Runaway

By Lady Reena

Chapter One: Identity Discovered!

The man Duke Roger looked at the jeweled rod in his hands. "My cousin speaks highly of you, Alan of Trebond."

"We're friends, your Grace." She discovered she couldn't look away from him.

"My uncle-in-law, Duke Gareth, also speaks highly of you. You are a most worthy young man by all accounts."

Alanna blushed with shame. If they knew the truth, they wouldn't speak well of her.

-Alanna: The First Adventure, by Tamora Pierce, p. 115

Duke Roger's eyes connected with Alanna's purple ones. It seemed like he was examining her head, looking straight into her soul. Alanna realized that she could not resist or fight this feeling. She desperately tried to tell her Gift to shield her from Roger, whatever he may be looking for.

Suddenly, his eyes, so closely connected with hers, widened. His eyebrows raised so far up they might as well have gone above his forehead. For the secretive, well-composed Duke, he was clearly shocked about something.

Alanna knew. Alanna knew before he even had to open his mouth. Somehow she broke the connection with Duke Roger and stood up. He swiftly stood up too and grabbed her forearm, staring down at her.

"Alan of Trebond," he whispered, cold as a snake. "Alan of Trebond is more than what… she… seems to be."

Alanna could not hide her fear. She wrenched out of his grasp and flew out of the room. Coram had been waiting for her at the door.

"Come on!" she shrieked. "Coram! We have to go! Now!!"

"Wait a second, lass, what happened?!" Coram tried to stop her.

Alanna whirled around, terror and panic in her eyes. "He knows! He knows! He, he, examined me and–"

Coram's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, and he followed her. They burst into her rooms and packed as much as they could in whatever bags they could carry. Alanna tore off her page's uniform and pulled on a plain street boy's shirt, breeches and boots. Coram did the same with his Palace uniforms.

"Where are we going, lass?" Coram gasped, kind of wishing he was drunk.

"I don't know!! But we have to get out of here before everyone knows! I can't face this, Coram, I can't!" She didn't want to think about it too much at this point. Adrenaline was what kept her moving right now, her body performing these hurried motions.

Coram followed, knowing exactly what kind of trouble Alanna would be in if she stayed around to be caught. Heck, he would be in a pile of trouble too.

"The horses, Coram," Alanna breathed, sweating. "Go get the horses before he tells them and they all find out. I'll grab the rest of our things. We probably only have seconds–"

Coram ran out of the room and to the stables.

Alanna tried to ignore the huge lump in her stomach. She couldn't believe it was over, all over, before it had barely begun. She should have known that she wouldn't be able to hide her identity for many long years. She was lucky she had made it through one year.

She took one last look at her room in the Palace and shut the door.

She walked quickly through the Palace, thanking the gods that most of the other pages were in classes right now. She was so intent on her task that a couple walking turned a corner and she ran smack into them.

It was the King and Queen. Alanna blushed redder than she had ever before in her life, so many emotions running through her blood.

"Afternoon, Alan," greeted Queen Lianne. "Where are you going with all of your things?"

"Your Majesties," she gasped, bowing quickly. "I'm… I... I am so sorry. Please… forgive me. Tell Jon… I mean His Majesty Prince Jonathan… that I will miss him." She bowed once again and fled the scene as fast as her legs would take her.

Roald and Lianne stared after her. "That was awfully strange," commented Roald. "I wonder what's gotten to that boy."

Finally, Alanna reached the stables where Coram was waiting for her. She jumped on Chubby, her pony, and Coram mounted his large gelding. The two of them rode away hard and fast; two runaways who would soon be wanted for lying and cheating the royalty.

Alanna's brain was working overtime. Where could they go?

Then it clicked. "Coram!" she shouted over to him. "We ride for the city!"

"What! Are ye crazy–"

"Just follow me!"

Within minutes they were at the back of the Dancing Dove inn, also known as the Court of the Rogue. Alanna was quite conveniently friends with the Rogue himself, George Cooper.

Leading Coram to one of the many secret side entrances, she opened it and they entered. No sooner than she had shut the door there was an arm at her throat and a knife at Coram's.

Coram let out a little shriek of surprise.

"It's me!" Alanna exclaimed. "It's me, Alan!"

The arm let go and George Cooper turned her to face him. Coram, seeing who their companion was, glared at Alanna in disbelief. She raised her eyebrows at him in a small "sorry" gesture.

"George," she said, turning back to him. "George, they–um–" Tears started to well up in her eyes, the adrenaline finally running out. For once the red-headed firecracker was speechless.

"What is it, boy?" George asked, concerned. "Here, sit down, you're shaking!" He forced her in a chair and brought her some lemonade.

She sipped, but her shaking got worse and tears started to spill out of her eyes. She stubbornly pushed them away, but more just flowed out. Coram patted her back, knowing how she must be feeling right now. George looked at Coram questioningly.

Alanna looked up at both of them. "Coram, I know what you must be thinking …but I trust George. I trust him with my life. I think he can help us."

Coram stared at her, not quite believing, but given the dire situation they were in, he nodded. "Tell him, lass."

Alanna forced herself to look in George's eyes. "I'm a girl," she muttered. "I'm a girl, my name is Alanna, and I want…wanted…to be a knight."

"What??"

She glared. "Don't make me repeat it! Prince Jonathan's cousin, Duke Roger just arrived and he examined all of us pages. He saw through it right away. I don't know how because I have the Gift and that's supposed to shield me from sorcery! And I don't like that man! There is something fishy about him!"

Coram added, "Duke Roger is probably the strongest living sorcerer. It is rumored that he can conduct spells from miles and miles away. You, with your Gift that isn't fully trained, probably didn't stand a chance against him." He rubbed her shoulders. "I'm sorry, lass."

George was thunderstruck. "So you two decided to run for it."

"Yes."

George stood, alert. "Did he tell anyone else right away? You might have been followed into the city!"

"No! I think we got out in time because I ran into the monarchs and I don't think they knew yet…" Alanna's face flushed with shame.

"Alanna," George said softly. "I like it."

She looked at him, purple eyes glossy. "What should I do, George? What can I do? They'll have me up on Traitor's Hill!"

George moved to sit on the other side of her, and cupped her chin in his hand. "Did you really mean it when you said you trust me with your life?"

"Of course I do, you thief!"

He grinned. "Then I have a plan."


NOTES: Oooh, so she's been caught by the almighty Duke of Conte! What oh what is going to happen next? Please give me a review and tell me what you think of this introductory chapter! Tell me what you liked and hated about it. One of the biggest things I whine about in fics is characters that are OOC, and I did my best to keep them in character here. Let me know. Many exciting plot twists are in store! :-D Lady Reena