Author's Note: I know that it has taken me longer to get this chapter up then I said it would...but the longer you leave your story up with no new chapters, the more reviews you get! And I just love reviews...*hint hint*
ANYWAY...I had this great, er, well, interesting end planned out for all of you A/J maniacs out there, but then a bunch of A/G people reviewed, so I'm stuck. Maybe I'll consult someone out there on their opinion. Is it just me, or are there a lot more girls on this site than guys?
I got the title, by the way, from the movie "Save The Last Dance." It was going to be called (my story) "All That Glitters," but I came home from seeing that movie and called it that without thinking. So I kept it! That, by the way, is a pretty good movie.
Oh, and if you want to put my stories on your webpage, PLEASE contact me before you do! They belong to me! I wrote them! Ask before you take them unless I have given you permission to just use them, like I have given to certain people.
Chapter Four: All That Shimmers
The next day dawned cloudy with the threat of rain. Alanna sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes to rid them of sleep. Jon was still asleep next to her, gently snoring with his mouth slightly open.
A grin on her face, the Lady Knight quickly dressed and pulled her crimson, shoulder length hair back and tied it at the base of her neck. She slipped out of the room noiselessly. Hastily making her way to the stables, the Lioness thoroughly groomed her golden mare. Moonlight nickered softly as Alanna brushed her already shining coat until it gleamed like the sun.
As she finished rubbing down her mount, an idea came to her. Stefan, the chief hostler, had been the one who had given her George's note. Surely he would know where George had gone, she reasoned to herself. Leading Moonlight back to her stall, she secured the door, turned around, and came face to face with Stefan.
"Stefan!" Alanna said by way of greeting. The hostler sighed and set down the bridles he had been carrying.
"I knew ye'd be looking for me," Stefan mumbled, looking away and reminding Alanna of a shy horse. The Lioness frowned. Stefan was usually never shy like this.
"Where is he, Stefan?" she demanded, setting down the curry comb she had been using. The hostler looked away again, avoiding her piercing gaze.
"Who? George? I don't know."
"Where is he?!" Alanna cried, shoving the man against the stable wall. She released him and tried to calm down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - I'm just upset." She sighed.
Stefan backed away cautiously. "I don' know where he is," the man admitted. "But after he gave me tha' note, he took off like he was being chased by the Black God himself."
Alanna leaned against a beam and sighed. Someone had to be after George, she decided. "I think someone's after him," she said softly.
"Well, I won' doubt it, not after the Dancin' Dove bein' burned and then disappearin' like he did." Stefan ran his hand over the coarse stubble on his chin. "But I have no idea where he's at."
Alanna thanked Stefan for what information he gave her and watched as he scurried off. It's almost like he knows something that he doesn't want to say, Alanna mused. She turned and ran up the stairs back to the palace.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Muttering to herself nonchalantly, Alanna pored over the thick, dusty maps. Following her finger, she drew a path from the palace to where the Dancing Dove once lay, then to Tyra.
"You remind me of myself, dear sister!"
The Lady Knight whirled around. Laughing with joy, she embraced the red-haired man of her own height roughly. "I haven't seen you for a long time," she said, clapping him on the back. "What brings you to Court?"
Alanna's twin brother Thom grinned and plopped down into an armchair. He grinned innocently. "Why, my only sister is to be wed - and to the crown prince of Tortall, at that. Of course I came by!"
The Lioness turned her back to her brother. She loved Jon, but the thought of the wedding that loomed in her future still made her uneasy. "Don't bring that up. I've enough on my mind at the moment," she groaned, returning to the maps.
Thom knew better than to bring it back up. "So what are you looking for?" he questioned, eyeing the maps with moderate interest.
"It's George," she began.
"Your Rogue friend?" her brother inquired. She nodded, rolling up the map she had been using and unrolling a different scroll.
"He's missing. The tavern where he stays burned down a few days ago. And I need to talk to him."
Thom rose and gave his sister a quick, tight hug. "You'll find him," he assured her. "You're the Lioness. Just think of what you've already done. Finding one man will be simple!"
Alanna smiled and shoved her twin playfully. "Of course I'll find him," she declared.
Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the characters, except for the ones that are mine. I am not trying to claim ownership over any of them. The plot is mine.
