AUTHOR'S NOTE: See I told you I would update again even though I should really make more people review.
Oh well once again all my thank-you's
Now everyone should really just bombard me with reviews so I can finish posting, only three chapters including the epilogue left and xxTunstall Chickxx beta's this and she has told me that it is very sad but really good. So hurry and review because I really want to finish this.
Now I will have another poll up on my profile so vote or PM me if you have a better idea.
"I have any uncanny ability to be everywhere yet nowhere all at once." is a quote from the sequel. What name would best describe this person.
A The Shadow B The Ghost C The Devious D the Vex E Other
or send any other ideas in a PM THANKS
DISCLAIMER:Please refer to all past disclaimers. THANKS!
That evening the clerks posted sheets with sign ups for the competitions that were to be held on the wall outside Kel's office.
"Come Gemma you can compete it'll be fun." Tory coaxed
"Well why don't you sign up then?" Gemma asked
"I am." Tory scratched her name across a list that said 'Dagger Throwing' with a quill, "Now for you." Tory wrote Gemma's name on the list for foot races.
"Fine." Gemma walked off to find Tobe, "I'm going to find someone who doesn't make me run laps all the time."
Tory shook her head and left too.
The crowds gathered around the archery area, Alan rested his arm across Tory's shoulders as she held him close with her arm around his waist. The crowd spoke quietly as archers prepared themselves. "Alan have you seen Gemma?" Tory asked.
"No. Why?"
"I haven't seen her since we signed up for the competitions. I was just wondering." Tory's brows came together in thought
"Hmm. I don't know. Perhaps we should sneak off and look around for her." Alan raised an eyebrow before trailing his lips down from her's to her collar bone.
"Where to?" She managed to say as a cold fire went through her veins starting from where his lips grazed.
The vanished from the crowd and Alan pulled her towards the barn. Tory held her hand up motioning him to stop and be quiet. She heard something inside. Giggling? She walked closer being careful not to make a sound, yes it was giggling but not just anyone it was Gemma. She leaned around the door to see Gemma laying next to a young blond boy on a stack of hay. Tory heard Tobe telling her a story about this time that he had caught Dom leaving Kel's room at an early hour.
Tory walked into the barn through the shadows so they couldn't see her, and Alan watched the door. Tory crept up behind them before grabbing the back of Tobe's shirgt collar and yanked him to her feet. "May I ask what you think you're doing boy?"
"I-I-I-I" was all he stuttered
"How did you get in here without me--" Gemma jumped to her feet.
"noticing." Tory finished, "For one you seemed preocupied, but don't give yourself too much credit I am one of the best." She boasted but Tobe was trying to get away from her grip. She pulled back more on his collar forcing him to bend backward. "Now then, do I set you free with a warning or a lesson."
"I am sorry Lady Torrianne. I mean no harm. My intentions are honest." he began apologizing.
"Let the poor lad go with a warning." Alan strolled into the barn.
"You're just supporting him because you've been in the same type of predictament." Tory accused
"Somewhat, yes. Except my predictament was the lass running off after I stole a kiss,--"
"Don'get get any ideas." Tory interrupted
"Well she left me, and I didn't get a chance to see her for quite a while and the entire time I hoped she'd give me a second chance." Alan finished
"Tory" Gemma said with subtle pleading.
Tobe as trying to give an innocent smile from his odd position.
"Fine. Gemma wait outside while I make my threat." Tory finally gave in.
Gemma was about to protest but a raised brow and pursed lips from Tory put that to a stop and the young giel sulked from the building.
Tory flipped Tobe around so he could stare right into the eyes that were called souless but they but they held some softness in them. "I can cause alot of damage boy, don't make me turn my wrath on you. I have alot of connections on alot of ways to keep an on you twenty-four seven. Don't make me use them." She released him.
"I understand quite well. I will treat Gemma as if she were a queen." Tobe gave a small bow and took off out the door.
"Did you just give him permission to court Gemma?" Alan asked with dramatic shock
"Yes. I think I did." she replied
"You know, I never received permission to court you." Alan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back into his chest.
"You don't have to worry about that, my mother told me that she approved of you, and that she likes you." She craned her head up to give him a soft kiss before leaving his arms and grabbing his hand, "Come on I want to atch her race." She winked and pulled him out the door.
They were to race around the outside of the wall. The people lined up right outside the gate. Most were tall youths with long legs. They were mostly young men from New Hope, a few from the Own, and some from the Riders. Even some of the young women Riders were joining in the race. All of them were tall and atleast a foot taller than Gemma.
