A/N: *Looks around for sharp, pointy objects before fully appearing*

Alright people, don't hate me! I know you all assumed I had abandoned you, but I love this story too much to do that now. I can't promise the speediest updates, but I definitely don't want to give this one up!

Anywho, hope you all enjoy this newest installment.


Opening your eyes to a completely foreign room is an unnerving experience, add to that a strange man in the corner, and no one could blame Alanna's reaching for the knife in her belt loop.

"It's not there, lass." The man spoke carefully, as if he didn't want to frighten her. "I'll not have you stabbing me when we just met."

The previous night's encounter finally came back to her. The man was George Cooper, and he knew hew brother.

"Thom…" The name came out as a quiet gasp.

"Still out cold but recovering just fine. I had my man in the palace check on him earlier."

Alanna tucked questions regarding "his man" away for later. At the moment, her nose had become aware of the steaming bowl of porridge that was beside the bed, and her stomach decided to announce its desires rather loudly.

"I thought you might be hungry." The older boy said with a laugh, earning him a glare from the little girl. "Ah, don't like being laughed at? A trait you share with Master Thom."

"May I?" She asked, indicating the bowl and ignoring his comment.

"That's what it's there for! When you've finished breakfast, I've a proper dress for you, and then, we can take you to the palace to see your brother. Cross dressing is frowned on at the palace."

A cough of laughter almost brought up the bite of porridge that Alanna had shoveled into her mouth. Given her plans just a year ago, he could have no idea how ironic that statement was.

"The porridge won't run away." He commented as she hurried her way through the meal.

"I want to see Thom." She informed him between bites.

"So you've mentioned. I'll be downstairs when you're ready."

Rather than reply, she studied the room. It was tidy with plain sturdy furniture. However, the door was adorned with with a wrought gold mirror and the candlestick beside her was silver. The pieces felt out of place considering the exterior of the Dancing Dove, assuming she was right and he had not taken her someplace else. George Cooper was no ordinary man.

Not fifteen minutes later, Alanna was downstairs, flattening her palms over the gray-green dress George had left her. It was proper clothing for a girl her age and status, but she already missed her brother's breeches. She done a quick braid on her hair that Cythera had taught her. The braid circled the back of her head, masking how unusually short it still was for a noblewoman.

Scholar was nowhere to be seen, just George, lounging at a table and an old barkeep wiping down some mugs. She frowned at the look of surprise on George's face and shifted nervously. Luckily, he wasted no time in getting up and heading for the door, and the redhead needed no prompting to follow after.

"And here I thought ladies were supposed to take forever to get ready…" He said as they left, handing her a warm roll that smelled of herbs and sausage.

Alanna harrumphed in a most un-ladylike manner rather dignify the comment with a response. Of course, the lack of retort might have been from the huge piece of breakfast roll in her mouth, which she was currently trying to blow through to cool. If George chuckled at the spectacle, Alanna ignored it. When they arrived outside, Alanna found a single horse.

"I hate sidesaddle." She spoke around the last remnant of roll.

"You'd be a much less convincing lady riding into the palace with your skirts hiked up to your thighs, so up you go."

It was too late to stop him, when his surprisingly strong hands grabbed her around the waist to hoist her up and deposit her in the saddle, but she did protest, loudly.

"I could have gotten up her on my own, you know!" Alanna settled her leg over the contraption that would keep her seated.

"You're half as tall as that horse; besides, you're in a hurry to see Master Thom, aren't you?" His grin was wicked as he turned this fact against her.

She glared, but he was already going around the front to lead the horse for her. This might have bothered her, if she had known where they were going. The streets were just as deserted as the day before, no doubt from the sickness. At least, it meant they didn't have to fight through the traffic of people. Judging by the size of the thoroughfares, Alanna imagined quite a few people could be crammed in here.

George's pace was brisk, and, uncomfortable though she was, the redhead was glad for the horse. She would have struggled to keep up with the lanky man.

They passed some time in companionable silence before Alanna called up to George.

"So, how did you and my brother meet?" Thom could hardly have told her the story by letter, considering the man was supposed to be family.

"Truth be told, I sought him out."

