first saw them as they walked into the inn where I had been staying since my mother and brothers had sent me from Lithquill to Corinth to safety. It had been three days since my father’s funeral and the war was steadily getting worse.

The two young men looked my way and headed towards my table. This wasn’t much of a surprise as I had been told that I am almost as beautiful as a goddess. I silently thanked Flare and Callaquendhe for the pair of magical gauntlets they had given me. Cal had enchanted them to meld with my flesh so no one knew they were there. Without them, I was completely defenseless.

While I was lost in thought, they had seated themselves at a table close to mine and were looking in my direction. They seemed about my age and were good looking. I had to remind myself not to let my guard down. The one with the long, blonde, curls was so disarming.

Oh how I hated this dress. It always attracted so much attention, the black silk and velvet made a lot of noise when I moved. Yet, I had to wear it, as it was customary for a lady to wear the dress of mourning for three days. I hated being reminded of my father’s death. I had been very lucky to slip away with my friend and mount, Shadowfaze, in the middle of the night.

An older and very intoxicated man had wandered to my table now and was offering his condolences for my father’s death. He was almost yelling. Everyone in the tavern could hear him. I made a silent call to Shadowfaze to be waiting outside for me.

When the man had finished, I thanked him kindly and got up to leave. The room was silent and I could feel all eyes upon me as I walked out the door.

I couldn’t see Shadowfaze anywhere outside, so I decided to go for a walk in the woods. The silence and solitude there allowed me to gather my thoughts. I quickly found the tree where Jason, now the king of Corinth and I used to play as children. My father had been the most trusted advisor to King Faldor and had traveled here with my mother, brothers and I often because of the alliance between Corinth and Lithquill.

I sat on the tree seat and called Shadowfaze again. He appeared moments later and hugged me as well as a horse can while I cried into his big, blue shoulder. I could hear him in my mind, comforting me, trying to ease my pain.

A sudden shout in my mind woke me from a sound sleep. Shadowfaze had moved a short distance away to graze, but was now staring alertly to the north.

"Who’s there?" I called into the gathering dark. It seemed like only minutes ago that it had been afternoon.

In a flash, Shadowfaze was at my side. One of the young men I had seen at the inn earlier came hiking through the trees. He was tall and slim with chiseled features. His wavy hair was light brown and hung to his jaw.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I glared at him, ready to defend myself.

"Wait!" He said, "Jason was worried. He asked my friend and I to help him look for a young lady friend of his. He should be here soon."

"Jason's here now." Shadowfaze's voice whispered in my mind.

"He’s here." I said turning around to greet my childhood friend with a smile.

"My Little Lady, you’re all grown up now," replied the clean-cut young king as he picked me up and swung me around.

I smiled at the compliment. Shadowfaze whispered in my mind again, "Someone else is coming."

"Someone else is coming." I voiced the shadowhorse’s thought.

"Yes, I asked two of my friends from the academy to help me look for you when your messenger arrived this afternoon." Jason replied.

"What messenger?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes.

"The one your mother sent." He replied, giving me a strange look.

"My mother wouldn't send a messenger." I shook my head.

"Why not?"

"I'll explain later, you'll understand then."

A blonde man came crashing through the trees just then, startling me. He was captivating with one curl falling in his eye, a tan leather vest and dark brown pants.

"Perhaps I should introduce everyone before we head back." Jason mentioned. "This is Hercules," he said gesturing to the brown-haired one. "And this, is Iolaus." He pointed at the breathless one. "Guys, this is the Lady Tayba of Lithquill."

I blushed as they each bent and kissed a hand, almost in unison. "Please don’t do that, I get embarrassed when people do that."

"We should go before it gets too dark," Hercules offered.

Jason took my arm and we walked together with Hercules and Iolaus following.

"Why didn’t you let me know that you were here?"

"I tried, but someone told me you were busy. I’ve been waiting for you to get my message and find me."

"I never got a message from you. What was so important that your mother sent you here?"

"You know about the war in Lithquill…" I started and he nodded silently. "She said it wasn’t safe for me to be there anymore."

I nervously tugged at the pins holding my hair back and they released, letting my black hair fall in waves down the middle of my back, reaching down to my knees.

"Know what Jay?" I asked him cautiously. "I don’t want to be a lady tonight. I want to be able to run like we used to."

"Race you back!" He grinned over his shoulder as he broke into a run. I laughed, gathered my skirts, and charged after him. Running through the night with my hair streaming in my wake, I felt free again. All my cares seemed to be so far away, I was a child again.

At the castle, Jason and I sat on the grass to catch our breath and wait for his friends. We were silent for a moment then he turned to me somberly.

"There’s another reason you came here, isn’t there?" He asked sadly.

I nodded silently. "I came to bring bad news." I drew a deep, shaky breath before continuing. "My father was killed in the war three days ago." All of a sudden, I was an adult again, with very real fears and worries.

"I’m so sorry, I should have known." He put his arm around my shoulders comfortingly. "Why else would you have come here alone and in the mourning dress? Stay here for a while. Spend time with us. Please?"

"I hope you stay Tayba." Iolaus smiled as he flopped down on the grass beside me.

"I’ve heard the roads back to Lithquill can be dangerous, especially with that war now." Hercules chimed in as he joined us.

"I can take care of myself." I glared at him, "But I think I will stay for a while." I finished, winking at Iolaus.

"Good. We can spend tomorrow catching up. It’s been years since we’ve talked. Sir Brandor always said you would grow up to be pretty, but I never thought you’d be this beautiful." Jason whispered as he squeezed my shoulders.

I blushed and dropped my head demurely because I knew he was lying. It was hard for me to hear things like that; he knew that. We’d been friends since we were very small.

I leaned my head into the warmth of my friend’s shoulder and let more silent tears fall for my father. After stifling a sniffle or two, I quickly bade good night to all. I made my way back to my room at the inn. As I was getting ready for bed, I thought about my father, mother and brothers.

Early in the morning, I was awakened by an unusual clatter.

"Morning sleeping beauty!" Jason called as I rolled over.

"You shouldn’t be in here!" I teased.

"But I brought breakfast for my little sister." He complained, smiling and placing a steaming tray over my legs.

We ate, talked, and laughed over breakfast. He told me about how he had met Hercules and Iolaus and I told him about Flare and Callaquendhe before showing him my new gauntlets.

Jason dutifully turned his back as I got dressed so we could go downstairs.

I almost laughed out loud when I saw the faces of Hercules and Iolaus. They looked surprised that a lady would wear a black leather bodice and skirt. I glanced over and saw Jason trying to hide a smile.

We decided to walk back to the woods where we had met the night before. We were walking along in near silence when Hercules appeared at my side and touched my elbow.

"Can I talk to you alone for a second?" he whispered.

I allowed him to lead me a short distance away from Jason and Iolaus. I watched them go and saw Iolaus turn around to glare at Hercules.

"I know what he’s thinking, but he’s wrong." He whispered. "What I wanted to know is how you feel about Jason first."

I smiled. "He’s like another big brother to me. We’ve been close friends for a long time."

"Ok. Now, what do you think of Iolaus?"

"I think I’d like to get to know him better." I murmured, blushing.

"He’ll be glad to hear that." He grinned as we started walking again.

"Really?"

"Yeah. After you left, he spent all night grilling Jason for information. He’s got it bad." Hercules grinned.

"As long as he knows I want to be treated like a regular person. I don’t like being treated differently. Ok?"

We caught up with Jason and Iolaus quickly. I smiled at Iolaus as Hercules pulled him off to talk.

