((Follows on immediately after Arlan's Day.)) __________________________

The celebrating continued for a few hours, until it was time for the families to depart. Tearful reunions followed by tearful farewells and promises for upcoming visits. Liam was no different, hugging his mother close, kissing her cheek, promising he'd come home for a visit as soon as he could. A handshake to his father, followed by a one-armed hug from the man who had raised him, and then they were gone, leaving him behind once again to continue what he had started, feeling the tug of homesickness return, if only for a little while.

His first order of business was looking for Shaye, but before he could do that, he had to change out of his armor and dress uniform. As soon as his family had left, he started back in the direction of the barracks.

The others had already begun to wander back themselves. With a week or so for their own private endeavors, there was no curfew, and the training ground was quiet. Thus, when the Lord Marshal himself stepped out of the shadows of Barrack Five, one hand extended to keep Liam from walking past, no one was there to bat an eyelid. "Congratulations again, O'Connor. Your grandfather would be proud of you."

Liam couldn't hide the expression of surprise on his face at finding the Lord Marshal waiting outside the barracks. He wasn't sure if he was there just because of him or to congratulate them all again, and he wasn't about to ask. He came to a halt standing at attention and saluting the Lord Marshal with the thump of a fist to his chest, trying to hide the nervousness he felt at the unexpected attention. "Thank you, sir."

He was, after all, only fourteen years old, not yet a man, but no longer a boy. He knew he had a long way to go in his training, but he was proud of what he'd accomplished thus far.

The old soldier smiled gently, nodding in acceptance of the salute. "At ease, lad," he said quietly. "I would offer you a word of advice, if you'll take it." Kind eyes fixed upon Liam's. "Soldiers like Fargil infest this army. They're crude men and women who seem to have little use, but without them in the army, they would be terrorising society at large. And without Fionn Fargil, you wouldn't have a friend whose concerns cut you so deeply. Don't lose sight of that compassion, Liam. But don't let her pretend she's cut from the same cloth as her father."

Liam appeared to relax, listening intently to the Lord Marshal's advice, surprised to find it was mostly concerning Shaye, or his relationship to Shaye. The man obviously took a deeper interest in his recruits than one might give him credit for, and he had in the matter of less than five minutes made a distinct impression on Liam. This was the kind of soldier he wanted to be, someone who was just and honorable and respected. Not someone like Fargil, who seemed to care for no one but himself. He listened to the man's words and took them to heart. Though he wasn't thankful for Fargil, he was thankful for his friendship with Shaye and was worried about her.

"I won't, sir," he answered the old officer. Though quiet in nature, not one for many words, Liam was becoming a man of strong convictions. Even now, his word was his bond.

"Good lad." The Lord Marshal patted Liam's shoulder firmly as he walked past. "Good lad." He paused a moment longer. "You won't find her in the barracks," the old man said quietly. "Look for her in a place that's private to you both. She won't want anyone but you to find her." Nodding to himself, he walked off, returning to the parade ground and his aides, who were no doubt looking for him.

A place that was private to them both. That could only mean one place. A place they'd stumbled upon months ago while exploring. An old abandoned building they'd surmised had once been a barracks, empty, no longer used. No one ever seemed to go there; no one even seemed to know it existed, except them. It was the one place they went when they wanted to be alone, to talk without the others overhearing. Liam realized it was the one and only place Shaye would go, whether she expected him to follow or not. The only thing that puzzled him was how the Lord Marshal knew this.

Either the man was far more observant than he seemed, or he was just very insightful. Either way, it didn't matter. What mattered now was finding her and making sure she was all right. It didn't take long for him to change into his street clothes - tunic, breeches, and boots, a cloak in case it got cold. He snagged his pack, filling it with rations and water, and tucking a folded up blanket under one arm, the pack on his shoulder, he headed out to find her. No one asked where he was going, as if they all seemed to know already.

One thing was made clear when he entered the barracks - Shaye had been and gone. Her dress uniform was stacked at the end of her bed, together with the robes and best boots; her civvies, the well worn short vest and pants, the boots with soles so thin she could tell where she was just by the feel of the ground beneath her ....those were gone. But in the deserted barracks, a mile out from the main camp, a lamp flickered, only visible to someone who knew where to look. It seemed the Lord Marshal had been right.

