Chapter 7

The Road to the Palace

By: Lady Isabelle

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize everything else belongs to me.

Alanna was up and about at five the next morning. She was running around getting together the last minute things she needed. Her wardrobe, expansive as it was, was already packed. She had her packet. She had been told by Stardrifter that under no circumstances was she to attack the Shadowlost, even if she did find him. Only if she was in direct danger was she allowed to attack. She was to get backup with the Rogue and then go find the Shadowlost. According to Stardrifter, she wasn't quite ready yet, but they needed someone to help her. Alanna glanced around the room where she spent the night and noticed there was a note from Faile. It read:

Dear Lioness,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am away by now on my mission. I left before you got back, if you had thought I was just going to be late. I cannot tell you where I am going but I will come back. I have been ordered to go back to Corus when I am done with this mission. But, that's highly classified information. So don't be telling anyone where I am going next. Even Stardrifter. Especially Stardrifter. Take care of yourself Lioness. The streets of Corus are not as nice as they are seem to be. Beware of the Shadowlost. Do not allow them to come and get you. Watch. Wait. And then show them your power. And please learn how to use you magic. I cannot tell you how vital it will be in the last battle, but I know it will be involved. Get help. Ask the Duke Roger of Conte to help you. He is a Master of magic, and I'm sure he would be pleased to help you conquer your fears about magic. Good luck.

Hawk

Alanna frowned as she finished the letter. Now where had she heard that name? She knew where, Thom's letters. Thom didn't like the man. He thought that Roger was slippery and too sly for his own good. And yet Faile wanted her to get help from the man? Hmm, she thought. I don't know what to do about that. I could trust my own judgement, or I could listen to Faile. Or I could listen to Thom and not even talk to him. Alanna was startled out of her thoughts by a knocking at her door. She looked up. "Yes?"

"Your carriage is here Lioness. Good luck."

She nodded to the young recruit, Leopard. He was in awe of her, most of the trainees were. They didn't think that it was possible to be approved by Stardrifter after being here only a day. Most people were there at least two or three months before they were chosen to be on mission. "I'm coming." She stood up and grabbed her packet and walked out the door. Dreamdancer, who also was on his way out the door, stopped her.

"Good luck Lioness. You will need it." He looked down at her. "Study your magic."

She grinned. "Yes sir. And you be sure to study your sword form. You don't want to be bested by a woman again."

He laughed and slapped her on the back. "Hurry up Lady Lioness. Your carriage awaits. Just to forewarn you the person in the carriage is also an operative. She is the reason you were allowed to stay this long. Two whole days. You have been with her the whole time. Do you understand?"

"Yes Dreamdancer. Good luck on your mission. And I'll listen to your advice."

He nodded and pointed to the carriage waiting outside the doors. She sighed and went out and climbed inside, carefully pulling her skirts into the carriage. She gasped in surprise when she saw who the operative was.

"Sister Alessandra?!" Sister Alessandra was the stuffiest sister in the convent. She was skinny and a wire and had an arm like an anvil. She had been the one to strap Alanna on occasion. She was the operative?

Sister Alessandra grinned. "Yes Alanna. Don't seem the type, now do I? The oldest stuffiest one, I believe they say. I did so hope you would join my cause. Now I can die in peace because I have a successor."

"A what? You knew? Since when?"

"My successor. I am the Wildcat."

"You're the Wildcat?" Alanna asked in awe. That was someone who was revered so at headquarters. They said in her prime, she was the best swordmistress in the Nightrunners. It was one of the few operatives to live past 60. Now she was a priestess. That explained a lot. That would explain why they let her Faile walk out of there, she knew. She knew everything.

"You knew. You knew that Hawk was going to take me. You knew," she accused.

Sister Alessandra raised her hands to stop Alanna. "Yes, I knew there was another operative besides me in the convent. I also knew one of my girls was going to disappear. I was hoping she would take you. I did not know who Hawk was, only that she was there. I knew since she so conveniently showed up back at the convent pretending to have gotten lost on the way to Corus and gotten separated from you. That was my cue to go and get you."

"Oh."

The rest of the journey was much like that, with Sister Alessandra filling in the gaps of her knowledge about Corus, and the Shadowlost. Now everything was much clearer.

"You honestly think that a Shadowlost started the Sweating Sickness? I thought some foreign enemy sent it."

Sister Alessandra sighed. "Child, you aren't thinking with your head. Foreign sorcerer, bent on the destruction of Tortall, tried to kill Queen Lianne and Prince Jonathan; doesn't it make sense that an agent of the Shadowlost would have sent it? Think Alanna."

Alanna mused about that for a couple of minutes. "I understand. The Shadowlost wants to get rid of the governments and set up puppet Kings and queens until we are all underneath his or her thumb. I understand."

"Thank the Goddess. I didn't think I could have left you in Corus alone without you knowing that much. You cannot think with your sword. The Shadowlost is cunning, and he will use any advantage you give him. You must think with your brain. Not your sword." Just as it seemed like Sister Alessandra would continue, the carriage stopped abruptly. The door opened and Alanna gaped. The palace was gorgeous. Not anything like what she had imagined. So different from the City of the Gods.

Sister Alessandra glanced at Alanna and said, "Stop gaping Trebond, you look like a country noble without an education." Her look spoke volumes.

Alanna curtsied and closed up her mouth. "Yes ma'am." She turned from Sister Alessandra and followed the footman into the palace.

A/N I hope you like it. Sister Alessandra is fun. I really hope she makes another appearance. She is very humbling. She yelled at me when I almost made her Sister Alessa. I'm looking for a beta reader if possible! Contact me at gymtwster@aol.com Please r/r! I'm not going to update until I get at least 5 more reviews! I was very disappointed when no one reviewed Chapter 6. If you all hate it, please please tell me and I'll make it go away. Please give your opinion, good or bad! Luvs, LadyIsabelle