passed through it. IT was beautiful.

She followed Falik up the steps. When he took her hands, she felt herself blush slightly. "Falik, I'm glad to be here to. Seeing you, and being away from the palace, I think it's helped the both of us. And I'd neve let anything ruin the friendship we have."

Katherine watched Falik's face. When he started running back to the house, she was puzzled. She stood there and waited, just like he asked.

Falik trotted back in to the courtyard holding something carefully in his hands.

"I bought this for you." He said opening his hands and holding them out to reaveal a tiny soapstone statue of a sealion, almost identical to the one that had been broken in the fight in the courtyard.

"I though...maybe you'd still like it."

Katherine looked at the tiny statue in his hands. "This is for me? It's so beautiful." She took it out of his hands carefully and looked at it. It was a sealion.

She looked at Falik. "Thank you, I love it." She leaned up and brushed her lips against his cheek.

She backed up and blushed. "Anyway...um the guest room is where?"

Falik stood slightly shocked for a second and blinked before he felt the heat rush to his cheeks.

"Umm...it's...up the stairs..." He led Katherine up the stairs to the upper level of the guest wing. He pointed to a door on the left.

"That will be your mother's room. There's a common area here you can use and your room in on the right. There's fruit and water in there and a wash stand. Wasim has brought your packs up I believe. I'll....um....I'll see you at dinner."

Falik bowed and made a quick exit. Once he was safely back down in the courtyard he stopped and took stock of what just happened. He rubbed his cheek where Katherine had kissed it and a little smile crossed his face. Lord Genlith would not have approved!

"Thank you."She told Falik as she walked into the room.

She looked around and found her packs on her bed. She walked over to them and also found a couple of papers next to them. She placed the tiny statue down on a table. She picked up the papers and read:

Katherine,
I've gone to explore Persopolis for a while but I'll be back for dinner. I've left a couple of pages for you to read of my new book. I want your opinion before I continue.

Klyn

Katherine shook her head and put the papers down. She's working to hard already. We just got here! She pulled out a light dress from her packs and changed. Just as long as she doesn't get hurt... She cleared that thought from her head. Mother knows not to get hurt.

She fixed her hair in a quick braid, and decided to go read in the courtyard to pass time. She grabbed the papers and walked back down stairs. She found a bench and started reading her mother's writing.

Falik went to his room, he had time to do some fencing practice before dinner. He quickly pulled the loose tunic up over his head and went in search of a shirt, as he did he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and saw the large scar that ran down his side where he'd been stabbed.

He ran his finger down it, his face darkening for a second. He'd always have to carry that with him, it was something he'd spent long nights talking with his father about. He grabbed some Northern style clothing, fitted breeches and a shirt throwing it on and not bothering to do the buttons up on his shirt.

He quickly buckled the sword to his waist and left his room trying to do buttons up as he went and completely forgetting they had company. He jogged in to the courtyard, shirt still half unbuttoned, hair sticking up from his quick change and cursing to himself.

Suddenly he stopped short seeing Katherine there reading. He tried to creep around the edge to get to the small training court they had, hoping she wouldn't notice him in this state.

Katherine finished reading the pages, but she didn't quite agree with what her mother wrote. Maybe she asked Falik what he thought of it.

She heard someone walking and was about to looked towards Falik direction when she heard someone else closer. Her mother walked towards her, when she was about an inch away she started to sway. "Mother!" she cried as she fell to the ground with her in her arms. "What happened!"

Klyn looked at her daughter. "Calm down. I just fell off my horse and landed hard."

Katherine looked over her mother, finding a growing bruise on her wrist and deep cuts up her arm. "Where did you land? It's looks like you fell into a bunch of rocks."

"Looks that way doesn't it."

"We need to find a healer." she started to look around the courtyard, and spoted Falik.

"Falik!" She shouted. "My mother's hurt."

Falik ran over to the ladies and helped Katherine move her mother to the bench.

"Wasim!" He called, the servant appeared at the door in to the main house. "We need a healer for Lady Klyn! Could you also fetch my mother to come and help us?"