He didn't need the light in the window to guide him. He had been there many times and knew where he was going. The light told him, however, that the Lord Marshal had been right, and he quickened his pace in anticipation to reach her. He knew she'd been back to the barracks to change, probably before anyone had returned, too shamed to face them. His heart ached at the thought of that. The Lord Marshal was right again - it wasn't her fault who she was born to. There was no shame in it, and she should be proud of her accomplishments and the fact that she was rising above her station in life.

He paused at the door to listen before going inside, not wanting to just barge in on her if she was upset. All was quiet on the other side of the door. Shaye was sat by the farthest window, curled into a ball on the end of a sturdy bedframe whose mattress had long since fallen into nothing. Her profile was lit by moonlight, given a cool aura by the fall of her golden hair about her face, but that moonlight showed up more than just her expression. It showed the tracks of tears down over her cheeks, and the dark outline of a fresh bruise on her face to match the fresh finger marks that marred her arms and throat. Whatever had transpired between herself and her father had left her marked enough that she couldn't have come back to the parade ground, even if she had wanted to.

"You can come in, Liam," she said quietly. "It's all over now, anyway."

He could tell from the sound of her voice that things had gone badly, that she was upset, and his heart sank, filling with compassion and sympathy and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. He pushed aside the anger for now. She didn't need to see that right now. He'd save it for later, file it away and remember it to summon it up later, because there would be a later. He was sure of it.

He held her quietly and would continue to hold her as long as she needed him, as long as she'd allow. He'd never seen her cry before, even when he knew she was hurting. He'd always believed her the stronger one, and he'd respected her for that strength. To see her like this made him realize that even Shaye had her weaknesses, as he had his strengths.

He pulled back a little to look into her face when she spoke, an serious look on his face, more earnest and honest than she had ever seen him. His heart went out to her seeing the tears on her face, the heartbreak and the humility, and the feeling of inadequacy. Somehow, he had to make her understand that none of that mattered. That he loved her - it was the only word that fit what he was feeling - no matter who her parents were or where she came from. He set his hands on her shoulders and met her eyes with an earnest, unflinching gaze.

"You are Shaye Dervla, an officer in training in the Queen's Army, and you are my dearest friend." That was all that mattered, at least to him. "Rutting your mother doesn't make him your father, Shaye. You're not your parents. You've proven yourself to everyone. You just have to believe in yourself."

Despite the tears that stained her face, the new bruises that would paint her skin ugly shades over the next few days as she healed, there was something very special about the slow comprehension that dawned on Shaye's face as she listened to Liam. It wasn't so much what he said - those were just words, and they both knew it. It was what he wasn't saying aloud; what motivated him to come and find her in the first place, the urge that made him try to comfort her and change her mind about herself. Where she might have objected and clung to her long-held view of herself, under her best friend's gaze she just couldn't.

Drawing in a quiet breath, she sniffed back the last of the tears, brutally scrubbing her face dry. "Gods, I'm such a wuss," she muttered, lowering her gaze from his once again. "Crying over a couple of punches." There was a pause, a sense of something momentous passing over them, and suddenly she flung her arms around Liam's shoulders, hugging him tightly as her cheek pressed to his. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

He was proud of her, proud of them both, and he wasn't going to let some drunken piece of trash who was only her father because he had seduced her mother make her feel any less worthy than he was. He was about to tell her that when she unexpectedly threw her arms around him and hugged him close. Countless times they had been this close, and yet, it seemed that in that moment, something changed between them, at least as far as Liam was concerned, and he felt a flush of heat rise into his cheeks at the astonishment and recognition of it.

Suddenly as tongue-tied as a boy on his first date, he stammered a reply, confused for the umpteenth time by what he was feeling. "I....umm..."

Abruptly aware that she'd wrapped herself around him, aware of Liam in a way that she'd never really been before, Shaye hesitantly let go, rocking back onto her heels as her hands dropped into her lap. That unsettling, unnerving flutter had returned to churn in her stomach as she looked into her best friend's eyes, her own eyes wide as that sensation sank in. "Um ....sorry, I shouldn't have ....Sorry."

What was wrong with her" It was just Liam.

He was feeling it, too. That strange sensation in the pit of his stomach like he was going to be sick, except that it was an oddly pleasant sensation, exciting and dangerous and scary all at the same time. He wondered if he'd ever be able to look at her the same way again without feeling this way. He felt strangely drawn to her, and try as he might, he couldn't pull his eyes away. Had she always been this beautiful" Had her lips always looked so soft' He felt a strange urge to kiss her and leaned just a little bit closer. And then she apologized, and the spell was broken, his face turning a deep shade of scarlet.

