Disclaimer: I do not own Maude (but I did make up her last name), Thom,
Alanna, Coram, Lord Alan or Chubby. I do, however own the Messenger, Salina
and Aunt Miranda. I am not getting paid any money for this. My idea/plot
is, as far as I know, original and mine.
A messenger hurried up to the door of the woman's chambers, the wax sealed envelope already in his hand. The door opened revealing a middle aged woman standing in the doorway, looking surprised at her late night visitor.
"Maude Alandra?" he asked,
"Yes,"
"Your mother has taken ill, and the healers fear this may be her last illness. Your sister wishes you to go, to be with them at her last moment."
Maude hesitated. She had promised Lord Alan to travel with Alanna to the Convent of the Mother of Mountains in three days time. But surly the man would understand. He knew the importance of saying goodbye to loved ones.
"I'll be ready by dawn."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thom and Alanna of Trebond looked impeccably alike. They both had red hair, stubborn chins and slight figures. They even had eyes of the identical shade of violet, something that unnerved many. This likeness could, however, be easily explained. They were identical twins, and right now they were both in fits of anger and frustration.
"The palace!" yelled Thom, banging the wall with his ten-year-old fist. "I don't want to be a knight!"
"So I guess you'd prefer to learn about sewing, dancing and flirting!?! " Alanna yelled back, disgusted. "I don't care if I'm a noble girl, I don't want to live a life of giving birth and flirting!"
"The men at the palace do nothing about magic. They don't care that it's a person's strongest point, the one thing that can save him when all else has failed."
"Sit up strait, Alanna. Don't slurp, Alanna. Don't have fun, Alanna. Don't try and be who you really are, Alanna."
"WHY can't I go to the City of Gods?" cried Thom, "I can't do that other stuff!"
Alanna gave a short, hollow laugh. "If you were the girl, you could." Her eyes widened. "Thom, that's it!"
"What's it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Tomorrow, when father gives us the letters, change them! Write we're twin boys, and-"
"Forget it." Thom cut off his sister. "We'd need someone's help and there's no way Coram would agree. If Maude weren't with her mother, then maybe. But it will never work."
Both twins went to bed exhausted from their anger, though neither slept much. Each had a head full of worries, doubts and fury.
Alanna left her bed for a glass of water, and found herself staring into the low burning fire.
Three figures bent over a swirling green and purple fire, their hands thrust into its depths. In the fire emerged a hazy picture of a city made of seamless black stone…
Alanna shook her head to clear it, and went back to bed, the image before the fire forgotten, replaced once more by her distress about the coming day.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Silently, Alanna made her way to the stables lugging her bags to be put on the pack mule. She had made them as heavy as the space inside allowed, a form of protest. She didn't care that the mule had had nothing to do with the decision she go to the Convent, she only knew it would be harder on Coram this way. If he had said something to Lord Alan, talked to him about what Alanna really wanted, had wanted since she could draw a bow, she might not be here now.
Thom was already there, and by the looks of things Chubby had already thrown him. Somehow that pony had always been able to tell Thom and Alanna apart, and he always tried to throw Thom.
Alanna shook her head. Whoever had had the bright idea to give Chubby to Thom had another thing coming.
"Alanna, what are you wearing?" cried a high pitched voice, "That's no way for a Lady to dress! Go and change immediately!" Salina pointed back towards the door. As Maude had left to be with her dying mother three days before hand, this irritable woman would be riding to the City of the Gods with her. Alanna didn't think she could stand the two-day ride to the City, with her constant complaining and nit-picking.
Slowly, she wandered back up to her room and pulled out the oldest and most ragged, ill-fitting dress she could find. She hadn't worn the dress in three years, when their Aunt Miranda had come for a week. Even then she had hated it, and had accidentally on purpose spilt a dark red cordial all down the front. The large stain still lingered in the now pale pink fabric even after hours of effort by the maids.
Now she pulled it over her head where it hung a good 20cm above the floor rather than the ankle length it been originally. Just so Salina wouldn't complain, she pulled a cloak over herself to hide it.
As she left, she saw the mirror out of the corner of her eye. Reflected on the bright surface was a person with cropped copper hair. Thom! But what-
Alanna turned to look straight at the mirror, and saw a ten year old girl wear a long cloak and a shocked look. But her reflection hadn't been here a moment ago…
Blaming it on a trick of the light, she turned and left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N So, what do you think? If you have any suggestions, please tell. I love constructive criticism. And NO, this NOT your average hunky dory it's all good, with my sword skills and my best friend convent story. It is NOT all good in Tortall. Well, it won't be soon anyway.
A/N Just a bit of trivia. Did you know that originally, the Song of the Lioness was published a book for adults (but I haven't actually been able to find it) and in it, Alanna married Jon? There was just one problem, Tamora Pierce thought, Alanna wasn't happy. So she re-wrote it as a young adult quartet and put Alanna with George.
