A/N: See? I toldya I'd be back. I've been ordered off the computer though (cuz of my wrist) and I'm sneaking, so don't get mad if there aren't any new chapters for a while...I don't know how long my wrist will take to heal.
And to queris: I meant to say this last time, but, yeah, I get your point about her mom and all, but I figured that since she's her mother and she grew up with her and everything, she doesn't really see her the same as other people do. Kinda like Alanna with Jon...she'll scream at him like he's not the king cuz she's known him for so long and they're so close.
Smiles-a-lot: Ali does have magic (thanks Jae) I just haven't written anything about it yet. I wasn't sure what kind of magic she had...but know I know.
Lady Lazaria: That's what I thought they'd call him, but I wasn't postive...thanks!
Saphron: Really? I didn't know that the average person does 56% of their typing with their left hand...well, let's just say I now do 100% of mine with my left hand...heehee. And you think it's sad hurting your wrist with a yo-yo, you should hear how I hurt mine...I fell into the refridgerator...yeps, that's right...I fell into the fridge. *blushes* And sorry, nope, ya don't getta find out who the "shadow man" is (can I use your name? I like it.) yet...but I plan on doing a chap. bout him either next or after that...but even then, you still won't find out who it is! MUHAHAHAHA! I plan to torture you...heehee! Now, the important question...are almonds really in the peach family?????? And yes, of course it's a conspiracy!
And thanks to all my other reviewers...
* Jaelawyn Noble
* Suzie
* Smiles-a-lot
* naavi0
* ~Tasidia~
* OYC_Bambi@yahoo.com
* Lady Alleria
* Magelet
* Junipertree
* Sam O'Neill
* queris
* DestinyGoddess
* Noel
* kitkat
* Jeb
* Charisma Jo
* linnet_jo
* Kel
* Saphron
* TatraMegami
* THE GODDESS
* LaUrA
* Su
I feel so loved. *grins* Anyways, here's the next chapter...sorry it took so long, but not only is my wrist hurt, but I had some bad writers block, which Jae just happened to break (thanks again ! (: ) sooooooo here it is, finally...and plus, I figured I owed you guys a long chap...
Disclaimer: It's all Tamora Pierce's, none of it's mine, and I'm not saying it is.
~~~~~
"Who will sponsor her?" Lord Wyldon asked of the assembled pages. Two hands were raised. "I will do i - " One of the boys began to say, but Lord Wyldon cut him off. "Yes, Owen of Jesslaw, you may sponsor her."
Ali sighed in relief as Owen grinned at her. Owen had told her at breakfast that he'd talked to Lord Wyldon and the training master had said that he'd make sure to pick Owen as her sponsor, but even so . . .
~~~~~
"So why does the butcher want to murder Jump again?" Neal asked Kel as they walked down the hallway to Lord Wyldon. He had sent them to deliver two messages, one to Lindhall Reed and one to Conal, Kel's brother. The training master wanted to borrow a few of the mage's model habitats for a lesson on forest combat and techniques. Minus the animals of course. And the message to Conal had ordered him, in no uncertain terms, to keep away from Kel and not threaten her again. And, would he mind speaking to the pages - and squires who were still at the palace - about combat situations at Mindelan. Kel shook her head. Somehow she'd known Conal wouldn't respond well to that. And she'd been right.
Conal's anger had caused him to throw various items at them: a pillow, some rocks, two flowers, and a gemstone. Why he'd thrown such strange things, Kel didn't know. She'd been too busy trying to get away. But she hadn't missed Conal's shout, "And you tell that bloody fool of a training master that he can go to the Black God's Realm! I don't take shit from anybody!"
How she was going to tell that to Lord Wyldon, she didn't know. She didn't think he'd respond well to Conal's words either.
"How about we just tell him that Conal said 'no'?" Neal suggested. "We don't have to tell about any of the . . . other stuff."