Feeling awkward suddenly, Shaye leaned back, the bedframe beneath them shaking as she settled onto her backside. "Um ..." Casting around for something to say, she bit her lip, one hand twisting her fingers into her hair ....and bringing back the stark memory of his fingers stroking through the golden fall only a few hours ago. Clearing her throat, she made a real effort to bring her mind back on track. This was Liam, her best friend. She wasn't one of the giggly girly-girls in their barracks, and even when they were moved into the smaller barracks with Brody, that would not change. His friendship meant too much to her to allow hormones to get in the way. "So are you heading back to Loscar for the break, then?"

She'd only laugh at him, the way she laughed at the others when they were sowing their oats, moaning and groaning in the middle of the night, he and Shaye sharing jokes and laughter over it. He thought he'd die if she ever laughed at him. No, it was better if they didn't cross that line, if they just stayed friends. He'd think of her as a sister, and that was all there was to it. She meant too much to him to ruin their relationship by taking it that one step further, but even as all these thoughts went through his head, his heart sank with disappointment when she pulled away, and he felt like a fool for even thinking about kissing her.

He leaned away from her, putting a polite distance between them and then he abruptly got to his feet and crossed the room to retrieve his pack. "Yes," he answered quietly, glad she couldn't see the anguish and the confusion that was all over his face. He grabbed hold of the pack and pulled it open, taking out a skin of water and some bread and cheese he'd managed to filch from the kitchen. "You should come with me."

Her brow rose, pleased he couldn't see the wince that came with that expression when the muscles beneath her bruised cheek pulled tight. "You still want your parents to meet me, after all that in the parade ground?" she asked, surprised and wary. "Looking like this?" Her hand gestured toward her bruised jaw and throat.

To her credit, she didn't draw attention to her significantly poorer background; Liam hadn't worked out yet that the clothes she was wearing right now were all she owned besides her uniform, and she doubted his parents would be happy to have her continually armored in their home. But if he wanted her to go, then of course she would. He might not know it yet, but Shaye would do anything for Liam.

He'd meant to ask her weeks ago, but hadn't managed to work up the nerve, afraid she'd tell him no, afraid she'd feel she was intruding or insist she wasn't worthy or some such rubbish. Now that he'd told her, in not so many words, how much she meant to him, he knew it if he was going to ask her, it was now or never. He turned back around, the flush having passed, and made his way back to her side, settling himself beside her.

"They want to meet you, Shaye. They won't care about what happened. They aren't like that. Father even said..." He broke off, remembering what his father had said about Fargil, what the Lord Marshal had said, as well. He straightened suddenly, needing to tell her something he felt she needed to hear. "I don't care what anyone else says or thinks, I'm proud of you, and I'm proud to call you friend."

Cackling with laughter, Shaye let out a grunt as they landed hard on the floor, knocked onto her back with breathless force even as she snickered teasingly, nudging her elbow into his ribs with a wide grin. "How did you ever make officer when you're always falling off things?"

He found himself in a rather uncompromising position on top of her, but she was only Shaye now and he was only Liam. Out of breath from laughing, he grinned down at her, reaching for her hands and drawing them up over her head so she couldn't tickle him anymore. "I don't know. How'd you ever make officer when you're always getting into trouble?"

The laughter had eased them away from that last little wave of awkwardness, and despite her struggling, Shaye didn't stand a chance one on one with Liam. He was bigger, stronger, and just better than she was. Pinned down, arms above her head, she snickered back at him, dark eyes glittering with laughter. "Oh, I cheat," she informed him playfully. "I spend all my time with the teacher's pet." Out came her tongue again; of course Liam was the teacher's pet.

"And who would that be?" he asked, pretending not to know she meant him. He grinned as he held her there, straddling her with his legs, wrists pinned above her head. She stuck her tongue out at him and he felt an almost overwhelming desire to kiss her, but he didn't dare spoil the moment. "What's his name so I can beat him bloody?"

