Lanen had just walked out of site of her father when she collapsed into Thom's arms.
"I. . .," Thom put a finger to her lips to quiet her.
"Shhh! I can help." Thom said as he held up a hand shinning with his Gift. "Sleep."
George walked around the corner to find Thom with the girl in his lap, both glowing with the emerald green of Thom's Gift. "Is she going to be alright?" George asked his son.
"She has a broken nose and a few cracked ribs." Thom said as her gently picked Lanen up.
______________________________________________________________________
Eleni of Olau rushed to greet her son as he walked in. George hugged his mother, now married to to Alanna's adoptive father,Myles, who he shook hands with.
"Who's this? and What happened to her?the poor dear," asked Eleni as she ushered Thom to lie her down on the bed. Thom quickly explained what had happened, as he looked worriedly at Lanen, who was being taken care of by his grandmother-a healer and once the high priestess for the Great Mother Goddess.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Grandmother said that she would be fine." Thom told his mother.
"You mean she's here?" asked Alanna.
"Yes, and my mother's taking good care of her," said George as he walked into the room and kissed his wife.
"What's going to happen to her?" Thom asked his parents, looking very worried.
"Well, she's old enough to take care of herself." replied George.
"Or, if she's educated then she could join the Queen's Riders." said Alanna.
"She's a very strong girl and I don't doubt she can take care of herself," replied Myles as he walked in "but then again the Queen's Riders are already in training and it will be another year before anymore trainees are excepted. I would hate to just through her out into the street." Thom smiled greatfully at his grandfather, who winked at him. Alanna smiled at her father knowing he was right.
"We could take her back to Pirate's Swoop with us," suggested George "if that's alright with you, lass."
"I would be happy to have her at Pirate's Swoop." said Alannna, noting the brief relief that showed in Thom's eyes.
Lanen's first few weeks at Pirate's Swoop were spent studying the fighting arts with Alanna, learning useful tricks from George, and becoming fast friends with Thom. Although her days were pleasant, her nights were filled with dreams of her horrible past. On one such night, Numair and Daine came to Pirate's Swoop to talk to George and Alanna.
"I spoke to Jon, and it seems that northern Tortall is being attacked by Immortals." Numair, one of the most powerful mages in the world, told Alanna and George. "The king wants us all to report to the palace."
"I'll go tell the children," sighed George.
"I'll stay here if you like" offered Daine smiling at her friend.
"Thank you" said Alanna, smiling back.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Now, I want you all to behave for Maude and Daine. I'll be back as soon as I can." Alanna told her younger children as she disappeared under thier hugs.
"Stay safe and may the Gods bless you Numair." Daine told her teacher, friend, and lover. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him goodbye. "I love you, magelet." said Numair.
George was talking to Thom and Lanen, explaining the situation. "Now, I'm leaving you and Daine in charge in case anything goes wrong. If it does, you know how to contact us." George said as he embraced his son.
"May Mithros light your path m'lord," said Lanen as she extended her hand to George, who took it and then hugged the young woman he had come to know so well in the last few weeks. "And I'm no lord!" said George.
_______________________________________________________________________
In the time that followed, Lanen became good friends with Daine and slowly learned to trust again. "Lanen, I know why you're at Pirate's Swoop. I learned a long time ago that it doesn't help to keep everything bottled up inside, will you now trust me enough and tell me what happened?" asked Daine.
"Alright, but don't interrupt please. I lived a fine life with my family in the capital. Ocassionaly we would visit my grandparents in the mountain village of Dunlath, until they were killed by raiders. That spring we went there to bury them. My ma and sisters. . .we were out picking flowers for my grandparent's grave when I heard something. I thought it was my da so I went to see, instead it was a Taros. I was about to scream to them. . .Ma, Rosie, and Ephinney. . .when my da grabbed me from behind. He told me not to scream, he would only come after us. I asked why wasn't he doing anything, and do you know what he told me? He told me...He told me they were immortal,like the Gods, that they lived forever-you couldn't kill them. I know better now. I wanted to run to them, try to do something, but my da wouldn't let go. He made me watch." Tears were slowly running down Lanen's face, her eyes were cold and full of grief. "He made me watch as the Taros killed my sisters, then raped and killed my mother, then raped my dead sisters' bodies. I was 10 years old. I can still hear their screams and see their faces. I was too horror-stricken, to even realize he was drunk. That bastard! that bastard only cared about his own life! After, he kept drinking, told me it was my fault and beat me for it. Four years, he'd beat me for 4 years, until I realized that it wasn't my fault: it was his, the son of a bitch! I don't know why I forgave him. I guess because he was the only family I had left, and he finally pays for all he has done."
Daine was crying as she got up, and hugged her friend. "I'm sorry," she whispered "my mother was killed by bandits, and I know how hard it is to trust again. You are the most courageous, and bravest person I know."
