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Authors note: This is beginning In Medias Res (It's the right term, not
sure how to spell it though) meaning: "In the middle of...". The first
paragraph is time when most of the fic will take place but the rest of
this portion is a flashback.

	She cursed his name under her breath. All this for a love a man,
she almost spat on the ground at the thought. But he was gone now, not
dead, that she knew in her heart, but he was gone. All that remained
were the ghosts of his presence, and they seemed to be everywhere she
looked. She thought over the events of the last two and a half years.
She remembered the first time that she had met him, that day in the Hall
of Elders...
	

	"Zoya, stop tugging at you skirts," her grandfather had urged.
	"I don't see the reason why I hae to wear a skirt for this
ceremony anyway. This is supposed to confirm my standing as a warrior,
right?" Her grandfather nodded. "Then why do I have to wear a skirt,
this is not the uniform of a warrior." 
	"That is true Zoya, but remember that you are not just any other
warrior getting confirmed today, you have special standing. Now be
quiet." She looked up at his kindly face, and saw a slight smile. He
could never stay mad at his granddaughter for long, she always did
something to make him smile, it was one of her many talents.
	How could she forget her special standing? She was Zoya von
Worthin, decedent of the first Chief Warrior for the Alliance. That was
more than 150 in the past, when the Alliance first came to be.
	Zoya had grown up knowing all about her family history, it was
hard not to. Everywhere there were reminders of the mighty von Worthin's
that had come before, pictures, medals, crests, swords, etc. She had
been born 18 years before, right in this very palace. From her first
recollections she had been taught The Ideals of the Alliance: Truth,
Honor, Bravery, Personal Worth and Family. 
	Her parents had both died mysteriously the winter of her sixth
year. Her grandfather, who stood with her now as she was awaiting
confirmation, had taken her in to live with him. Grandfather Otto was
the Alliance's Chief Tactician. Otto had noticed her talents early on.
Being the military tactician he was, he was in the correct circle to get
her training as a warrior for the Alliance. Starting from her seventh
winter, when she came of proper age, she had trained with the best
fighters, teachers, healers and strategists that the Alliance had to
offer. It helped that she came from one of the most well known families
in the country but she was truly a exceptional student. She excelled in
any endeavor she tried, she became a master of sword play, of deception
and of the healing arts, which her grandmother taught her. But her love
was the love of her Grandfather Otto, and she became his apprentice in
her fifteenth winter. It wasn't a surprise that she had been accepted at
the Alliance's top warrior academy, Selshin Academy, known to the
students and alumni as "The Block". Zoya was able to keep up her
training as apprentice when her Grandfather became the Professor of
Strategic Studies at The Block. The following two years had gone by
without event, Zoya rose to the top spot at the academy and was much
loved by the students and the faculty alike. Now the day had come, the
day she had been preparing for since she was seven winters old, her
confirmation as a warrior for the Alliance.

	Zoya stood stiffly next to her grandfather, the Minister of Elders
stood at the front of the room, rambling on and on. She had heard this
speech many times before, from her grandfather, the faculty at The Block
and from every teacher that she ever had. The Minister was commanding
The Ideals of the Alliance to the new protectors of it. Zoya believed
whole-heartedly in The Ideals, but like any good citizen and as a good
warrior should, she recognized that the ideals were just that, ideals.
They did not exist in this pure form in her world, the best that anyone
could hope for was the Tamouc, which was described as "the best
embodiment of the ideals in an individual". Pretty vague, she thought,
but that was the way the system worked, and she had faith in it, she had
to. Zoya was snapped back into reality as the Minister called out the
first name for confirmation, Zoya knew that she would be the last
called, as she was the top warrior candidate in this ceremony. She
watched as her friends from The Block became confirmed warriors of the
Alliance and noticed the other warriors from the other academies take
their positions in the throng of faces she already knew so well.
	At last it was time for her name to be called. Her breathing rate
increased, and she stepped forward into the aisle to walk up to the
Minister's position. She noticed out of the corner of her gray eyes that
someone else had stepped forward also but she was too intent on the
ceremony to take any serious notice of the raven haired young man that
fell in step with her. The two approached the Minister and knelt down
before him to receive the confirmation. Zoya was quiet through the
ceremony.

