Disclaimer: Duh, I only own Kallyn. The rest belong to one of the goddesses of Writing and Authorhood, dadada DA.....Tamora Pierce.
What if Things Were Different-Chapter 3:
Duel!
"Jon!"
Alanna snatched out the dagger she always had hidden at the small of her back and leaped across the room, knocking Kallyn off her knight-master. She pressed her dagger to the girl's throat.
"Who's paying you, you b____?? WHO?!"
Kallyn wet her lips to speak, but just as she was about to, she made a choking noise. Invisible fingers gripped her throat. She turned some very interesting shades of purple and blue.
Alanna wouldn't stand for that. Her Gift streamed out, prying the fingers away.
For the rest of her life, Alanna would mentally torture herself for not just letting the girl die right then and there.
Able to breathe again, Kallyn punched the furious squire hard, sending her flying. Luckily, Alanna was prepared for that. She rolled to her feet swiftly and faced the noble lady, breathing heavily. She was wary. This was a trained assassin, and a good one!
She allowed herself a glance over to where Jon had gone when the fighting started, but didn't see him anywhere. Why isn't he defending me?, she wondered.
Then she saw. Jon had gotten his sword and was silently approaching the lady from behind.
Gods, no! she cried silently. He was headed straight for a floorboard that Alanna, from her many quiet night excursions into his room to put frogs in his bed, let out a noise like a gunshot when stepped upon. She could only watch in blank horror as his foot lowered onto the floor.
Crack!
Kallyn whirled at the noise, and, with a moment too swift to follow, knocked the prince unconsious. He fell to the floor, where he lay prone, breathing slowly but steadily.
"So. It is down to you, and it is down to me," the lady said. Alanna started to step forward to rescue her prince. "If you wish him dead, by all means keep moving forward," Kallyn told her.
Alanna stopped. "Let me explain," she began. (A/N: Hahaha! Got the whole script memorized, don't I? I'll shut up now and let you get on with reading my story)
The two began circling each other: the red-headed squire and the delicate black haired noble lady.
Kallyn lunged first, slashing for Alanna's neck. Alanna blocked her, barred her knife arm and came back, trying for Kallyn's jugular. The ebony-haired woman skipped backwards, out of range. They lunged again at the same time. Their dagger hilts locked. Sweat began trickling down their faces. How could so delicate looking a woman be so strong?
Kallyn finally stepped backwards. With a yell of triumph, Alanna jumped for her, letting her inflamed temper getting in the way of what common sense she had.
Whoops.
