Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce and I am making no profit
out of this.
A/N: Set during The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, a few of weeks after Jon and Alanna fight and Jon returns to Corus. This, obviously, is not going to match up with the other books.
Alanna's Baby by Blue Mariah
Chapter 1 - Nausea
Alanna felt the wave of nausea sweep over her. She ran, hiding behind her tent to throw up. As she washed her face afterwards, still feeling seedy, another wave swept over her: a wave of fear. She'd been sick several times in the last weeks. She thought further. When was the last time she'd had her monthly cycle? More than a month that was for sure. The red head frowned. She couldn't be, could she? A gaping chasm opened before her as she remembered one day in particular during his highness's recent visit. The chain which held her charms had broken and dropped off unnoticed. She hadn't realised until the next day when she'd found it on the sandy floor of the tent.
Nausea swept over her again, and she ducked quickly behind the tent.
* * * * *
Two days later Alanna was mounted on Moonlight, farewelling her tribe.
Halef Seif looked at her sadly.
"Why is it that you must leave, woman who rides like a man, and why with such haste?
Alanna swallowed uncomfortably. She hating having to lie to her tribe. But she had to know for certain, and she dreaded to think how the proper Bazhire would react if her worst fears were confirmed.
"I have to go and see an old friend." She told Half Seif, looking at him seriously. "I'll return if I can. Besides you have Kara and Kourrem now. You don't need me."
"It is true that we have two very fine shawomen, but you know you are always welcome here, but," he nodded. "if you feel you must leave, we cannot prevent you." She smiled to him.
Coram waited behind her, smiling softly. Alanna smiled bravely, watching her tribe waiting to see her off. She wave, and they rode away.
* * * * *
"You've been vomiting?" asked Mistress Cooper.
"Yes." Said Alanna.
"And you've missed your monthly cycle?"
"Yes."
"And pregnancy charm?"
"The chain broke."
"Well, my girl, there seems to be very little doubt."
"Are you sure?"
The older woman nodded, looking at Alanna carefully. Mistress Cooper gave her a few minutes, watching the young woman as the news sunk in.
"Alanna, this doesn't have to be a bad thing." She said, taking her hand. "I know it wasn't planned and wasn't expected. And that it doesn't exactly go with being a roaming female knight. But motherhood is a wonderful thing."
"I just need some time to think at he moment." Said Alanna, staring dully at the opposite wall.
Mistress Cooper leaned on the door as she showed the redhead out into the street. "Thankyou." Said Alanna.
"You come back and talk to me about this, won't you?"
"Yes." Alanna nodded, gave Mistress cooper one last look and wandered away into the crowd.
* * * * *
Alanna roamed the city all day, careful to avoid seeing anyone she knew, while her emotions swung wildly from fear to anger. Damn Jonathan!
Mithros, what am I going to do? She thought. I'm pregnant with the kingdom's heir's child, I'm a disgraced female knight, Jon isn't talking to me, I've already refused to marry him and I don't know what to do.
George. The thought floated to the surface of her mind. She could rely on George, a true friend, despite anything.
* * * * *
It was late when she arrived at the dancing dove. She entered the bustling tavern, pushing between the crowd. Solom waved to her from the bar and point to the fire place where George would be sitting. She shoved the last of the crowd out of her way, earning a disgruntled look from a buxom redhead. She caught sight of George sitting, laughing by the fire. She grinned, already feeling better. She looked again. Who was that with him? Her stomach sank. Jonathan. Just as she thought that they both looked up. George's eyes lit up and he smiled, beckoning her forward. Jon looked shocked momentarily, and scowled coldly at her angrily. George looked from Alanna to Jon. He said something to Jon she couldn't hear, and walked over to her. She smiled nervously at George.
"Hello there lass." She looked nervously over at Jon who was approaching with a stony expression on his face.
