Author's note: I wrote this for the Steelsings RPG, so the characters will seem unfamiliar to you, but this is a chronicle of Tortall, so there are some redeeming qualities. The main theme is a dark look at Tortall's future.
Furthermore: This story was written about a year and a half ago, and it is already finishedso when you ask for me to write more, I simply need to post the next part.
I'm posting it in installments to weigh the reactions and reviewsand things definitely get a better response if posted in installments, as you all probably know. Also, if there's a part you don't understand (something that I've assumed you should know, and was mistaken) please tell me so I can clarify my writing. One more thing, the Character Falcon's accent is a little screwyat one point he's understandable, and at another he isn't. I didn't realize this until a year and a half later. I think it stabilized in the last few chapters, but I apologize for thisneed to edit itbut that's far down on my list of writing tasks.
Disclaimer: Tortall, Alanna, George, and the family Conte belong to Tamora Pierce. Names of Places most likely belong to Tamora Pierce. Nael, Em, and Marc are characters of my own creation. Rin belongs to Roz, Fal to Ingrid, and Keiran to Mads, Ott and Yoric to Fio, Nar to Katy errr. Goldie to Goldie and I think that's it.
~The Future: Three~
Before Naelyn stoped to think, the two of them were slipping silently through the gates of Corus, past two unsuspecting guards. The man walked hurriedly down the crowded city streets. The houses became less and less grand, until finally, they were broken down slums. The man halted, and dropped the invisibility spell abruptly. Naelyn followed his eyes to a broken sign. She could barely make out the word 'Realms.'
The gold-haired man stepped over a fallen board, and through the doorway of the building. It looked much bigger--and much cleaner--on the inside. Nael looked around. Much to clean to be an abandoned building. Not like she was an expert on abandoned buildings or anything.
Suddenly there was a voice, and a knife was being held at her throat.
"Don't move, or you'll find yourself carpeting the floor."
The man was bending over to inspect a bottle that looked like it had been laying on the floor for about 25 years. A crossbow was now aimed at his back. He twisted around to see the owner of the voice.
It was a short dark-haired woman, who looked like she was about to slay an entire army, instead of just a middle-aged man and a scrawny 17 year old girl. The woman's short and unruly hair showed little sign of graying. Her sharp brown eyes stared at the two angrily, but when she met the eyes of Nael's guide, her eyebrows arched in surprise.
"Falcon Startredder, you --" Lets out a string of curses. "What the hell brings you here?" She dropped the knife from under Nael's throat and ran to hug him."
The man--Falcon--couldn't help grinning.
"I was just in the neighborhood, though I'd drop by. Just like ol' times Rin."
The woman called Rin snorted.
"Like old times Startredder, sure. And who's this you brought with you?" Her critical gaze turned towards Naelyn.
"Was still glowin' when I found her. Has the gift. at's why I brought er along."
"Really?" Rin stared closer. The girl had straight light brown hair, and medium blue eyes.
"Well I'll be damned. I thought they exterminated em all." She rubbed her chin. "Can she help us?"
"I don't think so." Naelyn spoke up. "I'm not trained."
"Well a' course you're not trained!" The woman exclaimed. "According to is high exultedness you're not alive, much less trained." She thought for a while. "Startredder, who exactly did you have in mind for training her?" Her eyes narrowed.
Falcon looked away, awkwardly.
"If you're hintin' at somethingor someONE, then perhaps you should go out and say it. I'm not known for my patience Startredder.
"I'm not un to be the peacekeeper, but maybe you better talk to her?"
"If you think I'm going to talk to that red-haired mage, you are sadly mistaken my friend." Rin pushed past him to close the door. Naelyn watched with interest.
"You can stay here girl. What do you call yourself"
"Naelyn—or Nael."
"Very well, Nael. Been plenty of extra rooms since—for a long time." Frowns at Falcon. "I don't know about training, but we will give you food and shelter.
"Its getting dark." Rin yawns. "And we can't afford to stay up all hours of the night. Not since Em's day have we had one day of peace.
Falcon nods, and doesn't say anything.
Nael pauses.
"Who are you?" She asks Rin. Rin frowns and lets out a sigh.
"The Queen of thieves, if that means anything to you. It used to mean plenty. Now its like being landlord of an abandoned lot."
"Thieves? Like George Cooper?" Nael asked. Falcon looked startled.
"Cooper? Just how ya learn about 'im?"
Rin furrowed her brow in thought. "Yeah, just how did you know 'bout Cooper?"
Nael showed them her book, which eloquently explained even the touchy subject of Alanna's marriage to the King of thieves.
Rin took the book and inspected the cover. She paged through it with much interest, until she came to the back cover.
"Where did you get this?" She asked sharply, keeping her hands tightly around the book.
"One of my friends gave it to me, ten years ago."
Rin showed the name on the back of the book to falcon, who's eyes grew wide. He muttered a few curse words.
"Few books survived the collapse of Tortall, and at least one is a boring history by the Scribe. Gods." Rin handed the book back to Nael. "Keep it safe."
"I will." Nael said quietly.