And NO OFFENSE to anyone who likes them, but if I read just ONE MORE FORSAKEN DAINE/JON FIC THEN I AM GOING TO GO INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ANYWAY...I had this great, er, well, interesting end planned out for all of you A/J maniacs out there, but then a bunch of A/G people reviewed, so I'm stuck. Maybe I'll consult someone out there on their opinion. Is it just me, or are there a lot more girls on this site than guys?
I got the title, by the way, from the movie "Save The Last Dance." It was going to be called (my story) "All That Glitters," but I came home from seeing that movie and called it that without thinking. So I kept it! That, by the way, is a pretty good movie.
Oh, and if you want to put my stories on your webpage, PLEASE contact me before you do! They belong to me! I wrote them! Ask before you take them unless I have given you permission to just use them, like I have given to certain people.
Chapter Four: All That Shimmers
The next day dawned cloudy with the threat of rain. Alanna sat up and stretched, rubbing her eyes to rid them of sleep. Jon was still asleep next to her, gently snoring with his mouth slightly open.
A grin on her face, the Lady Knight quickly dressed and pulled her crimson, shoulder length hair back and tied it at the base of her neck. She slipped out of the room noiselessly. Hastily making her way to the stables, the Lioness thoroughly groomed her golden mare. Moonlight nickered softly as Alanna brushed her already shining coat until it gleamed like the sun.
As she finished rubbing down her mount, an idea came to her. Stefan, the chief hostler, had been the one who had given her George's note. Surely he would know where George had gone, she reasoned to herself. Leading Moonlight back to her stall, she secured the door, turned around, and came face to face with Stefan.
"Stefan!" Alanna said by way of greeting. The hostler sighed and set down the bridles he had been carrying.
"I knew ye'd be looking for me," Stefan mumbled, looking away and reminding Alanna of a shy horse. The Lioness frowned. Stefan was usually never shy like this.
"Where is he, Stefan?" she demanded, setting down the curry comb she had been using. The hostler looked away again, avoiding her piercing gaze.
"Who? George? I don't know."
"Where is he?!" Alanna cried, shoving the man against the stable wall. She released him and tried to calm down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to - I'm just upset." She sighed.
Stefan backed away cautiously. "I don' know where he is," the man admitted. "But after he gave me tha' note, he took off like he was being chased by the Black God himself."
Alanna leaned against a beam and sighed. Someone had to be after George, she decided. "I think someone's after him," she said softly.
"Well, I won' doubt it, not after the Dancin' Dove bein' burned and then disappearin' like he did." Stefan ran his hand over the coarse stubble on his chin. "But I have no idea where he's at."
Alanna thanked Stefan for what information he gave her and watched as he scurried off. It's almost like he knows something that he doesn't want to say, Alanna mused. She turned and ran up the stairs back to the palace.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Muttering to herself nonchalantly, Alanna pored over the thick, dusty maps. Following her finger, she drew a path from the palace to where the Dancing Dove once lay, then to Tyra.
"You remind me of myself, dear sister!"
The Lady Knight whirled around. Laughing with joy, she embraced the red-haired man of her own height roughly. "I haven't seen you for a long time," she said, clapping him on the back. "What brings you to Court?"
Alanna's twin brother Thom grinned and plopped down into an armchair. He grinned innocently. "Why, my only sister is to be wed - and to the crown prince of Tortall, at that. Of course I came by!"
The Lioness turned her back to her brother. She loved Jon, but the thought of the wedding that loomed in her future still made her uneasy. "Don't bring that up. I've enough on my mind at the moment," she groaned, returning to the maps.
Thom knew better than to bring it back up. "So what are you looking for?" he questioned, eyeing the maps with moderate interest.
"It's George," she began.
"Your Rogue friend?" her brother inquired. She nodded, rolling up the map she had been using and unrolling a different scroll.
"He's missing. The tavern where he stays burned down a few days ago. And I need to talk to him."
Thom rose and gave his sister a quick, tight hug. "You'll find him," he assured her. "You're the Lioness. Just think of what you've already done. Finding one man will be simple!"
Alanna smiled and shoved her twin playfully. "Of course I'll find him," she declared.
Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns the characters, except for the ones that are mine. I am not trying to claim ownership over any of them. The plot is mine.
And NO OFFENSE to anyone who likes them, but if I read just ONE MORE FORSAKEN DAINE/JON FIC THEN I AM GOING TO GO INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!