Author's Note: This is Chapter Nine! Sorry about the Chapter Eight mix-up. "All That Flashes" was Chapter Eight.
Chapter Nine: All That Dazzles
"Why do you want to know?" spat Alanna, livid with rage. She struggled but could not shake off her captors.
The man slapped her sharply across the face. She lunged again and was rewarded with an elbow in her ribs. She gasped with pain and breathed in ragged gulps, keeping her eyes to the ground.
"I'll ask the questions," barked the man. "Now I don' have all day. Are ye goin' t' tell me or not?"
"I'd sooner— " Thom cut off Alanna's sharp retort with a high-pitched squeal.
"We'll tell you everything we know!" he yelped. "Just don't hurt us!"
"Shut up, you traitor!" commanded Alanna, turning to glare at her brother.
"No. Keep talkin', sirrah, and no harm will come t' ye or ye're lass here," the suspected Rogue promised innocently.
"He's lying, don't listen to him!" ordered Alanna. "These Rogues won't— "
The man in charge signaled to one of his cronies and he raised his dagger over Alanna's head. Thom gasped and Alanna struggled, trying to free herself from the two men constraining her. He brought the hilt sharply down against her head and it connected with a solid thwack. The Lady Knight slumped limply in one captor's hold, unconscious.
The lead Rogue sauntered forward confidently. "Don' be concerned," he advised the sweating Thom. "Nothin'll happen t' ye if ye tell us simple folk what we wanna know."
* * * * * *
Alanna awoke with her face buried in scratchy straw. She lifted her head gingerly; she could already feel a large bruise forming on the top of her skull. The Lady Knight noted, in the pitch dark, that her hands were bound together behind her back and her feet were also tied together. She also realized that wherever she was, she was moving; her enclosure bumped up and down as if she traveled over a bumpy road. Stretching out to determine the compartment's boundaries, she whacked her head on the "ceiling" and struck something with her feet.
"Alanna? Is that you?" a voice asked softly in a confused manner.
"Thom?" Alanna tried to roll around to attempt to see her brother, but there wasn't enough space. "Thom, are you all right? Do you know where we are?"
"I didn't tell them anything! I wouldn't say a word! Not after they hurt you!" Thom cried hysterically. He made a pitiful whimpering sound and thrashed against her feet.
"Be quiet," Alanna ordered and Thom's noises ceased. Bending her knees back and stretching her tied arms as far to her feet as she could go, Alanna searched for the knife George had taught her to keep in her shoe. She dug her index finger into the nearly invisible slit in the side of her leather boot. Fumbling around in the dark, she couldn't feel anything in the tiny pocket.
Of course, she thought, mentally cursing herself. Rogues were taught to keep weapons in concealed places. That was probably the first thing they had done after knocking her out. She stretched back to her former position and sighed. Twisting around, she discovered that she'd been completely stripped of her weapons.
"Thom? Are these ropes magicked?" Alanna inquired of her brother. He let loose a weary sigh of affirmation. "You're the Master. Can't you do something?"
"They're too strong. I don't have enough energy as it is, after the royal beating they gave me," Thom told her. Alanna sighed and lay still on the straw. "Alanna?" Thom whispered after a moment of silence, his voice barely audible over the rattles and shakes of their enclosure.
"What?" she replied wearily, shutting her eyes for a brief rest.
"Isn't Tyra a republic?"
"Mm-hmm," Alanna acknowledged. "A merchant republic."
"So why does it have a Rogue system? I thought the Rogue system was formed only to function in a society with a monarchy."
Alanna sighed. "Tyra's system is perfect for a Rogue. The Rogues control all of the trades and routes and they have taxes on everything. They're like the monarchs of Tyra." As she spoke, she slowly realized why Tortall had never established any connection with the small country. "The Rogues are gangsters who control just about everything there, including the people."
"Why don't they find another way to produce income?" Thom asked softly, reminding Alanna of Thom as a child.
"Tyra's covered in swamps," Alanna answered. "Even— "
Alanna's statement was cut off as their enclosure stopped abruptly and both twins were thrown forward. Slamming her feet against a wall, Alanna rolled over on her back to prepare for a fight when the overhead door was opened.
There was a loud creak as something heavy was removed from the top of their box. Or someone got off, Alanna reminded herself grimly. She recognized the sound of a key being turned in a rusty lock and suddenly the door to the top of their enclosure was swung open. Light blinded Alanna and she had to snap her eyes shut from the fierce pain it brought. Strong arms reached down and grabbed her shoulders.
* * * * * *
Prince Jonathan paced the chamber angrily, his hands folded behind his back. He paused to glare at the messenger with his direct, cold sapphire eyes. "Go on," he ordered impatiently.