Alanna quirked an eyebrow at that, which the man could not see. She had some guesses about what George did for a living, and it seemed an unlikely pairing with a page. "What for?"

"Not for anything." A hint of playful reproach crept into his voice. "In my line of work, it is always good to look out for… interesting people."

That was one of the nicer words she had heard used to describe her brother. "He's definitely that."

"You as well."

"No, I'm not." She countered a little too quickly.

"As you say, lass." He spared a quick glance of skepticism back. "Though, even forgetting the purple eyes, I've not known many noble ladies who would ride unaccompanied cross country for six days, even for so good a cause as saving their brothers."

"It's not because I'm interesting; that's just because insanity runs in my family."

The hazel-eyed man just shrugged. Alanna got the feeling he did not ruffle easily. It was not a trait she shared.

"Before we get much closer, we need to discuss your visit. Do you want this to be an official visit?"

The sudden conversation shift left her scrambling to catch up. "What do you mean 'official'?"

"It means you, at the very least, greet the training master, Duke Gareth of Naxen and ask for permission to see your brother. Which, given the circumstances of your arrival and Thom's imminent recovery, he may decide to deny you. Best not to encourage young ladies to run away from the convent. Worst case, the Duke could bring you before their Majesties for an audience."

"What's the other option?" The first sounded unappealing.

"You'll just go straight to see Thom, then after you've checked on him, you can return to the Dancing Dove with no one the wiser. There are plenty of visitors in the palace these days, as long as you keep those eyes down, who's to know? Then you can decide what you want to do next on your own time."

It felt a little underhanded, but she was in enough trouble without having to explain it all to the King and Queen of Tortall. She needed time to think through her options before any royal decrees were handed down.

"How long can I stay with him?"

"They'll have already checked on him this morning and seeing how he isn't going to get worse for laying there, you should be good til lunch, so a few hours."

"Alright."

She had lost the city, caught up in the discussion. Now, conversation stopped completely as they cleared the rise. Temples of a scale she had never seen spread out around them, and above it all, she could see the palace.

While the city below had not been busy, worshippers still scurried between the buildings, no doubt asking for favor from their deities. Alanna could hear the chanting of the Dark God's priests even from the streets. She shuddered at the eerie repetitions that hummed through the air with power.

When they finally cleared that quarter, George came to a halt, bringing the reins back to her.

"Straight through this gate is the stable, Stefan will take your horse, and my man, Bayard, will meet you there. Tell him you want to see Thom; he'll know what it means."

"You're not coming?" She gulped involuntarily at the thought of entering the palace alone.

"There's some in the palace it'd be better I not meet."

"Like the Lord Provost?" She gave voice to her guess for the first time. Everyone knew the title of the man tasked with keeping the peace in Corus.

"He might be one of 'em." The thief said with a wink, confirming her suspicions. "Did your brother tell you?"

"No, it just explains more than it doesn't."

"Good luck in there. I'll meet you out here when you leave."

She nodded appreciatively, even happier for not having to admit she could not remember her way back to the inn. After one last sigh of resignation, she straightened her back and rode into the palace.

The trip in was almost disappointingly uneventful. Stefan had greeted her and even let her see Chubby (who looked a little worse for the wear) and then Bayard, a reddish-brown haired, unassuming man, led her through the maze of the castle. She had been worried at first, as much as she looked like Thom, that she would be recognized and immediately sent before the monarchs, but after a couple hallways, she relaxed.

Everyone was moving around in such a hurry, they did not spend the time to give passing greetings, much less study her facial features.

"This is the page's wing." Bayard explained as they exited a stairwell. Alanna's heart sped up. The residents here were much more likely to notice the fact that she looked exactly like Thom. "They are all either sick or working. Since Master Thom is not sick, he was taken back to his rooms."

Alanna nodded, still a little afraid to speak. When they stopped at a door that she assumed was her brother's. The auburn haired man spoke again. "I'll come gather you here before lunch. No one should bother you in the meantime."

"Thank you, Bayard."

The man nodded a disappeared down a side hallway.

Thom lay in a bed, looking for all the world like he was in a deep sleep. He was unusually pale, but he must have regained some of his color overnight because he already looked better than he had in her vision.

"Thom, you dolt!" She shut the door and went over to his bed, punching him in his arm to emphasize her point. "You're supposed to be the strong one when it comes to magic."