"You know," Jason was saying, "You really should go on a date with Iolaus. I think both of you would have a great time."

"Hercules told me almost the same thing when he pulled me away." I smiled "and I would if he asked."

We walked in silence until Hercules and Iolaus rejoined us. Iolaus was beaming. By the gods, he had an amazing smile and dimples too. His blue eyes sparkled brightly with mischief when he glanced my way. I couldn’t wait to be alone with him.

We got to the woods and as the guys found a place to spar, I found a fallen tree to practice my agility exercises. I couldn’t keep my mind off of Iolaus, so I had a hard time concentrating on my flips and stretches. As I worked, it got easier to concentrate and get him out of my thoughts.

I was startled to hear a low whistle nearby after a series of flips into a handstand. I turned my head and saw Iolaus watching. I blushed and flipped myself upright. He looked good with his vest off. He strolled over and hopped lightly onto the log to join me.

"Amazing." He breathed, "I’ve been watching you for at least five minutes and you’re not even out of breath. How do you do it?"

"My brothers taught me to box and my mother taught me the balance and agility exercises." I grinned back.

He had a solitary curl hanging in his eye. I reached up and gently brushed it behind his ear. 'He’s not much taller than me.' I thought. His hair was so soft and I hated to pull my hand away.

"Sorry," I murmured blushing as I pulled my hand away. The look on his face seemed to be telling me not to be, but his eyes were closed so I couldn’t tell for sure.

"Don’t be sorry," He whispered, his body glistening in the morning sun. "So you’re beautiful and a fighter. How do you keep that beautiful face from getting damaged?"

"Easy," I grinned back. "I don’t let myself get hit."

He smiled easily and sat down, dangling his legs over one side of the log. I sat beside him with my legs on the other side. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. I wished I could look into his eyes and know his thoughts.

"A dinar for your thoughts?" I asked gently.

He sighed and looked at me sadly. "How do you feel about Herc?"

"Honestly, I guess he’d make an alright friend, why do you ask?"

"Because he thinks you’re pretty. And --"

"But, what do you think?" I interrupted.

"I think you’re beautiful and that you should go out for supper at Kora’s Inn with me tonight." He blushed, glancing at me.

"I like that idea, but I’ve got a suggestion to add to that." I whispered in his ear. "I think you and I should take Shaeton and go somewhere quiet tonight."

"Sounds great, but I thought we could be alone to get to know each other." He whispered back. "Who is Shaeton?"

"See that blue horse over there? That’s Shaeton. He’ll take us somewhere and bring us back. We can be completely alone, if you want."

"Won’t Jason worry? He was really worried yesterday."

"I doubt it. We’ll be fine." I smiled.

He looked at me smiling. I wanted to kiss those lips, but I settled for biting my lower lip instead. We sat in silence for quite a while. I wanted him to keep talking; I liked the sound of his voice. Soft, but deep with a light accent. I saw his arm move out of the corner of my eye. I thought he was going to brush his hair out of his eyes again, but he released the clips from my hair. Unconsciously, I shook my head gently and let my hair fall.

He muttered something under his breath. I turned to look at him and he was gazing at me with a far away look in his eyes. I leaned my head on his shoulder and sighed contentedly. He put his arm across my lap. Our faces were only inches apart.

A snapping twig brought us back to reality. Shadowfaze had appeared before us and I looked to where the noise had come from. A strange man was standing at the edge of the clearing and I recognized his colors as those from the city of Carriol, the ones at war with Lithquill. I flipped myself off the log and stood beside Iolaus.

"Put your sword away and take Shaeton to get the others. Get them out of here." I whispered and pushed him towards the horse. "Go!"

The strange soldier had his sword drawn and was advancing. Again, I silently thanked Callaquendhe for my golden gauntlets. More twigs snapped around me as more soldiers advanced. I lunged at the one closest to me and hit fists first. He fell and lay still. A second soldier was circling me now. I grabbed his sword blade and I kicked him several times before wrenching it from his hands. I threw his sword to the ground and raised my fists. My first swing missed, but the second connected hard enough to trigger the wall of force spell contained in a gem on my knuckle.

I pounded a third soldier into the ground as Shadowfaze returned with three riders. The soldiers were still coming, and I didn’t have time to worry about who the third was. They jumped down and Hercules and Jason grabbed swords from the ground.

"Tayba!" a male voice shouted and Iolaus tossed a sword to me. I easily caught it and hurled it through the chest of a fourth soldier.

A strangled noise behind me caught my attention so I turned to see Jason putting a sixth soldier down. No more soldiers were approaching, and there were only four remaining. My left arm screamed with pain where, a soldier had slashed me while I was watching Jason. I punched him as hard as I could with my right. His body stiffened and there was a crack of thunder. He fell to the ground with tiny tendrils of smoke rising from a charred spot on his chest. Everyone gaped for a minute and the remaining two soldiers fled.

"You’re bleeding." Hercules said, looking at my arm.

"It’s just a scratch." I replied, not bothering to look.

"It’s bleeding too much to be a scratch." The girl stated.

"I’m fine!" I announced, glaring at everyone.

"Whose army was that?" Jason asked, bandaging my arm.

"Malenkii’s. His army is also attacking Lithquill. It looks like he found me here." I was almost ready to cry again. Malenkii was the king of Carriol and he had once asked me to be his bride, but I had denied him. At the time, he said he would destroy me and everything I held dear, but I thought they were merely idle threats.

"Thank you for coming to help." I said, turning to the blonde girl. She was pretty with short blonde hair and brown eyes.

"I’m Lilith." She said, extending her right hand.

I removed my right gauntlet and shook her hand. "I’m Tayba."

I was sure she had to be Iolaus’ girlfriend, or at least I figured from the way she kept looking at him. She was pretty and he seemed to be holding her tightly on Shadowfaze’s back.

I wanted to hide. I had put my closest friend, two people I had just met and a complete stranger in danger. To top it off, I had been flirting with someone else’s man. I couldn’t stay here anymore. Lilith left and I looked for somewhere comfortable to sit down and rest for a bit. Why was I so tired? After only a couple steps, I was exhausted. I sat down at the base of a tree and closed my eyes.

I could feel someone looking at me a little while later. I opened my eyes and everyone was staring at me. Iolaus was sitting behind me and had wrapped his vest around me. I felt a bit warmer, but no better.

"We should get her somewhere warm." Jason said. "Herc, will you carry her?"

"I will." Iolaus answered. "We could take Shaeton and meet you back at Kora’s."

"Good idea. We’ll meet you back there then."

"I’m sorry," I whispered to Iolaus as he bent down to scoop me up.

His arms were so strong. I never wanted him to put me down. He placed me gently on Shadowfaze’s back and hopped lightly up behind me.

"What are you sorry for?" he inquired, putting his arms around me.

"I’ve ruined our plans for tonight. And I put you, Jason, Hercules and Lilith in danger." I sighed as Shadowfaze broke into a canter.

"Don’t worry about it. We can still spend time together tonight." He whispered softly in my ear.

I smiled and leaned my head against his chest. I could hear his heart beating over the thundering of Shadowfaze’s hooves and the wind created by his gait.

In no time at all, we were back at the inn. Iolaus carefully helped me down and carried me up the stairs to my room.

"You know," I whispered in his ear as he laid me on the bed, "You didn’t have to carry me."

"I know." He smiled, "But I wanted to."