A messenger hurried up to the door of the woman's chambers, the wax sealed envelope already in his hand. The door opened revealing a middle aged woman standing in the doorway, looking surprised at her late night visitor.
"Maude Alandra?" he asked,
"Yes,"
"Your mother has taken ill, and the healers fear this may be her last illness. Your sister wishes you to go, to be with them at her last moment."
Maude hesitated. She had promised Lord Alan to travel with Alanna to the Convent of the Mother of Mountains in three days time. But surly the man would understand. He knew the importance of saying goodbye to loved ones.
"I'll be ready by dawn."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thom and Alanna of Trebond looked impeccably alike. They both had red hair, stubborn chins and slight figures. They even had eyes of the identical shade of violet, something that unnerved many. This likeness could, however, be easily explained. They were identical twins, and right now they were both in fits of anger and frustration.
"The palace!" yelled Thom, banging the wall with his ten-year-old fist. "I don't want to be a knight!"
"So I guess you'd prefer to learn about sewing, dancing and flirting!?! " Alanna yelled back, disgusted. "I don't care if I'm a noble girl, I don't want to live a life of giving birth and flirting!"
"The men at the palace do nothing about magic. They don't care that it's a person's strongest point, the one thing that can save him when all else has failed."
"Sit up strait, Alanna. Don't slurp, Alanna. Don't have fun, Alanna. Don't try and be who you really are, Alanna."
"WHY can't I go to the City of Gods?" cried Thom, "I can't do that other stuff!"
Alanna gave a short, hollow laugh. "If you were the girl, you could." Her eyes widened. "Thom, that's it!"
"What's it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Tomorrow, when father gives us the letters, change them! Write we're twin boys, and-"
"Forget it." Thom cut off his sister. "We'd need someone's help and there's no way Coram would agree. If Maude weren't with her mother, then maybe. But it will never work."
Both twins went to bed exhausted from their anger, though neither slept much. Each had a head full of worries, doubts and fury.
Alanna left her bed for a glass of water, and found herself staring into the low burning fire.
Three figures bent over a swirling green and purple fire, their hands thrust into its depths. In the fire emerged a hazy picture of a city made of seamless black stone…
Alanna shook her head to clear it, and went back to bed, the image before the fire forgotten, replaced once more by her distress about the coming day.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Silently, Alanna made her way to the stables lugging her bags to be put on the pack mule. She had made them as heavy as the space inside allowed, a form of protest. She didn't care that the mule had had nothing to do with the decision she go to the Convent, she only knew it would be harder on Coram this way. If he had said something to Lord Alan, talked to him about what Alanna really wanted, had wanted since she could draw a bow, she might not be here now.
Thom was already there, and by the looks of things Chubby had already thrown him. Somehow that pony had always been able to tell Thom and Alanna apart, and he always tried to throw Thom.
Alanna shook her head. Whoever had had the bright idea to give Chubby to Thom had another thing coming.
"Alanna, what are you wearing?" cried a high pitched voice, "That's no way for a Lady to dress! Go and change immediately!" Salina pointed back towards the door. As Maude had left to be with her dying mother three days before hand, this irritable woman would be riding to the City of the Gods with her. Alanna didn't think she could stand the two-day ride to the City, with her constant complaining and nit-picking.
Slowly, she wandered back up to her room and pulled out the oldest and most ragged, ill-fitting dress she could find. She hadn't worn the dress in three years, when their Aunt Miranda had come for a week. Even then she had hated it, and had accidentally on purpose spilt a dark red cordial all down the front. The large stain still lingered in the now pale pink fabric even after hours of effort by the maids.
Now she pulled it over her head where it hung a good 20cm above the floor rather than the ankle length it been originally. Just so Salina wouldn't complain, she pulled a cloak over herself to hide it.
As she left, she saw the mirror out of the corner of her eye. Reflected on the bright surface was a person with cropped copper hair. Thom! But what-
Alanna turned to look straight at the mirror, and saw a ten year old girl wear a long cloak and a shocked look. But her reflection hadn't been here a moment ago…
Blaming it on a trick of the light, she turned and left the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N So, what do you think? If you have any suggestions, please tell. I love constructive criticism. And NO, this NOT your average hunky dory it's all good, with my sword skills and my best friend convent story. It is NOT all good in Tortall. Well, it won't be soon anyway.
A/N Just a bit of trivia. Did you know that originally, the Song of the Lioness was published a book for adults (but I haven't actually been able to find it) and in it, Alanna married Jon? There was just one problem, Tamora Pierce thought, Alanna wasn't happy. So she re-wrote it as a young adult quartet and put Alanna with George.