She sat down on a small stool beside his bed and held his hand. When George had said he was fine, Alanna had believed him, but it felt good to see him, to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be fine.

For a while, she spoke to him about little things, but slowly, the quiet of the room and her chaotic week caught up to her, until she was bent in two, her head lying next to Thom's on the pillow.

The sound of the door opening woke her up. Only, it wasn't Bayard standing there when she looked up.

"Excuse me!" The black haired, blue-eyed youth said, turning red in the face. He obviously had not expected to walk into a room with a sleeping girl.

Alanna catapulted up, now very much awake.

"Wait… who are you? No, I can guess that, considering you look like Thom put a dress on." Now, it was Alanna's turn to blush. "Sorry, I only meant to say you must be his sister."

She nodded.

"But how did you get here? Shouldn't you be at the City of the Gods?"

"I… have family in town." She borrowed Thom's lie.

The taller boy looked like he was about to question further, but then just nodded. He looked tired, too tired for someone his age.

"I just came to check on Thom."

"That was nice of you." She stepped back to give the boy room to see Thom.

"He was trying to save Francis's life, you know." His voice caught on the other boy's name.

Alanna nodded again. "My… cousin told me he ended up this way because he was trying to save another page."

"I think we misjudged Thom. He's difficult to get along with." The blue-eyed boy seemed like he needed to talk this out, so she kept silent. "We thought he just didn't like us, but then he almost dies trying to save one of us. Even when Ralon died a few months back, Thom wanted to save him. I had to fight him off, gave me a bloody lip just trying to get through, but the squire was already dead. Nothing he could do, even good as he is, you can't bring the dead back to life."

Alanna kept her surprise to herself. She dearly loved her brother, and she knew that he loved her too. However, she was not so naive as to not realize that he generally disliked all others. His friendship with George had been odd enough, but had Thom truly changed while he was training for knighthood?

"I'm sorry; I'm babbling." Despite the sparkling white of the boy's teeth, the smile he flashed looked dim on his face.

"Are you alright?" She asked worriedly; he certainly didn't look alright.

"I'm fine, just tire-" A violent cough cut him off before he could finish the sentence.

"Let's get you back to your rooms." She put a tentative hand on the boy's shoulder; heat radiated from his skin, even through his tunic.

"I don't want to take you from your brother."

"He'll still be lying there when I get back."

He nodded, suddenly looking too tired to talk. She actually had to help him up from the stool and threaded her arm through his as they made their way out of the room. Another terrible fit of coughs hit him in the hallway, and Alanna could feel each breath rasp from his lungs.

Luckily, he was able to point out the way to his rooms, not too far from Thom. The farther they walked, the more she felt him leaning on her. By the time they were in his room, he practically collapsed in the bed.

"Thank you." He said as if he expected her to leave him now. A tiny part of her wanted to. Someone would find him soon enough and get him help, and then, she wouldn't be discovered. But she squashed that part with disgust. She could not leave this poor boy to fend for himself when he obviously had the Sweating Sickness.

Instead, she stepped back into the hallway. It was empty, but if her trip to this wing had taught her anything, it was there was always someone just around the corner.

"I need a healer now." She projected confidence she didn't have into her voice. One of the few things she had actually learned from the Daughters.

Soon enough, two servants, judging from the matching uniforms she had seen on Bayard, came to investigate what the yelling was about.

"This page has come down with the Sweating Sickness. I need any available healer quickly."

The servants looked through the open doorway behind her, eyes widening.

"Immediately, milady." One said, speeding away. Alanna was surprised the servants were still so scared of the sickness. She was under the impression it had runs its course and expected most would have been used to it by now.

"What can I do to help, milady?" The remaining servant asked, constantly looking into the room behind her.

"Get me lots of blankets and fresh water." If the fever drained healers as quickly as she had heard, then they must be trying the natural remedies first. She would just get everything ready for the real healer, and then slip out when they arrived.

A healer returned with the first servant impressively fast. He was a tall man with green eyes set deep. He was also lanky to the point of being gaunt, and he looked… defeated. Alanna kept her eyes down and tried to excuse herself before he became aware of her presence. Silently, she hoped another healer would come soon to help; this man looked as if he would not be able to do much for the page.