He looked amazing when he smiled. His pale blue eyes fairly danced and his dimples came out. I couldn’t help but to smile back. I wanted to lean over and kiss him, but Lilith was on her way here. 'Why didn’t Hercules tell me he had a girlfriend?' I tried to rationalize in my head. He was gazing in my direction with that far away look in his eyes again. ' Maybe she’s just someone he knows.'

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing really." He blushed. "I just never dreamed it could be possible."

"Never dreamed what could be possible?"

"That my dream woman could step out of my head and be laying on the bed in front of me." He blushed.

I took off my gauntlets and ran my right hand through his curls. His hair was so soft. "That’s a very sweet thing for you to say." I whispered back, blushing too.

"I never noticed those before." He said pointing at my gauntlets lying on the bed. "Where did they come from?"

"I just took them off." I replied.

"Why didn’t I notice you wearing them?"

"I helped a very powerful mage recently and, in return, he had these made and then enchanted them for me. When I wear them, they are completely invisible."

"They’re almost as beautiful as you." He breathed, turning one over in his hands.

He was only partially right they were beautiful and functional too. Delicate, and gold that went all the way up to my elbows. Long spikes curved back from the wrists that could break a sword. Large jewels were embedded between the knuckles. But, they were invisible while I was wearing them.

"You should lie down and rest." Iolaus said, getting up from the bed to put my gauntlets on the table across the room.

I watched him cross the floor. His leather pants were tight and smooth. He looked so good. He must have seen me watching him when he turned around because he was smiling. He wandered over and pushed me gently back against the pillow.

"I thought I told you to lay down and rest." He chided, stretching out beside me.

"You did," I winked, "I’m just not very good at following directions."

"How ya feeling, little one?" Jason asked from the doorway.

"Lots better." I smiled back as he came to give me a hug.

"Hey." Hercules announced as he and Lilith wandered in. "I hope no one minds, but I asked Kora to bring up something for supper."

"Sounds great." Jason replied.

Lilith wandered to the table where Iolaus had put my gauntlets and was examining them closely.

"These are beautiful." She said, turning to face us. "Who made them for you?"

"I’m not sure who made them," I admitted. "They were enchanted and given to me by a powerful mage."

"They look like something my brother, Hephaestus could make." Hercules said picking one up. "We could ask him if you want."

"Why not?" asked Iolaus. "We’ve got almost everyone in here already." He finished in a voice meant for only me to hear.

"What’s that, Iolaus?" he asked.

"Nothing."

A sudden, light knock on the door averted a potential fight. The door opened and an extremely pretty girl with a tray walked in. A scruffy looking guy carrying another tray followed her.

"Heph, what are you doing carrying trays?" Hercules asked the scruffy, young man.

"Tayba," he said turning to me, "This is my brother, Hephaestus."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hephaestus." I smiled at him.

"He’s the metal worker of the gods." Iolaus whispered to me.

"That’ll be six dinars." The pretty blonde girl said, glaring at me coldly.

I got out ten dinars and Iolaus passed the coins to her. "There you are, Kora." He winked and a sudden wave of jealousy washed over me.

She said nothing as she passed the tray to Hephaestus and left. I immediately felt better as soon as she closed the door behind her. Hephaestus put the trays down in the middle of the bed and turned to leave.

"Wait, Heph." Herc called, "Why don’t you stay?"

His whole face lit up and he sat down on the bed. Iolaus and I had sat up and everyone else moved to sit on the bed as well. Hercules had ordered a tray of fruit and one of bread. Everything looked wonderful. Iolaus leaned over and grabbed a shiny, red apple for each of us. As much as I enjoyed the company of all these people, I really wanted to be alone. I was still upset about losing my father. Added to that, I had to leave the only home I ever knew. On top of that, I had almost killed my best friend and some of his friends. All these problems because of me.

"You there, Tayba?" Lilith asked, startling me from my thoughts.

"What’s up?"

"I want to know why those soldiers attacked you this afternoon."

"It’s a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"I think you should tell them." Jason replied.

"Alright." I took a deep breath. " Those soldiers were from Carriol. Malenkii probably sent them to take me back there."

"Why would he do something like that?" Iolaus asked.

"Because he asked me to marry him and he was upset when I declined. He made some threats that I thought were empty, but he is making good on them."

"So why did he attack us?" Lilith questioned.

"He vowed to destroy everything and everyone I care about until I change my mind. Those soldiers would never have attacked if I hadn’t tried to defend myself." I sighed and turned to Iolaus; "You shouldn’t have come back. I put you all in danger and I’m sorry."

"Don’t talk like that." Hercules said softly. "We wouldn’t have come to help if we didn’t want to."

"Thank you." I smiled weakly.

"Who did you get these gauntlets from?" Hephaestus called from across the room.

"A mage I helped. He gave them to me as a gift for helping him." I called back. "Why?"

"I made a pair like this for an elven mage named Callaquendhe. He said he needed them as a gift." He replied.

"They’re beautiful. Thank you." I smiled.

"I thought they might be too small, but they look to be the right size."

"How’s that arm of yours doing now?" Hercules asked as he carefully undid the bandage.

"It’s feeling much better." I tried to smile. How I hated having people fussing over me.

He finished removing the cloth strips that had bound my arm and studied the gash carefully. I winced. My arm felt somewhat better, but it was still quite sore.

"It’s almost stopped bleeding." He announced as he put clean bandages on the wound.

Iolaus looked relieved and I could feel Lilith glare at me jealously. "Why is she looking at me like that?" I wondered to myself. "Maybe she really is Iolaus’ girlfriend." I turned to look into his pale blue eyes and my heart skipped a beat. The deep concern I had seen only moments before had turned to relief.

"We should go and let you rest now." Lilith said suddenly, gazing at Hercules.

That girl was confusing me. First, she was glaring at me when Iolaus was stretched out on the bed beside me, now she wanted Hercules to go with her. Which one did she want?

"Maybe we should." Hercules smiled as he helped her up from the bed.

There was a flash of light and the sound of a hammer striking an anvil. Hephaestus had left.

"How about that." Jason remarked, "He didn’t even say goodnight."

"Well, we are." Lilith announced. "Goodnight."

With that, they walked out the door. Only one more to get rid of so Iolaus and I could continue getting to know each other. Now it looked like he was going to leave on his own.

"I should go now too." Jason announced as he gave me a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

He walked around to where Iolaus was sitting on the bed and whispered something in his ear. With that, he turned and left. Alone again, at last.

"I thought they would never leave." Iolaus sighed.

"Me either." I replied as I put the trays on the floor so I could stretch out again.

I slid down a little so I could lay down with my head on one of the pillows. Iolaus stretched out beside me once more. He was lying on his right side with his head propped up on his hand. He was just staring into my eyes, buy he looked like he wanted to say something.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, hating to break into his thoughts.

"I just like looking at you." He replied softly, "And you’re even more beautiful when you blush."

He put his free arm around me and pulled me close. His touch sent a little thrill up my spine. I could lay here, snuggled up to him all night.

"There’s something I’ve been wanting to find out since I first laid my eyes on you yesterday."

"What do you want to know?" I asked as he reached up to caress my face.

"I want to know if your lips taste as sweet as they look."

I smiled at the mischievous glint in his eyes. He smiled gently and leaned over to brush my lips with his. He didn’t strike me as someone who was shy earlier, but he definitely seemed unsure now. I didn’t want to press the matter because I didn’t want to scare him away.

He rolled over a bit more and put his left leg between mine. Iolaus had moved his right arm to cradle my head. The sensation I felt when his lips finally pressed to mine made me feel like I had paid a short visit to the Elysian Fields. His lips were warm and soft with a gentle pressure that told me exactly how he felt.

