Disclaimer: Don't own em. All the characters belong to the great Tamora Pierce. ~sigh~

PART THREE: MIDWINTER (BAD) LUCK

"The first thing we have to do is get a charm that'll prevent us from spreading our bad luck," said Numair. He, Alanna, Thayet, and Jon were in Jon's study making plans for what to do with their bad luck.

"Is there even such a thing?" Jon asked, unconvinced.

"Of course there is!" said Numair.

"Then you had better get some of them soon. The ball starts in a few hours and me 'n Thayet have to get ready for the ball."

"You're going to the ball?" said Alanna.

"Yes, we are," Thayet said calmly.

"They ARE the King and Queen, Alanna," Numair reminded her.

"Oh yea!" Alanna said, blushing.

"What about you two? Aren't you going?" asked Jon.

"NO!" both Alanna and Numair said together.

Jon frowned.

"Oh come on Alanna. You have to go!" said Thayet.

"Do not," Alanna shot back.

"Do too," Thayet replied calmly.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Oh brother, not this again!" Numair said, rolling his eyes.

The two men left the two women to argue while they talked about other important matters.

"So Numair, are YOU going to the ball?" Jon asked the mage.

"Err…Jon…you see…I kinda got a problem with Daine and all…" Numair said slowly.

"In other words, you're not going."

"Uh…yea?"

"That's a big no-no," Jon said, staring up at the taller man.

"Jon, I'm not going to the ball," Numair said, a bit too calm.

"Numair, you're my best mage. You have to show up."

"No I don't. I don't want a bunch of air-headed court ladies swarming around me like they do every time I go to one of these balls. I've got Daine."

"But you said you had a conflict with her."

"Oh, that was just a misunderstanding."

The arguing had finally stopped between Alanna and Thayet. Thayet had won, meaning Alanna had to go to the ball. HaHa.

* * *

Daine was in her room, sulking. Why had Numair acted the way he did a while ago? Was it something she had done? Something she had said? Or was he in love with someone else? Daine suddenly had the horrible thought that Numair had finally woken up to see a baby girl when he wanted a mature and grown- up one about his own age.

Kitten, her dragon, came into the room and climbed up onto the bed to try and comfort her.

Daine smiled sadly and said to the little dragon, "If only I knew what this was all really about."

* * *

Alanna made her way down the hall and to the ballroom. She was supposed to meet Numair, Thayet, and Jon there before the ball began to talk about what they were going to do. Numair was going to give each of them one of the bad luck preventing and back luck preventing of spread charms. *A/N What other name could I think of? *

Numair was already there when Alanna got to the ballroom.

"You look nice," Numair said jokingly.

Alanna glared at him and said, "Oh, stop it."

She was wearing black breeches, a white shirt, and a gray tunic. Alanna didn't want to wear a dress. She didn't feel like it and she didn't want to go to the ball in the first place. So she dressed simply. Very simply.

Numair had also dressed plainly.

Jon and Thayet walked into the ballroom a few minutes later. They, being the King and Queen, had to dress in a good manner and had to dress a little fancy.

"Well, do you have them?" said Jon.

"Here you go." Numair handed everyone a charm. Each one was green and red *A/N Christmas colors anyone? * on a leather thong.

"Are you sure these'll work?" said Thayet, eyeing hers in distaste. What horrible colors! She thought to herself.

"Yes I'm sure!" Numair said, annoyed.

"Ah yes, and hopefully I won't turn anyone else into a pig now," Alanna said grumpily.

"Say, what ever happened to George?" Numair wanted to know.

"Thom's watching him."

"Imagine the look on the boy's face when you show up in his room saying to watch over a pig that's really his father," Numair mused.

"Did you tell him it was really George?" said Thayet.

"Of course not! Who knows what he would do then," Alanna said.

People were already starting to come into the ballroom.

"We'd better go now," Jon told the others.

Everyone said their farewells and Jon and Thayet walked away.

"Now what?" said Alanna.

"Well, I have to explain things to Daine. You should explain things to Geo –," Numair said when Alanna interrupted.

"Have you already forgotten he's a pig now?"

"Change him back!"

"Something could go wrong again."

"Nothing's going to go wrong. The charms will prevent that."

