{A/n: Thanks for the support guys! Hope you like the chapter, I'm making you wait a bit longer for it but on the plus side the chapter will be longer too I hope!}
Alanna, having just escaped from the 'ball', sat down with a sigh of relief. No-one had seen her leave, she was free to sit on her lonesome and think until the ball was over. Well, thats what she thought.
Alanna had many things to think about, one of which was her brother. How would Thom cope if he wouldn't make friends? It seemed like he only cared about his magic, never mind anything else.
Unlike Thom, Alanna knew that a friendless life was a pointless life. Without her friends, where would she be? She didn't like to think about it.
Thom seemed to think that Alanna was the only person he needed. And his teachers. If Thom was friendless, with only books and educators, he would be happy.
Alanna wasn't like that.
She just didn't understand why her brother isolated himself from people, she was the only person he loved, trusted, believed in, but why? Why not make friends, be sociable? It was just too much for her brain to fathom, even in the cool wind of the night.
The wind blew at her hair, trying to rip it from its clip. Impatiently, Alanna helped it along, and let her hair down. It felt pleasant, warming her neck and blowing around. She felt calm, and free, despite the sound of music from the doors behind her.
Alanna stood up, swirling her dresses around her, in a rare private moment, dancing slightly, but then, after a moment, she sat down again, glancing around. Would anyone notice if she left? Could she try to teach herself how to use a staff, or even sword?
She wanted it. More than anything else she wanted to fight. To be strong, and be able to defend herself.
At that second, the door behind her slid open, startling her out of her thoughts, and her senses.
"What are you doing?! Sneaking up on me like that, you're supposed to be a gentleman! You-"
"Do hush Alanna," the prince replied, smiling.
Why was he smiling at her? She'd never seen eye to eye with him, he found her ignorant, she found him stuck-up. So why was he talking to her now?
Impatiently, Alanna demaned the same thing.
"We dont get on, I think you're stuck up, you think I'm stupid, and not a proper woman, so why in the name of Mithros are you here?"
"Aren't we charming tonight?" Jon inquired.
Alanna scowled.
Jon took a step closer. "You really shouldn't scowl so, you look so much prettier when you smile," Jon commented, but if he had hoped to make Alanna smile he'd failed. She scowled even more now.
"Your highness," Alanna began mockingly, "Dont you think you should be in the ball? Girls will be looking for you, wanting to speak with you, and I most definitely do not," Alanna replied, attempting, although she had no idea why, to be ironically polite.
You know why, the little voice in her said, you love him.
No!, Alanna thought ferociously, I dont. I guess hes' handsome, ok, I know he is handsome, but I'm not a shallow bimbo who judges by looks!
Get to know him, you know you want to, the know-it-all voice replied.
Alanna sighed, and her face must have softened, because Jonathan said in a barely audible whisper, "I want to speak with you."
Frowning slightly, Alanna replied, "Why? What do you want from me?"
"Why must someone want something from you?" Jonathan inquired in his most Myles-like way, "Couldn't a man just want to talk with you, get to know you?"
Alanna replied with a very rude word, and a not-so-nice comment.
Jon laughed.
"What are you laughing at you-"
"Ssh," Jon replied, "I was laughing at you, you really are very funny."
"Humph," Alanna replied, then added, "If you want to talk, does that mean that-"
"I wont teach a woman to fight, Alanna," Jon said gently, "Women aren't as strong in their arms and-"
"Fine. If I can't learn fighting from you, theres no point in talking, is there now?"
"Oh Alanna, the entire world doesn't revolve around fighting!" Jonathan exclaimed.
"But it does," she replied softly, "No man can live his life without fighting, and neither can I."
When Jon remained silent, she added, "I'd just want to learn one thing, staff work. I know a bit-"
"No."
"But-" Alanna protested.
"I'm sorry, but I will not teach you how to fight."
Such emphasis and determination in the not silenced Alanna, but didn't dampen her determination to learn.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to see to my horse."
Noble women kept horses, but more for gentle riding, tame mares or occasionly a beautiful stallion, not war horses. Ladies had delicate horses, supposedly to match their characters.
But Alannas horse had a rebellious streak, and an uncanny resemblence to her owner.
Jonathan nodded, then reached forward, brushing a lock of hair out of Alannas face. Quickly, and gently, he kissed her on the lips, then hurried back into the ball.
Alanna stood, shocked, then remembered she was supposed to be going to groom her horse. Walking towards the stables, still in her gown, Alanna licked her lips, irritating herself with her lady-like fickleness at a mans kiss.
