The bottle dropped to the floor. It rolled in a curve over the uneven floorboards and came to a halt by her feet and that at least, became clear. Diana was the sensible one, this wasn't how she acted. It was so unexpected, completely out of the blue. Britta didn't stop to think of the sadness Diana had felt when Ed complimented her and the annoyance she felt when she and Ed were so close.

Hesitantly Britta stepped over to them. As much as she wanted to bury her head under the covers and ignore it, she knew she couldn't let Diana do something she would regret. But Diana's emotions were flooding through her head and it occurred to Britta that if it was all so clear now then Diana was blocking her before. Maybe she didn't want to be stopped.

Halfway across the room Britta paused, wondering what she could do. Making up her mind she strode over and pulled them apart, eyes on fire as she looked them over.

"Get out of here now." She said, a lot more certain than she felt.

To her surprise Ed stood up, wobbling a bit and then walked out, Diana lay there looking at the ceiling. She turned deliberately away from Britta and from the way her erratic breathing evened out she had gone to sleep.

It was a long time that night before Britta's mind went to rest. She was too confused to make sense of it all. When she woke up the next morning, groggy with lack of sleep she looked over Diana. Sighing she at least decided she'd make the morning after drink for her, but it did nothing to disperse the anger in her stomach. If Ed told, things would not end well – He did have a lot to use against them after all.

Most of all, she reflected as she steeped the tea, she didn't want it to change. When they were thought of as boys they could do so much more and be thought of the same. Britta would rather be laughed at for being scrawny than for not knowing how to wear a dress.

She had almost forgotten about her training with Micah and preformed miserably, she was so distracted. He looked her up and down carefully. Britta prepared herself for a rebuttal and was surprised by the look of concern in his eyes, though he said nothing. She put the cup filled with tea by Diana's bed and changed into her practice clothes, pointedly tying her hair back; nothing had to change just because her sister didn't think before acting. When she was done, Diana was sitting up, rubbing her head and looking dazed. By the red creeping across her cheeks Britta knew she remembered what had happened.

"Britta," She croaked, drinking down the tea.

Britta turned to her sister.

"I don't want to know." She said, annoyed. "But if he tells then we're both is trouble."

She knew she should let Diana explain, but instead turned and stormed out.

She felt Ed's eyes on her as they practiced sword fighting again. There was a higher success rate this time and Britta managed to win, which did improve her mood. She decided there was nothing like trying to avoid being stabbed to take her mind off things. Meeting The Fox's approving eyes as he scanned his trainees, she felt a small burst of pride.

Ed pulled her aside as they began to make their way back for lunch but she yanked her hand out of his.

"Just leave me alone." She growled. "I don't know, want to know, or care what you and Diana were thinking."

"What I said before still stands." Ed said in a fast, low, voice.

Britta rolled her eyes. "And can I trust you on that when you did that to Diana?" She asked scornfully.

"It was her choice too." He said pausing.

"Look, I have no idea what you and Diana were doing, her choice or not it wasn't a good one." She looked back at him; she had continued her swift walk. "When did you start liking her?" She asked, something she needed to know.

Ed was slow to answer. "It's hard to say." He said finally.

"I don't care." She said firmly. "Say it."

Ed met her own gaze with a glare she never thought she would have seen from his brown eyes. "Not until you give us a chance to explain properly."

He knows I won't do that. Britta thought grimly. I'll just have to accept the stalemate. She glared back at him, despite having to tilt her head up. "I'd sooner kiss a pig." She said angrily.

"Why won't you let us?" Ed asked. She could hear the hurt in his tone but she stormed off, making it quite clear she had no desire for him to follow.

His question lingered in her mind long after she'd left Ed. She supposed she hated the fact her sister had gone behind her back; it didn't seem at all hypocritical to her. She refused to dig deeper into the one, treacherous thought which suggested that she'd liked having Ed's attention – Perhaps something to do with the fact she was suddenly Bren, and not Diana's shadow.

She continued to give Diana and Ed the cold shoulder as they moved off fighting swords and more onto throwing daggers. With her anger Britta spent most of her time training and little else. She ignored Diana's attempts to explain and Diana began to arrive at the cabin later at night. If Britta was honest the distance between them worried her, but she refused to do anything about it. The image of Diana and Ed as they were that night was burned into her mind and she felt annoyance bubble up inside her stomach every time she thought of it.

Her other friends were confused as to what was happening. Good natured Clyde tried his best to bring them back together with jokes and strained conversations. Neal took to teasing them each in turns.

"I wish you'd tell us what it is though, Bren." He told Britta in a rare moment of seriousness. "We know there's something wrong; you're barely talking to your own twin and best friend."

"Yes, it's been a nice change." Britta snapped. She apologized to him afterwards – "It's not really my thing to tell." She'd told him, besides, she doubted he'd understand the problem from her perspective.

