Before we get to the story, the song ... Wren's about to kick ass. 

So...

Here's her kicking ass :)

She was hurled inside a chamber. The loud, echoing thud of her being thrown across the room echoed around the room, signalling she was in an empty room. It was dark around her - the last sound she heard was the door slamming shut.

Her eyes blurred to focus. They were in a large room - a unused chamber. Dazzled, Wren stood up, shaking slightly and feeling her throat. There was no blood, but it still hurt from the blade.

'Tell me, Princess,' said a low, growling voice. 'How's it feel to be cornered at last, weaponless, wandless?'

A dark, shadowy silhoutte of a burly, grown man stood in the darkness. Wren looked up warily - it was true, she was defenseless and here she was, cornered by someone she couldn't even see in the dark. Wren wished she had a sword - anything - to protect herself.

She took a step away. 'I must say, it might feel better if you defined yourself,' she said loudly in clear, ringing tones.

Although she couldn't see the face, she could feel a sneer from her kidnapper.

'Release me,' said Wren, thinking fast.

'Oh, I wouldn't ask if I were you,' said the low voice and Wren detected a mocking smile.

'Charming princess, you are. Never suspected what you knew, what was in that brain of yours when I saw you dancing with that Iridian prince.' He was careful not to insult him. 'Sweet, really, when you walked down that aisle, with that crown on your head ... anyone would've thought you were just a harmless princess who was lost in the ordinary world.'

Wren decided to play dumb. 'I don't know what you're talking about,' she said in a rather convincing voice. 'What do you mean sir, what goes on in my brain? I'm just ...'

Next second she heard his voice, he was speaking in her ear.

'Don't,' he growled, 'play pretend.'

Wren's uneven-coloured eyes glowed bright, the colour saturating like they always did when she was excited or angry. She caught sight of a necklace with a raven symbol dangling down his neck. She let herself breathe for a while - then she flung her arm round the man's neck and throttled him down. He was strong - he flung her down on the ground and seized something from his pocket. Wren stood up, raging, to see the glint of a glittering dagger in the light of the darkness.

With a howl of fury, the man ran towards her, plunging the dagger to her but in one swift move, she dodged easily. She grabbed the man's wrist, applying pressure until a bead of sweat trickled down her forehead - the man leaped back and growled at her.

'Fishy one, aren't you?' he said tauntingly. 'I see they teach you to fight here.'

'Oh, hardly,' said Wren airily. 'I consider this a natural ability. Beautiful blade though,' she remarked, nodding her head towards the dagger. 'Such a pity it has to stand between us.'

The man made his move - he struck, she blew, he dived, she ducked, she kicked him in the shins, he howled and struck, she rolled away deftly but the man was faster - he swung his arm towards her and caught her by the neck just in time as the door swung open.

'YOU!'

Her kidnapper's elbow was tucking Wren to his chest, Wren struggled to breathe. He was holding the knife with the hand capturing Wren - Wren gasped.

Jake stood there, gawking at them as the light from outside the open door filled half the room. Ladislaya shrieked.

'What's going on?'

The man snickered. 'Friends of yours, Princess Wren?' he spat. Wren hated hearing her name in his mouth - she tried her best to struggle away but the man's grip was too strong, too tight. 'Well, we'll have them too.'

Wren yelled as the man reached his free arm towards Jake but then Jake held up his finger horizontally and started spinning it in circles towards him. Wren felt like she had been plunged into cold water as the fabric of reality shifted. It was like being caught in a rippling current that pulled her backward against her will; her surroundings seemed to warp and twist.

Then Wren was back on the surface of the cold water, the weird sensation had left her lungs and yet, she was still in the man's grip.

The man snickered. 'Friends of yours, Princess Wren?' he spat. Wren hated hearing her name in his mouth - she tried her best to struggle away but the man's grip was too strong, too tight. 'Well, we'll have them too.'

Jake was too fast - he dived out of the way, pulling Ladislaya down with him. Ladislaya screamed. 'What did you do, what did you do?'

Wren looked around her desperately, pulling the man down with her foot to stall for time. 'Do we have swords? Or any sort of weapons?'

'No!' cried Ladislaya.

'Yes!' shouted Jake.

'Great!' sputtered Wren. 'Well - what is it?'

'Roasts!' shouted Jake.