"I. . .," Thom put a finger to her lips to quiet her.
"Shhh! I can help." Thom said as he held up a hand shinning with his Gift. "Sleep."
George walked around the corner to find Thom with the girl in his lap, both glowing with the emerald green of Thom's Gift. "Is she going to be alright?" George asked his son.
"She has a broken nose and a few cracked ribs." Thom said as her gently picked Lanen up.
______________________________________________________________________
Eleni of Olau rushed to greet her son as he walked in. George hugged his mother, now married to to Alanna's adoptive father,Myles, who he shook hands with.
"Who's this? and What happened to her?the poor dear," asked Eleni as she ushered Thom to lie her down on the bed. Thom quickly explained what had happened, as he looked worriedly at Lanen, who was being taken care of by his grandmother-a healer and once the high priestess for the Great Mother Goddess.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Grandmother said that she would be fine." Thom told his mother.
"You mean she's here?" asked Alanna.
"Yes, and my mother's taking good care of her," said George as he walked into the room and kissed his wife.
"What's going to happen to her?" Thom asked his parents, looking very worried.
"Well, she's old enough to take care of herself." replied George.
"Or, if she's educated then she could join the Queen's Riders." said Alanna.
"She's a very strong girl and I don't doubt she can take care of herself," replied Myles as he walked in "but then again the Queen's Riders are already in training and it will be another year before anymore trainees are excepted. I would hate to just through her out into the street." Thom smiled greatfully at his grandfather, who winked at him. Alanna smiled at her father knowing he was right.
"We could take her back to Pirate's Swoop with us," suggested George "if that's alright with you, lass."
"I would be happy to have her at Pirate's Swoop." said Alannna, noting the brief relief that showed in Thom's eyes.
Lanen's first few weeks at Pirate's Swoop were spent studying the fighting arts with Alanna, learning useful tricks from George, and becoming fast friends with Thom. Although her days were pleasant, her nights were filled with dreams of her horrible past. On one such night, Numair and Daine came to Pirate's Swoop to talk to George and Alanna.
"I spoke to Jon, and it seems that northern Tortall is being attacked by Immortals." Numair, one of the most powerful mages in the world, told Alanna and George. "The king wants us all to report to the palace."
"I'll go tell the children," sighed George.
"I'll stay here if you like" offered Daine smiling at her friend.
"Thank you" said Alanna, smiling back.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Now, I want you all to behave for Maude and Daine. I'll be back as soon as I can." Alanna told her younger children as she disappeared under thier hugs.
"Stay safe and may the Gods bless you Numair." Daine told her teacher, friend, and lover. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him goodbye. "I love you, magelet." said Numair.
George was talking to Thom and Lanen, explaining the situation. "Now, I'm leaving you and Daine in charge in case anything goes wrong. If it does, you know how to contact us." George said as he embraced his son.
"May Mithros light your path m'lord," said Lanen as she extended her hand to George, who took it and then hugged the young woman he had come to know so well in the last few weeks. "And I'm no lord!" said George.
_______________________________________________________________________
In the time that followed, Lanen became good friends with Daine and slowly learned to trust again. "Lanen, I know why you're at Pirate's Swoop. I learned a long time ago that it doesn't help to keep everything bottled up inside, will you now trust me enough and tell me what happened?" asked Daine.
"Alright, but don't interrupt please. I lived a fine life with my family in the capital. Ocassionaly we would visit my grandparents in the mountain village of Dunlath, until they were killed by raiders. That spring we went there to bury them. My ma and sisters. . .we were out picking flowers for my grandparent's grave when I heard something. I thought it was my da so I went to see, instead it was a Taros. I was about to scream to them. . .Ma, Rosie, and Ephinney. . .when my da grabbed me from behind. He told me not to scream, he would only come after us. I asked why wasn't he doing anything, and do you know what he told me? He told me...He told me they were immortal,like the Gods, that they lived forever-you couldn't kill them. I know better now. I wanted to run to them, try to do something, but my da wouldn't let go. He made me watch." Tears were slowly running down Lanen's face, her eyes were cold and full of grief. "He made me watch as the Taros killed my sisters, then raped and killed my mother, then raped my dead sisters' bodies. I was 10 years old. I can still hear their screams and see their faces. I was too horror-stricken, to even realize he was drunk. That bastard! that bastard only cared about his own life! After, he kept drinking, told me it was my fault and beat me for it. Four years, he'd beat me for 4 years, until I realized that it wasn't my fault: it was his, the son of a bitch! I don't know why I forgave him. I guess because he was the only family I had left, and he finally pays for all he has done."
Daine was crying as she got up, and hugged her friend. "I'm sorry," she whispered "my mother was killed by bandits, and I know how hard it is to trust again. You are the most courageous, and bravest person I know."