Hey guys! This is my last chapter to the forever too long getting out a chapter fanfic No Worries! I know what a disappointment shed a tear I hope you guys all like it. It's been interesting writing this… especially with certain NOBLES constantly yelling at me for not getting it out soon enough. Thanks to all who've reviewed this…you'll see my final Author's note at the bottom g Enjoy!!
Disclaimers: I don't' own anyone…except for kind of Orlin…but not really… that's about it…Here we go!
Alanna paced the long hallway outside the offices of the Secret Service of Tortall. George, Jon and Gary were in the office, telling Commander Douglas of Veldine, their long time friend, exactly what had happened. It had seemed forever before the four men came out with grins on their faces.
Alanna frowned, "George! This is not a time to be smiling! Thom is missing."
George smiled and kissed her on the forehead, "Alanna, Douglas and Jon looked for him with their magic. They found him and know exactly where he is."
Alanna started walking briskly down the hall, "Then let's go, now!"
Jon, with his long stride quickly caught up to Alanna and stopped her, saying sarcastically, "Lady Knight, we need to plan before we actually go and get the dear child. Remember, we need a strategy?"
Alanna sighed, " I know Jonathan. So let's get to it, shall we?" Alanna turned around and strode down the hall, turning the corner and heading straight for her room to put on her gold mail.
"George, d'you think she'll ever be less stubborn?" said Gary grinning.
George snorted, "I think that might take quite a while Gary. So, we meet at 4 a.m. in the War Chamber?"
Jon nodded, "Yes, and George, try to get her to stay here. We all know she wants to come to get her son, but this is a Secret Service operation."
George snorted and grinned, "I don't think I should even attempt at it Jon. She'll probably yell her head off and then not talk to me till we get our child back." George nodded to Gary, Jon and Douglas and then followed the path of his wife, down the hall and turning the corner to get himself ready for the fight.
Jon grinned, he knew the couple would not sit down while their young son was out their with George's father who was, from what George had said, a dangerous man.
George opened the door to his and Alanna's room in the palace and found Alanna sitting down on the bed with her face in her hands and sobbing softly.
He walked over to his wife, pulled her hands away from her face and began kissing away her tears softly, "There it is love. We'll find him, I know we will."
Alanna smiled meekly up at George and said, "I know George. But can you tell me, what is this 'cooper mark'?"
George stepped away from Alanna and pulled up his shirt to reveal a large "x" mark on the small of his back. The inner part of the X was black, and then blended out too blue, green and eventually blending in with his skin.
"My mother helped me hide it with my magic once it started to grow. The Cooper Mark is a distinct tattoo that a young male Cooper usually gets when he is born. It grows as you grow and it's famous for its leading people into thievery and other such treacheries. That's why it was so hard for me to start living a normal life once I quit being the Rogue. And I don't want Thom to have to go through that, Alanna. He can't."
Alanna got up and looked George in the eyes as she reached up to hug him around his neck, " My love. Don't worry. We're going to find him before your father does anything to him. We will." Alanna let go of George and sat back down on the bed and began to tie the laces of her boot.
George stepped behind the dressing screen to get his breeches, shirt and vest, "I know my dear. I just don't want him going through something like this. It's so hard because I know what it feels like, to have to hide something from those you love is incredibly hard."
"George, don't worry. We'll find him. I know we will."
As she said this, George came out from behind the screen and picked her up into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. As he put her down he said, "I know lover. Now let's go save our son."
Orlin Cooper sat among his people, in a tavern just outside of Corus. He grinned as he nodded to the innkeeper and stood up. Orlin walked to the back of the inn and opened a door revealing a young woman cradling a young child in her arms.
"So Lady Cythera, I see you get along well with the child. The child who soon will be sealed to the rogue's life forever. Though I am unaware of what I shall do with you."
Orlin put his hand under Lady Cythera's chin and she responded with a spit in his face and said, "You won't be able to touch me nor the child. The King's warriors will come and kill you for what you've done. You will never get away from this!"
Orlin snorted and said, " I doubt it my lady. How can they find our hiding place? We've guarded with spells against finding spells. Well, at least ones that won't be able to be detected by my son or my wife."