She spent a lot more time with Thunder and Hoshi, enjoying their conversations and keeping them in good condition. Thunder was looking much more healthy, flesh filling out his large frame and his dark grey coat glossy while his tail and mane were long and perfectly combed. Hoshi now wore her age much more proudly and the grey in her pelt caught the light when the three of them could be found in a small clearing Britta had discovered off the main trail. It was unlikely anyone would find them as the glade was hidden by a thick layer of bush and the only way in without getting torn to pieces by blackberries was a well hidden trail in. The clearing itself was only just large enough for Thunder and Hoshi to sit side by side with Britta between them. No matter how many times she came, which she did often over those few days, the short green grass would spring back up after being lain on and the daisies still managed to climb towards the sky to catch the sunlight. The surrounding blackberry vines were heavy with berries, all at varying states of ripeness. Britta ate many and her hands were stained with juice, which she was sure Diana would have commented on had they been talking.

Britta tried to not dwell on this as she had her horses to confide in with things more important than blackberry juice. Thunder thought she was stupid for getting so wound up over something he deemed small ("Just go find another stallion." He'd said impatiently.) but Hoshi at least was sympathetic.

Is hard to get used to. Much easier to ignore, yes. Some stallions are bad. Knew one once that didn't care about foal. A young colt should not grow up without father.

It's not like that. Britta told Hoshi, trying to drill it into her own head. I'm just worried that we could be found out. And annoyed at Diana.... and Ed.

Why annoyed? Is way of things, you are in place surrounded by stallions. If you have close friends they notice something. They notice more and then they see truth. Even with shroud.

How do you know about that? Britta asked, surprised.

Horses see much, all animals see much. We see ghost when man dies, we see things for what they are. For me shroud is only faint. See how they see you and how I see you is who you are. Not trust at first, shroud is faint but like ghost. Think you are dying, like at end of battle, when man clings to life.

Britta shivered.

Too much sentiment. Thunder butted in. We run soon? Sick of talking about ghosts. Ghosts are things given up. Spirits are what we see Hoshi.

The two horses arguments took Britta's mind of her problems as they left the glade and walked slowly through the forest, the horses stopping the graze wherever there was enough sun for grass to grow.

In training that day Britta was annoyingly paired up with Ed during training. She kept her face carefully blank as they sparred and only talked when necessary. His face fell when he confirmed she was still giving him the cold shoulder but both he and Diana had stopped trying to explain. As far as Britta was concerned their actions showed their intent.

Thankfully, after lunch they moved to throwing knives. Britta was among the first to hit the target, having spent most of the previous week learning the techniques used to throw it and where it would be useful. Standing stationary only a few meters away from the target was not difficult, though she still only hit the outer ring many didn't manage even that. When everyone had thrown both knives they were sent to retrieve them again, and continued the process. Practicing often Britta managed to stay away from the cabin while Diana, and she suspected, Ed, were inside.

Britta had fallen into a firm routine with Micah; she fought Micah each Monday, working hard to beat him, or at least last longer. She left down to the training area with the tea she boiled and handed it to him, waiting whilst he drank it and then a few more minutes while it took effect. Usually he would sit down and Britta beside him until he stood up, sword out. Micah was not much older than her, while he didn't treat her as an equal, which she hated, he was perhaps eighteen and she guessed put there by his father, whoever he was. There was a lot of mystery surrounding him, but one thing that was certain was his sword fighting skills. He was fast, but he was strong – annoyingly so. Britta knew by now that blocking a swing with her dagger at the hilt of his sword would quickly end badly, someone stronger could push back up and turn it against him but by now he knew he didn't have to worry about that. Whenever he beat her his eyes would shine with amusement. He wouldn't help her up, sometimes he gave her pointers on what she could do better and others he would just leave. She couldn't begin to understand this behavior and didn't usually worry about it too much.

It began to get colder and Britta began to dread her dips in the icy water each morning. She felt a burst of pride when she saw her sister climbing the cliff face. She'd taken to running elsewhere and climbing a tree to get a view of the cliffs. As annoyed as she was at her sister, she couldn't help but watch happily as she worked to overcome a fear which had frozen her in place for so long. The fear was still there, but her shots were straight, even when she was high above the ground. Her running gave Britta time to have her bath before Diana got to the stream. As long as Britta remained stubborn she knew it would most likely continue that way.

She didn't go into town again either, not when she risked running into Micah. The dresses were hidden at the bottom of her bag and she fully intended to keep them that way.

Running that morning, she ran further than usual and found another clearing. She used one of her daggers to mark out a circle on the target and practice throwing. She had to be careful to throw it correctly as she often held it wrong. She used the better leverage to step further back still hitting the circle. Retrieving her daggers she left back to camp.