Did she want more? A mans touch?
No! Such thoughts would just hold up her learning, and she needed to hurry it along, not delay it.
Wandering to the stables, Alanna frowned. Why did men have to complicate things so? Couldn't they just keep it simple?
No.
Men were far from simple, and they complained about women being awkward! Well, more about women wanting to fo mens work, Alanna thought with a scowl.
Hearing a faint miaow, Alanna looked around, and spotted violet eyes rushing towards her in the dark.
Faithful, disliking social functions as much as his owner, didn't have to go, and wouldn't, but didn't like being left behind if Alanna went anywhere else.
Why didn't you tell me we were going to see Star? the cat queried.
"I didn't know I was going," Alanna replied softly.
You could have warned me, the cat replied tartly, ruffling his fur indignantly.
Alanna smiled slightly, at the cats fussy nature.
Reaching the stables, Alanna sighed. Jonathan would have to wait til another night. G
As she groomed her deep black stallion, Star, she continued thinking. Although Star had a rebellious streak, he loved to be brushed, so usually held still. As Alanna brushed his flanks, she noted his belly getting rounder, and that his mane and tail, both golden brown, were flicking impatiently. Even the star on his front, below his eyes seemed to be twitching with impatientness.
Sighing, Alanna mounted Star, without a saddle, and rode him out of the stall.
Faithful, left behind again, was startled into a jump, landing squarely on Alannas lap, he settled himself, preparing for a bumpy ride.
Alanna, deep in thought, rode and rode, unaware of the direction in which she was heading.
A few hours later, she tied her horse to a nearby tree, seemingly made for it, since there was a rope near the tree, and laid down on some comfortable, soft, lush grass to snooze, light mist rolling around.
As she fell asleep, she couldn't hear Faithfuls urgent yowls, and as she was sleeping, she neither heard the abrupt silence of the cat, and hence didn't notice the abnormality of it.
If Faithful yowled, he wanted to be notice. An abrupt stop meant something. And that something wasn't good.
It was bad.
No, it wasn't bad.
It was a disaster, a tradegy, waiting not so patiently or kindly to happen.
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*V*
Review for more. Do you want to know what happens to Alanna? Why Faithful fell silent? Review. I'd love to reach 100 reviews *hint hint* And I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. *huggles kind kind reviewers* Thanks ^^;
Alanna, having just escaped from the 'ball', sat down with a sigh of relief. No-one had seen her leave, she was free to sit on her lonesome and think until the ball was over. Well, thats what she thought.
Alanna had many things to think about, one of which was her brother. How would Thom cope if he wouldn't make friends? It seemed like he only cared about his magic, never mind anything else.
Unlike Thom, Alanna knew that a friendless life was a pointless life. Without her friends, where would she be? She didn't like to think about it.
Thom seemed to think that Alanna was the only person he needed. And his teachers. If Thom was friendless, with only books and educators, he would be happy.
Alanna wasn't like that.
She just didn't understand why her brother isolated himself from people, she was the only person he loved, trusted, believed in, but why? Why not make friends, be sociable? It was just too much for her brain to fathom, even in the cool wind of the night.
The wind blew at her hair, trying to rip it from its clip. Impatiently, Alanna helped it along, and let her hair down. It felt pleasant, warming her neck and blowing around. She felt calm, and free, despite the sound of music from the doors behind her.
Alanna stood up, swirling her dresses around her, in a rare private moment, dancing slightly, but then, after a moment, she sat down again, glancing around. Would anyone notice if she left? Could she try to teach herself how to use a staff, or even sword?
She wanted it. More than anything else she wanted to fight. To be strong, and be able to defend herself.
At that second, the door behind her slid open, startling her out of her thoughts, and her senses.
"What are you doing?! Sneaking up on me like that, you're supposed to be a gentleman! You-"
"Do hush Alanna," the prince replied, smiling.
Why was he smiling at her? She'd never seen eye to eye with him, he found her ignorant, she found him stuck-up. So why was he talking to her now?
Impatiently, Alanna demaned the same thing.
"We dont get on, I think you're stuck up, you think I'm stupid, and not a proper woman, so why in the name of Mithros are you here?"
"Aren't we charming tonight?" Jon inquired.
Alanna scowled.
Jon took a step closer. "You really shouldn't scowl so, you look so much prettier when you smile," Jon commented, but if he had hoped to make Alanna smile he'd failed. She scowled even more now.
"Your highness," Alanna began mockingly, "Dont you think you should be in the ball? Girls will be looking for you, wanting to speak with you, and I most definitely do not," Alanna replied, attempting, although she had no idea why, to be ironically polite.