A light rap on the door brought us both crashing back to reality. Iolaus leapt to the end of the bed in a single, fluid movement.

"C’mon Iolaus," Jason’s voice called from the other side of the closed door. "The idea was to let her rest."

I could hear a hint of a laugh in Jason’s voice. Iolaus was blushing furiously. I tried not to giggle at his comment for Iolaus’ sake as I crawled across to where he was sitting and kneeled behind him.

"Meet me in Shaeton’s stall after everyone else is asleep." I whispered in his ear as I draped my arms around his neck.

"I’ll be there." He smiled back.

"Hurry up Iolaus." Jason’s voice called again from the other side of the door. "Don’t make me come in there and get you."

"You should go." I said softly as he pulled me into his lap. "I’ll see you in a bit."

He said nothing, only smiled and kissed me one more time. I laid back down on the bed Iolaus pulled the covers over me. Without another word, he left. I sincerely hoped that he would meet me in the stable later.

I waited until I heard their footsteps fade down the hall and got up to collect the things I thought I would need for later. I opened the drawer on the small table beside the bed and pulled out a bottle of wine I had purchased when I arrived here. My backpack was under the bed and I pulled it out too. I still had my blanket in the bag from my trip, and I used it to wrap up the bottle. I crammed the bundle back in the pack. Now all I needed was a cup or two.

Another light rap at the door made me stuff the bag back under the bed.

"Who is it?" I called as I slid under the covers.

"Just me." Herc’s voice replied as he opened the door a crack.

"Come in."

He closed the door behind himself and crossed to sit on the edge of the bed.

"We have to go back to the academy soon." He started, "I’m not sure about Jason but Iolaus and I would like you to come with us. Please think about it."

"I’ll think about it." I agreed.

He smiled and then was serious again. "One more thing, it’s about Iolaus."

"Is something wrong with him?"

"I’m not sure. He just seems really serious these last couple days."

"Maybe there’s something bothering him."

"He says it’s nothing."

"Then I’ll see if he’ll tell me."

"He really likes you, Tayba." Hercules smiled. "Will you talk to him?"

"Of course I will. I like him a lot too, I want to make sure he’s alright." I turned away blushing.

"Thanks. I’ll let you sleep now." He sounded relieved, "Goodnight."

I relaxed a little as he left, but now I was worried about Iolaus. I pulled the bag out and quickly located a cup. Iolaus was probably already be in the stable waiting for me so I got my cloak from the wardrobe, grabbed my pack and cautiously slipped into the hallway. I listened carefully, holding my breath, but I couldn’t hear a sound from any of the rooms, so I crept out to the stable.

Shadowfaze was alone in his stall when I arrived, so I stood in the walkway to wait for Iolaus. A pair of strong hands on my waist startled me before Iolaus kissed the back of my neck.

"Not here." I moaned softly, nearly melting into his strong arms.

We quickly moved into the stall and mounted Shadowfaze. Iolaus wrapped his arms around my waist and continued to kiss my neck as we flew through the night. In almost no time, we had arrived at the secluded mountain valley. It was exactly as I remembered it, soft grass, a few trees and a hot spring.

Iolaus slid down and pulled me into his arms.

"You sure know how to pack for an evening." He smiled as he peeked inside my pack.

He spread the blanket out close to the water’s edge and poured a cup of wine. It all seemed so perfect as I took off my cloak and sat beside him. A beautiful night, a lovely valley, a wonderful young man, a bottle of fine wine; what more could a girl ask for? Most importantly, no distractions or interruptions.

We shared two cups of wine in near silence, simply enjoying the closeness of the other. I snuggled up to his now bare chest, he seemed cold so I got up and pulled him to his feet.

"Where are we going?" he looked extremely puzzled.

"You looked cold, and we have a hot spring here. We can warm up some." I smiled back as I slid into the water.

He paused at the edge of the water and watched me quietly.

"Come in." I smiled invitingly.

"I can’t swim." Came his quiet reply. I could hear a note of embarrassment in his voice.

"You don’t need to." I assured him. "It’s only waist deep on me at its deepest."

I looked at him with big, pleading eyes. After what seemed to be an eternity, he slipped into the steaming water. I smiled and he moved towards me. When I was safely in his arms again, I found that I was feeling a little shy.

"Iolaus," I whispered in his ear. "If it makes you feel any better, I can’t swim either."

He made no reply, only kissed me gently. He still seemed so tense. I wanted to get into his head and get to know the real Iolaus. If he wasn’t going to let me see the real him, what was the point of getting to know this one? I could feel so much passion behind the front he was putting up and I wanted to be allowed to tap into it. I pulled back a little and studied his eyes and face intently for a moment.

"Is something wrong tonight?" I asked gently.

"No." Came his melancholy reply. "Why?"

"It seems like something is bothering you. You’re so tense. How can I help you to relax?" I really wanted to get to know the real him, inside and out. I wondered if I should tell him that.

"You’d leave if you knew."

"Let me be the judge of that." I whispered, tenderly caressing his cheek. "I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to. Now, relax and let me see a bit of the real you."

He looked even more nervous, but he slid his hands down my sides to my waist. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed the hollow of his throat. A low moan escaped his throat and he tilted his head back. I tilted it towards me and tenderly kissed his soft lips. His lips never leaving mine, he bent, scooped me up and carried me back to our blanket.

Iolaus was starting to relax a little as he laid me down on the blanket and produced a second one from a pack I never realized he brought. We were warm, snuggled close together under the thick blanket. He seemed to be getting bolder with every kiss; his hands started to wander. They found the leather thong that laced up the front of my bodice.

The tiny bow yielded when he tugged lightly on one end, and I made no move to discourage him. The tightly laced bodice relaxed a bit as well. He was leaning over me now and the light from the full moon behind him made his hair seem to glow. I wanted to tell him so, but this wasn’t a time for words.

The night was getting cooler and I began to shiver. Iolaus leaned close and was practically on top of me. I loved the feeling of his body this close to mine. He was so warm with a firm body. He moved his hands up to my shoulders to pull the straps from my shoulders, and I pulled the straps off my arms.

Iolaus smiled invitingly in the soft light. His eyes sparkled as he bent to kiss me again. This time, he didn’t stop at my lips but continued down my chest. I moaned with pleasure. As he kissed my body, I entangled my hands in his hair. Soon we were entangled in a lover’s embrace.

When we were finished, he rolled over and pulled me onto his chest. I snuggled up to him and he kissed the top of my head. For the first time in weeks, I felt happy. I smiled and kissed his chest.

"I’ve got as idea." He whispered. "Come with me, back to the academy."

"Are you sure you would want me around all the time?" I teased lightly.

"I might worry that another guy would steal me beautiful goddess away from me." He smiled back as he rolled over to pin me beneath him.

The night was getting colder, and I shivered. Even the combined warmth of Iolaus and the blanket weren’t enough to keep the chill away.

"We should go back." Iolaus was looking at me with concern. "I don’t want you getting sick."

I nodded silently, not wanting the evening to end. We got dressed and I could feel his eyes on me. He packed our things together as I finished lacing up my bodice and called silently to Shadowfaze.

The large, blue horse appeared moments later, startling Iolaus. I giggled as I clambered up onto the shadowhorse’s broad back and helped Iolaus up behind me.

We started back to the inn at a much slower pace than before. Something seemed to be bothering Iolaus again, he was strangely quiet.

"Is something wrong?" I prodded gently, turning sideways so I could read his face.

"Just thinking." He replied noncommittally.

