One of a Kind
Disclaimer: You know the drill. If you recognise it, I don't own it. Can someone please explain why we have to put these on every single chapter?
Chapter four: Blood and Fire
"And so, by using something that belongs to this person, we can track them using the traces of their aura which remain on the object via this spell. If necessary, we can also use the blood or hair or some such thing belong to a close relative, such as a parent or full-blood sibling, although that requires this more complex form of the spell."
Alanna glanced at the paper on which priestess Katerina was writing down the various forms of the finding spell, then glanced sideways, distracted by the sight of Tat's bewitched quill scribbling down the priestesses words as she tried to finish the next lessons homework under the desk.
Priestess Katerina turned around. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of Tat's all too obviously self-propelled quill, and, twitching her finger slightly, collapsed the pen. Beside's her, Alanna heard Tat groan. "I spent an entire week's free time figuring out that spell." She muttered as the priestess turned back to her paper.
Tat picked up the quill, muttered a few words, and scowled. "She's fixed it so I can't respell it!" Alanna raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't have tried to use it in Katerina's class, then."
"Suppose so. Most of it's done, anyway." She said, scrutinising the notes the pen had made, and scrawling the rest of the spell before going back to her homework.
The bell rang. Alanna sighed. She didn't like to use her Gift if she could avoid it, but she found magic more enjoyable then most of her classes, mainly because Delia wasn't Gifted and so wasn't in the class.
Katerina beckoned to Tat and Alanna waited for her by the door as the priestess meted out Tat's punishment.
"What did she give you?"
"I have to copy out the entire lesson's notes ten times by hand."
Alanna grinned at Tat's dramatics. "Could be worse."
"Suppose so." Unlike Alanna, Tat had no qualms about using her Gift. In fact, she enjoyed it, and Alanna had to admit that some of the things Tat did with it, such as putting an illusion on Delia's homework to make it - usually word perfect, seem to be completely wrong after she 'accidentally' spilled her juice all over Tat's homework at breakfast a month ago, was funny.
Although she had suspected Tat's hand, as neither Delia nor priestess Clothilde had the Gift they could not accuse her, something that both girls had laughed about for days afterward.
That evening at dinner, Sophia came over, dark eyes sparkling as they always did, to give Alanna a letter.
She glanced at the writing on the parchment and grinned in recognition. Over the past five months, she and Thom had only had time to send each other short notes, once shortly after both had left Trebond, and once with the presents they had sent each other on their birthday two months age. From the look and feel of it, this one promised to be much longer.
She tucked it into her pocket and when the meal was over and Tat had gone off to priestess Katerina's classroom for her punishment, Alanna hurried off the her rooms to read Thom's letter.
Once in her room, she pulled it out of her pocket and, breaking the seal, sat down to read it.
Sister dear,
I can't believe it's been five months since we left home and I haven't written properly to you. But then, that's life at the palace for you. I seem to barely have time to sleep between training, lessons and homework, let alone to have time to write to you. The training's horrendous, and I am entirely sure that even you would hate it. It's made more bearable by my friends, and they do help me out with the things I need extra help in for training (almost everything, as you will no doubt have guessed.). I tried to send to you in the fire, but it wouldn't let me. Pity, it would have saved the time that letters take.
How's life at the convent? No doubt you'll have managed to get into all sorts of trouble in the last few months. I wish I had time to write more but free time is scarce if not nonexistent here.
Love, Thom.
Alanna re-read the letter twice, then settled more comfortably into her chair, wondering why Thom couldn't send to her. Perhaps it was to great a distance for the spell they had learnt. But if it was combined with a seeking spell…
Alanna bit her lip, wondering. She didn't like to use her magic, but it would be worth it to find Thom.
Settling down cross-legged before the fire, Alanna ran through the two spells in her mind, fitting them together, then removed the thin dagger from it's sheath inside her riding boot, and in one swift movement, cut her finger. Scattering the drops of crimson blood over the burning coals, she began to recite the sending spell, altering it in some places so that she sent to the one with whom she shared that blood - Thom.
