Here is it is at long last, part 12. I know this one took awhile to get up, and it's going to keep getting longer as the chapters do. I believe the count for the last one was 24 pages NOT including the `thank you's at the end. But, anyways, enjoy!
Oh, and BTW, I have a quick correction to make. Ripshka, Coram's wife, has had her named spelled wrong for quite some time (oops!) It's actually supposed to be Rispah, so that's what she'll be known as from now on, ok? Thankies!
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Sarah and John rode quietly out of the city, having just stopped by the Dancing Dove to say good-bye to Vixen, Mouse, and Allie before they went back to their little ranch. It was about Mid-May, and they were taking the horses that had not been chosen back with them to spend the fall and winter at the Rider's Stable.
They got there a few days later and quickly settle in, cleaning out the dust and grime that had taken over their small house and getting the horses comfortable in their new environment. John had the cartload of nets that he took to his other employer, and received a bonus for his good work.
It was about dusk now, on their first day back, and the odd pair were outside eating their dinner by the pasture as they watched the new horses mingle with the old ones.
"I really wish they hadn't shaved your goatee," said Sarah as she glanced at him, picking at the potato soup she had made. "You look different without it."
"How? Like good different or bad different?"
"Neither. Just, different." She sighed and took a sip of her drink. "We've changed a lot since we came here." And she was right. John was not the only one who had lost all of his `extra weight.' Any that Sarah, Vixen, Mouse, or Allie (or any of the other characters for that matter) may've had before was now practically gone. Being in the Rouge did not always guarantee full meals, and when one is living on a small paycheck and the roof collapses, let's just say you're not going to be eating for awhile.
On top of that, Sarah's hair had grown longer than before, and though she kept it cropped to her shoulders it was still not the same. If they went back at that moment and retained everything they had gained here, their families would probably not recognize them very easily.
"And it would effect you because?"
"Come on, John. I see you everyday and if something changes I can tell instantly. This is really no different..."
"Right." His sarcastic attitude made Sarah shrug and turn back to her soup. "I will agree with you on one thing though, I do look different. Boss said so when I went by his house with the nets."
"Boss? That's what you call him?"
"Yeah. I think his real name is Fred or Alfred or something like that, but he said to call him Boss and he calls me Boy."
"Great working relationship you got there."
"What can I say? It's better than the names my boss back home called me."
"True, which reminds me how much I miss home."
John snorted loudly in disgust. "I don't."
"Really? Not even fighting with others in the band room or the long bus rides home after competitions and games?"
"Ok, alright, I do miss some of it, but not any of the people there..."
"What about our friends in band?"
"What friends?"
"Oh, be nice. Cindy, Amanda, Brenna, Allie, and Mouse were all our friends..."
"Yeah, when we we're trying to kill one another."
"What about Friday nights at Chile's at 1 am?"
"I was too tired to remember those very well."
"John..." Sarah leaned back against teh pole and gave up, sometimes living with John was close to impossible.
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Amanda sat in her tent under yet another mound of paper work, trying to finish looking over the reports and finish signing the few proposals from the town council in time to make the next mail carrier.
"Amanda? You in here?" asked Elizabeth from the front, walking into their tent with a box in her hands.
"Yeah, Liz," replied Amanda as she glanced up quickly. "What's up?"
"Nothing much, other than the fact that today's your birthday..."
"Huh?" Elizabeth held up a calendar with the 24 of May circled in red.
"You're 18 today." Amanda put down her paper work and rose to her feet.
"I am, aren't I?" she asked contemplatively, her head still down. "Tomorrow we will have been here for a year..."
"A whole year without any parents or rules!" cried Elizabeth happily, jumping up and down some. "Whee!"
"Is that all you came to tell me?" asked Amanda with an amused look on her face.
"Nope! I got this for you too!" said Elizabeth, dropping the box in her hands. She sat down on one of the cots and waited for Amanda to open it, grinning with her trademark `crazy look.'
Amanda opened the lid and just stared at it for a few moments, trying not to show her surprise. Inside of the box was an exact replica of a picture she had kept in one of her notebooks for the past several months. She and Elizabeth were sitting on top of the large rock in front of their high school surrounded by their friends.
Brenna, Mouse, and Allie stood to one side while Rocky, Hewitt, Artman, Libby, and Sarah stood on the other. Benjamin, Amanda's little brother, sat on her lap and Cindy, Jennifer, and Beaver sat below them. It had been right before one of their afternoon practices, and all were wearing shorts and tee-shirts or tank tops.
"Elizabeth...but how did you..."
"Numair took the picture from my mind and had it portrayed on a piece of paper for me," explained Elizabeth as Amanda sat down hard on the floor of their tent. She moved from the bed and sat on the ground next to her. "I noticed you've been especially short tempered lately and thought this might cheer you up."
Amanda didn't reply, she just gave Elizabeth one of those huge hugs that knocks that wind from you and feels like your bones are going to snap, but in a good way. Amanda still could not speak, words completely eluding her as she ran a hand over her friends faces, tracing the lines of the picture as if to assure herself it was real.
"So, you like it?" asked Elizabeth, wondering what she would reply.
"It is the best present that I have ever received," whispered Amanda, hardly daring to trust her voice that wavered slightly. She ran a sleeve over her eyes and got back up, looking at the picture in the light. "Every detail is completely perfect...it's just as I remember them...and the sad part is I almost forgot what they looked like..." She sniffed slightly as Elizabeth came upside her and peered at the picture. "I really miss them..."
"Me too," replied Elizabeth. "I wish that they could be here with us. Think of all the fun we'd have if all of us were together..."
"You mean the chaos we'd create?" asked Amanda with a grin.
"Either way..."
"I think we'll see they again someday."
"Really? How?"
"I dunno. I...just know..."
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Joe stood stubbornly in the middle of Vixen's room, refusing to leave until he had the answers he wanted. "Who was that guy?" he asked quietly. "And how did he know you?"
"I told you already, he's a friend of ours from the past," replied Vixen shortly, running a cloth over some of her blades. "Let it drop, Joe."
"I think someone's jealous," said Allie in a sing-songy voice, her lips curled into a teasing smile.
"I think you aren't telling me the who truth," said Joe flatly, staring into Vixen's eyes coolly. "You say he's from your past, what sort of role did he play there?"
"Role?" asked Vixen, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. What was he to you."
Mouse began to laugh as Vixen tried not to smile. "You think that I had a thing for him, don't you?" she said quietly as Allied joined Mouse in her laughter.
"Well...um...yeah...."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Vixen couldn't speak because she could barely breath from laughing so hard. She was able to stop many minutes later as Mouse and Allie got over their little fits as a clueless Joe stood nervously in the middle of the room.
"John was a good friend of ours from school," explain Allie, being the first to recover. "He was in several activities with us and we hung out before and after school with him and several others during the week."
"You went to a boys and girls school?" asked Joe in a confused voice.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," said Vixen, leaning back on the wall. "Don't worry, John won't take over whatever it is you think you have."
"That's good...hey! Wait a second!"
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Lyssa stood alone inside her tent, fingering the necklace she had been wearing when she first arrived. It was a thin, silver chain with a small, silver horse-shaped charm on it. Today was May 30, her 16th birthday, but it wasn`t the 16th birthday she had thought she was going to have.
[Sweet 16] she thought sadly to herself as she wandered through the camp, waving to people [Where's the new car? Where's the presents? Where's the huge party with all my friends there? Where's my family to help me celebrate?]
She stopped by the kitchen and said hi to Jennifer before heading to the stable, and then out to the woods. Her horse trotted gaily beneath her, and she loved the feeling of the breeze against her face. Lyssa stopped a brook she had noticed a few days back and sat on a rock by the water, staring into it's depths, and losing herself in it's shadows. She was so absorbed in it that she didn't even notice someone else coming up behind her.
A hand reached over and touched her shoulder, effectively bringing her back to reality. "Are you ok, lass?" asked a familiar voice on her other side. She turned and saw Rispah and the Lioness standing over her with worry written all over their faces. "You seem a little sad today."
"You know you can tell me anything," said Rispah, putting a sisterly arm around Lyssa's shoulders.
"I'm fine," replied Lyssa, forcing a smile. "Today's my birthday."
"Really?" said the Lioness, her eyebrows shooting up. "How old are you?"
"16."
"16! I'd say this calls for a celebration," Rispah said cheerily, pulling the young woman to her feet. "Come on, Lyssa, we'll go round up that loud mouthed Squire of Alanna's, a few of his pals and have ourselves a good time!"
"Thanks, Rispah," said Lyssa with a weak smile. "But I have to go. I'm supposed to meet someone in the rings today in a few minutes."
"Who?"
"Some knight from the local garrison," said Lyssa, shrugging her shoulders. She got up and mounted her horse, waiting for the other two ladies to ride beside them back to camp.
"You go ahead, lass," said the Lioness, "We've got some business down the road, hurry up or they'll disqualify you."
"I'm going, I'm going," said Lyssa, smiling slightly. At least she'd get the pleasure of beating some guys in the ring for fun, if not a grand party later one. It may not be the best 16th birthday one could have, but she was happy here for the most part, and could not ask for anything else.
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Alyse sat on a bench in a practice court, Faleron on one side and Yuki on the other. Neal sat on Yuki's other side, and a swarm of young men sat behind them. "I do with they'd stop following us around," murmured Yuki to Alyse, glancing back for the 5th time.
"I know, but at least they don't bother me any more," replied Alyse.
"Maybe, but they still bother me!" Alyse chuckled politely behind her fan and watched as the next to contestants to their places in the ring drawn in the middle of the courtyard.
"Sir Tyler of Wayne's Port challenging Commander Lyssa of the Trebond Garrison!" called the herald, letting the judge take over from there. He quickly went over the rules for unarmed combat and back up, giving them the signal to start.
Sir Tyler circle around Lyssa, trying to phsyc her out. But she had had too many performing and fighting experiences to fall for it. He leapt at her, she leapt out of the way with ease. He tried to trap her, she eluded his every move. He tried to win by brutal force, but she was much stronger than she looked.
The sun beat down on the two as time went by, Sir Tyler quickly wearing out and Lyssa just toying with him for the fun of it. At last she grew bored of the game and went into over drive, pushing him back to the edge of the ring, and knocking him down with series of quickly blows with her fists.
"Win is given to Commander Lyssa!" called the herald as the judge stepped in. "This leaves her undefeated, 5-0!"
"I'll try my luck," said a snobbish voice at the edge of the ring. It was Squire Vincent, with Joren and Garvey behind him. "That is, if the wench isn't afraid of me."
"I'm afraid of no one," they heard Lyssa reply, her head held high as she stood alone in the middle of the ring.
"She'll beat him," said Alyse confidently as Vincent stripped off his tunic and stepped into the ring as well, sneering the whole time.
"I don't know, Alyse," said Faleron doubtfully. "Vincent was trained by a Shang when he was younger..."
"I don't care if he's the Shang Dragon, she'll win," replied Alyse, her face completely calm.
"How can you be so sure?" asked Neal, leaning around Yuki to do so. "After all, she is human..."
"And because of that she has too much pride to let a boy beat her," cut in Alyse, looking at the pair instead of her friends. "I've seen her fight before, and even when she's got a broken arm she won't give in."
"Great, another Kel," groaned Neal as he remembered fighting at her side in the `bully wars', getting his arm whacked by Yuki's fan because of it. "Hey! I was only kidding!"
"You don't say things like that about my friends," replied Yuki, her face black but the agitated tone of her voice showing she was very displeased.
"Sorry..."
"There they go!" Alyse leaned forward as the fight began, taking in every detail as she watched attentively. This was going to be quite a match.
[Come on, Lyssa] she said mentally as she watched the girl calmly block the punches, but not do much retaliation of her own. [You can do this....]
Vincent suddenly used an illegal Shang move that sent her sprawling near the spectators, leaving her lip split and a large bruise on her back. "Foul!" cried the judge. He came forward to stop the match, but Lyssa got up and waved him away. She was going to finish this here and now.
"Ouch, that look like it hurt," murmured Faleron as he watched Lyssa limp back to the middle, blood seeping down her face. "Are you sure she'd gonna win...?" He immediately regretted his words when Vincent charged at her and she flipped him over her shoulder. He just lay there for a few minutes, holding up a hand to show he was giving up as Lyssa stood there triumphantly.
"Told you so," said Alyse smugly as she watched her limp away and refuse all offers of help like she knew she would.
"Not to shabby, if I do say so myself," said Neal in appreciation as Yuki whacked him again with her fan. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Not too shabby? That's the best you can come up with?" Yuki only let a hint of her anger show in her voice as they watched the next pair get in the ring and start their round. The Lioness and Rispah walked up just then, grinning like they had some secret to share.
"Hey, Neal," called Alanna, beckoning for them all to come. "Come here for a second, we need all your help with something."
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Jennifer was cooking away in her small kitchen, her helper scuttling along beside her and the kittens playing some yarn in the corner. All of them had stayed with her, and were know known to be hers through out the camp by those who ate there.
"Can I have a bowl of the lunch special?"
"Coming right up."
"Bread and butter?"
"Further down the line, get ONLY two pieces the first time around so there'll be enough for the rest of us."
"Three bowls, if you will."
"Yes sir."
"Can I have a small bowl for my daughter here?"
"Of course, ma'am."
"What's the soup?"
"Split pea, young man."
"That's `sir' to you."
"What ever."
This was the sort of banter that kept her busy for any hour or so on end, keeping the soup warm, making more, ladling it out, and making sure her assistant kept the bread supply going.
After awhile, the crowd began to thin out and she could relax, going to check on the kittens and get a bowl for herself before sitting down at her station.
"Hello, Jennifer," said a voice to her right. She looked up and saw Rispah, Lyssa's employer's wife, there and a short lady she had never seen before with the strangest purple eyes.
"Hello," she replied, getting off her stool and walking over to them. "What can I do for you?"
"I need a special favor," replied Rispah, keeping her voice low. "Can you make me a large chocolate cake with icing and deliver it to Lady Alanna's rooms here later tonight?"
"Sure," said Jennifer, shrugging slightly. "Can I ask why?"
"What do you know?" put in Alanna. "A short red-head with manners who can also cook."
"Being nice never hurt anyone," said Jennifer with a grin. "But really, why do you can me to make you a cake?"
"It's Lyssa's birthday today," said Rispah, smiling softly, "And I think she's remembering where ever it is she came from before. It's obviously making her sad, whatever's on her mind."
