DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything by Tamora Pierce, though I would really love to.
The little red-headed girl looked at her brother. He seemed to be thinking about her proposal. His eyebrows were furrowed as he pulled his lower lip.
"Come on, don't be such a chicken." Alanna of Trebond said to her twin. Thom looked at her and stuck out his tongue.
"I'm not a chicken. I'll do it, but I don't know if Maude will help us." He said whining. He didn't want to become a knight, he wanted to study and advance his Gift.
"Well, let's go and see her then." Alanna said as she stormed down the hallway with determination. She was going to become a knight, and no one was going to stop her.
Maude looked at the two children. They were full of such hope. She opened her mouth to tell them of her decision. "I can't let you do this. I canna look into the fire because I don't have that much power. I am sorry. Tomorrow Thom goes to the palace with Coram, and I with Alanna to the convent." Maude turned her back not to see their stunned and hurt faces any longer.
"But Maude, I must become a knight. I can feel it. In my blood." Alanna said grabbing at Maude's arm. She pulled out of her grasp.
"I canna let you do it! Yer father'll have me hide!" Maude said and looked out the window.
"Fine, then teach me to look into the fire then. I can do it." Thom said as he came up to her. "You know I can. I have the power, just direct me."
"No, and that's final." Maude turned and left the room. The twins looked at each other. Alanna was furious, as Thom was sad.
"Don't even say I told you so." Alanna snapped as she left the room. Thom just shook his head and followed her out.
Then next morning was drizzling as the twins mounted their horses. Maude watched as Alanna mounted her horse glaring at her all the while. Thom was surly and snapped at Coram as he mounted. The look on Coram's face told anyone he would rather be staying where he was.
"Let's go." Alanna snapped and the party left. When they came to where they were to split up, one twin to the capitol, the other to the convent the servants left the twins to say good-bye to one another.
"I wish I were going with you." Alanna said looking at Thom. He grimaced and replied.
"Well, I would have switched spots you know." He reached across and hugged his sister with all his might. "Don't give the ladies at the convent too bad a time; they might just kick you out."
Alanna smiled at her brother. "Don't worry. Don't think I will let you have all the fun!"
"Let's go." Maude said to Alanna and nodded a farewell to Coram. Alanna reached over and gave Coram a quick hug.
"I am going to miss you!" She kicked her horse into a gallop to hide her tears from Coram as they rode away. She stopped her horse and watched Thom and Coram ride away, knowing that they would see each other real soon. Alanna already had a plan brewing in her head.
When they arrived at the convent an elderly woman greeted them at the gates. She was rather plump and had very grey hair, it was almost white. She wore a black dress with a grey shall.
"Welcome, I shall let the Mother know you are here." She led them into the building and to a room full of girls. They were just sitting down to eat their evening meal. When the three of them entered, the woman at the far end of the table rose and made her way to them. Alanna counted about thirty-five girls.
"Welcome, welcome indeed." She held out her hands to Maude and she bowed over them. But when the lady's eyes turned to her they were cold as ice. "And who might this be?" Alanna reached inside her coat and handed over her father's letter.
"Alanna of Trebond, hmm? Well then, we have just sat to eat our evening meal. I will invite you to sit here." She pointed to an empty seat at the end where they were. "And I will invite your servant to eat in the servants' hall."
Alanna sat where directed as the Mother scrutinized her. "Well, we have a lot of work to do with you." She said and returned to her seat. The girls around Alanna started whispering among themselves and who have continued if the Mother hadn't cleared her throat.
"A lady never whispers at the table." She said as she motioned for them to be served. Alanna smiled and just ate her dinner with as much noise as she could. She could hear giggles from the girls around her and continued. The girl next to her smiled and whispered to her.
"My name is Sara of Nond." Alanna looked at her and could see a spark in her eyes.
"Mine is Alanna of Trebond. I am glad to meet you." Sara smiled and continued to eat her food. She seemed to be well past Alanna's age, around fifteen or sixteen at least. That would mean that she would soon be going off to the palace to look for a husband, if one wasn't already arranged for her.
After the meal Sara, by direction of the mother, lead her to her room. She was going to share with Sara since her old roommate just left for the palace. The room was small and held two narrow beds. There was one large closet and a large window when upon opening showed the courtyard where visitors would arrive.
"This is my bed. But only for a couple weeks, I leave for the palace soon." Sara said excitedly. She placed the saddlebag that she had been carrying for Alanna on her bed. Maude had left right after dinner and made her way back to Trebond.
