TREBOND
Alanna looked up at the grey towers looming over her head and felt a pang as she remembered how she and Thom had played on them. She recognised the place in which she made her decision to be a lady knight, where they had talked to Maude and where she and her brother had learnt the basic skills for knighthood in the courtyard. Each site set of a string of memories, some painful yet Alanna enjoyed it. No-matter what it was good to be home.
Neal stared disbelievingly at the old castle. That's Trebond? He silently questioned. It was a fairly small establishment yet it had a homely appeal. He turned to see Alanna string at it with fondness and realised how important this place was to the lady knight. In one of his more sensible moments Neal concluded that he too would probably come home one day and treat it with the same reverence as Alanna. "So how long did you live here?" Neal asked, he didn't really like the silence that was stretching before him. "About ten years. It was here that I first decided to be a knight. And where Coram trained me. There's a lot of memories, some not good but they remind me of my brother." At that moment a blond girl came running out of the castle, drying out to Alanna. Catching herself once she had reached the Lioness she quickly curtsied and Neal admired her figure. Hmmm. She was beautiful. The girl threw herself at Alanna, and Alanna returned the hug, laughing. "My dear, didn't the convent teach you not to do such things?"
"Oh stuff them! So fussy! So, how's Ali? Are the boys treating her right?"
"Believe me, my lady, they beat her with sticks every morning. It's a jolly event in which we find the weakest and…" Neal stopped at Alanna's glare. The Lady had believed him! "Only joking. You now, like ha ha ha." Understanding spread across her face and she smiled flirtingly at Neal. He returned the smile. Suddenly the girl was on the floor. "Ma! That's not nice!" It occurred to Neal that the lovely lady was the Lioness' daughter, Sophia, Alianne's twin. "Snap back into reality darling or I might have to test your sword handling." A wave of reality washed over her face. "Sorry Ma, I just get into habit so easily. Come, Coram and Rispah are inside."
Neal figured that he wouldn't mind spending the next few days with this lady in the house, even though she was the Lioness' daughter and probably lethal.
Coram was getting very annoyed at his son, John, whom his wife insisted learn the basic warrior skills yet was hopeless. Coram winced at the thought. His son wasn't hopeless, just not a trueborn warrior and he didn't seem to mind this even though Coram did. At least Alanna had tried when she wasn't born with the gift of being a true swordsman! "Coram, we have visitors!" He turned to see one of Alanna's twins, Sophia walking towards him. She had graced Trebond's halls for a few days on earning it from the first daughter. Just behind Sophia a mounted Knight was leading his horse with his squire at his side. Coram smiled and nudged his second-eldest son. "That's the Lioness." Coram was filled with great pride as his girl came closer and embraced him. He had missed her greatly.
Alanna's eyes watered as she hugged the old soldier. "Gods I've missed you." She murmured and he grinned. Releasing him she pointed to Neal, "That's Nealan of Queenscove, my very annoying squire." Coram bowed. "Queenscove." Sophie whispered as Alanna saw Neal's eyes fill with dignity and the lady knight immediately recognised the signs. She just wasn't sure if she wanted Neal as a son-in-law. "Yes, Lady. My father is Duke Baird, chief of Tortall's healers." Neal said with all the dignity of his nearly 20 years. Alanna turned her attention to Coram's son. As Neal began to flirt with Sophia, Alanna inquired about what he was doing and began showing him the correct stance. "Why Coram I do believe that you've become slack my dear friend."
"No, just tired of teaching some one who doesn't want to learn." Coram added cynically and instantly regretted it. "Sorry," he mumbled, "Do you want to come inside?" Alanna nodded and the company made it's way into the Trebond castle.
A still-buxom woman floated down the steps. "Alanna!" she yelped and ran down to hug the knight. What in the crooked god's name are you doing here?"
"Just visiting home before we're expected at the border. Rispah accepted that answer and organised for both Alanna and Neal to have rooms in the guest wing. They ate and retired, leaving talking until the next day.
Neal awoke in the middle of the night at a banging on the door. "Who is it?" He demanded, "Alanna, let me in." Recognising his knight-master's voice Neal went to open the door. "Come on." Alanna pulled him into the hall and through the castles many secret passages while Neal mumbled something about sleep. Alanna finally stopped in front of an old door. She tried the handle, stuck. Frowning she delivered a high kick to the door and it flew open. "Now, you must promise me that you won't touch anything Neal, or tell anyone about what we're doing."
"What are we doing?" Alanna simply pointed to a name engraved on the doorframe, "Alanna" Neal was about to ask questions but Alanna light two candles, one for him the other for herself and dragged him into the room. Cobwebs scattered the floor and hung form all of the furniture; it hadn't been touched for 27 years, since Alanna had left it at the age of ten. "Why hasn't anyone cleaned it up?" Neal queried as Alanna's violet eyes surveyed the room. "Thom put a spell on it when we left so that no one could open the door except him and I." Neal walked into the dressing room to find log locks of bright copper curls and a pair of sheering scissors on the dressing table. "Alanna." He called uncertainly. It was the ten-year old's Alanna's hair as she had cut off to look more like a boy. This information filled Neal's head and he worried on where it had come from. A gasp broke through his thoughts as Alanna's small form fainted onto the floor. "Alanna!"
