Dragon Mage, chapter 4
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tamora Pierce's, but I own Maddy and all original characters in this story!
Maddy was placed in a small room. It was box shaped with a bed, dresser, mirror, wash bin, and a large window with a window seat looking out over the forest. She was locked in it for two days with no exposure to anyone except a guard who came in and gave her three meals a day. On the third day she was sitting in the window, which was open with a cool breeze coming in. She saw a bird flying through the air, coming close and closer to her. It was the first exposure she had had to animals since the black stallion and she was delighted. As it came yet closer, she recognized it as screech, her trusty, loyal raven friend.
"Come here my friend, I need someone to talk to," she said. The raven heard her call and gladly flew over to her, resting on her arm. She then asked him,
"How do things go in the woods?"
"Bad." He replied, "Many are hurt."
"Hurt? Why?"
"You are not there to help us." Maddy swallowed her feelings of guilt and sadness and asked,
"Oh, what else?"
"We are lonely, and don't know what to do without you. I have been searching for days to find you. I am so glad you found me."
"So am I." she whispered, stroking him as he sat on her arm. A few moments later there was a knock on the door. Maddy almost laughed because the door was locked. She heard a click and the door swung forward. In the doorway stood a guard. He came forward directly into the room, but was scared back by Maddy's eyes.
"Mistress Daine wishes to teach you weaponry. I will take you to her." he said and then eyes the raven suspiciously. Maddy put Screech on her left shoulder then stood up. He nodded his head and walked out. She followed him across a hall into a spiral staircase and out into an open courtyard. There were pages practicing swords and staffs. The guard led her over to Daine who had a smile on her face.
"So, who's your friend?" Daine asked, as though Maddy was her best friend.
"His name is screech." Maddy answered shortly.
"Why is he named that?" Daine pressed. Maddy smiled for the first time since she was there, and said in an almost cheery voice,
"You don't want to know."
"Alright, let's get started. Daine said, and picked up two staffs. Throwing one to Maddy, she caught it.
"Do you know how to use a staff?" Daine asked. Maddy nodded. Testing the weight, she spun it in a circle and ran her finger over the wood to feel the texture. It was a good weight and a fine texture.
"So you know." Daine said. Maddy nodded again.
"Alright, we'll do some simple drills." Daine said, moving to the center of the ring. Maddy turned to screech who had settled on her extended arm.
"Stay on the fence post, I don't want to loose track of you. You're my only contact to the forest, and my only friend here." She spoke into his mind. He let out a sharp, loud cry and took flight over to the fence and landed on a post. Most of the pages got scared or shocked, some stopped what they were doing. Maddy calmly stepped into the ring.
"So that's why you call him screech." Daine remarked. Maddy nodded and laughed.
"Alright, I'm going to come at you with a head blow, you will block. Daine then brought the staff over her head and came down with a strike. Maddy blocked perfectly and counter attacked Daine, bringing the staff around the back of Daine's leg and knocking the back of her knee. Daine stumbled and fell, landing flat on her back, staff flying into Maddy's waiting hand. Daine lay on the ground, a little dazed. Maddy walked up and stared over her.
"How did you do that?" Daine asked.
"Buba taught me."
"Who's Buba?"
"The great black bear."
"Oh, so I guess you learned hand to hand combat too?"
"Yes."
"And who taught you that?"
"Rue."
"What or who is Rue?"
"A tiger."
"Oh, so you know how to fight, and use a staff, and I don't plan on questioning your abilities, but I do question your ability with animals. Come with me."
"How you can question my ability with animals? After what I did with the stallion in the field?" Maddy was confused; she stood there watching Daine's back.
"I saw that but it doesn't prove anything." Daine said.
"Doesn't prove anything? You couldn't even get near him and you didn't know what was wrong with his hoof." Maddy said in a raised voice. She was enraged. Daine turned to face her; she was giving Maddy a questioning look. Maddy continued in irony,
"You're losing your wild magic and the animals don't trust you anymore, that's your problem." All the animal sounds around them went silent, sensing Maddy's anger. Daine was about to say something when Screech, who was still sitting on the fence post, let out an ear splitting cry. Maddy turned and rushed over to the fence, ignoring the knights who were reaching for their swords and daggers. Screech was about to let out another cry when Maddy clamped his beak shut with her hand.
"What's wrong?" she asked out loud. He spoke through his eyes and into her mind. Maddy was barley aware that all activity in the yard had stopped and all eyes were on her.
"It can't be! They were all imprisoned!" Maddy said out loud, her voice shaking.
"What's wrong?" Daine asked Maddy who had just let go of Screech's beak. He spread his wings and took flight.
"They're coming." Maddy said in a low voice, almost a whisper. The walls and tower surrounding them started shaking.
