Alanna Descoudres crept along the corridor of her home in the city of Norders in the land of Eldereare. "Russ," she whispered. "Are you sure you saw him here?"

Her daemon, Russet, at the moment in the guise of a fox, replied, "I saw him go through the door leading to this hall. Where do you think he was going? I'm not blind you know."

Alanna turned and gave her daemon a withering look. It was bad enough he had to be with her at all times but he was always treating Alanna like she was stupid. But even so, she and Russet had a bond that would never be broken, and that made them as close as could be. After regarding these thoughts she turned again and peered down the hall. "Which way?" she asked, as soon as she saw the hall divided into two.

Russet, trotted forward and put his nose to the ground, sorting through the various scents. He finally found the one he was looking for and locked onto it. "Left," he said. Alanna turned left. She had learned ages ago, that Russet was nearly always right, and you were better off in the long run to listen to him. Russet trotted after her, in an effort to keep up. "Why are you hurrying?" he complained.

"Because the quicker I find him, the quicker I can leave," she replied.

Russet sighed, knowing well not to argue with her. When she had her mind up, Alanna rarely ever budged. Alanna was as stubborn as... well him.

They reached the end of the dimly-lit corridor and faced a bolted wooden door. "What now?" Alanna asked.

"Why are you asking me?" Russet said irritably. "You're the one who wanted to come down here, not me."

Alanna sighed, and reached for the steel bolt, intending to lift it up and go inside.

"Wait!" Russet cried, in an urgent whisper. "Press the bolt in first and then open it. It'll make no sound and we won't be spotted."

Alanna obeyed and sure enough, there was no sound. She and her daemon slid in silently and went behind a large, unoccupied armchair, wide enough to hide both of them and listened to the scene playing out before them.

Lord Brintley of Lalydors, was standing before a circle of black hooded people. "The Dark Elders," Russet breathed in horror. "What are they doing in Norders?"

"I don't know," Alanna replied, her voice just as horrified. "Lord Brintely must have done something terrible for him to be standing before them. They symbolise every thing bad."

"What could Lord Brintely have done that would be so terrible as for him to be standing before the Dark Elders?" Russet wondered.

"I think we're about to find out," Alanna said, as one of the Elders began to speak.

"Lord Brintely of Lalydors," the Elder boomed, his face hidden behind the wide, deep black hood on his robe. No one had ever since the face of a Dark Elder. It was their duty to remain behind their hoods. "You have been called before the Dark Council on what charges?"

Lord Brintley was a tall, slim man. He had wavy brown hair, cropped short and ice-blue eyes. Alanna had never liked him and there was something about him she feared. As a result she avoided him at all costs and only spoke to him, if he asked her something. He was dressed as a noble, with a cream V-necked shirt and royal blub breeches and knee-high dark leather boots. His daemon, Crystal, had decided on the guise of a white stoat and had remained like that ever since and now stood beside her master, tense as he was. She despised Russet and that, as a result had decided the relationship between Alanna and Lord Brintely. If two daemons didn't like each other, their people could never become friends.

Lord Brintley squared his shoulders and said, his voice filled with confidence he did not feel, "On no charges. I have come to meet with you on a very important matter."

"And that is?" the Elder boomed.

An evil glint had appeared in Lord Brintley's blue eyes. "The destruction of the rulers of Eldereare."

Russet and Alanna both gasped. "Treason!" Russet gasped. "Lord Brintley wants to destroy King Edward and Queen Emily!"

Alanna could only say one word: "Why?"

Russet met her gaze and his amber eyes were very matter-of-fact looking. "Lord Brintley has always been jealous of his brother Edward. Edward is older than him and as a result came to the throne before him. Brintley is jealous of him, because he wants to be King and it looks like he will do anything to make sure he is on the throne - even ally with the Dark Elders it appears."

"He's crazy and evil," Alanna said flatly. "You can't change the way you were born. Lord Brintley was born after King Edward and he can't change that."

"You and I know that," Russet agreed. "Lord Brintley knows it too, but he's prepared to do anythig to change that. He's desperate to be King."

"But why now?" Alanna asked, puzzled. "I don't understand why now?"

Russet looked at his mistress. Her long dark hair was tied back with a leather throng, but parts of it had got loose and framed her face. Her large brown eyes were full of fear and confusion. It is't right, he thought sadly. A young girl, only fifteen shouldn't have to bear this. "Lord Brintley has to do it now," he replied. "Before King Edward and Queen Emily have a child. That child will become King Edward's heir and Lord Brintley will have a very rare chance of becoming King. If he wants to become King, and he does, he will have to strike now, before the royal couple have any children. It's not a nice thing I agree and we can't let Lord Brintley succeed."

Alanna nodded. "He can't succeed. He can't!" she said fiercely. But she had, at that precise moment forgotten to keep her voice down and Lord Brintley whipped his head around and his ice blue eyes roved around the room, until landing on Alanna and Russet, crouched behind the armchair. "What!" he roared. Crystal screamed, when she recognised Russet and Russet snarled.

"Intruders!" the Elder bellowed.

"Run!" Russet cried. Alanna didn't need to be told that. She already knew she was in vey serious trouble and was already standing and running towards the door, forcing it open. She and Russet sprinted out and raced up the hall, all the time hearing Lord Brintley and the Dark Elders running after them.

Alanna and Russet reached the hall where it divided in two. The right tunnel stretched out to their left. "What do we do?!" Alanna gasped. "If they find us we're dead!"

Russet was peering around the other hall. Upon seeing an open door mid-way down the hall, he cried, "Down there! To the open door!" He leaped down the hall, Alanna fighting to keep up. They dived into the room and gently closed the door, and waited in the darkness with bated breath.

Lord Brintley and the Elders reached the top of the hall and paused. Lord Brintley was bright red and furious. "If she tells anyone of this, I will be finished and brought to trial, on the charges of treason against the kingdom!"

"That is not our concerns," the Chief Elder replied. "What is our concern is that a young girl has spied on our meeting. She must be punished." An evil gleam was in his eyes.

Lord Brintley made his decision. "She most likely went out of this hall and went to report to someone on what she saw. I will go after her and bring her back and you shall be allowed do what you wish to her."

The Chief Elder nodded and replied, "We will wait in the chamber." He and the other Elders glided back to the chamber. Lord Brintley turned and raced out of the hall, his daemon racing after him. He intended to make the girl pay dearly for spying.

In the chamber Alanna breathed a sigh of relief and said quietly, "We're safe." She stood up and reached for the door, intending to go back to her room.

Instead Russet leapt up, snarling. "What are you doing?!"

Alanna leapt away from the door, "Going back to my room why? I'm not going to stay here."

Russet sighed. "Your room will be the first place he will look for you. Best stay here."

Alanna obeyed and said quietly, "We aren't safe here anymore are we?"

Russet shook his head. "Lord Brintley has immense power. Who do you think the people are going to believe? Lord Brintley or us?"

"We have to leave. Go to a place where Lord Brintley can't find us," Alanna said grimly.

Russet glanced at her, surprised. "I don't think there is such a place."

Alanna wasn't discouraged. "There has to be a place. There must be. And we'll find it. Somehow."