The next morning, the twins met their parents for breakfast as usual. After breakfast, Lord Alan drew aside each of his children to wish them luck. After that, the twins headed for their rooms. Alianna met Alanna in her room.
"Now we have to get you ready," Alianna told her daughter. "Now you remember Durtney? My friend who taught me to use a sword?" Her daughter nodded. "Well, he shall be accompaning you and Thom to the palace. While you are at the palace, Coram will be arriving after I manage to talk him around. I'm sure I'll manage to somehow." Alianna twiddled her fingers as Alanna grinned. To Alianna and her twins, this ment using magic. Coram was petrified of magic.
"Mother, what happens if father finds out?" Alanna asked gravely. Her mother's face paled at the very thought.
"We must make sure that no one does find out. Now let's do something with that hair," Alianna gently pulled Alanna's hair out of the usual ponytail that she always wore. She grabbed a knife from the bedside table and started to cut. She cut until Alanna's hair was to her ear. Next, Alanna changed from her breakfast gown into riding breeches and a green tunic. She put on her cloak and glanced into the mirror. She grinned when she saw her twin looking back at her. She turned and grinned at her mom.
"Ah, my little girl's growing up," she said with a sigh. "I told you father that I would handle all payments for your upkeep, so he won't catch us that way." She drew out two pouches and a peice of paper with the Trebond seal on it. The handed the largest pouch to her daughter. Alanna opened it up and found it filled to the brim with copper and silver nobles, with an occasional gold coin. " Here is some emergency money in case anything should happen." She handed the other pouch to her daughter, along with the parchment. This pouch wasn't nearly as big as the other one. "Here is the first payment for your upkeep and your letter of enrollment. They should both go to Duke Gareth, the training master. These next few years at the palace will be hard, but I know you can do it. You are so much braver than I was." She hugged her daughter tightly, as she blinked back tears.
"Let's go get Thom," Alanna suggested.
"Alright," Alianna replied. They walked out of the castle and met Thom by the gate leading out of Trebond. Their bags were already fastened on their horses. Alianna drew her son aside.
"Watch out for your sister Thom," Alianna told her son.
"Alanna will be fine, mom. She's a way better fighter that I am. I'll stick by her though, I promise," Thom reassured her.
"I'll miss you Thom."
"I'll miss you too mom." Alianna pulled her son into a tight embrace. She drew two pouches, one of which was MUCH smaller than Alanna's, and the same parchment. "The larger one goes to Duke Gareth, the training master, and the other one is your extra spending money for when you are allowed to go to the city. The letter is also for the training master."
"Thank you mother," said Thom, as he excepted the pouches and parchment.
"Now go get your sister."
"Ok," Thom replied. He gave his mother one last hug and ran to get Alanna. She walked over to her mom, the hood of her cloak stil covering her face. She wouldn't be able to pull it down until they were far from Trebond.
"Mother, I'll miss you,"Alanna said softly.
"I'll miss you too." Alanna saw a man leading a horse walk up next to her mother. He too was dressed for riding. He bowed to Alanna. "Alanna, this is my friend Durtney. Remember, I told you about him? We were friends along time ago. He taught me to use a sword when his dad taught him. We were both six. Then he ran off with the shangs just before we were both seven. He is now the Shang Wolf." Now it was Alanna who curtsied respectfully. He only nodded. He appeared to be very talkative. He shall accompany you and your brother to the palace and shall stay with you until Coram comes, and maybe even afterwards, too. It is time for you to go now Alanna." She kissed her daughter and watched as she mounted Chubby. She gave Durtney a fond pat on the shoulder and watched as he saddled Cocoa. She watched as they rode off. When Alanna looked back, she saw Alianna with her chin held high, blinking back tears. Alanna turned back, lowering her own head so she could hide her own tears.
"Now we have to get you ready," Alianna told her daughter. "Now you remember Durtney? My friend who taught me to use a sword?" Her daughter nodded. "Well, he shall be accompaning you and Thom to the palace. While you are at the palace, Coram will be arriving after I manage to talk him around. I'm sure I'll manage to somehow." Alianna twiddled her fingers as Alanna grinned. To Alianna and her twins, this ment using magic. Coram was petrified of magic.
"Mother, what happens if father finds out?" Alanna asked gravely. Her mother's face paled at the very thought.
"We must make sure that no one does find out. Now let's do something with that hair," Alianna gently pulled Alanna's hair out of the usual ponytail that she always wore. She grabbed a knife from the bedside table and started to cut. She cut until Alanna's hair was to her ear. Next, Alanna changed from her breakfast gown into riding breeches and a green tunic. She put on her cloak and glanced into the mirror. She grinned when she saw her twin looking back at her. She turned and grinned at her mom.
"Ah, my little girl's growing up," she said with a sigh. "I told you father that I would handle all payments for your upkeep, so he won't catch us that way." She drew out two pouches and a peice of paper with the Trebond seal on it. The handed the largest pouch to her daughter. Alanna opened it up and found it filled to the brim with copper and silver nobles, with an occasional gold coin. " Here is some emergency money in case anything should happen." She handed the other pouch to her daughter, along with the parchment. This pouch wasn't nearly as big as the other one. "Here is the first payment for your upkeep and your letter of enrollment. They should both go to Duke Gareth, the training master. These next few years at the palace will be hard, but I know you can do it. You are so much braver than I was." She hugged her daughter tightly, as she blinked back tears.
"Let's go get Thom," Alanna suggested.
"Alright," Alianna replied. They walked out of the castle and met Thom by the gate leading out of Trebond. Their bags were already fastened on their horses. Alianna drew her son aside.
"Watch out for your sister Thom," Alianna told her son.
"Alanna will be fine, mom. She's a way better fighter that I am. I'll stick by her though, I promise," Thom reassured her.
"I'll miss you Thom."
"I'll miss you too mom." Alianna pulled her son into a tight embrace. She drew two pouches, one of which was MUCH smaller than Alanna's, and the same parchment. "The larger one goes to Duke Gareth, the training master, and the other one is your extra spending money for when you are allowed to go to the city. The letter is also for the training master."
"Thank you mother," said Thom, as he excepted the pouches and parchment.
"Now go get your sister."
"Ok," Thom replied. He gave his mother one last hug and ran to get Alanna. She walked over to her mom, the hood of her cloak stil covering her face. She wouldn't be able to pull it down until they were far from Trebond.
"Mother, I'll miss you,"Alanna said softly.
"I'll miss you too." Alanna saw a man leading a horse walk up next to her mother. He too was dressed for riding. He bowed to Alanna. "Alanna, this is my friend Durtney. Remember, I told you about him? We were friends along time ago. He taught me to use a sword when his dad taught him. We were both six. Then he ran off with the shangs just before we were both seven. He is now the Shang Wolf." Now it was Alanna who curtsied respectfully. He only nodded. He appeared to be very talkative. He shall accompany you and your brother to the palace and shall stay with you until Coram comes, and maybe even afterwards, too. It is time for you to go now Alanna." She kissed her daughter and watched as she mounted Chubby. She gave Durtney a fond pat on the shoulder and watched as he saddled Cocoa. She watched as they rode off. When Alanna looked back, she saw Alianna with her chin held high, blinking back tears. Alanna turned back, lowering her own head so she could hide her own tears.