"And you want to throw her a party to cheer her up," supplied Jennifer, her grin growing bigger. "Sure I'll make you a cake. Chocolate you said? What time do you want it at Lady Alanna's-"
"Drop the `Lady' and you'll have it right," cut in Alanna, glancing around to make sure Lyssa was no where near them. "I hate titles."
"Alanna's rooms," finished Jennifer, biting back her laughter.
"Just after dinner, if you could," answered Rispah, nodding as she did.
"It'll be there."
"Great. And Jennifer?"
"Yeah?"
"If you tell her about this..."
"I won't," said Jennifer, holding up a hand. "I promise."
"Good, oh and one more thing..."
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Artman and Libby sat under a tree again, watching as two of the Yamanis Ladies fought with glaives for practice in the noontide sun. The heat made them dozy, and just as both were about to fall asleep there again, a frantic page came tearing through the streets calling their names.
"Mage Libby! Mage Artman!" he cried, falling at their feet.
"What is it?" asked Libby, getting up off the ground.
"We need you at the infirmary, now!" cried the page, gulping the water from the canteen Artman handed him before getting up and turning around. "We must hurry!" The trio ran through the streets, pushing their way through the crowds and knocking over those in their way.
The low tent they went in had a man lying on the floor, his face ashen and his eyes wide open in fright as he tried to move his legs and found that he couldn't. "Out of the way!" yelled Artman as he pushed past everyone so Libby could get through, getting dirty looks until people realized who they were.
Libby knelt by the man and put him to sleep, searching his body for the damage done with her magic and finding what the problem was. "He broke his spine," she said quietly, her eyes still closed. "I'm going to try to fix it."
"Try to!" cried them woman at the door. "You're a healer! Can't you just say some words and he'll be fine? I thought you were supposed to be very powerful!"
"Spine wounds are difficult to heal," replied Artman shortly, having been there when she learned all her lessons. "She'll do the best she can, but most healers would be able to do little more than lessen his pain and hope it heals on its own!"
"Dr. Baird would be able to help him," said the woman cruelly, her face tightening in rage.
"Dr. Baird can not heal a broken spine anymore than he can bring the dead back from the grave," said Dr. Baird from the doorway as he had just arrived. "I suggest you leave, Lady Rachel. Your husband will be fine." The lady huffed away, her skirts billowing as she left.
He and Artman watched Libby as sweat began to form on her brow, struggling to repair the man's damaged spinal cord and going being harder than she thought it would originally be. Artman put his hand on her back and lent her some of his power to help, something they had learned to do in the first weeks of their learning, but she refused it and kept using what she had. An hour later she sat back and leaned against Artman's legs, her dress soaked through with sweat and hair damp with it as well. "It is done," she whispered to Dr. Baird's questioning look. "He'll wake in a short while and be completely healed." She took her water bottle from her belt and drained it rather quickly, being very thirsty from the long healing.
"That is very impressive," murmured Dr. Baird as he examined the man himself. "How in the world did you do that?"
"I don't know," replied Libby as she slipped of to sleep. "I just did...zzzz..."
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Kyle stood with Daine in front of the fief's falcon roosts, listening to the clamor of the birds inside. "So, the reason I can hear birds of prey is because I have a special type of this `Wildmagic,'" he said, trying to get all the facts straight. "You, on the other hand, have a huge amount of it and can even shift into different forms."
"That's correct," said Daine, smiling brightly. "Onua and Stephan, two horse workers, have horse wildmagic."
"That makes sense," said Kyle, shrugging slightly. "So, what now?"
"I want to see how far your power extends with these creatures," said Daine, opening the door to the roosts and stepping inside. A whirl of feathers greeted them as the birds forgot their differences and all came to greet the pair at once.
Kyle was glad he was wearing a buckskin shirt or his arms would've been ripped to shreds by the talons of the birds. Daine had transformed her arms to have elephant skin, so it didn't bother her at all. They chatted with the birds for awhile, then sent the birds back to their posts so they could begin Kyle's lesson.
"So, as of now all you can do is speak to them, right?" said Daine as they took seats on some stools in there.
"Yeah, that's about it."
"Well, I want you to choose a bird and try to go into his or her mind, or?"
"Alright." He called a falcon over to him, and she glided onto his arm calmly. [Can I go into your mind, winged sister?] asked Kyle to the falcon.
[It would be an honor] replied the falcon, sitting still on his arm. Kyle relaxed and found himself floating in the air above the bird, then dove into the falcon's brain. It was amazing, he could see the world through her eyes and sense things as she did.
[Let's fly] he told the falcon, getting her to do a slow circle around the cage as he got used to this new sensation. [Thank you, winged sister] he said as he returned to his own body. [You're welcome] said the falcon, returning to her perch.
"You did it," said Daine with a grin when she noticed him squint slightly as he tried to adjust back to his normal vision. "You were in the falcon's mind."
"Yeah, I was," replied Kyle as another falcon landed on his arm and asked him something. "What was that, winged brother?"
[I said, can you tell that little brat over that not to steal my food!]
[I do not steal your food!] said another falcon indignantly as he landed on Kyle's other arm. [You lie you little...]
"That's enough," said Daine, breaking into the conversation. "Kyle has to go because he's late a meeting with his father."
"It's alright, Daine," said Kyle, wrinkling his nose slightly. "I'd really rather not..."
"Sorry, but I promised not to keep you too long," said Daine, shrugging as she took the falcons from him. "Now go, before your dad decides to come looking for you."
"Alright..."
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Amanda and Elizabeth sat alone in their tent, some pizza that Amanda had made in one of the outdoor kitchens between them as they had a gab session like they would back home. Elizabeth picked up another slice and began to chow down on it as Amanda finished her third piece.
"Not as good as Poppa John's," admitted Amanda as she licked her fingers. "But definitely good."
"This reminds me of that one time we were at Brenna's house and we ate, what was it? Three boxes of pizza between, like, 5 or 6 of us?"
"Yeah, I remember that," said Amanda, she had had 7 pieces that night and had been right on the brink of letting it all come back up. "What about the time we were at Chile's and made Mike look like a girl at 1 in the morning?"
"Oh yeah! Didn't he not remember it or something even after he saw the picture?"
"Hmhm. I think everyone was sure he was high or something, but I pretty sure he wasn't. Call me crazy, but you can't argue about what's the best weapon if you're high."
"True. True. Still, one has to wonder..."
"Maybe it's just one of those nights when you can't remember things...."
"Hey! Remember when I spilled that coke all over your jeans?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." Amanda cocked an eyebrow at Elizabeth who tried not to laugh. "You've got to start paying more attention to what you're when you're flirting, or things tend to turn out really bad for me."
"Sorry...."
"Right, just don't let it happen again. Anyways, what about the time you were flirting with the waiter and he sang a song for us? Midnight is the best time to be at Chile's."
"Oh yeah. Pitchers of coke, onion blossoms, fries galore, and whatever else people get...what could be better than that?"
"I don't know," said Amanda, laying on her back as she looked at the ceiling of the tent with content, "I really don't know..."
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John stood on the roof of the barn, looking at the hole he had just fixed with pride, he had never been able to do that before. He turned to walk back to the ladder that was at the edge of the roof when he heard the sound of wood cracking.
"What the..." `CRASH!" John was now up to his waist through the roof, his legs swinging in the space of the loft as he tried to move somehow. If he dropped through, he'd probably break an arm or a leg which would hurt. If he could get himself out the top...but he couldn't pull himself up. He was royally stuck, and there was little he could do about it until Sarah came home.
"And this would just be my luck..." muttered John to himself as he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible and wait for Sarah to come home.
~2 hours later~
Sarah rode up the drive, a very unusual sight meeting her eyes. John was sticking out of the barn roof, looking very angry and uncomfortable. "Now, how did you manage to do this?" she called as she tied her horse to a post and climbed up the ladder.
"Don't ask."
"John, John..."
"Don't even start, Sarah. Just get the other ladder and get something under me to support me," retorted John, having hung there for 2 hours having made his legs go to sleep. Sarah shrugged and did as he asked, getting up in the loft and clearing a space in the hay to stack some boxes. She had no sooner moved out of the way to go get the boxes she was going to stach up under neath him when he dropped the rest of the way through on the bare planks with a `THUD!!'
"Ouch...." John lay stunned for a whole minute and a half before he got his tongue back. "*&%(*&!^)(*@3401(*@634)*&^@#$)*!&^$*)!&^#$)*!&@ #^$(_!&$(*! @ #$( !*^(^!@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sarah was glad none of the kids who helped were around or they'd being hearing some very harsh words for their tender ears.
"Oh, are you ok?" she asked after he was done, helping him to his feet. "It obviously didn't hurt your tongue.
"And this would just be my luck," growled John once more, being very angry. "I finish fixing the roof, only to get another hole in it and fall through only when all the hay has been moved away...^%$@)(*@(*^$*&@!!!!!!!"
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The Lady Mage smirked as she watched the pair up in the loft of the barn. That had been too easy, and she knew she shouldn't torment they like that all the time, but it was so much fun. That and her job got pretty boring sometimes. The others were being good, and she hadn't had to intervene any lately so she had needed something to do.
The boy would be fine, she had seen to that. A few bruises and a hurt pride, that was all he would suffer other than a few scratches and the teasing that would come from others. Still, she'd have to remember to apologize for that later, it was pretty mean of her to do that...
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Mouse, Allie and Vixen sat at the table in their room with Joe, Ratina, Old Bart, and a few others. All of their birthdays had been in the past month, and they had agreed on a complied birthday party with a few others present.
A small cake sat in the middle with three large candles on it, each one a `17' inscribed on it since they couldn't fit that many on there at once. That's right, the Queen of Thieves and her `sisters' were now 17 years old and would soon be celebrating their first year in the land of Tortal.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Vixen, Mouse, and Allie, all sisters too! Happy Birthday to you!" sang everyone, watching as the three each blew out their candle. The cake was cut, and presents passed around as they ate their portions quickly so as to get to the good stuff.
Allie got a new dagger set from Vixen and Mouse, a pair of earrings from Joe, a bottle of her favorite wine from Bart, new gauntlets from Ratina, and a few other small (and stolen)trinkets from the rest.
Mouse got some neat little throwing stars from Vixen and Allie, a necklace from Joe, a nice cloak from Bart, holders for the stars from Ratina, and some other trinkets similar to Allies from the others.
Vixen got a pole weapon just like the one she had used to kill Jeremy from Mouse and Allie, the promise of a month's free rent from Bart, a new vest with special pockets from Ratina, and a few other trinkets as well. Joe gave her his gift last. He watched eagerly as she opened the small box, and inside was a ring and an armband made finely wrought silver and dotted with rubies.
The design was of two dragons intertwined together in either a fight or other wise, with their eyes as the rubies and the detail so great you could make out each individual scale.
The ring was just a smaller replica of the armband, and fit her finger perfectly. "Now, I know you didn't steal this," whispered Vixen as she put the armband on as well, another perfect fit. "These would be too well guarded for you to take."
"So what if they're honestly gotten?" said Joe, having expected this response from her. "It's a ring fit for a queen, and that is what you are."
"A queen of thieves," Vixen reminded him, examining him closely. "Thieves cannot generally afford this sort of thing, but since you're a friend I won't ask how you got it and leave it at that."
"Thanks," said Joe, leaning back in his chair as he gazed at the floor sadly and repeated to himself, "Only a friend..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Alyse left the banquet hall with Faleron by her side, walking in the moonlight back to her tent. The torches lit little circles around themselves, leaving expanses of darkness in between them. But for some reason, Alyse was not afraid.
"Are you sure you can't make it?" asked Faleron, his face pale by the moon's white light.
"I'm sure," replied Alyse, sounding fairly sad. "Princess Shinkokami needs me to help her, and I can't just leave her hanging. You go and have fun anyways, it'll be good for you."
"But you won't be there."
"You could still have fun," said Alyse as they neared her tent, slowing down their pace as they did.
"But it won't be as much as if you're there."
"Oh stop it," teased Alyse, "You're making me feel bad for something I can't help."
"I know," said Faleron, giving her a quickly kiss on the cheek. "Good night." By the time Alyse had recovered her senses he had disappeared into the night.
"Good night, Faleron..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Jennifer finished the frosting and placed the cake in the box, quickly shutting the lid and setting out for the fief's manor. She slipped in a side door and was led to the room, where she was asked to stay for awhile.
"She is one of your good friends, after all," said one of the people who were around her.
"Oh, alright," said Jennifer, sitting down in a chair. Now all they had to do was wait...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Lyssa had been blindfolded after dinner and told to walk quietly with her guide, who was Rispah. Alanna had not been at dinner for some reason, and Coram had had to leave early for some odd excuse or another.
"Are we almost there?" asked Lyssa impatiently.
"Yes, just a bit further," said Rispah, guiding her through a door. The blindfold was promptly removed, and everyone in the room shouted.
"SURPRISE!!!" Lyssa had partially been expecting something, but not this big of a something! There was Alanna, her Squire, her Squire's friends Merric, Cleon, and Owen. Jennifer had come with a huge cake and her cats, George had stuck around so he could get some cake, Rispah and Coram of course and then some of the Garrison who had marched up a few weeks ago and would be leaving in a few days.
Her men, of course, had won the drill off and they were more than proud of themselves and her. Anything that might make her happy at this point was generally ok with them.
"What's all this about?" asked Lyssa as they brought the cake over with 16 candles on top.
"Where I come from, being 16 is a big deal and needs to be celebrated!" said Jennifer from the back, keeping the kittens in check. "So we decided to celebrate."
"Oh really?" asked Lyssa, looking at the short redhead, "And where might that be?"
"Oh, well-"
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Lyssa~ Happy Birthday to you!!!" Jennifer was saved by everyone else's singing, and Lyssa forgot about what was said as she blew out the candles and made a wish.
"Here you go!" said Rispah, handing her a gift when the cake was eaten and everyone was sitting around the fireplace with mugs of coffee or hot chocolate and a blanket or a friend to keep them warm.
"What is it?" asked Lyssa as she looked at the package.
"Open it and find out, silly."
"For the best Commander we've ever had," said Coram proudly as she lifted something out of the tissue paper. It was a saber with a curved blade and a hilt basket with a metal sheath and a small raven under the cross hilt.
She unsheathed it and looked at the blade in awe, fully aware that is was the best king money could buy. "I couldn't possibly accept this, Ris..."
