A/N: OK, yes, yes, I own none of these characters, EXCEPT Gabriella
Isabella, all the rest belong to the wonderful Tamora Pierce.
~*Chapter 8*~
"Great Mother Goddess!" exclaimed an unknown man when he walked into Alanna's small cell. He had a rugged handsome look about him, with scruffy blonde hair and dark blue eyes; he appeared to be in his early thirties. "You most certainly have outdone yourself this time Louis," the man acknowledged the ratty, diminutive man behind him.
"Thank ye' milord Jackek," the man, Louis, bowed and smiled mockingly at Alanna.
"Alanna the Lioness, the King's champion herself." He said in wonder as he circled her chair.
"Well done, you know my name. You should feel proud of yourself," snapped Alanna sarcastically. "Milord," she added derisively.
He sighed. "Alanna my dear, it was just the luck of the draw that you were taken hostage. And very lucky for us because I imagine people would be willing to pay a great deal of money for you." He smiled kindly to her.
"Depends on who you talk to, most people would love to see me disappear," She quipped.
"The King wouldn't and that's who matters most. Anyway milady, we just had to tie you up until you regained consciousness. We'll take you to your real cell where you'll remain until the ransom is paid. With luck it won't be long, without luck you'll be waiting there for years like some." He clicked his fingers and a rope that hung from his belt whipped around her waist and the ends connected magically. Her head pounded again and she felt like her Gift was somehow unreachable.
"We know your quite the sorceress, we can't let you get away, in the past some have escaped thanks to their Gifts. I learn from my mistakes."
She let herself be led from the small tower room through a maze of dark, damp corridors. She was useless, she had no weapons, no Gift, she didn't have the use of her hands. They were heavily chained, as were her feet. Jackek and Louis were on either side of her, heavily armed with expensive Raven Armory swords and daggers. They paid for those with others misery, she thought bitterly to herself.
"Here we are," Jackek said cheerfully. Louis opened the heavy iron door to a small, disgustingly rank cell, furnished with two dilapidated beds and a pitcher of dirty water. There was no light except that which was thrown from a torch outside the cell.
"Have fun, Louis will bring your dinner at dusk. Not that you'll be able to tell when that is." Laughed Jackek before walking away with his right hand man, Louis.
Alanna walked to one of the beds and sat down. Tears burned in her eyes, very rarely did she feel useless, in fact she could not recall a time when she was this hapless at all.
"Don't cry milady," said a soft voice from the corner of the room. Alanna looked up sharply.
"Who's there?"
A woman walked into the light so Alanna could see her. She was dangerously underweight and her long black hair fell below her waist, it was messy and filthy. "I'm Gabriella Isabella, play write, poetess and once lady. What's your story?" she asked, coming to sit on the opposite bed.
Alanna filled her in on the details of her story, omitting the part of her and Jon's relationship. The woman listened patiently and sympathized with her.
"How long have you been here?" she asked Gabriella Isabella curiously.
"About three years," her green eyes glazed over and she looked into the distance, seeing a place and a time which she, Alanna, could not be part of. "Waiting for the man of my dreams to rescue me. He never came. That's what turned me into a poetess, want to hear a poem I wrote about him?"
"Sure," replied Alanna, what the hell else was she meant to do to pass time anyway?|
"Surrounded by this happiness
And yet there is this grief,
Left in my lonely heart,
The one you did deceive.
I wonder if you're smiling,
If you're full of joy,
While my heart lies broken,
Broken by a boy.
That's all you are to me,
You will never grow,
There are things about a man,
You will never know.
You might say I'm bitter
That I was insecure,
But you wouldn't have a clue,
I don't care anymore.
You're just a bad memory,
Dying in the past,
On my list of important people,
I would put you last.
This little girl you left me for,
The one with long brown hair,
Should I tell her in a week,
You won't even be there?
Off with another girl,
Stealing all her dreams,
You play the perfect part,
But things aren't as they seem."
Alanna gave an involuntary shudder at the hate and sadness in the words in that poem. Would she end up like that? Alone and deserted, waiting forever for her knight in shining armor. . . .
A/N: Phew, that was the longest chapter I have written yet. What did everyone think? I'm very slowly over coming my writer's block, slowly, very slowly. Anyhow, pleeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeee r/r, I lurve all your comments and stuff! Hope you like it!