"So what are the odds for Gemma?" Alan asked
"Not good." Tory smiled as she two gold nobles to one of the people collecting bets.
"And you're betting for her." Alan was curious of why
"Yes. I know what she can do." Tory lead him over to the starting line by the hand.
All the runners lined up and waited for the starting cry some of them suppressed luaghing at the short fourteen year old.
"On your marks. Get set. Go!" someone yelled and they all broke oout into a sprint.
The runners stayed in a tight group till they rounded the edge of the of the all and left sight.
"I hope she does okay if she places in the top five you might get some of your money back." Alan told Tory.
"Don't worry. I've seen her keep up with a horse for three miles. Don't ask me how she does it. All I know is that our training master made us run for hours on end until we passed out, her and her sister stayed with him on a horse the whole time and only fell behind a little when he galloped." Tory said with a smug grin on.
"Wow." was all Alan could say, "She must have horse blood in her. Here they come." He pointed around the other side of the wall and sure enough Gemma was a good twenty feet ahead of the pack. Her strides came faster and she pulled even farther ahead until she crossed the finished line.
"Amazing" Alan came up
"It wasn't hard." Gemma looked over the other racers that were gasping for breath. The young girl wasn't even breathing hard, "they wasted their wind on trying to keep up with me instead of beating eachother. Where's Tory?"
"I think she's collecting." Alan pointed over to Tory who was receiving coins from the man she placed her bet with.
"Tripled it plus some." Tory came over jingling coins in her hand, "Here Gem.' She tossed gemma some of the coins.
"Come on daggers are up next." Alan towed Tory to another are with Gemma following.
They had targets set up fifteen feet from where a line in the dirt as drawn. A variety of people were all standing by the line and other gathered around in a semi circle. Gemma walked off for a minute and returned ith a big grin, "Your turn to win me some coins"
"Did you find some one that didn't have good odds for me?" Tory looked at the girl.
"She thought you were just an arm ornament for you knight." Gemma nodded towards one of the local women.
The first two rounds went by easily with narrowing down the competition to Tory and a local man that was the same age as Alan.
"Sorry miss but I can't let you win." The young man told Tory and winked holding a small dagger and without looking tossed a dagger, hitting the center.
"Get 'em Tory" Alan murmured in her ear before pushing her toward the line.
"Don't worry sir you won't have to let me win. You just won't have a choice." She smiled and without looking away from him tossed a dagger, and it right in the middle in to the hilt.
They seemed equally matched. The young man tossed three more daggers, one after the other creating a triangle around the first dagger, he smirked.
She smirked back. She threw her daggers all at once. One pierced the first dagger's hilt. The other three seemed to move into the same place as the first dagger just making it wider.
Not many came over to congradulate her but stayed a little ways away shaking their heads.
"Wrestling is last." Gemma said, "Who's in that?"
"Me." Alan walked out to an area where the dirt was pressed down hard and flat. Men were stretching around a large circle. Alan took his shirt and shoes off and sat on the ground as well.
"Confident are we?" Tory asked him
"Nope but I plan on beating all but that blacksmith's son." Alan gestured towards a tall young man who was maybe a year older than Tory. He was half a foot taller than Alan and one of his biceps was the size of Alan's thigh.
"I see what you mean." Tory wayched the guy pin one man from the Own in two moves.
The rounds passed quickly and soon it was just Alan and the blacksmith's son that everyone called Nate.
Alan only held his own for a couple of moves. He agility got him out of a few tight spots and so long as Nate didn't get a good hold on him he would be alright. Then the larger man grabbed Alan, holding his arms down to his chest and threw him to the ground.
The match was called with Nate as the winner. Alan came over panting and sat down on the ground next to Tory.
"My chivalrous knight was bested. Poor thing." Tory handed him a water flask.
"I know." Alan wiped the sweat from his face and neck, "You know you could help my ego."
"How would I do that?" She stood up and helped him stand
"Say I was cheated. Kiss my wounds better." he put his arm through her's
She rolled her eyes at him, "You ego is the only thing hurt." She gave him a quick kiss, "Why don't you go clean up. I'm going to kind Kel and make sure we're still on good terms." Tory left
After an evening spent talking and joking with Kel and Alanna, Tory retired to her room. She crawled in her bed and began to fall asleep. In the middle of the night she woke after hearing a window creak next door in Gemma's room. Tory's eyes went wide then she heard her window begin to open.
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