"But you will," cut in Alanna, raising an eyebrow as the girl re-sheathed it reverently. "A good Commander needs a good blade, and if memory serves me correct, yours broke a while back."
Lyssa nodded and tried it on, finding it matched her dagger perfectly and fit well on her belt. She then was told to sit back down and got a box from Jennifer, who sat back and waited for her reply.
Inside was at least 2 pounds of peanut butter and chocolate fudge, homemade and fresh for being made only a few hours ago. "Mmmm," said Lyssa as she popped a few in her mouth and savored the taste. "This is great, Jenny! Thanks!"
"You're welcome," replied Jennifer, letting herself mold into the background.
The box was taken from her and passed around the room as everyone had a piece (and only one since Lyssa was watching them to make sure) as she opened her next gift.
It was from the men, and inside was a long cloak made for the cold weather. Being a dark gray, and the clasp stainless steel, it was made to last for those who lived a harder life style. The one Coram had given her had fallen apart rather quickly, and she would need this in the months to come. "Thanks, guys!"
"Hey, what else could we give to our favorite Commander?" asked one of the men.
"How about an hour's worth of drill without anybody slacking?"
"Um..." The room erupted into laughter as Faleron handed her and box and said it was from Alyse.
"She couldn't make it, but said to tell you she'll see you tomorrow," explained Faleron, going back to his seat beside Cleon on the floor. Inside was a Yamanis fan with the picture of a beautiful palomino horse rearing on it's hind legs painted on it.
"Wow," said Lyssa as she snapped it open and shut a few times, baffled by the quality of the craftsmanship of it's metal parts and the detail of the painting. "What can I say...I mean...wow..."
The evening was filled with stories of the past (especially about Alanna's childhood) and pranks pulled by a certain red-headed Squire who couldn't `help' himself.
It may've not been the 16th birthday that Lyssa had been dreaming of, but she realized that this was even better.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Kyle paced in the outer room of his quarters, waiting for his adoptive dad to get home so he could talk with him. [Ok] thought Kyle as he paced [I'll just right up to him and tell him. I'll just march right up, and tell him what's on my mind so he'll see I'm serious. Be strong, come on, you can do this. Just go right up to him..."
"Kyle?" asked Baron Emery as he walked in the door. "What are you still up for?"
Kyle took a deep breath. "IwantedtosaythatIhatethelistandyouneedtogivemesome moreroomhere. It'snotfairthatothers..."
"Whoa, slow down here," said the Baron, sitting down in an overstuffed chair. "You don't like the list? I never said you had to marry one of them, I just said you had to take a look at those girls."
"Only one girl on this entire list so far has had some sort of a brain, and she made it quite clear that she didn't want to have anything to do with me romantically," objected Kyle, showing his father that 15 of the 20 names had already been crossed out. "What do you want me to do after this?"
"Go and find one the way the rest of us have to, by looking at what's available and choosing from what's in stock," drawled the Baron, amusement very evident in his voice. "It will be interesting to see who you pick, boy."
"I'm glad you think so," said Kyle sarcastically.
"Now, is that all you wanted?"
"Yeah."
"Then good night."
"'Night."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Libby woke up so see the moon high over head, her bed having been moved to the front of the tent for some reason. She then remembered what had happened. She had healed that man and fallen asleep soon after.
"You finally woke up," said a voice from near by, it was Artman sitting on his cot as he picked at some something in a bowl. It was dinner, and he handed a bowl to her as well. It was meatloaf and some mashed potatoes and bread.
"How long have I been out?" asked Libby, thinking it had been a few days.
"Only about 8 or 9 hours, less than last time she had you do that exercise back in the desert," said Artman, moving to sit next to her. "Why didn't you accept my help?"
"I wanted to do it on my own," said Libby stubbornly as she ate the food slowly even though she was starving. "You wouldn't understand, I knew that I could change the way that man was going to have to live if his back remained damaged and I wanted to save him myself. Prove to myself that I could do it."
"That's being dumb," argued Artman, "You need to save your strength for when we may really need it."
"So do you," replied Libby. "And I need to get used to healing on my own without your help. What would happen if I got so used to having your help that when we can't help each other I can't heal others?"
"That's ridiculous..."
"No, it's reality, Artman." She sighed and put her bowl down, looking at the moon that was so familiar and at the same time so strange. She was in another world, and things were done differently here. "You're going to have to stop trying to protect me all the time..."
"Why should I?"
"Artman..."
"Alright, I'll try to stop."
"Thank you."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Sarah and John were standing inside the barn, explaining to Onua who was with them why they needed more money. "I fixed the other hole, and then this happened," said John, scratching his neck as he did.
"And how did this hole get here?" asked Onua, turning to face the pair.
"Ah, well, you see..."
"He feel through while walking back to the edge," said Sarah, seeing John wasn't going to tell. "He has a lovely blue bruise across his back to prove it too." It had been two weeks ago, and still he had the mark. He was lucky though, he could've ended up with much worse.
"Well, then here's a few nobles for the roof, and John?"
"Yes, Onua?"
"Try not to fall through it this time, it doesn't help when you break what you've just fixed."
"Grr..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Jennifer was up and working in her kitchen early, frying eggs and bacon while she waited for her assistant to arrive and start the toast. "Are you Jennifer?" asked a voice behind her. She turned to see a medium height guy standing behind her, just an inch or two above her as she studied his sandy hair and green eyes.
"Yes," she said, realizing he was waiting for her answer. "Who are you?"
"I'm Sean, your new assistant."
"What happened to Annie?" asked Jennifer as she turned back to the eggs and the bacon.
"She's getting reposted with her mother. She requested the change before the Procession and just now it got through. What do you want me to do first?"
"Go wash up and get the toast started," said Jennifer, adding as an after thought, "And you can tell me about yourself as you do since I haven't see you around before."
"Fair enough," replied Sean as he did as he was told and ran his hands under some water. "My name's Sean Djali, and you took my dad's place as the head chef in the Procession..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
It was a few weeks after the complied birthday party, but Vixen still remembered every detail of it. The cake, the fun she had had with her friends, the presents, and ring...
She didn't know why the ring always plagued her thoughts, but as she took it off she looked at it closely for the 3rd time that morning. The ruby eyes still shown, the dragons where still entwined around each other, and the scales were still as visible as always.
She studied it for a while later, and then put it back on, slipping it on her ring finer of her right hand as it glinted in the light. Vixen was on the roof of the Dancing Dove, right outside her window, and she looked over as she saw Allie climb outside beside her.
"I still say that ring belongs on your left ring finger," said Allie teasingly as she sat beside Vixen, who just frowned.
"Why do you say that?"
"Why do you keep asking me that every time I say it?"
"Because you never give me a straight answer."
"And what makes you think I would this time?"
"One can always dream..."
"And I bet I know what you dream about..."
"Oh really? What?"
"A thief who's name is-"
"Hey Joe."
"Hello, fellow thieves," said Joe as he climbed out beside them.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," said Allie to Vixen with a grin as Vixen swatted her gently.
"Oh, knock it off."
"What's she talking about?" asked Joe, pointing to Allie.
"Nothing, did you need something?"
"Oh yeah! They need you down stairs, now."
"We're coming." Vixen took one look at the open sky and sighed, going back inside. She was going to have to try to find a way to escape for a while soon, she needed to be out in the open. "What's the fuss about?"
"I don't know, some new thief wants to see you."
"Great..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
It was close to the end of June as Artman made his way through the camp, having spent the last two hours looking for Libby and being unsuccessful to say the least. At least he had run into Numair and had gotten the chance to speak with him for a while, but no one had seen Libby anywhere.
He was getting worried, not that he'd ever admit it, but he was. He went back to his tent and opened the flap, being surprised at seeing Numair, Daine, Libby and a few others there with a cake with candles singing.
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..."
"Oh boy...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Kyle walked around the practice courts, his rapier at his side. He had fenced some with the light sword back home with Mike, but hadn't faced off against anyone here yet. Seeing a lone girl warming up in a corner, he swaggered over to her and decided to try his luck with her.
"Good morning, fair lady," he said as he drew closer, effectively getting her attention.
"My title's `Commander', not `Lady' if you insist upon using it," grunted the girl as she did a series of complicated stretches. "What do you want?"
"I want to have a match with you, if it's alright..."
"Unarmed or with weapons?"
"Swords, if you will."
"Certainly."
They took their places and crossed weapons, his rapier and her saber gleaming in the early morning light. Lyssa had been practicing with her new weapon for a few weeks now and had gotten fairly good at it, but this was her first match with it. It would be interesting as to how it turned out.
"Ready?" asked Lyssa, relaxing some.
"Ready." `Clash!' They went off, nimbly swinging their blades as they tried to find openings against the other. Kyle didn't guard well on top very well, but since Lyssa was too short too use it against him it didn't make that much of a difference. Lyssa wasn't very strong in her charges yet, but since Kyle hesitated when he blocked, it made very little difference as well.
This went on forever, not because they were both so great at it, because they couldn't find a way to beat the other and were too stubborn to stop. At last they executed the same move and both found the other's blade at their throat.
"No bad," said Kyle as he tried to act calm and failed miserably.
Lyssa didn't even bat an eye. "Truce?" she replied, her face completely blank.
"Truce." They lowered the swords and shook hands, studying the other as they did. "What's your name?" asked Kyle, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Formally, Commander Lyssa of Trebond Garrison. To you, Lyssa."
"I'm Lord Kyle of Crescent Hollow..."
"So you're the Baron's adopted son," said Lyssa, cutting him short. "I've heard of you from a friend of mine."
"Really? Who?"
"Just a Squire I met a few days ago..."
"Was what you heard good or bad?"
"Like I would tell you."
"KYLE!!" Kyle turned and saw a familiar face at the other end of the court.
"Gotta go, dad sent his messenger for me. See you later?"
"Yeah, later."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
A few days after having fenced with Kyle, Lyssa was dragged by Coram and Rispah to see some jousting. "Why are we going to go watching this again?" asked Lyssa, raising as eyebrow slightly.
"The girl Squire is going to joust today, and I have to see it so I can write Alanna about it and I'm dragging you two along for company," explained Coram as they took their seats and watched a few rounds go by. In the first one, one of the knights went flying, and in the next both managed to stay in the saddle, but they awarded it to the older one anyways.
A few rounds later, it was Kel's turn. "Who's she facing?" asked Lyssa as she watched the girl prepare herself for the joust.
"Sir Ansil. He's not that great and one of Joren's crowd, she should manage alright," replied Rispah, being the one who kept up with all the gossip around there (which was quite a feat considering how large the Procession really was).
"There she goes," muttered Coram as they did the first charge, Kel firmly hitting his shield as her lance shattered. "Not bad at all."
"She's got him," said Rispah confidently, a man near by over hearing her.
"How would you like to bet 10 gold nobles on that?" he asked, grinning wickedly.
"You're on," said Rispah, looking down her nose at him. "And I've got witnesses here so you can't back out."
"I think you'll be the one wishing she could back out, not me," replied the man, watching as the next charge began. He immediately regretted his words as Sir Ansil went flying from his mount and Kel was said to be the winner.
"10 gold nobles, sir," said Rispah, holding our her hand. The man grumbled something under his breath and pulled out the money.
"Sheer luck..."
"No, she's a good jouster, and that's all there is to it," said Lyssa confidentially, daring the man to challenge her words. He turned his back on them and left, leaving a happy noble lady, a smug Commander, and an amused noble man behind him.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Alyse sat in the stands with Yuki, Faleron being out in the field with his knight master and each wanting to see Kel joust a 2nd time. They had seen her win the day before, and were hoping to see the same thing again today.
Something orange and ungainly flapped over the stands and glided to the field. The griffin reached Kel's tilting lane as she did, perching clumsily on the wooden barrier.
"Isn't that thing supposed to stay in the tent?" asked Yuki, pointing at the griffin.
"He must have gotten free," said Alyse, suddenly remembering something from the book. "Oh shoot..."
"What's wrong?"
"I have a bad feeling about this..." Alyse got up and began to make her way to the end of the stand, but Yuki stopped her by grabbing her sleeve and gave her a questioning look.
"Where are you going?" she asked, her eyes shining with worry.
"To warn-" `Dun-da-duna!' Kel charged across the field as the griffin shrieked, that being the only sound that echoed over the field. She was too late. "Never mind."
Kel hit her opponents shield squarely on the first charge, making Alyse hope she had been wrong about the book. The second charge came, and she watched in horror as Voelden used his lance to try to ram Kel through the middle. It left a large dent in her breast plate and the crowd roared in disapproval as she swayed in her saddle and the judge called out, "Foul!"
Peachblossom lunged at Voelden over the barrier. Kel had to yank on her reins to get him to stop, and Alyse and Yuki made their way to the edge of the lists to help when she came out. Kel stalled for time by asking for something, and Alyse started to come out to speak to her, but Kel waved her away tiredly.
"Is she going to retire from the lists?" Yuki asked Alyse in concern as they waited for whatever was to happen next. Kel put her helmet back on and accepted the lance from the field monitor.
"She's going to give it one last run," said Alyse as she stood there firmly, "Let's wait for her here." The signal came, and Peachblossom charged. Kel rose and braced herself. They saw her angle her shield so Voelden couldn't slide his lance past it, and struck his shield hard. Her lance shattered, so did his. Kel rammed her shield forward and hooked it behind Voelden's. Slamming her body sideways behind the locked shields, she heaved. Voelden popped from his saddle and hit the ground.
The crowd roared and came to it's feet. Kel dismounted and walked over to him, drawing her sword. He hadn't moved. She flipped up his visor with her sword point and pressed the sharp tip to his nose.
Alyse found that she and Yuki had been joined by Kel's anxious mom, a furious Queen and some of her ladies in waiting as Kel got Voelden to yield to her. She then walked back to Peachblossom, wincing as she ducked under the barrier. All around her she heard a chant, and raised her head. Groups of people in the stands were on their feet, crying, "Mindelan! Mindelan! Mindelan!"
Alyse and Yuki were cheering as well until Kel reached them and grinned ruefully. "I think he almost got me," she sighed as she moved to lead her mount to the stables.
"I'll take those," said Alyse, taking the reins from her hands and letting the other ladies surround Kel.
"But I have to see to my horse..."
"I'll take care of him," said Alyse, "He'll behave, won't you boy?" Peachblossom snorted, but let himself be led by the Yamanis lady to his stall as the group of women took Kel to the Queen's tent to be healed.