"About what?"

"A couple things."

"What’s first?"

"How are we going to get back to our rooms? It’s late and Kora’s probably locked the doors already."

"Shaeton’s got that covered already." I winked. "What’s next?"

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and blurted; "I care about you, Tayba. A lot. And I want to know you better. There, I said it." He slowly opened his eyes and looked at me.

"I care about you too, Iolaus." I smiled back. "And I want to know you as well."

The inn was in sight now and Shadowfaze was picking up his pace. Iolaus gave a startled yelp of surprise as Shadowfaze rose higher off the ground and passed through the wall of my room. We dismounted and I gave Shadowfaze an apple from one of the trays before he exited through the same wall.

"How did we do that?" Iolaus asked incredulously.

"Shaeton is a shadowhorse." I answered calmly. "It’s one of his natural defenses."

"How did he come to be your horse?"

"He’s not really mine. He’s more of a friend. I don’t control him, but he does do things if I ask him."

"Ok, how did he come to you then?"

"I was traveling with a group of unlikely friends. He had been injured and was lying at the side of the road. I bandaged his wounds and nursed him back to health. He feels he owes me a debt." I sat on the edge of the bed.

Iolaus looked puzzled. "He’s a horse. How do you know how he feels?"

"He told me." I replied matter-of-factly.

Now Iolaus looked completely confused.

"It’s another shadowhorse thing. He can’t talk, exactly, but he can communicate telepathically with those he trusts completely."

Iolaus seemed to accept that answer because he changed the subject abruptly. "What about your family?"

"I don’t really want to talk about that right now." I could feel tears threatening to fall again.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked, sitting beside me.

"No, no. I’m just a little down about that lately." I tried to smile. "Why don’t you tell me a bit about your family. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I’ve got one sister, Adriana. She’s nine years younger than I am. She’s still in Thebes with my mom. My dad is a general in the army there, but we haven’t seen him in about five years." His eyes glittered with pent-up rage.

"I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to upset you."

"It’s alright, but please tell me a little about yours now."

"Ok." My tears were still close. "I grew up with five older brothers. My mom and dad were around a lot. That just makes it harder to accept that he’s gone, and he’s never coming back." I furiously tried to blink away the tears.

"Are you sure he’s not going to come back?" He asked. "Mine comes and goes all the time."

"It’s all my fault." I moaned softly, still battling my tears.

"It can’t be." He replied, trying to gather me in his arms.

"I couldn’t help. I watched from the castle wall. I wanted to help. They kept telling me I’d be safer inside the castle walls." I whispered, pushing him away. I felt so alone and empty now.

"What did you watch, sweetheart?"

"A terrible battle." I replied. "One of my brothers nearly died, and three others came back with less serious wounds. I helped bandage them up. I got back to the top of the wall in time to see my father step in front of King Faldor. He was trying to protect both him and I…" The tears won the battle then and I couldn’t continue. I couldn’t allow Iolaus to see me like this, so I turned away.

He pulled me into his arms and I didn’t resist this time. He stroked my hair. "Such a horrible thing for you to live through." He whispered soothingly, "You’re too upset for this to have happened very long ago. If you don’t mind, how long ago was this?"

"Almost a month ago now." I sobbed back.

"Maybe we shouldn’t have…"

I cut him off. "Do you regret it?"

"Not at all." He kissed the top of my head.

"I don’t either." I tried in vain to smile through my tears.

"Please, beautiful. No more tears." He soothed, tenderly brushing tears from my face. "It’s breaking my heart to see you like this."

He moved to lean against the headboard and cradled my head in his lap. I stifled a yawn, but the tears kept coming. Iolaus sat by me, stroking my hair and making soothing sounds. I yawned again.

"Try to rest now." Iolaus breathed in my ear, kissing it and brushing my eyes shut with his hand.

"Thank you, Iolaus." I whispered, not opening my eyes.

"I’m not going to leave you. I’m staying with you all night." I could hear him murmur as I drifted off amidst my tears.

I could sense Iolaus near while I slept. My dreams were strange. I was back in Lithquill. It looked the same as when I left, only my father was waiting for me. He was smiling, but I could see something clouding his eyes.

"Daddy, what’s wrong?" I asked my dream father.

"I could see what you did earlier," he started as he scooped me up in a bear hug. "I don’t approve of that, but I believe he is a good man."

"I’m sorry daddy." I barely managed to squeak out.

"You can’t change the past, my little lady."

"I didn’t mean for you to die." I wept. "I wanted to help."

"I know you wanted to help, but I wanted you to be safe. You also know that I love you and your brothers so much that I would gladly give my life for any of you."

"I wish you hadn’t had to. I miss you."

"I know. I miss you too. Stay with Jason, Hercules and Iolaus. They are good men and will help you through this. Hercules is a mortal son of Zeus and will be loyal to the end. Go with them to Chieron’s academy. Malenkii can not easily hurt you there."

Voices. Familiar voices. But not voices that belong here. They were male voices, but they were blending together and I couldn’t tell who was calling me. It seemed like my father heard them too.

"You should go." The large knight said ruefully, "And so should I."

"I love you daddy." I whispered, hugging him goodbye.

"I love you too sweetheart." He replied, kissing the top of my head and fading from view.

I opened my eyes slowly on a room filled with sunlight. I felt a dampness on my face and looked up to see Iolaus’ head bent over mine. He was shaking softly. I tried to move my free, left hand up to dry his tears, but a flash of searing pain prevented me. I groaned in pain and another teardrop fell on my face.

"I think she’s awake!" Iolaus whispered and I could hear a note of relief in his voice.

"What’s going on?" I demanded weakly.

"Shh," Iolaus whispered, "save your strength."

I moved my head slightly and saw Hercules, Jason and Lilith sitting beside us looking extremely worried.

"We’re taking you to Cheiron's academy with us." Hercules stated. "You’re arm is infected and he’ll know what to do."

I nodded silently. My father had told me to trust them and go to the academy, so I’d go. ‘What about mother?’ My mind broke in. ‘She’ll be worried if she sends word and you’re not here to receive it.’

"Home." I whispered urgently to Iolaus. "I have to go home and tell my mother."

"When you’re well." Came Jason’s stern reply.

"No. I have to talk to her first. I’ll go my myself if I have to." I retorted angrily.

"Relax sweetheart." Iolaus murmured into my ear. "We can sneak out, take Shaeton and visit your family." I could see a hint of a sparkle behind the concern in his eyes.

I smiled weakly at him, but said nothing. My arm was really starting to hurt.

"We should get going soon." Jason said worriedly. "Iolaus, wrap her up in her blanket and help her downstairs, please? Lilith, Herc and I will get the horses ready."

They left and Iolaus got up slowly and eased me back onto the bed. I noticed that sometime while I was sleeping, he had risen, picked me up, gotten a pillow and covered me. I was amazed that he hadn’t woken me in the process.

He finished collecting out things and gathered my blanket and me in his arms. Iolaus’ eyes were red; they looked like he had been crying for quite some time.

"Why were you crying?"

He gave me a sheepish, almost mournful look. "You were so pale and still. You were crying, then mumbling, then silent. I tried to wake you, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t even hear you breathing." He looked deep into my eyes, "I thought I was going to lose you before I got a chance to know you."

"That is so sweet." I whispered and kissed his soft lips.

"They’ll be wondering where we are." He kissed me again.

"Ok. Put me down so I can get rid of this blanket then we can go."

"I’ll put you down, but you have to keep the blanket around you."

"Why?"

