My Notes: I know, these "Alanna goes to the convent" stories are a dime a dozen, but the concept really fascinates me so please be nice and don't kill me for uploading this. I'm happy! I got reviews for the test chapter (5 to be exact, YAY!) so I decided to add some more of the story in. The next chapter will be up very soon, but the one after that will take longer. Just so everyone (if anyone is reading this) knows.
Disclaimer: If I were Tamora Pierce, which I am not, I wouldn't put this story up on the Internet where it will most likely be ignored for the most part. If I was Tamora Pierce I would be marveling at my own brilliance and writing stories with George/Me pairings. I am sad to say, though, that I am NOT Tamora Pierce and therefore, I formally disclaim everything in this story but the actual writing, which is mine.
ON WITH THE STORY!
Alanna of Trebond jovially packed her bags, almost dancing as she did so. Finally she'd be free from the restraint of the convent! She could barely control her excitement and felt ready to sing a song Coram had taught her long ago. She refrained, though, for fear the Priestesses would change their minds as they heard the first few words of the rowdy drinking song. She almost laughed as she pictured the Head Priestess' face if she had heard the song. Twirling around the room, Alanna checked for any forgotten items before sealing up her travel pack. She hoisted up the pack and cursed at her skirts good-naturedly as she hiked them up and walked out of the room in that fashion.
Outside of her room, Alanna did not drop her skirts but continued to walk with her stockings showing. The simple act had the desired effect: the future ladies of Corus almost fainted with shock and the Priestesses shook their heads ruefully. It was better for everyone that the Head Priestess had decided Alanna unfit to become a lady: Alanna had been beginning to frighten the newcomers with her often-humiliating pranks.
The non-lady, though, took no notice of her effect on the convent save a tiny private smirk as she passed the Head Priestess. Her expression seemed to say "You can't control me anymore!" As she left the large castle-like convent Alanna gave a loud "Whoop!" And ran to the horse the Priestesses had allowed her to borrow for the ride to the University of Magick. She saw her escort and rode up to the sour-faced old matron, ignoring the lecture the Priestess was giving about the men at the University and how she should "just say 'No'". Alanna pulled her hair out of the tight coil-knot on top of her head and relaxed at the sheer joy she felt as she took it down. It was almost like cutting away the last of the convent's influence. Well, Alanna winced as a stay in her corset pinched her side, Almost the last bit of influence. Shaking her head ruefully, Alanna began to watch the landscape, waiting for the ride to be over.
Back at the convent, in the tiny room the Priestesses reclined in when there were no lessons to be taught and no punishments to be given, one of the Priestesses closed the curtain silently. Nodding to affirm that Alanna was really gone, the many teachers of the convent clinked glasses of wine together, toasting the leaving of Alanna of Trebond.
Two Years Later
The day dawned bleak and windy; the menacing clouds promised rain later that day. A deep bell began to chime and the inhabitants of The University of Magick began to rise. Alanna of Trebond groaned softly as the sound of the bell tore through her dream. Opening her eyes ever so slightly, she groaned again and mumbled a few curses before sitting up in her small cot. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she stumbled out of the cot, instantly yelping as her bare feet touched the cold stone floor. Jumping back into bed, she scanned the room for her slippers and, finding them on the other side of the room, cursed again.
Summoning a tendril of violet power, she directed it at the slippers and willed them to come to her, momentarily forgetting the close tabs the Priests kept on their magick. Not caring as soon as she remembered, Alanna gladly pulled the slippers on and stepped out of bed again. Shivering slightly as the cool air of the room hit her bare arms, Alanna glared at the window, which, almost innocently, was ajar. Not even trying to control her temper, she shrieked.
"ARRAM!" Was the word she yelled, and that word seemed to shake the foundation of the University itself.
"WHEN I FIND OUT HOW YOU DID THIS, I'LL (censored) (censored) (censored), AND THEN I'LL (censored) (censored) AND (censored)!!" After Alanna's emotional outburst went down to muttered curses, she rushed forward and slammed the window shut.
