* A Song Of Ice And Fire *

A/N: Okay, here's another chapter… I'm really trying to avoid studying for my history and chemistry finals. I should be studying… heh... heh… I'm sure I will eventually… right… Anyway, here's another chapter… woot! I promise I'll update WEDoB (With Ev'ry Drop of Blood) soon… maybe tonight?

Chapter 2: Thrown to the Wind

Arey stood on the deck of the ship, looking for the coast of Tortall. He wanted to know the moment it appeared. Suddenly, he heard strange noises, and looked up. Directly above him as a griffin in flight. The majestic creature, a male, he thought, was in full flight, wings spread to meet the wind, and legs curled under. His huge wings cast a shadow over the entire boat. Arey had read about these creatures, they existed mainly in Tortall and the surrounding countries, as Carthak was too hot for most of them. They preferred dark caverns near cliffs and ate mainly meat, although they sometimes lapsed into omnivores. They also had semi-hollow bones, but their bones were heavy enough to need a wingspan at least twice their body length from tip of nose to tip of tail. He envied them. They were free to fly and to feel the frozen wind biting them. He was not so free. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to meet the oncoming man. He half-smiled when he saw the captain of the ship, a man, he had no doubt, in full pay of his uncle, the Emperor. He sighed and braced himself for the lecture.

"Yer Highness, is no' safe out 'ere. Yeh saw de griffin. Der vicious creatures, dem… Yeh should git below."

He almost laughed. "I'll take your word for it. I'm sure that you know as much about griffins as I know about the men in my uncle's pay." He softly emphasized the last few words and proceeded below.

* * *

Ria looked up from the text she was reading and smiled at Phey. Phey simply nodded and looked out the window. She had been awfully curt recently, and Ria wondered if something was wrong with her. Maybe it was just returning to Corus. When the Knight had come seeking work directly after her Ordeal, it had not seemed unusual, but she seemed troubled. For the last four years, she had taken the place of a fighting servant when she should have been starting her own household. Her fief was by no means poor, after all. And when they had checked with her Knight Mentor, she had only good things to say about the young Knight. She was surprised when they had mentioned Phey's behavior, but she had muttered something about a particularly harsh Ordeal. Even so, they could find no specific reason for her actions or for her haunted look. Ria shrugged and returned to the text, a book on the history of the Bazhir, in their language.

Several hours later, they arrived on the outskirts of Corus, after traveling for just under a week. Ria was looking forward to being able to walk around and ride again. She rubbed her stiff knees for a moment, then straightened her skirts and hair in preparation for their arrival. She removed the Dunlath Heiress' necklace from it's case and placed it around her neck, then set to planning out the next few weeks in her head.

* * *

Arey sighed as he saw the palace growing ever nearer. He had hired a coach the moment he had stepped of the boat. He had been traveling for a day now and was looking very forward to a cool bath and silk sheets. Then suddenly, his coach pulled through the gates. He knew he still had at least a quarter-bell, as the drive was extensive. He saw the line of carriages in front of them and quickly revised that estimate. It would beat least a half-bell. He leaned into the corner between the seat and the wall to wait.

* * *

Ria stepped lightly out of her carriage and hopped over a puddle. She noticed a lot of baggage, all of it well made, coming from the carriage that was right behind theirs. She avoided all of the mud spots, flicking her wrists to move her skirts out of the way. She looked up to talk to Phey and found something completely unexpected.

* * *

Arey tapped his foot in impatience and waited for Rath to get out. He supervised the servants with quick movements of his hands and polite requests. He was eager for a bath. He cursed inside his head as he stumbled over his words in Common. His foot tapped faster and harder. He looked up to yell at his friend and found something completely unexpected. (A/N: Yes, that's deliberate)

* * *

Two pairs of eyes, one fire-specked green and the other icy blue met over the courtyard. Each of the two inadvertently took one step forward. Colors, smells, music swirled around. Orange and reds mixed with blues and purples. Cinnamon and brine woven together to be both sweet and tangy, cool and hot. A fast, heavy peasant's dance and a light, airy waltz. Gold and Ivory tones mixed, swirled, separated, and mixed again. There was a connection that neither could break from, the connection between two whose destiny is so heavily entwined that there is no way to escape it. This was not love, no, not quite that instant, pulsing love that only fades and flees. And neither was it the deep binding hatred. It was simply a connection. Pure, simple destiny. Or, at least, as simple as destiny can ever be.

Before the two could take another step, two different hands were placed on two very different shoulders, and the connection broke, so suddenly that it left the two reeling.

"Why are you standing in a mud puddle?"

* * *

Ria cursed fluently and jumped back, landing in another puddle. This caused another string of curses and she stomped away from the puddles and into the doorway of the palace. That was weird. She leaned against the wall and looked around. There was a young man, must be the Carthaki Prince, walking towards her, and her heart, soul, and gift, flamed in recognition as he brushed by her. And then, the sensation was gone, leaving the young lady gasping.

* * *

Arey looked down at his leather boots and sighed. That was a very good question. He stepped carefully out of the puddle and joined Rath. He spotted another mud-drenched noble, and smiled. He saw the sun glint off of her red hair as he passed her, and felt his heart beat faster, his lungs freeze, and his stomach tighten as he passed her. When he was a few feet away from her, the sensations stopped, and he sucked in breaths as fast as he could to fill his aching lungs.

* * *

A/N: Oooh, I like the way it turned out. A little cliché perhaps, but good. Is anyone confused about that. By the way, Corus was a lot smaller then, as was Port Caynn, and I have not read the Alanna books (bad me!) I don't know how far away it was in her time from Corus, so I'm just making a guess. I love Rath and Phey :D Phey's a tad screwed up eh? Well, someone has to be… It's a prerequisite for my stories (oooh, big word!) anyway, I do really need to study now, so I'll end it here. Hopefully I'll be able to post something more before Christmas. Until then, REVIEW!!! No, really, Happy Holidays!