"That's probably a good idea . . . "
~~~~~
"Name and standing," Lord Wyldon asked of Alan. Bravely, though he was actually shaking inside - But if Ali can do it, then I can too, he reasoned. We're twins, aren't we? - he answered, "Alan of Pirate's Swoop, sir."
The older man nodded are scanned the crowd. "Who will sponsor him?"
Warric and a few others raised their hands. Alan sent up a prayer: Mithros and Goddess, please let him choose Warric! Then I'll get to stay with Ali.
The deities must have been listening, because Wyldon asked Warric to sponsor Alan. He breathed a sigh of relief, and moved with all the new pages to his new sponsor and, hopefully, friend.
Warric grinned at him. "I hope you're better at staff fighting than Iden and me." Iden nodded enthusiastically. "If you are, Kel's the only one who can help. And, she's got that bruise balm stuff, so you don't even have to practice with hurt fingers."
Owen agreed. "That's always nice."
~~~~~
Neal caught sight of Lord Wyldon further down the hall. "Oh look Kel . . . It's the Black God incarnate."
Kel sniggered and punched him lightly. "Come on. Let's just give him the messages. And try not to get into trouble." The keyword there being "try", she thought.
Stopping for a moment so that Neal could tie his shoe (A/N: do Tortallans even wear shoes that tie??? ah well, artistic license...) Kel took the time to check out the new pages.
The area was a mass of red and gold uniforms with various hair colors poking through - blonde, ashy brown, blue-black, and of course, Ali and Alan's reddish gold. There was quite a bit of elbow jabbing and soft - so as not to alert the training master to the goings on - arguments as well.
Neal looked up from tying his shoe and asked, "There he is - sticking his head out of that mess like a goose . . . Hmmm . . . " He added thoughtfully. "Now there's an idea. What would you think of calling him goose?"
At Kel raised eyebrows, he sighed. "You are very unromantic Kel-dear."
"I know . . . shh . . . that's my secret goal in life."
"What's your secret goal in life, Mindelan?" The sharp inquiry came from behind and above her.
"Uhhh . . . " Veeeeery slowly, Kel tipped her head back to see her teacher eye-to-eye. "Hello sir?"
"What's your secret goal in life?" he repeated. Kel turned around to face him, feeling like a fool.
"To, uh . . . -" she glanced at Neal for help. He opened and closed his mouth while waving his arms around, a parody of singing and dancing. The only thing it brought to Kel's mind was -
"Uh - a bard! My secret goal in life is to be a bard!" she cried - a little too loudly.
Everyone stopped and just looked at her. "Umm . . . "
Lord Wyldon coughed, but it looked as though he were suppressing laughter.
"You're not buying this, are you?" Neal asked.
"Not one bit," Wyldon replied. "But I've given up on trying to understand you lot - "
"He tried?" Neal muttered in Kel's ear.
Kel elbowed him and Neal's other friends hissed at him to hold his tongue just a moment - maybe he'd find out what free time was.
Lord Wyldon cleared his throat. "Do you have those messages, then?"
Kel nodded and dove into her pack to get Lindhall's reply - she hadn't trusted Neal to actually hold on to it. Passing it over, she scrunched her forehead in thought. "He said, uh, fine as long as they're back by midnight with no injuries." Wyldon nodded curtly as he took the folded not, and asked, "The other message?"
Kel and Neal exchanged glances. "He said no." Kel finally said.
"He threw things at us!"
Lord Wyldon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there any way one of you could talk him round?"
Neal waved his arms in front of him, warding off imaginary objects flung at him. Pointing at Kel, he said, "He's her brother."
The training master looked at her. Kel fluttered a hand weakly. "We - we don't get along, si - "
The Stump's eyes averted to behind Kel. A stomping, hulking, angry person was stalking towards them, rage apparent in the clench of his fists and tighteness in his jaw, as well as the glittering fury in his eyes. Swinging an arm out, and nearly bowling Neal over, he snatched the paper Kel had just pulled out of her pach and tore it into four peices.
