Reviewers

This isn't to everyone who reviewed my story, most of you were very kind and I am extremely grateful
to you for taking the time to do that for me but this is a

SPECIAL NOTE TO

Tropicalfrost86:
I am VERY glad I 'seem an ok writer' I have re-written and re-posted this. I have done
my best with my punctuation etc.
Basically I have done what I can, so deal with it coz I cant do any more!
Oh and I am So0o0o0o0o sorry that this story 'just doesn't cut it' because I happen to
quite like it!

_____________________________________________________________________________


The Ruler of the Court of the Rogue.

The group stood there a little while longer and Thom waited patiently, he was used to it by now he and
his sister often left people dumb founded and, seeing the beauty she had become surprised even him.
One worry Thom had harboured was that the convent would turn his twin into a personality-less
giggling drone like all the other ladies in this place, but seeing her now he realised that his worries had
been unfounded, she may look the part but no school could take away his Alanna, she would always
be as free spirited and independent as she was now, this was why he had given Garry leave to try and
court her, he never for a moment dreamed she would end up as some nobles wife.

Finally Raoul was the first to speak, shaking of his paralysis he said

"Well now at least we all see why you said you had no claim on her, at least not in that sense, I had
thought you were mad but now I understand."

"You didn't exactly make it easy for us" stated an annoyed Jon "you let us think that you were
together!"

"Exactly I LET you think it, I said it before and I'll say it now; I told no lies, I simply allowed you to
form your own conclusions." Seeing that this was going nowhere Garry asked

"So why didn't you tell us you had a twin, especially one like THAT?"

"You never asked." Was the deliberately irritating answer, and just as the rest were almost ready to hit
the impertinent red head when the person in question went as pail as his sisters complexion as a sudden
realisation sunk in.

Forgetting the dispute instantly the rest rushed over to Thom and anxiously questioned him as to what
was wrong,

"I'm an idiot" was the flat reply.

"Yes we have known that for a while, but what's wrong NOW oh ye of little brains?" Garry asked trying
to insert some form of humour into the tense atmosphere. Thom shot him a look and elaborated:

"We have been standing here talking and SHE is off 'exploring,'" he cried desperately, "she has about a
five minuet start on us already!" realising what the panic stricken boy meant Jon tried to sooth him,
saying

"Yes but as we have all seen she is quite capable of defending herself, and she is only wandering"

"I think you will find my sisters definition of 'wandering' and yours differ greatly! She's gone to the city,
I'll bet you anything she's gone to the dammed city!"

"It will be ok" interjected Garry, though his face betrayed his true worries

"No it wont" groaned Raoul, she is in a city she doesn't know dressed as a boy, and with a sense of
adventure like hers who knows what she will get her self into."

"I do" put in Thom bleakly "and Coram is going to KILL me!" with one look at the troubled squires
face all of them froze for a moment, petrified then as one the entire group re-gained the use of their legs
and sprinted of in the same direction Alanna had gone about ten minuets before hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In another part of the castle Alanna's escape was hindered by non other than Duke Gareth himself,
during her head long flight down the corridor Alanna may have looked the picture of an experienced
place hand but in actual fact she had no idea where she was going, she simply hurtled down likely
looking corridors enjoying the freedom and exploring in her own unique way as she did so.

Unfortunately for the red headed girl she managed to some how find her way into the long corridor
containing the kings own council room. Off limits to the boys training there! Alanna of cause did not
know this until the dodged out of the way of a tall commanding man and continued her explorations
when a voice called,

"Where are you going squire Thom?" Alanna froze she felt her heart sink, but taking a deep breath she
gave the most honest answer she could

"I err I am here by mistake sir" hearing an annoyed snort she looked up into chocolate brown eyes and
saw distinct disapproval and then it hit her, gods curse it this was duke Gareth of Naxen she hadn't
spent years desperate to be a knight not to know the person who would train her if she had managed to
get in, grate she thought this is just my luck! Remembering the manners taught at the loathed convent
and for once being glad that she'd learned them Alanna quickly corrected herself

"…err I mean Your Grace, I don't know your grace"

"You don't know?" was the sceptical reply

"No Your Grace" Alanna was thinking fast "I have a lot on my mind and I am in a hurry to get to the
city I just followed a few corridors with out realising where I was going, until I met you."