"Because you have a fever, I don’t want you to catch a chill and get worse. I care too much." He said as he gently set me on my feet.

My head was swimming and I felt unsteady. Iolaus caught me as my legs crumpled beneath me. He scooped me up in his arms again and gently wrapped the blanket tighter.

"I’ll be fine. I can walk." I tried to plead with him.

Iolaus looked at me helplessly. "Alright, but let me help you."

I surrendered and allowed Iolaus to support me as we made our way down to the stable. Shadowfaze was waiting, but Jason pulled me up in front of him.

We rode in silence for a bit. Jason and I rode a short distance from the others when he finally broke the silence.

"Why was Iolaus in your room this morning?" He questioned.

"He came in to check on me last night. I’d been crying, so he said he’d stay with me till I fell asleep. I guess he dozed off too." I replied. "I thought you wanted me to get together with Iolaus?"

"When you’re well." He hugged me. "He can be really, umm, energetic. Especially when it comes to beautiful women."

I smiled quietly. "But I’m not pretty."

"Everyone else thinks you are, especially Iolaus. We all think Aphrodite smiled on your birth."

"Hercules said Iolaus has been acting strangely since he met me. Have you noticed?"

"He’s been quieter and a little more serious lately. Maybe he’s trying to impress you." I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"Doesn’t he know that he doesn’t have to try to impress me?"

"I told him that when he was asking about you, but I’m not sure he believed me."

"I told him too, but he didn’t listen."

"You really like him, don’t you?"

I nodded silently. My head hurt and I was feeling awful. My arm was throbbing too. I leaned against Jason and closed my eyes. I was starting to doze off when Jason reigned our horse in. the others did the same.

I woke up almost as soon as the horse stopped moving. Iolaus dismounted and caught me as I slid down to stretch my legs. I felt so dizzy.

"You feeling any better?" Iolaus asked.

"A little." I replied.

"You’re still so pale. And your head is warm. Cheiron can make you feel better, we should be there soon." He caressed my face and neck.

He held a canteen to my lips and made me sip the cool water inside. I smiled and Iolaus brushed my forehead with his cheek. I could see deep concern clouding his blue eyes. Looking around, I could also see Lilith and Hercules in almost the same position.

"Please cheer up." I smiled as brightly as I could. I leaned to whisper in his ear. "Just think about last night."

He flashed me a dazzling smile and whispered back, "I haven’t stopped. You are one amazing woman."

"And you are one amazing man, Iolaus." I winked.

"Let’s go." Hercules broke in.

I glanced at Iolaus as Jason scooped me up and placed me on the back of his horse. I would rather have ridden with Iolaus, but Jason had already decided for me. I hoped I would get a chance to talk to Iolaus later.

The sun had barely moved in the sky when the white stone buildings of the academy came into view. I could see several cadets in the yard outside.

We dismounted outside the gate and led the horses into the corral. Iolaus volunteered to sit with me while Hercules, Lilith and Jason went to find Cheiron.

"I wish there was something I could do to make you feel better." He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me close.

"You're here." I sighed contentedly.

"Herc and Jason are worried about you."

"They're worried about you too. They say you've changed since you met me." I was concerned about him now too.

"How do they think I've changed?"

"They told me that you're quieter and more serious than usual. I don't really know you yet, but I want to know what you're really like."

"But I thought—"

"That you should try to impress me because I'm a lady? That I like to be around serious people all the time?" I demanded and he nodded sheepishly. "I'm a regular person and being serious all the time gets boring." I paused and saw deep hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry. But if I can't know the real you, why should I get to know you at all?"

"Such wise words from such a young mouth." The dark centaur's voice startled us. "My name is Cheiron and I am the head master of this academy." He continued, extending his hand.

"And I am Tayba." I replied, grasping his hand in a warrior's greeting.

"Ah, the young lady from Lithquill." He smiled as I blushed. "You may not remember, but I passed through there with my kindre when you were a child. Tell me, how are Sir Brandor and Lady Telien doing?"

"I'll let Jason tell you that." I said, lowering my head.

"Very well." He replied. "Now, Hercules said you were injured. Let’s get you inside so I can have a look."

Iolaus helped me stand and allowed me to lean on him. The three of us walked into a room near the back of the main building. Jason was already waiting there with Hercules and Lilith. I hopped up on the table beside Iolaus. He grabbed my hand when I winced as Cheiron carefully removed the strips of cloth from my arm. He tenderly prodded the gash. It had started bleeding again. I could tell that the centaur was trying to be careful, but it still hurt.

"How did you get such a cut?" Cheiron asked, still examining my arm.

"We had a small run in with some soldiers in the woods hear Corinth." Jason jumped in.

"Who’s army were they from?"

"King Malenkii of Carriol." I replied.

"What were they doing around Corinth?"

"Looking for me." I looked deep into Cheiron’s brown eyes and silently pleaded with him to not push the subject any further.

"All right young lady, this cut is not infected, but the blade that cut you must have been poisoned. That’s what would be causing your fever." He looked around. "I have to prepare a poultice to help draw out the poison. Tayba, lay back and try to rest for a while."

Iolaus squeezed my hand encouragingly and hopped down from his perch beside me. I could see that he was not happy about having to leave me alone, but he was also not going to argue with his teacher. Everyone filed out, with Cheiron waiting at the door.

Jason hung back for a moment to give me a quick, reassuring hug. "Don’t worry, little one." He whispered, "You’re in good hands."

I grabbed his arm as he turned to leave. "Jason," I whispered, "I think Iolaus is upset with me. I said some harsh things to him and never really got a chance to apologize. Please, just make sure he’s not angry with me."

Cheiron stamped one foot impatiently and they left. Alone. I hated being alone in strange places. My mind always ended up wandering places I didn’t want to visit again.

I began thinking of Malenkii. How bad could marrying him be? So, I’d be miserable for the rest of my life. Everyone I care about would be safe. The ongoing argument between my head and heart raged on.

‘The war in Lithquill will be over.’ My heart said.

‘But you won’t be able to go there.’ My mind countered.

‘Your mother and brothers would be safe.’ My heart replied.

‘But you’ll never see them again.’

‘Iolaus would be safe as well.’

‘You’ll never see him again either.’ My mind raced, ‘But you’d be married to a king.’

‘Not to the man I care about though.’ My heart sobbed.

A silent tear slid down my cheek. I was alone, so I buried my face in my blanket and shook with silent sobs.

Footsteps outside the door startled me. I quickly dried my eyes and strained to listen. This person was trying to be as quiet as possible. They were doing a good job, but they were shuffling their feet. The scuff of hardened leather on stone seemed to echo in this silent place.

I ignored the light raps on the door. It opened and I caught a glimpse of blonde curls. My heart almost started singing, but he was probably still angry with me.

I turned my back to the door. He didn’t need to see how upset I was. I heard Iolaus close the door and creep to where I was sitting. He sat behind me and pulled me, blanket and all, to sit in his lap.

"I thought Cheiron told you to lay down and rest." He whispered with a smile. He touched my face, "You’ve been crying." I nodded silently and he kissed the top of my head before continuing. "Jase told Cheiron everything and they should be back any time now. He also talked to me. I’m not angry, but you’re staying, you could have told me yourself."

He laid me gently on the table and I shook my head sadly. "I have to go soon. Only I can stop the war. I want you to know that I don’t want to go. I have to. Too many people have died because of me already."

Iolaus opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened and Cheiron walked in.

"I am sorry to hear of your loss. Sir Brandor was a good man." He had started smearing something that looked like mud on my upper arm.

