Part 9 at your service, I've got all kinds of people breathing down my neck to keep this going so I'll try to get a chapter up every week or so. *Ducks pointy objects thrown at her by some of the characters and fans* Hey! I can't get 'em up any faster! Read and review at the end if you like, I'd appreciate it lots. This is a bit of a wrap up chapter for sort of the first 'section' of the story, if you will, the next will be better, I promise.
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Allie and Mouse sat on either side of Vixen at her table as the clatter and talking around them lulled a bit. Someone in a cloak sidled up beside them, taking a seat across from Vixen.
"Who are you?" asked Mouse, fingering the dagger that was always strapped just within reach in her sleeve. "This is no ordinary table here."
"I should know that since I'm the one who started that custom," replied a familiar voice, removing the hood to reveal an even more familiar face.
"George?" asked Vixen quietly, not wanting to bring any attention to him.
"Aye, lass," he replied, taking a tankard of ale from Bart with a nod. "I came to see how you were holding up."
"Just fine actually," replied Vixen, waving Joe over to come join them. "How've you been?"
"Fine, though trying to keep up with all the changes you make in the Rouge is like trying to catch a shadow. What all have you done so far?"
"I don't intend to die anytime soon, so I signed a pact with five others in blood that states that they'll remain loyal to me and I to them as long as I can breath. They'll keep tabs on any shifty characters for me, and will keep the rest of them in line."
"Who are the five?" asked George quietly, lowering his voice so no one else could hear.
"Joe, Mouse, Allie, Bart and Ratina," replied Vixen, counting them off on her hand. Joe was finally able to reach them by then and stood behind Vixen as he greeted George with a smile.
"How've you been, boy?" George asked him. "Pick any pockets lately?"
"Haven't had to, with Vixen and her two sisters around there's plenty of loot for all," replied Joe, leaning onto the table. "I bet a few coppers with another fellow that she'll outlast even your record."
George raised an eyebrow good-naturedly. "Really, now?" he asked in an amused voice. "That's a mighty long time, lad. But I think you're guaranteed that no one will be trying for this throne for sometime yet."
"Thank you, George," said Vixen sincerely. "It's good to know someone other than my lackeys thinks so."
"You're what?" asked Mouse, having over heard their conversation as she spook to someone else. "I'm no lackey."
"I didn't mean you guys, I meant those fools out there who are acting like they're getting drunk but are really watching to see if there's anyway they can get on my good side," replied Vixen tiredly.
George laughed, waiting until he was calmed down before he spoke. "If you need anything, go to Madame Cooper's shop just a few blocks from here and ask for me, she's my mum and will make sure you're taken care of."
"Will do, George," replied Vixen, clasping hands with the former King of Thieves.
"See ya later, good Rouge," he said as he got up and left the table.
"See ya, George," called Vixen to him back. "And make your next visit sooner than later, if you will."
"I'll try," he replied. "I'll certainly try."
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Kyle stood uncomfortably on top of the tailor's box as he waited for his new tunic to be hemmed. Everything had to fit perfectly, according to his adoptive father, and the tailor did his best to make it that way.
"There you go, Master Kyle," he said at last through a mouthful of pins. "Go try on the other tunic and the blue hose as well, now."
"Yes, sir," replied Kyle, getting down and changing quickly behind the screen on the other side of the shop. This tunic was silver blue and the hose were as well. When he came out his face was the picture of disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me," he murmured, looking at himself in the mirror.
"No, young master," replied the man as he got to straightening everything out and making sure it was the right length. "This is what you're father ordered for me to make you."
"I look like a wuss," stated Kyle, frowning as he did.
"Maybe to your standards, but the court ladies will throw themselves at you if you wear it," replied Baron Emery of Crescent Hollow from the door way, the man who was Kyle's benefactor and adopted father. "The design with those threads is the only way to in lay spells that will attract ladies with in three years of the wear's age. I want you to learn how to sift the prize ladies from those who are all face paint and giggles and this will help."
"Really?" replied Kyle, looking at himself again. "I guess it's not so bad, then. Are there any other colors, though?"
"The other combination is pink and purple, but if you like that better we can have it arranged to be changed..."
"No thank you," broke in Kyle quickly, shaking his head. "This is fine. Really, I'll manage."
Baron Emery smiled and shook his head as he left the room, there was more than one way to skin a cat or a boy, which ever it may be. Five months later he and his new son traveled to Corus to take part in the Royal Procession. That is were his next adventure begins.
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Libby waited nervously outside of the Sunset Dragon Tribe's Shaman's tent with Artman beside her. Inside they could hear Trystan arguing with him over something, but in the end she obviously won. Out marched the two adults and stood in front of the teenagers.
"Shaman Firewheel will be taking over your lessons now," she said pointedly. "He knows that when the King's Own come and visit you are to go with them, no matter what, and that you are both very powerful and well trained.
She nodded to them both before leaping upon her horse and galloping away into the sunset.