The flames roared high in the fireplace, turning purple and then, transparent.
She was looking into a simple stone room. To one side of her vision was a bed, with a figure sitting on it, reading. The figure - Thom, looked up at the flames, then yelped and dropped his book, running forward to land on his knees in front of the fire.
"Alanna?"
"Hello, brother dear."
"I - how did you do that? I couldn't see you when I tried to send to you."
"I used a different spell. A combination of a sending spell and a finding spell. Here - " She repeated the spell for him.
Thom nodded as she finished. "I see. So the convent isn't a complete waste of time after all."
Alanna scowled. "I'd rather be at the palace. How've you been?"
"Sore. They put you through a lot here."
"I - " Alanna broke off, hearing a knock at the door. "I have to go. Goddess bless."
Thom grinned. "You too. And now you've figured out this spell, I can always send to you if I need to." Alanna smiled and quickly whispered the words to end the spell, before going to the door.
Tat stood outside. "I just realised you haven't been to the market at the City of the Gods yet, and since tomorrow is that rarity of rarities, a rest day and market day when neither of us have punishments to serve, I thought you might like me to take you."
Alanna grinned, looking forward to a change of scenery, even it was only a different angle to look at the mountains that surrounded the convent. "Definitely. Sounds like fun."
"Go to bed then. It takes a while to get there and we'll have to be back by sunset. Goodnight."
Alanna shut the door, and crossed to her bed, suddenly realising how very tired she was.
That sending must have tired me more than I thought. She realised sleepily as she healed her thumb before climbing into bed fully clothed.
***
They set off at first light the next day, with Sophia with them as their chaperone.
By the time they had reached the city, it was well into the morning, and by the time they got through the crowd at the gates, Alanna was content to simply let Tat guide her though the crowd as Sophia set off to do some shopping of her own, agreeing to met them at midday by the fountain that stood at the centre of the marketplace.
By midday the two girls were laden with purchases, and well away from the fountain they had agreed to meet Sophia at.
Glancing a small side alley that was less crowded, they made their way over to it, sighing with relief as the amount of people around them thinned. Just as they were applauding themselves on finding such a convenient shortcut, they heard a low snicker behind them. They both whirled round, coming to face with several not particularly attractive looking boys.
"What do we have here?"
Another two boys stepped out from behind them.
"What do you want?" Alanna hoped she sounded more confident them she felt.
"What's the matter, don't you want to play, you little noble brat?"
"Not really."
The boy sneered. "Too bad." He stepped up to her. Quick as lightning, Alanna's reflexes came onto play and she hit him - hard - on the nose.
The boy roared. "Get them!" and the gang rushed at Alanna and Tat. Tat hit one over the head with her a bag containing her more heavy purchases, while Alanna kneed another in a very painful area, before ramming one in the guts as he reached for Tat, who threw a ball of her own brand of wood green fire at another boy. "Run!" she yelled as Toffee and Vixen snorted and pawed the ground menacingly as they advanced on the boys.
Bursting out of the alley, Toffee and Vixen close behind, they came face to face with Sophia. "Great Goddess, what happened to you two?" She gasped, and Alanna suddenly realised that both their dresses were dirty and torn, Tat had a cut above one pale eyebrow, and someone had evidently hit her cheek, which felt very tender.
They rode back to the convent in silence, and as soon as they were through the gates Sophia took them both off to the healers, despite protests from both that they were fine.
At the infirmary, healer priestesses caused what Alanna considered to be an unnecessary fuss over her cheek, which by then felt numb, and a few other cuts and bruises, before putting them both to bed for the night under the watchful eyes of the healers.
***
Sophia looked at the First Daughter. "First Daughter, she simply must be taught. Both girls have a perchant for getting into trouble, but Alanna will fight even if she's outnumbered. She must be taught to use her abilities properly, before that tendency gets her into more danger than if has already."
"I agree. Very well, you may teach lady Alanna to fight, and lady Tatiana as well if you wish."
Sophia nodded, grateful. In the time since she had arrived, she had grown to care for Alanna very much. "Thank you, First Daughter."
