Amice's Viewpoints-"The Summer of 469 and a Cat Named Dirk
Note: by mutual consent lorraine and I have bumped up the plot, so Amice is a squire to her sister Alianne, and Laylia has newly been made a squire. It is the year 469 HE. So enjoy a fifteen year old Amice, and fourteen year old Emmas, Laylias and Thoms.
Amice and Alianne spent that summer at Pirate's Swoop. It was a quiet year, so Alanna was at home a lot. Amice recieved word that Emma would be there in time for midsummer, and invited her to the celebrations.
Amice kept busy, spending much time in the stable. It was to her delight that she adopted a small kitten in the stable. He was completely black, and with purple eyes. He looked like a cat she had seen in an old painting of Alanna as a newly made knight. After he showed quite impressive claws, she named him Dirk.
Alanna never saw Dirk close-up until just before Midsummer. Amice had come to get her. They were going to ride out and meet Emma.
Amice dashed onto the top of the scrying tower where her parents were. "Are you coming, or am I going without you?" she demanded of Alanna.
"I'll be just a minute." Alanna said, smiling.
"An I - need - to - put - away - my - mirror minute, an I'll - be - right - there - but - I - need - to - say - goodbye - to - Dad - like - I'm - going -off -to - war - minute, or an Amice - I'm - busy - and - don't - bother -me - the - Scanrans - are - invading minute?"
George chuckled. "She's like you at that age."
"I hope not." Alanna muttered.
Amice stamped her foot. "So?" Dirk jumped up onto her shoulder, settled himself, and began to purr serenely.
Alanna looked at Dirk with narrowed eyes. "Who is this?"
Amice shrugged. "He's Dirk. He's a stablecat."
"Can I hold him?" Dirk immediately stopped his serene pur and made to jump. Alanna grabbed him. "Oh, no you don't, laddybuck." Looking at her daughter's frustrated expression, she said, "Go tack up the horses. I'll be there by the time you're finishing."
"Okay." Amice turned and left for the stables.
The moment Amice was out of earshot, Alanna took the cat and held him out in front of her. "And what do you think you're doing?" she demanded of the cat.
"Alanna, what's going on?" George asked, coming over.
Alanna thrust the cat at him. "Look, it's Faithful."
George studied the cat carefully. "Right down to the whisker. Isn't he dead?"
"Ah, yes, that. I could kill you again for dying on me like that." she told the cat.
Dirk/Faithful hissed, Shut up. The girl doen't know who I am.
Alanna opened her mouth to say something when she head a shout from the stableyard below. Amice waved next to a saddled Darkmoon and a half-bridled horse. She put the cat down. "Be right there." They both made for the stairs and down to Amice.
Emma noticed Amice's new pet, but if she knew he was immortal, she kept it to herself. Emma came to the Palace occasionally, and still trained with the pages and squires.
As they talked, Emma told Amice about something strange she had discovered. She had been able to shape-shift lately, which kept her out of trouble in enemy territorry.
Alanna looked thoughtful. "Perhaps George could find a use for this talent of yours."
Emma arched an eyebrow. "Spy? sounds interesting."
Heeheee. For once I have a lot of plot ahead of me. Emma's going to be a spy, and Amice a squire, and that's the way it's going to stay. I tried to write Emma back in but it just wouldn't work.
Note: by mutual consent lorraine and I have bumped up the plot, so Amice is a squire to her sister Alianne, and Laylia has newly been made a squire. It is the year 469 HE. So enjoy a fifteen year old Amice, and fourteen year old Emmas, Laylias and Thoms.
Amice and Alianne spent that summer at Pirate's Swoop. It was a quiet year, so Alanna was at home a lot. Amice recieved word that Emma would be there in time for midsummer, and invited her to the celebrations.
Amice kept busy, spending much time in the stable. It was to her delight that she adopted a small kitten in the stable. He was completely black, and with purple eyes. He looked like a cat she had seen in an old painting of Alanna as a newly made knight. After he showed quite impressive claws, she named him Dirk.
Alanna never saw Dirk close-up until just before Midsummer. Amice had come to get her. They were going to ride out and meet Emma.
Amice dashed onto the top of the scrying tower where her parents were. "Are you coming, or am I going without you?" she demanded of Alanna.
"I'll be just a minute." Alanna said, smiling.
"An I - need - to - put - away - my - mirror minute, an I'll - be - right - there - but - I - need - to - say - goodbye - to - Dad - like - I'm - going -off -to - war - minute, or an Amice - I'm - busy - and - don't - bother -me - the - Scanrans - are - invading minute?"
George chuckled. "She's like you at that age."
"I hope not." Alanna muttered.
Amice stamped her foot. "So?" Dirk jumped up onto her shoulder, settled himself, and began to purr serenely.
Alanna looked at Dirk with narrowed eyes. "Who is this?"
Amice shrugged. "He's Dirk. He's a stablecat."
"Can I hold him?" Dirk immediately stopped his serene pur and made to jump. Alanna grabbed him. "Oh, no you don't, laddybuck." Looking at her daughter's frustrated expression, she said, "Go tack up the horses. I'll be there by the time you're finishing."
"Okay." Amice turned and left for the stables.
The moment Amice was out of earshot, Alanna took the cat and held him out in front of her. "And what do you think you're doing?" she demanded of the cat.
"Alanna, what's going on?" George asked, coming over.
Alanna thrust the cat at him. "Look, it's Faithful."
George studied the cat carefully. "Right down to the whisker. Isn't he dead?"
"Ah, yes, that. I could kill you again for dying on me like that." she told the cat.
Dirk/Faithful hissed, Shut up. The girl doen't know who I am.
Alanna opened her mouth to say something when she head a shout from the stableyard below. Amice waved next to a saddled Darkmoon and a half-bridled horse. She put the cat down. "Be right there." They both made for the stairs and down to Amice.
Emma noticed Amice's new pet, but if she knew he was immortal, she kept it to herself. Emma came to the Palace occasionally, and still trained with the pages and squires.
As they talked, Emma told Amice about something strange she had discovered. She had been able to shape-shift lately, which kept her out of trouble in enemy territorry.
Alanna looked thoughtful. "Perhaps George could find a use for this talent of yours."
Emma arched an eyebrow. "Spy? sounds interesting."
Heeheee. For once I have a lot of plot ahead of me. Emma's going to be a spy, and Amice a squire, and that's the way it's going to stay. I tried to write Emma back in but it just wouldn't work.