So what do ya thionk of that?????????????? I dunno. If ya have any quieries they'll prob be answered later on in the story-if ya still don't get it email me and i'll explain. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Alanna looked up at the grey towers looming over her head and felt a pang as she remembered how she and Thom had played on them. She recognised the place in which she made her decision to be a lady knight, where they had talked to Maude and where she and her brother had learnt the basic skills for knighthood in the courtyard. Each site set of a string of memories, some painful yet Alanna enjoyed it. No-matter what it was good to be home.
Neal stared disbelievingly at the old castle. That's Trebond? He silently questioned. It was a fairly small establishment yet it had a homely appeal. He turned to see Alanna string at it with fondness and realised how important this place was to the lady knight. In one of his more sensible moments Neal concluded that he too would probably come home one day and treat it with the same reverence as Alanna. "So how long did you live here?" Neal asked, he didn't really like the silence that was stretching before him. "About ten years. It was here that I first decided to be a knight. And where Coram trained me. There's a lot of memories, some not good but they remind me of my brother." At that moment a blond girl came running out of the castle, drying out to Alanna. Catching herself once she had reached the Lioness she quickly curtsied and Neal admired her figure. Hmmm. She was beautiful. The girl threw herself at Alanna, and Alanna returned the hug, laughing. "My dear, didn't the convent teach you not to do such things?"
"Oh stuff them! So fussy! So, how's Ali? Are the boys treating her right?"
"Believe me, my lady, they beat her with sticks every morning. It's a jolly event in which we find the weakest and…" Neal stopped at Alanna's glare. The Lady had believed him! "Only joking. You now, like ha ha ha." Understanding spread across her face and she smiled flirtingly at Neal. He returned the smile. Suddenly the girl was on the floor. "Ma! That's not nice!" It occurred to Neal that the lovely lady was the Lioness' daughter, Sophia, Alianne's twin. "Snap back into reality darling or I might have to test your sword handling." A wave of reality washed over her face. "Sorry Ma, I just get into habit so easily. Come, Coram and Rispah are inside."
Neal figured that he wouldn't mind spending the next few days with this lady in the house, even though she was the Lioness' daughter and probably lethal.
Coram was getting very annoyed at his son, John, whom his wife insisted learn the basic warrior skills yet was hopeless. Coram winced at the thought. His son wasn't hopeless, just not a trueborn warrior and he didn't seem to mind this even though Coram did. At least Alanna had tried when she wasn't born with the gift of being a true swordsman! "Coram, we have visitors!" He turned to see one of Alanna's twins, Sophia walking towards him. She had graced Trebond's halls for a few days on earning it from the first daughter. Just behind Sophia a mounted Knight was leading his horse with his squire at his side. Coram smiled and nudged his second-eldest son. "That's the Lioness." Coram was filled with great pride as his girl came closer and embraced him. He had missed her greatly.
Alanna's eyes watered as she hugged the old soldier. "Gods I've missed you." She murmured and he grinned. Releasing him she pointed to Neal, "That's Nealan of Queenscove, my very annoying squire." Coram bowed. "Queenscove." Sophie whispered as Alanna saw Neal's eyes fill with dignity and the lady knight immediately recognised the signs. She just wasn't sure if she wanted Neal as a son-in-law. "Yes, Lady. My father is Duke Baird, chief of Tortall's healers." Neal said with all the dignity of his nearly 20 years. Alanna turned her attention to Coram's son. As Neal began to flirt with Sophia, Alanna inquired about what he was doing and began showing him the correct stance. "Why Coram I do believe that you've become slack my dear friend."
"No, just tired of teaching some one who doesn't want to learn." Coram added cynically and instantly regretted it. "Sorry," he mumbled, "Do you want to come inside?" Alanna nodded and the company made it's way into the Trebond castle.
A still-buxom woman floated down the steps. "Alanna!" she yelped and ran down to hug the knight. What in the crooked god's name are you doing here?"
"Just visiting home before we're expected at the border. Rispah accepted that answer and organised for both Alanna and Neal to have rooms in the guest wing. They ate and retired, leaving talking until the next day.
Neal awoke in the middle of the night at a banging on the door. "Who is it?" He demanded, "Alanna, let me in." Recognising his knight-master's voice Neal went to open the door. "Come on." Alanna pulled him into the hall and through the castles many secret passages while Neal mumbled something about sleep. Alanna finally stopped in front of an old door. She tried the handle, stuck. Frowning she delivered a high kick to the door and it flew open. "Now, you must promise me that you won't touch anything Neal, or tell anyone about what we're doing."
"What are we doing?" Alanna simply pointed to a name engraved on the doorframe, "Alanna" Neal was about to ask questions but Alanna light two candles, one for him the other for herself and dragged him into the room. Cobwebs scattered the floor and hung form all of the furniture; it hadn't been touched for 27 years, since Alanna had left it at the age of ten. "Why hasn't anyone cleaned it up?" Neal queried as Alanna's violet eyes surveyed the room. "Thom put a spell on it when we left so that no one could open the door except him and I." Neal walked into the dressing room to find log locks of bright copper curls and a pair of sheering scissors on the dressing table. "Alanna." He called uncertainly. It was the ten-year old's Alanna's hair as she had cut off to look more like a boy. This information filled Neal's head and he worried on where it had come from. A gasp broke through his thoughts as Alanna's small form fainted onto the floor. "Alanna!"
So what do ya thionk of that?????????????? I dunno. If ya have any quieries they'll prob be answered later on in the story-if ya still don't get it email me and i'll explain. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