"Come on, you two," said the Shaman tiredly. "Let's see what you can do and go from there." The pair spent another five months there and returned with Keladry and her knight master to Corus, and then into the Procession where they were to meet the King and such. That is where their next set of adventures really begins...
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Trystan stood at the front of her tent, looking at the empty one beside her sadly. She would miss those two, even if they weren't perfect and tended to be a little noisy sometimes...
She sighed and walked into the back rooms of the tent, completely forgetting about them as she looked at the scrying bowls and began to swear loudly and say a spell as quickly as she could...
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Amanda was sitting among yet another mountain of papers as a loud knock came at the door, waking her from a revive. "Come in," she called, not bothering to get up.
Lady Alanna stuck her head in the door, raising her eyebrows at the mess. "Hello, Lady Amanda-"
"Forget the Lady part and get in here," said Amanda crossly, trying to get all the papers in some sort of order. "Stupid reports and filing..."
"I take it you've become rather swamped?" asked Alanna as she sat down at one of the chairs at the table.
"Yeah, I have to file all this stuff for the new year and such, darn it all..." Amanda sighed and put everything down, climbing out of the piles to sit near her at the table. "What can I do for you?"
"I just wanted to see how you and Elizabeth were doing," replied Alanna.
"Did somebody call for me?" asked Elizabeth from her room, peeking her head out slightly. "Oh, hey Alanna."
"Hey, Elizabeth, how are you?" replied Alanna, grinning as she did.
"Pretty good, the guys are starting to realize that I'm not an angle from heaven, but it had to happen sometime..."
"Yeah, you can't fool most of them forever."
"Key word there is most," replied Elizabeth with an evil grin as she headed for the door. "I've got to go meet Richard somewhere, see ya!"
Just be back before it's too late!" called Amanda after her. "Was there anything else you needed to know?" she asked Alanna, turning back to the older lady.
"Not really, however since I'm here have you met any of the Yamanis ladies-" 'Crash!' She was cut short by a vase of flowers suddenly toppling over from it's spot on the shelf. [That's strange] she thought to herself [That vase wasn't close to the edge when I came it here...] Amanda was already cleaning it up and Alanna helped her mop up the spilled water. She grabbed her ember stone and saw the vase was glowing with a silver tint, god's magic.
"What was it you were saying?" asked Amanda when they were settled again.
Alanna thought about for a moment before she changed her mind and said, "Were you at the last Mid-Winter dinner? Not the ball, just the dinner one."
"Yes, the food was great, why?"
"The chef-" 'Smash!' Amanda jumped up to see another vase had fallen. Alanna grabbed onto her ember stone and saw the sliver glow again. [The gods don't want her to know about the something about the chef or the Yamanis ladies] pondered Alanna as she helped Amanda clean up that mess as well. [But why?]
Alanna left soon after, and Amanda settled back down to her paper work. She would spend five more months at the palace, taking care of her fief from afar and hanging out with her friends when she had the time. But she and her sister's next set of adventures were to begin five months later, at the start of the Procession...
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Lyssa sat staring out the window of her room, it was too cold to go out on the balcony today and the men had a day off from drilling. "Having fun, Commander Lyssa?" asked someone behind her.
"How is it you usually manage to sneak up on me, Coram?" she asked without turning around.
"I don't know," replied Coram as he came in and leaned next to her. "We need to talk about what exactly the men will be doing for the King when they come."
"I was thinking a few rounds of combat with the sword and then without any weapons at all, an archery competition, and then a drill off between my men and his. We each choose ten men, plus five commands that both sides know. Once you mess up, you're gone and the last one standing wins."
"Sounds good to me," said Coram. "Will you be taking part in the combat rings?"
"I guess so, if you want me to," replied Lyssa with a shrug. "It really doesn't matter either way."
"Then I want you to," said Coram decidedly. "They need to see that you're not weak and that I made the right choice for a Commander of my garrison."
"In other words, he needs you to prove that he isn't weak for him," replied Rispah from the doorway.
"No, dear," said Coram teasingly. "You do that for me already."
He was rewarded for the comment with a pillow thrown at his head, ducking so he wouldn't get hit. "So you'll do that for me?" he asked Lyssa, who was trying not to laugh at the pair.
"Sure," she replied. "I could use beating up some other guys that haven't faced me yet."
"I'm sure you could," replied Coram quietly. "I'm very sure you could."
The trio laughed and talked until dinner, and life would pretty much be the same until five months later with the arrival of the Procession...
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Faleron stood outside with Neal, Cleon, Merric, and Owen in the snow talking about random subjects as they watched the skaters on the pond. "I hate serving at those social functions," complained Faleron as he glanced back at the castle for the fifth time. "We can't talk to the ladies..."
"Especially Yamanis one's who go by Alyse?" asked Neal slyly.
"What?" asked Faleron is surprise. "What makes you think-"
"The fact that you've been goggling at her at every social function for the past few weeks," cut in Cleon, grinning evilly. "That and you keep waiting for her to come out with her friend, Yuki I think is her name."