It was a gamble but if she was right Thom had the same moods here as he had at Trebond, sometimes
he could go for days not saying any thing or doing anything but in deep meditation just thinking.
A wry smile from the duke confirmed her guess and she breathed an inward sigh of relief and was even
more ecstatic when the training master began to escort her out, he obviously knew 'Thom' when in this
mood could wander for hours if not directed somewhere. With this companion for a guide she quickly
found her self in front of the exit to the city, smiling through triumph and relief the unusual maiden
stepped out through the vaguely intimidating large oak doors and into FREEDOM! Pure blissful
FREEDOM!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The group of boys were half way down a corridor when they heard the shuffling though some how
dignified steps that could belong only to Sir Myles and realising this Thom flung himself behind a
statue of wave walker goddess of oceans and sea life, waiting for the man to pass, when he had come
out of hiding he received strange looks from his companions before explaining

"If any one around here has just seen 'me' leave for the city, but then sees me with the rest of you
running down a corridor, well lets just say it could get difficult…and confusing!"

"Thus speaks the voice of experience" jibed Jon but the only reply he received if you could call it that
was a dramatic role of a pair of intense violate eyes and a muttered

"Oh you have NO idea!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Alanna decided to go to the city on foot and set of at a boyish walk (she had worked to master a
boyish method of walking so that she did not look strange walking like a lady and dressing like a stable
boy) she strolled down palace way and scowled as she passed the temple of the Grate Mother Goddess
in who's name she had been incarcerated in a convenient school since she was ten.

Then she had an idea, she knew Thom at least would be on her trail by now and she had to avoid him
so if she entered this temple he could not follow and would not think to look…besides she thought with
an evil smirk eyeing the armoured women patrolling the border, it could be fun!

Sauntering up to the gate marking the start of the grounds sacred to The Mother she made sure every
worrier in sight saw her approach. Just as she reached out for the handle to the gate to admit her self a
long wooden shaft (which later turned out to be the shaft of a lance) was struck out to bar her way.
With a cheeky grin Alanna turned to face the enraged guards, some of whom seemed so awe struck by
her audacity that they didn't know weather to laugh or yell! Carefully Alanna schooled her futures into a
glower of well-bread distain, though she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing

"Why will you not grant me entrance?" she asked coldly to the woman baring her way.
The woman looked flabbergasted but managed to stutter out

"This ground is sacred to The Mother, no man might tread on it, it would be sacrilege"

The young red head lost the battle with her emotions and grinned out right saying impishly

"Then why do you not admit ME entrance?" She did not disguise her voice throughout the conversation
but the guards were too shocked at her behaviour to take note of this show of femininity.

"He mocks us," growled one "I always said men had no respect"

"He?" Alanna questioned razing a questioning eyebrow "but you are right, I agree men really don't have
the tact to be respectful" Eyebrows went up and questioning glances were cast around until a strong
but kind looking woman who appeared to be in charge here stepped to the fore

"I admire your spirit young 'un but you cant come in here after all ye're a lad!" No longer able to hold it
in the mischief-maker let out a laugh so feminine (one of the things which Alanna hated most about
herself was her laugh no matter what she did she had a light, fluty, flirty, GIRY giggle) that it caused yet
more questions to be murmured around the crowd.

This time however the girl in question did not mind and there reaction simply made her laugh harder and
by the time she had her self under control the women gathered around her had begun to wonder at this
young 'lads' sanity.

"No" she laughed, "I am not insane, well not in the way you mean, but I am…" Here she paused as one
hand reached deftly for the clips at the back of her corset (A/N like the hooks on the back of a bra) and
the other slipped up to the back of her head beneath her silky hair and removed the pin in the concealed
bun.

Under the interested eyes of the temple guards she shook her shoulders and her head; as her shoulders
wriggled it caused the binding corset to slip down to below her bust, around her rib cage (A/N it was
only long enough to go around her chest from under her arms to the middle of her rib cage) where she
easily fastened it, ready for when it was next needed to conceal her curves.

At the same time she shook her head, causing a cascade of copper red hair to flow over her shoulders
and drip down to cover her back, almost like a stain on her shirt, until it hung once again adorning the
back of her breaches covered knees.

"…A girl!"
she finished unnecessarily once her transformation was complete.