The man nodded to Falik and left swiftly.

Keen to keep Lady Klyn talking and concious and keep Katherine calm he began asking questions, tearing strips from the bottom of his shirt as he did so to form makeshift bandages.

"Lady Klyn, generally people rest after a long journey rather than going out riding again, care to tell me just how you managed to have such a nasty fall?"

He gently pressed a wadded piece of cloth to one of the cuts.

"Katherine, could you hold this for me please?"

Katherine took the wad of cloth from Falik and held it to her mother's wound.

"Well let's see. I was on the outskirts of the city. My horse suddenly reared and I fell onto a pile of rocks that was covered by some sand."

Tears started rolling down Katherine cheeks. "You of all people should know you need to rest after riding mother."

"I know, but this city is just so interesting that I couldn't wait to look around." She saw papers in her daughter's lap. "So what did you think of what I've written so far."

"Your hurt, and the only thing your worried about is your novel." She said getting angry with her mother. "Half of it I don't even agree with." She pulled out her handkercheif and started holding it to another one of her wounds. "Your health come before anything else!"

"I don't need a lecture Katherine."

"Yes mother..." She whispered tears still rolling down her face.

Falik was unsure if he should intervene in this discussion. Katherine had ever right to be upset, Lady Klyn had been foolish, but good manners would prevent Falik ever saying such a thing to a noblewoman.

He decided to go for conversation instead. He carefully wound a makeshift bandage around the pad that Katherine was holding.

"Lady Klyn, are you feeling any better? I recommend you leave riding through the city for a few days. The heat in here takes some getting used to as it is. If it pleases you, I'm sure my father will happily take you walking around some of the sights tomorrow. Katherine, mind your fingers or you'll be permenantly attatched."

At that point his mother swept in to the courtyard with Arric Smithson, a trusted family friend who was also the chief healer stationed at Persopolis. He quickly set about working on the woman, nodding his approval at Katherine and Falik's first aid.

Sanaa was more straight talking than her son. "Lady Klyn, I am loath to call a guest foolish, but this was not the kind of hospitality we expected to lay on! After this, a good rest for you before dinner and then you're not leaving my sight!" She smiled, a teasing glint in her eye.

Falik caught Katherine's eye and grinned. His mother the diplomat!

"I'm fine." Klyn told the younger boy. "This heat, doesn't even bother me. I've been in worse. But I would like your father to show me around tomorrow. I do think that will work out, better then me riding around."

Katherine moved her fingers out of the way as Falik wrapped the bandage around her mother's wound. She removed her handkercheif as she saw Falik's mother and the healer coming towards them. Tears still ran down her cheeks as got up and watched the healer work on her mother. Why had she been so foolish, riding out into the city. Even worse she doesn't even care that she's hurt... She went and sat on the steps to the guest house, to stay out of thier way.

Klyn looked at the woman. "Sorry I was foolish. And right about now that rest sounds pretty good to me." She said smiling. "But having you watch my every more Lady Sanaa sounds pretty scary." She said jokiing with the woman.

Katherine shook her head. She couldn't believe how her mother was acting. It worried her, alot.

As the two women joked and the healer worked Falik came over to where Katherine was and plonked himself down on the step next to her. He saw the worry in Katherine's face.

"Don't cry Katherine, she'll be okay. Master Smithson is very good. I think she was just caught up in studying the city. My father does things like this all the time."

He looked down at himself and plucked at the ruined shirt, he felt laughter bubble up in his throat and tried to smother it, he must have looked a complete state.

"Well don't I look dashing!" he said wryly.

Katherine wiped her face with her hand. "I know she'll be okay, but she's told me before that she always does this. What I mean is that she starts to look around as soon as she gets somewhere." She sighed.

She looked at Falik's torn shirt. Katherine covered her mouth as she started to laugh. "Quite dashing Sir Falik." When she stopped she looked at him. "But thank-you for helping my mother."

Falik shrugged his shoulders.

