~*~*~*~ What It Feels To Be Caged ~*~*~*~
Author's Ramblings: *bounces around happily, muttering about chicken pot pie* Ah! My lovely readers! *notices glares directed at her* Wait, wait, I have an excuse!! *expectant looks* Well…uh… Yes, anyway, about my little dilemma-I've decided to stay with Alanna. Sorry for all of you who wanted me to switch, but I still think you'll like it. And to all those who reviewed, thank you for all your wonderful support and ideas!
P.S. Want the disclaimer? I'm getting tired of writing it-look to the first chapter if you feel like being picky.
P.P.S. I don't know how they "curse" in Tammy's books-at least not the way I want them to. ;) So just run with me on this; I might be using "modern-day curse words" or such. Hehehe.
Chapter Three: Journey
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The Lady Knight listened to the soft exchange of words outside her door. Soon she heard heavy footsteps moving away from her chamber.
"Cool down, my ass!" Alanna screeched viciously when she finally felt the immobilization spell dissipate.
The time for civility was over. She shot to her feet and raised her hand to throw fire at the door to her prison, but suddenly stopped herself. A knight of Tortall wouldn't throw a hissy fit just because the situation she was stuck in looked momentarily hopeless. She had certainly been in much worse predicaments in her life, and she always managed to work her way out.
So there has to be a way of this one too. Alanna told herself with certainty.
Plopping down on her "bed" with a less than graceful movement due to the sudden heave of the ship, Alanna closed her eyes, and began to take deep breaths, meditating.
When she was confident that she had herself under control, she slowly pulled her Gift together and began to use it to trace any sources of magic back to the bearer; be they friend or foe. She needed to know whom she would have to "take care of" when she planned to escape, whom to pay special attention to, and if there was anyone within her range who might be able to help her.
When she felt the magic pooling inside her, Alanna took a deep breath and slowly cast it out, letting it drift out of her.
But suddenly, the magic came back to her. Slightly daunted, Alanna tried again, only to feel something akin to a wall blocking her magic. Now confused, she opened her eyes. Nothing but the dark, bleak walls of her room met her violet eyes. Closing them, she tried again. The same thing happened. Once more opening her eyes, she quickly called flames to her outstretched palm, and then threw the sparkling amethyst knot at her door. When fire met wood, dark orange flared brightly, then faded.
A shield. Meant to keep her magic in this cabin with her. Where it wasn't going to do her any good!
Sharif must have done it, damn him! Alanna thought venomously. That man is going to die a very painful death…
With yet another fling of the ship, Alanna was thrown face down on her pallet. Suddenly realizing how tired she was, Alanna shifted to a more comfortable position on her side and let the comforting arms of sleep envelop her. Trying to forget her present problems for the moment, she suddenly remembered what Sharif had called her when he first talked to her.
"Well, Fire-hair, you seem to hold many secrets."
Snorting with laughter, she said softly to herself, "'Fire-hair', indeed."
Alanna slowly fell asleep thinking about the one person who had called her "Fire-hair" a long time ago, but not knowing whether she was reminiscing with pleasure or disgust.
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BACK ON THE MAINLAND
Coram awoke to the same silence that had startled his mistress. He turned back the sheets of his bedroll and quietly stole to the mouth of the cave. He was greeted with a beautifully alive environment. Every plant stationed in the sandy dunes beside the cave was healthily green, and some were even showing off small white flowerets. The blossoms were gently fluttering in the dawn breeze, and the sweet scent of them wafted to Coram on the breeze. Gazing out to sea, Coram watched the slow aurora send gentle rays of light over the water, bringing out golds, olives, violets, and indigos that were magnificently merged in the dawning sun. Bringing his eyes up to meet with the far-off horizon, the man-at-arms admired the display that could only be seen at daybreak. It looked as though some grand artist's palette had been spilled across the sky. But somehow, not one hue seemed out of place. Each was reflected in the deeper tones of the ocean, making it seem as though the very heavens were trying to compensate for the horrid storm the night before.
Too bad Alanna can't enjoy it with me…
He looked over where his Lady Knight companion had set up her bedroll and then almost fallen into it the previous night. To his alarm, it was vacated.
That lass should be sleeping, the man-at-arms thought with fatherly concern. He looked to where he had fastened the horses the night before, and with relief, saw that Moonlight was grazing peacefully on the small dune plants that were still within her tether line. Glancing up at her mistress' friend, Moonlight neighed, as if reassuring the old soldier.
Deciding that Alanna wouldn't go looking for trouble, and that she knew her bodily limits, Coram strolled out to the water's edge, and sat down to watch the daybreak show. But he couldn't help worrying about the girl he had helped to raise from childhood.