Wren didn't have time to stare at him in amazement - she choked down her morph of bewilderment. 'What?'

'Roast, we can roast him -'

'Hang on,' said Ladislaya, looking nervous. 'We aren't going that far, we're not roasting him -'

'He's not a chicken; I'm not going to roast him like one!' cried Jake. 'We can roast him - insult him - with words!'

Wren gawked for a millisecond then shouted, 'Great idea! Hurry, I can't stall any longer I -'

'This is stupid!' Ladislaya shouted, stomping her foot. 'We can't hurt someone by insulting them in this situation - right now, we need physical pain!'

'Well, considering we've got nothing, my idea is the best one we've got so far!' bellowed Jake.

'Stop!' shouted Wren. 'We've got no time to - OW!'

The man had knocked her on the nose with his elbow, he stood up, towering over all three of them. Wren caught a glimpse of him close-up - tall, burly, he had dark hair and dark circles underneath his eyes. They gleamed dangerously in the light. Walking over to the door, he shut it.

'Quiet fight, eh?' he said, grinning broadly.

'Carrots,' Ladislaya whispered to Wren, 'you've got to take on him; you've got to!'

'Who says I've got to?' whispered Wren fiercely.

'We don't have any other choice!' pleaded Ladislaya. 'Come on - neither Jake nor I know how to fight; we're not as skilled as you are -'

'Don't flatter me,' said Wren grimly, standing up.

'I'm not - he's coming!'

With lightning speed, the man was racing towards Wren - she caught him by the collar and pulled it as high up in the air as she could. The man struggled to breathe then she threw him down on the polished floor and put a foot on his back.

'You,' she said aggressively, 'aren't going to tell a single soul about this. Understand?'

The man didn't say anything. Wren could see he was trying his best to reach for his dagger that was lying several feet away. Wren ushered a stream of water to appear out of nowhere and hand over the dagger to her. Once the dagger was in her hands, she sent the water gushing down on the man's head.

'And I'll be keeping this,' she said softly, twirling the dagger in her hands. 'That's a good idea, don't you think?'

'We should tie him up,' Jake suggested.

'Good idea.' Wren willed for aqua and it came flying through the air, slowly shaping themselves into one large rope. They bound themselves around the man and however hard he tried to break free, he was unsuccessful.

Wren bent down and snapped the necklace from his neck.

'We should put a memory charm on him,' whispered Ladislaya.

'Not yet,' said Wren grimly, holding the necklace up to examine it. 'Not until we investigate a little further.'

'What do you mean by that?' grunted the man, baring his teeth at her. Wren didn't flinch.

'I mean, once we find out why you were wearing this,' she growled, dangling the necklace on the tip of her finger for him to see. 'This. This is the feared witch's symbol, isn't it?'

The man stiffened; he looked frozen and Wren couldn't read his expression.

'A raven,' she whispered.

Ladislaya drew in a breath.

'You work for Nicaea Valdis.'

The man's dark brown eyes shifted to hers, still with a glint of maddening superiority. 'Yes I do,' he whispered dangerously, a smile playing wickedly at the corner of his mouth. 'Impressive how you figured that out. You, of all people.'

Jake was now holding a broomstick he'd dug out from the back of the chamber and was now pointing the end of it towards the man. He flinched.

'There'll be a lot of things you'll find impressive of me,' said Wren, hating how arrogant she sounded but liking it all the same.

The man bared his teeth. 'Let me go and you can have the necklace.'

'Not a chance,' said Jake loudly, jabbing the broomstick to his chest so he wouldn't move.

'What's your name?'

'Fenwick,' he spat.

Wren wasn't sure if it was his first or last name, but she let it go.

'Do you come from the kingdom of Iridia?' she asked.

Fenwick glared into empty air and then said forcefully, 'Yes.'

'So the King and Queen of Iridia took you along.'

'I was their guard,' he spat. 'I was their guard, alright? I was one of the guards escorting them here -'

'Not a very faithful servant, I must say,' Wren remarked. 'Let me ask you one thing. Has your identity in Iridia been kept secret from everyone else? No one knows who you're working for?'

Fenwick didn't say anything. He had his mouth shut tight.

'Tell. Me,' demanded Wren.

'Alright, no one knows about me! I was just an ordinary guard serving in the Palace of Iridia!' he shouted. 'Keep that broom away from me, I say!' he spat at Jake who winced slightly but didn't budge.

