Disclaimer-Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce except Laona and her family and anything else I happen to invent along the way.

Summary- Laona is a girl from the village Daine left (Snowsdale). Daine was her friend and mentor, and when, years after she disappeared, Daine still hasn't returned, Laona decides to search for her. In the process, she sets out on a quest with an ill-tempered stormwing who, for all of their cooperation, wants to murder her. (Prologue takes place before Daine leaves Snowsdale, main story takes place some time during the Protector of the Small Books.)

Enemy's Ally-Laona's Story

Prologue: Daine

Daine Sarrasri looked at the small girl beside her, who was carefully making sure that the saddle she was polishing came to no harm, and smiled. Laona had been following the older girl around since she learned to walk, trying to imitate her every movement. Daine had always felt a special closeness with the fragile, brown-haired child- not friendship, exactly, for their ages were too far apart for that, but close companionship, perhaps as if Laona was a much-loved younger sister. Maybe it was because, like Daine, the girl had Gifted parents, and, like Daine, Laona had no magic herself. Laona's mother was constantly making that fact known- she seemed to almost hate her daughter, and Daine could not see why. True, the girl was not Gifted and could not perform some of the small tasks her Gifted siblings could, but for a six-year-old, she did her share of the work. It was unfair, Daine thought, for her parents to treat her differently than her brothers and sisters for a flaw that was hardly her fault. But there was little she, especially with her father not known to even herself, could do about the way another's parents treated their own child.

As for herself, Laona said little about her parents in front of Daine, but it was obvious she feared them. On the rare occasion that she did talk about them, her voice would grow quiet and shaky, and her tone was one of frightened awe. Other times, when she was not talking about them, she was calm, happy, and peaceful. She had often talked to Daine about her desire to become a healer. It did not bother the child that she herself was horrified at the sight of blood or bone. She had told Daine quite plainly that she would do whatever she could to make the hurt go way, even if it meant throwing up after. "What if everyone was afraid of blood?" she'd said. "Then no one would want to heal and if anyone got sick or broke a bone or anything, they might just die because a healer didn't want to see their insides."

Her maturity, Daine had decided, came from having to live almost on her own. Although her parents provided for her sometimes, she could not depend on them: if they were angry with her and decided they did not think she deserved food, she had to find her own. But she was still a child, and had her fears. She was desperately afraid of animals of all kinds: of dogs or anything with sharp teeth, of horses, or sharp-beaked farm birds, and long-horned goats. It had most likely started with the rabid bear, which, in Daine's opinion, had driven fear of animals into almost everyone in Snowsdale. Laona had been young then, but she had been there, and remembered it, and she'd been scared out of her wits. Perhaps more then anyone else. Now anything with four legs was something that she stayed away from, of else handled with extreme caution.

The subject of Daine's thoughts interrupted her now, with a light tap on her side. "Your Ma's calling you, Veralidaine." Laona was the only person in Snowsdale who always called Daine by her full name- or at least her full first name. Her last name was an embarrassment to her, and an insult, and since most everyone knew who she was, it was barely ever used. Daine nodded to Laona.

"I'm coming," she said, nervous to leave the girl with the saddle she so treasured. "Why don't you come in with me and see what she wants?" Laona nodded, happy to be with the girl she so admired, and skipped ahead inside. Daine's ma sat at the table they usually ate at, her face neutral. Daine had a strange feeling something was wrong, but she pushed it away, unable to find a reason for it and therefor unwilling to listen to it. She would find out soon enough why her Ma had called her inside.

"I don't mean to bother you, Daine, but I wanted to ask you a favor." Sarra's voice betrayed no emotion, but she did not seem unhappy. "My friend Lory- you know who I mean- sent her little girl over to tell me she had a cough. I brewed up some medicine for her- could you take it over to her?" Daine nodded, wondering at a strange tone in her mother's voice that she hadn't heard before. She sounded- well, formal, and somewhat false- rehearsed, that was it. She sounded as if she had rehearsed the words she would say to Daine several times before she'd actually said them. It's nothing to worry about! Daine told herself, almost angrily.

"Of course, Ma. I'll take it right away- should Laona come with me?" She nodded towards the girl who had stood silent during her mother's request.

"Perhaps that's a good idea," Sarra replied, looking at Laona thoughtfully. "You two best be off then- shouldn't keep Lory waiting-" Giving Daine a glass jar filled with whatever medicine she had brewed, she pushed the two of them out the door.

It was late by the time she was done at Lory's, so the woman told Daine that perhaps it was best if she and her young charge stayed the night. Daine agreed, not one to argue, and Laona was also happy, satisfied to be spending the night away from her parents. When Daine awoke the next morning it was noon, and fog was everywhere. Realizing that something was wrong, she told Lory to look after Laona, and rode quickly back to her house…

Author's Note-

This story was written a while ago (about a year, before I had read either Squire or Lady Knight) and I have rewritten and re-posted it. There are differences in wording, but the plot is basically the same. This chapter, the prologue, is different, but it still fulfills its purpose, which is to give the reader information about Laona. Because of possible confusion, the first-person present tense in later chapters has been changed to third-person past tense. If anyone here actually has read it (it's been so long!) please let me know. If you haven't, that's also fine, and I'd like to here from you too. Any type of reviews, except for flames, are greatly appreciated, and if there is anything I can do to make this story better, please let me know. If there are any mistakes (spelling, grammar, etc.) or irregularities, please let me know.