Hey, this is my first fic ever... please R/R!!!
Disclaimer: Any characters that you recognize from Songs of the Lioness and The Immortals by Tamora Pierce are probably taken from there. Anyone new was made by me. That's about it.
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Alanna stood on the main tower of Pirate's Swoop, staring into the sunset reflecting off the cove water. She was too caught up in her own thoughts to even hear the man come up behind her. He looped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair.
"Come inside Lioness. The kids are worried about you, standing here staring into the distance. You can' solve nothing by thinking about it." He spun her around so he could look into her eyes. "Now what's bothering the lady of my life?"
The King's Champion hugged him tight. "The kids- they're growing up so fast George! I can feel them flying away from me, disappearing into the distance." She wiped her eyes on his shirt, and smiled weakly at him. "I know that I'm being silly and selfish, but it seems like we've had so little family time together, with me going off on my duties Jon and you always having to be called off on a moments notice. They're all so young..."
He cut her off by laying a finger to her lip and lifting her chin so she'd meet his gaze. "We agreed on this long ago Alanna. When the twins turned ten, we would have to sit down with them and talk about what they want to do with their life. They'll survive, just like you did. Probably easier, because Anna won't have to hide the fact that she's a girl for eight years." He smiled when this earned a chuckle from her, and kissed her gently. "You survived when Thom went to the convent two years ago. You can survive this."
"Do we have to talk to them now? Can it wait at least until the morning?" She looked up hopefully. "Can we at least spend one night together as a whole family?"
"Yes my Lioness, yes we can." He led her to the stairs. "They seem to be up to some more of their mischief... something about all the spices from the kitchen missing, and all the dogs smelling suspiciously like cinnamon..." She chuckled as they walked together into the castle.
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The next day, Alanna went in search of the twins around midmorning. She could have easily tracked them down with her Gift, but this game was one that they enjoyed whenever she could be home. Looking in the normal places, she found no sign of the two. She walked slowly through the castle, her ears open for any smothered giggle or the patter of barefoot feet to show the location of the two.
However, that didn't stop her from being surprised by them when she stepped into the stables. They leaped down from each side, grabbing her on each shoulder and dragging her into one of the stacks of hay. Laughing, she hugged them both tightly before gently pushing them away. "Come on you two, enough is enough. Let me get up."
The two children obediently stood up and smiled at her. Standing, she brushed the hay off her shirt and breeches before turning her attention to them. It still shocked her how alike they looked, blond hair with a hint of red cut in the same style and wearing almost the exact same clothes. The looks on their faces was also identical, eyes bright and a mischievous smile. The only visible difference was their eyes. Touching her ember stone at her neck, she saw their Gift, magic that appeared Violet in her daughter and Emerald green in her son.
"Yes Ma." Replied the girl, "Sorry, but we have to keep you on your feet or else you'll be rusty when you go to fight for the king." Alanna into the girls eyes and felt as if she was looking into a mirror. They were as bright violet as her own, a trait that many in her family had.
"That's right. We don't want some troll sneaking up on you like we just did." She turned to see Mikael put on his serious face, but amusement shone in his green eyes. "Some Champion you are!"
She playfully slapped his cheek. "You're being pert, my boy. Have you forgotten everything we've taught you?" She chose to ignore his nod. "Now come, both of you. Your father and I have something to discuss with you." The twins followed her, looking at each other curiously before following her.
When they reached the main room, Alanna gestured at the four chairs clustered in a circle. "Take your pick of the chairs." They immediately jumped into the two chairs closest to each other. "I though so... now where is your father?"
"Right here." George stepped quietly into the room. "It took you so long to find them, I was worried that a troll snuck up on you." His eyes danced with amusement before settling into a chair across from the twins. "Come now Alanna, we don't have all day."
"It's not nice to eavesdrop." Alanna muttered as she walked by him. He just grinned and gestured toward the two nervous looking twins. She sighed and sat down herself. "Children, you have reached the age of ten. It's time that we decide what you want to do in your life."
They looked up eagerly, looking so similar that George chuckled. "Relax kids, we said talk. No need to jump off your chairs to start fighting dragons this very instant." Blushing, they settled back into their chairs. "Now then, where were we? Oh yes, where you wish to go to learn." He tapped his fingers on the chair armrest. "You have quite a few choices I believe."
Alanna smiled. "Yes. You can either go to the convent, like your brother Thom, to learn no be a sorcerer or lady, if that's what you desire." At this, Anna giggled and blushed. "I don't know why you would want to though; it's boring being a lady. I did fine without going there." At this, both children giggled, and George smiled. "Oh stop it, all of you. You can also go to Corus to become a knight, or to be one of the Queen's Riders." She looked at George, and he nodded. "I believe that's all. Now think carefully before you answer us. This decision could change the rest of your life."