"Young lady."

Alanna stopped dead in her tracks but did not turn to face the man.

"Look at me."

For just a moment, she entertained the idea of fleeing. In his state, he would never catch her, but she would just get lost in the palace. Besides, the way the servant was looking at her with wide eyes and motioning with his head for her turn made her think this healer was someone not to be ignored.

She followed his order reluctantly, looking up.

"Great Mithros." The man gasped. Alanna was used to such reactions.

What she was not prepared for was the man crossing the room and seizing her shoulders. He bent down until his face was level with her, which was no small feet. He studied her face, as if trying to solve some mystery, and when he spoke, his voice was feverish with hope.

"Are you trained like your brother?" She doubted he realized he was shaking her. "Can you heal?"

She could lie; she could tell him she was not, and he should find someone else, if he couldn't take care of it. Only, Maude's warning before she left rang in her ears. But Alanna wasn't going to be a knight. She would not take any lives; she had nothing to make up for.

"That is Prince Jonathan lying there, girl. Can you help him?" The man's desperate voice broke through her musings, suddenly explaining the terror she had seen in the servant's eyes. Their prince was dying.

Alanna looked around the man to the boy, now drenched in sweat. The prince who had come to check on her brother, even when he was ill. The man she would have sworn allegiance to and served unto death, in another life.

"I can."

"Then, there is hope." The older gentleman collapsed to his knees, a faint smile coming to his lips. "This girl is to be obeyed as you would any palace healer."

What exactly had Thom done here that this adult would trust her so completely?

"Yes, Your Grace." Alanna knew from her lessons that title meant the man was a Duke. What had she gotten herself into?

"I will inform the King and Queen." The redhead wished for all the world she could disappear into one of the tapestries that hung on the prince's walls. "What is your name child?"

It was too late to lie now. He obviously knew who she was; even if gave him a fake name, it would not be too hard to figure it out later.

"Alanna of Trebond, You Grace."

"Lady Alanna, the Goddess herself must have sent you in our hour of need. I am Duke Baird, if you need for anything, have a servant get me."

There was a name everyone in the kingdom knew. He was the youngest man ever selected to be chief of the palace healers. Even her father respected this man, though he generally ignored the fact that he had magic. Maude spoke Baird's name like someone whispering a prayer.

"I leave the prince to you." Alanna nodded dumbly, feeling the hopes of the kingdom suddenly resting on her small shoulders.

"Let's get this fire going." She spoke to the servants; her voice caught at first, but she forged ahead.

Within an hour, the room was stifling. The young mage planned to break the fever first, as it was the most dangerous, but it was difficult to handle in full skirts. Stepping outside the room for a moment, to get some fresh air, she wondered how the Duke would react if he came back and she was in Thom's clothes.

The sound of chanting wafting through the hallway stopped her from going to check on Thom... and changing clothes. As she watched, a troop of priests from the Black God's temple made their way toward her in ominous synchronicity. She wondered who had passed away that required the presence of so many priests but hung her head out of respect as they went past her. Only, they didn't. They stopped before her, smoke from the incense in hanging braziers coiling around them.

"May I assist you, Friends?" She used their proper address and wobbled a curtsy.

"We have come to see the Prince." The foremost priest spoke with a raspy voice.

"He is not dead." She informed them, head tilted to the side in confusion.

"We have heard his fever set in quickly." Alanna felt impressed by how quickly news spread through such a large place. "We pray for his spirit whether it remains here or joins the Black God."

The emphasis the head priest put on the latter possibility grated on her. He thought the prince was as good as dead. The smell of incense was already heavy in the air around them, and she just couldn't take it anymore. These men wanted to go into a sick room and fill it with smoke while wailing prayers to the Black God. It went against everything she knew as a healer. Surely, someone would stop this madness.

Only there was no one to turn to. It would be unfair to ask the servants to stand up to the representative of a god. The only other person she knew in the entire palace was Duke Baird, and not only would it take time to find him but he also didn't look like he could stand up to a brisk breeze, much less anyone of rank.

It fell to her.

