Madam Toreg and the gray men departed for the falls at the abyss, but Madam Toreg insisted that Atiya remain behind, the mission was too dangerous.

Corvan waited silently in the top of the tree as Atiya stalked along the paths in the garden room, muttering to herself that she was just much a warrior as Garek; that she shouldn't be treated like a child or left behind because she was a girl.

Eventually the room grew quiet, and Corvan crawled to the edge of the tree and peered over the edge. Atiya had fallen asleep in the moss by the small pool. The dappled light of the main lumien in the center of the room played across her face. From this vantage point she reminded him a lot of Tyreth; except that she was younger, most likely younger than him. When he leaned out further, her eyes fluttered open and Corvan quickly ducked behind the branch.

After a short pause, the girl began moving about, splashing in the water, and humming to herself. He peaked over the lip. She was hidden by a tangle of branches, but her sword, bow, helmet, and tunic were lying in the moss. He slid to one side for a better view then stopped. Once he had spied on the Torgeson sisters as they skinny-dipped in Fry's pond, and afterward he couldn't look them in the eye at school.

Atiya emerged from the water. The back of her head and shoulders appeared in the open space between the branches below Corvan. Slipping on her tunic, she ran her fingers through her hair to straighten it out. Red hair, like her mother, and she definitely had a temper to go with it.

Picking up her sword, Atiya buckled it around her waist and then turned to pick up her leather helmet. As she raised her chin to buckle the strap, Corvan pushed himself back from the edge and held his breath. Had she seen him?

It was quiet for a moment, then the girl began to hum as she moved away from the tree and across the garden. She came into view just before disappearing out the same arched doorway that others had left through. She must have decided to go after them despite their warnings.

Looking through the branches Corvan caught site of her bag of food next to the spring, the end of the torn loaf of bread visible in its folds. His stomach growled but he waited, watching the entry while slowly counting to a thousand.

The sight of the bread was unbearable.

At seven hundred and fifty-three, he stopped counting, anchored his krypin rope and lowered himself in behind the tree. Coiling up the rope, he clipped it back to the pack strap, then crawled around the tree trunk, keeping one eye on the far side of the garden. Pulling the bag between his knees, he tore off a large piece of the loaf. The thick wad stuck in his throat and quickly scooping some water from the spring he washed the bread down, then leaned closer for longer drink.

A heavy weight slammed into his shoulders, driving his face under the water. He tried to push himself free, but his right arm was wrestled up and twisted behind his back. A fist grabbed his hair and pushed his head in deeper and held him fast.

Corvan's heart raced, releasing lumien energy around his lungs. The urge to breathe eased. Letting his body go limp, he slumped down deeper into the pool.

He was yanked back by his hair, then shoved face down into the moss. His attacker jumped on his back, pulled his head up and held a sword to his throat. More lumien energy ran wildly through his veins and surged into his muscles. His body arced up like a wild bronco, throwing his attacker over his head. He heard the sword clatter against the stone wall.

Corvan looked to see where the sword landed, and his energized muscles sent his body twisting through the air to land clumsily on his feet, next to the blade.

Sweeping it up, he turned back to discover Atiya crumpled against the low wall, her leather helmet lying off to one side.

He dropped the point of her sword towards the ground. Atiya glared into the recesses of his hood, and he let it drop low at his side. He took a step forward. "I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry if I hurt you." Leaning over her, he held out his hand to help her up. "I couldn't breathe and I . . ."

In an instant he was flat on his back, the sword stripped from his hand, its tip biting hard against his chest.

"Do not move a muscle,” Atiya commanded. “I do not know how you threw me but believe me, I can detect your slightest intention to move, and if I do, you will die."

The intense anger in her voice caught Corvan off guard, yet in spite of her threat, his lumien enhanced mind focused on the bow-like shape of her mouth the small gap between her two front teeth. He raised his gaze upward to eyes like polished dark marble, shot through with specks of gold.

It felt like there might me enough lumien left to overpower her, but he didn't want to hurt her. "I won't move. Atiya, I promise," he said calmly.

Her eyes widened and she pushed back his hood with her free hand. "Corvan?"

"Yes. It's me."

"I was told you left the Cor."

"I did, but I came back to find Kate," Corvan replied.

"The girl that you and the priest Jorad were carrying on the stretcher when you came through the library?"

