hey! this is part 4 (duh) and as usual i dont own the characters 'cept the bad one and the cute one. and im fanfic-ing as fast as i can! hehes, well one a nite is pretty good. bye!
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As soon as the dark sky tinged rose at its edges, the rebels were advancing on the Fort once again. With barely a reprieve during the short night, tired bowmen and footsoldiers rubbed their bleary eyes, the resumed their positions at the battlements.
Alanna rode with the soldiers, along with Raoul and the King's Own, because they were sorely pressed for help. Her hand clasped tightly around her sword, she moved forward at Raoul's call.
They instantly met battle with mercenaries who, despite the long fight the day before, seemed to be fresh. Swinging her sword, Dawning, named so for the sky colored amythests strung on silver wire on the hilt, she struck mechanically and skillfully.
Next to her, a young Guardsman went down with a cry, a long cut in his leg. For one moment, the face she saw was Coram's, and she shrieked in fright. Then, the face blurred back to the unfamiliar youth whose tanned face was twisted in pain. Clutching her ember necklace, she saw yellow fire vanish.
She turned, but the damage was done. A large spearsman had already sliced her shoulder. Biting her lip in pain, she stared at the face hovering over her. Weakly giving a swing with Dawning, she scored a shallow hit on his right arm. But...
With a gasp, Alanna recognized one of the most prominant nobles in Tortall, Jaron of Relomar. His golden brow was furrowed, but he laughed briefly and lowly. He moved away and disappeared in the fluctuating bodies.
She screamed, the first time she had uttered a single sound since the beginning of the skirmish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George, a shocked expression on his normally-cheerful face, held Alanna's hand as she rested unconciously on a pallet. "Now, Jon, how did my lass here get hit this bad?"
Jon rubbed his face wearily with his hand. "I don't know!"
"Well, I for one am glad that Raoul picked her up before she lost any more blood!" Duke Baird announced as he walked into the King's study. "She will be ok, but will be very weak for a while."
Jon gasped. "She's out of action? We needed...her swordarm and her Gift!"
Glaring at him, George squeezed Alanna's hand. "D'you want her to get well?!"
The King sank down into a chair. His clouded blue eyes stared into space for a few minutes. Alarmed, the others remained silent.
After a few minutes, Jon said haltingly, "Numair has been working day and night to lift the dampening spells, but he is nearly drained empty. There are 1,000"- he laughed bitterly-"1,000! We only have 200! Mercenaries must have flowed from the Copper Isles."
Gary whispered, "So, without the Jewel, we are done for."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes after Gary's terrifying verdict, the war counsel returned to the wall in time to see their men hacking at ropes thrown up by enemies. With a roar, Jonathan flooded the side of the battlement wall. The men climbing were instantly fried to a crisp, while those on the ground backed away in awe.
It would have been a more spectacular feat if the King didn't falter, gasping after the phenomenal use of magic. He dropped to one knee, with George holding him up by one arm.
The crowds below were still stunned when a lone Stormwing approached the wall. A delicately wrought scroll was clasped in his silver claw. Daine raised her bow quickly, recalling her first siege at Pirate's Swoop almost four years ago. He dropped the scroll into Raoul's outstretched palm, who handed it to Jon.
He opened it, then paled. "They've called an official truce until we have deliberated." Gesturing for the guards to hold their posts, he yanked the others back into his study.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kally backed away from her notch in the tower. A truce? But...She walked blindly until she smacked into Collun for the second time that week. He clutched her arm.
"Kally?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you ok?"
She took a deep breath. "Just tired. How are you holding up?"
"Pretty well, considering." He drew her closer. It was only dawn, and the sky barely shown through their window slit. Kally hugged him around the waist tightly. Though she tried to will it back, hot tears were sliding out of her eyes.
Feeling the moisture through his tunic, Collun stroked her dark, pretty hair. "Kal, whats wrong?"
"Its...I never killed anyone before! I never thought i would have to! But yesterday..." she sobbed.
He hugged her tightly. "Maybe it will be over soon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon stared at the parchment in his hand. "Jaron! How could he?"
A slumped figure stood up slowly. "Jon, im sorry. We can't hold out any more, and we can't send any messeges! Homing pidgeons were shot! We are surrounded by a mage's spell. And," he sighed. "I cant break it. Im too drained."
Alanna sat up weakly from the couch she was situated on. "Then, the only thing we can do is surrender. Half our men are out of action."
The King stood then. "He is demanding 1/3 of Tortall, jewels, and Kalasin's hand in marriage!"
Silence.
"Do we have to?" Gary said softly.
Jon grimaced. "Joren is sending an army to Corus, a sort of surprise. We can't warn them, so they would be slaughtered in their sleep."
Her face grey, Alanna nodded. "You have no choice."
"How are you going to tell her? That is, if we must give up," George added.
A gasp echoed in the silence. Kally stood in the doorway, holding Collun's hand. She stepped away, and stood staring at the Council. "You would..."
She stepped back, disgusted. "I would never marry that monster! I would take my own life before accepting that, that abominable proposition!"
The princess swung around and ran out of the room.
Jon stared at his shocked collegues and the pale squire left standing alone. "We have no choice," he begged, desperate for some reassurance. This awful choice! Was it right? He searched his friends' bleak faces.
