Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce except the characters I made up, aka the one no one recognizes.
Alessandria stared tiredly at the northern part of her homeland, it had only been a few years since she last saw it but it felt like a lifetime. She wasn't the same person. Being here again made her think of her family, she wondered if they would recognize her. Stupid, she scowled and shook herself. You don't want them to recognize you. Alessandria knew they would ask questions, ones she couldn't –or wouldn't-answer.
"Sandria," the voice shook her out of her thoughts, and Alessandria looked at the speaker. It was one of the two teenagers in the group, five not including Alessandria, two girls aged 14 and 8, and three boys aged 15, 9 and 6.
"Yes, what is it Elpida?" Alessandria asked when the younger woman hesitated.
"The horses need water and… I think that we could all use a rest." Alessandria looked at the others in the little group, they all looked tired.
"Right. Connor, keep an eye on the rear, soon as we spot water we stop." The oldest boy nodded and held his horse back as they started forward again.
Within a few minutes the group spotted a small stream, cautiously they went towards it and dismounted. Elpida and Rasha went one way to relive themselves and Connor, Leverett and Druce went the other. Alessandria stayed to water the horses, she was about to lower the hood of the riding cloak she wore when Night raised her head and swung her head to look past Alessandria. Hand slipping to her weapon Alessandria spun around, paling when she saw the group behind her.
No. No, no, no, no, no! Alessandria watched as the group moved nearer, growing desperate, she called out in the language she'd spoken for the last few years. "Come no farther!" Alessandria saw two members of the group jerk in shock when they heard the tongue so similar to Yamani.
"We will stay here." The leader assured in Common. "Who are you?"
Because she wanted to see how they would respond, Alessandria asked another question. "Does Latona know you?" this time she too spoke in Common.
"She does. Who are you, sister?" This came from the other one who had recognized the tongue she spoke.
"I am called Sandria." Gods, how she wished she could tell them. "Who are you?" As if she didn't already know.
The leader made introductions. "I am Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle; this is my husband Domitan of Masbolle. This is Lady Yukimi and Sir Nealan of Queenscove."
"You are from here, yes? I need to go to a town called New Hope. Can you tell me if I'm close?"
"We're actually headed there ourselves. We'll escort you." Domitan of Masbolle said. Alessandria had no choice but to nod her acceptance.
"That's a lot of horses for one person," Nealan stated doubtfully, eyeing her with something akin to mistrust in his eyes.
"That," Sandria stated dryly, "would be because I am not alone." She mounted Night and barely raising her voice called out to her group. "Come, we must be off." Slowly the five young ones existed the brush surrounding the small clearing, bows fully drawn, arrows pointed at the smaller group.
With a word from Alessandria they relaxed their bows and mounted their horses. Alessandria road near Keladry unable to help herself.
"Why do you want to go to New Hope?"
"Well, Lady Keladry-" Alessandria bowed her head and went silent for a few minutes. "They need a home. I thought New Hope might be a place for them to start over."
"But not you too?" Kel glanced at the stranger beside her.
"No," Alessandria said sadly. "I've started over once already, I don't get to again." Alessandria dropped back and allowed herself to remember the last time she was in Tortall.
She stumbled out of the Chamber of Ordeal, right into the arms of her mother and former knight-master, Sir Merric. Desperately she looked around, relaxing when she saw her two brothers, who had just been knighted in the two days before she had entered it. Later that evening after she had been given her shield and titled Lady Knight Alessandria of Masbolle, Alessandria had talked with her mother.
"I'm proud of you. You've worked so hard," Kel smiled at her.
Feeling impulsive Alessandria hugged her mother. "I was just lucky I had a good knight-master. I still say you had something to do with Sir Merric choosing me as a squire." Kel laughed and shook her head.
Alessandria shook herself, clearing the memories that clung to her like cobwebs. She wasn't surprised to see Kel talking to Neal and Yuki. they're probably telling him who Latona is, she mused to herself.
As soon as the strange woman had dropped back, Neal moved his horse over to ride next to Kel. Over the years he'd learned enough Yamani to hold simple conversations, because of his wife.
"Who was that person she ask about? Latona," Neal frowned and glanced at the strange hooded woman, who appeared deep in thought.
"Latona is a goddess who's big in the Yamani Islands. She's patron to all women warriors." Yuki answered quietly, "We can always ask her to swear by the goddess that she means no harm to those in New Hope."