A few of the shocked faces held smiles, then grins which expanded until the entire group surrounding
her was laughing as though Alanna was some big joke, however the annoyed girl did not have time to
exhibit her red heads temper just then because she heard horses galloping towards her so ducking past
the hysterical worriers she let herself in and made a run for the temple.

Once inside she was joined by some of her audience from the front gate while the others returned to
their patrol. The nice lady, who had explained to Alanna that she was 'mail' and so could not come in,
sat beside her

"We saw you run when you heard horses lass," she said "what is it you're a feared of?" Smiling the
noble explained that she was not in fact afraid of the riders following her but that she was avoiding them
so as to have some freedom, including in her story the reasons she was dressed as a boy and why she
had no chaperone from the city.

The woman seemed surprised to find that Alanna was a noble but agreed that she did not see why the
fact that she had been born to high born not low born parents and forced to endure a convent education
should make Alanna any less wilful or able.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Nay lass ye'll not lift it" was the forbidding answer Alanna received when she asked to try the guards
long handed axe. Showing for the first time her age and petulance the girls violate eyes flashed and her
stance became sulky as she pouted

"Can to!" looking the picture of an angry sixteen year old and not a high born lady ("though" the on
lookers reasoned "a high born lady is still a sixteen year old child birth right or no!") Hiding a smile of
mirth at this reaction the woman decided to humour her.

"You can try lass she replied but wearin' a lads clothes doesn't mean you have a lads strength or skills"
Violate eyes flashed showing a hint of silver in their enchanting depths, she had thought these people
would understand, that they'd sympathise. Cursing herself for giving her trust away so easily just
because these women carried weapons did not mean that they didn't think exactly what the daughters of
the goddess at the convent thought. Alanna realised she was wasting precious time in the presence of
enemies so she re-pinned her hair and taking a deep breath and bracing her self on a managed to do up
her corset without passing out, she waited for the room to stop spinning and until she could breath
easily then made to leave. Just before she left she walked up to the woman who had denied her the use
of her axe and in a blur of speed had taken it from her and thrown the guard to the floor holding the
woman's own weapon at her throat, her face was set and her eyes were amethyst rocks and gave
nothing away as the disgusted girl threw the weapon down beside its owner saying

"I thought you would understand" and stormed out.

Sitting beneath a tree in the temple grounds Alanna sat and mentally berated herself for expecting these
peoples alliance and promising never to trust a stranger again, when she sneezed repeatedly causing
tears to blur her vision and by the time she could see clearly a woman, almost painfully beautiful to look
at stood before her stroking a violate eyed kitten.

"My daughter" said she "learn to trust and learn to love your skills will be needed in the coming days
and you will need all the friends you can muster" instinctively Alanna knew who she beheld and bowed
her head saying

"My mother I will do my best but I am afraid of love and I don't want to marry"

"Learn to trust then and I will watch over you, love will come much later."

"It wont" insisted the girl vehemently "I don't want to fall in love"

"Which doesn't mean to say that you wont" was the answer along with a secretive smile. At this
moment the kitten the goddess held leaped to Alanna's feet and she automatically picked him up.
The animal received a long look from the Goddess and she finally said

"Guard her well little one" but did not elaborate any more. "And my final gift to my chosen" she ignored
the shocked response to this information instead causing a fire to light between the two of them and sat
by it, Alanna numbly mimicked this action, they both stared at the fire and spoke a little longer but then
the Goddess reached a slim hand into the flames and with drew a coal from its heart
"my time with you grows short" she said "take this from my hand" Trembling Alanna reached out
expecting to be burned and was so shocked to find it cold that she almost dropped it and when she
looked up from her inspection of the 'gift' she found only a blade lying where the Goddess had sat and
no trace of a fire any where, a voice that could have been the rustle of the breeze in the leaves or could
have been words whispered "take it" and Alanna did, buckling the beautiful jewelled blade (lighting) to
her waist and just as she was about to leave she heard still fainter and more indistinct
"wear my tokens and be brave Alanna of Trebond, very soon Tortall will have need of my chosen!"
then the presence that Alanna felt humming in her bones, the feeling in the back of her mind, the tingle
that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up, was gone and she was just a small 'boy' with a rock
a cat and a sawed standing in the grounds of a temple, but she knew the Goddess was still watching and
whispered

"Thank you!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The boys were now searching the city having passed the temple of the goddess without a backwards
glance. They visited weapon smiths, armour merchants even clothing stall in an attempt to find Thom's
errant twin.