You know why, the little voice in her said, you love him.
No!, Alanna thought ferociously, I dont. I guess hes' handsome, ok, I know he is handsome, but I'm not a shallow bimbo who judges by looks!
Get to know him, you know you want to, the know-it-all voice replied.
Alanna sighed, and her face must have softened, because Jonathan said in a barely audible whisper, "I want to speak with you."
Frowning slightly, Alanna replied, "Why? What do you want from me?"
"Why must someone want something from you?" Jonathan inquired in his most Myles-like way, "Couldn't a man just want to talk with you, get to know you?"
Alanna replied with a very rude word, and a not-so-nice comment.
Jon laughed.
"What are you laughing at you-"
"Ssh," Jon replied, "I was laughing at you, you really are very funny."
"Humph," Alanna replied, then added, "If you want to talk, does that mean that-"
"I wont teach a woman to fight, Alanna," Jon said gently, "Women aren't as strong in their arms and-"
"Fine. If I can't learn fighting from you, theres no point in talking, is there now?"
"Oh Alanna, the entire world doesn't revolve around fighting!" Jonathan exclaimed.
"But it does," she replied softly, "No man can live his life without fighting, and neither can I."
When Jon remained silent, she added, "I'd just want to learn one thing, staff work. I know a bit-"
"No."
"But-" Alanna protested.
"I'm sorry, but I will not teach you how to fight."
Such emphasis and determination in the not silenced Alanna, but didn't dampen her determination to learn.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to see to my horse."
Noble women kept horses, but more for gentle riding, tame mares or occasionly a beautiful stallion, not war horses. Ladies had delicate horses, supposedly to match their characters.
But Alannas horse had a rebellious streak, and an uncanny resemblence to her owner.
Jonathan nodded, then reached forward, brushing a lock of hair out of Alannas face. Quickly, and gently, he kissed her on the lips, then hurried back into the ball.
Alanna stood, shocked, then remembered she was supposed to be going to groom her horse. Walking towards the stables, still in her gown, Alanna licked her lips, irritating herself with her lady-like fickleness at a mans kiss.
Did she want more? A mans touch?
No! Such thoughts would just hold up her learning, and she needed to hurry it along, not delay it.
Wandering to the stables, Alanna frowned. Why did men have to complicate things so? Couldn't they just keep it simple?
No.
Men were far from simple, and they complained about women being awkward! Well, more about women wanting to fo mens work, Alanna thought with a scowl.
Hearing a faint miaow, Alanna looked around, and spotted violet eyes rushing towards her in the dark.
Faithful, disliking social functions as much as his owner, didn't have to go, and wouldn't, but didn't like being left behind if Alanna went anywhere else.
Why didn't you tell me we were going to see Star? the cat queried.
"I didn't know I was going," Alanna replied softly.
You could have warned me, the cat replied tartly, ruffling his fur indignantly.
Alanna smiled slightly, at the cats fussy nature.
Reaching the stables, Alanna sighed. Jonathan would have to wait til another night. G
As she groomed her deep black stallion, Star, she continued thinking. Although Star had a rebellious streak, he loved to be brushed, so usually held still. As Alanna brushed his flanks, she noted his belly getting rounder, and that his mane and tail, both golden brown, were flicking impatiently. Even the star on his front, below his eyes seemed to be twitching with impatientness.
Sighing, Alanna mounted Star, without a saddle, and rode him out of the stall.
Faithful, left behind again, was startled into a jump, landing squarely on Alannas lap, he settled himself, preparing for a bumpy ride.
Alanna, deep in thought, rode and rode, unaware of the direction in which she was heading.
A few hours later, she tied her horse to a nearby tree, seemingly made for it, since there was a rope near the tree, and laid down on some comfortable, soft, lush grass to snooze, light mist rolling around.
As she fell asleep, she couldn't hear Faithfuls urgent yowls, and as she was sleeping, she neither heard the abrupt silence of the cat, and hence didn't notice the abnormality of it.
If Faithful yowled, he wanted to be notice. An abrupt stop meant something. And that something wasn't good.
It was bad.
No, it wasn't bad.
It was a disaster, a tradegy, waiting not so patiently or kindly to happen.
¤~¤
~|~
¤~¤
~|~
¤~¤
~|~
*V*
Review for more. Do you want to know what happens to Alanna? Why Faithful fell silent? Review. I'd love to reach 100 reviews *hint hint* And I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed. *huggles kind kind reviewers* Thanks ^^;