Tusaine
Thanks to Bookits, Silvermoon of Forestclan, luckipenni06, and Mistyrious One for my latest reviews! And as to your review, Mistyrious One, I tried. I really did. Merry Christmas! :) This is the second last chapter, you'll be happy to know, excluding the epilogue, and I have already started the next chapter. This one uses a lot of stuff from In the Hand of the Goddess, and I did refer to it while I was writing, but please point out any mistakes you see. And review. I love reviews. Enjoy!
*
Twelve days later, the Tortallans reached their destination. To their dismay, Corla and Serena found themselves assigned to different armies, Corla to Lord Imrah's and Serena to Prince Jonathan's. Serena had never met the men in her group; they all came from farms near Port Legann and had never been to Corus before. Even worse, none of them were women. Serena didn't mind men, but she did like chatting with women about womanly things sometimes. She had also discovered that when she was the only female around, men tended to forget she was there, leading to some very awkward conversations. Thankfully, the other men treated her as a friend, occasionally as a younger sister who needed a bit of guidance every now and then, and she adjusted to her new home very well. However, one incident, two weeks after their arrival, shook her so much she began to consider dyeing her hair again.
Serena's work wasn't finished until almost dark, and as she trudged back to one of the mess tents, she heard someone call from behind her, "Alan?" She squinted into the half-light behind but saw no one. Probably in the next row over. She turned around again and walked on. "Alan!" Running footsteps behind her made her step to the side, but a hand on her shoulder turned her around. The black-haired, blue-eyed, handsome young man behind her blinked when he saw her face. He was around her own age, maybe a little younger, and he looked surprised to see her there. "Oh. I'm sorry." He bowed. "Have you seen my squire?" Who is he? And who's Alan?
"Ah-" He caught the confusion on her face.
"My apologies. I'm Jonathan. My squire's name is Alan. Alan of Trebond."
"Prince Jonathan?" He looked a bit awkward as he nodded. He probably expects me to do something about it. Ask him for something maybe. "Sorry, I don't know any Alan's." The discomfort turned to surprise as he realized that she didn't intend to ask for anything, bu it didn't nearly match her own utter astonishment. Alanna is squire to the prince? The prince?!
"Oh. That's strange." He was looking at her oddly.
"Why?"
"You look a lot like her-him." Serena pretended not to notice his stumble. "You could be his sister. Or cousin maybe. Are you sure you don't know him?"
"Yes. I work in the stables in Corus."
"Oh. Well, thank you anyway, um-"
"Serena Wood." The last name she used now rolled off her tongue easily now, and she felt a slight pang of regret at lying to the knight her sister squired for.
"Thank you." Prince Jonathan strode away to search for "Alan" while Serena meandered slowly towards the mess tent. He knows. I suppose it's hard to hide that sort of thing from your knight. He probably thinks I didn't hear him stutter. She grinned. My sister, squire to a prince! She'll make Trebond proud... She didn't know she was smiling dreamily until Ben Saddler, a man who had told him she reminded him of his younger sister and acted as though she was too, told her that she looked like she was mooning after some man and did she need him to take care of this? Serena responded by punching him in the gut just a bit harder than was necessary, but she did put Alanna away to think about later.
*
Serena carefully avoided the area she had been in that night for several days. After searching the surrounding forest, she discovered that the herbs she used to dye her hair didn't grow in this area. Anyway, now that the initial fright was over, she decided that it was a bit irrational to react so strongly to such a small incident. Plenty of people that weren't related had similar features. There were probably twenty other people in the camp with the exact same shade of hair as Serena and Alanna. Besides, the men would never stop making fun of her if she dyed her hair.
About a week after the incident, Serena stayed with the horses longer than usual. There had been a skirmish earlier, and she liked to take a little extra time to calm them down on those days. As she walked towards the mess tent, she caught sight of hair the exact shade of her own on a small figure leading a horse into the trees. Alanna? She followed her sister away from the camp, partly in curiosity but mostly in older sister protectiveness.
Alanna bent down a few minutes later to sniff ground her horse had shied away from, and she seemed to have difficulty standing again, but Serena remained hidden. I'll help her if she needs me, and she doesn't now, not yet. Her sister raised her hand and a ball of purple light appeared. She seemed satisfied with it, although dizzy, and she continued onward with Serena a silent shadow behind.
At the river, they stopped again, next to what looked like a boulder. Alanna struggled with it for a few minutes and eventually managed to turn it over. Serena moved closer and realized it was not, in fact, a rock, but a rather large man. Alanna's light danced around in the air enough for Serena to see the man's face. Thor? She had seen him around a few times- a man that big was hard to forget- but foot soldiers generally didn't got near the horses. He and Alanna were speaking and then- Serena gaped. The Black God? This was getting far too strange far too quickly. The god spoke to Alanna for a moment. Alanna seemed to be struggling to stand-and then the god reached out and touched Alanna's face and she fell to the ground. Serena ran out of her hiding place, heedless of the god's presence. If she's dead, I'll KILL him! She was too distressed to note that killing a god, never mind the god of death, would be a tad tricky. She landed on her knees by her sister's side and pressed an ear to her mouth. Alanna breathed faintly but steadily. She's alive.