"Yes, and I need to find her right away. She has that glowing medallion Madam Toreg talked about."

Atiya's eyes narrowed, then she leaned in closer, her sword still at his neck. "Why would that girl have the key to the council chamber?"

"I think she might be taking it back to the person they call 'Him', back to the master of the black band."

Atiya shook her head vigorously. “Why would she do something so stupid?"

"I don’t know. Girls can be like that," Corvan said, instantly regretting the comment as the point of the sword twisted, his cloak puckering up around its tip. "At least Kate can,” he added. “She gets mad and just does her own thing."

"Do you like her?" Atiya said.

"What?"

"You heard me. Do you like her?"

Corvan wanted to laugh, but Atiya was dead serious. "I . . . I guess I used to. But lately she's been acting strange."

"Who do you like now?" Atiya demanded.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The question came out of the blue. What did it have to do with anything and why was he being asked at the point of a sword? "I don't have a girlfriend."

"I don’t know that word. Just tell me who you like the most and hope to have as your counterpart."

Corvan tried to shrug but the point of the sword held his motion at bay. "I'm not sure. Tyreth, I guess."

Atiya’s eyes crinkled in anger, then she yanked her sword away. Pushing hard off his chest, she turned on her heel and stalked toward the tree, muttering to herself.

Corvan scrambled to his feet and dusted himself off. Her anger did not seem to be directed at him, but what was he supposed to say? That he liked this new redhead girl because she might kill him if he didn't tell her what she wanted to hear? He watched until she turned around, tossing her head and staring at him through her bangs.

The intense look was quickly replaced by a mischievous smile as she sauntered back toward him, sheathing her sword. "You must have heard what my mother said about Gavyn."

Corvan nodded.

"Then you and I should try to find him," she said, putting her palm against his chest.

"But Garek said he jumped into the abyss," Corvan said, stepping back. “Can anyone survive that?”

"Yes, but Garek doesn't know that Gavyn can go through the water. I've seen him do it."

Corvan gave a slight nod.

"I supposed you don't believe me either."

"No, I do. I saw him do it as well. But why would he go over the falls?"

"The Cor River flows between all the cities of the Cor, so obviously Gavyn believes his parents are in a prison further downstream, maybe even in Dubok Kholm, the deepest city of the Cor."

Corvan nodded. That was what Tsarek must have been saying when he told Corvan his father was being held below the falls. Tsarek knew how to get to one of these other cities and it might be that Gavyn’s parents were being held captive in the same place. "If he thinks his parents are down there then I will go and help him," Corvan declared.

" I'm going with you." Atiya came closer.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Atiya's eye's narrowed and Corvan had to step away. "Is it because I'm a girl? I've fought grown men and defeated them. Besides, if Gavyn is right about his parents, then it's likely where they have taken the other girls. I have every right to help free my friends."

Atiya was almost nose to nose with him now, her eyes daring him to oppose her. Kate could be stubborn, but she had nothing on how intense this girl could be. She certainly could hold her own, and he could use her help to rescue both Gavyn and his father. She also knew how to get through to the other cities.

"Okay, you can come," he said.

She shook her head. "It's not like I need your permission. You're only a visitor here, so I’m the one letting youcome with me." She looked him up and down. “You will need a disguise. The clothes you wear are obviously from Kadir and the other cities don't like us." She came over and put her face so close to his, he thought she might try to kiss him. "I think you're about the same size as Tania."

"Who?"

Atiya clenched her jaw and her eyes welled up with tears. "Tania was a Sister who was badly wounded when we escaped from the City of Refuge. We brought her to this spring so the water could heal her, but it was too late. She was a great fighter but one of the Mayor’s men shot her in the back, the cowards."

The deep sorrow filling her face and the tears about to fall had Corvan wondering if he should hug her and try to comfort her. He was about to raise his arms when Atiya ducked past him and in behind the great tree.

When she returned, she carried a long blue tunic, a sword, and a studded leather helmet. "We had to place Tania in one of the unmarked crypts but her uniform and weapon is kept for one of the new girls in training." Dropping the sword and helmet, she rolled up the bottom of the tunic, lifted it up and slipped it over his head. "It was lucky we found a crypt with the clasps undone." Corvan's head popped out of the tunic to face Atiya. The fresh scent of her damp hair reminded him of the wild roses at home. She adjusted the collar of the tunic. "Those lids can be hard to get into once the clasps are rusty and it’s against the rules to leave them open."