"Oh, now that's something I'd like to see," she laughed back at him. While he was struggling with the desire to kiss her, she had problems of her own. She knew Liam was a boy, of course she did. However, she hadn't really known that fact until she realised that this handsome, tall, broad-shouldered young man was holding her down and she really wanted him to kiss her. But the thought of spoiling their friendship because of the urge to rut was more painful than any rejection of intimacy between them. "His name" Hmm ..." Her lips curved into cheeky lines as she named the single biggest, stupidest bully in their year's intake. "O'Shaunessy."

"O'Shaunessy!" he exclaimed, rolling his eyes and snorting in derision. "That big oaf?" Everyone knew there was no love lost between O'Connor and O'Shaunessy. They'd butted heads right from the beginning and probably always would. "If he's the teacher's pet, I'm the Queen!" He let go of her wrists, rolling off her and coming to rest at her side, looking her over in the dim light. "I'm surprised he made it this far."

"Ah, you know why," Shaye assured him, her arms relaxing down to rest her hands over her bare stomach as her head turned to match her smile to her friend's. "He's big and strong, and once he understands his orders, he's pretty good at getting them done. He just also happens to be a colossal waste of space and brain power." She shrugged, grinning as Liam settled beside her. "You never said when you were heading out for home."

The mention of O'Shaunnessy had unsettled him again for some reason. More than once he'd overheard him saying untoward things about Shaye, and he'd warned him more than once that if he ever so much as looked at her the wrong way, he'd beat his head in, but she didn't know that, and he knew if she did, she'd probably just insist she could take care of herself. He rolled to his feet at her question, moving to snag his pack off the floor. "Tomorrow, I guess. It's too late to go now."

"So it's just us in the barracks tonight, then, huh?" She pushed to sit up, deliberately not drawing attention to the apparent agreement that she was going with him, as though not mentioning it would make him forget. A very sneaky smile touched her lips. "I bet you I can find Maeve's stash."

He brushed the dust and dirt from his breeches, before bending down to grab her boot, snatching up the blanket he'd brought with him from the barracks. "I thought we'd stay here tonight," he told her, assuming there might be one or two lingering on in the barracks and that she wouldn't want to face anyone tonight after what had happened earlier. Not to mention the thought that this might be the last time he'd have to be alone with her for a long time to come.

Now that was a nice thought. Shaye's smile softened again, gratitude painting her face as she watched her best friend fuss around with blankets and her boot. "You know, I think I'd like that," she agreed with a firm nod. "Even if everyone'll think we're rutting." As soon as it came out of her mouth, she wished she hadn't said it. Her cheeks lit up in a vibrant flush of color at that mental image.

He set her boot down on the floor beside her, darting a glance at her when she mentioned rutting, thankfully not noticing the flush in the dim light cast by the single lantern. He turned his back to hide his own blush, and set about making a bed for them to sleep in. "I don't care what anyone else thinks. Let them think what they want." He dragged one old worn-out mattress across the room and tossed it atop another, turning he smiled cheekily at her from across the room. "Best bed in the house."

She laughed, hauling herself to her feet to hop toward him, pulling off her remaining boot. The almost useless leather was dropped down beside the other boot as she staggered into Liam's side, her balance somewhat affected by the gentle headache that was rising finally as a result of her tears. "I'm not fighting you for this one."

He caught her without thinking as she staggered into him, arms automatically going around her before he realized what he was doing. He looked down into her face, heart wrenched by the sight of the bruises that painted her face and throat and arms, the tracks of tears on her face. "We'll call it a draw and share," he told her with a wistful smile.

Unlike him, Shaye couldn't see the evidence of her bad night, and was more than capable of ignoring the aches and pains that should have been reminding her of it. She smiled back at her friend, patting his chest impishly. "Are you going to tuck me in and everything, Captain O'Connor?"

He wished he could somehow take her pain away, make everything better. He never wanted to see her hurting again and would stop at nothing to protect her, but he couldn't let her know that. He worried she'd only get mad at him. Despite everything, he found himself smiling down at her again. "I'm going to be a Captain someday," he insisted, with the familiar proud lift of his chin. "Captain of the Guard. Queen's Captain."

The words burned through her, searing themselves on her youthful heart as she stared into her best friend's eyes. Still too young, too unaware of herself to be able to full comprehend the bond between them that grew stronger every day, nonetheless Shaye felt the barrier she'd unwittingly erected about that indefinable something shatter. Her hand rose, laying her palm over the knife in his. Her fingers slid between his, squeezing their hands tight over the flat of the blade between them.