The poultice soothed the throbbing in my arm almost immediately. Cheiron finished and turned to Iolaus. "When this dries, wash it off and start again. When the second one is dry wash it and call me. I will need to stitch it up before it is redressed."

Without another word, he left me in Iolaus’ care.

"How does it feel?"

"It doesn’t hurt as much now."

"That’s good. I don’t like seeing you in pain." He did his best to make me more comfortable. "I’ll go get you some water. I wont’ be gone long." Iolaus kissed me again; he was such a wonderful kisser.

Iolaus returned a few moments later with two cups of water. He passed one cup to me and I sipped from it thoughtfully.

"What were you going to say before Cheiron came in, Iolaus?"

"I want to know why you have to go. Where are you going?"

"I have to stop the war. I have to go to Carriol. I also need you to take care of Shaeton for me. Please?"

"You’re not going alone. I’m coming with you. We’ll take Shaeton and everything will be fine." He said, almost pleadingly.

"They’ll kill you and enslave Shaeton. That’s why I need you to stay here and take care of him." I was starting to get desperate and Iolaus looked uncomfortable. The silence hung around us thickly, so I decided to change the subject.

"What was I mumbling about?"

"Huh?" Iolaus stared at me blankly. "When?"

"You said I was talking in my sleep last night. What did I say?"

"I heard ‘Daddy’ and ‘I’m sorry’, but that’s all I could really make out. Were you dreaming about him?" I nodded silently. My arm was starting to hurt again. "What would your father tell you to do if he were here right now?"

I looked deep into his pale blue eyes and thought for a moment. "He would tell me that Lithquill can take care of itself and I should follow my heart to my love."

"Are you going to listen to him?" Iolaus’ face brightened a little.

I touched his soft cheek and looked away. "I can’t. My family’s safety is more important than my happiness."

I wanted him to feel better, but I was sure I was making things worse. How do you explain to someone that you love him or her when you have to leave them?

"You should listen to him. I’m sure you’d be miserable there. What’s the point of living if you’re going to be miserable for the rest of your life?" he sat on the table beside me again.

"Is there anything I can do or say that would make you feel better?" I asked, gently turning his face to me.

"Say you’ll stay, at least for a couple weeks." A brilliant smile lit up his face. "Please?" he begged.

"Yes, I will be staying, for a short while at least." I couldn’t help but smile back.

"Cheer up." I smiled at Iolaus as he started working at changing the poultice.

"Only if you cheer up too." He looked up from my arm to grin at me. "And I’ve got an idea to help."

"I’m listening."

"When your arm has healed, I’ll take you out for a night more memorable than last night."

The cool water Iolaus was using on my arm made it feel better again. He finished sponging my wound and carefully dried it with a soft cloth. When he was through, Iolaus picked up the bowl Cheiron had left with the mixture for the poultice and began spreading it over my injury.

"Thank you, Iolaus." I smiled. "You’re really good at that."

"I’ve had some experience dressing wounds."

"Like that one on your arm?" I asked, tracing the pale line running across his forearm lightly with my finger.

He nodded slowly and wiped his hands. I could see deep pain written on his face. It hurt me to see him so upset.

I wrapped my arms around Iolaus’ neck as he stood up in front of me, and he responded by stepping forward and holding me tightly. I could feel his desire match mine as he bowed his head and claimed my mouth. He moved quickly from my mouth to my neck and stopped suddenly.

"I know, not here." I whispered in reply to his heavy sigh. "We can always find somewhere on our way back from Lithquill."

"You better believe we will." He breathed into my ear as he nibbled on it.

"Save some for later." I murmured.

"What if I don’t want to wait that long?"

"I don’t want to either, but we can’t go anywhere to do anything until Cheiron has finished with my arm."

A smile as bright as the golden sun outside suddenly crossed his face, there was a sparkle in his eyes too. "Maybe we should find somewhere to be alone on the way too."

"Mmm." I replied, "I like the sound of that idea."

He leaned on to kiss me again, but stiffened when we heard the door open. Iolaus stepped back and busied himself with the bowls; I let my hands drop to my lap.

Hercules entered. "Hey, Iolaus." He said, "Cheiron said he wants to talk to you." He looked troubled.

Iolaus looked concerned too. He grumbled something, glanced at me and hurried out.

"Wonder what that was about." I pondered out loud.

"There’s an exam tomorrow. Iolaus is almost failing the class already. If he fails tomorrow, Cheiron said he’ll be kicked out." Hercules answered me. I hadn’t realized I said anything. "You know what happens if he gets kicked out, don’t you?"

I shook my head. "He didn’t tell you why he’s here?" he asked incredulously.

"Nope. Is it bad?"

"He’s on probation. If he’s not here, he’ll be sent to jail. I really don’t want to see that happen." He sighed. "Jason, Lilith and I are going to help him study this afternoon…if you’d like to join us."

"Sure. Maybe I can be of some use." I thought for a moment. "But are you sure he’ll pay attention to studying with me around?"

"We’ll force him to." Hercules grinned.

I smiled back and I could almost see what Lilith saw in him. Those two really did belong together.

Hooves clopping in the hall signified Cheiron’s return. I almost jumped to Iolaus’ side, but the look on his face stopped me in my tracks. He seemed so miserable, I felt awful because I knew there was nothing I could say to make him feel better yet. I could, however, do something about it later.

Cheiron smiled at me warmly as he left Iolaus and Hercules quietly talking in one corner. The kindly centaur picked up the sponge from the bowl and started washing the poultice from my arm. He placed a warm hand on my forehead and smiled.

"Your fever has broken. Your arm should heal quickly now. You’re very lucky it wasn’t a strong poison."

"Thank you." I tried to smile.

"You don’t seem happy about it. Is there something wrong?"

"I like it here, but I have to leave as soon as I’m well."

"You are welcome to stay if you choose." He smiled. "And Iolaus has grown quite fond of you this weekend." He added with a wink.

"And I’ve grown quite fond of him too." I smiled to myself. "But the war at home is terrible and I’m the only one who can end it."

"What a sense of responsibility. But you cannot take responsibility for the actions of others, only your own."

"The war is my fault. I refused to marry King Malenkii, so he attacked Lithquill. Maybe I can change his mind and call off the attacks." I sighed and glanced in Iolaus’ direction. "The problem is that going there goes against everything my father fought and died for."

"The right choice is usually hard, but the hard choice is not always right."

I nodded silently. This was a very hard choice. Should I honor my father’s memory and stay here, or should I try to stop the war by going to Carriol. Marry someone I despise or stay with a young man I cared about.

Cheiron finished removing the poultice as Hercules and Iolaus wandered over. Iolaus sat beside me again and squeezed my hand reassuringly as Cheiron began sewing up my wound. Each prick of the small needle sent sharp pains up and down my arm. I could sense Iolaus urging me to squeeze his hand when it hurt, but I simply closed my eyes and breathed through it.

The cut was long but Cheiron's hands were quick and sure. He finished quickly and applied a cold compress to ease the discomfort.

"Even stitched, this wound will take several days to heal He was saying. "I want you to stay here. I will remove the stitches next week, after that, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish."

"Thank you." I smiled gratefully. Cheiron was trying to make it harder for me to leave and do something I didn’t really want to. I could also continue getting to know Iolaus better.

Iolaus hopped down and placing his hands around my waist easily lifted me down. I felt so tiny when he did that. He was smiling, but his eyes were clouded over. The young man guided me towards the door with a gentle hand on my waist.

The two of us wandered into the bright sunshine with Hercules close behind. We were going to find a shade tree to sit under when Lilith came charging towards us.

