1 Chapter 5

The Training

By: Lady Isabelle

*~* Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. *~*

The next morning, everything was, well, different. When Alanna got up, Dreamdancer had already made breakfast, and Faile was up, with her arm in a sling. Nothing was as creepy as it was the night before. She sighed and started to get up and walk over to the fire.

"Good morning!" Dreamdancer was in a very very good mood, Alanna wanted to crack his head with a rock. She wasn't a morning person.

"Morning," Alanna grumbled. "I don't know if it's good." She walked over to the fire, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "When are we leaving? I want to start my training."

Faile laughed. Not a mean laugh, but a joking one. "You've got to be kidding me, Dreamdancer." She said his name very sarcastically. "There is no way her family would approve. She is very NOBLE in case you haven't noticed. Besides, her brother is in the palace training to be a knight. It's to dangerous for the Nightrunners."

"Hawk, I know what I am talking about. I am in charge of recruiting. Have you noticed that you are NOBLE too? Besides, having a brother in the palace will make it all the easier to get a spy into it. No one will ever think twice of a lady coming to court to find a husband. Alanna just won't be finding a husband. She will be doing to the spying for us there. We know that there are at least two representatives of the Shadowlost there. We need to bring them down."

Faile shook her head disbelievingly. "I don't believe you. You tricked me, a member of your fighting force, to leave the convent with a girl that I thought would make a good mage, and now you are recruiting her? Something is just a little bit wrong here."

Alanna, watching this whole exchange like it was a play, started to laugh. She started to laugh, hard. The brother and sister stopped fighting to stare at her. "I can't believe you two. You fight like there is no tomorrow, but you are trying to beat something. You need to work together to beat the Shadowlost. Personally, I wouldn't have you two in the same group, but that is just me." She laughed again. "I am going to for the training whether or not you like it, Fa- I mean Hawk. Can we please just go?"

And they proceeded to do just that. Dreamdancer then put the fire out and grabbed his pack. "Let's get a move on. The training center is only about a ten minutes walk from here." The group, a very odd looking group, started out to the training center. Alanna walked into the King's Forest, deep in thought when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye.

"There's something there. I saw it." She looked towards the trees, where she could have sworn she had seen something.

"Don't worry, its probably just a member of the Nightrunners, we have a meeting tomorrow, so everyone is trying to gather in." Dreamdancer stopped talking abruptly as they reached a small cave in the middle of the forest. "We're here. Inside you go."

"What? Aren't you coming with me?" Alanna asked apprehensively.

"Of course we are, but you must pass through this cave. It will produce dreams in which you see what might be, what could be, or what could have been. You can take no weapons with you. This is the first step you must take. Please give Hawk your weapons." Alanna grudgingly handed over her sword, bow, knives- all 15 of the ones she carried on her person. Then he continued, "Remember, the way back comes but once. You must pay heed, or you will be trapped here forever in the cave, in your own dreams. Now go."

Alanna nodded and walked forward. "I am ready." And then she disappeared into the cave. She immediately noticed that the cave glowed, but it didn't glow. There was a strange eerieness in it. She swallowed, hard. She walked forward and the scene changed, completely. She was standing inside a ballroom, on the Queen's staircase. She looked at herself, she was wearing a light purple gown and her hair, and it was up in a perfect twist. She slowly descended the staircase, enjoying the feel of everyone looking at her. She reached the bottom and a young man, a very handsome young man with black hair and blue eyes, a different man than she saw in the fire but a similar man. The young man reached his arm out to her, bowing. She curtsied and he began to whirl her around the dance floor. "And how are you today, Lady Alanna?" She almost pulled back in surprise, he knew her name.

"I'm fine, but you know my name? How is that? I don't even know you."

He laughed, "Of course you do, you are my betrothed."

"I'm your what?!" Alanna almost shouted. She couldn't be betrothed to anyone, she wasn't even fifteen yet.

"My betrothed, of course. Are you feeling all right? You always seemed to like dancing with me before."

"Who are you? I've never even seen you in my life before."

"I'm Prince Jonathan, heir to the throne of Tortall, of course. If you are trying to be coy with me please don't. I don't want to be played a fool."

Alanna exhaled slowly. The Crown Prince of Tortall. Her betrothed. "I'm not being coy, Prince. I'm am just being my usual crazy self."

"Crazy," His eyebrow went up slightly. "You are not crazy, you are just a lovely maiden, who has come to court, who happened to find herself betrothed to the Crown Prince and didn't know it."

"I see. I haven't do anything strange have I?"

"No." The prince's features didn't change, although the look in his eyes said he was surprised.

Alanna sighed. This is boring. She didn't want to have this kind of life. She looked around. The way back comes but once. Those words echoed in her head, but she didn't know why. She continued to let the prince whirl her around the room, unnaturally silent. Why was she here? And why was she betrothed to the prince? Unnoticed by her, a tear rolled down her cheek.

Jonathan, looking at Alanna, who was obviously in a different world all together, wiped the tear off her cheek. "Are you all right? You are crying."

"I am not crying. I haven't cried since I was five years old." She paused when she saw another tear roll out of her eye. "Oh gods, I am crying."

Jon saw that she was upset, and led her out to a garden outside of the ballroom. "Now what's wrong, and stop calling me prince. You've called me Jonathan for the past week, and today you went all formal."

"I don't know. I guess, I guess, I just forgot who I was for a second."

