Disclaimer: The following fan fiction is based on Tamora Pierce Tortall
books. But the characters in this story are mine though the setting is not.
The setting, town and village names etc... belong to Tammy. The inn names are
created by me as well as some Carthaki towns. This story takes place a year
after Aly was stuck in The Copper Isles. Enjoy!
"Magic Words
In the earliest time,
when both people and animals lived on the earth,
a person could become an animal if he wanted to
and an animal could become a human being.
Sometimes they were people
and sometimes animals
and there was no difference.
All spoke the same language.
That was the time when words were like magic.
The human mind had mysterious powers.
A word spoken by chance
might have strange consequences.
It would suddenly come alive
and what people wanted to happen could happen--
all you had to do was to say it.
Nobody can explain this:
That's the way it was.
- - after Nalugiaq
Edward Field, 'Songs and Stories of the Netsilik Eskimos."
Shapeshifter
By: Marina L. June 2004
Part 1
It was the year 463 H.E. As always Tyra's marina was full of people coming off and going onto ships that where traveling anywhere and everywhere on the Great Island Sea. From one of the ships looking to be coming from The Carthaki Empire a small boy emerged and quickly disappeared into the crowd mulling below. He again reappeared many days later walking through Maren. Tortall seemed to ease him somehow which was strange. He seemed to be walking in a confused line from Tyra to Maren then onwards to Galla.
She sat in the middle of the dark forest in Galla looking into the clear surface of the lake found near the capital of Cria. She watched her eyes change from blue, to red, to green, to gold and onwards. She was hypnotized by her image in the wavering surface. Time stood still for a minute and a second. Then everything began to move once again, at first slowly then with a faster pace, at least that is how it seemed to her senses. She was dazed for a moment but got a hold of herself. Her eyes blinked and she growled and grumbled inside her mind. Standing up slowly she viewed the trees near her out of the corner of her eyes, which now took on the brown color she was born with.
"Time to go," she said to no one in particular. The girl was only 4ft tall at age 8 and too mature for her limited amount of years. She was dirty and smelled unpleasantly from her travels. But there was no time for a swim, she had to move. She sighed and a small mournful sound escaped her lips. But no tears where seen in her clear medium brown eyes. At that moment she had a strong look to her young face and a stubborn one at that. There was no hint of moisture in her dry plane eyes.
She lifted her bag and placed it over her right shoulder. It was not too heavy and not too light either. Shaking her head out of whishes that would never come true she began to walk hurriedly into the surrounding forest. The sun shown down with its warmth onto the small clearing. The birds sang and the wind whispered soothingly to the trees. There was no human in sight.
"Magic Words
In the earliest time,
when both people and animals lived on the earth,
a person could become an animal if he wanted to
and an animal could become a human being.
Sometimes they were people
and sometimes animals
and there was no difference.
All spoke the same language.
That was the time when words were like magic.
The human mind had mysterious powers.
A word spoken by chance
might have strange consequences.
It would suddenly come alive
and what people wanted to happen could happen--
all you had to do was to say it.
Nobody can explain this:
That's the way it was.
- - after Nalugiaq
Edward Field, 'Songs and Stories of the Netsilik Eskimos."
Shapeshifter
By: Marina L. June 2004
Part 1
It was the year 463 H.E. As always Tyra's marina was full of people coming off and going onto ships that where traveling anywhere and everywhere on the Great Island Sea. From one of the ships looking to be coming from The Carthaki Empire a small boy emerged and quickly disappeared into the crowd mulling below. He again reappeared many days later walking through Maren. Tortall seemed to ease him somehow which was strange. He seemed to be walking in a confused line from Tyra to Maren then onwards to Galla.
She sat in the middle of the dark forest in Galla looking into the clear surface of the lake found near the capital of Cria. She watched her eyes change from blue, to red, to green, to gold and onwards. She was hypnotized by her image in the wavering surface. Time stood still for a minute and a second. Then everything began to move once again, at first slowly then with a faster pace, at least that is how it seemed to her senses. She was dazed for a moment but got a hold of herself. Her eyes blinked and she growled and grumbled inside her mind. Standing up slowly she viewed the trees near her out of the corner of her eyes, which now took on the brown color she was born with.
"Time to go," she said to no one in particular. The girl was only 4ft tall at age 8 and too mature for her limited amount of years. She was dirty and smelled unpleasantly from her travels. But there was no time for a swim, she had to move. She sighed and a small mournful sound escaped her lips. But no tears where seen in her clear medium brown eyes. At that moment she had a strong look to her young face and a stubborn one at that. There was no hint of moisture in her dry plane eyes.
She lifted her bag and placed it over her right shoulder. It was not too heavy and not too light either. Shaking her head out of whishes that would never come true she began to walk hurriedly into the surrounding forest. The sun shown down with its warmth onto the small clearing. The birds sang and the wind whispered soothingly to the trees. There was no human in sight.