Even though Alanna usually knew better than to go looking for trouble, trouble usually found her.
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BACK ON SHIP, TWO WEEKS LATER
Kadar ben Kahmil opened the door to the Lioness' chamber. She had told him that had more or less her "title" in Tortall, and he all thought that it matched her temperament very well.
Kadar put on a warm smile and spoke to the Lioness cheerfully, setting down the tray holding her breakfast on a low stool, thusly making an adequate table out of it.
"Well, lalla, we should be arriving in port soon."
Lalla was the Islander term for a well-born woman. Since Kadar had come to respect the Lioness, he was compelled to address her as such.
"Wonderful," Alanna retorted shortly. "Then I can go through this degradation all over again."
Kadar shook his head, almost in amusement. In the two weeks that he had been assigned to help the Tortallan woman learn about her new life, that temper had not receded one bit. To say the least, anything and everything he or anyone else did only seemed to fuel it, causing the blazes to dance higher and higher. It was only a matter of time before the fire blew out of control. It was due time to give the lalla an important lesson.
"Did you not tell me you were gently bred?" He asked without hesitation.
She snorted in a very unladylike manner and said, "Gentle is an understatement, but-"
"But you were raised as a noble all the same, correct?"
"Bravo," she quipped sharply, "Your memory does you proud."
"I cannot say the same about your shrewishness, lalla." He heard her affronted gasp, and knew there was a string of curses to follow it, but he continued relentlessly. "If you had not told me these things about yourself, I would think you were a peasant. Peasants have no more sense than to bite at the hand that holds their life. A noble is wiser, having the sense to know when to give up the fight without losing one's pride."
By the sparks flying from her snapping amethyst eyes and the tight set of her jaw, Kadar knew he was walking on thin ice, the flames literally skipping around his very body.
"First off, Kadar ben Kamhil, don't you dare talk about peasants that way! I know more than a few common-born Tortallans who are smarter than most nobles!"
Kadar opened his mouth to say something in his defense; that he was only trying to tell her something important, but the Lioness raved on.
"I'll wager that once upon a time, your family were peasants too-maybe even you! And the only reason that you don't act the way you were describing is for fear that you will be cast back out into the nothingness of common society!"
She paused, and Kadar was dismayed to see it was only because she had to take a breath. So much for the "Lioness" title. She might as well be called the "she-demon"
"And don't you dare tell me how to act! I will govern my own fate, thank you very much, and I shall not have someone dictating to me my own life."
She halted to take another breath, but before she could rant on, Kadar cut in.
"Lalla, calm down-"
"Damn you, I will not calm down, Kadar! You have no idea what you speak of-you only know of what you has been hand-fed to you from a silver platter!" the she-demon screeched. "I can't-"
"LALLA!"
The woman ceased her enraged tirade, appearing startled. Kadar had never raised his voice with her before. But she quickly plastered the inflamed look on her face again, and opened her mouth.
"What?!"
"I apologize if I offended you in any way with my talk of peasants and such. But there are certain things you must know if you are to be comfortable with your new life."
"Way to be timely, Kadar," she muttered spitefully, "Haven't we had two entire weeks to establish that I will be "comfortable in my new life" if I simply become the quiet, docile creature that will cower before men and bend to his every demand?"
Going on as if she hadn't spoken, he said, "There are certain qualities that ever Islander admires. And your potential buyers will be looking for them in you."
At "buyers", the woman tensed, but Kadar went on.
"Courage, but no insults. Spirit, but no insolence. You, unfortunately, seem to have the latter in both instances."
The she-demon shifted on her pallet, almost knocking the tray over in her anger, but Kadar held up a hand to halt the litany he knew was about to sprout from her mouth.
"I know that when you throw insults at me, you do not me to hurt me." He paused, thoughtful. "…most of the time." He paused again, finding her struggle for words amusing. "I have known you long enough to learn this truth. But your buyer will not-and he will not endeavor to find out. So I suggest you start to exercise some self-control, or your life here will most definitely not be comfortable."
Once again, she seemed a little surprised, presumably at his little speech. But Kadar rose from his seat in front of her tray without, strode to the door, looked back at her, and said, "I will be back for you when we settle in port."
The she-demon just sat there, looking thoughtful, and he hoped to whatever gods were listening that she was thinking about what he had said.
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After Kadar left, Alanna was uncharacteristically wordless. It seemed she had actually learned something from someone besides herself this time. Pondering what he had talked to her about, she began to pick at her breakfast of fruit and sugared tea.
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LATER THAT DAY
Kadar looked down into her eyes and smiled sympathetically. Then his expression turned dark.
