Disclaimer: I don't own tamora pierce's characters. It's a very touchy
subject so lets leave it at that okay? Good. *walks off to be sad*
Chapter 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next morning..
okay, where to find the stables, stables, stables, I know I saw them yesterday! Now, first step, find the palace, that isn't too hard. Oh wait, I forgot about the markets. Ugh.
Emma yet again found herself struggling to get through endless path to the palace. Venders waved more items in her face, people looking to buy clogged the foot traffic. Why didn't I bring Chestnut?(her horse) a am going to a stable after all.
"Fine silver for the young lady? I sell for cheap! Only two gold!" one vender, and old wrinkled woman was more persistent than the others. "Come on! Is cheap! You first customer! How about for mother? Good present!" she dangled a silver amulet in Emma's face.
"Please just leave me alone! I don't want any silver and I don't even have a mother so leave me alone!" Emma was starting to get mad. She quickened her pace and got away from the persistent vender. "This is insane! I'm going to be late to my first lesson if I don't get out of here soon." She muttered to herself. She looked around for another large cart like yesterday but none were to be found. Just then, she spotted the large gates to the palace up ahead. So close and yet so far. Hey, where did that come from? She shook her head as she thought to herself. Hey, who says I need a cart? Maybe I could just walk behind some of those people.She darted behind a couple of people who had no trouble navigating through the traffic.
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A while later, a very annoyed Emma made it to the stables. Seeing Daine there she put on a less harassed looking face and went up to her. "Good morning Emma, are you ready for your first lesson? If you don't mind my saying so you look like you're not having the best day." Daine commented. "Morning, 'not the best day' is an understatement. Those merchants are a real pain." Emma groaned. "well, lets get going. Have you ever been inside the royal forest before?" Daine asked her. " So it's true? There really is a royal forest? I can't wait! What are we going to do in there?" Emma was curious and excited at the same time, causing her to make an interesting face as she tried not to sound overly anxious. Daine just laughed. "Remember I told you we were going to test your range? Well, now we are. Don't look so sad." She joked. Emma, in fact was smiling like crazy. "Now, Numair should be around here somewhere.. He's going to help us a little. There he is, Numair! Over here!" she called. The black mage trotted over on his lanky legs, and looked a bit comical doing so. Emma caught herself smiling a little. "Hello Daine, Emma." He said cheerfully. "let's get started shall we? They were just on the edge of the forest. He created a communication spell between himself and Daine. "Emma, here's how we're going to work this. Numair here will stand by a tree of your choice, and you will start a conversation with it. You and I will gradually walk away until you can no longer hear or talk to the tree, then we will walk back, okay?" Daine looked to Emma. "fine with me." Emma replied and looked around for a suitable tree. Glancing around she spotted a Birch. It was perfect for just now, that type of tree was chatty and since it was surrounded by some noble fir, it was probably talk deprived. " That one right there I think should be good." She told the two others. Numair took his station and Daine and Emma got started. Hello! Isn't it a good day? She asked it. Yes, yes it is a rather good day. But who are you? I haven't seen you before. 'oh, you can call me Emma. Sadly, I don't look like a tree.' She replied. Yes yes, awfully tragic. It would be nice to have someone to talk to around here. My neighbors are awfully quiet you see, they never like to talk. In a way you are lucky. I have an awful vine growing on me. It itches terribly, not to mention the squirrel who jammed a nut between two of my branches. It's awfully annoying.It went on, and on, Emma was beginning to wonder if she had chosen the right tree to talk to. Every once in a while Emma would say yes or oh no! the scandal! But in fact, she was a little glad when she could no longer hear its nonstop chatter.
She and Daine walked back to Numair, Emma being especially careful to keep her tree hearing, as she called it, shut off. Along the way she told Daine the basics of the conversation. "You poor thing, that must have been awful." Daine teased. Emma only let out "GAH! I never, NEVER want to hear that word AGAIN!" Numair, who saw them coming (and had heard the conversation) called "It wasn't that awful was it?" he had to dodge a rather large stick being thrown at his head.