"Lady Alanna." He said stiffly, bowing almost imperceptibly. She blushed, thinking she had heard a certain sarcastic emphasis on 'lady'. Jon pushed past, leaving the dancing dove. She turned back to George who smiled kindly and enveloped her in a hug. She hugged him desperately, needing something to hold onto. She cried softly into her friend's shoulder. When he realised she was crying he pulled away, looking into her damp face as she smeared her tears away.
"Alanna?" he asked worriedly. "I knew you'd fought, but I ne'er supposed it was this bad."
"Oh George." He held her again for a moment and then lead her away to his rooms.
* * * * *
Alanna sat, wiping her tearstained face and drinking mulled wine gratefully in George's rooms. She looked into George's worried face and swallowed hard.
"He's told you that we fought?" George nodded.
"He may've mentioned it. Made it sound like your temper got the better of ye - but I knew better." He grinned, and she smiled back weekly.
"We fought, because-" suddenly she felt uncomfortable, remembering Jon's words on that occasion. "I've seen how he looks at you." he's said of George. Remembering this she didn't feel like telling her friend that Jon had asked her to marry him. Goddess, she thought, hearing I'm pregnant is going to be shock enough.
"Anyway, that doesn't matter. What matters is…" she trailed off staring at the floor.
"Lass?" he asked worriedly.
She looked up, chewing her bottom lip worriedly.
"I'm pregnant." George's eyes widened with shock.
"Jon's chi…" he managed to say, before he trailed off, looking stunned, and rubbing his hand across his forehead.
"I know." She said, indicating his astonishment. He looked up, and she thought, perhaps, she could see traces of tears in his eyes.
"Oh, lass." He hugged her tightly, wrapping her in his arms as if he'd never let go. Alanna let the tears fall again, crying with exhaustion after the emotion of the day. She hugged her friend tightly.
"I'm so glad you're here for me George."
A/N: Well, how did you like it? I'm not sure if it's going to be A/J or A/G yet - but I intent to continue. Please, please, please review - or feel free to email me (skysong91@hotmail.com) - I love reviews!
A/N: Set during The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, a few of weeks after Jon and Alanna fight and Jon returns to Corus. This, obviously, is not going to match up with the other books.
Alanna's Baby by Blue Mariah
Chapter 1 - Nausea
Alanna felt the wave of nausea sweep over her. She ran, hiding behind her tent to throw up. As she washed her face afterwards, still feeling seedy, another wave swept over her: a wave of fear. She'd been sick several times in the last weeks. She thought further. When was the last time she'd had her monthly cycle? More than a month that was for sure. The red head frowned. She couldn't be, could she? A gaping chasm opened before her as she remembered one day in particular during his highness's recent visit. The chain which held her charms had broken and dropped off unnoticed. She hadn't realised until the next day when she'd found it on the sandy floor of the tent.
Nausea swept over her again, and she ducked quickly behind the tent.
* * * * *
Two days later Alanna was mounted on Moonlight, farewelling her tribe.
Halef Seif looked at her sadly.
"Why is it that you must leave, woman who rides like a man, and why with such haste?
Alanna swallowed uncomfortably. She hating having to lie to her tribe. But she had to know for certain, and she dreaded to think how the proper Bazhire would react if her worst fears were confirmed.
"I have to go and see an old friend." She told Half Seif, looking at him seriously. "I'll return if I can. Besides you have Kara and Kourrem now. You don't need me."
"It is true that we have two very fine shawomen, but you know you are always welcome here, but," he nodded. "if you feel you must leave, we cannot prevent you." She smiled to him.
Coram waited behind her, smiling softly. Alanna smiled bravely, watching her tribe waiting to see her off. She wave, and they rode away.
* * * * *
"You've been vomiting?" asked Mistress Cooper.
"Yes." Said Alanna.
"And you've missed your monthly cycle?"
"Yes."
"And pregnancy charm?"
"The chain broke."
"Well, my girl, there seems to be very little doubt."
"Are you sure?"
