A/N: Heh, sorry bout the cliffie last time...*giggles* okay, actually I'm not. I enjoyed doing it! Anyways, thanks for the reviews and please review this time (pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease????) or email me at faerie-dragon@home.com or IM me at LadySquireKel. Yes, I am desperate for chit-chat...I have no life! And here's the fic...
Disclaimer: Everyone and everything belongs to Tamora Pierce. She owns the world. Well, actually she only owns the world that this fic is in...*shakes head* but now I'm just confusing myself, so...nothing in this story is mine, 'cept for the plot. The rest is Tammys.
~~~~~
Myles massaged his forehead. "Can't a body get some - where am I?" Sitting up, he let out a rush of air as his memory of the evening's events returned. "Oh. That's right. We're at Pirate's Swoop. The walls were moving."
The person was now 30 feet away and coming into greater focus, though the edges of the figure still melded with the shadows. "What the - who are - Myles?" The person raced over to Sir Myles and by that time it was quite obvious she was a woman. A very distinctive woman.
Kel scooted back from her teacher as the Lioness ran to him, eyes locked on her idol. Goddess, I wonder if she'll notice me. Keeping Sir Alanna in her line of vision, Kel backed up a little further and pushed herself to the side as well.
Neal kept an eye on Kel, hoping she'd be alright. He didn't want her to make a fool out of herself, or to get hurt if the Lioness didn't notice her. Not that she'd ever show it if she were, he thought wryly.
Dropping to her knees in front of her adoptive father, Alanna grasped him tightly in a hug. "What are you doing here?" She cried.
Myles grinned swaying a bit. "It's a long story Alanna. But, ah, the basic gist of it is: the walls were moving and we ended up here."
Alanna rocked back on her heels and met his eyes squarely. "You're drunk."
Neal interrupter then, saying, "No, Sir, he's not - well, he is drunk, I'll give you that, but what he's saying - it's the truth."
"What?" Alanna asked, looking as though she thought Neal and Myles were insane - which she did.
"On our honors, it's true," Myles told her, looking to Neal and Kel for conformation. They both nodded.
Alanna turned to look at them. Her eyes glided over Neal, and came to a halt at Kel. She muttered something - it sounded suspiciously like "dammit" - and closed her eyes a moment. Kel and Neal exchanged looks. Finally the Lioness opened her eyes and gave Myles a hand up. "Let's go find George."
The two squires scrambled up to follow.
The group found, though, that drunken men who have been walking all night and passed out are not able to travel. So, they stopped to let Myles rest and his daughter gave him strength through her magic.
"No - " he'd protested, but she'd cut him off. "Oh, stop it Myles. You need it more than I do.
A few feet away, Kel and Neal sat, discussing how much trouble they were going to be in. "Okay, so, worst case scenario - he ties us up and rants for hours and then the King'll come and lecture us, then of course there'll be Master Numair - for "messing" with the magic - and then we'll be back to Lord Wyldon again," Neal said. "Hey - they did outlaw torture . . . didn't they?"
"I certainly hope so."
"What are you two talking about?" Myles asked, struggling to sit up, despite his daughter's protests. With a cry of pain, he reached a sitting position, supporting himself on the wall. Breathing heavily, he gasped, "Well?"
Alanna shook her head. "Myles - you have to rest! Now!" When he opened his mouth, she covered it with her hand. "No buts."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm being ordered around by my daughter?" muttered Myles, rolling his eyes.
Alanna looked at him sternly. "Because you are." Sighing, she glanced at the hall. Thinking out loud, she said, "Well, we can't fetch George as a group because you can't walk, we can't just sit here and wait, because, well, who in their right mind is up and roaming the halls at this time of night?"
"That's what I said," Neal whispered, but Alanna heard him. She looked at him, and he shrugged. "But you're up."
"I'm not in my right mind."
Impatiently she tapped her fingers against the wall. "I can't leave you here - someone could come and find you. Who knows who it would be or what could happen."
Neal was confused. "You just contradicted yourself though. You said we couldn't wait because no one will come, and you said you couldn't leave because someone will come."
"It could go either way, though." It was the first time Kel had spoken to - or rather, at - either of the adults since the arrival of the Lioness. Alanna wondered briefly if this girl was normally so quiet, and then stamped the thought. I'll find out soon enough, anyhow, she reasoned. So, why worry about it just yet? All she said was, "Exactly." Then, she stood up. "Wait a second . . . " she murmured. "This way - " she glanced back to Myles " - this is the way to the twin's and Thom's rooms. It's a bit of a walk though . . . I wonder . . . "
"Why don't you send the two of them to get Thom? Then they can go get George."
