~ Chapter Two ~
The Ride in the Forest
Alanna mounted her horse, Silver-streak, gracefully. She swept her skirts from under her, settling neatly on her lady's saddle.
"Are you ready, Lady Alanna?" asked Prince Jonathan.
"Yes, I am," said Alanna. My God, she thought, I'm turning into a lady!
"All right, let's go," said Jonathan.
"C'mon, girl," Alanna said to Silver-streak.
Alanna and Jonathan trotted off into the forest on their horses. Delia of Eldorne watched them go. She gave a sour look to Alanna's back and turned away, walking into the palace. She walked up to a door, and gave it three sharp, short knocks and two knocks with long pauses in between them. The door opened, and a tall man holding a wizard's rod with an intimate design stood there.
"Delia," the man said. "What have you to report?"
"Master, it seems the Prince has lost interest in me," the pretty girl replied.
The man frowned. "How do you mean, Delia?" he asked. "Jonathan, lose interest in you, my sweet?"
"Oh, Master. Yes, it does. But come, I cannot tell you standing in the hall, can I?" Delia fluttered her pretty, thick, lashes.
"Yes, yes, come in," he said. "Get out!" he snapped at the maid inside.
"As you wish, Your Grace," said the maid, frightened. She hurried out.
"Sit," he told Delia. "Now, how could Jonathan lose interest in you?" he asked.
"He's gone off with that Lady Alanna of Trebond," Delia pouted.
"Yes - Alanna of Trebond. Thom's sister. Something should be done about her." He looked at Delia. "Scare her out of Court. Taunt her - tease her. Drive her away. He stroked her chestnut hair.
"You can do it," he said. "Then Jon will turn back to you. My plan will not fail. I will be King!" He looked at Delia. "And you'll be right by my side."
Delia smiled. No Alanna of Trebond would stop her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Alanna and Jon rode, Jon studied Alanna thoughtfully. He watched her ride with grace, but something told him that she wasn't all to her than met the eye.
"Did you always want to become a lady?" he asked suddenly.
"Why?" Alanna sounded suspicious
"You just don't seem to be all you appear to be," replied Jonathan coolly.
"Well," Alanna said, "I didn't really - I wanted to become a knight."
"A woman a warrior?" asked Jon, shocked.
"There have been women warriors before!" replied Alanna. "Most people just don't remember - women can fight, just no one gives them half a chance!"
Jon chuckled. "You're right, Lady Alanna," he said.
"Please don't call me "Lady" Alanna," she said. "I really do hate it, Your Highness."
"So long as you call me Jonathan," he replied. "I really do hate "Your Highness", Alanna."
Alanna smiled at him. "Done," she replied.
"So you wanted to become a knight?" asked Jonathan. "What of Thom? Did he want to become a warrior too?"
Alanna smiled. "Thom? No, he wanted to be a sorcerer. Slay dragons; walk with the Gods - that was Thom. Me - I had the "feel" for the fighting arts, as Coram would always say."
"I may be able to help you a bit," said Jonathan.
Alanna looked at him in surprise. "Really? How?"
"I have a friend, in the city," Jon replied. "Come on, I'll show you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In the city, Jon led Alanna to an inn called "The Dancing Dove". Alanna stared in bewilderment.
"Here it is," Jon said. He led Alanna to the stables, where they deposited their mounts the stable boy.
"Ay," said the boy. "George's inside."
"George?" Alanna asked.
Jonathan just nodded. He went inside the inn, where it was buzzing with activity.
"Jon!" exclaimed a red-haired woman.
"Ah, Rispah!" exclaimed Jon. "Is George about? I've someone he'd like to meet."
"Just upstairs," said Rispah. "I'd take ye, but ol' Solom's asleep on his feet."
Jon nodded and walked up the stairs. Alanna followed eagerly, but nevertheless she was nervous.
"Who exactly is this "George"," she asked. "Is he a friend of yours? A noble? What's a noble doing in a place like this?"
"Oh, George's no noble," replied Jon.
"Not a noble?" Alanna gasped.
"Ah! Jon! So nice to see ye!" the voice was from a man in his twenties, who was quite handsome when he smiled. He had a kind voice, and cheery face. "Who's this?" he asked. "You've bought a lady to meet me?"
Jon smiled. "Oh, this isn't any ordinary lady, George. This one wants to be a warrior."
George whistled. "Why'd a pretty lady like you want to be a warrior? I'd save those pretty hands for needlework, were I you."
"Well, you're not me," replied Alanna curtly. "And you don't want to make me angry. I can use a sword. I beat my squire-brother only this morning."
"Ah," said George. "You're the lass from Trebond. Thom's sister, ay? Not many folk'd have eyes like yours."
"So if I am?" Alanna asked. "What's it to you?"
"Don't get testy with me lass." He turned to Jonathan. "What so you want me to do?"
"I thought Alanna would value some of your skills," replied Jonathan. "How bout it George? For friendship's sake?"
George laughed. "Alanna? That's it, hey?" he asked Alanna. "It's a pretty name - yes, Jon, I can see the stubbornness in this one - she's a tough one. All right. I'll teach her. But I think she might value your skills a bit better than mine." He indicated to Jon.
"All right," Jonathan smiled. "Alanna, you've just gained two new teachers. He smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Alanna returned she filled Elisia in on everything that had happened that day. "So what did you do?" she asked.
"Oh," said Elisia, blushing a little. "Sir Gary took me around the palace. He showed me so many things! We saw the classrooms where he used to learn, and all the practice courts, and he showed me the gardens too! It was all so pretty."
Alanna smiled it seemed Elisia had found a friend. More, maybe, she thought. A definite good!