"You're being very good today," praised Alyse, knowing Kel would be fine as she brushed out the huge gelding, but still wishing at the same time that she had been able to warn her. Alyse took out a lump of sugar and gave it to Kel's horse before she left, patting it's head once more before she left to go check on Kel herself...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
"There you are," said the Queen as Libby entered the tent. "I need you to check on this poor girl right here, she was..."
"I know, hit by a lance in the chest by that idiotic knight," said Libby quickly as she knelt by Kel. "I was there and came right after to see if you would need me."
Kel's armor, chain mail, gambeson, and cotton shirt had been pealed away to reveal a sweat soaked breast band and huge, spreading bruise on her right side. The women hissed in sympathy when they saw it.
Libby laid gentle fingers on the bruise. Coolness radiated from her touch, easing the ferocious pain. "Nothing's broken," she told them. "The bones are only bruised, and I can handle that." She rested a palm on Kel's bruise. "Don't fight me," she warned.
"My children don't fight healers," remarked Ilane, "Or I'll know why."
Kel rolled her eyes. "Mother," she said with disgust, "I haven't done that is years."
"Good," Ilane replied, unperturbed. "If you forget there are plenty of fans here for me to whack you with."
Libby continued to use her power as the coolness turned to cold. She let painlessness sink into the girl's ribs, and she felt them pop under her touch with relief as she did. "Ouch," said Kel as an unexpected sharp pain bit into her side.
"I was wrong," admitted Libby. "One rib is cracked. Hold still and stay quiet." Kel stared at the canvas over head until Libby had finished her work. At last she stepped away.
"Sleep and food," she ordered gently, helping Kel sit up. "Sleep will probably come first." She used her power to help Kel down that road slightly.
"The griffin," Kel murmured.
"I'll mind him." Daine's face appeared in Kel's view. "I need to see why he's so upset." Kel nodded and fell asleep.
"She'll be fine," Libby assured them as Lady Ilane's face contorted with worry that she rarely showed. "I must go now, let me know if you need anything else."
"We will," the Queen replied, helping her ladies pick up the armor and chain mail from Kel. "And again, thanks."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Alyse came back to the Queen's tent just as Libby walked into the crowd, Alyse thought there was something familiar about her but let it drop and went in the tent. "She's alright?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"She's fine," said Ilane as Kel's shirt was picked up and she was carried by some strong ladies to her tent. "How was Peachblossom for you?"
"Fine, he likes me better than most and didn't try to bite me," replied Alyse, taking out a fan and beginning to juggle it in one hand out of habit. "Any thing else I can do?"
"No, thank you anyways."
Yuki came up just then, a curious expression on her face. "Alyse, how did you know that something bad was going to happen?" she asked as she drew her into a corner where they could talk privately.
"I don't know," lied Alyse, shrugging her shoulders. "I just had a gut instinct, that's all..."
"Alyse!" called a voice from near by, saving her from further questioning. "Alyse! I need your help for a second!" It was Princess Shinko.
"Gotta go," said Alyse, leaving quickly. What a day...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Jennifer and Lyssa were talking late in the kitchen when Kel walked in, looking fairly beat and not at all herself. "Have a good pounding?" asked Jennifer as she served up a dish of soup for the poor girl, having heard about the joust.
"Yeah, I guess so," said Kel tiredly as she ate the soup ravenously, having not eaten for several hours.
"You're the girl page?" said Lyssa, giving her a good once over. "I'm Lyssa, the Trebond Garrison Commander."
"I've seen you fight before," said Kel, turning to look at her. "You gave a few friends of mine bruises and bumps that lasted for awhile."
"I'm sorry," said Lyssa, smiling wickedly. "I'll try to warn them better next time."
"It won't do any good," said Kel, grinning slightly. "You have to prove things to those nimrods before they'll believe you're better than them."
"Then a few bumps and bruises will do them good," said Lyssa, draining her drink and getting up off the stool. "It was nice meeting you Kel, but I have to go or Coram will have a fit."
"See you."
"Bye. See ya Jenny!"
"Bye."
"Nice girl," commented Kel, having never met Jennifer before either. "What's your name again?"
"Jennifer."
"I'm Kel."
"I know."
"I imagine everyone does by now."
"Who are you talking to?" asked a voice from the back, it was Sean who had just woken up from his nap.
"Look who decided to join the land of the living," teased Jennifer, getting him some dinner too. "Eat that, you haven't had any food since breakfast."
"Yes mother," said Sean rolling his eyes. They had come to an understanding that he didn't hate her for taking his dad's job (if anything it was a good thing because he was getting to old to keep up with the work) and she didn't mind having him around to help instead of Annie. He even liked her kittens, who still stayed in the kitchen during the day and slept in her bed at night.
"Good soup," said Kel, her eyelids getting heavy again. "I'll see you later, ok Jennifer?"
"Come by anytime," said Jennifer cheerfully. "I'm always here."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye."
"Cute one, isn't she?" said Jennifer teasingly, trying to get Sean to stop staring at her as she left.
"That's the girl that almost got run through today," he said softly.
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Voelden's my cousin."
"Oh dear..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Amanda was still under the mound of paper work and only left the tent to go eat and attend mandatory social events. She swore she was taking a two week break the moment she was finished with it all, and wished she had been something else for not the first time.
"Hey Amanda," said Elizabeth, coming in the tent, "Did you hear about Kel?"
"No, what happened?"
"I thought you were the one who had the book memorized." Amanda sat there and wracked her mind for a moment, trying to think of what it was.
"She jousted for the first time yesterday...Voelden tried to spear her, right?" said Amanda, regretting having missed it. She would've tried to warn Kel, but with all this darned paper work she'd forgotten about it! "I better go visit her and see how it's going."
"She's asleep, I just saw them carry her to their tent."
"Then I'll see her in the morning."
~next day~
Amanda got up early and went to Kel's tent, knowing she would be up already even if most of the camp wasn't. "You in here, Kel?" she asked, opening the tent flap.
"Yeah, is that you Amanda?"
"The one and only."
"Where've you been? I haven't seen you since we talked in the barn," said Kel as she gathered things in her arms for giving the griffin a bath.
"I've been busy, running a fief is harder than it looks," said Amanda honestly. "Need some help?"
"Sure, I have to give the little terror a washing, want to come?"
"Sure, I don't have to do anything for awhile anyways." Kel carried the griffin and Amanda his things, making their way easily through the small crowds because no one wanted risking being touched by the griffin.
"I heard you get banged up in your last joust," said Amanda, looking uneasy.
"Yeah, he tried to run me through."
"Wish I could have see you knock him from his saddle, it was great from what a friend told me. And with a broken rib, I don't know if I could've done that."
"I had to, he tried to kill me."
"Yeah, still, I just wish..."
"Wish what?"
"That I could've been able to warn you, I don't like to see my friends get hurt."
"No one can see into the future, there's no way you could've known," said Kel confidently, noticing Amanda suddenly tense up.
"You'd be surprised..."
"How?"
"Here's the lake," said Amanda, quickly changing the subject. "Where are we going?"
At the lake Kel sought a large, flat stone she had seen before and quickly began to set up her washing procedure as Amanda took a seat near by. "So, what's been up with you?" she asked as she settle down to watch Kel grapple with the griffin. "Anything new with Cleon?"
"Um...yeah...he kissed me again..." Kel tried to concentrate on the immortal she was holding, but some how it wasn't working.
"Oh really? Lucky girl..." Amanda took out her knife and began to carve out something from a piece of wood.
"Do you have any idea how weird that sounds coming from you?" asked Kel, grinning as she dunked the immortal underwater.
"Not a clue..." `Screeeeech!' Amanda clapped her hands over her ears as the griffin began to shrill, his voice rising and falling in a series of notes that made their skin creep. The griffin dug into Kel's back, then leaped over her to stand on the rock, still voicing that eerie cry. Jump, who had followed them, faced the land, growling deep in his throat with his one good ear flat. Kel sat up and Amanda scooted across the rocks to stand next to her.
A huge, winged creature, its feathers brindled gold and black, spiraled down from the sky to land beside their rock. A second creature the color of newly minted copper touched the ground 10 yards behind the brindled one. Seated, they towered over the pair, the brindled griffin nearly seven feet at the shoulder, the coppery one six. Kel gulped, and Amanda shifted beside her nervously. They were in a very serious position with not Third Company or Daine to protect them.
"Stay still," hissed Amanda to Kel, her eyes trained on the griffin's. "It must be his parents. I don't think they're going to hurt us."
"What makes you say that?" replied Kel as quietly, drawing the griffin towards her. "You're not a wild mage."
"Then why are we still alive?"
"Good point..."
Still, Amanda felt uneasy as the cold, intelligent eyes that surveyed they, the brindled griffin's gold and the other's a darker copper than it's feathers. Kel had only her belt knife and Amanda her sword and dagger if she was wrong, and the griffin's claws were far sharper than their weapons where.
Amanda remember this part from the book and knew they were going to be fine since Daine was supposed to arrive any minute, but she was still very nervous....
An eagle hurtled from the sky, landing between their rock and the griffin's with an undignified thud. It immediately began to change shape until a small form of Daine's head perched on the eagle's body.
"Kel, it's alright!" Daine said without turning away from the griffin's. "They're his parents. That's why he was so restless yesterday. They were close enough he could sense them."
Kel looked form one griffin to another, then glancing back at Amanda. "Parents? How did you know, Amanda?"
"Lucky guess," the girl replied, taking this once in a lifetime opportunity to study the griffins.
The youngster trotted over to the brindled adult, twining between it's large forelegs like a kitten. Now the copper one hopped ten yards to land beside its mate. It peered under the larger griffin's ribcage to inspect Kel's charge. the young griffin butted his head against the copper griffin's nose. The copper one reached out a forepaw, dragged the little griffin to itself, and began to wash him.
Daine clapped her wings to her human ears. "Please, lady, gently," she said, tears in her eyes. "There's no need to shout. It hurts." After a moment she took her wings away and looked at Kel and Amanda. "They gave me their names, but I can't pronounce them. The brindled one is his father. The copper one is his mother." She winced and continued, "They thank you for all you've done. I said you've been searching for them all this time, through me. I also told them you killed the centaur who was going to keep him."
Kel looked at the griffin. Seeing him now with his parents, she realized he was still tiny, still an infant in griffin terms. "And I thought he was getting fairly big," muttered Amanda under her breath, Kel nodded in reply.
The brindled one, his father, reached over the copper griffin's wings and worked a cloth bag loose of its ties with his beak. He dropped it in front of their rock.
"This is just a token, they say" explained Daine. "They can't really thank you for what you did, but they know humans value their feathers."
The female yanked a trailing tail feather from the baby griffin, adding it to the pile. The griffin squalled because of it until his father pressed a forepaw on his shoulders and held him there.
"They say he has learned bad habits," Daine told Kel. "They never allow their young one to make so much noise."
Mother and father traded looks, then nodded to the humans (even if Daine was partially in eagle form...). Grabbing his son by the scruff of the neck, the male tool off first the young griffin secure and squalling in his beak. The female joined them in the air.
Kel sniffed, and Amanda laid a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
"This is ridiculous," Kel muttered. She found the handkerchief she kept in her boot and blew her nose. "He's with his own kind. I don't even like him."
"You did the right thing," said Diane, for the first time noticing Amanda. "Hello, I don't think I've met you before."
"You haven't," said Amanda, grinning ruefully. "But I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm Amanda of Lynx mountain."
"Oh, the renegade Lady," said Daine with a smile. She scratched her head with a wing, and odd sight to say the least. "Numair mentioned something about you...but it's escaped me at the moment."
Kel sighed and looked at the sky. "I'll have to get used to not taking care of the little pest," she said softly. "You get used to any thing after awhile..." She looked at Daine with her eagle's body and head of a human. "Well, maybe you don't..."
Daine chuckled and waved goodbye as she shaped herself entirely eagle and took off. "That was quite and experience," murmured Amanda as she helped her gather up the griffin's bathing things and the griffin's gift. "Can I have just one of the brindled griffin's feathers?"
"Sure," said Kel, taking one out and handing it to her. Amanda stuck it in her belt and went back with her to her tent, depositing the things she was carrying there on Kel's bed.
"Have fun getting rid of all this stuff," said Amanda, stretching her back. "I'd love to help, but duty calls..."
"Go get back to your paper work," said Kel, grinning. "I don't grudge you a bit for it."
"Thanks Kel, bye."
"Bye."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Vixen hurried down the stairs to the main room of the Dancing Dove one morning, her mind grim as new problems were arising. The new thief claimed to be an old pal of Jeremy's and since he was dead no one could prove it. Her truth charm wouldn't respond to him, and she had a feeling he had been wearing the opposite charm as she spoke to him.
He had grudgingly sworn allegiance to her, and now had a respected place in the rouge, more for his assassination skills than for his talent, though. Some how Vixen knew he was a threat to her throne, and everyday she wanted to get rid of him more and more.
She took her seat at her table and waited for Bart to bring her breakfast, knowing the man would rather die than give her poisoned food. He was the only cook she trusted for her and her sisters other than Roberto and his restaurant.
Xavier, the new thief, sat in the corner across from hers with his own little group surrounding him. He looked foreign to her, though she wasn't one to judge looks very well, and had a bit of an accent as well. Someone had said he was from Scanra, but he denied it despite his blonde hair and blue eyes and said he was just from the north. In his mid 20's, he was fairly handsome in a cold way, and Vixen hated him for it.
He had all the bar girls wrapped around his little finger, and he wore a charm that protected him from Allie's and Mouse's magic's. This was definitely not good.
She sat with Mouse, Allie and Joe as she watched him, her uneasiness growing by the moment until he got up suddenly and walked to her table. "Good Queen Vixen," he sneered, his face turning ugly. "I challenge your rule based on the fact that you've been keeping stolen goods for yourself." He threw a bag of loot on the table and opened it for all to see, piles of diamonds and coins falling out of it.
"Where did you get that?" asked Vixen angrily. "It's been missing for weeks! I nearly had to pay the rent with my portion of the loot because we couldn't make ends meet! What exactly are you trying to pull here, Xavier?" Murmurs ran through the people in the room wandering what was going to happen next.
"Then you deny the charge?"
"Well duh."
"Then fight me to prove it."
"I don't have to," said Vixen coldly. "I could pay for a truth-speaker to prove me right. But because I long to spread your entrails out for the birds of the air to eat I will."