"But Thom might not believe them."
"Who might I not believe?" asked a young boy's voice from around a turn a bit of a ways up the hallway in question. The owner of the voice stepped into the mild light of the hall - Alanna had lit it with her magic - and a boy with vivid red hair and a questioning look in his eyes became visible to the group.
"Thom!" Alanna said, surprised. "What are you doing up? It's the middle of the night!"
Neal threw up his hands. "Okay, that's it. I'm officially confused - "
"Oh, it's official now?" Kel asked innocently. He made a face at her, then continued. "I'm officially confused now. I thought you wanted Thom here."
Alanna waved a hand. "I did. But I didn't expect him to be up this late - " she turned an evil glare on her son. "Well?"
Thom muttered something under his breath. "Oh come on Ma, you can't wander around the halls and not expect someone to hear you! Besides, what are you doing up so late, yourself? And - Granda?" He ran to Myles and embraced him. "What are you doing here?"
"Don't try to change the subject," Alanna warned. "I still want to know why you're out here. But in the meantime - will you three go and find George?" She gestured at the two squires and her son. All three of them turned bleary eyes on her and Kel and Neal then turned theirs on Thom, who shrugged. "I'm Thom," he said, extending a hand to Neal, who accepted. "Neal," he responded. Thom then turned to Kel.
Thom smiled slightly. "Keladry of Mindelan, correct?" She stared at him, "Yeah... How'd you know?"
Thom chuckled. "Palace uniform and you're a girl."
Kel bit her lip, and then exchanged an amused glance with Neal. "Well at least he didn't lecture you," her friend muttered. Kel waved a hand. "Oh no, only people at banquets do that . . . " They laughed at the strange looks Thom and Alanna were giving them. Shrugging, Kel said, "You have to have humor when you spend your days getting whacked around."
"And screamed at by an insane Training Master," Neal added. "I am the comic relief."
"He's also insane, but that's a different story," Sir Myles said, mock-seriously, though the laughter was visible in his eyes and the crinkles around them. Then, he gasped in pain once again. "I think I'm sitting on a stormwing!" he cried.
Trying to ease his discomfort, Alanna smiled in spite of herself. "Thom, can you three go find your father then? Bring him back here."
He nodded, and turned to Kel and Neal. "Come on. Follow me."
~~~~~
A/N: Review please! And thanks for the help Jae...*grins* I am hopeless, am I not? Thanks for beta-reading it Mads...can you say lifesaver??? Heehee...
~Dani
Disclaimer: Everyone and everything belongs to Tamora Pierce. She owns the world. Well, actually she only owns the world that this fic is in...*shakes head* but now I'm just confusing myself, so...nothing in this story is mine, 'cept for the plot. The rest is Tammys.
~~~~~
Myles massaged his forehead. "Can't a body get some - where am I?" Sitting up, he let out a rush of air as his memory of the evening's events returned. "Oh. That's right. We're at Pirate's Swoop. The walls were moving."
The person was now 30 feet away and coming into greater focus, though the edges of the figure still melded with the shadows. "What the - who are - Myles?" The person raced over to Sir Myles and by that time it was quite obvious she was a woman. A very distinctive woman.
Kel scooted back from her teacher as the Lioness ran to him, eyes locked on her idol. Goddess, I wonder if she'll notice me. Keeping Sir Alanna in her line of vision, Kel backed up a little further and pushed herself to the side as well.
Neal kept an eye on Kel, hoping she'd be alright. He didn't want her to make a fool out of herself, or to get hurt if the Lioness didn't notice her. Not that she'd ever show it if she were, he thought wryly.
Dropping to her knees in front of her adoptive father, Alanna grasped him tightly in a hug. "What are you doing here?" She cried.
Myles grinned swaying a bit. "It's a long story Alanna. But, ah, the basic gist of it is: the walls were moving and we ended up here."
Alanna rocked back on her heels and met his eyes squarely. "You're drunk."
Neal interrupter then, saying, "No, Sir, he's not - well, he is drunk, I'll give you that, but what he's saying - it's the truth."
"What?" Alanna asked, looking as though she thought Neal and Myles were insane - which she did.
"On our honors, it's true," Myles told her, looking to Neal and Kel for conformation. They both nodded.
Alanna turned to look at them. Her eyes glided over Neal, and came to a halt at Kel. She muttered something - it sounded suspiciously like "dammit" - and closed her eyes a moment. Kel and Neal exchanged looks. Finally the Lioness opened her eyes and gave Myles a hand up. "Let's go find George."
The two squires scrambled up to follow.