Her last year may not have been spent fighting hand-to-hand, but she had been training to fend off unwanted guests. Alanna's back straightened, and her chin lifted ever so slightly. Her knees felt a little weak, but she was not about to let that show. Instead, she adopted her best Daughter Thea voice. The teacher always swore kindness could get you anywhere.

"Friends, while I understand and appreciate your concern for our Prince. I simply cannot allow you to enter. Patients need quiet and clean air in order to recuperate." She smiled more at her own diplomacy than to comfort the men in front of her, but if it helped her case… "Of course, their majesties would wish for your prayers; I only ask that you do so from your temple, that between your intercessions and the aid of the healers, the Prince might be saved."

The priests shifted uncomfortably before her, and for just a moment, she thought they would listen to her. Then the leader cleared his throat to speak.

"Who are you to deny us entry?" She thought she saw some nods of assent from those behind him.

Why did this man have to ask such a reasonable question? She wasn't even twelve yet, had just run away from the convent, yet here she stood between the priests of the Black God and the heir apparent of Tortall. Who was she?

She was probably the only one left who could save this boy's life.

"I am Lady Alanna of Trebond," now she sounded more like Satinder, "and the one who Duke Baird appointed as the Prince's personal healer."

It was a bit of a stretch, but she needed something. There was a tense moment, then the high priest nodded. Her mention of the Duke probably did more good than the fact that she was from a little known noble family, but she decided she was grateful either way as, in perfect unison, they turned and retreated down the hallway, leaving only the leader behind.

"We will do as you request, Lady Alanna. Take good care of the Prince."

Alanna released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding when he joined the group. She slumped against the doorway.

"That was well handled, young lady."

The redhead whirled in surprise, to find another gentleman standing behind her. His clothes were a little sloppy but obviously expensive. He was not too tall with a belly that indicated a life of leisure and bits of gray running through his, otherwise, brown hair.

The comment had not felt like a chastisement, but Alanna ducked her head all the same. Today had already been more than most girls her age could handle. She much preferred adults to ignore her.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Lady Alanna; I am Sir Myles of Olau." His plump frame gave a very proper bow with a very pleasant smile. "I teach History to your brother… and the prince."

She bobbed a curtsy. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

His scrutiny did not leave her with the same shrinking feeling that the priests', or even the Duke's, had. Finally, he broke into a small smile, shaking his head.

"Forgive me, Thom said he had a twin sister but seeing is believing."

"That's alright; we are used to it. Our own father can't tell us apart, apart from the skirts."

"Thom does not speak of your father very much."

"Unless something's changed, Thom doesn't speak much of anyone, except Thom."

Any reply was cut off by a short, abrupt cough. Alanna studied the man, worried he might be coming down with the sickness as well. When he looked back at her, he was smiling. He just cleared his throat and indicated the room behind her.

"How's our prince?"


The next day was one of the hardest of Alanna's life. Not only did it test her abilities as a healer beyond anything she had ever experienced, she felt the scrutiny of an entire kingdom upon her. For the most part only Sir Myles or Duke Baird stayed with her for any length of time, but she did receive an uncomfortable visit from the King and Queen, the very monarchs of the castle she had just sneaked into. Luckily, they were much more interested in visiting their son than speaking with her.

Everyone was gracious enough not to bring up her unorthodox arrival. Or maybe they were all just waiting until after she had saved the prince's life… if she saved the prince's life. She had managed to stop his horrible cough using natural methods but the fever just wouldn't break. She had been feeding power into him, but it persisted.

"I don't think you have anything left to give." Sir Myles clapped a hand to her shoulder. Alanna had quickly realized that this man deeply cared for his students. "Why don't you let me call Duke Baird?"

They both knew Jonathan was dying. Despite her best efforts, he would not last the night. Myles could also clearly see that she was shaking from everything she has tried thus far. The room was certainly sweltering but not all the sweat was from the heat.

"If it were Thom, would you ask him to give up?" Her quiet question was met with silence.

The older knight looked unsure as to how he should answer, but she didn't really need one. If she had been the page, she would have given everything to save this boy. It was what fealty required. The real question was if she was brave enough to try something that had almost killed her brother.

"You'd better leave." She went to grab the herbs she had requested from the servants. Maybe, she had known all along it would come to this.