"As if I could do anything else." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Besides....could you imagine what my mother would do to me if I'd just stood there and panicked!" He shuddered. "Just look at how she's handling your mother and times that by 10"

"The healer thought we were doing a good job. And I doubt that you'd stand there and panic. That would of been my job! Since she is my mother." she said smiling

"But I do have to say that our mothers are getting along really well though."

She remembered the papers her mother had written. She took them out of her lap and handed them to Falik. "Read this, my mother has already started writing about the Bazhir. And from the little I know, I don't think what she wrote is quite right, but maybe that's just me since I'm not Bazhir."

Falik leafed through the papers, letting out the occasional noise of agreement or otherwise. When he finished he handed them back.

"She's off with some of her dates and the cultural details of the different tribes aren't quite right. The background history seems okay, although my father is far better qualified than I am to comment on it, I'm sure he'll put her right."

Falik's mother waved and caught his eye.

"Lady Klyn is going to lie down, we'll eat when she's up and about," she looked at Katherine, "and you, don't worry! We'll take good care of her."

His mother and the healer helped Lady Klyn to her feet and up past them in to the guest rooms. Falik had an idea to help Katherine take her mind off worrying.

"Fancy some fencing? I'm out of practice fencing with a partner and I could do with burning some energy off!"

This wasn't strictly true, Falik had been doing endless exercises with his sword and was getting better, for him anyway, but it was always good to fence with a Northern style sword.

"So I was right. My mother likes skipping some of the details."

When Falik's mother waved she looked over and saw her mother all bandaged up, and let out a sigh. "Thank-you Mistress Sanaa, Master Smithson."

"Well, if I'm going to be fencing, I'll need to change out of my dress." She said getting up. "Since were not going to be eating until my mother wakes up."

She started walking up the stairs, but then turned around. "Falik, do you think you could take these to your father?" she said holding the papers that he had read. "That way I have a couple minutes to change my clothes and grab my sword."

Falik took the papers. His father would amuse himself pouring over Lady Klyn's work and pointing out her mistakes.

"I need to change this," he gestured at his ruined shirt. "I'll meet you at the practice court. It's just over there." He pointed at a heavy barred door just to the right of the guest wing. "I warn you though, I'm very rusty, you've been training so you'll beat me easily!"

"Okay , I'll meet you there soon." She walked up the steps and walked into her room.

She walked over to the bed where her packs were and pulled out a pair of breeches and a loose shirt, and changed into them. She sat down after she was done and pulled on a pair of soft boots. She got up and fastened her sword around her waist.

She walked out the door and walked to the practice court. She walked in and started to stretch. As she stretched her right arm,her shoulder started to throb slightly. She cursed lightly to herself. Her cousin Eleanor had told her that when she had gotten hurt, that one of her muscles had been cut in her shoulder and it wouldn't heal properly even with magic, and would bother her if she used her arm alot. But she put that thought aside. She just couldn't let Falik know about it, then he probably wouldn't fence with her, and she really needed the practice...

[Is it too late for Eleanor to join?]

"Katherine?" called a voice from outside the solid cedar door, followed by a couple knocks, "Katherine, are you in there?"

The Al Basiri's servant, Wasim, heard the calling coming from outside the door. "Normally we knock on people's doors, not yell through the keyhole for a guest rather than the owners!" he muttered to himself as he unbolted the door. He was an aging Bazhir man who'd served the family a long time. He was very proper about manners and very protective of the family.

He bowed to the Lady standing outside. "Can I help you my Lady?" he asked, all graciousness. "Are you looking for a member of the Al Basiri family?"

Falik, who'd been passing as Wasim answered the door came over and peered over Wasim's shoulder. He saw the woman in Northern, Tortallan dress and put two and two together.

"I'll take care of this Wasim, thank you. Are you here as part of Lady Klyn's party?" He asked. He vaguely recognised the woman from court and she had enough of a family resembelance to suggest that she was related to Katherine.

"Oh, hello!" she exclaimed pleasantly, mechanically pushing a dark blond lock behind her ear. "Is Lady Klyn here too?" she asked. "Although, it doesn't surprise me, as she did express an interest in her last letter in researching the Bazhir tribes for the subject of her next book - she's curious about everything - next thing we know, she'll be wanting to visit Sarain!

