The fourth and final rebel leader Keith met was Zynthia. She was the first female leader he'd met during his days of travel. Her base was perhaps among the most stunning. Hidden deep in the Osloy Woods behind the Fourth Sector's boundaries was a fortress in the trees with an entrance you could only find via a certain type of tree. There was a trail of them, planted in a zig zag line and each one was marked with the symbol of the rebel movement at the very base of the tree, on the overgrown roots that protruded from the ground.

The trees led to the gaping mouth of a cave that faded into inky blackness and seemed to have no end. However, if you knew the right turns to take, as Keith did, you would end up at an exit that opened to another small stretch of forest, littered with tightly packed old overgrown trees that towered far over his head. There were huts built atop the sturdy branches, and swing bridges made from wood and rope that connected the neighbourhood among the trees dotted with rebels and their families as they went about their normal duties.

While Keith was busy admiring the impressive set up, he failed to notice the person creeping up behind him until he felt the sharpened end of a swords prod into his back, warning him not to do anything rash. Keith sucked in a breath and stiffened. Though an ally he may be, these people were still very capable of putting an end to his life and they had yet to learn of this newfound alliance.

"Turn around... slowly. Hands where I can see 'em," the swordsman ordered. Keith obeyed. He didn't want to cause any trouble with the people he was trying to get to trust him. Keith was wearing his recently thought of rebel get up and the person - the girl, as Keith soon discovered - didn't seem to recognise him.

"Look-,"

"Silence!" Keith recoiled. He was a prince and it had been a long time since Keith had been spoken to in such a manner by anyone other than his parents.

Not since when he was seven years old when-

Keith shook his head to rid himself of the memories and the girl holding what was actually a knife instead of a sword gave him an odd look. "Who are you?" she demanded, "State your business here."

"Who I am is none of your business. However as to why I'm here, I have a letter for your leader, Zynthia," Keith explained, slowly pulling a letter out from under the folds of his cloak.

The girl made an attempt to snatch the letter from his grasp but Keith put it up out of her reach. She huffed and leaped forwards, attempting to use her weapon to stop Keith from side stepping her again however he slipped his own dagger out from his boot and countered her before smugly stuffing the letter away.

"Look, I don't want to fight. Kolivan sent me here with a letter for your leader, Zynthia. Now if you could please point me in the direction of her then-"

"Kolivan sent you? Jeez, why didn't you just lead with that?" With that the girl turned and started in a different direction deeper into the trees. When Keith made no move to follow her she turned around and looked at him exasperatedly. "Well? You coming?" Keith didn't think she was going to wait much longer for him so he cast his confusion aside and chased after her.

The girl lead him through the maze of trees from the grounding, taking none of the routes among the trees. There were very few who walked upon the ground, leaving hardly any tracks. The girl moved between the branches and over the gnarled roots with practiced ease, hardly disturbing the nature around her, whereas Keith on the other hand crashed through the paths with none of her grace, despite how much he tried.

"Could you be any louder? I don't think Sector 3 heard you!" She hissed at him. Keith winced.

"Sorry," he said. The prince had little else to offer in the way of words.

"If there are no tracks on the ground, we can't be suspected of hiding in the trees. And yet here you are stomping over everything and breaking branches."

"Oh yes, and nobody is going to notice the giant huts in the trees." Keith grumbled.

"Of course not!" She glared at him. "That's what cloaking devices are for. No huts, no footsteps on the ground, no reason to suspect we were ever here. Now come in, we're here."

At her announcement, Keith looked up and several meters above his head was a hut that seemed greater than the few he'd gotten glimpses of as they walked.

Keith found himself suddenly glad that he's been able to escape his hosts and visit this place during the day as the girl turned and started scaling up the tree. This place would be a horror for a newbie such as himself to navigate in the night.

Finally on the deck of the hut shrouded by trees, Keith had the brief opportunity to admire the view from above. The ground stretched out below him and the light wind shifted through his hair. Rays of sunlight shone down on him from above and as this particular hut was higher than the rest of the town's, he could see the neighbourhood spread out before him like a 3D map.

"In here." The girl tugged on his sleeve.

The inside of the hut was fairly small, and it was circular, built around the tree thats branches offered support for the flooring. It was decorated with the home owner's touch, the odd photo here and there. There was another door leading out the back, but Keith couldn't tell what lay beyond it.