"We're under attack!" a guard called down.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Tamora Pierce's, but I own Maddy and all original characters in this story!
Maddy was placed in a small room. It was box shaped with a bed, dresser, mirror, wash bin, and a large window with a window seat looking out over the forest. She was locked in it for two days with no exposure to anyone except a guard who came in and gave her three meals a day. On the third day she was sitting in the window, which was open with a cool breeze coming in. She saw a bird flying through the air, coming close and closer to her. It was the first exposure she had had to animals since the black stallion and she was delighted. As it came yet closer, she recognized it as screech, her trusty, loyal raven friend.
"Come here my friend, I need someone to talk to," she said. The raven heard her call and gladly flew over to her, resting on her arm. She then asked him,
"How do things go in the woods?"
"Bad." He replied, "Many are hurt."
"Hurt? Why?"
"You are not there to help us." Maddy swallowed her feelings of guilt and sadness and asked,
"Oh, what else?"
"We are lonely, and don't know what to do without you. I have been searching for days to find you. I am so glad you found me."
"So am I." she whispered, stroking him as he sat on her arm. A few moments later there was a knock on the door. Maddy almost laughed because the door was locked. She heard a click and the door swung forward. In the doorway stood a guard. He came forward directly into the room, but was scared back by Maddy's eyes.
"Mistress Daine wishes to teach you weaponry. I will take you to her." he said and then eyes the raven suspiciously. Maddy put Screech on her left shoulder then stood up. He nodded his head and walked out. She followed him across a hall into a spiral staircase and out into an open courtyard. There were pages practicing swords and staffs. The guard led her over to Daine who had a smile on her face.
"So, who's your friend?" Daine asked, as though Maddy was her best friend.
"His name is screech." Maddy answered shortly.
"Why is he named that?" Daine pressed. Maddy smiled for the first time since she was there, and said in an almost cheery voice,
"You don't want to know."
"Alright, let's get started. Daine said, and picked up two staffs. Throwing one to Maddy, she caught it.
"Do you know how to use a staff?" Daine asked. Maddy nodded. Testing the weight, she spun it in a circle and ran her finger over the wood to feel the texture. It was a good weight and a fine texture.
"So you know." Daine said. Maddy nodded again.
"Alright, we'll do some simple drills." Daine said, moving to the center of the ring. Maddy turned to screech who had settled on her extended arm.
"Stay on the fence post, I don't want to loose track of you. You're my only contact to the forest, and my only friend here." She spoke into his mind. He let out a sharp, loud cry and took flight over to the fence and landed on a post. Most of the pages got scared or shocked, some stopped what they were doing. Maddy calmly stepped into the ring.
"So that's why you call him screech." Daine remarked. Maddy nodded and laughed.
"Alright, I'm going to come at you with a head blow, you will block. Daine then brought the staff over her head and came down with a strike. Maddy blocked perfectly and counter attacked Daine, bringing the staff around the back of Daine's leg and knocking the back of her knee. Daine stumbled and fell, landing flat on her back, staff flying into Maddy's waiting hand. Daine lay on the ground, a little dazed. Maddy walked up and stared over her.
"How did you do that?" Daine asked.
"Buba taught me."
"Who's Buba?"
"The great black bear."
"Oh, so I guess you learned hand to hand combat too?"
"Yes."
"And who taught you that?"
"Rue."
"What or who is Rue?"
"A tiger."
"Oh, so you know how to fight, and use a staff, and I don't plan on questioning your abilities, but I do question your ability with animals. Come with me."
"How you can question my ability with animals? After what I did with the stallion in the field?" Maddy was confused; she stood there watching Daine's back.
"I saw that but it doesn't prove anything." Daine said.
"Doesn't prove anything? You couldn't even get near him and you didn't know what was wrong with his hoof." Maddy said in a raised voice. She was enraged. Daine turned to face her; she was giving Maddy a questioning look. Maddy continued in irony,
"You're losing your wild magic and the animals don't trust you anymore, that's your problem." All the animal sounds around them went silent, sensing Maddy's anger. Daine was about to say something when Screech, who was still sitting on the fence post, let out an ear splitting cry. Maddy turned and rushed over to the fence, ignoring the knights who were reaching for their swords and daggers. Screech was about to let out another cry when Maddy clamped his beak shut with her hand.
"What's wrong?" she asked out loud. He spoke through his eyes and into her mind. Maddy was barley aware that all activity in the yard had stopped and all eyes were on her.
"It can't be! They were all imprisoned!" Maddy said out loud, her voice shaking.
"What's wrong?" Daine asked Maddy who had just let go of Screech's beak. He spread his wings and took flight.
"They're coming." Maddy said in a low voice, almost a whisper. The walls and tower surrounding them started shaking.
"We're under attack!" a guard called down.