"Yeah, they're going skating with one of the ladies today," sighed Merric, "Tease him if you want, but he's lucky to get her if he does."
"Yeah," added Faleron, "It's not like the rest of you have a girl-" 'Whap!' A snowball stopped Faleron from talking any more, and they looked over to see Yuki and Alyse walking towards them, armed with more snowballs.
"Hello, ladies," said Cleon politely, bowing slightly. He was rewarded for his efforts with a snowball between the eyes.
"You're right," said Yuki to Alyse. "It if fun to throw these at people." She then chucked one at an astonished Neal who received it right in the stomach.
"You want to snowball fight, eh?" asked Faleron as soon as could see again and scooped a ball of his own. He threw it at Alyse who easily ducked it. "For an Easterner you sure are good at this," he observed as they began to exchange throws.
The two groups continued to exchange snowballs for the next few hours as they forgot all rules about etiquette and social stations and acted like normal teenagers. This would not be the last time many of them would hang out, and they often had fun together, but nothing truly eventful happened until five months later with the start of the Procession.
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Jennifer stood cooking in the kitchens long after the closing hours of Roberto's Restaurant as she prepared the deciding meal for the Queen of Thieves. Roberto was there with her, baking the bread and stirring up another bowl of sauce for the noodles she was presenting preparing.
"Almost ready?" asked voice at the back door, and Roberto hurried to Ratina in.
"Almost," he replied, packing the final basket with the food. He grabbed a few and gave two to Ratina. "Lock up as soon as you're done with cleaning up, Jenny, then head home," he added to Jennifer as he packed her noodles, placed them in the biggest basket and ran out the door as fast as he could without ruining their contents.
She did as he said and cleaned up the kitchen before heading back home to Chelsea and the girls. [This is it] she thought as she looked at the stars that twinkled merrily above. [Tonight I'll know if this cooking is really worth it or not...] As she walked she wondered what the Queen of Thieves was doing right now.
Being only a chef for a restaurant, she would not have any real adventures for another five months when the King would come and see her in regards to something about the Procession....
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Vixen sat with Allie and Mouse at her table, trying all the dishes Roberto sat before them with a sword at his throat in case one of them died suddenly. He had promised that none of food was poisonous, but being the Queen of Thieves, one could never be too careful.
"Mmmm, this stuff is excellent," praised Vixen, getting similar comments from her two sisters. "You've got a deal, Roberto, this food is the best I've ever had and I'm glad to keep the contract running with you." Banging her mug on the table, she got everyone's attention and stood up from her seat. "In return for this man's fine services as a chef, he and his family are free from pickpockets or breaks in at his home and shop. I find out one of you violated this code and I'll take two fingers instead of one, we all clear on that?"
A chorus of 'yes ma'am's' came back to her and she sat back down, shaking Roberto's hand as she did. "What say once every two weeks or so you come by with a feast for me and those who sit at my table, and once every couple months you'll host a large feast for everyone here, ok?"
"Sounds good to me," replied Roberto, rising from his seat, "Now, I must go back to my family. Just have Ratina bring the dishes to me, she knows where the shop is."
"Aye, sir, and good night to ya!"
"'Night."
Things would go along just as normal until five months later when the Procession left the capital, then things would really start to hop for our favorite Thieves of the Rouge.
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Sarah and Jon sat with Onua on the rail of the pasture fence, watching the colts romp in the snow and the older horses graze on the few blades of grass that were poking through here and there.
"You do realize that in a few months you'll both be coming with me to get the new horses to replenish those who need them from the King's Own, the Queen's Riders, and those for the new recruits," murmured Onua as she stroked one of the colt's nose.
"Yeah, that should be interesting," said Jon quietly, letting the calmness around him dull his usually sharp and sarcastic tongue. "I want to see what the rest of this place looks like anyway."
"That'll be cool," added Sarah, swinging her legs back and forth. "We'll get to travel around instead of just staying here for once."
"How long should it take?" asked Jon, thinking about a delivery he had to make for his other employer to Corus that spring.
"A week to get there and a week back," replied Onua, counting off the days on her fingers. "And then you get to stick around the ranch at the palace for a few days to see which ones aren't taken and which are. Those that are left from this heard and that one we bring back here and let them stay until next year."
"Cool, then I could take a day to go see Corus while we're there?" asked Jon, thinking he could combine both trips he had to make into one.
"I don't see why not," replied Onua with a shrug. "We'll have to see how it goes, though."
The three sat there awhile longer until the cold drove them back indoors to the fire and the warm of the other's company. Nothing new would happen until about five month's later, a week before the Procession, when they went to get the new horses from up north and leave their little shack for the first time since their trip began.
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Yeah, I know this chapter is pathetically short as compared to the others, but incase you didn't pick it up, the next chapter will be five month's in the future from this point, that will help with how lengthy this story is getting. The next chapter will be really great to make up fro this one, and since it was posted a few days after the last you should just be happy I was able to get it up so fast. Review if you will, it helps me a lot and I like to hear what other's opinions are of what I write. Thanks!