The constant training was almost a relief to her mind, while she worked her body hard. There was a fire in her eyes each morning that was extinguished when she stopped and her mind began to wander. The anger she felt towards Ed fueled her fighting, but if she concentrated on it she couldn't complete the task at hand. She knew she was improving faster than ever now. The basics had fallen into place and she spent all her time on practice. Some part of her still believed that because she was a girl she had to work harder, just to make it worth her being at the camp.

She found she needed to get more clothes, the old ones wearing thin. The tighter leather training clothes begun to cling to her body in odd places. The layer of fat softening her curves was gone and her body was hard and lithe. She was fit, she knew, and her body didn't ache so much at nights now, though the cooling water of the stream was still welcome. She still enjoyed her swims despite the layer of ice on the surface. The peace of the water calmed her, the rushing river sounding like rain on the roof at night. It reminded her of the Abbey, where she had truly felt safe and still stuck to the traditions she'd had to follow there as best she could, including the one regarding cleanliness; clean was the way Britta liked herself the most.

That afternoon Neal and Clyde both pestered her to join them in a trip to town. Britta resisted at first, but then she caught sight of Micah walking swiftly away in the shadows. Although she'd wanted to avoid him her curiosity was making her itch. Deciding, she nodded, grabbing her bag and rummaging through her clothes until she found the dress. She smoothed out the rumpled fabric, deciding it would have to do, only to stuff it back into the saddle bags as Clyde came in.

Britta gave him the thumbs up and flung the saddle bags over Thunders back, thanking him as he knelt down so she could get on.

"That horse really likes you." Said Neal, looking him up and down.

Britta didn't miss the way he carefully moved his mount away from Thunders sharp teeth. The large horse had developed a love for biting Neal. He'd told Britta it was because of the sound Neal made when bitten.

She quickly explained to her friends she was going to do something alone.

"When we asked you to come into town with us this wasn't what we meant." Said Clyde, looking a little disappointed. "You've avoided us for so long." He said.

Britta laughed. "Of course I haven't been." She said, trying to sound casual. "You dolt. I'll come see you after noon." She glanced at the sky; once they arrived she would have about an hour.

She waved goodbye before moving into the forest and removing the shroud from her face. She wondered if it would affect Diana, but with a stab of anger in her chest decided she'd probably be with Ed any way, conveniently forgetting how they had been recently keeping their distance of each other. Britta unpacked the dress and shivered a little, wishing she had something warmer to wear.

Pulling it on, she headed out in the alley way she had last seen Micah. Taking small steps, she peered inside, her sharp ears catching his voice. Calmly she walked past him to the nearest door, hearing the person he was talking to melt into the shadows. He spoke before she had to go inside the dark building.

"Hello again." He said quietly, "Always turning up where no one wants to see you."

"This is my house." She reminded him, with a swift roll of her eyes.

"You always seem to turn up at strange times." He muttered. "Also," he swiped a finger over the door knob, gathering dust on his hand, "you really should get someone to do the dusting."

Britta swiped the remaining dust from the door handle and turned to him. "I told you already, I live here." She put her hands on her hips, sudden inspiration sparking in her mind. "And I think you owe me an apology for being so rude."

"And how do you propose I apologize then?" He asked, a sly smile tilting his lips.

Britta turned away, mind working fast. The best way to get information off him. "Take me to the tavern then." She said suddenly.

"As I said before, it's no place for," He paused, looking her up and down, "ladies."

She laughed at his reluctance to apply te word to her. She supposed she didn't act much like one and Diana had teased her about walking like a man back when they'd still been talking. "I turned sixteen midsummer." She reminded him, trying to sound confident, "And it's winter, I'm old enough." She glanced at the sky, the grey clouds scurrying by.

"What will your mother say?" He asked, trying to deter her.

"She died a few weeks back." Said Britta, biting her lip. She tried to remember what she had said to him last time.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said, but didn't look it, only slightly surprised at the lie she had just told. Whether he knew or not he agreed to take her to the tavern.

Britta followed meekly, ignoring the stares of the surrounding people. She craned her neck to look around. Thankfully it was a different one to the one her friends went to. It had a dark wooden ceiling with candles hanging from it. Britta was amazed they stayed alight even in the smoke which hung high about the room. Micah ordered a drink, which she refused.

"How am I supposed to apologize if you won't accept anything?" He bit out impatiently.

"Perhaps your company is apology enough." She said calmly. She kept up the façade for a few seconds before she burst out laughing.

Britta may once have cared what he thought about her, except now she was only an empty shell of a person. A disguise. If he had been talking to Bren she would have felt ashamed. Now she was hidden. A nameless girl who happened to be annoying. And all the better. She thought smugly, as he downed a drink. He won't know I asked.

***

Ooooh non-subtle character development and bad foreshadowing.... yay!