Who are you? Serena looked up in surprise. The Black God still stood- or floated, or something like that, she wasn't sure- in front of her. You are shielded from me.
"Shielded? What do you mean? Is she all right?"
The girl will be fine. She is tired, and she pushed herself too far. You...I cannot tell who you are. You can still die, it is not that kind of shielding. You are protected. So is she, in a way, but I know who it is. You are a mystery. Something hit Serena quite suddenly. I'm chatting with the Black God. First Shamira, now the Black God.
Shamira? She realized she had spoken aloud.
"Yes."
Hm. She guards lost children, but you are not a child, in human terms. I did not know that she continued to protect even after they passed into adulthood.
"Neither did I." Casually chatting with the Black God. I must be insane. Completely insane.
My duty calls to me. I must deliver this man to my realm. It has been a pleasure.
"Um, yes, nice meeting you." The god chuckled quietly and vanished. Oh, Goddess, I'm insane. She looked down at Alanna. I have to protect her. Serena knew her first aid skills had much to be desired, so she didn't touch the rough bandage around Alanna's arm, but she moved into a crouch, and a knife appeared in each hand. One of the other stable hands had taught her a few neat tricks with the knives once she had mastered the basics. The other woman claimed that just making the knives appear like that impressed enough people that she could avoid most fights. A pity the only ones here to see were a corpse and an unconscious squire masquerading as a boy. Still, it was useful, if the ones who had killed Thor returned to find Alanna.
The tension kept Serena well awake despite the darkness, and she didn't know how long she had crouched there when a yowl jerked her upright. Seconds later, a black cat with purple eyes exactly like Alanna's trotted out of the surrounding trees. Upon seeing Serena he hissed angrily.
"I'm protecting her," Serena informed him before remembering that this was a cat. Oh dear. The Black God must have really thrown me off balance. I'm talking to a cat now.
Who are you? And the cat is talking back?
"Are you really talking? Or am I imagining this?"
Yes, I'm talking to you! the cat replied irately. Who are you?
"Serena. I'm her sister."
His sister. And he doesn't have a sister.
"No, she doesn't know that she has a sister. And I intend to keep it that way." She could tell that the cat was intrigued.
I am Faithful. What happened to her?
"She pushed herself too far. She needs care, soon."
I will go fetch Jon. Watch her. Maybe we will talk again. Faithful disappeared into the trees and Serena settled down to guard once more. She had no idea how much time had passed before she heard calls and branches breaking underfoot. Faithful bounded into the clearing and hissed urgently. Hide! Serena retreated into the trees, tucking her knives back into her sleeves again, and watched. A group of men entered, preceded by a ball of blue light that illuminated the face of the young man in front. Aha. Prince Jonathan. He immediately went to Alanna, followed closely by an older knight Serena vaguely remembered seeing around camp. He certainly didn't look the part of a knight, but the other men followed the orders he gave. In just moments, both Alanna and Thor were on stretchers on the way back to camp. Serena counted slowly to two hundred and followed. Alanna was in good hands now.
*
From then on, Serena kept an eye on Alanna during most of her free time, but her sister could not use her Gift or fight for months, and she could not go to the fighting either, so most of her time was spent in the healers' tents. Unfortunately, at least from Serena's point of view, she had also signed up for sentry duty Serena found it harder to guard Alanna there, and there were less excuses to use against the questions of the other horse handlers. They all eventually decided that she had a lover elsewhere in the camp. While Serena didn't exactly encourage this idea, she didn't immediately deny it either, and as a result was teased constantly but never questioned about her whereabouts.
One fine evening in July, Serena had just finished brushing down the last few horses of the day when she saw a soldier running in her direction with a black cat in his arms. Faithful? With a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, she silently trailed behind him. She only half-recognized the part of the camp that they passed through, but she hung back when she caught sight of the person the sentry was searching for. I think Prince Jonathan probably knows I don't belong here. She watched the sentry explain something to Jonathan in a panic, his eyes wide with fear. The prince reached out to touch the cat-did he faint? Leaving Faithful on the ground, the soldier turned and ran, probably to get the plump knight whose name Serena had forgotten. She crouched in the darkness and watched.
The sentry returned at a run with the other knight puffing at his heels and carrying a wooden bucket. He emptied it on to both Jonathan and Faithful when he returned, and, at the prince's panicked face, Serena guessed what had happened. I have to do something! Wake up, Faithful! As if by her command, the cat sprang up and ran towards her.
You! I need your help!
"Where is she?" She kept her voice low, but the men seemed to be concentrating on Jonathan.
They kidnapped her. Someone created a magical fog to put her to sleep-
"Can we find her?"
I can. You are protected. You might be helpful. Come. He ran into the darkness and Serena followed with some difficulty. Minutes later, Faithful halted so abruptly that Serena almost fell into the river, just managing to catch herself on a tree branch. In.
"I can't swim."
Not the river, dimwit! The boat! Upon closer examination, Serena discovered that there was, indeed, a boat. She could feel herself blushing.
"Oh."
Shh!