"That was my math homework, genius."
Conal froze. "Do you want me to start on you right now, bitch? In front of all your so-called-friends . . . really you're just their little whore. Nice and convienent, isn't it?"
Kel remained impassive, while Neal and her other friends - even Alan and his twin - clamored for Lord Wyldon to tell him off.
"Silence!" roared yet another voice, causing everyone to jump. Even Lord Wyldon started a bit.
Spit flecking his mouth, Conal turned to face this new voice and was met with two equaly confused and determined faces.
"What is going on here?" demanded King Jonathan.
Instantly, there was complete chaos; everyone shouting to be heard, which only made them shout louder. To rein them in, he shouted again for silence. "I would like Lord Wyldon's side of the story."
Conal ground his teeth, but did not speak against his King - though his eyes spoke of revenge . . . at a later date.
"Lord Wyldon bowed regally, sending the trainees a stern look to remind them to do the same, and said, "Majesty, Sir Alanna, I had only sent Keladry and Nealan -" the two winced " - to deliver some messages for me, and Conal had not responded well -"
"He threw things!" Neal glared at Conal, who glared right back and even brought a fist up, but Kel stepped between them, and said, "Stop it." She looked so ticked off that Conal was shocked into silence long enough for Lord Wyldon to continue.
"Yes, and he was quite rude about it too."
Alanna didn't know how one could be polite about throwing things at someone, but brushed the thought away. She was more interested in Keladry at the moment. She won't let her brother bully her friend, even though I must say, he must be rather intimidating. Hmm . . . Bravery - that's good in a knight, Alanna thought, appraisingly.
"When they were delivering his message, he came rushing in here and ripped up Keladry's math homework - "
"Math homework?" asked a puzzled King Jonathan.
Lord Wyldon only nodded, so he let it go.
"And when she told him it was her math homework, not his message, he started insulting her. And that's when you came."
"I see . . . so, what was the insult?"
No one answered, until Kel looked the King straight in the eye, unwavering. "He asked if I really wanted him to start on me now, in front of my so-called-friends and that I'm really only their whore."
A lot of angry faces were directed at Conal, as well as plenty filled with disgust.
Jonathan stared at the girl before him. "Graveyard Goddess and Chaos! What made him say that to his sister?"
He doesn't like me very much, Your Majesty."
Conal let out an inhuman roar. "I said it once slut, I'll say it again. The only readson you're here is so you can get some. And you couldn't fight to save your life.
There was a collective snort.
"No, not her life, jus tthe lives of all her friends," Lord Wyldon said. "And, did I not give you orders to leave Keladry alone? Because when sibling rivalry becomes so great as this, it begins to distract - and anger - everyone."
"Don't you tell me what to do involving my sister, dammit! I own her! I can do whatever I want with her! I can go bed her right now if I want to!" Conal groped blindly for Kel, eyes locked on Lord Wyldon's face. She flipped her arm around to slip out of his grasp, and quietly said, "Why don't you just go back to Mindelan, Conal? There's plenty there would give it to you. And there, people would give it to you. And there, people expect you to act this way - here you're only making a fool out of yourself."
Turning his full attention on her, Conal raised an arm to slap her, but Kel caught it midair and shoved him back. "You're not the only one who doesn't take shit from anyone, Conal." SHe was so quiet that it would have been difficult - if not impossible - to hear her, but in the shocked silence, her voice was quite clear.
~~~~~
A/N: Yes, a Bard...don't ask. I wrote this at 11:00 at night and I was a leeeeeeeetle bit sleepy and hyper (yes, it is possible to be both at the same time) and I couldn't think of anything...'sides...no one can tell me it isn't original!
Pleeeeeaaaaaase pleeeeeeaaaaase tell me whatcha think! I looooove reviews! And if *you* don't like reviews, then you can e-mail me at faerie-dragon@home.com ...I like e-mails too.