Luv Seraya xoxoxoxoxo
~*Chapter 8*~
"Great Mother Goddess!" exclaimed an unknown man when he walked into Alanna's small cell. He had a rugged handsome look about him, with scruffy blonde hair and dark blue eyes; he appeared to be in his early thirties. "You most certainly have outdone yourself this time Louis," the man acknowledged the ratty, diminutive man behind him.
"Thank ye' milord Jackek," the man, Louis, bowed and smiled mockingly at Alanna.
"Alanna the Lioness, the King's champion herself." He said in wonder as he circled her chair.
"Well done, you know my name. You should feel proud of yourself," snapped Alanna sarcastically. "Milord," she added derisively.
He sighed. "Alanna my dear, it was just the luck of the draw that you were taken hostage. And very lucky for us because I imagine people would be willing to pay a great deal of money for you." He smiled kindly to her.
"Depends on who you talk to, most people would love to see me disappear," She quipped.
"The King wouldn't and that's who matters most. Anyway milady, we just had to tie you up until you regained consciousness. We'll take you to your real cell where you'll remain until the ransom is paid. With luck it won't be long, without luck you'll be waiting there for years like some." He clicked his fingers and a rope that hung from his belt whipped around her waist and the ends connected magically. Her head pounded again and she felt like her Gift was somehow unreachable.
"We know your quite the sorceress, we can't let you get away, in the past some have escaped thanks to their Gifts. I learn from my mistakes."
She let herself be led from the small tower room through a maze of dark, damp corridors. She was useless, she had no weapons, no Gift, she didn't have the use of her hands. They were heavily chained, as were her feet. Jackek and Louis were on either side of her, heavily armed with expensive Raven Armory swords and daggers. They paid for those with others misery, she thought bitterly to herself.
"Here we are," Jackek said cheerfully. Louis opened the heavy iron door to a small, disgustingly rank cell, furnished with two dilapidated beds and a pitcher of dirty water. There was no light except that which was thrown from a torch outside the cell.
"Have fun, Louis will bring your dinner at dusk. Not that you'll be able to tell when that is." Laughed Jackek before walking away with his right hand man, Louis.
Alanna walked to one of the beds and sat down. Tears burned in her eyes, very rarely did she feel useless, in fact she could not recall a time when she was this hapless at all.
"Don't cry milady," said a soft voice from the corner of the room. Alanna looked up sharply.
"Who's there?"
A woman walked into the light so Alanna could see her. She was dangerously underweight and her long black hair fell below her waist, it was messy and filthy. "I'm Gabriella Isabella, play write, poetess and once lady. What's your story?" she asked, coming to sit on the opposite bed.
Alanna filled her in on the details of her story, omitting the part of her and Jon's relationship. The woman listened patiently and sympathized with her.
"How long have you been here?" she asked Gabriella Isabella curiously.
"About three years," her green eyes glazed over and she looked into the distance, seeing a place and a time which she, Alanna, could not be part of. "Waiting for the man of my dreams to rescue me. He never came. That's what turned me into a poetess, want to hear a poem I wrote about him?"
"Sure," replied Alanna, what the hell else was she meant to do to pass time anyway?|
"Surrounded by this happiness
And yet there is this grief,
Left in my lonely heart,
The one you did deceive.
I wonder if you're smiling,
If you're full of joy,
While my heart lies broken,
Broken by a boy.
That's all you are to me,
You will never grow,
There are things about a man,
You will never know.
You might say I'm bitter
That I was insecure,
But you wouldn't have a clue,
I don't care anymore.
You're just a bad memory,
Dying in the past,
On my list of important people,
I would put you last.
This little girl you left me for,
The one with long brown hair,
Should I tell her in a week,
You won't even be there?
Off with another girl,
Stealing all her dreams,
You play the perfect part,
But things aren't as they seem."
Alanna gave an involuntary shudder at the hate and sadness in the words in that poem. Would she end up like that? Alone and deserted, waiting forever for her knight in shining armor. . . .
A/N: Phew, that was the longest chapter I have written yet. What did everyone think? I'm very slowly over coming my writer's block, slowly, very slowly. Anyhow, pleeeeeaaaaaasssssseeeeee r/r, I lurve all your comments and stuff! Hope you like it!
Luv Seraya xoxoxoxoxo