The Ride in the Forest
Alanna mounted her horse, Silver-streak, gracefully. She swept her skirts from under her, settling neatly on her lady's saddle.
"Are you ready, Lady Alanna?" asked Prince Jonathan.
"Yes, I am," said Alanna. My God, she thought, I'm turning into a lady!
"All right, let's go," said Jonathan.
"C'mon, girl," Alanna said to Silver-streak.
Alanna and Jonathan trotted off into the forest on their horses. Delia of Eldorne watched them go. She gave a sour look to Alanna's back and turned away, walking into the palace. She walked up to a door, and gave it three sharp, short knocks and two knocks with long pauses in between them. The door opened, and a tall man holding a wizard's rod with an intimate design stood there.
"Delia," the man said. "What have you to report?"
"Master, it seems the Prince has lost interest in me," the pretty girl replied.
The man frowned. "How do you mean, Delia?" he asked. "Jonathan, lose interest in you, my sweet?"
"Oh, Master. Yes, it does. But come, I cannot tell you standing in the hall, can I?" Delia fluttered her pretty, thick, lashes.
"Yes, yes, come in," he said. "Get out!" he snapped at the maid inside.
"As you wish, Your Grace," said the maid, frightened. She hurried out.
"Sit," he told Delia. "Now, how could Jonathan lose interest in you?" he asked.
"He's gone off with that Lady Alanna of Trebond," Delia pouted.
"Yes - Alanna of Trebond. Thom's sister. Something should be done about her." He looked at Delia. "Scare her out of Court. Taunt her - tease her. Drive her away. He stroked her chestnut hair.
"You can do it," he said. "Then Jon will turn back to you. My plan will not fail. I will be King!" He looked at Delia. "And you'll be right by my side."
Delia smiled. No Alanna of Trebond would stop her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Alanna and Jon rode, Jon studied Alanna thoughtfully. He watched her ride with grace, but something told him that she wasn't all to her than met the eye.
"Did you always want to become a lady?" he asked suddenly.
"Why?" Alanna sounded suspicious
"You just don't seem to be all you appear to be," replied Jonathan coolly.
"Well," Alanna said, "I didn't really - I wanted to become a knight."
"A woman a warrior?" asked Jon, shocked.
"There have been women warriors before!" replied Alanna. "Most people just don't remember - women can fight, just no one gives them half a chance!"
Jon chuckled. "You're right, Lady Alanna," he said.
"Please don't call me "Lady" Alanna," she said. "I really do hate it, Your Highness."
"So long as you call me Jonathan," he replied. "I really do hate "Your Highness", Alanna."
Alanna smiled at him. "Done," she replied.
"So you wanted to become a knight?" asked Jonathan. "What of Thom? Did he want to become a warrior too?"
Alanna smiled. "Thom? No, he wanted to be a sorcerer. Slay dragons; walk with the Gods - that was Thom. Me - I had the "feel" for the fighting arts, as Coram would always say."
"I may be able to help you a bit," said Jonathan.
Alanna looked at him in surprise. "Really? How?"
"I have a friend, in the city," Jon replied. "Come on, I'll show you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In the city, Jon led Alanna to an inn called "The Dancing Dove". Alanna stared in bewilderment.
"Here it is," Jon said. He led Alanna to the stables, where they deposited their mounts the stable boy.
"Ay," said the boy. "George's inside."
"George?" Alanna asked.
Jonathan just nodded. He went inside the inn, where it was buzzing with activity.
"Jon!" exclaimed a red-haired woman.
"Ah, Rispah!" exclaimed Jon. "Is George about? I've someone he'd like to meet."
"Just upstairs," said Rispah. "I'd take ye, but ol' Solom's asleep on his feet."
Jon nodded and walked up the stairs. Alanna followed eagerly, but nevertheless she was nervous.
"Who exactly is this "George"," she asked. "Is he a friend of yours? A noble? What's a noble doing in a place like this?"
"Oh, George's no noble," replied Jon.
"Not a noble?" Alanna gasped.
"Ah! Jon! So nice to see ye!" the voice was from a man in his twenties, who was quite handsome when he smiled. He had a kind voice, and cheery face. "Who's this?" he asked. "You've bought a lady to meet me?"
Jon smiled. "Oh, this isn't any ordinary lady, George. This one wants to be a warrior."
George whistled. "Why'd a pretty lady like you want to be a warrior? I'd save those pretty hands for needlework, were I you."
"Well, you're not me," replied Alanna curtly. "And you don't want to make me angry. I can use a sword. I beat my squire-brother only this morning."
"Ah," said George. "You're the lass from Trebond. Thom's sister, ay? Not many folk'd have eyes like yours."
"So if I am?" Alanna asked. "What's it to you?"
"Don't get testy with me lass." He turned to Jonathan. "What so you want me to do?"
"I thought Alanna would value some of your skills," replied Jonathan. "How bout it George? For friendship's sake?"
George laughed. "Alanna? That's it, hey?" he asked Alanna. "It's a pretty name - yes, Jon, I can see the stubbornness in this one - she's a tough one. All right. I'll teach her. But I think she might value your skills a bit better than mine." He indicated to Jon.
"All right," Jonathan smiled. "Alanna, you've just gained two new teachers. He smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Alanna returned she filled Elisia in on everything that had happened that day. "So what did you do?" she asked.
"Oh," said Elisia, blushing a little. "Sir Gary took me around the palace. He showed me so many things! We saw the classrooms where he used to learn, and all the practice courts, and he showed me the gardens too! It was all so pretty."
Alanna smiled it seemed Elisia had found a friend. More, maybe, she thought. A definite good!