"Mom, I already know what I want to be." Anna looked up at her parents, excitement in her eyes. "I want to be a knight, like you!" She then looked at Mikael. "And you can be one to! We could train together and both become knights of Tortall. Oh, wouldn't it be great Mikael?"
He didn't meet his sister's eyes. "I'm sorry Anna." He blushed. "I don't want to be a knight, or a Queen's Rider." He looked up at his parents, then looked back at the floor. "But I don't wanna be a sorcerer either."
Alanna looked at her son with pity. She got up and held his hand. In a soft voice, she inquired, "Then what do you want to do Mikael? You can't stay here forever.
He continued to look at the floor, and murmured something into his shirt. When George told him to speak up, he looked at his father and said "I want to be a Shang Warrior, like Liam Ironarm."
Alanna looked at George, shocked. He looked at his son carefully, and said, "Son, the Shang do not accept people with the Gift into their order. They rely on only their own personal strength alone." He saw the pleading in the green eyes, and slowly turned to Alanna. "But then again... Alanna, are you still in touch with the Wildcat?"
Alanna turned on him, her violet eyes blazing with anger. George sprang up, grabbing her and putting his hand over her mouth. Leading her to a corner of the room, they talked in hushed tones.
"You shouldn't have said Liam's name." Anna whispered to her twin. "He died. Mom thinks that if you join, you'll end up like him."
He glared at her, but before he could reply their parents came back over. George stood behind Alanna as she sat down and kept a hand on her shoulder. "Son, we'll give it a try." Seeing hope rekindle in his eyes, George shook his head. "We're not guaranteeing anything. We'll ask the Wildcat if you can be admitted, but they'll undoubtedly test you."
Suddenly, they shot towards their parent, hugging them both fiercely. "There, there," Alanna whispered. "Go to bed now. We'll talk more in the morning about this." Both twins kissed their mother, then scurried out of the room.
George followed them carefully with his eyes. "Now all three of them are leaving us," He brought Alanna to her feet and hugged her, "One as a mage, one a knight, and one a Shang warrior." He pulled her away and grinned. "Should be interesting, don't you think?" She nodded, and they walked to their own room.
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There, finished. I remembered that their oldest son was named Thom from Wild Magic, but I don't think that they mentioned the name of the others, so I made up their names. Please remember to review this!!!
Disclaimer: Any characters that you recognize from Songs of the Lioness and The Immortals by Tamora Pierce are probably taken from there. Anyone new was made by me. That's about it.
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Alanna stood on the main tower of Pirate's Swoop, staring into the sunset reflecting off the cove water. She was too caught up in her own thoughts to even hear the man come up behind her. He looped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair.
"Come inside Lioness. The kids are worried about you, standing here staring into the distance. You can' solve nothing by thinking about it." He spun her around so he could look into her eyes. "Now what's bothering the lady of my life?"
The King's Champion hugged him tight. "The kids- they're growing up so fast George! I can feel them flying away from me, disappearing into the distance." She wiped her eyes on his shirt, and smiled weakly at him. "I know that I'm being silly and selfish, but it seems like we've had so little family time together, with me going off on my duties Jon and you always having to be called off on a moments notice. They're all so young..."
He cut her off by laying a finger to her lip and lifting her chin so she'd meet his gaze. "We agreed on this long ago Alanna. When the twins turned ten, we would have to sit down with them and talk about what they want to do with their life. They'll survive, just like you did. Probably easier, because Anna won't have to hide the fact that she's a girl for eight years." He smiled when this earned a chuckle from her, and kissed her gently. "You survived when Thom went to the convent two years ago. You can survive this."
"Do we have to talk to them now? Can it wait at least until the morning?" She looked up hopefully. "Can we at least spend one night together as a whole family?"
"Yes my Lioness, yes we can." He led her to the stairs. "They seem to be up to some more of their mischief... something about all the spices from the kitchen missing, and all the dogs smelling suspiciously like cinnamon..." She chuckled as they walked together into the castle.
-
The next day, Alanna went in search of the twins around midmorning. She could have easily tracked them down with her Gift, but this game was one that they enjoyed whenever she could be home. Looking in the normal places, she found no sign of the two. She walked slowly through the castle, her ears open for any smothered giggle or the patter of barefoot feet to show the location of the two.
However, that didn't stop her from being surprised by them when she stepped into the stables. They leaped down from each side, grabbing her on each shoulder and dragging her into one of the stacks of hay. Laughing, she hugged them both tightly before gently pushing them away. "Come on you two, enough is enough. Let me get up."