Cythera raised her eyebrow at the older man as he nodded to her and left the room. She grinned and then cooed at the baby who giggled softly.
Alanna, George, Gary and a small squad of the own patrolled the street near Orlin's tavern. Alanna and George wearing serious disguises and acting like newly-wed lovers, not that they had done that before. Alanna was wearing a black wig and a revealing commoner's dress, showing off her cleavage. Her eyes had been magiked so they appeared blue, rather than violet. George's hair was a pale blonde and also had blue eyes, giving off the aura of being a Scanran for he was also very tall. Six men of the King's Own acted as a rambunctious, drunk group of young men and the other twelve or so wandered the street talking to themselves or entered the tavern where Orlin and his people were.
Alanna and George walked into the inn and went up to Orlin.
Alanna purred, "Hello Orlin."
Orlin raised an eyebrow and took Alanna's hand and kissed it, "Hello love. Who might you be?"
Alanna averted her eyes to the door where she saw several of the disguised King's Own come and go towards the back room where Cythera and Thom were hidden, and then responded, "Katarina. Don't you remember Orlin? I was sixteen when you met me in Scanra?"
Orlin grinned devilishly and then pulled her close and put a knife to her neck, "I've never been to Scanra 'Katarina.' Who are you and state your purpose?"
Alanna saw the men coming out of the room with Cythera, having Thom in her arms, "Oh, you might remember me. I'm Alanna, your son's wife!" Alanna grabbed Orlin's wrist and flipped him over her back as all of the men in the Inn stood up unsheathing their knifes as countless King's Own came in.
George swiftly strode over to where Alanna was and picked his father up, "I'm sorry Father. But I have to do this, after all you took my baby away from me hoping to inflict as much pain on him as you did me. I can't allow you to do that to him. So, Orlin Cooper you are arrested for the kidnapping of Lady Cythera and Master Thom of Pirate's Swoop. You will be sent to the Lord Provost's court."
Orlin spat in his own son's face and responded, "Have your fun sonnie, but you won't get me yet." Orlin whispered a word, but before he could complete his short worded spell, Alanna managed to put a bond on his magic, making him unable to disappear.
Alanna grinned, "Nice try Orlin. You did that once before, you won't do it again." Alanna handcuffed her father in law as several King's Own came over to get him.
Cythera came over with baby Thom in her arms and smiled, "Here Alanna."
Alanna smiled and took her baby from Cythera as George put his hands on her shoulders, "Thank you Cythera. Are you going to be okay?"
Cythera grinned, "Oh I'll be fine. I'm just a little… corrupted I guess you could say. Well, I'll see you too later." Cythera ran over to Gary wrapping her arms around him and kissing him thoroughly as Alanna looked up into the eyes of George.
"Well, I guess we'll be fine now my dear," George said as he touched Thom's cheek with his finger as the baby gurgled. "I don't think either of us know any more people who wish to take our child away."
Alanna grinned and said, "No, I don't think we do, love. No worries anymore it seems."
"Right my dear, no worries," said George as he tilted Alanna's chin up with a finger and kissed her lightly.
Author's FINAL NOTE:
Okay guys… I know this is a short ending that should have come out a while ago but you gotta give me credit g I finally finished this thing after several months of undergoing constant nagging by Jae to finish this fic which I could have finished better but I've been writing a new one and have been too lazy to finish this one. I'll be coming out with a new thing in a week or two which involved original characters which takes place in Tortall at the same time as Girl of the Gardens at Travel to the Past by Melusine and Ariel. Well…here we go. Many thanks too:
Jaelawyn Noble – For being my muse! Ever giving me ideas and pushing me to finish this goddamn fic g I finally did finish it my dear! You should be proud! Now where's that Vinson/Kel thingie? Eh? g
Katy, Sara, Kathy, Nina and Cait – for giving me new ideas to put into my *new* fic that's coming out soon! Yeah Rp! g
And just to Cait – for always asking me how my stories are going and for always helping out with my many html questions (cause I have no computer skilz what-so-eva! g)
Well…that's about it guys! Hope you liked it!