"Thank you Sara. I hope you and I do become friends before you leave." Alanna said as she stepped behind the dressing screen and changed into her nightdress. When she stepped out she went and crawled into bed, leaving Sara to blow out the candle.
"I hope we do to. When I go, I get to choose a girl to go with me and stay there for a couple weeks. Maybe the Mother will let me choose you. You would have to stay on your best behavior." She giggled and changed behind the screen. She blew out the candle and went to her bed.
"Welcome Trebond."
The next couple weeks went fast for Alanna, but no matter how hard she tried, she kept getting into trouble. She broke at least a hundred rules a day. By the time that Sara was to leave, the Mother had had enough with Alanna.
"I don't care. There is no way I can train you. I recommend to your father to get a governess! You are to ride with Sara of Nond as she will also be leaving today." The Mother screamed and dismissed her. When Alanna made it back to her room Sara was packing her things.
"You are also leaving, I take it." Sara said as Alanna smiled and shrugged.
"I was never meant to be a girl. I mean, I feel as if I should be somewhere else." Alanna took out her saddlebags and started to pack. When she was finished, the two girls said their farewells to everyone and waited in the courtyard for the carriage. Alanna didn't like them, but she had no other choice.
"Why didn't you pick a girl to go with you?" Alanna asked.
"Well, I don't really have any friends here. You are the only one I have actually talked to! I was lonely before you came. But, I wouldn't choose anyone else." Sara said as the carriage made its way to them. Alanna looked at her and she just smiled.
"Well, I guess we are stopping in Trebond before you go to the palace. I will show you my home." Alanna said excitedly.
"I am looking forward to it."
They arrived in Trebond two days later and right after the midday meal. The carriage came to an abrupt halt and the lackeys opened to door. The first to exit was Alanna. When she was spotted by Maude the old woman just laughed. As soon as Sara was settled into a guest room, Alanna excused herself. She found Maude right outside her father's office.
"Your father is waiting for you, and he isn't too happy." She went away hurriedly as Alanna braced herself.
"What were you thinking? You got yourself kicked out of the convent!?" Her father's tantrum went on for awhile, as soon as he stopped, Alanna opened her mouth.
"Father, I have an idea. You know all the payment that it is costly Thom to become a knight? It will cost the same to stay at the palace. I was thinking that maybe I could go with my friend Sara of Nond and stay with her until she finds a husband. She had so-called train me. I know she will be fine with it. Just give me enough money to stay for four years, is that settled?" Alanna sucked in her breathe. She had sputtered out the words as fast as she could.
"What?" Her father said looking from behind a glass of ale.
"Really, it would be a perfect experience." Alanna said looking at her father.
"Very well then." He raised his hand in dismissal. Alanna was shocked at how easy it was. If she had done this the first time, everything would have been fine.
She skipped the whole way back to her room, where she found Maude and Sara. She ran and hugged her old friend and smiled at Sara.
"I will be going to the palace. Though, Sara, can you keep a secret?" Alanna asked worried.
"Yes."
"And you promise not to laugh?"
"Yes." Sara raised her eyebrows.
"I am going to become a knight! But you can't tell anyone. I am going to have to dress as a boy." Alanna looked at her friend. Her face was unreadable, but the answer was worth her weight in gold.
"Alright, this is going to be fun! Can I help you with that?" Sara was just as excited as Alanna. She stood and paced the room. "We can't call you Alanna."
"How about Alan?" Alanna said looking at her reflection in the mirror. She could see Maude in the background with a worried look. "You must look into the fire, Maude. It is the only way."
"Fine, I felt bad about not doing it, but I will now." She looked at Sara and then back at Alanna. "Will you fetch the ingredients?" Alanna nodded and left.
"We are going to have some fun with this." Sara said.
"Yes, we are."
When Alanna arrived with the ingredients Sara excused herself from the room. Alanna looked apologetically at her, but she just shook her head and left. Maude said a few words and grabbed Alanna's hand and put it into the fire. She could feel the pain, and yet it didn't hurt. She looked into the fire and saw a black city with a high sun above it. It went away as Maude drew their hands out of the fire.
"I have made a mess of things. Thom is supposed to be studying in the City of the Gods. What shall we do?" Maude said wringing her hands. Alanna shook her head at her vision. She wasn't supposed to see anything.
"Maude, just leave it up to me. Tomorrow I leave for the palace. First, we must do something about this hair." Alanna unpinned the long hair and looked around for something sharp. She spotted a knife and grabbed for it, but Maude stopped her.
"Wait here, I will get some shears."
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