"Tayba! Tayba!" she was yelling as she approached. "There’s something wrong with Shaeton."

I could feel the color drain from my face. "What happened to him?"

"I’m not sure. Someone was going to take him for a ride. He got the bridle on, but he spooked when he saw the saddle. No one can seem to calm him down."

I breathed a sigh of relief. It was nothing serious, only terrifying for the one who brought it on. "I’ll calm him."

We rushed to the stable, but I still could not sense Shadowfaze. ‘What’s really wrong with him?’ I thought to myself. ‘Why can’t I sense him?’

The shadowhorse’s terrified screams grew louder as we hurried closer to the stable.

"What happens if you can’t calm him down?" Iolaus asked me sounding terrified as well.

"I can do it so don’t worry." I replied and kissed his cheek.

The scene inside the stable both infuriated me and broke my heart. Shadowfaze was tied in a tiny stall with two ropes around his neck. A bridle with reins lashing out in all directions was on his face and a loosely cinched saddle hung haphazardly from his back. Six cadets stood around the stall, threatening Shadowfaze with pitchforks.

"Put those things away!" I demanded as I pushed my way to the door of the stall.

"What are you doing? You can’t go in there." One of the cadets informed me as he grabbed my arm. "That horse is dangerous. You’ll ruin that pretty little face of yours."

"Besides," A second cadet chimed in. "Cheiron has a way to deal with him."

I pulled my arm from the boy’s grasp. "You can’t stop me from doing anything." I replied haughtily. "And, if you ever, let me repeat that for in case you don’t understand, if you EVER touch me again, gods help me, you’ll regret it."

I glanced around the throng quickly. Iolaus looked as shocked as the rest of them. Some were whispering, I could hear them.

"Feisty one, isn’t she?"

"Yeah, just Iolaus’ type."

"She’s female. Doesn’t that automatically make her Iolaus’ type?"

I prayed I’d heard them wrong and climbed the side of the stall. Someone tried to pull me down from behind, but I kicked the owner of the strange hands square in the mouth and wriggled free. Dropping to my knees in the soft straw below, I studied the panicked horse carefully for a moment.

Shadowfaze was still thrashing and screaming as I made my way to his head. I moved slowly and deliberately so as not to frighten him more.

I unfastened the girth as fast as I could. His ears swiveled wildly as I lifted the saddle from his back. I placed it over the stall door and went to work on the ropes and bridle.

I continued to talk in soothing tones as I worked. I pulled the bridle over his ears and suddenly, I could hear him in my mind again.

‘Why couldn’t I sense you before?’ I asked him silently.

‘Because I was trapped. I couldn’t sense you either. I didn’t know what was going on.’

Shadowfaze nuzzled my cheek and nickered softly again. ‘I have to go now, but Iolaus and I will be back later.’ I told him with my mind and hopped back over the wall.

Pushing my way back to Iolaus’ side, I could still hear some of the other boys whispering. He looked relieved but still troubled. He jumped when I touched his arm and his face brightened a little. Holding me tightly, Iolaus buried his face in my hair.

"You have to stop scaring me like that." He whispered into my hair.

"Scaring you how?" I whispered into his chest.

"By almost getting yourself hurt or killed. You can’t leave me yet."

"I’m not going to leave you. When did I almost get myself killed anyway?"

He released me a little and we headed towards the door. There were a few titters from the young men in the crowd, but they were quickly silenced by Cheiron’s approach. We could explain to him later.

"Lots of times!"

"Like when?" I demanded hotly.

"Like just now. That horse could have killed you!"

"But he won’t. I’ve known him too long, you know that."

"He was panicked. He could have done anything without realizing it."

"I’m quick." I smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I can dodge most things… if I’m paying attention."

"All right. Just don’t scare me like that again." He replied, holding me close and stroking my hair. "I’ve got something else I should tell you too."

"Control yourself," I soothed. "There will be plenty of time for that after your class tomorrow."

"I know." He sulked. "But I can’t help myself." He paused to stroke my hair. "You’re just so beautiful."

"That’s what you think. But you still have to come with me tomorrow night."

"But of course." He smiled.

"That wasn’t a request." I winked. "I was simply informing you."

"Oh, really?" he held me at arm’s length. "And what would you have done if I said no?"

"I knew you’d want to." I replied, taking his hands. "Now, let’s go find Jason, Lilith and Hercules so you can start studying."

Iolaus said nothing, but smiled and followed me obediently. I know he really didn’t want to study; I didn’t feel like watching him study either. But at least we could spend a little more time together, even if we didn’t get a chance to be alone for a while.

The sun shone brightly, warming my skin. With Iolaus holding my hand and walking beside me, I felt warm to the very core of my being. The academy grounds were simple buy still scenic. Low, white stone buildings and fences surrounded the large, main building.

We seemed to be wandering in the general direction of the main hall. We would have to get Iolaus’ scrolls, the others would know that. Besides, I wanted to see where he stayed when he wasn’t in class. Iolaus opened the large, wooden door that led to the training hall and we wandered inside.

I looked around in awe. I didn’t remember seeing any of this the first time I passed through here. Padded staves leaned against one wall, other training apparatuses were scattered around the room. The thing that caught my eye was the large sword sparring machine near the back of the hall. It was a massive, metal hulk with a sword on one side and a shield on the other.

Iolaus led me through several more rooms and hallways, most of which had large windows to let the light and fresh air in. Finally, he pushed open a door at the end of a long hall.

This room was only dimly lit by a few scattered candles. From what I could see, cots lined every wall, stacked two high in places.

Iolaus led me down several rows of beds and finally stopped at one. "This one’s mine." He announced with a proud smile.

I sat down on the bed and watched as he rummaged through a wooden trunk near the foot of his cot. Peeking inside, I saw lots of scrolls, probably from his classes as well as a few personal belongings. He tossed several scrolls on the bed, all the while muttering to himself.

"I think that’s all of them." He announced, straightening up.

"Who are you talking to, Iolaus?" A new voice asked from the end of the row.

I looked up and saw a thin, balding gentleman dressed in black and brown leather. He glowered darkly at me as I quickly stood up and moved to Iolaus’ side. "What’s this girl doing in here?" He demanded.

"Feducious, hi. I thought Cheiron would have told you about our new guest. She may even start attending classes here." Iolaus stammered. "I was just showing her around a little."

"Iolaus, you know you can be suspended for lying to me." He replied coldly. "Cheiron told me of no guests. What is your name, girl?"

"I am Lady Tayba of Lithquill." I replied haughtily. "Now, if you don’t mind, Iolaus has some studying to do."

The older man’s jaw dropped open. He seemed startled that anyone would dare to talk to him that way. I truly believed that the cadets would have never talk to him in that manner. With my sweetest smile, I took Iolaus’ arm in a very ladylike fashion and allowed him to lead me past Feducious and down towards the dining hall.

"That was funny." Iolaus grinned. "Did you see the way his jaw dropped? No one here has ever spoken to him like that before."

I smiled sweetly. "I try not to talk like that. I don’t like making people feel bad. But, it was funny."

Iolaus put his arm around my waist and led me to the dining hall where the others would probably be waiting for us. I loved being so close to him. It lent me the inner strength to deal with everything that was happening in my life.

It seemed like we had only walked a couple of steps when we entered the dining hall. The large room was sparsely decorated, much like the rest of the academy. Long benches and tables sat in neat rows on either side of a long walkway. Large windows let in the dying light of late afternoon, soon it would be time to light the candles.