In their small room, which was divided into three sections, the twins set up temporary comfort.

  Two sections had one cot and one shelf each, plus nails for hanging clothes. The middle section had two benches and a table with a window, plus a shelf filled with writing supplies.

  It took only a few minutes to set their things out. They changed into fresh uniforms, washed their faces and hands, and hurried to the throne room.

   Lord Malin sat on a throne with Thor on his left and a daughter on his right. The five younger children were being tended by two nannies nearby.

  Jared and Jewel bowed from the waist.

  "The messengers, m'Lord," announced a nearby servant.

  Lord Malin loked over the twins. "For what did Lord Kyne send you here?"

  "Lord Malin," Jewel spoke in a clear and loud voice, "Lord Kyne requests your aid against an invading army."

  "Father, I think we should leave Lord Kyne to his own business," said the girl to Malin's right.

  Malin had a cool look in his eyes as he glared at her. "Antonia Eliza Anstice, you have the sense to know when your mouth needs to be shut. You will treat our guests with respect while they are here. As for warring, I am an ally to Lord Kyne, and that means that I am going to help him, unless there is a sudden change of happenings."

  Lord Malin 's army general, Zachary Williams, spoke up. "My Lord, if you'll pardon my interruption, I think it would be best if we sent out a few spies to see what's going on, in a little more detail."

  Malin stroked his chin. "That is a wise thing to do, General. "Bring the boy to the barracks and introduce him to Luke, Jed, Areta, Ariel, and Nykki. They will spy the land together. Meanwhile, the girl swill help you get your army together. Gather al lyour knights and foot soldiers."

  The castle erupted in a bustle of activity. Women prepared supply packs for the departing army, and soldiers cleaned uniforms and prepared their weapons. Lord Malin talked to his counselors, who all agreed  that they should keep their promise of alliance to Lord Kyne. Jared, meanwhile, preapred to leave with Luke, Jed, Areta, Ariel, and Nykki. Jed, who was Nykki's apprentice and new to it all, could only moan and grow about the hard travel involved in the spy trip, which was his first since coming under Nykki.

  "Do I hafta go?" he asked as he checked his pack.

  "Yes," Nykki answered as she tucked some hardtack into her pack.

  "Can't I stay?"

  "No."

  "Will I die?"

  "Maybe."

  "Will you cry if I die?"

  "No."

  "You're so hard-hearted."

  "I know."

  "You're mean."

  "Yup."

  "And sarcastic."

  "You just noticed that?"

  When Jed had once more bent over his pack, Nykki glanced at Luke, who nodded. He came over so quietly that jed didn't see him, until Luke landed a hard smack on his head.

  Jed jumped. "Ow! That hurt, Luke!"

  "It was supposed to," Luke said as he went back to his cot. "And that was only a warning."

  Jed quieted down until they started the trip.

  It began again as they were trekking across the plain that surrounded Lord Malin's property.

  "I'm thirsty, and my legs hurt!" he moaned.

  "Maybe you wouldn't be so thirsty if you didn't man and groan so much," Ariel pointed out as she rolled her eyes.

  "Yeah, how about you take a drink and then be quiet?" Mike asked. "My ears are just about falling out."

  Jed ignored their advice. "Can we stop and eat? I'm tired and hungry."

  "Do we need to leave you here so that the only person you can complain to is yourself?" Areta inquired.

  "Or we duck-tape your mouth," Luke added.

  "Unless," Jared said from his position in the front, "you can somehow manage to stop complaining!"

  "Silence is golden, but duck tape is silver, you know," Nykki put in.

  Her comment made the group chuckle, then they quieted as the trip continued.

  After walking for another hour, they rested and ate bread, cheese, apples, and cider. As they were finishing the relaxed meal, Jared sat straight up and sniffed the air.

  "I smell danger," he said, sniffing the air even harder. "Get ready to run, guys!"

  Nykki climbed to her feet and bounded away to the north. Jared was right on her heels.

  The pair soon returned and found the others ready to go, packs on their backs.

  "It's impossible to hide!" nykki exlained, not even panting. "The tytan raiders are on our trail!"

  "Our only choices are to surrender and be executed, or die fighting," Jared said, glancing worriedly at Jed. "I'd hate for you guys to d-" He tripped forward and fell as an arrow pierced his leg.

  "Shed packs, weapons up!" yelled Ariel. "Areta, Jed, guard Jared, make sure he isn't killed. Mike, Luke, Nykki, get ready!"

  The Tytan raiders bore down on the brave little group.

  Areta and Ariel zipped arrows into the bunch of forty raiders as Luke flashed his swords , while Nykki seemed to be everywhere at once, whacking their attackers over the head with her trusty quarterstaff.

  They fougth bravely, but the raiders far outnumbered them. Nykki was the only one on her feet when...

  "Archers, front rank, shoot, drop! Second rank, shoot, drop! Third rank, shoot drop!" Jewel handed the command to the archer squad leader and ran into the fray, javelin in hand, and hleped Nykki knock out several of the Tytans.

  The remaining Tytans, with their wounded, fled, humiliated and defeated.

  Jewel's archers put aside their weapons and tended to the wounded spies.

  Nykki sat to the side, turning down offers to have the slash on her cheek tended to. Luke lay sprawled nearby, his shoulders, which had been slashed by a Tytan with two swords, being carefully washed and bandaged. Areta and Ariel were sitting next to each other, discussing the battle, while Jewel tended to her twin's leg.

  Nykki glanced around. "Where's Jed?"

  Mike spoke up from where he his wound was getting cleaned. "Somewhere where we can't hear him complaining, obviously."

  "He was captured," Nykki said, getting off the boulder she was perched, scanning the horizon for returning raiders, "and that's bad, because he could be forced to give them important information. I'm going to go look for him."

  Then, her sharp eyes detected movement behind Luke. "Luke, behind you.."

  Luke felt something touch his shoulders, and turned in time to see s figure in a black robe and black hooded cloak  slip into the surrounding tall grass  and disappear in a blinding flash of light. "What on earth..?"

  Jare sat, startling Jewel. "What are you doing here, Jewel? You should be back at the castle!"

  "Is that all the thanks I get for saving your life?" Jewel asked indignantly as she stood up. "I had a feeling that you were in danger, and I brought some archers to help out." 

  "Jewel, go back to the castle," jared ordered. "The raiders might come back, nad I wnat you to be safe!"

  "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't defend myself!" Jewel said angrily as she grabbed her spare javelin.

  At her orders, the archers lined up behind her, and they marched off, back to the castle.

  Jared looked to the boulder that Nykki had been hanging around. "Hey, Ny- Where's Nykki?"