Sadly, they nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
well, seeya all laters, alligators! please add critisism if my writing can be helped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As soon as the dark sky tinged rose at its edges, the rebels were advancing on the Fort once again. With barely a reprieve during the short night, tired bowmen and footsoldiers rubbed their bleary eyes, the resumed their positions at the battlements.
Alanna rode with the soldiers, along with Raoul and the King's Own, because they were sorely pressed for help. Her hand clasped tightly around her sword, she moved forward at Raoul's call.
They instantly met battle with mercenaries who, despite the long fight the day before, seemed to be fresh. Swinging her sword, Dawning, named so for the sky colored amythests strung on silver wire on the hilt, she struck mechanically and skillfully.
Next to her, a young Guardsman went down with a cry, a long cut in his leg. For one moment, the face she saw was Coram's, and she shrieked in fright. Then, the face blurred back to the unfamiliar youth whose tanned face was twisted in pain. Clutching her ember necklace, she saw yellow fire vanish.
She turned, but the damage was done. A large spearsman had already sliced her shoulder. Biting her lip in pain, she stared at the face hovering over her. Weakly giving a swing with Dawning, she scored a shallow hit on his right arm. But...
With a gasp, Alanna recognized one of the most prominant nobles in Tortall, Jaron of Relomar. His golden brow was furrowed, but he laughed briefly and lowly. He moved away and disappeared in the fluctuating bodies.
She screamed, the first time she had uttered a single sound since the beginning of the skirmish.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George, a shocked expression on his normally-cheerful face, held Alanna's hand as she rested unconciously on a pallet. "Now, Jon, how did my lass here get hit this bad?"
Jon rubbed his face wearily with his hand. "I don't know!"
"Well, I for one am glad that Raoul picked her up before she lost any more blood!" Duke Baird announced as he walked into the King's study. "She will be ok, but will be very weak for a while."
Jon gasped. "She's out of action? We needed...her swordarm and her Gift!"
Glaring at him, George squeezed Alanna's hand. "D'you want her to get well?!"
The King sank down into a chair. His clouded blue eyes stared into space for a few minutes. Alarmed, the others remained silent.
After a few minutes, Jon said haltingly, "Numair has been working day and night to lift the dampening spells, but he is nearly drained empty. There are 1,000"- he laughed bitterly-"1,000! We only have 200! Mercenaries must have flowed from the Copper Isles."
Gary whispered, "So, without the Jewel, we are done for."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twenty minutes after Gary's terrifying verdict, the war counsel returned to the wall in time to see their men hacking at ropes thrown up by enemies. With a roar, Jonathan flooded the side of the battlement wall. The men climbing were instantly fried to a crisp, while those on the ground backed away in awe.
It would have been a more spectacular feat if the King didn't falter, gasping after the phenomenal use of magic. He dropped to one knee, with George holding him up by one arm.
The crowds below were still stunned when a lone Stormwing approached the wall. A delicately wrought scroll was clasped in his silver claw. Daine raised her bow quickly, recalling her first siege at Pirate's Swoop almost four years ago. He dropped the scroll into Raoul's outstretched palm, who handed it to Jon.
He opened it, then paled. "They've called an official truce until we have deliberated." Gesturing for the guards to hold their posts, he yanked the others back into his study.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kally backed away from her notch in the tower. A truce? But...She walked blindly until she smacked into Collun for the second time that week. He clutched her arm.
"Kally?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you ok?"
She took a deep breath. "Just tired. How are you holding up?"
"Pretty well, considering." He drew her closer. It was only dawn, and the sky barely shown through their window slit. Kally hugged him around the waist tightly. Though she tried to will it back, hot tears were sliding out of her eyes.
Feeling the moisture through his tunic, Collun stroked her dark, pretty hair. "Kal, whats wrong?"
"Its...I never killed anyone before! I never thought i would have to! But yesterday..." she sobbed.
He hugged her tightly. "Maybe it will be over soon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jon stared at the parchment in his hand. "Jaron! How could he?"
A slumped figure stood up slowly. "Jon, im sorry. We can't hold out any more, and we can't send any messeges! Homing pidgeons were shot! We are surrounded by a mage's spell. And," he sighed. "I cant break it. Im too drained."
Alanna sat up weakly from the couch she was situated on. "Then, the only thing we can do is surrender. Half our men are out of action."
The King stood then. "He is demanding 1/3 of Tortall, jewels, and Kalasin's hand in marriage!"
Silence.
"Do we have to?" Gary said softly.
Jon grimaced. "Joren is sending an army to Corus, a sort of surprise. We can't warn them, so they would be slaughtered in their sleep."
Her face grey, Alanna nodded. "You have no choice."
"How are you going to tell her? That is, if we must give up," George added.
A gasp echoed in the silence. Kally stood in the doorway, holding Collun's hand. She stepped away, and stood staring at the Council. "You would..."
She stepped back, disgusted. "I would never marry that monster! I would take my own life before accepting that, that abominable proposition!"
The princess swung around and ran out of the room.
Jon stared at his shocked collegues and the pale squire left standing alone. "We have no choice," he begged, desperate for some reassurance. This awful choice! Was it right? He searched his friends' bleak faces.
Sadly, they nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
well, seeya all laters, alligators! please add critisism if my writing can be helped.