"I will stay with you."

She nodded reflexively when he spoke, though she was no longer paying attention to him. The vervain went into the fire, and she began to whisper the words Maude had taught her. It took longer than it should have for the flames to turn purple, but then, she was exhausted from everything she had already tried. When the hearth matched the color of her magic, she reached her hands into the fire. Alanna watched her very essence dissolving into the fire until there was no separation between it and her.

"Dark Goddess, Great Mother, show me the way, open the gates to me, guide me, Mother of Mountains and Mares."

The fire grew with a deafening roar, flames threatening to engulf the girl. Suddenly, she was no longer staring at flames. Countless doors opened and shut around her, but what drew her attention was the city. She had seen it once before when Maude had tried to divine their future. Now, it stood before her again; the glossy, black monolith called to her. The singing streets left a chill in her that even the beating sun could not dispel.

Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Sheer power slammed into her to replace the chill. This new energy, so much greater than her own, shone through her skin. No, it wanted to burst through her. It was too much; no one could contain this.

Call him back. Alanna wanted to shield her ears as a voice spoke to her. It was not meant for human hearing. I am here, child. Call him back.

Her cheeks were wet with tears of pain. An image of Thom lying in his bed came to her. She would join him soon, if the voice and the pain didn't kill her first. At that thought, she stopped. Thom was meant to be the sorcerer; they both knew that. However, Alanna had never been the weak one. Thom had survived this pain; would she succumb?

No, she was stronger than this. She would not be left crippled by pain and fear. Slowly, she fought back the pain, shoving it to a corner of her mind where it would not distract her from what needed to be done. There was a life to save.

The redhead walked to the bed, eyes intent on the prince. He seemed so far away.

He has traveled a long way. A part of Alanna realized the voice was female, but the pain it caused was too distracting to dwell on that thought. Take his hands; call him back.

"Thank you." She wasn't sure who she spoke to. The voice hadn't come from the room but from within her mind.

"Your Highness, it's time to come home." She took the boy's hands in her own. Her mind reached out to his as she stared into his eyes. They were blue pools into which she found herself falling, chasing after him.

Gone was the sparkling blue of his eyes, replacing by a blackness that swirled around her like spilled ink. The unearthly sounds of lost souls assaulted her ears as she hung between life and death. The prince was here, lost somewhere in this darkness.

"Your Highness…" She wondered if he would respond to his title. "Prince Jonathan."

Finally, she saw him, illuminated by light that seemed to stem from her. Only Jon was not alone there at the bottom of this pit, with him stood the Dark God. Not for the first time that day, she knew real fear. The Master of All Death blocked her way to the boy she wanted to save.

"Excuse me," she knew it was crazy to argue with a god, but she had to try. "You can't have him; his time hasn't come yet. I'll take him back with me."

The hooded figure reached for her, and she reacted instinctively, throwing up a shield between herself and those shadowy hands.

"You can't have him." She sounded braver than she felt, but the hands passed right through her magical shield, clasping her shoulders.

Her eyes grew wide as the god inspected her. Had Thom gone through this? Alanna felt exposed as she waited for whatever came next. Finally, the great head nodded, and the figure disappeared.

It was just her and the heir to the throne now.

She took his hand. "Prince Jonathan, it's time to come home now. This place isn't for us."

The boy looked at their entwined hands, but Alanna heard a man's voice when he responded. "Do I know you?"

"We met once." She shook her head at him in amused disbelief. Who worried about introductions when they were at death's door? "But what is important is that people are waiting on you: Thom, Sir Myles, Duke Baird, your parents..."

'You're right." His smile sparkled even in the darkness surrounding them. "I'm coming."

"It's time to leave now." She smiled in return as their powers combined at their clasped hands, burning away the last vestiges of this horrible pit.

When they were both back fully in their bodies, she heard the young Jonathan speak. "It's good to be back."

She smiled. In spite of her aching bones and throbbing head, she had just saved a life. The boy's breathing evened out, and Alanna knew he was sleeping. She laid her head down next to his shoulder; he seemed so peaceful.

"He'll be fine now." She murmured, not sure if Sir Myles could hear her, and promptly passed out.


A/N: Read, review, let me know that my coming back to you was not in vain!