"Sister, his entrails would be below what vultures normally eat," said Mouse lightly, "I would hate to see one die because of it..."
"So a vulture is worth more than me?" said Xavier with an odd smile. "I'll be sure to let a few feast on you and your sister's graves when this is over with."
"That is if you live that long," snarled Vixen, rising to her feet. The fight was on.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Sorry to lave you with a bit of a cliffie there, it wasn't supposed to be that way, it just got too long as it was so you'll find out first thing next chapter, I promise! Please review and tell me what you think, I spent a long time on this chapter and would appreciate it, thanks!
~crosseyedbutterfly~
Oh, and BTW, I have a quick correction to make. Ripshka, Coram's wife, has had her named spelled wrong for quite some time (oops!) It's actually supposed to be Rispah, so that's what she'll be known as from now on, ok? Thankies!
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Sarah and John rode quietly out of the city, having just stopped by the Dancing Dove to say good-bye to Vixen, Mouse, and Allie before they went back to their little ranch. It was about Mid-May, and they were taking the horses that had not been chosen back with them to spend the fall and winter at the Rider's Stable.
They got there a few days later and quickly settle in, cleaning out the dust and grime that had taken over their small house and getting the horses comfortable in their new environment. John had the cartload of nets that he took to his other employer, and received a bonus for his good work.
It was about dusk now, on their first day back, and the odd pair were outside eating their dinner by the pasture as they watched the new horses mingle with the old ones.
"I really wish they hadn't shaved your goatee," said Sarah as she glanced at him, picking at the potato soup she had made. "You look different without it."
"How? Like good different or bad different?"
"Neither. Just, different." She sighed and took a sip of her drink. "We've changed a lot since we came here." And she was right. John was not the only one who had lost all of his `extra weight.' Any that Sarah, Vixen, Mouse, or Allie (or any of the other characters for that matter) may've had before was now practically gone. Being in the Rouge did not always guarantee full meals, and when one is living on a small paycheck and the roof collapses, let's just say you're not going to be eating for awhile.
On top of that, Sarah's hair had grown longer than before, and though she kept it cropped to her shoulders it was still not the same. If they went back at that moment and retained everything they had gained here, their families would probably not recognize them very easily.
"And it would effect you because?"
"Come on, John. I see you everyday and if something changes I can tell instantly. This is really no different..."
"Right." His sarcastic attitude made Sarah shrug and turn back to her soup. "I will agree with you on one thing though, I do look different. Boss said so when I went by his house with the nets."
"Boss? That's what you call him?"
"Yeah. I think his real name is Fred or Alfred or something like that, but he said to call him Boss and he calls me Boy."
"Great working relationship you got there."
"What can I say? It's better than the names my boss back home called me."
"True, which reminds me how much I miss home."
John snorted loudly in disgust. "I don't."
"Really? Not even fighting with others in the band room or the long bus rides home after competitions and games?"
"Ok, alright, I do miss some of it, but not any of the people there..."
"What about our friends in band?"
"What friends?"
"Oh, be nice. Cindy, Amanda, Brenna, Allie, and Mouse were all our friends..."
"Yeah, when we we're trying to kill one another."
"What about Friday nights at Chile's at 1 am?"
"I was too tired to remember those very well."
"John..." Sarah leaned back against teh pole and gave up, sometimes living with John was close to impossible.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Amanda sat in her tent under yet another mound of paper work, trying to finish looking over the reports and finish signing the few proposals from the town council in time to make the next mail carrier.
"Amanda? You in here?" asked Elizabeth from the front, walking into their tent with a box in her hands.
"Yeah, Liz," replied Amanda as she glanced up quickly. "What's up?"
"Nothing much, other than the fact that today's your birthday..."
"Huh?" Elizabeth held up a calendar with the 24 of May circled in red.
"You're 18 today." Amanda put down her paper work and rose to her feet.
"I am, aren't I?" she asked contemplatively, her head still down. "Tomorrow we will have been here for a year..."
"A whole year without any parents or rules!" cried Elizabeth happily, jumping up and down some. "Whee!"
"Is that all you came to tell me?" asked Amanda with an amused look on her face.
"Nope! I got this for you too!" said Elizabeth, dropping the box in her hands. She sat down on one of the cots and waited for Amanda to open it, grinning with her trademark `crazy look.'
Amanda opened the lid and just stared at it for a few moments, trying not to show her surprise. Inside of the box was an exact replica of a picture she had kept in one of her notebooks for the past several months. She and Elizabeth were sitting on top of the large rock in front of their high school surrounded by their friends.
Brenna, Mouse, and Allie stood to one side while Rocky, Hewitt, Artman, Libby, and Sarah stood on the other. Benjamin, Amanda's little brother, sat on her lap and Cindy, Jennifer, and Beaver sat below them. It had been right before one of their afternoon practices, and all were wearing shorts and tee-shirts or tank tops.
"Elizabeth...but how did you..."
"Numair took the picture from my mind and had it portrayed on a piece of paper for me," explained Elizabeth as Amanda sat down hard on the floor of their tent. She moved from the bed and sat on the ground next to her. "I noticed you've been especially short tempered lately and thought this might cheer you up."
Amanda didn't reply, she just gave Elizabeth one of those huge hugs that knocks that wind from you and feels like your bones are going to snap, but in a good way. Amanda still could not speak, words completely eluding her as she ran a hand over her friends faces, tracing the lines of the picture as if to assure herself it was real.
"So, you like it?" asked Elizabeth, wondering what she would reply.
"It is the best present that I have ever received," whispered Amanda, hardly daring to trust her voice that wavered slightly. She ran a sleeve over her eyes and got back up, looking at the picture in the light. "Every detail is completely perfect...it's just as I remember them...and the sad part is I almost forgot what they looked like..." She sniffed slightly as Elizabeth came upside her and peered at the picture. "I really miss them..."
"Me too," replied Elizabeth. "I wish that they could be here with us. Think of all the fun we'd have if all of us were together..."
"You mean the chaos we'd create?" asked Amanda with a grin.
"Either way..."
"I think we'll see they again someday."
"Really? How?"
"I dunno. I...just know..."
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Joe stood stubbornly in the middle of Vixen's room, refusing to leave until he had the answers he wanted. "Who was that guy?" he asked quietly. "And how did he know you?"
"I told you already, he's a friend of ours from the past," replied Vixen shortly, running a cloth over some of her blades. "Let it drop, Joe."
"I think someone's jealous," said Allie in a sing-songy voice, her lips curled into a teasing smile.
"I think you aren't telling me the who truth," said Joe flatly, staring into Vixen's eyes coolly. "You say he's from your past, what sort of role did he play there?"
"Role?" asked Vixen, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. What was he to you."
Mouse began to laugh as Vixen tried not to smile. "You think that I had a thing for him, don't you?" she said quietly as Allied joined Mouse in her laughter.
"Well...um...yeah...."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Vixen couldn't speak because she could barely breath from laughing so hard. She was able to stop many minutes later as Mouse and Allie got over their little fits as a clueless Joe stood nervously in the middle of the room.
"John was a good friend of ours from school," explain Allie, being the first to recover. "He was in several activities with us and we hung out before and after school with him and several others during the week."
"You went to a boys and girls school?" asked Joe in a confused voice.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," said Vixen, leaning back on the wall. "Don't worry, John won't take over whatever it is you think you have."
"That's good...hey! Wait a second!"
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Lyssa stood alone inside her tent, fingering the necklace she had been wearing when she first arrived. It was a thin, silver chain with a small, silver horse-shaped charm on it. Today was May 30, her 16th birthday, but it wasn`t the 16th birthday she had thought she was going to have.
[Sweet 16] she thought sadly to herself as she wandered through the camp, waving to people [Where's the new car? Where's the presents? Where's the huge party with all my friends there? Where's my family to help me celebrate?]
She stopped by the kitchen and said hi to Jennifer before heading to the stable, and then out to the woods. Her horse trotted gaily beneath her, and she loved the feeling of the breeze against her face. Lyssa stopped a brook she had noticed a few days back and sat on a rock by the water, staring into it's depths, and losing herself in it's shadows. She was so absorbed in it that she didn't even notice someone else coming up behind her.
A hand reached over and touched her shoulder, effectively bringing her back to reality. "Are you ok, lass?" asked a familiar voice on her other side. She turned and saw Rispah and the Lioness standing over her with worry written all over their faces. "You seem a little sad today."
"You know you can tell me anything," said Rispah, putting a sisterly arm around Lyssa's shoulders.
"I'm fine," replied Lyssa, forcing a smile. "Today's my birthday."
"Really?" said the Lioness, her eyebrows shooting up. "How old are you?"
"16."
"16! I'd say this calls for a celebration," Rispah said cheerily, pulling the young woman to her feet. "Come on, Lyssa, we'll go round up that loud mouthed Squire of Alanna's, a few of his pals and have ourselves a good time!"
"Thanks, Rispah," said Lyssa with a weak smile. "But I have to go. I'm supposed to meet someone in the rings today in a few minutes."
"Who?"
"Some knight from the local garrison," said Lyssa, shrugging her shoulders. She got up and mounted her horse, waiting for the other two ladies to ride beside them back to camp.
"You go ahead, lass," said the Lioness, "We've got some business down the road, hurry up or they'll disqualify you."
"I'm going, I'm going," said Lyssa, smiling slightly. At least she'd get the pleasure of beating some guys in the ring for fun, if not a grand party later one. It may not be the best 16th birthday one could have, but she was happy here for the most part, and could not ask for anything else.
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Alyse sat on a bench in a practice court, Faleron on one side and Yuki on the other. Neal sat on Yuki's other side, and a swarm of young men sat behind them. "I do with they'd stop following us around," murmured Yuki to Alyse, glancing back for the 5th time.
"I know, but at least they don't bother me any more," replied Alyse.
"Maybe, but they still bother me!" Alyse chuckled politely behind her fan and watched as the next to contestants to their places in the ring drawn in the middle of the courtyard.
"Sir Tyler of Wayne's Port challenging Commander Lyssa of the Trebond Garrison!" called the herald, letting the judge take over from there. He quickly went over the rules for unarmed combat and back up, giving them the signal to start.
Sir Tyler circle around Lyssa, trying to phsyc her out. But she had had too many performing and fighting experiences to fall for it. He leapt at her, she leapt out of the way with ease. He tried to trap her, she eluded his every move. He tried to win by brutal force, but she was much stronger than she looked.
The sun beat down on the two as time went by, Sir Tyler quickly wearing out and Lyssa just toying with him for the fun of it. At last she grew bored of the game and went into over drive, pushing him back to the edge of the ring, and knocking him down with series of quickly blows with her fists.
"Win is given to Commander Lyssa!" called the herald as the judge stepped in. "This leaves her undefeated, 5-0!"
"I'll try my luck," said a snobbish voice at the edge of the ring. It was Squire Vincent, with Joren and Garvey behind him. "That is, if the wench isn't afraid of me."
"I'm afraid of no one," they heard Lyssa reply, her head held high as she stood alone in the middle of the ring.
"She'll beat him," said Alyse confidently as Vincent stripped off his tunic and stepped into the ring as well, sneering the whole time.
"I don't know, Alyse," said Faleron doubtfully. "Vincent was trained by a Shang when he was younger..."
"I don't care if he's the Shang Dragon, she'll win," replied Alyse, her face completely calm.
"How can you be so sure?" asked Neal, leaning around Yuki to do so. "After all, she is human..."
"And because of that she has too much pride to let a boy beat her," cut in Alyse, looking at the pair instead of her friends. "I've seen her fight before, and even when she's got a broken arm she won't give in."
"Great, another Kel," groaned Neal as he remembered fighting at her side in the `bully wars', getting his arm whacked by Yuki's fan because of it. "Hey! I was only kidding!"
"You don't say things like that about my friends," replied Yuki, her face black but the agitated tone of her voice showing she was very displeased.
"Sorry..."
"There they go!" Alyse leaned forward as the fight began, taking in every detail as she watched attentively. This was going to be quite a match.
[Come on, Lyssa] she said mentally as she watched the girl calmly block the punches, but not do much retaliation of her own. [You can do this....]
Vincent suddenly used an illegal Shang move that sent her sprawling near the spectators, leaving her lip split and a large bruise on her back. "Foul!" cried the judge. He came forward to stop the match, but Lyssa got up and waved him away. She was going to finish this here and now.
"Ouch, that look like it hurt," murmured Faleron as he watched Lyssa limp back to the middle, blood seeping down her face. "Are you sure she'd gonna win...?" He immediately regretted his words when Vincent charged at her and she flipped him over her shoulder. He just lay there for a few minutes, holding up a hand to show he was giving up as Lyssa stood there triumphantly.
"Told you so," said Alyse smugly as she watched her limp away and refuse all offers of help like she knew she would.
"Not to shabby, if I do say so myself," said Neal in appreciation as Yuki whacked him again with her fan. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Not too shabby? That's the best you can come up with?" Yuki only let a hint of her anger show in her voice as they watched the next pair get in the ring and start their round. The Lioness and Rispah walked up just then, grinning like they had some secret to share.
"Hey, Neal," called Alanna, beckoning for them all to come. "Come here for a second, we need all your help with something."
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Jennifer was cooking away in her small kitchen, her helper scuttling along beside her and the kittens playing some yarn in the corner. All of them had stayed with her, and were know known to be hers through out the camp by those who ate there.
"Can I have a bowl of the lunch special?"
"Coming right up."
"Bread and butter?"
"Further down the line, get ONLY two pieces the first time around so there'll be enough for the rest of us."
"Three bowls, if you will."
"Yes sir."
"Can I have a small bowl for my daughter here?"
"Of course, ma'am."
"What's the soup?"
"Split pea, young man."
"That's `sir' to you."
"What ever."
This was the sort of banter that kept her busy for any hour or so on end, keeping the soup warm, making more, ladling it out, and making sure her assistant kept the bread supply going.
After awhile, the crowd began to thin out and she could relax, going to check on the kittens and get a bowl for herself before sitting down at her station.
"Hello, Jennifer," said a voice to her right. She looked up and saw Rispah, Lyssa's employer's wife, there and a short lady she had never seen before with the strangest purple eyes.
"Hello," she replied, getting off her stool and walking over to them. "What can I do for you?"
"I need a special favor," replied Rispah, keeping her voice low. "Can you make me a large chocolate cake with icing and deliver it to Lady Alanna's rooms here later tonight?"