The two children obediently stood up and smiled at her. Standing, she brushed the hay off her shirt and breeches before turning her attention to them. It still shocked her how alike they looked, blond hair with a hint of red cut in the same style and wearing almost the exact same clothes. The looks on their faces was also identical, eyes bright and a mischievous smile. The only visible difference was their eyes. Touching her ember stone at her neck, she saw their Gift, magic that appeared Violet in her daughter and Emerald green in her son.
"Yes Ma." Replied the girl, "Sorry, but we have to keep you on your feet or else you'll be rusty when you go to fight for the king." Alanna into the girls eyes and felt as if she was looking into a mirror. They were as bright violet as her own, a trait that many in her family had.
"That's right. We don't want some troll sneaking up on you like we just did." She turned to see Mikael put on his serious face, but amusement shone in his green eyes. "Some Champion you are!"
She playfully slapped his cheek. "You're being pert, my boy. Have you forgotten everything we've taught you?" She chose to ignore his nod. "Now come, both of you. Your father and I have something to discuss with you." The twins followed her, looking at each other curiously before following her.
When they reached the main room, Alanna gestured at the four chairs clustered in a circle. "Take your pick of the chairs." They immediately jumped into the two chairs closest to each other. "I though so... now where is your father?"
"Right here." George stepped quietly into the room. "It took you so long to find them, I was worried that a troll snuck up on you." His eyes danced with amusement before settling into a chair across from the twins. "Come now Alanna, we don't have all day."
"It's not nice to eavesdrop." Alanna muttered as she walked by him. He just grinned and gestured toward the two nervous looking twins. She sighed and sat down herself. "Children, you have reached the age of ten. It's time that we decide what you want to do in your life."
They looked up eagerly, looking so similar that George chuckled. "Relax kids, we said talk. No need to jump off your chairs to start fighting dragons this very instant." Blushing, they settled back into their chairs. "Now then, where were we? Oh yes, where you wish to go to learn." He tapped his fingers on the chair armrest. "You have quite a few choices I believe."
Alanna smiled. "Yes. You can either go to the convent, like your brother Thom, to learn no be a sorcerer or lady, if that's what you desire." At this, Anna giggled and blushed. "I don't know why you would want to though; it's boring being a lady. I did fine without going there." At this, both children giggled, and George smiled. "Oh stop it, all of you. You can also go to Corus to become a knight, or to be one of the Queen's Riders." She looked at George, and he nodded. "I believe that's all. Now think carefully before you answer us. This decision could change the rest of your life."
"Mom, I already know what I want to be." Anna looked up at her parents, excitement in her eyes. "I want to be a knight, like you!" She then looked at Mikael. "And you can be one to! We could train together and both become knights of Tortall. Oh, wouldn't it be great Mikael?"
He didn't meet his sister's eyes. "I'm sorry Anna." He blushed. "I don't want to be a knight, or a Queen's Rider." He looked up at his parents, then looked back at the floor. "But I don't wanna be a sorcerer either."
Alanna looked at her son with pity. She got up and held his hand. In a soft voice, she inquired, "Then what do you want to do Mikael? You can't stay here forever.
He continued to look at the floor, and murmured something into his shirt. When George told him to speak up, he looked at his father and said "I want to be a Shang Warrior, like Liam Ironarm."
Alanna looked at George, shocked. He looked at his son carefully, and said, "Son, the Shang do not accept people with the Gift into their order. They rely on only their own personal strength alone." He saw the pleading in the green eyes, and slowly turned to Alanna. "But then again... Alanna, are you still in touch with the Wildcat?"
Alanna turned on him, her violet eyes blazing with anger. George sprang up, grabbing her and putting his hand over her mouth. Leading her to a corner of the room, they talked in hushed tones.
"You shouldn't have said Liam's name." Anna whispered to her twin. "He died. Mom thinks that if you join, you'll end up like him."
He glared at her, but before he could reply their parents came back over. George stood behind Alanna as she sat down and kept a hand on her shoulder. "Son, we'll give it a try." Seeing hope rekindle in his eyes, George shook his head. "We're not guaranteeing anything. We'll ask the Wildcat if you can be admitted, but they'll undoubtedly test you."
Suddenly, they shot towards their parent, hugging them both fiercely. "There, there," Alanna whispered. "Go to bed now. We'll talk more in the morning about this." Both twins kissed their mother, then scurried out of the room.
George followed them carefully with his eyes. "Now all three of them are leaving us," He brought Alanna to her feet and hugged her, "One as a mage, one a knight, and one a Shang warrior." He pulled her away and grinned. "Should be interesting, don't you think?" She nodded, and they walked to their own room.
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There, finished. I remembered that their oldest son was named Thom from Wild Magic, but I don't think that they mentioned the name of the others, so I made up their names. Please remember to review this!!!