"I HATE cold! I hate, loathe, detest, despise, ABHOR cold!" Adding another shiver for good measure, she sent a thread of magic at the cold fireplace and soon a violet fire was dancing merrily inside the hearth. Alanna grabbed the bathing basin her room was equipped with and set that before the fire to warm up the almost ice-cold water that was in the basin. As the water heated, Alanna found a clean pair of breeches and a tunic that only had a few stains and set them out on her chair. That finished, she dipped a finger in the water to test the temperature. Finding that it was satisfactory, she used her hands to splash her face and neck. Wiping her dripping face with a towel, she hurried into the clothes she had set out and rushed out of the room, not willing to miss breakfast.
As she ran through the castle, Alanna could not help but notice the drabness of the halls she passed. Two years here and I STILL haven't gotten used to it. She thought. Finally reaching two large oak doors, she walked through them into a room with an almost staggering noise level. The room was more of a hall, just as plain as the rest of the castle, and furnished with at least five-dozen tables at which Magically-Gifted students like Alanna sat at, eating and drinking with more noise than humanly thought possible. Ignoring the din with the air of one well used to meals such as that, Alanna scanned the room with her eyes for a familiar stork-like figure. She found who she was looking for and walked toward him, glaring at the back of his head so fiercely that one would have almost expected his hair to burst aflame. When she finally reached the table he was seated at, Alanna crossed her arms and continued to glare at the back of his head.
A few minutes passed as Alanna glared and the stork-youth ate. Growing impatient, Alanna cleared her throat expertly. The youth whirled around quickly and grinned at the glaring maiden. Many of those seated at the table with the stork-boy moved away from the pair subtly, not wanting to catch Alanna before her breakfast: her temper before food in the morning was very well known at the University ever since her first week when she had conjured up a cloud and made it rain on a boy for three days and nights. The unfortunate victim had said 'hello' as she sat down to eat.
True, though the boys would not admit it, was the fact that Alanna looked quite intimidating as they moved away from the unfortunate youth who had managed to invoke Alanna's rage before she consumed any food that morning. With her Fire-Red hair in disarray, her violet eyes snapping, and every delicate feature on her face contorted in rage, she looked like some mythical creature ready to kill its unfortunate victim.
"Arram!" She snapped. The boys who had been slowly inching away from the stork-youth Arram suddenly found reasons to fly from the table. Arram ignored this as he turned to look at Alanna and smirked slightly.
"Alanna." He answered, obviously trying quite hard not to laugh. This only added fuel to the fire in the maiden's eyes. That's it, she thought savagely, Before, I was just going to castrate him. Now I'll disembowel him as well! Her thoughts growing increasingly more violent, Alanna began to smile eerily. Forgetting that Arram was right in front of her, Alanna began imagining ways to torture him. After a few minutes of this, she sat down placidly and took a roll from one of the plates on the table. Smiling lightly, Arram watched Alanna as she ate. When she was finished, her eyes no longer snapped and she seemed much more relaxed.
"So, what did I do this time?" Arram asked good-humouredly, biting into an apple.
"You left the window open when you left after studying last night." Alanna stated plainly, not elaborating on why she had flown into one of her rages about something as trivial as a window; Alanna of Trebond was simply like that in the morning.
The ringing of the morning bell halted their conversation. Arram rose from the bench and Alanna followed his suit. Together, they left the dining hall and trudged off to their first class of the day: Tortall's History with Magick. As they walked, Alanna studied her friend. He was seventeen years to her thirteen and towered over her slight frame. Currently chewing on the last of his apple, Arram had black hair, brown eyes and somewhat ruddy features, though he was very handsome if you like that type of thing. Tall and thin were the two words best describing Arram and, as stated before, he looked like something of a stork. Feeling her eyes on him, Arram turned to look at his friend, smirking slightly
"Didn't they teach you not to stare at that convent of yours? It's very rude." Wrinkling her nose at her companion, Alanna replied,
"They tried. They failed. What else is new?" Chuckling slightly, Arram changed the subject to their studies. He had learned long ago that it was folly to try getting a straight answer from Alanna about the convent. Ducking through a tapestry, the friends chatted amiably: light-hearted and childish, they would change all too soon.