Disclaimer: Tusaine belongs to Tamora Pierce. Mehehehe. The characters so far are all mine.
A/N: for anyone who read this before, I just changed it. I totally agree with you about Payton being too perfect, I was kinda pissed off at her after I wrote it! Hehehe. I just made her get mad at herself a few times and lose a fight. Sound a-okay?
A/N 2: Hey! I hope you guys like this! It starts out a little slow but it will get up to speed in a few chapters!! It takes place a long time before Alanna, like when the Old King was just coming into power, and it's presently in Tusaine. Enjoy! If you have any questions, review!!! You know you want to!!! =o)
~*Extreme Ways*~
Chapter 1: Cliffs and Convents
"Come on, Brendan, let me have a turn," whispered a girl of about eleven. She was a pretty little thing, with blue eyes women would die for, and black hair that shone in the moonlight. Her face was flawless, with a straight, soft nose, and her red lush lips. Her skin was milky smooth, and only slightly tanned.
"Payton," a boy about a year older said, "yeh shouldn't even be here. Yeh're a noble girl, and yeh'll get hurt before yeh leave. Yeh don't want that, do yeh?"
Payton made a face. "It's my last night here, and I want to jump, too," the girl whispered angrily. All the young boys in the village had snuck out that night, as they did every full moon, and were jumping off the rocks into the watery gorge. The parents of the village ignored it, for they had done the same thing when they were little and their parents before them had done the same. Tonight, however, was the last night before youngest child of Lord Melvin was leaving for the convent, and her parents were very worried about the impression she would make. The whole town knew that they were drilling her every night about what to say, what to look like, and in general how to act. Lord Melvin had found out the month before that she was regularly joining the town boys in their full moon rituals, and had punished her harshly, banishing her from associating with them. She was no longer talking to her father, and deviously joined the boys one last time the night before she left.
"Yeh'll catch a cold, Payton. I'm sure yer father would be happy," snarled Brian, the burliest and nastiest boy in town. "Besides, yeh'll drown, being as yeh can't swim."
"Shu'p, Brian. If yeh had a brain, yeh would know that this here girl can swim better than yeh can. Yeh sink straight to the bottom!" laughed a blond-haired boy. This was Brendan and it was rumored that he was already doing deals with the Rogue in the capital Many a boy were scared out of their wits by him, and Brian was quiet at once. Brendan turned to Payton. She was his best friend in the world, and he would never wish anything bad upon her. "Payton, lass," he said, his eyes dancing, "the only reason I don't think yeh should jump tonight' is cause yer parents will have all our hides if they find out. Yeh'll be gone too, so we'll have to defend ourselves. That prob'ly means that they'll send us to the capital to 're-educate' us, or they'll just tax out families more. Yeh don't want that, do yeh?" He whispered to her fiercely.
The truth was, he didn't want her getting hurt. He really did want to jump with her, and if Payton's parents found out, they would probably just brush off the boys as being stupid and just punish Payton. Last time she had jumped, the time her parents had found out, she had hit the side of the cliff, breaking her leg easily. Brendan was scared out of his mind for her when he heard her scream, and jumped in after her. If it wasn't for him, she might have drowned that very day, unable to keep afloat with the pain of a broken leg. He had pulled her ashore and had spent the rest of the night healing her leg. He had a very powerful gift that had been trained to the point that village healer had no more to teach him. In many cases, such as that one, his healing was more effective than hers, and he took the case upon himself. He had finished by dawn, but she couldn't yet walk because her leg was still sore so her carried her to the castle and handed her over to Ciarra, Payton's older sister who was visiting from the convent. Lord Melvin had just awoken and was not too pleased to find an older town boy carrying his soaking wet, sandy, noble daughter to his door at dawn. He had jailed Brendan for a week, and forbid Payton from seeing him, or any town boy for that matter, until she left for the convent. She had argued with her father for days about putting Brendan in jail, telling him that it was all her fault and that Brendan was just trying to send her home, but her father just hit her and sent her to her room with no dinner for a week. Brendan found this ridiculous and kidnapped her the night he got out of jail, taking her to the town pub. None of the commoners there would ever say a word to Lord Melvin, for they all hated him just as much as Payton did. She laughed and joked with everyone there and Brendan just sat back and watched her with a grin on his face. But then she had snuck out to jump one last time, and he couldn't let her.
"Payton, just go home," he said with reluctance, "I can't let yeh get hurt again."
She heard the reluctance, and she looked up at him, her long eyelashes fluttering in impatience. "If that's what you want, Brendan, I won't do it," she muttered, and promptly turned around to leave. She walked away a few step, then stopped. All the boys turned back to the quarry. She looked behind her at Brendan who was smiling, and he winked a bright green eye at her. Suddenly, Payton knew that Brendan really did want her to jump, and that he was only afraid that she would get hurt again. She grinned evilly at him, swung around, and leaped off the cliff with a yell. She stretched her arms out beside her, like she was flying, and her skirts billowed behind her. She moved her arms out in front, turning the jump into the most graceful dive Brendan had ever seen. He grinned at her falling figure and saw her hit the water with barely any splash. The boys around him gasped at her nerve and grace. No one ever disobeyed Brendan (except maybe Brian) because they were all too scared. Brendan looked around him and then looked at Payton, who had just surfaced, and started laughing so heard he couldn't stand up. Brian walked over to him and pushed him over the cliffs edge with anger he fell into the water with a smack, and he surfaced still laughing. Payton swam over, grinning, and floated on her back next to him.
"Payton," he said, gasping for air.
"What?"