Bye,
Dani
And to queris: I meant to say this last time, but, yeah, I get your point about her mom and all, but I figured that since she's her mother and she grew up with her and everything, she doesn't really see her the same as other people do. Kinda like Alanna with Jon...she'll scream at him like he's not the king cuz she's known him for so long and they're so close.
Smiles-a-lot: Ali does have magic (thanks Jae) I just haven't written anything about it yet. I wasn't sure what kind of magic she had...but know I know.
Lady Lazaria: That's what I thought they'd call him, but I wasn't postive...thanks!
Saphron: Really? I didn't know that the average person does 56% of their typing with their left hand...well, let's just say I now do 100% of mine with my left hand...heehee. And you think it's sad hurting your wrist with a yo-yo, you should hear how I hurt mine...I fell into the refridgerator...yeps, that's right...I fell into the fridge. *blushes* And sorry, nope, ya don't getta find out who the "shadow man" is (can I use your name? I like it.) yet...but I plan on doing a chap. bout him either next or after that...but even then, you still won't find out who it is! MUHAHAHAHA! I plan to torture you...heehee! Now, the important question...are almonds really in the peach family?????? And yes, of course it's a conspiracy!
And thanks to all my other reviewers...
* Jaelawyn Noble
* Suzie
* Smiles-a-lot
* naavi0
* ~Tasidia~
* OYC_Bambi@yahoo.com
* Lady Alleria
* Magelet
* Junipertree
* Sam O'Neill
* queris
* DestinyGoddess
* Noel
* kitkat
* Jeb
* Charisma Jo
* linnet_jo
* Kel
* Saphron
* TatraMegami
* THE GODDESS
* LaUrA
* Su
I feel so loved. *grins* Anyways, here's the next chapter...sorry it took so long, but not only is my wrist hurt, but I had some bad writers block, which Jae just happened to break (thanks again ! (: ) sooooooo here it is, finally...and plus, I figured I owed you guys a long chap...
Disclaimer: It's all Tamora Pierce's, none of it's mine, and I'm not saying it is.
~~~~~
"Who will sponsor her?" Lord Wyldon asked of the assembled pages. Two hands were raised. "I will do i - " One of the boys began to say, but Lord Wyldon cut him off. "Yes, Owen of Jesslaw, you may sponsor her."
Ali sighed in relief as Owen grinned at her. Owen had told her at breakfast that he'd talked to Lord Wyldon and the training master had said that he'd make sure to pick Owen as her sponsor, but even so . . .
~~~~~
"So why does the butcher want to murder Jump again?" Neal asked Kel as they walked down the hallway to Lord Wyldon. He had sent them to deliver two messages, one to Lindhall Reed and one to Conal, Kel's brother. The training master wanted to borrow a few of the mage's model habitats for a lesson on forest combat and techniques. Minus the animals of course. And the message to Conal had ordered him, in no uncertain terms, to keep away from Kel and not threaten her again. And, would he mind speaking to the pages - and squires who were still at the palace - about combat situations at Mindelan. Kel shook her head. Somehow she'd known Conal wouldn't respond well to that. And she'd been right.
Conal's anger had caused him to throw various items at them: a pillow, some rocks, two flowers, and a gemstone. Why he'd thrown such strange things, Kel didn't know. She'd been too busy trying to get away. But she hadn't missed Conal's shout, "And you tell that bloody fool of a training master that he can go to the Black God's Realm! I don't take shit from anybody!"
How she was going to tell that to Lord Wyldon, she didn't know. She didn't think he'd respond well to Conal's words either.
"How about we just tell him that Conal said 'no'?" Neal suggested. "We don't have to tell about any of the . . . other stuff."