"Eleanor of King's Reach, by the way," she said as way of greeting, holding out a slim, long-fingered hand, "and I was looking for my cousin, Katherine."

By the Goddess, she thought. It's him. But she kept her face neutral, hoping vainly that he wouldn't connect her face with the one that frequented the infirmary during his very extended stay, although she knew that to be near impossible. Still, she gave him room to maneuver, deciding not to outwardly recognize him unless he gave her some kind of sign that he wished to be. It might have been her imagination, but he seemed healthier now that he had returned to his homelands. Maybe being in the infirmary for so long had made her overly sensitive to others' thoughts and feelings, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

When the young woman spoke, Falik felt a spark of recognition but he still couldn't place her. The voice more than anything sounded familiar.

He smiled and shook her hand warmly.

"Please come in. I'm afraid Lady Klyn is resting at the moment. She decided to be somewhat adventurous today and had a fall, nothing serious though." He ushered Eleanor through to the courtyard. "However, Katherine should through here in the practice room."

"Klyn fell?" she queried. "Well, that can't have felt good... Although, I'm sure she's getting all the medical attention she could possibly need, with all these mages..."

"Is this the room?" she asked, when they came to a halt, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in her silk gown. Silently, she admired the door, noting that it was completely made of cedar, some fine craftsman having carved an elaborate design around the edges. She sighed to herself, thinking that if it weren't so certain to be incinerated in next year's fire, she would put one like it in the infirmary.

Well, it certainly would smell good as it went, she thought, with a wry smile.

Katherine rubbed her arm trying to ease the pain. After it stopped she sighed with relief. "I wonder where Falik is?" She whispered to herself. Maybe he is talking with his father about something. At the thought she decided to practice one of the forms her mother had taught her the night before from the Yamani Islands.

She drew her sword and started. She twisted and turned making her sword a blur in the air. As she thrust forward, she dropped her sword. The pain the had been there had come back and was now worse. She thought about the special balm in her packs that her cousin had told her to use, and decided to go get it before Falik came. She picked up and sheathed her sword as she walked towards the door.

She opened the door and saw her cousin and Falik standing there. "Eleanor? What are you doing here." she asked as she grabbed her shoulder as she felt more pain come.

"Your shoulder, still?"

She lay a hand upon the injured body part, letting it fill with the sparkling pale pink fire that was her Gift. Plucked brows furrowed in concentration, she forced it into the aching joint, exploring it with her magic.

"The ligament's barely healed, at all," she told her, laying her other hand on the opposite shoulder, "that will take intense work, but I can get rid of the pain, at least for a little while."

Katherine blushed as nodded her head to her cousin.

So much for Falik not knowing... She thought as she winced as her cousin put her hand on her shoulder. She already knew what was wrong, Eleanor had told her when she was at the Infirmary at the Palace. But now Falik knew what was wrong, and she just didn't want him to worry about her.

Falik felt a twist of guilt in his stomach as he watched Eleanor work on Katherine's shoulder. It wasn't fair that she was still in pain for something that had been essentially his fault. He was still troubled by the wound in his side but he'd had a lot of help from Master Smithson and training with the other Bazhir had done wonders.

He frowned and the smile faded from his face.

"Perhaps fencing isn't such a good idea." He stated. He could see that Katherine looked uncomfortable so he tried to change the conversation.

"Lady Eleanor, how long will you be staying in Persopolis? If you're interested we could arrange a trip out to the Shaman School where the Bloody Hawk live, I'm sure you know it was founded by the Burning-Brightly One, er...I mean Lady Alanna."

He'd slipped back in to Bazhir ways easily, going back to Corus was going to be a joy if he did things like that!

Katherine saw Falik. "Don't worry about it." she whispered to him. "I got this trying to save you. It will heal, just very slowly."

When Eleanor finished she swayed alittle. But before she fell she found a bench and sat down. She heard Falik's offer to her cousin. "Whatever you do, just don't metion to mother that your going. She'll jump at any chance she gets just to find a way out of resting."