"I'm still not taking any chances. I might turn him into something awful."

"Suit yourself," Numair said and also walked away.

Now what was Alanna supposed to do?

* * *

Numair walked slowly to his room. How was he going to explain things to Daine?

Daine had already gone to the ball when Numair arrived back in their room. The packaging for the charms was still on his desk.

He picked it up and was about to throw it away when the label caught his eye.

It said:

WARNING: THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THAT BAD LUCK WILL STILL SPREAD. IF EVENT DOES OCCUR, SAY THAT YOU'RE VERY, VERY, VERY SORRY AND RUN AWAY. CHANCES ARE THAT THE PERSON WON'T BE VERY PLEASED WITH YOU. TRY TO AVOID FLYING OBJECTS THROWN AT YOU. CHARMS LAST FOR 7 DAYS.

(yes, very stupid indeed)

Numair stared at the label. This was not good. Not good at all.

* * *

George the pig was rolling around on the floor and playing with Thom when Alanna stormed in.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Thom asked Alanna.

"What's wrong is that you're father is a pig and that I have seven years of bad luck because I broke a mirror," said Alanna, trying to stay calm.

"What?!?!? Dad's a PIG???" Thom stared at the pig. Now that he looked closely, the pig DID sort of look like his father. "Can you change him back?"

"Um…"

"Mom, please?"

"Oh alright. But don't blame me if something bad happens."

Alanna started glowing purple again as she attempted to change George back to his normal self.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

George was now a goose.

"MOM!!! WHAT DID YOU DO???" cried Thom.

"I told you something like this was going to happen."

"But…"

"Now you're father's a goose. What? Did you like him as a pig?"

George the goose honked angrily.

"Can you try again?" Thom said.

"Do you really want me too?"

"Yes!"

"Here we go again."

* * *

Down the hall he went. Numair had to tell Alanna, Jon, and Thayet about the label.

He reached Alanna's room first. He opened the door without knocking. And stopped dead.

George was now a shifting monster. First a goose, then a horse, then a dog, and then a cow.

"What is it with farm animals?" cried Alanna. She was absolutely outraged.

"Alanna, there's something I need to tell you," said Numair.

"Well you're a bit late," Alanna shot back.

"What I was going to tell you," Numair said, ignoring what Alanna said and the glare she gave him, "Was that there's a chance that back luck can still spread and that…"

"That I'll still have bad luck. Yea, I kind of figured that out," Alanna looked at the shape shifting George and shook her head. "Can you stop that?"

George the sheep (currently) shook his head.

"Can you stop it, Numair?"

"Well, I could try, but there's still the risk…"

"Fine. But we have to tell Jon and Thayet. Thom," Alanna looked at her son, "Watch your father and don't let anyone come in."

"Alright," said Thom.

Alanna and Numair made their way to the door. Alanna looked back and said to Thom, "And stay out of trouble."

* * *

Daine walked out of her room, absolutely miserable. She was walking to the ballroom, still thinking about Numair and what had happened earlier that day. Where was he now? Was he off with some older and more mature woman?

She still couldn't shake her thoughts of Numair away when she had arrived at the ball. A page offered her a drink, which she accepted gladly.

There was no sign of Numair anywhere, which was probably good. Daine didn't know if she had the nerve to face him again.

Wait! Was that him?

"Uh-oh." Daine ducked behind a tall man to stay out of sight.

* * *

Numair rushed into the ballroom with Alanna closely following. He ran straight to the King and Queen, pushing through the crowds of people in the room.

"Jon!" Numair called out halfway across the room to the King. Many people stared at the blackrobe mage.

Numair and Alanna pushed through the rest of the crowd and said urgently, "Jon, the charms won't work."

"Why not?"

"They work, but there's still a chance that bad luck will still spread. And you still have bad luck. Ask Alanna."

Jon looked at Alanna.

"Oh, yea. George, instead of a pig, is now a shape-shifting monster!" Alanna whispered, loud enough for only the four to hear.

"So how can we get rid of our bad luck?" said Thayet.

"Why don't we wait for seven years and pray to the Gods every day and hope nothing bad happens," Alanna said sarcastically.