	"I charge thee with the utmost honor, the protection of the
Alliance and it's citizens. You have proved your worth to the Inner
Circle and the Circle has rewarded you by making you confirmed warriors
of the Alliance. Rise now and receive the badge of Warrior."
	Zoya and her companion rose. The Minister first looked to the man
standing next to her.
	"You are hereby charged with the protection of the Alliance, it's
citizens, and The Ideals. Receive your badge Rex von Derbstein,
Warrior."
	Rex took the gilt badge in his hands and bowed his head. The
Minister now looked to Zoya.
	You are hereby charged with the protection of the Alliance, it's
citizens, and The Ideals. Receive your badge Mishelle von Worthin,
Warrior."
	Zoya's eyebrows arched in horror. Mishelle? Who in hell was this
Mishelle person?!?! But it was too late, she had already received her
badge, and from this time onward she was to be known officially as
Mishelle von Worthin, Warrior for the Alliance. Zoya spun around too
look at her grandfather and saw his kindly face scrunched up in
bewilderment. She looked back to the Minister, the look of horror still
evident in her fine features, but the Minister didn't notice. He
motioned for the two new warriors to turn around and face the crowd.
They complied but Zoya still was dumbstruck.

	"I present to you the top warriors at this confirmation, Rex von
Derbstein and Mishelle von Worthin. They are equal in skill and talent
and so they are confirmed jointly, may they be the shinning example to
the future of the Alliance." The Minister raised his hands over the
heads of Zoya and Rex signaling the end of the ceremony. The ceremonial
horns blared from the sides of the Hall of Elders. That was the signal
for Zoya and her new equal to lead the procession of new warriors and
the rest of the guests of the ceremony to the banquet hall for the
evening's revelry. Still baffled at the turn of events Zoya proceeded
down the carpet in step with her equal. As she passed her grandfather
she shot him a look that he immediatly deciphered "What in HELL just
happend?" but she was past him before he could give her a responsive
look.

The Banquet Hall
Palace of the Alliance
Warrior's Feast

	The scene in the Banquet Hall that night was magnificent. The
walls were swaged with rich tapestries depicting the history of the
Alliance and it's warriors. Food tables were piled high with hearty food
that was a favorite of the warrior class and the Meade ale that was made
especially for the warriors was in abundance, flowing from great oak
kegs placed at various points about the hall. The new warriors were
dressed in dress battle finery. Cloaks, breastplates and leather
abounded and Zoya was no different. She wore her favorite dress,
actually it was her only dress. It was made from the finest jersey
fabric that she could find and the battle touch was the black leather
corset/breastplate that was her favorite accessory. The deep wine color
of the fabric contrasted sharply with the chocolate brown of her hair
that was held back by a braid encircling her head. She searched the
crowd of guests with her gray eyes to find her grandfather staked out by
one of the kegs. She smiled to herself, I should have known, she thought
to herself. Unlike her grandfather, Zoya did not share a fondness for
the traditional ale of the warrior. She preferred the white wine that
was made near her family's ancestral home in the northern territory. She
grabbed a glass of the aforementioned wine and proceed to cross the room
to see dear Grandfather Otto.
	
	Otto saw her coming. It was hard not to, she seemed to part the
room as she walked. Her gait commanded respect but he could recognize
the lilt in her step that showed that Zoya had a certain energy about
her that few possessed, an energy that made the room light up when she
came in.
	"Grandfather," she kissed him on each cheek, "what happend up
there?" Her gray eyes peered deep into his, like he was supposed to know
why the Minister had mistakenly named her Mishelle.
	"Now Zoy--I mean Mishelle," Zoya's eyes narrowed, "what makes you
think that I know anything about any of that?"
	"Grrrr, Mishelle, Mishelle, Mishelle. I better get used to it,
it's going to be my name from now on. But where in the world did he get
a name like Mishelle?" Her grandfather just smiled at her. "Yeah yeah, I
know, there's no use in worrying about it now. Just promise me one thing
grandfather..."
	"What's that?"
	"That you'll always call me Zoya."
	"Did you even have to ask?" he hugged his granddaughter tightly.
She grinned back at him.
	"Now what do you know about this Rex von Derbstein business?"
asking the question she scanned the room for Rex. She spotted him in the
middle of a group of girls, presumably the dates of the other newly
confirmed warriors. 
	Her grandfather followed her gaze. "From what I've gathered from
eavesdropping," at that remark the newly dubbed Mishelle raised an
eyebrow, "he is your equal in every way, at least that's what the Inner
Circle believes."
	"But where did he come from? Who is he?"
	"It looks like you may have the chance to find out, Zoya my dear,"
Otto remarked and took a sip of ale from his stein.
--------------------------------
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