The older woman nodded, looking at Alanna carefully. Mistress Cooper gave her a few minutes, watching the young woman as the news sunk in.
"Alanna, this doesn't have to be a bad thing." She said, taking her hand. "I know it wasn't planned and wasn't expected. And that it doesn't exactly go with being a roaming female knight. But motherhood is a wonderful thing."
"I just need some time to think at he moment." Said Alanna, staring dully at the opposite wall.
Mistress Cooper leaned on the door as she showed the redhead out into the street. "Thankyou." Said Alanna.
"You come back and talk to me about this, won't you?"
"Yes." Alanna nodded, gave Mistress cooper one last look and wandered away into the crowd.
* * * * *
Alanna roamed the city all day, careful to avoid seeing anyone she knew, while her emotions swung wildly from fear to anger. Damn Jonathan!
Mithros, what am I going to do? She thought. I'm pregnant with the kingdom's heir's child, I'm a disgraced female knight, Jon isn't talking to me, I've already refused to marry him and I don't know what to do.
George. The thought floated to the surface of her mind. She could rely on George, a true friend, despite anything.
* * * * *
It was late when she arrived at the dancing dove. She entered the bustling tavern, pushing between the crowd. Solom waved to her from the bar and point to the fire place where George would be sitting. She shoved the last of the crowd out of her way, earning a disgruntled look from a buxom redhead. She caught sight of George sitting, laughing by the fire. She grinned, already feeling better. She looked again. Who was that with him? Her stomach sank. Jonathan. Just as she thought that they both looked up. George's eyes lit up and he smiled, beckoning her forward. Jon looked shocked momentarily, and scowled coldly at her angrily. George looked from Alanna to Jon. He said something to Jon she couldn't hear, and walked over to her. She smiled nervously at George.
"Hello there lass." She looked nervously over at Jon who was approaching with a stony expression on his face.
"Lady Alanna." He said stiffly, bowing almost imperceptibly. She blushed, thinking she had heard a certain sarcastic emphasis on 'lady'. Jon pushed past, leaving the dancing dove. She turned back to George who smiled kindly and enveloped her in a hug. She hugged him desperately, needing something to hold onto. She cried softly into her friend's shoulder. When he realised she was crying he pulled away, looking into her damp face as she smeared her tears away.
"Alanna?" he asked worriedly. "I knew you'd fought, but I ne'er supposed it was this bad."
"Oh George." He held her again for a moment and then lead her away to his rooms.
* * * * *
Alanna sat, wiping her tearstained face and drinking mulled wine gratefully in George's rooms. She looked into George's worried face and swallowed hard.
"He's told you that we fought?" George nodded.
"He may've mentioned it. Made it sound like your temper got the better of ye - but I knew better." He grinned, and she smiled back weekly.
"We fought, because-" suddenly she felt uncomfortable, remembering Jon's words on that occasion. "I've seen how he looks at you." he's said of George. Remembering this she didn't feel like telling her friend that Jon had asked her to marry him. Goddess, she thought, hearing I'm pregnant is going to be shock enough.
"Anyway, that doesn't matter. What matters is…" she trailed off staring at the floor.
"Lass?" he asked worriedly.
She looked up, chewing her bottom lip worriedly.
"I'm pregnant." George's eyes widened with shock.
"Jon's chi…" he managed to say, before he trailed off, looking stunned, and rubbing his hand across his forehead.
"I know." She said, indicating his astonishment. He looked up, and she thought, perhaps, she could see traces of tears in his eyes.
"Oh, lass." He hugged her tightly, wrapping her in his arms as if he'd never let go. Alanna let the tears fall again, crying with exhaustion after the emotion of the day. She hugged her friend tightly.
"I'm so glad you're here for me George."
A/N: Well, how did you like it? I'm not sure if it's going to be A/J or A/G yet - but I intent to continue. Please, please, please review - or feel free to email me (skysong91@hotmail.com) - I love reviews!