"Any other options?" said Jon. Both Numair and Alanna shook their heads. "Oh well. Something'll come up. I hope."

* * *

Nothing did however. The rest of the night passed by slowly. Alanna and Numair did their best to avoid everyone while Jon and Thayet excused themselves from the ball, saying they had important business to attend to. The latter met privately for the fourth time that day.

Since it was obvious that the charms weren't working (George was still a shape-shifting freak, Daine wouldn't speak to Numair or look at him, and Jon and Thayet were having a very hard time making up more excuses as to why they had to leave during important meetings and balls), the four needed to come up with a new plan, and fast.

"There HAS to be something that we can do!" said Thayet.

"Like?" said Numair.

"I don't know. But there has to be a way to get rid of our bad luck."

"Perhaps we could give our bad luck to someone else," said Alanna.

"And who would that be?" asked Jon.

"I have no idea."

"Thank you so much for sharing your idea."

"It might actually work," Numair put in. "Who exactly did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking about giving our bad luck to…to the…uh…the dumpling man! Yea, that's who. The dumpling man!" Alanna cried and laughed hysterically. She fell down onto the floor, rolling around and laughing her head off.

"What's so funny?" asked Jon.

"I have no idea but I think Alanna's just lost it," said Numair.

"Was it the stress?" said Thayet.

"No, I think it was her bad luck."

"Wonderful," said Thayet.

"How do we get her out of here?" Jon said over the knight's laughter.

"Let's take her back to her room," replied Numair.

Alanna was taken back to her room with the help of Thayet (no servants could be called in to take her back without them getting bad luck)

When Thayet returned, Jon and Numair were deep in discussion.

"What do we do with our bad luck?" Jon asked Numair for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Shhh! I'm trying to think!"

"Well hurry up. I have to return to the ball soon."

Suddenly Onua ran into the room.

"ONUA! GET OUT OF HERE!" everyone in the room cried.

"What?!" said the K'mir.

"We have bad luck," replied Thayet.

"So?" Onua said, confused.

"Don't you remember? That day I Alanna and I broke some mirrors? Do you remember ANYTHING?" Thayet looked very worried.

"Uh…I don't think I remember anything. Maybe I do. Let's see…" Onua walked out of the room, muttering to herself. Thayet heard a "who am I anyway?" from Onua and turned very pale.

"I don't like this one bit," Thayet whispered. She turned to the two men and said, "We have to find a way to deal with our problem, and fast. Our bad luck isn't going away. I think Onua just lost her memory."

"Alanna's gone insane. George is still a shape-shifting monster," said Jon.

"And Daine won't talk to me at all," said Numair. (it's not that bad is it?)

Jon and Thayet looked at him questioningly.

"She thinks I don't love her anymore," said Numair.

Jon shook his head. "You know what?"

"What?" Both Thayet and Numair said.

"The worst possible thing that could happen in a time like this would be the that all the stables burned down and that pirates started attacking the coast."

Buri ran into the room, panting.

"BURI! GET OUT OF HERE!" everyone in the room cried again.

"What?!" said the K'mir.

"We have bad luck," replied Thayet.

"So?" Buri said, confused.

"Great, not this again," muttered Numair *A/N This is the same conversation they had with Onua*

"Numair and I broke some mirrors the other day," Thayet explained to Buri.

"So? What's the big deal?"

"Oh never mind!" said Thayet. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, right. Stefan wanted me to tell you that all the stables are burning. Pirate's Swoop sent word that pirates are attacking all along the coast."

Thayet and Numair looked at each other, then at the King and cried, "JON!!!"



Hehe. The end of part three. So did you like it? And have you noticed that I used the word bad luck A LOT? No duh! It's the title of the story. And basically the whole story's about bad luck. I'm thinking about putting in more superstitions like walking under a ladder (but sadly, Tortall doesn't have any ladders ~sigh~) or opening an umbrella inside (I don't know if Tortall has any umbrellas. Emelan does. But Tortall?) So anyway, I'm off writing part four (aka chapter four) Toodles for now.

–Satiaus

P.S. Remember I don't care if you flame me. But I do care if you flame me for no apparent reason. So don't do that! Grrr… ~cough cough~ Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go feed my rabbit.