"Can you tell us one of your true stories please Mummy?" Asked Amber. Alice sighed.
"Time to get the fire ready then" She said.
"Yay!" Chorused her two kids. Ryan helped Alice set up the fire outside, whilst Amber sat and watched the process.
"Stand back now Ryan" Alice said. "You don't want to burn your pants off."
Ryan's face flushed a crimson red, Amber laughing. As Ryan did what his mother said, Alice summoned a small bit of fire in her hand, then, with a bit of force, shot it at the fire. Ryan jumped back in suprise as the fire, which was no where near him, flared up.
"Cool!" Amber exclaimed. Alice laughed.
"Right now, you need to sit down" Alice said to Ryan. He nodded, then sat down.
"Well" Alice saic, sitting down. "Let's go all the way back to when I was 15."
Ryan and Amber leaned forward eagerly.
"My mentor Gilan, the others and I were faced with a problem. There was a Gallican force trying to invade Araluen. They called themselves Isimas. Absolute fools they were. I realised that we'd have to talk to my step father, Masi, over in Montsombre. I made this decision ruefully as I realised it was my only chance. I, with a little help from Will, was able to persuade the Skandians to transport us over to Gallica. It was a long, rough ride, and Halt probably threw up over he railing a million times."
Ryan and Amber laughed at the picture Alice painted.
"When we got to Gallica" Alice continued, silencing her children. "It was still a four days ride to Montsombre. We decided to take Erak and Svengal with us. They had wanted to anyway, and at least we'd have some better support. I didn't know how many scouting parties a force needed, but there was certainly a lot. About an odd 500 men they had. When I first checked they had 150. Must've picked up recruits. When I reached my stepfathers place, a.k.a Montsombre, Erak was complaining that his behind hurt. So was Svengal."
Her kids laughed again at the picture of the two Skandians whining, and also the word 'behind'.
"We walked up stairs and down corridors until we reached the study hall's anteroom" Alice continued. "We decided to go there because, unless you've never seen a study, you would know that you wouldn't be able to fit Halt, Gilan, Horace, Erak, Svengal, Alex, Will and I into a room with my stepfather and his guards."
"Despite the fact I thought we would" Said a voice. Alice turned to find Will.
"Where've you been?" Alice asked.
"Doing stuff" Will replied. Ryan snorted in an unsuccessful attempt to hide his laughter.
"How about I continue telling this story hey?" Will Asked Alice.
"Yeah!" Her two kids chorused.
"Alright" Alice said. "Go on then."
"Well" Will said. "Whilst we did some planning, we figured out we'd need to do a fake attack at their front, which Erak said he would happily lead. Then,.."
"You needed to flank them?" Asked Ryan, cutting Will off.
"Spot on kiddo" Will said.
"What about their sides?" Amber asked.
"Whadya think us archers are for?" Will replied in question.
"Ooh" Amber said.
"We decided that Alice could lead her own force" Will continued. "At the time she was only and apprentice, but she'd trained with a sword ever since she could run."
"That's right" Alice said, unsheathing the royal sword and brandishing it in her right hand.
"Can I hold it?" Ryan asked.
"Alright" She said. "But be careful."
Amber and Ryan stared at it in awe whilst Will continued. "She was training soldiers for a while after that, but we'll get to that later. In the mean time, an argument rose between Masi and Alice. He threatened her after a while talking about his crimes of murdering her parents, said she was next..."
"Will," Alice said softly. "Kids."
"Oh, right" He said. "Moving on. After, we were outside when we realised Alice wasn't with us, then there was the smash of a window and a scream. That's when Erak and I looked up to find Alice hanging out Masi's study window. Erak burst through the castle doors. Next thing we know, he's back out with Alice in his arms."
Ryan and Amber gasped, before glancing at their mother, sharpening her saxe knife.
"We had her taken to the hospital wing,so she could heal and get treated. I could sense the change in atmosphere as we all waited anxiously to see if Alice would come back. Then, we had an unexpected approach. A man stood in front of me, black and grey cloaked. He told me his name was Samuel. Samuel Callihan. Alice's brother. Alice came out at this, unharmed and healed. Samuel had heard of what happened, and he was as equally relieved as everyone else. She went straight past us. Erak moved to follow her. He eventually came back and told us that Alice had gone psycho, and that we needed to see. We turned into a corridor, lined with the bodies of soldiers. At the end, looming over Masi, was Alice. Despite nothing was happening despite the fact that Alice was only talking to Masi, the hall echoed with a deafening noise, and we had to yell to hear each other. Masi's cries of mercy cut through it."
"Probably cause he was screaming them" Alice said, not looking up from the task she was doing, now sharpening her throwing knife.
"True" Will said. "I had to stop her. I called out to her."
"That certainly got my attention now didn't it?" Alice snarled. "You should've let me kill him then and there."
"But I didn't" Will said smugly.
"Don't tempt me Will Treaty" Alice said dangerously.
"Moving on" Will said. "We were able to find the perfect spot to put our plan into action. Alice lead her own force of Skandians. She seemed to enjoy the fact."
"Because you didn't leave me with Masi's foolish cavalry like I thought you would" Alice said. "He replaced the cavalry that had become to loyal to Morgarath, which happened to be all of them, with his own mercenaries."
"Oh" Will said. Alice smiled. "Soon enough, after about 1 and a half hours later, there was the invading force. Halt, Gilan and I Where in the forest with a force of trained archers. Once the force had all came into the clearing, and the other flanking force filed in to fill the entrance, the fight started. 'Whenever you're ready Erak!' I heard Alice call to Erak. There was the battle cry of the Skandians, then they broke out of the surrounding forest. Shortly after, Alice led her force into battle. When the force was distracted, the flanking force closed in, Halt signalling the start of the first volley of arrows. The battle was in full swing. The invading force went to turn and retreat, overcome by the flanking force. They were outnumbered. We came out victorious. But, we couldn't find Alice. Gilan went and looked for her, then Rodney told him where she was. Rodney and Arald loved a good battle, so they came too. Alice was finishing off first aid for Alex. I'd overheard Rodney tell Alice that she had used some sort of sorcery to heal Alex. She looked like she should've been dead herself."
"Really?" Alice said. "I had to save your butt in the heat of it all when you didn't notice an odd ten men about to flank your archer force. Give me some credit."
Will rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He said. "Well, time you two got to bed."
"Awwww" Chorused her kids. Alice walked up and kneeled down in front of them.
"If you go now, I'll tell you another story in the mornin'. Now come on." Alice got up, following her kids inside.
"You like Will, don't you?" Ryan asked.
"Wh-What? No" Alice scoffed. Ryan raised an eyebrow at her.
He's aced that, she thought. "Okay, maybe a little."
"He likes you, ya know?" Amber said. "Just wait and see." Amber and Ryan eventually fell asleep. Alice walked outside, to find Will brandishing her sword, sitting at the fire.
"So, you like it?" Alice said, sitting down next to him.
"Yes" Will replied. "Quite nice, if I don't say so myself."
"But you did" Alice said, smiling. "Just then."
"Ya got me" Will said, handing Alice her sword. She sheathed it.
"So uh, Amber says you like me" Alice said.
Will sighed. "That's true" He said. Alice kissed him.
"Same here" She said when she pulled away. Will was stunned. Alice wasn't playing Will this time like she had with Keren. She meant it. Will kissed her this time. After a few moments, they pulled away from each other, both embarrassed.
"So uh, see you tomorrow" Alice said. Will nodded. Alice got up, and strode to the house, before closing the door. Will smiled. He was going to tell Horace what just happened.
Tomorrow.