Corvan thought back to his argument with Jorad about sealing Morgan into one of the crypts. He had convinced Jorad not to lock the clasps on Morgan's crypt because the man was still alive. If that crypt was the same one Atiya had found open it meant Morgan escaped. If the black band was on the man's ankle, then he too was serving the evil master.

Atiya pushed the leather helmet into his hands and began buckled the sword around his waist. She patted his side. "You should move your rope onto the outside belt, in case you need it down by the falls."

Corvan reached under the tunic and his cloak to release the rope and the holster fell to the ground.

"What’s that?" Atiya picked up the holster and ran a finger over the star. "Is this something that goes with the medallions?"

"No. It’s just a holder." Corvan took the holster from her, flicked open the flap and held out Gavyn's hammer.

"Where did you get Tyreth's hammer?" The storm of anger threatened to return to the gold flecked eyes.

"This one isn't hers,” Corvan quickly added. “It’s not even real. Gavyn carved if for me as a goodbye present when I took Kate home."

"It sure looks real.” The smiled returned. “Gavyn can carve anything." She tentatively touched the handle, then took the hammer from him. "I think it might be best if I carry this for a while, in case you get caught and searched."

Corvan shrugged and handed her the holster. "Sure. It will be safer with someone who knows how to fight as good as Garek."

Atiya frowned. "Are you making fun of me."

"Not at all. My head still hurts from your trying to drown me. None of them should ever underestimate you. "

Atiya beamed as she put the hammer back inside the holster and hid it under her cloak. "Now let’s see how you look. Taking a step back, she smiled. "Not bad. You make a good woman."

"A woman?" Corvan looked down at the tunic.

"Only the sisters are allowed to wear that uniform so you're a woman if anyone finds us. Keep your hood up at all times. Can you talk in a higher voice?"

"Like this?" Corvan pitched his voice higher and Atiya laughed.

“I think I'll just say you lost your voice. Now, show me how you walk."

Corvan sauntered toward the pool. Atiya ran up behind him and grabbed his hips. "Haven't you ever watched a woman walk? You've got to use your hips." She swished him from side to side, then abruptly twisted him around to face her, grabbing the front of the tunic. "Did you spy on me when I took a bath in the pool?"

Corvan felt his face go red. "I didn't look, honest.”

Atiya let him go. “You didn’t want to?” She sounded offended.

Corvan’s face flushed even deeper. Everything he was saying seemed to be taken wrong. “I, I . . . well it seemed wrong to spy on someone like that.”

She smiled. "You have sense of honor. I like that. You don't find in much these days. Especially among the younger men." She stepped to one side. "Now Let me see you try it again."

Corvan tried dipping his hips as he walked until the sword slapped against his leg with each step. Atiya had called him a young man. Other than his mother, no one ever called him that before. Maybe it was because of his newfound strength from the lumien seeds. Turning around he found Atiya's laughing eyes watching him.

"What?" he asked.

"If I walked like that, I'd break something.” She came towards him. “Try to walk more on the front of your feet like this. Not all flat-footed like the mayor. Do it again."

Corvan tried to walk like she suggested, and something fell out of his pocket. The glittering band of gems lay on the ground.

Atiya picked it up and held the band up to the light. "This is pretty. Whose is it?"

"It’s not important." Corvan held his hand out, but Atiya ignored him, pulled off her helmet and put it on her head.

"How do I look?"

The tiara sparkled in her red hair and Corvan nodded his approval.

"Can I keep it?"

Corvan shook his head. "It belongs to someone else."

Atiya's face fell. Yanking the tiara from her hair she tossed it back to him. "I didn't like it much anyway."

Corvan shoved the gems back into his pocket. He needed to locate Tsarek and rescue his father. As cute as this girl was, she was beginning to annoy him. "Let's get going. We are wasting time."

Atiya gave him a sharp glance and grabbed the sack of food. "We'd better take this along. We don't know how far we'll need to travel before this is done." Moving over to the tree, she picked up her bow and quiver of arrows. Slinging them over her back she walked past him and held the gate open.

"Come on, oh great Cor-Van. Let's see if a journey over the edge of the abyss will improve your disposition."