"Sorry." They clambered in and she shoved hard away from the shore. As Serena slowly rowed across the river- partly in an attempt to stay quiet, partly out of lack of skill- Faithful interrogated her on her life and told her something of Alanna's. Before she said a word, she made him swear not to tell Alanna anything and Faithful complied, although complaining alternately that he wouldn't have told anyway and Alanna would find out eventually.
They bumped against something just as the sky began to lighten and Serena almost dropped the oars. Faithful snorted. It's the bank. Get out. She did so and he ran into the trees again, although much more slowly this time. They had to stop to hide from Tusaine sentries several times, but they reached the main camp around midmorning.
Serena knelt beside Faithful "Do you have a plan?" The cat replied with a withering glance.
No. I couldn't have a plan if I didn't know what was here. Come. We'll walk around. He said this as if they were merely taking a stroll around a park. Perhaps it was because he was a talking cat. Faithful gave her another look, as if to berate her for not hurrying, and trotted off.
*
A little before noon, they still sat in the trees at the back of the camp, watching a small hut. Faithful claimed that Alanna was in there, but they had seen no sign of her so far.
We need to take care of the guards first. Serena shifted to check that her knives were in place.
"I already told you I could do that."
And I told you, not yet. I'm sure the duke will come to visit. They had had this argument several times, but Serena kept it up anyway.
"It might be too late."
No it won't. There! A small procession was heading towards the hut. Serena tensed. The group stopped outside, stood for a moment -Hurry up!- and finally entered.
"Now?"
Now! Serena sauntered confidently into the open, as if she had every right to be here, and went straight for the soldiers. Neither was wearing helmets, or any other armor for that matter. Good. I don't want to kill them. They eyed each other, confused, as she approached with a smile. Neither wanted to harm a woman without necessity, but she obviously wasn't a Tusaine soldier, and she couldn't be a camp follower because she wasn't wearing Tusaine clothing. One moved to block the door as Serena stopped in front of them, but she caught his arm and gave them each a solid knock in the temple with a knife handle. Huh. That was easy. Now... Moving around to the back, she hooked her fingers onto the window sill and pulled herself up. She had to drop down almost as soon as her eyes passed the sill, but she saw enough. The other two Tortallan soldiers were lying by the door, unconscious, but she thought she had seen them stirring. Several Tusaine faced her, and one man she thought she might have seen among the Tortallans in the camp, but she decided she must be mistaken. Alanna sat on the floor below the window, smiling for some reason. She must be insane. Now, I have to move these guards first. Serena slipped back to the front and dragged each guard off to the side where they couldn't be seen. Turning around, she nearly stepped on Faithful.
There's help coming, but more Tusaine are coming from the camp and they'll get here first. The duke ordered them to come after him. Can you do something?
"Do the people on our side know where to go?"
No. I'm going to lead them here. Good luck. He dashed into the trees, leaving Serena an army to contend with. "Do something," he says. And what could I possibly do? I wonder... Serena considered for a minute. I suppose one could consider this an emergency. SHAMIRA!
Nothing happened for a moment. Serena began to despair when she flew into the air as if the ground had exploded under her feet and landed, hard, in the trees. She sat up, dazed, and squinted at the camp. The hut appeared untouched.
Will that suffice, child?
Ye-yes, thank you.
I believe your sister is safe. Help comes. With that, the goddess was gone from her head again. Minutes later, a large group of Tortallans thundered towards the hut, led by Faithful. Serena blinked and leaned forward. The two soldiers from inside the hut had joined them. Wonder if they felt that -thing- Shamira did. She watched only long enough to make sure Alanna would be all right before staggering to her feet. It was going to be a long trip back.
*
The war ended soon after and the Tortallans returned to the palace, but Serena was no longer content in her stable and job. The summer in Tusaine had given her, well, a taste for adventure, you could call it. Despite the kidnapping, she was now convinced that Alanna could take care of herself without Serena's assistance. She went to the stable master a week after she returned from Tusaine with her problem.
"Ah, yes, there's lots 'round yer age that feel th' same. They need t' get out an' see th' world afore they settle down. Well," he fixed her with an intense look. "I think I kin help ye. There's a horse trader in th' city, an' old friend o' mine, an' she's lookin' fer a new assistant afore she goes back north again. She wants someone who kin take care o' horses an' fight if it's needed, an' I think ye fit that. Want t' have a talk with 'er?"
"Yes, that's perfect! Can I meet her tomorrow?" He laughed.
"O' course. I was goin' t' go t' th' city t' visit 'er, an' ye kin come along. Bright an' early now."
"Thank you!" Serena ran out of the room and he sat to watch her go. After tomorrow, he suspected he wouldn't see her again for a very long time.
*
Serena and Janine, the horse trader, hit it off immediately, and they decided to leave the very next day for Galla. As they left, Serena felt only a slight twinge of regret. She would miss Alanna, despite never having spoken to her, but some day, maybe in a few years, she would meet her and tell her the whole story. For now, Alanna could take care of herself, and Serena was off to see the world.
*
Well, everyone, it's almost finished! There's probably no one reading this anymore, but if there is, you have my greatest thanks for staying with me this whole time. I hope everyone is having a good holiday!