"Sure," said Jennifer, shrugging slightly. "Can I ask why?"
"What do you know?" put in Alanna. "A short red-head with manners who can also cook."
"Being nice never hurt anyone," said Jennifer with a grin. "But really, why do you can me to make you a cake?"
"It's Lyssa's birthday today," said Rispah, smiling softly, "And I think she's remembering where ever it is she came from before. It's obviously making her sad, whatever's on her mind."
"And you want to throw her a party to cheer her up," supplied Jennifer, her grin growing bigger. "Sure I'll make you a cake. Chocolate you said? What time do you want it at Lady Alanna's-"
"Drop the `Lady' and you'll have it right," cut in Alanna, glancing around to make sure Lyssa was no where near them. "I hate titles."
"Alanna's rooms," finished Jennifer, biting back her laughter.
"Just after dinner, if you could," answered Rispah, nodding as she did.
"It'll be there."
"Great. And Jennifer?"
"Yeah?"
"If you tell her about this..."
"I won't," said Jennifer, holding up a hand. "I promise."
"Good, oh and one more thing..."
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Artman and Libby sat under a tree again, watching as two of the Yamanis Ladies fought with glaives for practice in the noontide sun. The heat made them dozy, and just as both were about to fall asleep there again, a frantic page came tearing through the streets calling their names.
"Mage Libby! Mage Artman!" he cried, falling at their feet.
"What is it?" asked Libby, getting up off the ground.
"We need you at the infirmary, now!" cried the page, gulping the water from the canteen Artman handed him before getting up and turning around. "We must hurry!" The trio ran through the streets, pushing their way through the crowds and knocking over those in their way.
The low tent they went in had a man lying on the floor, his face ashen and his eyes wide open in fright as he tried to move his legs and found that he couldn't. "Out of the way!" yelled Artman as he pushed past everyone so Libby could get through, getting dirty looks until people realized who they were.
Libby knelt by the man and put him to sleep, searching his body for the damage done with her magic and finding what the problem was. "He broke his spine," she said quietly, her eyes still closed. "I'm going to try to fix it."
"Try to!" cried them woman at the door. "You're a healer! Can't you just say some words and he'll be fine? I thought you were supposed to be very powerful!"
"Spine wounds are difficult to heal," replied Artman shortly, having been there when she learned all her lessons. "She'll do the best she can, but most healers would be able to do little more than lessen his pain and hope it heals on its own!"
"Dr. Baird would be able to help him," said the woman cruelly, her face tightening in rage.
"Dr. Baird can not heal a broken spine anymore than he can bring the dead back from the grave," said Dr. Baird from the doorway as he had just arrived. "I suggest you leave, Lady Rachel. Your husband will be fine." The lady huffed away, her skirts billowing as she left.
He and Artman watched Libby as sweat began to form on her brow, struggling to repair the man's damaged spinal cord and going being harder than she thought it would originally be. Artman put his hand on her back and lent her some of his power to help, something they had learned to do in the first weeks of their learning, but she refused it and kept using what she had. An hour later she sat back and leaned against Artman's legs, her dress soaked through with sweat and hair damp with it as well. "It is done," she whispered to Dr. Baird's questioning look. "He'll wake in a short while and be completely healed." She took her water bottle from her belt and drained it rather quickly, being very thirsty from the long healing.
"That is very impressive," murmured Dr. Baird as he examined the man himself. "How in the world did you do that?"
"I don't know," replied Libby as she slipped of to sleep. "I just did...zzzz..."
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Kyle stood with Daine in front of the fief's falcon roosts, listening to the clamor of the birds inside. "So, the reason I can hear birds of prey is because I have a special type of this `Wildmagic,'" he said, trying to get all the facts straight. "You, on the other hand, have a huge amount of it and can even shift into different forms."
"That's correct," said Daine, smiling brightly. "Onua and Stephan, two horse workers, have horse wildmagic."
"That makes sense," said Kyle, shrugging slightly. "So, what now?"
"I want to see how far your power extends with these creatures," said Daine, opening the door to the roosts and stepping inside. A whirl of feathers greeted them as the birds forgot their differences and all came to greet the pair at once.
Kyle was glad he was wearing a buckskin shirt or his arms would've been ripped to shreds by the talons of the birds. Daine had transformed her arms to have elephant skin, so it didn't bother her at all. They chatted with the birds for awhile, then sent the birds back to their posts so they could begin Kyle's lesson.
"So, as of now all you can do is speak to them, right?" said Daine as they took seats on some stools in there.
"Yeah, that's about it."
"Well, I want you to choose a bird and try to go into his or her mind, or?"
"Alright." He called a falcon over to him, and she glided onto his arm calmly. [Can I go into your mind, winged sister?] asked Kyle to the falcon.
[It would be an honor] replied the falcon, sitting still on his arm. Kyle relaxed and found himself floating in the air above the bird, then dove into the falcon's brain. It was amazing, he could see the world through her eyes and sense things as she did.
[Let's fly] he told the falcon, getting her to do a slow circle around the cage as he got used to this new sensation. [Thank you, winged sister] he said as he returned to his own body. [You're welcome] said the falcon, returning to her perch.
"You did it," said Daine with a grin when she noticed him squint slightly as he tried to adjust back to his normal vision. "You were in the falcon's mind."
"Yeah, I was," replied Kyle as another falcon landed on his arm and asked him something. "What was that, winged brother?"
[I said, can you tell that little brat over that not to steal my food!]
[I do not steal your food!] said another falcon indignantly as he landed on Kyle's other arm. [You lie you little...]
"That's enough," said Daine, breaking into the conversation. "Kyle has to go because he's late a meeting with his father."
"It's alright, Daine," said Kyle, wrinkling his nose slightly. "I'd really rather not..."
"Sorry, but I promised not to keep you too long," said Daine, shrugging as she took the falcons from him. "Now go, before your dad decides to come looking for you."
"Alright..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Amanda and Elizabeth sat alone in their tent, some pizza that Amanda had made in one of the outdoor kitchens between them as they had a gab session like they would back home. Elizabeth picked up another slice and began to chow down on it as Amanda finished her third piece.
"Not as good as Poppa John's," admitted Amanda as she licked her fingers. "But definitely good."
"This reminds me of that one time we were at Brenna's house and we ate, what was it? Three boxes of pizza between, like, 5 or 6 of us?"
"Yeah, I remember that," said Amanda, she had had 7 pieces that night and had been right on the brink of letting it all come back up. "What about the time we were at Chile's and made Mike look like a girl at 1 in the morning?"
"Oh yeah! Didn't he not remember it or something even after he saw the picture?"
"Hmhm. I think everyone was sure he was high or something, but I pretty sure he wasn't. Call me crazy, but you can't argue about what's the best weapon if you're high."
"True. True. Still, one has to wonder..."
"Maybe it's just one of those nights when you can't remember things...."
"Hey! Remember when I spilled that coke all over your jeans?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." Amanda cocked an eyebrow at Elizabeth who tried not to laugh. "You've got to start paying more attention to what you're when you're flirting, or things tend to turn out really bad for me."
"Sorry...."
"Right, just don't let it happen again. Anyways, what about the time you were flirting with the waiter and he sang a song for us? Midnight is the best time to be at Chile's."
"Oh yeah. Pitchers of coke, onion blossoms, fries galore, and whatever else people get...what could be better than that?"
"I don't know," said Amanda, laying on her back as she looked at the ceiling of the tent with content, "I really don't know..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
John stood on the roof of the barn, looking at the hole he had just fixed with pride, he had never been able to do that before. He turned to walk back to the ladder that was at the edge of the roof when he heard the sound of wood cracking.
"What the..." `CRASH!" John was now up to his waist through the roof, his legs swinging in the space of the loft as he tried to move somehow. If he dropped through, he'd probably break an arm or a leg which would hurt. If he could get himself out the top...but he couldn't pull himself up. He was royally stuck, and there was little he could do about it until Sarah came home.
"And this would just be my luck..." muttered John to himself as he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible and wait for Sarah to come home.
~2 hours later~
Sarah rode up the drive, a very unusual sight meeting her eyes. John was sticking out of the barn roof, looking very angry and uncomfortable. "Now, how did you manage to do this?" she called as she tied her horse to a post and climbed up the ladder.
"Don't ask."
"John, John..."
"Don't even start, Sarah. Just get the other ladder and get something under me to support me," retorted John, having hung there for 2 hours having made his legs go to sleep. Sarah shrugged and did as he asked, getting up in the loft and clearing a space in the hay to stack some boxes. She had no sooner moved out of the way to go get the boxes she was going to stach up under neath him when he dropped the rest of the way through on the bare planks with a `THUD!!'
"Ouch...." John lay stunned for a whole minute and a half before he got his tongue back. "*&%(*&!^)(*@3401(*@634)*&^@#$)*!&^$*)!&^#$)*!&@ #^$(_!&$(*! @ #$( !*^(^!@#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sarah was glad none of the kids who helped were around or they'd being hearing some very harsh words for their tender ears.
"Oh, are you ok?" she asked after he was done, helping him to his feet. "It obviously didn't hurt your tongue.
"And this would just be my luck," growled John once more, being very angry. "I finish fixing the roof, only to get another hole in it and fall through only when all the hay has been moved away...^%$@)(*@(*^$*&@!!!!!!!"
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
The Lady Mage smirked as she watched the pair up in the loft of the barn. That had been too easy, and she knew she shouldn't torment they like that all the time, but it was so much fun. That and her job got pretty boring sometimes. The others were being good, and she hadn't had to intervene any lately so she had needed something to do.
The boy would be fine, she had seen to that. A few bruises and a hurt pride, that was all he would suffer other than a few scratches and the teasing that would come from others. Still, she'd have to remember to apologize for that later, it was pretty mean of her to do that...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Mouse, Allie and Vixen sat at the table in their room with Joe, Ratina, Old Bart, and a few others. All of their birthdays had been in the past month, and they had agreed on a complied birthday party with a few others present.
A small cake sat in the middle with three large candles on it, each one a `17' inscribed on it since they couldn't fit that many on there at once. That's right, the Queen of Thieves and her `sisters' were now 17 years old and would soon be celebrating their first year in the land of Tortal.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Vixen, Mouse, and Allie, all sisters too! Happy Birthday to you!" sang everyone, watching as the three each blew out their candle. The cake was cut, and presents passed around as they ate their portions quickly so as to get to the good stuff.
Allie got a new dagger set from Vixen and Mouse, a pair of earrings from Joe, a bottle of her favorite wine from Bart, new gauntlets from Ratina, and a few other small (and stolen)trinkets from the rest.
Mouse got some neat little throwing stars from Vixen and Allie, a necklace from Joe, a nice cloak from Bart, holders for the stars from Ratina, and some other trinkets similar to Allies from the others.
Vixen got a pole weapon just like the one she had used to kill Jeremy from Mouse and Allie, the promise of a month's free rent from Bart, a new vest with special pockets from Ratina, and a few other trinkets as well. Joe gave her his gift last. He watched eagerly as she opened the small box, and inside was a ring and an armband made finely wrought silver and dotted with rubies.
The design was of two dragons intertwined together in either a fight or other wise, with their eyes as the rubies and the detail so great you could make out each individual scale.
The ring was just a smaller replica of the armband, and fit her finger perfectly. "Now, I know you didn't steal this," whispered Vixen as she put the armband on as well, another perfect fit. "These would be too well guarded for you to take."
"So what if they're honestly gotten?" said Joe, having expected this response from her. "It's a ring fit for a queen, and that is what you are."
"A queen of thieves," Vixen reminded him, examining him closely. "Thieves cannot generally afford this sort of thing, but since you're a friend I won't ask how you got it and leave it at that."
"Thanks," said Joe, leaning back in his chair as he gazed at the floor sadly and repeated to himself, "Only a friend..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Alyse left the banquet hall with Faleron by her side, walking in the moonlight back to her tent. The torches lit little circles around themselves, leaving expanses of darkness in between them. But for some reason, Alyse was not afraid.
"Are you sure you can't make it?" asked Faleron, his face pale by the moon's white light.
"I'm sure," replied Alyse, sounding fairly sad. "Princess Shinkokami needs me to help her, and I can't just leave her hanging. You go and have fun anyways, it'll be good for you."
"But you won't be there."
"You could still have fun," said Alyse as they neared her tent, slowing down their pace as they did.
"But it won't be as much as if you're there."
"Oh stop it," teased Alyse, "You're making me feel bad for something I can't help."
"I know," said Faleron, giving her a quickly kiss on the cheek. "Good night." By the time Alyse had recovered her senses he had disappeared into the night.
"Good night, Faleron..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Jennifer finished the frosting and placed the cake in the box, quickly shutting the lid and setting out for the fief's manor. She slipped in a side door and was led to the room, where she was asked to stay for awhile.
"She is one of your good friends, after all," said one of the people who were around her.
"Oh, alright," said Jennifer, sitting down in a chair. Now all they had to do was wait...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Lyssa had been blindfolded after dinner and told to walk quietly with her guide, who was Rispah. Alanna had not been at dinner for some reason, and Coram had had to leave early for some odd excuse or another.
"Are we almost there?" asked Lyssa impatiently.
"Yes, just a bit further," said Rispah, guiding her through a door. The blindfold was promptly removed, and everyone in the room shouted.
"SURPRISE!!!" Lyssa had partially been expecting something, but not this big of a something! There was Alanna, her Squire, her Squire's friends Merric, Cleon, and Owen. Jennifer had come with a huge cake and her cats, George had stuck around so he could get some cake, Rispah and Coram of course and then some of the Garrison who had marched up a few weeks ago and would be leaving in a few days.
Her men, of course, had won the drill off and they were more than proud of themselves and her. Anything that might make her happy at this point was generally ok with them.
"What's all this about?" asked Lyssa as they brought the cake over with 16 candles on top.
"Where I come from, being 16 is a big deal and needs to be celebrated!" said Jennifer from the back, keeping the kittens in check. "So we decided to celebrate."
"Oh really?" asked Lyssa, looking at the short redhead, "And where might that be?"
"Oh, well-"
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to Lyssa~ Happy Birthday to you!!!" Jennifer was saved by everyone else's singing, and Lyssa forgot about what was said as she blew out the candles and made a wish.
"Here you go!" said Rispah, handing her a gift when the cake was eaten and everyone was sitting around the fireplace with mugs of coffee or hot chocolate and a blanket or a friend to keep them warm.
"What is it?" asked Lyssa as she looked at the package.