"This is hopeless" exclaimed Raoul after another fruitless search in a weapon smiths forge, "we might
as well be looking for a thief in George's court as try and find her here - " The large knights (A/N they
would have been knights by the time Thom and Alanna were sixteen wouldn't they?) Words died and a
stunned look crossed his face almost as if a light bulb had been turned on behind his eyes

"George!" cried all four in unison and they ran to re-mount their horses and make for the
'Dancing Dove'

"We will just ask George to have his people search her out!" Thom said relive evident on his face,
which showed his first true smile since their quest had begun

"And we can sit down have a much needed drink and visit George. Perfect!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Unbeknown to Alanna's 'trackers' she had in fact found her own way to the 'Dancing Dove' and now
sat in a quite corner sipping her lemonade and thinking over her plans for the rest of her free time.

She was so consumed by her thoughts that she was quite surprised when a voice called
"Thom!"

she looked up to see a tall man striding towards her, his nose was to big for good looks but
his hazel eyes sparkled with a merry glint and were it not for her new resolution not to trust new people
she would of liked him on site,
'but he does seem to know Thom well and if Thom trusts him…and the Goddess did tell me to trust
people…"
as she mused on this the man had reached her, he moved quickly as anyone who was in his way
scurried quickly out of it some even bowed as he passed to show their deference to him.

"Why did you not come up to see me Thom?" Asked the man sliding into a seat opposite her and
looking curiously at her, it was clear from his expression that he knew something was at least different
about his comrade.

"I'm not Thom" she replied, not troubling to disguise her voice, but it was noisy in the in and her voice
was almost drowned though the expression on this mans face showed that he'd heard but thought that
he'd miss heard.

"Come up stairs lad" the man called over the din, and taking her by the arm lead her up a flight of stairs
and bid her wait outside a door whilst he carefully checked the rooms contence before ushering her
inside.

"Have a seat lad" the man instructed Alanna, she did as she was bid but said

"I'm not a lad, and I'm not Thom…George?" there was I slight pause and a questioning hint to the way
she said his name but she was sure enough to hazard a guess. Smiling her companion pored them both
wine and handed her a cup saying

"If you're not Thom then how do you know my name" he was smiling obviously thinking this was some
kind of joke

"I know," she said "because the thief who tried to take my purse came back here afterwards muttering
about the punishments 'George' would give him. And by the way the people down stairs treated you as
their ruler, that logically makes you the one to punish the thief equalling you being George meaning you
are the ruler of the court of the rogue.

George raised his eyebrows taking a sip of his wine and said

"You were, or almost were, stolen from in the market place"

"Yes" she replied simply "though the man who tried it took a look at me and muttered something else
about 'George' about you!"

"And you followed your assailant all the way back here?" he asked

"I wanted to make sure he didn't try it on any one less able to defend them self's" she said simply
"though" she continued "the state he was in I doubt he'd have had much success if he had tried"
she grinned mischievously at this thought

"But the only one of mine I know of has been hurt is 'fingers he said some city lad had…" his voice
trailed of with realisation and she nodded to the unspoken question in his face "but he had broken
fingers a black eye, a limp and all his knives taken…ALL of them, even the best hid ones!"

"Yes" she agreed again, showing no remorse what so ever
"but then he shouldn't have tried to take my purse should he" she paused then
"though he did seem to recognise me from some where" she finished

"Thom!" he exclaimed not knowing what else to say, did the Boy really think that he wasn't Thom of
Trebond, was he ill? Mad? But just then the door burst open and in came the real Thom along with
Jonathan, Garry and Raoul

"Yes?" Asked the confused boy, "how did you know I was out there? Well any way you have to help
us find Ala - " but he stopped and said,
"Why are you looking at me like that?" for indeed George had a carefully guarded…well…strange look
in his face, but then Thom saw Alanna settling calmly in a chair watching the proceedings with interest
but when she saw that she was the focus of everyone's attention she stood and said calmly almost lazily to George

"I told you I want Thom!"

George's suspicions were now heightened and he instinctively moved into a fighting stance and growled

"So who are you then?"