"Alanna, you know that I like you, I may even love you. But you must trust me, and tell me what is wrong."

"I'm fine. I'm telling you, I'm fine."

Jonathan sat back, exasperated. "This girl is going to be the death of me," he thought. He took her hands in his and said, "Alanna if your not going to tell me, I won't ask again, but," He stopped talking and leaned down and kissed her. He couldn't help it. He had too.

Alanna almost jumped back, but then she realized, she liked it. She kissed him back. When she finally backed away, the words echoed again-The way back will come but once. She looked behind Jonathan, and there was a ring of fire, with the cave in back of it. The way back will come but once. She looked at Jonathan, the man she was betrothed too, and decided, that she had to go. "I have to go."

He looked at her in amusement, "You can't. The ball has only just started, telling of our engagement."

"No, I must go!" The way back will come but once.

"Alanna, you can't. It's against my duties to you, to let you wander off."

"I have to go, please, just two minutes, turn around please."

Jonathan was worried but he consented. Alanna quickly ran to the doorway, and stepped through, sobbing. Faile caught her as she fell to the ground. "Ssshh, its okay, your fine, nothing that occurs in their mirrors the truth. Everything is fine. You've passed the test. You are officially ready for training. Doesn't it make it better?"

Alanna nodded, slowly, the memory was fading fast. "Now, what do I have to do?"

Faile's face sobered quickly. You must go to Dreamdancer. The leader, Stardrifter, is waiting for you. Alanna nodded her head, and then embraced the woman.

"I'll see you again soon."

Faile nodded. "I know you will," she replied.

Alanna walked quickly to where Dreamdancer was standing. "Come," he said. "Stardrifter does not like to be kept waiting. He is not a very patient man." He, misreading the look on Alanna's face said, "He won't kill you. He's not that frightening."

Alanna nodded shorty, lost in her own thoughts. She was jolted back to reality when Dreamdancer bowed and announced, "I brought her."

Alanna curtsied, "I am pleased to meet you, my lord."

He nodded her out of her curtsy, and looked her up and down. "Turn around." Alanna looked at him and he was glaring at her, so she decided to do it. Slowly. "Good," he said. "Your name?"

"Alanna of Trebond," Alanna replied.

"Trebond, that's the big fief on the Northern border, with the defenses from Scanra. Your father is a scholar, your mother is dead. Your brother is Thom of Trebond, currently a page in the palace. Are you prepared to take this challenge?"

Alanna gulped and replied, "Yes, my lord, I am. And if you mind me asking, how do you know these things?"

"I do mind, and I just do. Trainees don't ask questions. Now go, don't be late for evening meal. You are dining with me tonight."

Alanna, of course, was terrified at the thought. "Yes, my lord," she curtsied and walked towards Dreamdancer.

She turned around and made sure Stardrifter could not hear her, "Gods, is he always that awful?"

Dreamdancer looked like he was about to laugh, and ushered her to a room, filled with swords and other things. "Yes, he is. And don't get that upset about it. He's a jerk, but he is the second-in-command in the hunt for the Soulless."

"Second-in-command?" She quipped. "He seems like he is the leader, the big cheese."

Dreamdancer grinned wryly, and tossed her a sword. "Guard, let's see how good you are. He isn't. We do not know the name of the man first in command. He is mysterious, moving in shadows, always knowing. I don't even think Stardrifter knows what he looks like. Maybe he does, but he doesn't talk about it. We just don't know. Watch your form! Its sloppy."

Alanna nodded and went back to the fight, thinking on the information Dreamdancer had just told her. She shook her head and feinted off Dreamdancer. All you could here were their stockinged feet, and the sound of their swords crashing into each other. She feinted left and drove hard to the right, and knocked Dreamdancer's sword out of his hand. Drawing her sword to his throat, she said, "I win."

"Yes, you do," he replied. "Gods, Trebond, I haven't been bested by a swordsman or swordswoman, in your case, in years. You're matchless, although your form is not perfect. Let's do it again."

Alanna was surprised at his compliments and murmured, "Thank you." She shifted into guard position, and spent the rest of the day fencing against different opponents.

"Gods I'm tired," Alanna muttered to Faile. "When can we go to bed?" Faile raised an eyebrow at her. Alanna was surprised, "What? Am I forgetting something?"

"Yes, you are. You need to change into a dress and look nice, because Stardrifter is waiting to have dinner with you."

"Oh. I had forgotten."

"I had assumed you would," Faile went on teasingly, " But, don't worry. He won't bite your head off. He likes you?"

"What?"

"He's been watching you all afternoon. He does watch his new trainees, especially since you are noble. He thinks you are beautiful."

Alanna looked surprised, " Its one thing to watch me, and think I'm decent, which he probably didn't. But, beautiful? Come on, if he hits on me, then I will kick him. I swear."

"He won't try to hit on you. At least I don't think he will. He has a harem, of sorts. He is good friends with all the whores in Corus."

"The whores? What kind of man," Alanna blushed furiously. "Does that?"

"Well, obviously this one does. He may be crass and crude, but he does a good job of heading up the Nightrunners. Now go change. I'll help you do your hair."

A/N You like? You don't like? I know it's been a long time since I updated, but I've been really busy. And as you may notice, this chapter is considerably longer. Please r/r. I'll hopefully have the next chapter up by Saturday night. And the plot gets a lot thicker, with the dinner and Alanna goes out to Corus and meets…..