"Open it and find out, silly."
"For the best Commander we've ever had," said Coram proudly as she lifted something out of the tissue paper. It was a saber with a curved blade and a hilt basket with a metal sheath and a small raven under the cross hilt.
She unsheathed it and looked at the blade in awe, fully aware that is was the best king money could buy. "I couldn't possibly accept this, Ris..."
"But you will," cut in Alanna, raising an eyebrow as the girl re-sheathed it reverently. "A good Commander needs a good blade, and if memory serves me correct, yours broke a while back."
Lyssa nodded and tried it on, finding it matched her dagger perfectly and fit well on her belt. She then was told to sit back down and got a box from Jennifer, who sat back and waited for her reply.
Inside was at least 2 pounds of peanut butter and chocolate fudge, homemade and fresh for being made only a few hours ago. "Mmmm," said Lyssa as she popped a few in her mouth and savored the taste. "This is great, Jenny! Thanks!"
"You're welcome," replied Jennifer, letting herself mold into the background.
The box was taken from her and passed around the room as everyone had a piece (and only one since Lyssa was watching them to make sure) as she opened her next gift.
It was from the men, and inside was a long cloak made for the cold weather. Being a dark gray, and the clasp stainless steel, it was made to last for those who lived a harder life style. The one Coram had given her had fallen apart rather quickly, and she would need this in the months to come. "Thanks, guys!"
"Hey, what else could we give to our favorite Commander?" asked one of the men.
"How about an hour's worth of drill without anybody slacking?"
"Um..." The room erupted into laughter as Faleron handed her and box and said it was from Alyse.
"She couldn't make it, but said to tell you she'll see you tomorrow," explained Faleron, going back to his seat beside Cleon on the floor. Inside was a Yamanis fan with the picture of a beautiful palomino horse rearing on it's hind legs painted on it.
"Wow," said Lyssa as she snapped it open and shut a few times, baffled by the quality of the craftsmanship of it's metal parts and the detail of the painting. "What can I say...I mean...wow..."
The evening was filled with stories of the past (especially about Alanna's childhood) and pranks pulled by a certain red-headed Squire who couldn't `help' himself.
It may've not been the 16th birthday that Lyssa had been dreaming of, but she realized that this was even better.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Kyle paced in the outer room of his quarters, waiting for his adoptive dad to get home so he could talk with him. [Ok] thought Kyle as he paced [I'll just right up to him and tell him. I'll just march right up, and tell him what's on my mind so he'll see I'm serious. Be strong, come on, you can do this. Just go right up to him..."
"Kyle?" asked Baron Emery as he walked in the door. "What are you still up for?"
Kyle took a deep breath. "IwantedtosaythatIhatethelistandyouneedtogivemesome moreroomhere. It'snotfairthatothers..."
"Whoa, slow down here," said the Baron, sitting down in an overstuffed chair. "You don't like the list? I never said you had to marry one of them, I just said you had to take a look at those girls."
"Only one girl on this entire list so far has had some sort of a brain, and she made it quite clear that she didn't want to have anything to do with me romantically," objected Kyle, showing his father that 15 of the 20 names had already been crossed out. "What do you want me to do after this?"
"Go and find one the way the rest of us have to, by looking at what's available and choosing from what's in stock," drawled the Baron, amusement very evident in his voice. "It will be interesting to see who you pick, boy."
"I'm glad you think so," said Kyle sarcastically.
"Now, is that all you wanted?"
"Yeah."
"Then good night."
"'Night."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Libby woke up so see the moon high over head, her bed having been moved to the front of the tent for some reason. She then remembered what had happened. She had healed that man and fallen asleep soon after.
"You finally woke up," said a voice from near by, it was Artman sitting on his cot as he picked at some something in a bowl. It was dinner, and he handed a bowl to her as well. It was meatloaf and some mashed potatoes and bread.
"How long have I been out?" asked Libby, thinking it had been a few days.
"Only about 8 or 9 hours, less than last time she had you do that exercise back in the desert," said Artman, moving to sit next to her. "Why didn't you accept my help?"
"I wanted to do it on my own," said Libby stubbornly as she ate the food slowly even though she was starving. "You wouldn't understand, I knew that I could change the way that man was going to have to live if his back remained damaged and I wanted to save him myself. Prove to myself that I could do it."
"That's being dumb," argued Artman, "You need to save your strength for when we may really need it."
"So do you," replied Libby. "And I need to get used to healing on my own without your help. What would happen if I got so used to having your help that when we can't help each other I can't heal others?"
"That's ridiculous..."
"No, it's reality, Artman." She sighed and put her bowl down, looking at the moon that was so familiar and at the same time so strange. She was in another world, and things were done differently here. "You're going to have to stop trying to protect me all the time..."
"Why should I?"
"Artman..."
"Alright, I'll try to stop."
"Thank you."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Sarah and John were standing inside the barn, explaining to Onua who was with them why they needed more money. "I fixed the other hole, and then this happened," said John, scratching his neck as he did.
"And how did this hole get here?" asked Onua, turning to face the pair.
"Ah, well, you see..."
"He feel through while walking back to the edge," said Sarah, seeing John wasn't going to tell. "He has a lovely blue bruise across his back to prove it too." It had been two weeks ago, and still he had the mark. He was lucky though, he could've ended up with much worse.
"Well, then here's a few nobles for the roof, and John?"
"Yes, Onua?"
"Try not to fall through it this time, it doesn't help when you break what you've just fixed."
"Grr..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Jennifer was up and working in her kitchen early, frying eggs and bacon while she waited for her assistant to arrive and start the toast. "Are you Jennifer?" asked a voice behind her. She turned to see a medium height guy standing behind her, just an inch or two above her as she studied his sandy hair and green eyes.
"Yes," she said, realizing he was waiting for her answer. "Who are you?"
"I'm Sean, your new assistant."
"What happened to Annie?" asked Jennifer as she turned back to the eggs and the bacon.
"She's getting reposted with her mother. She requested the change before the Procession and just now it got through. What do you want me to do first?"
"Go wash up and get the toast started," said Jennifer, adding as an after thought, "And you can tell me about yourself as you do since I haven't see you around before."
"Fair enough," replied Sean as he did as he was told and ran his hands under some water. "My name's Sean Djali, and you took my dad's place as the head chef in the Procession..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
It was a few weeks after the complied birthday party, but Vixen still remembered every detail of it. The cake, the fun she had had with her friends, the presents, and ring...
She didn't know why the ring always plagued her thoughts, but as she took it off she looked at it closely for the 3rd time that morning. The ruby eyes still shown, the dragons where still entwined around each other, and the scales were still as visible as always.
She studied it for a while later, and then put it back on, slipping it on her ring finer of her right hand as it glinted in the light. Vixen was on the roof of the Dancing Dove, right outside her window, and she looked over as she saw Allie climb outside beside her.
"I still say that ring belongs on your left ring finger," said Allie teasingly as she sat beside Vixen, who just frowned.
"Why do you say that?"
"Why do you keep asking me that every time I say it?"
"Because you never give me a straight answer."
"And what makes you think I would this time?"
"One can always dream..."
"And I bet I know what you dream about..."
"Oh really? What?"
"A thief who's name is-"
"Hey Joe."
"Hello, fellow thieves," said Joe as he climbed out beside them.
"You took the words right out of my mouth," said Allie to Vixen with a grin as Vixen swatted her gently.
"Oh, knock it off."
"What's she talking about?" asked Joe, pointing to Allie.
"Nothing, did you need something?"
"Oh yeah! They need you down stairs, now."
"We're coming." Vixen took one look at the open sky and sighed, going back inside. She was going to have to try to find a way to escape for a while soon, she needed to be out in the open. "What's the fuss about?"
"I don't know, some new thief wants to see you."
"Great..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
It was close to the end of June as Artman made his way through the camp, having spent the last two hours looking for Libby and being unsuccessful to say the least. At least he had run into Numair and had gotten the chance to speak with him for a while, but no one had seen Libby anywhere.
He was getting worried, not that he'd ever admit it, but he was. He went back to his tent and opened the flap, being surprised at seeing Numair, Daine, Libby and a few others there with a cake with candles singing.
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..."
"Oh boy...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Kyle walked around the practice courts, his rapier at his side. He had fenced some with the light sword back home with Mike, but hadn't faced off against anyone here yet. Seeing a lone girl warming up in a corner, he swaggered over to her and decided to try his luck with her.
"Good morning, fair lady," he said as he drew closer, effectively getting her attention.
"My title's `Commander', not `Lady' if you insist upon using it," grunted the girl as she did a series of complicated stretches. "What do you want?"
"I want to have a match with you, if it's alright..."
"Unarmed or with weapons?"
"Swords, if you will."
"Certainly."
They took their places and crossed weapons, his rapier and her saber gleaming in the early morning light. Lyssa had been practicing with her new weapon for a few weeks now and had gotten fairly good at it, but this was her first match with it. It would be interesting as to how it turned out.
"Ready?" asked Lyssa, relaxing some.
"Ready." `Clash!' They went off, nimbly swinging their blades as they tried to find openings against the other. Kyle didn't guard well on top very well, but since Lyssa was too short too use it against him it didn't make that much of a difference. Lyssa wasn't very strong in her charges yet, but since Kyle hesitated when he blocked, it made very little difference as well.
This went on forever, not because they were both so great at it, because they couldn't find a way to beat the other and were too stubborn to stop. At last they executed the same move and both found the other's blade at their throat.
"No bad," said Kyle as he tried to act calm and failed miserably.
Lyssa didn't even bat an eye. "Truce?" she replied, her face completely blank.
"Truce." They lowered the swords and shook hands, studying the other as they did. "What's your name?" asked Kyle, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Formally, Commander Lyssa of Trebond Garrison. To you, Lyssa."
"I'm Lord Kyle of Crescent Hollow..."
"So you're the Baron's adopted son," said Lyssa, cutting him short. "I've heard of you from a friend of mine."
"Really? Who?"
"Just a Squire I met a few days ago..."
"Was what you heard good or bad?"
"Like I would tell you."
"KYLE!!" Kyle turned and saw a familiar face at the other end of the court.
"Gotta go, dad sent his messenger for me. See you later?"
"Yeah, later."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
A few days after having fenced with Kyle, Lyssa was dragged by Coram and Rispah to see some jousting. "Why are we going to go watching this again?" asked Lyssa, raising as eyebrow slightly.
"The girl Squire is going to joust today, and I have to see it so I can write Alanna about it and I'm dragging you two along for company," explained Coram as they took their seats and watched a few rounds go by. In the first one, one of the knights went flying, and in the next both managed to stay in the saddle, but they awarded it to the older one anyways.
A few rounds later, it was Kel's turn. "Who's she facing?" asked Lyssa as she watched the girl prepare herself for the joust.
"Sir Ansil. He's not that great and one of Joren's crowd, she should manage alright," replied Rispah, being the one who kept up with all the gossip around there (which was quite a feat considering how large the Procession really was).
"There she goes," muttered Coram as they did the first charge, Kel firmly hitting his shield as her lance shattered. "Not bad at all."
"She's got him," said Rispah confidently, a man near by over hearing her.
"How would you like to bet 10 gold nobles on that?" he asked, grinning wickedly.
"You're on," said Rispah, looking down her nose at him. "And I've got witnesses here so you can't back out."
"I think you'll be the one wishing she could back out, not me," replied the man, watching as the next charge began. He immediately regretted his words as Sir Ansil went flying from his mount and Kel was said to be the winner.
"10 gold nobles, sir," said Rispah, holding our her hand. The man grumbled something under his breath and pulled out the money.
"Sheer luck..."
"No, she's a good jouster, and that's all there is to it," said Lyssa confidentially, daring the man to challenge her words. He turned his back on them and left, leaving a happy noble lady, a smug Commander, and an amused noble man behind him.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Alyse sat in the stands with Yuki, Faleron being out in the field with his knight master and each wanting to see Kel joust a 2nd time. They had seen her win the day before, and were hoping to see the same thing again today.
Something orange and ungainly flapped over the stands and glided to the field. The griffin reached Kel's tilting lane as she did, perching clumsily on the wooden barrier.
"Isn't that thing supposed to stay in the tent?" asked Yuki, pointing at the griffin.
"He must have gotten free," said Alyse, suddenly remembering something from the book. "Oh shoot..."
"What's wrong?"
"I have a bad feeling about this..." Alyse got up and began to make her way to the end of the stand, but Yuki stopped her by grabbing her sleeve and gave her a questioning look.
"Where are you going?" she asked, her eyes shining with worry.
"To warn-" `Dun-da-duna!' Kel charged across the field as the griffin shrieked, that being the only sound that echoed over the field. She was too late. "Never mind."
Kel hit her opponents shield squarely on the first charge, making Alyse hope she had been wrong about the book. The second charge came, and she watched in horror as Voelden used his lance to try to ram Kel through the middle. It left a large dent in her breast plate and the crowd roared in disapproval as she swayed in her saddle and the judge called out, "Foul!"
Peachblossom lunged at Voelden over the barrier. Kel had to yank on her reins to get him to stop, and Alyse and Yuki made their way to the edge of the lists to help when she came out. Kel stalled for time by asking for something, and Alyse started to come out to speak to her, but Kel waved her away tiredly.
"Is she going to retire from the lists?" Yuki asked Alyse in concern as they waited for whatever was to happen next. Kel put her helmet back on and accepted the lance from the field monitor.
"She's going to give it one last run," said Alyse as she stood there firmly, "Let's wait for her here." The signal came, and Peachblossom charged. Kel rose and braced herself. They saw her angle her shield so Voelden couldn't slide his lance past it, and struck his shield hard. Her lance shattered, so did his. Kel rammed her shield forward and hooked it behind Voelden's. Slamming her body sideways behind the locked shields, she heaved. Voelden popped from his saddle and hit the ground.
The crowd roared and came to it's feet. Kel dismounted and walked over to him, drawing her sword. He hadn't moved. She flipped up his visor with her sword point and pressed the sharp tip to his nose.
Alyse found that she and Yuki had been joined by Kel's anxious mom, a furious Queen and some of her ladies in waiting as Kel got Voelden to yield to her. She then walked back to Peachblossom, wincing as she ducked under the barrier. All around her she heard a chant, and raised her head. Groups of people in the stands were on their feet, crying, "Mindelan! Mindelan! Mindelan!"