The messenger gulped, diverting his eyes away from the prince's hard gaze. "She was last seen three days ago leaving the palace, Highness," he reported nervously. "She's sent no word back and there's been no details from any of the spies you sent out after her."
The Prince sighed and turned his back on the trembling man. "Very well. You are dismissed," he said curtly. The servant bowed and quickly evacuated the chamber. As soon as he was alone, Jonathan sank down into a chair by the fireplace. Suddenly, as with inspiration, he stood up and settled down in front of the fire. Murmuring words in an ancient tongue, he raised his hands and blue fire leapt from his fingers to mingle with the orange flames.
"Thom? Lord Thom, are you there?" he demanded. The fire supplied no reply, but Jonathan watched it intently, sweat forming on his forehead from the heat of the flames.
A knock sounded at the door. Jon started, snapped out of his dreamy state by the sharp sound. He rose to his feet slowly and trudged over to pull the door open wearily. Gary stood there, the concern on his face obvious. "Jon, you mustn't keep worrying about this. Alanna can take care of herself!"
Jon turned around and walked back into the room, his cousin following. "These are Tyran Rogues, Gary. I don't think she understands that she's not dealing with a couple of marketplace thieves." He sighed again and turned to face his cousin, who had seated himself into the chair and was watching him with an expression of sympathy. "I don't know. Am I underestimating her, Gary?"
"She's only been gone a few days! Maybe she's just taking a vacation," Gary suggested. His words didn't have their intended effect on Jon, who slumped over to throw himself down on a couch. "Don't you think you're making this into too big of a deal?"
"I'm asking you!"
"I think you're just stressed. Relax, Jon." Gary went over to pat Jonathan on the back. "Anyway, if I were you I'd send spies to look for George. Don't identify him as the King of Thieves, mind you."
"Maybe you're right." Jon relaxed and sat up. He shook Gary's hand.
"Come on now, your mother wants to see you," Gary informed the Prince. He helped him out of the chair and they exited the room. The fire remained, the flames still glowing blue with magic.
* * * * * *
It took Alanna a moment after she could open her eyes to realize that the light that had burned her eyes did not come from the sun. It was actually quite dark in the hallway she was being led down, though it was lined with torches in brackets against the stone walls. Four armed guards were "escorting" her and Thom with an important-looking Rogue (Alanna was almost certain they were Rogues now) leading the way.
The torch had been shoved in their faces when the door had been opened to allow their captors to identify them. They had been promptly pulled out and their ropes had been replaced with chains. Alanna had struggled and been jabbed in the stomach with the flat end of a spear. Another injury she would have to repay later, as far as the Lady Knight was concerned. Then they had been led down this hallway without a single explanation.
Alanna realized that the chains securing her hands together were loose. With some fiddling around, she managed to slip out of one of the manacles. She continued to silently work on the other and shed it too. She kept walking, holding the chains around her wrist to give the illusion that she was still imprisoned.
"Where are you taking us?" Thom demanded, sniffing haughtily at the guard on his right.
"You'd do best not to ask questions, Lord Thom," said the important-looking man in front without turning around or stopping.
Alanna said nothing, too busy wondering how they had learned Thom's and possibly her name. She also wondered where Moonlight was and felt a pang of sorrow for her beloved mare. The Lady Knight barely had time to exchange glances with Thom before the party entered a large, richly furnished chamber. Alanna immediately recognized the man she had fought with at the tavern standing next to what she guessed was a throne of some sort.
Alanna and Thom were brought forward to the throne. A man perched upon the gilded seat studied them carefully. An ugly scar ran around the side of his left cheek and trailed behind his ear. His eyes narrowed and he approached them, the man Alanna fought with a few steps in front of him.
The Rogue leading Alanna and Thom bowed. "The prisoners, as you asked, my lord," he announced. The man with the scar had barely nodded when Alanna lunged forward and drew the sword of the man with whom she had fought. She kicked the man and pushed over the scarred one, placed one foot on his chest and pointed the sword at his throat.
She immediately realized it was a mistake. The guards from the room quickly surrounded her and held their spears at her throat. Her sword was confiscated and new chains were strapped around her wrists. The scarred man sneered at her as he was helped up by one of his minions. "I had the idea to release you, Princess Alanna," he said in a deep, breathy voice, "but that's obviously not what you want."
He turned around and headed back for the chair. "Take them to the dungeon."
Disclaimer: Everything that belongs to Tamora Pierce is hers. Everything else is mine.
Author's Note: Ooh, the dungeon! How scary! I apologize for taking forever to post this, but I've had lots to do.
You know the drill. Please review!