Chapter 5!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The next morning..
okay, where to find the stables, stables, stables, I know I saw them yesterday! Now, first step, find the palace, that isn't too hard. Oh wait, I forgot about the markets. Ugh.
Emma yet again found herself struggling to get through endless path to the palace. Venders waved more items in her face, people looking to buy clogged the foot traffic. Why didn't I bring Chestnut?(her horse) a am going to a stable after all.
"Fine silver for the young lady? I sell for cheap! Only two gold!" one vender, and old wrinkled woman was more persistent than the others. "Come on! Is cheap! You first customer! How about for mother? Good present!" she dangled a silver amulet in Emma's face.
"Please just leave me alone! I don't want any silver and I don't even have a mother so leave me alone!" Emma was starting to get mad. She quickened her pace and got away from the persistent vender. "This is insane! I'm going to be late to my first lesson if I don't get out of here soon." She muttered to herself. She looked around for another large cart like yesterday but none were to be found. Just then, she spotted the large gates to the palace up ahead. So close and yet so far. Hey, where did that come from? She shook her head as she thought to herself. Hey, who says I need a cart? Maybe I could just walk behind some of those people.She darted behind a couple of people who had no trouble navigating through the traffic.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A while later, a very annoyed Emma made it to the stables. Seeing Daine there she put on a less harassed looking face and went up to her. "Good morning Emma, are you ready for your first lesson? If you don't mind my saying so you look like you're not having the best day." Daine commented. "Morning, 'not the best day' is an understatement. Those merchants are a real pain." Emma groaned. "well, lets get going. Have you ever been inside the royal forest before?" Daine asked her. " So it's true? There really is a royal forest? I can't wait! What are we going to do in there?" Emma was curious and excited at the same time, causing her to make an interesting face as she tried not to sound overly anxious. Daine just laughed. "Remember I told you we were going to test your range? Well, now we are. Don't look so sad." She joked. Emma, in fact was smiling like crazy. "Now, Numair should be around here somewhere.. He's going to help us a little. There he is, Numair! Over here!" she called. The black mage trotted over on his lanky legs, and looked a bit comical doing so. Emma caught herself smiling a little. "Hello Daine, Emma." He said cheerfully. "let's get started shall we? They were just on the edge of the forest. He created a communication spell between himself and Daine. "Emma, here's how we're going to work this. Numair here will stand by a tree of your choice, and you will start a conversation with it. You and I will gradually walk away until you can no longer hear or talk to the tree, then we will walk back, okay?" Daine looked to Emma. "fine with me." Emma replied and looked around for a suitable tree. Glancing around she spotted a Birch. It was perfect for just now, that type of tree was chatty and since it was surrounded by some noble fir, it was probably talk deprived. " That one right there I think should be good." She told the two others. Numair took his station and Daine and Emma got started. Hello! Isn't it a good day? She asked it. Yes, yes it is a rather good day. But who are you? I haven't seen you before. 'oh, you can call me Emma. Sadly, I don't look like a tree.' She replied. Yes yes, awfully tragic. It would be nice to have someone to talk to around here. My neighbors are awfully quiet you see, they never like to talk. In a way you are lucky. I have an awful vine growing on me. It itches terribly, not to mention the squirrel who jammed a nut between two of my branches. It's awfully annoying.It went on, and on, Emma was beginning to wonder if she had chosen the right tree to talk to. Every once in a while Emma would say yes or oh no! the scandal! But in fact, she was a little glad when she could no longer hear its nonstop chatter.
She and Daine walked back to Numair, Emma being especially careful to keep her tree hearing, as she called it, shut off. Along the way she told Daine the basics of the conversation. "You poor thing, that must have been awful." Daine teased. Emma only let out "GAH! I never, NEVER want to hear that word AGAIN!" Numair, who saw them coming (and had heard the conversation) called "It wasn't that awful was it?" he had to dodge a rather large stick being thrown at his head.