"No matter what happens, whatever the gods throw at us," she promised, "I, Shaye Dervla, will always belong to you, heart, body, soul, and everything that makes me who and what I am. By Thalan and the moon, this I swear." She had never learned the ritual words, and even in later years, couldn't offer any explanation for how she'd known what to say. But there, in that moment, the words flowed from her heart to her lips, the oath sworn easily to her best friend, the brother of her heart.

Liam found his eyes filling with tears, blurring his vision, as his eyes met hers, deeply touched by her oath, hoping it wasn't just the events of the day that had caused her to say such things. Her words echoed what he was feeling in his heart, and he knew at that very moment, no matter what might happen in the future, no matter whether she shared his feelings or not, that he had fallen hopelessly in love with this spitfire of a girl. He lowered his gaze once again, fingers sliding through hers, hoping she wouldn't see the tears that had gathered in his eyes, worrying she'd see it as a sign of weakness.

She bit her lower lip, dark eyes shining in the moonlight as she held his gaze. The words had come so easily, but with them, she'd torn away every protection that had ever been brought to bear around her vulnerabilities, leaving herself utterly exposed. Under Liam's tearful, proud, affectionate gaze, she waited in tender silence, bound by the blood oath not to speak now until his oath was returned and their blood was shared.

He was quiet for a moment while he tried to gather his words and calm the tumult in his heart. Not knowing what the future might bring, he had promised to make her his wife, and she had promised to belong to him, heart, body, and soul. Too young to really understand what all that meant, only having his own parents as a model for a successful marriage, he knew if he ever promised himself to anyone, it would only be to her. He drew a deep breath to bolster his courage and gather his words.

"I, Liam O'Connor, swear to always be here for you, to care for you, to protect you, to..." He broke off a moment, coming close to admitting his love. He lifted his gaze to meet hers, hazel green eyes bright with heart-felt tears. "I give you my heart, my life, my soul, freely and completely until the day that I die. By the gods and by everything that I hold dear, I so swear it."

Shaye felt her heart thump painfully in her chest, some part of her recognising the import of these moments shared between them. Some part of her knew that from this point onward, their destinies were linked, whatever the choices they might make in the years to come. At thirteen, she'd sworn away her freedom to the only person who would never want to shackle her, with unerring good sense and startlingly tender affection.

Taking the knife from between their palms, she turned the point onto the heel of her thumb, wincing as the sharp metal dug into her flesh, marking herself with Thalan's rune under Liam's eyes. As blood welled up from the fresh wound, she turned the hilt of the knife back toward her friend.

He winced as he watched the metal dig into her flesh, knowing it stung and she already suffered so many hurts this day, but though it was painful, this was a different kind of pain, a pain that held meaning. From this moment forward, he knew everything had changed. Even if they were parted, even if the world chose different paths for them, she would always be a part of him, always live on in his heart.

He took the knife from her, turning the blade toward himself, wiping a sleeve across his face to wipe away his tears before slicing his own thumb open, cutting a matching rune into his flesh, deep enough to scar. They'd both bear that mark forever, forever declaring to the world that they belonged to each other. The blood welled up in the wound, just as it had in hers, and he held his hand out to her to press their thumbs together, letting their blood mingle together, sealing the oath forevermore.

It would certainly be interesting to know how he was going to explain away their matching injuries to his parents over the next few days. But for now that didn't matter. Shaye inched closer on her knees, her fingers linked tightly with his as their blood mingled between their palms. The sting of salt and sweat in the wound was ignored as she smiled finally, the expression warm, exhilarated with the knowledge that Liam O'Connor was never getting rid of her now. She stared into his eyes still, dark brown to hazel-green, as the familiar wildness returned to her grin.

"Forever," she promised fervently.

He met her gaze, returning the lingering stare with eyes that shifted between brown and green, youthful features softening with avid affection and the warmth and newness of young love. His thumb throbbed with pain, but it was a good pain, a welcome pain. A smile found its way to his lips when the old familiar Shaye grinned at him, promising to be his forever. At fourteen, forever was a long time. Forever could be a year or a lifetime.

"Forever," he echoed, gripping her hand tightly in his own.

For Shaye it wasn't love; at least, she didn't know it as love, not yet. But given time she'd know it, and embrace it with everything she had. Until then ....Liam would just have to be patient with her. The passion they could share was a volatile playing field, even for a pair so wholly sworn to one another. Time would tell, for both of them.