The group found, though, that drunken men who have been walking all night and passed out are not able to travel. So, they stopped to let Myles rest and his daughter gave him strength through her magic.
"No - " he'd protested, but she'd cut him off. "Oh, stop it Myles. You need it more than I do.
A few feet away, Kel and Neal sat, discussing how much trouble they were going to be in. "Okay, so, worst case scenario - he ties us up and rants for hours and then the King'll come and lecture us, then of course there'll be Master Numair - for "messing" with the magic - and then we'll be back to Lord Wyldon again," Neal said. "Hey - they did outlaw torture . . . didn't they?"
"I certainly hope so."
"What are you two talking about?" Myles asked, struggling to sit up, despite his daughter's protests. With a cry of pain, he reached a sitting position, supporting himself on the wall. Breathing heavily, he gasped, "Well?"
Alanna shook her head. "Myles - you have to rest! Now!" When he opened his mouth, she covered it with her hand. "No buts."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm being ordered around by my daughter?" muttered Myles, rolling his eyes.
Alanna looked at him sternly. "Because you are." Sighing, she glanced at the hall. Thinking out loud, she said, "Well, we can't fetch George as a group because you can't walk, we can't just sit here and wait, because, well, who in their right mind is up and roaming the halls at this time of night?"
"That's what I said," Neal whispered, but Alanna heard him. She looked at him, and he shrugged. "But you're up."
"I'm not in my right mind."
Impatiently she tapped her fingers against the wall. "I can't leave you here - someone could come and find you. Who knows who it would be or what could happen."
Neal was confused. "You just contradicted yourself though. You said we couldn't wait because no one will come, and you said you couldn't leave because someone will come."
"It could go either way, though." It was the first time Kel had spoken to - or rather, at - either of the adults since the arrival of the Lioness. Alanna wondered briefly if this girl was normally so quiet, and then stamped the thought. I'll find out soon enough, anyhow, she reasoned. So, why worry about it just yet? All she said was, "Exactly." Then, she stood up. "Wait a second . . . " she murmured. "This way - " she glanced back to Myles " - this is the way to the twin's and Thom's rooms. It's a bit of a walk though . . . I wonder . . . "
"Why don't you send the two of them to get Thom? Then they can go get George."
"But Thom might not believe them."
"Who might I not believe?" asked a young boy's voice from around a turn a bit of a ways up the hallway in question. The owner of the voice stepped into the mild light of the hall - Alanna had lit it with her magic - and a boy with vivid red hair and a questioning look in his eyes became visible to the group.
"Thom!" Alanna said, surprised. "What are you doing up? It's the middle of the night!"
Neal threw up his hands. "Okay, that's it. I'm officially confused - "
"Oh, it's official now?" Kel asked innocently. He made a face at her, then continued. "I'm officially confused now. I thought you wanted Thom here."
Alanna waved a hand. "I did. But I didn't expect him to be up this late - " she turned an evil glare on her son. "Well?"
Thom muttered something under his breath. "Oh come on Ma, you can't wander around the halls and not expect someone to hear you! Besides, what are you doing up so late, yourself? And - Granda?" He ran to Myles and embraced him. "What are you doing here?"
"Don't try to change the subject," Alanna warned. "I still want to know why you're out here. But in the meantime - will you three go and find George?" She gestured at the two squires and her son. All three of them turned bleary eyes on her and Kel and Neal then turned theirs on Thom, who shrugged. "I'm Thom," he said, extending a hand to Neal, who accepted. "Neal," he responded. Thom then turned to Kel.
Thom smiled slightly. "Keladry of Mindelan, correct?" She stared at him, "Yeah... How'd you know?"
Thom chuckled. "Palace uniform and you're a girl."
Kel bit her lip, and then exchanged an amused glance with Neal. "Well at least he didn't lecture you," her friend muttered. Kel waved a hand. "Oh no, only people at banquets do that . . . " They laughed at the strange looks Thom and Alanna were giving them. Shrugging, Kel said, "You have to have humor when you spend your days getting whacked around."
"And screamed at by an insane Training Master," Neal added. "I am the comic relief."
"He's also insane, but that's a different story," Sir Myles said, mock-seriously, though the laughter was visible in his eyes and the crinkles around them. Then, he gasped in pain once again. "I think I'm sitting on a stormwing!" he cried.
Trying to ease his discomfort, Alanna smiled in spite of herself. "Thom, can you three go find your father then? Bring him back here."
He nodded, and turned to Kel and Neal. "Come on. Follow me."
~~~~~
A/N: Review please! And thanks for the help Jae...*grins* I am hopeless, am I not? Thanks for beta-reading it Mads...can you say lifesaver??? Heehee...
~Dani