"Watch your step, lalla. The peers are slippery and treacherous with more than just excess water. Especially now that it is dark… Stay close to your escort."
Alanna wanted to ask what he was talking about, but suddenly she was whisked between two large, bulky men, and she realized they both wore the same dark caftans of serviceable cotton that Kadar had brought to her along with other numerous articles of clothing and her dinner. As Hakeem Sharif fell into step in front of her, Alanna recalled her conversation with Kadar over her dinner, and watched the bazaar go by with unseeing eyes.
(A/R: Ok, Alanna's remembering this conversation, just in case you didn't catch that.)
"Here, lalla. These are the clothes that you will wear until you are bought."
She could remember tensing at "bought".
He held up each piece for her inspection. All of them were in nondescript colors and serviceable cotton. There was a long, dark skirt, a short bolero-type vest with only one button to fasten over her breasts, a long sleeved tunic to wear over the vest, a caftan, and soft, well-worn boots.
Alanna had picked up the vest, and held it aloft with two fingers, as though scared it might bite her.
"I'm actually expected to wear this?" she questioned incredulously.
Kadar had only nodded. He must have noted her uncomfortable expression, because he said, "The long-sleeved tunic is to wear over the vest until you reach your buyer's home."
I should have known that this would have included "dressing to fit the part", Alanna thought with rapidly growing dismay.
Again, Kadar gauged the look on her face, and said reassuringly, "Do not worry, lalla, once you go to your new home, you will be dressed according to your-"
"New status?" she cut in bitterly.
That sounds absolutely horrid, her mind squeezed in before she had the chance to ignore it.
"Did you think it would be otherwise, from what I had told you?"
Ignoring the question meant to calm her growing temper, she said nonchalantly, "Do I have to wear this caftan? It is so warm outside. I'm going to get hot."
She was just making up excuses to keep from actually putting on those horrendous clothes.
Nodding, he had said, "Yes, you must. No one will recognize you that way."
Curious, forgetting about the atrocious clothes she was being forced to wear, Alanna said dubiously, "But won't my hair be kind of a standout?"
"Ah, but lalla, no one will recognize you, because almost everyone on the docks will be dressed just like to you tonight. No matter the weather. You see, because of this, a princess could visit the bazaar unnoticed. A wife could walk down the street with her lover, and if her husband happened to pass, he would never know. And a female slave could be escorted through the streets in complete secrecy simply by not appearing to be a slave."
Then he had left, saying that he had other important things to do in preparation for docking. Alanna had sat there for a moment, wondering if there was a way she could get out of this using her magic. Unfortunately, the magic shield on her room had not been lifted since her capture, and so there was nothing she could do, except small healings on herself. She had convinced Sharif to let her do so because she had been getting horridly seasick, as she always did when traveling by water.
The smooth voice of Hakeem Sharif brought her back to reality.
"We are here." Sharif had turned to her, and was saying something else as they climbed steps. "This is where we leave you."
Alanna barely had time to look at her surroundings before she was whisked into the large stone building with granite columns. Dark-skinned wardens guarded the large doors. Inside was a large antechamber that was positively crawling with women.
Probably all slaves, she thought with disgust.
But she was not left there. A few words were exchanged with a light-skinned man in a silk tunic, and she was taken into a room were about ten women were sleeping. Immediately Alanna felt the magic of a defensive shield the moment she stepped inside. The door was closed and the room was cast into semi-darkness; the only light coming from the large windows on one wall and the brass fixtures on the walls.
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Author's Ramblings: Yes, I know, that was a crappy was to end, but I'm in a hurry to post this, because we're leaving for Lake Tahoe in an hour. And then we have to fly for like five hours!! Yikes! I hate flying, in case you haven't noticed. *shudders* Yes, well, anyway, I hoped you liked this chapter because I had a horrible time writing it due to lack of ideas. But please review anyway!
Short thank yous:
Anonymous, Keziah, animekitty808, Anna, The Spectre of Sanity, FyreDragon, dragon*fyre, mElz, Anonymous #2, LadyKnight, Wyn, clarylissa, Krizsta, Kalle, MagixPawn, and Keita. Thank you all so much! Sorry I couldn't get individual notes out, but I promise I will next time!
P.S. Lady Arianna: You should be able to change your pen name by getting on the main page of your User Log-In pages. If you can't get there, just click on the "Settings" link. Up at the top there should be a space that's labeled "Pen name". You can type your pen name in there, and then scroll down a little bit. Click on the "Save Settings" button, and that should change your pn. The directions might not be exact, but if you have any trouble, let me know, and I'll be more specific. Hope that helps!
Happy belated New Years!!
~SolitaryStar