"That's probably a good idea . . . "
~~~~~
"Name and standing," Lord Wyldon asked of Alan. Bravely, though he was actually shaking inside - But if Ali can do it, then I can too, he reasoned. We're twins, aren't we? - he answered, "Alan of Pirate's Swoop, sir."
The older man nodded are scanned the crowd. "Who will sponsor him?"
Warric and a few others raised their hands. Alan sent up a prayer: Mithros and Goddess, please let him choose Warric! Then I'll get to stay with Ali.
The deities must have been listening, because Wyldon asked Warric to sponsor Alan. He breathed a sigh of relief, and moved with all the new pages to his new sponsor and, hopefully, friend.
Warric grinned at him. "I hope you're better at staff fighting than Iden and me." Iden nodded enthusiastically. "If you are, Kel's the only one who can help. And, she's got that bruise balm stuff, so you don't even have to practice with hurt fingers."
Owen agreed. "That's always nice."
~~~~~
Neal caught sight of Lord Wyldon further down the hall. "Oh look Kel . . . It's the Black God incarnate."
Kel sniggered and punched him lightly. "Come on. Let's just give him the messages. And try not to get into trouble." The keyword there being "try", she thought.
Stopping for a moment so that Neal could tie his shoe (A/N: do Tortallans even wear shoes that tie??? ah well, artistic license...) Kel took the time to check out the new pages.
The area was a mass of red and gold uniforms with various hair colors poking through - blonde, ashy brown, blue-black, and of course, Ali and Alan's reddish gold. There was quite a bit of elbow jabbing and soft - so as not to alert the training master to the goings on - arguments as well.
Neal looked up from tying his shoe and asked, "There he is - sticking his head out of that mess like a goose . . . Hmmm . . . " He added thoughtfully. "Now there's an idea. What would you think of calling him goose?"
At Kel raised eyebrows, he sighed. "You are very unromantic Kel-dear."
"I know . . . shh . . . that's my secret goal in life."
"What's your secret goal in life, Mindelan?" The sharp inquiry came from behind and above her.
"Uhhh . . . " Veeeeery slowly, Kel tipped her head back to see her teacher eye-to-eye. "Hello sir?"
"What's your secret goal in life?" he repeated. Kel turned around to face him, feeling like a fool.
"To, uh . . . -" she glanced at Neal for help. He opened and closed his mouth while waving his arms around, a parody of singing and dancing. The only thing it brought to Kel's mind was -
"Uh - a bard! My secret goal in life is to be a bard!" she cried - a little too loudly.
Everyone stopped and just looked at her. "Umm . . . "
Lord Wyldon coughed, but it looked as though he were suppressing laughter.
"You're not buying this, are you?" Neal asked.
"Not one bit," Wyldon replied. "But I've given up on trying to understand you lot - "
"He tried?" Neal muttered in Kel's ear.
Kel elbowed him and Neal's other friends hissed at him to hold his tongue just a moment - maybe he'd find out what free time was.
Lord Wyldon cleared his throat. "Do you have those messages, then?"
Kel nodded and dove into her pack to get Lindhall's reply - she hadn't trusted Neal to actually hold on to it. Passing it over, she scrunched her forehead in thought. "He said, uh, fine as long as they're back by midnight with no injuries." Wyldon nodded curtly as he took the folded not, and asked, "The other message?"
Kel and Neal exchanged glances. "He said no." Kel finally said.
"He threw things at us!"
Lord Wyldon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Is there any way one of you could talk him round?"
Neal waved his arms in front of him, warding off imaginary objects flung at him. Pointing at Kel, he said, "He's her brother."
The training master looked at her. Kel fluttered a hand weakly. "We - we don't get along, si - "
The Stump's eyes averted to behind Kel. A stomping, hulking, angry person was stalking towards them, rage apparent in the clench of his fists and tighteness in his jaw, as well as the glittering fury in his eyes. Swinging an arm out, and nearly bowling Neal over, he snatched the paper Kel had just pulled out of her pach and tore it into four peices.
