Alanna and Thom began out on horses, Thom with Maude, and Alanna with Coram. The twins looked down at their saddles, trying to hide their faces. After awhile the road split and Maude and Coram left to give the twins some privacy. It would be many years before they saw each other again and Alanna was sad to leave her twin, but excided that she was going to the Palace, if all went well. They said their good-byes and hugged briefly before joining Coram and Maude once again. The party split and after a few minutes, Maude looked over at Thom and realized that it was, in fact, Thom sitting on her companion horse instead of Alanna.
Maude stopped her horse short and yelled sharply to Thom, "I thought I told ye two ye were to respect your father's wishes and go where ye ought to! We are turnin back now"
Maude and Thom caught up with Coram and Alanna shortly and the twins were chastised immediately, and ordered to switch back. They fought but Coram and Maude won in the end. Both twins had to be tied to their saddles before continuing but nevertheless the party split once again with the twins each going in the proper direction.
Alanna hated the ride to the City of the Gods, hated every minute of it! She didn't want to go to the Convent of the Mother of the Mountains, and she let Maude know it. But, Maude seemed oblivious to Alanna as they rode the for five long days, taking a rest for the night. They would reach the Convent tomorrow around noon.
They woke at dawn and continued their journey. Sometime near noon, the City of the Gods came into view and as Alanna looked around at the barren landscape she new that she was in for some very boring years ahead of her.
In the meantime, the day before, Coram and Thom were in sight of Corus, the capital city, when suddenly, Thom stopped.
"What is it now?" Coram growled. He was very grumpy at escorting Thom to the Palace. Surely, they would all laugh at him for having such a weakling as a master.
"I am not going to the Palace!" Thom snapped.
"Oh yes ye are!" Coram had already had enough of the bratty boy and he was pushing him over the edge.
"Try and stop me!" was the terse reply, and with that Thom vanished into thin air. Coram instinctively made the sign against evil and rode to Corus for help.
It wasn't long before he ran into the palace and requested the help of Duke Gareth, the prime minister, and an old friend of Corams. Within the hour, search parties had been sent out and were combing the forest and city outskirts whilst a messenger was sent back to Lord Alan.
Right before entering the city, Maude stopped the horses and asked Alanna to do the same. Alanna figured she was about to be in for a strong lecture, so she prepared to look like she was listening, but instead was already half-way into a dream state wondering what would happen if she was on her way to Corus instead of this desolate place. Maude surprised her when Alanna saw look of sadness, or maybe even pity, on her face. "Listen," Maude began, and for once Alanna listened, "you have a healing Gift, a greater healing Gift than I have ever seen before. Use it, Alanna, for to ignore such a Gift will only bring you problems and sadness. Remember this at the Convent, and learn what they can teach you." With that being said Maude put her horse into a trot toward the city and Alanna's horse followed, but Alanna's mind was still on Maude's words. How could she learn to use her Gift when she was so afraid to call upon it? And how did Maude know about her Gift, and was she correct? Alanna then saw the Convent of the Mother of the Mountains and put such thoughts aside until later.