His angry demand was met with a high feminine laugh (her laugh witch Alanna hated) she too then
shifted into a fighting stance to defend any attack he might give and replied

"Lady Alanna Of Trebond at your service," she stopped to curtsy flamboyantly drawing out imaginary
skirts and for a moment she looked to be the rival of any 'proper lady' you could name despite wearing
stable boys clothes and having her hair and figure hidden.
Then she looked up with a misgevious expresion on her small face, she stood again, and, looking strait
up at George with laughing, violate, unmistakable eyes informed him

"I'm Thom's twin!"

George looked to Thom for confirmation of this and seeing the boy nod he relaxed his frame and
became welcoming again and bid the rest to sit down too.

Every one except Thom sat, he stalked over to Alanna's chair and yelled

"Where were you? We looked EVERY WHERE! Do you know how worried I was, Gods ANY thing
could have happened to you, and probably did, and when no one had seen hide or hair of a small red
headed boy or girl for that matter, I was beside myself!
You just went of into a city you didn't know looking like an eleven year old boy-child not saying where
your going and when you'd be back, you didn't take any one with you, when I got to the city and found
no trace of you here I guessed you hadn't made it that far even! What was I to think?
I was worried out of my mind!"
Hear his voice dropped from the yell it had been and his anxious hands stopped waving about to
illustrate his angry point and he said seriously, two pairs of violate eyes meeting as Alanna was
now on her feet
"Your all I've got Anna (A/N their father would have been dead by thetime they were sixteen) and I
know you can probably look after your self, but what happens when you cant? I don't know what I'd
do if I lost you! You're my other half!"

Alanna threw her arms around his neck and said
"Your all I've got too Thom and YOU are MY other half, I'm sorry I ran of like that and scared you,
but see? I'm ok! I'm right here!"

"I know" he replied softly "and I'm sorry I got mad" disentangling themselves each went back to their
respective seats and explained things to the baffled George

"You see Thom and me are twins, obviously" Alanna began "and I came to the palace today from the
convent" her face darkened "to find a suitable husband" she said bitterly

"As if!" Thom snorted "I know you better than that sister, mine, you would never let those old convent
hens marry you off to some feather brained noble man"

This cheered the despondent girl up and she agreed most defiantly.

"Any way" she continued "I came here to day and after dinner I wanted to explore so I dressed as a
boy" she gestured to her clothes "so that I would have more freedom and I went to leave, but Thom
and the others met me on the way out and found out what I was doing" hear Thom took up the
narration saying

"It took us a while to realise 'exploring' to Alanna means going down to the city and making as much
trouble as possible so obviously we tried to find her" again Alanna took over

"I ran into Duke Gareth during my 'exploration' and he thought I was Thom but luckily I managed to
explain away my, well Thom's presence in the corridor outside the kings private council rooms and he
escorted me to the exit to the city"

"By which time we were franticly searching for her" put in Thom

"Then I got to the city" his sister continued "and ended up following a thief who tried to take my purse
back here to make sure he didn't try it on anyone else, and was quietly having a drink when George
appeared and told me, well you actually Thom, to come up to his rooms, so I did, and I told him I
wasn't you but he wouldn't listen and I was just explaining the fact that I was your twin and not you
when you came bursting in your self just in time to prove my point."

"So glad to be of service" quipped one twin to the other then said "we came here to ask George to
send out search parties to help us find you, but then you are already here"

"That she is" said their host speaking for the first time, "and what an interesting twin you have turned
out to have Thom!
Its nice to meet you lass you are welcome in the court of the rogue any time you want to visit us.
And you needn't worry about your pockets, though after light fingers story gets around you wouldn't
any way, be careful who you talk about me too mind, a wrong word could mean my head, though I can
see you've a head on your shoulders and I look forward to getting to know you as you and not Thom
this time but hadn't you all best be going its getting late and it's the ball tonight is it not?
You wouldn't want to miss your own introduction to court now would you lass?" this reminder brought
groans from the twins and Raoul and smiles to the faces of Garry and Jon, George chuckled at this and
bid them good bye, shaking his head as the two twins were the last to leave walking side by side; they
were inseparable.

Smiling George decided to put in an appearance at that nights ball himself; he wouldn't mind seeing the
Lady Alanna in a dress for a start!
_____________________________________________________________________________

Well now the second chap is up too! So what do you think? You all know what I am going to say but
I will say it any way REVIEW! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?

Goddess Bless luv Aurora xxx