'And what were you doing in the Palace of Iridia as a guard when you work for the Faerie Queen?' Wren hissed. 'Are you a spy? Is it under the Faerie Queen's orders you spy on Iridia? Tell me what your job is. Tell me what Nicaea Valdis has told you!'

The look of maddening superiority flooded back to Fenwick. He looked haughty. 'Make me. I have secrets, and you have yours. There's nothing you can do that will make me say a word.'

'Oh yeah?' said Wren, holding the hilt of the knife high in the air. 'Try me.'

Ladislaya gave a small gasp that was barely audible.

'You can't kill me,' Fenwick told her, grinning madly. 'They'll know you did it. Even though you are a princess, and a damn new one, they'll have you arrested. Government and all. You kill me, that's the downfall of your stupid kingdom.'

Wren hesitated as Jake pushed the end of the broomstick towards Fenwick's chest the sixtieth time. She couldn't possibly kill him, she knew that, she wasn't going to anyway, but she could let the impossible leak truths.

She brought the dagger lower down. 'Or do you prefer it slow? Slow and painful and dark ... killed by your own weapon ...'

Jake winced. He looked like he was about to say something but decided not to.

'Wren ...' Ladislaya whispered. Wren heard Jake whisper, 'She's not going to do it.'

Hate and shame poured over Wren like a drowning rainfall. She had to admit Jake was right - she wasn't going to do it. She was a lot of things but she wasn't a murderer.

She was a threatener.

'Or,' Wren said forcefully, 'you want a quick, fast one? It'll be quicker and easier than falling asleep, I promise. I can let you choose.'

'Don't.' the word escaped from his lips sharply. Wren was satisfied to see a hint of fear and reluctance in his eyes. 'One condition. I tell you everything and you let me go.'

'I can't promise you that,' said Wren brightly, still holding the dagger in the air threateningly.

'You should be in the ball, downstairs,' he said huskily. 'They'll start being suspicious and wondering where you've gone to -'

Jake brought the broomstick down on his chest again and Wren snarled. 'Nice try, fellow. But you ain't fooling me out of this one.'

'Do you think anybody cares?' he whispered. 'She's on the run for you ...'

A funny, strangled noise escaped Wren's throat. 'Tell me what you were doing in the Palace of Iridia,' she snarled. 'Or this knife,' she waggled the knife inexpertly and dangerously in the air, 'will do its job.'

Fenwick flinched a little. 'I won't surrender as easy as you think, Wren Carezby.' Her name was bitter in his mouth. 'You can kill me all you like, but you won't get away with it.' he smirked, like they were having a conversation in a coffee-shop instead of a do-or-die situation.

'Is Nicaea Valdis summoning her slaves to find the something? Why are you here? Does she have whatever she wants?'

'No, she doesn't, you fool,' growled Fenwick, his breath reeking of boiled eggs and rotten cabbages. 'Of course she doesn't. That's why she wants it - it's power, it's glory, it's the known weapon to kill you -'

He froze, suddenly stopping.

'Get me out of here,' he said sharply, realising his mistake. 'Now!'

Jake prodded him with the end of the broomstick sharply.

'So there is something that our dear Faerie Queen wants,' said Wren thoughtfully, twistedly. Fenwick glared at her.

'How dare you speak her name, her worth with your filthy tounge, you -'

'Hey!' said Wren sharply. 'I can scream, you know.'

Fenwick laid back in the chair, breathing heavily.

'What does she want?' she said softly. 'What is this she's so desperate for? Is it - is it something that can help her erase her memory?'

'How did you -'

'Is it?' shouted Wren.

'I'm not telling you anything,' said Fenwick through gritted teeth.

Wren raised the dagger higher again.

'Kill me,' he whispered, his voice hanging in the air, 'my death will be worth it. You won't get away with murder, princess.'

Jake turned to Wren helplessly, widening his eyes. Wren could read them: Don't.

Wren lowered her knife slightly. 'Where is it?' she said. 'Tell us where the Soulstone is and I'll let you go. It's a win-win situation.'

'No, it's a do or die situation,' said Fenwick, his eyes glinting maliciously.

'Not anymore,' said Wren aggravatingly.