"That was my math homework, genius."
Conal froze. "Do you want me to start on you right now, bitch? In front of all your so-called-friends . . . really you're just their little whore. Nice and convienent, isn't it?"
Kel remained impassive, while Neal and her other friends - even Alan and his twin - clamored for Lord Wyldon to tell him off.
"Silence!" roared yet another voice, causing everyone to jump. Even Lord Wyldon started a bit.
Spit flecking his mouth, Conal turned to face this new voice and was met with two equaly confused and determined faces.
"What is going on here?" demanded King Jonathan.
Instantly, there was complete chaos; everyone shouting to be heard, which only made them shout louder. To rein them in, he shouted again for silence. "I would like Lord Wyldon's side of the story."
Conal ground his teeth, but did not speak against his King - though his eyes spoke of revenge . . . at a later date.
"Lord Wyldon bowed regally, sending the trainees a stern look to remind them to do the same, and said, "Majesty, Sir Alanna, I had only sent Keladry and Nealan -" the two winced " - to deliver some messages for me, and Conal had not responded well -"
"He threw things!" Neal glared at Conal, who glared right back and even brought a fist up, but Kel stepped between them, and said, "Stop it." She looked so ticked off that Conal was shocked into silence long enough for Lord Wyldon to continue.
"Yes, and he was quite rude about it too."
Alanna didn't know how one could be polite about throwing things at someone, but brushed the thought away. She was more interested in Keladry at the moment. She won't let her brother bully her friend, even though I must say, he must be rather intimidating. Hmm . . . Bravery - that's good in a knight, Alanna thought, appraisingly.
"When they were delivering his message, he came rushing in here and ripped up Keladry's math homework - "
"Math homework?" asked a puzzled King Jonathan.
Lord Wyldon only nodded, so he let it go.
"And when she told him it was her math homework, not his message, he started insulting her. And that's when you came."
"I see . . . so, what was the insult?"
No one answered, until Kel looked the King straight in the eye, unwavering. "He asked if I really wanted him to start on me now, in front of my so-called-friends and that I'm really only their whore."
A lot of angry faces were directed at Conal, as well as plenty filled with disgust.
Jonathan stared at the girl before him. "Graveyard Goddess and Chaos! What made him say that to his sister?"
He doesn't like me very much, Your Majesty."
Conal let out an inhuman roar. "I said it once slut, I'll say it again. The only readson you're here is so you can get some. And you couldn't fight to save your life.
There was a collective snort.
"No, not her life, jus tthe lives of all her friends," Lord Wyldon said. "And, did I not give you orders to leave Keladry alone? Because when sibling rivalry becomes so great as this, it begins to distract - and anger - everyone."
"Don't you tell me what to do involving my sister, dammit! I own her! I can do whatever I want with her! I can go bed her right now if I want to!" Conal groped blindly for Kel, eyes locked on Lord Wyldon's face. She flipped her arm around to slip out of his grasp, and quietly said, "Why don't you just go back to Mindelan, Conal? There's plenty there would give it to you. And there, people would give it to you. And there, people expect you to act this way - here you're only making a fool out of yourself."
Turning his full attention on her, Conal raised an arm to slap her, but Kel caught it midair and shoved him back. "You're not the only one who doesn't take shit from anyone, Conal." SHe was so quiet that it would have been difficult - if not impossible - to hear her, but in the shocked silence, her voice was quite clear.
~~~~~
A/N: Yes, a Bard...don't ask. I wrote this at 11:00 at night and I was a leeeeeeeetle bit sleepy and hyper (yes, it is possible to be both at the same time) and I couldn't think of anything...'sides...no one can tell me it isn't original!
Pleeeeeaaaaaase pleeeeeeaaaaase tell me whatcha think! I looooove reviews! And if *you* don't like reviews, then you can e-mail me at faerie-dragon@home.com ...I like e-mails too.
Bye,
Dani