She was staring at the stars when he looked at her, he hair flowing out around her and her milky skin glowing in the moonlight. He knew everything about her, and she about him. Sometimes, like the moment before, he wondered if she could read his mind. "I'm really going to miss yeh," he said truthfully, "don't go and change on me."
~*~*~*~*~
Payton's mother, Celine, awoke her at dawn to get her ready to leave. She had the servants pack Payton's bags, and gave Payton a stern talk on manners and etiquette. Ciarra was to accompany her back to the convent along with their older brother Nathaniel, who was the King's most trusted knight on war. His parents were very proud of him for aiding the corrupt king of Tusaine in his war matters with Tortall. They had been at was for generations, and Lord Melvin certainly believed that his son would bring that to an end, obliterating Tortall. Nathaniel was to drop them off, make sure they were settled, and ride on to the capital to aid the king in his endeavors.
"Smile, Payton," Nathaniel said with a grin, "this is the beginning of your life! You ragamuffin friends back there were just holding you back from the noble woman you could be."
Payton forced a smile at her brother. He was not a very nice person, and often hit anyone who got in his way, including his sisters. Payton could force any emotion and make it look completely real. "I know, but there was no one else to talk to. I hope there will be plenty of girls there to be friends with," she said.
"That's the spirit, Pay," Nathaniel smiled.
Payton really actually looking forward to what they could teach her at the convent. She heard from her sister all the subjects the taught, like mathematics, astrology, poetry, language, etiquette and even self-defense. A curious girl, Payton wanted to learn as much as she could about the world around her.
"Oh Pay," said Ciarra, "you're just going to love it there". Payton hoped with all her heart that she would, but found herself at the same time thinking of Brendan laughing with her that night, only wanting to go home.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The journey there was long and hard, for Tusaine was a large country and they lived on the Gallan border. Ciarra could barely contain her happiness the closer they got, and Nathaniel was grooming his chestnut hair rather frequently. Payton smiled inwardly to herself at her brother's weakness for women.
When the convent cam into view, she gasped with delight. It was a tall limestone castle carved out of rock protruding from the cliff behind it. It was an absolutely stunning sight with the small fortress surrounding it and the market with in. The guards at the city's wall sounded the trumpet, announcing the arrival of nobles. The wooden doors opened to reveal people of all ages hustling about, doing their shopping for the day and going about their business. Payton had never seen this many people in her entire life, and smiled as they turned to catch a glimpse at the nobles. Peddlers yelled from all sides of her, advertising their merchandise, while children ran underfoot, playing warrior. Payton remembered when she and Brendan often did the same thing. The thought of him sent pangs of sorrow through her heart.
They rode up to the castle gates, and were let in by the guards there. There were even thicker walls surrounding the convent. She turned to her sister, who was smoothing out her hair. "Why are the walls surrounding the convent so thick and enormous?" she questioned curiously.
"Well, they don't want those vulgar commoners whistling or looking at the noblewomen, of course," Ciarra replied, looking at Payton like she was some sort of idiot. Payton made a face at her sister and dismounted when they reached the stables. Ciarra was so annoyingly perfect. When they were little, Ciarra often told on Payton for playing in the quarry and the mudholes with Brendan. She also scrutinized every dress Payton ever wore saying that "she didn't fill it out well", or that it was "sickeningly out of style", or even that "the color made her look like a hag". It was at these times when Payton often lashed out at her sister, and she often earned herself a beating for it.
Lost in her though, Payton handed she reins over to the servant, following Nathaniel's lead.
"Welcome," said a melodious voice behind her, "to Tusaine's finest institution for the education of women." Payton turned gracefully around to face this woman and curtsied, wobbling a little, but not too noticably.
"Your kindness is too much, Mother" Payton said, her eyes still lowered, reciting the lines her mother had taught her. "Please teach me how to be a lady so I can honor my family and country" she intoned.
"Beautiful," the woman said, "I can see that you will be just as promising as your sister Ciarra here."
Payton took that as a queue to stop curtsying and she straightened with near-perfect posture she had obtained from being forced into a back-board for practically her entire life. She looked up at the woman and gasped. They woman was absolutely gorgeous, with flowing blond hair and green eyes that seemed to smile benignly at her. She was almost as tall as a fully grown man and looked every bit a goddess. "I am Mother Kelleigh," she said, "and I am the headmaster here. Your father, the good Lord Melvin, has entrusted you to me, and it is my duty to watch out for you. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy it here."
Payton smiled, flashing straight, white teeth. "Thank you for your kindness, Mother."
Lady Kelleigh now turned to Nathaniel. "Nathaniel, I presume you should ride on the the capital before noon comes. We don't want you riding in the dark," the Lady said, her eyes dancing.
Payton could barely contain her laughter when she saw the look on Nathaniel's face. He was quite the ladies' man and it seemed Lady Kelleigh knew that. She didn't want anything happening to her girls, and if Nathaniel stayed overnight, things were sure to occur.
"Yes, milady," said Nathaniel with reluctance, "as you wish." He turned to ride off. "Have a good time, Payton!" he turned to yell.
"Now, let's get you out of those horrid breeches, girls, and get you washed up," said Lady Kelleigh, turning toward the castle.
~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I hope you guys like it! This is my first Tammy fic, so please tell me if this is actually worth writing. It might be a few days before my next update. I know this chapter is kind of short, but it will get a lot longer!! It gets a lot different from Alanna, too (I know it seems a lot like the beginning of that book right now), but there was no other way to get Payton to the convent =o). Love ya all and I hope you enjoy it!!! ((Happy dance))