'The Faerie Queen has her secrets, you see. She doesn't simply tell us things. She's not stupid enough for that.'

'So you don't know?'

There was a small pause, then -

'I might.'

Wren's heart leapt. 'Well?'

'The Faerie Queen has her secrets, but that doesn't mean she won't, let's say, let some things slip,' he said slyly. 'She likes to keep people in suspense. But in her head, curiosity leads to trouble. Like you,' he added dangerously to Wren, 'people like you.'

Wren waited with bated breath.

'The Faerie Queen has a slight idea where the Soulstone is,' Fenwick said. 'If I tell you, you wouldn't be able to locate it. It's the Veil of Whispers. A mirror. Not particularly, but she claims the Soulstone has something to do with it. She wants not only to erase her memory, but shape it into a deathly weapon that will kill you.'

'What's this Soulstone?' demanded Wren. Fenwick's eyes glinted dangerously.

'It's a locket, you see.'

Wren let go of the gush of water still holding inside her - the ropes slashed open and Fenwick was free to go.

'Nice meeting you, Princess,' he growled.

'Pity I can't say the same,' she said coldly.

Fenwick grinned coolly, adjusted his tie and just like that, he limped out of the room, leaving the three in the dark. Wren swung around to face Jake and Ladislaya.

'We've been running in a circle this whole time,' she said through clenched teeth. 'This whole time. I've been too stupid, and even stupider to haven't seen it!'

'What?' whispered Ladislaya, trembling slightly.

'The fact that Nicaea wants the Soulstone also to shape it into a weapon to kill you?' Jake said, eyes widening. 'Why doesn't she just, I don't know, kill you?'

Wren kicked the chair violently so it flipped over. 'The Soulstone's a locket,' she said aggressively. 'It's a locket.'

Wren could kick herself. How, how could she not have seen? Everything made sense, now Fenwick had confirmed it all. Ragged breaths in and out, she clutched her hair.

'What are you talking about?' said Jake loudly. 'It's a locket, so what? Fenwick's told us that already, he's -'

'Don't you see?' shouted Wren. 'The locket. Iridia. My dream.'

Realisation hit both their faces. The very first time Wren had dreamt about a locket in the palace of Iridia ... and then came the Shadow Angels.

'Do you see now?' Wren said darkly. 'See where we've been going? We've been running a never-ending loop, that's what we've been doing!'

Jake let the broomstick fall so it clattered on the polished floor. 'We're going to Iridia,' he said shortly. 'That's it! We shouldn't have stuck around, it was a waste of time -'

'It wasn't a waste of time,' argued Ladislaya. 'If we hadn't lingered round, we wouldn't know what Shadow Angels were, that Nicaea's erasing a memory. Now she's using this locket to erase her memory and it can help her defeat Wren.'

'Or so she believes,' Wren said through gritted teeth.

'Besides, the Shadow Angels might not work for Nicaea,' Jake said pointedly.

'There's a chance,' Wren said shortly. 'The very slightest chance Nicaea's involved with the Shadow Angels.'

'But we haven't got proof!' cried Ladislaya.

'We don't need proof!' Wren said hotly. 'If Nicaea's working with the Shadow Angels, so what; she's going to kill me either way!'

There was a short pause. Ladislaya looked like she was about to say something, opening and closing her mouth again, her bottom lip quivering.

'Fenwick said the Soulstone was inside a mirror,' Jake spoke. 'The Veil of Whispers.'

'The Veil of Whispers, a mirror?' whispered Ladislaya in a hushed voice.

'Do you know what it is, Ladislaya?'

Ladislaya was quivering.

'Ladislaya?'

'N-no,' she said, faltering. Wren groaned inwardly. She stood up, swaying dangerously from side to side and saying, 'Tomorrow, we're going to Iridia.'

'What, tomorrow?' cried Ladislaya, leaping up.

'Yes, tomorrow!' said Wren hotly. 'We haven't got any time to lose, Ladislaya, we've wasted enough!'

'I wouldn't call it wasted -' Jake butted in.

'- so tomorrow, we're going off to Iridia, and if you don't want to go, that's fine, I can always go by myself -'

'No, we're a team remember?' Jake said, standing up as well. 'If you go, we go. You say we go tomorrow, we go tomorrow. It's Nicaea who's after you, Carrots. It's your parents we're talking about. You're the captain.'