"Zynthia. There's somebody here to see you. He says he's been sent by Kolivan." A woman who didn't look much older than himself poked her head out from behind the tree trunk. Her eyes analysed him for a moment before a grin tugged at her lips.

"Thank you, Sefa. That will be all." Zynthia nodded her head in the girl's direction. Her voice was like honey.

The girl - Sefa - bowed her head and left Keith with the rebel leader of Sector 4.

"I'm uh-,"

"I know who you are, Prince Keith."

"You do? How?" Keith demanded, suddenly alert. How could she know? Was his disguise really that easy to see through?

"I'd recognise those eyes anywhere. I make a habit of knowing my foes as well as I can. So what brings you here Prince?"

Keith eyed her suspiciously. Everybody he'd come across had tried to kill him first upon learning his identity and yet here this woman was, casually standing before him and not a single hint of malice in her gaze. Merely... curiosity.

Zynthia picked up on his hesitance. "I'm not going to harm you. I believe Kolivan sent you. After all, if you had any ill intent towards us, you'd've been disposed of immediately. You've either come here on rebel business or you're incredibly stupid."

"You make it sound like I'm an easy target," said Keith, watching her carefully.

All she offered him in return was a sly grin.

"I have a letter... from Kolivan." Her olive green eyes seemed to be analysing him again in a way that made him feel uneasy as he handed over the letter. Zynthia pushes her dark hair behind her shoulder before breaking the seal and reading over the letter, mumbling to herself as she did so. Once she was done, a bright smile overtook her features.

Zynthia held out her hand to shake. "Welcome to the Rebel Alliance, Prince Keaton."

He took her offer of a handshake. "Please, it's just Keith."

"Of course, just Keith. You need a bed to stay in tonight?" Keith pressed his lips together as he recognised her pun.

"No thank you. I should be heading back. It was nice meeting you Zynthia." Keith politely declined her offer.

"Certainly. I hope to be working with you in the future." She have him a dazzling smile before he left, setting off back the way he came.

Keith had almost left the cave he'd entered when upon exiting, he crashed into somebody he hadn't seen.

"Ah, sorry." Keith offered the man - boy really - a hand up. They pinned him with a dark stare before recognition sparked in their eyes. That emotion was quickly quelled however. It made Keith a little cautious. "Who're you?"

"I'm... Kyros," they said slowly.

"My apologies for bumping into you. I'm Keith, nice to meet you." Keith shook Kyros' hand. "I'm new here." It seemed obvious to Keith that Kyros was headed into the rebel base.

Kyros took immediate interest. "Really? Where are you from?" Evidently Kyros didn't recognise him or his name.

"I'm from the capital."

Cringing, Kyros said, "Tough luck. Can't be easy living there." Keith offered no reply save for a shrug. "What brings you out here to Sector 4 of all places?"

"It's like my initiation mission. I'm supposed to give a letter to each of the rebel leaders."

"Cool! My initiation mission wasn't nearly as important..."

And so they started talking. Somehow Keith found himself walking back to the house of his hosts with Kyros by his side. Turns out he was only a couple years older than himself. There was something about Kyros that drew Keith in and made him easy to talk to. He learned much from the talks they had on the path back. Outside of the guards and the servants there was nobody really there for Keith to talk to without the formalities and complications of him being a prince. Nobody he could really be friends with. Of course there was Shiro, and Pidge. But it wasn't the same. This boy who didn't know who he was. This boy was somebody Keith had a clean slate with and a fresh chance of friendship. This was... nice. It was refreshing.

Keith - as stupid as it seemed - wasn't ready to let go of that just yet. And so he asked Kyros to meet him by the water fountain in the town square of Sector 4's outlying town and have Shiro the orders that they would be staying in Sector 4 for just a couple more days. Surely their hosts would continue to do just that- host them for a couple more days. Given that they seemed so eager to suck up to the main royal family.

And maybe... just maybe this was a friend he'd be able to keep.

~~~~

Heyo. Apologies that we missed last week's update. Holidays have done something really odd to us both and neither of us have really done much in the way of writing, or felt up to it. Something in the air I guess \_(^.^)_/. Maybe it's because we have no need to procrastinate on school work now that we don't have any and we've kinda just flopped.

Anyway, I wrote this one instead of Lucidame because this was started... literally the night before the deadline day so here's Chapter Nine from me!

Peace,

BTSWD
Borntosingwithdrama