Alyse and Yuki were cheering as well until Kel reached them and grinned ruefully. "I think he almost got me," she sighed as she moved to lead her mount to the stables.
"I'll take those," said Alyse, taking the reins from her hands and letting the other ladies surround Kel.
"But I have to see to my horse..."
"I'll take care of him," said Alyse, "He'll behave, won't you boy?" Peachblossom snorted, but let himself be led by the Yamanis lady to his stall as the group of women took Kel to the Queen's tent to be healed.
"You're being very good today," praised Alyse, knowing Kel would be fine as she brushed out the huge gelding, but still wishing at the same time that she had been able to warn her. Alyse took out a lump of sugar and gave it to Kel's horse before she left, patting it's head once more before she left to go check on Kel herself...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
"There you are," said the Queen as Libby entered the tent. "I need you to check on this poor girl right here, she was..."
"I know, hit by a lance in the chest by that idiotic knight," said Libby quickly as she knelt by Kel. "I was there and came right after to see if you would need me."
Kel's armor, chain mail, gambeson, and cotton shirt had been pealed away to reveal a sweat soaked breast band and huge, spreading bruise on her right side. The women hissed in sympathy when they saw it.
Libby laid gentle fingers on the bruise. Coolness radiated from her touch, easing the ferocious pain. "Nothing's broken," she told them. "The bones are only bruised, and I can handle that." She rested a palm on Kel's bruise. "Don't fight me," she warned.
"My children don't fight healers," remarked Ilane, "Or I'll know why."
Kel rolled her eyes. "Mother," she said with disgust, "I haven't done that is years."
"Good," Ilane replied, unperturbed. "If you forget there are plenty of fans here for me to whack you with."
Libby continued to use her power as the coolness turned to cold. She let painlessness sink into the girl's ribs, and she felt them pop under her touch with relief as she did. "Ouch," said Kel as an unexpected sharp pain bit into her side.
"I was wrong," admitted Libby. "One rib is cracked. Hold still and stay quiet." Kel stared at the canvas over head until Libby had finished her work. At last she stepped away.
"Sleep and food," she ordered gently, helping Kel sit up. "Sleep will probably come first." She used her power to help Kel down that road slightly.
"The griffin," Kel murmured.
"I'll mind him." Daine's face appeared in Kel's view. "I need to see why he's so upset." Kel nodded and fell asleep.
"She'll be fine," Libby assured them as Lady Ilane's face contorted with worry that she rarely showed. "I must go now, let me know if you need anything else."
"We will," the Queen replied, helping her ladies pick up the armor and chain mail from Kel. "And again, thanks."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Alyse came back to the Queen's tent just as Libby walked into the crowd, Alyse thought there was something familiar about her but let it drop and went in the tent. "She's alright?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"She's fine," said Ilane as Kel's shirt was picked up and she was carried by some strong ladies to her tent. "How was Peachblossom for you?"
"Fine, he likes me better than most and didn't try to bite me," replied Alyse, taking out a fan and beginning to juggle it in one hand out of habit. "Any thing else I can do?"
"No, thank you anyways."
Yuki came up just then, a curious expression on her face. "Alyse, how did you know that something bad was going to happen?" she asked as she drew her into a corner where they could talk privately.
"I don't know," lied Alyse, shrugging her shoulders. "I just had a gut instinct, that's all..."
"Alyse!" called a voice from near by, saving her from further questioning. "Alyse! I need your help for a second!" It was Princess Shinko.
"Gotta go," said Alyse, leaving quickly. What a day...
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Jennifer and Lyssa were talking late in the kitchen when Kel walked in, looking fairly beat and not at all herself. "Have a good pounding?" asked Jennifer as she served up a dish of soup for the poor girl, having heard about the joust.
"Yeah, I guess so," said Kel tiredly as she ate the soup ravenously, having not eaten for several hours.
"You're the girl page?" said Lyssa, giving her a good once over. "I'm Lyssa, the Trebond Garrison Commander."
"I've seen you fight before," said Kel, turning to look at her. "You gave a few friends of mine bruises and bumps that lasted for awhile."
"I'm sorry," said Lyssa, smiling wickedly. "I'll try to warn them better next time."
"It won't do any good," said Kel, grinning slightly. "You have to prove things to those nimrods before they'll believe you're better than them."
"Then a few bumps and bruises will do them good," said Lyssa, draining her drink and getting up off the stool. "It was nice meeting you Kel, but I have to go or Coram will have a fit."
"See you."
"Bye. See ya Jenny!"
"Bye."
"Nice girl," commented Kel, having never met Jennifer before either. "What's your name again?"
"Jennifer."
"I'm Kel."
"I know."
"I imagine everyone does by now."
"Who are you talking to?" asked a voice from the back, it was Sean who had just woken up from his nap.
"Look who decided to join the land of the living," teased Jennifer, getting him some dinner too. "Eat that, you haven't had any food since breakfast."
"Yes mother," said Sean rolling his eyes. They had come to an understanding that he didn't hate her for taking his dad's job (if anything it was a good thing because he was getting to old to keep up with the work) and she didn't mind having him around to help instead of Annie. He even liked her kittens, who still stayed in the kitchen during the day and slept in her bed at night.
"Good soup," said Kel, her eyelids getting heavy again. "I'll see you later, ok Jennifer?"
"Come by anytime," said Jennifer cheerfully. "I'm always here."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye."
"Cute one, isn't she?" said Jennifer teasingly, trying to get Sean to stop staring at her as she left.
"That's the girl that almost got run through today," he said softly.
"Yeah? What about it?"
"Voelden's my cousin."
"Oh dear..."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Amanda was still under the mound of paper work and only left the tent to go eat and attend mandatory social events. She swore she was taking a two week break the moment she was finished with it all, and wished she had been something else for not the first time.
"Hey Amanda," said Elizabeth, coming in the tent, "Did you hear about Kel?"
"No, what happened?"
"I thought you were the one who had the book memorized." Amanda sat there and wracked her mind for a moment, trying to think of what it was.
"She jousted for the first time yesterday...Voelden tried to spear her, right?" said Amanda, regretting having missed it. She would've tried to warn Kel, but with all this darned paper work she'd forgotten about it! "I better go visit her and see how it's going."
"She's asleep, I just saw them carry her to their tent."
"Then I'll see her in the morning."
~next day~
Amanda got up early and went to Kel's tent, knowing she would be up already even if most of the camp wasn't. "You in here, Kel?" she asked, opening the tent flap.
"Yeah, is that you Amanda?"
"The one and only."
"Where've you been? I haven't seen you since we talked in the barn," said Kel as she gathered things in her arms for giving the griffin a bath.
"I've been busy, running a fief is harder than it looks," said Amanda honestly. "Need some help?"
"Sure, I have to give the little terror a washing, want to come?"
"Sure, I don't have to do anything for awhile anyways." Kel carried the griffin and Amanda his things, making their way easily through the small crowds because no one wanted risking being touched by the griffin.
"I heard you get banged up in your last joust," said Amanda, looking uneasy.
"Yeah, he tried to run me through."
"Wish I could have see you knock him from his saddle, it was great from what a friend told me. And with a broken rib, I don't know if I could've done that."
"I had to, he tried to kill me."
"Yeah, still, I just wish..."
"Wish what?"
"That I could've been able to warn you, I don't like to see my friends get hurt."
"No one can see into the future, there's no way you could've known," said Kel confidently, noticing Amanda suddenly tense up.
"You'd be surprised..."
"How?"
"Here's the lake," said Amanda, quickly changing the subject. "Where are we going?"
At the lake Kel sought a large, flat stone she had seen before and quickly began to set up her washing procedure as Amanda took a seat near by. "So, what's been up with you?" she asked as she settle down to watch Kel grapple with the griffin. "Anything new with Cleon?"
"Um...yeah...he kissed me again..." Kel tried to concentrate on the immortal she was holding, but some how it wasn't working.
"Oh really? Lucky girl..." Amanda took out her knife and began to carve out something from a piece of wood.
"Do you have any idea how weird that sounds coming from you?" asked Kel, grinning as she dunked the immortal underwater.
"Not a clue..." `Screeeeech!' Amanda clapped her hands over her ears as the griffin began to shrill, his voice rising and falling in a series of notes that made their skin creep. The griffin dug into Kel's back, then leaped over her to stand on the rock, still voicing that eerie cry. Jump, who had followed them, faced the land, growling deep in his throat with his one good ear flat. Kel sat up and Amanda scooted across the rocks to stand next to her.
A huge, winged creature, its feathers brindled gold and black, spiraled down from the sky to land beside their rock. A second creature the color of newly minted copper touched the ground 10 yards behind the brindled one. Seated, they towered over the pair, the brindled griffin nearly seven feet at the shoulder, the coppery one six. Kel gulped, and Amanda shifted beside her nervously. They were in a very serious position with not Third Company or Daine to protect them.
"Stay still," hissed Amanda to Kel, her eyes trained on the griffin's. "It must be his parents. I don't think they're going to hurt us."
"What makes you say that?" replied Kel as quietly, drawing the griffin towards her. "You're not a wild mage."
"Then why are we still alive?"
"Good point..."
Still, Amanda felt uneasy as the cold, intelligent eyes that surveyed they, the brindled griffin's gold and the other's a darker copper than it's feathers. Kel had only her belt knife and Amanda her sword and dagger if she was wrong, and the griffin's claws were far sharper than their weapons where.
Amanda remember this part from the book and knew they were going to be fine since Daine was supposed to arrive any minute, but she was still very nervous....
An eagle hurtled from the sky, landing between their rock and the griffin's with an undignified thud. It immediately began to change shape until a small form of Daine's head perched on the eagle's body.
"Kel, it's alright!" Daine said without turning away from the griffin's. "They're his parents. That's why he was so restless yesterday. They were close enough he could sense them."
Kel looked form one griffin to another, then glancing back at Amanda. "Parents? How did you know, Amanda?"
"Lucky guess," the girl replied, taking this once in a lifetime opportunity to study the griffins.
The youngster trotted over to the brindled adult, twining between it's large forelegs like a kitten. Now the copper one hopped ten yards to land beside its mate. It peered under the larger griffin's ribcage to inspect Kel's charge. the young griffin butted his head against the copper griffin's nose. The copper one reached out a forepaw, dragged the little griffin to itself, and began to wash him.
Daine clapped her wings to her human ears. "Please, lady, gently," she said, tears in her eyes. "There's no need to shout. It hurts." After a moment she took her wings away and looked at Kel and Amanda. "They gave me their names, but I can't pronounce them. The brindled one is his father. The copper one is his mother." She winced and continued, "They thank you for all you've done. I said you've been searching for them all this time, through me. I also told them you killed the centaur who was going to keep him."
Kel looked at the griffin. Seeing him now with his parents, she realized he was still tiny, still an infant in griffin terms. "And I thought he was getting fairly big," muttered Amanda under her breath, Kel nodded in reply.
The brindled one, his father, reached over the copper griffin's wings and worked a cloth bag loose of its ties with his beak. He dropped it in front of their rock.
"This is just a token, they say" explained Daine. "They can't really thank you for what you did, but they know humans value their feathers."
The female yanked a trailing tail feather from the baby griffin, adding it to the pile. The griffin squalled because of it until his father pressed a forepaw on his shoulders and held him there.
"They say he has learned bad habits," Daine told Kel. "They never allow their young one to make so much noise."
Mother and father traded looks, then nodded to the humans (even if Daine was partially in eagle form...). Grabbing his son by the scruff of the neck, the male tool off first the young griffin secure and squalling in his beak. The female joined them in the air.
Kel sniffed, and Amanda laid a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
"This is ridiculous," Kel muttered. She found the handkerchief she kept in her boot and blew her nose. "He's with his own kind. I don't even like him."
"You did the right thing," said Diane, for the first time noticing Amanda. "Hello, I don't think I've met you before."
"You haven't," said Amanda, grinning ruefully. "But I'm sure you've heard of me. I'm Amanda of Lynx mountain."
"Oh, the renegade Lady," said Daine with a smile. She scratched her head with a wing, and odd sight to say the least. "Numair mentioned something about you...but it's escaped me at the moment."
Kel sighed and looked at the sky. "I'll have to get used to not taking care of the little pest," she said softly. "You get used to any thing after awhile..." She looked at Daine with her eagle's body and head of a human. "Well, maybe you don't..."
Daine chuckled and waved goodbye as she shaped herself entirely eagle and took off. "That was quite and experience," murmured Amanda as she helped her gather up the griffin's bathing things and the griffin's gift. "Can I have just one of the brindled griffin's feathers?"
"Sure," said Kel, taking one out and handing it to her. Amanda stuck it in her belt and went back with her to her tent, depositing the things she was carrying there on Kel's bed.
"Have fun getting rid of all this stuff," said Amanda, stretching her back. "I'd love to help, but duty calls..."
"Go get back to your paper work," said Kel, grinning. "I don't grudge you a bit for it."
"Thanks Kel, bye."
"Bye."
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Vixen hurried down the stairs to the main room of the Dancing Dove one morning, her mind grim as new problems were arising. The new thief claimed to be an old pal of Jeremy's and since he was dead no one could prove it. Her truth charm wouldn't respond to him, and she had a feeling he had been wearing the opposite charm as she spoke to him.
He had grudgingly sworn allegiance to her, and now had a respected place in the rouge, more for his assassination skills than for his talent, though. Some how Vixen knew he was a threat to her throne, and everyday she wanted to get rid of him more and more.
She took her seat at her table and waited for Bart to bring her breakfast, knowing the man would rather die than give her poisoned food. He was the only cook she trusted for her and her sisters other than Roberto and his restaurant.
Xavier, the new thief, sat in the corner across from hers with his own little group surrounding him. He looked foreign to her, though she wasn't one to judge looks very well, and had a bit of an accent as well. Someone had said he was from Scanra, but he denied it despite his blonde hair and blue eyes and said he was just from the north. In his mid 20's, he was fairly handsome in a cold way, and Vixen hated him for it.
He had all the bar girls wrapped around his little finger, and he wore a charm that protected him from Allie's and Mouse's magic's. This was definitely not good.
She sat with Mouse, Allie and Joe as she watched him, her uneasiness growing by the moment until he got up suddenly and walked to her table. "Good Queen Vixen," he sneered, his face turning ugly. "I challenge your rule based on the fact that you've been keeping stolen goods for yourself." He threw a bag of loot on the table and opened it for all to see, piles of diamonds and coins falling out of it.
"Where did you get that?" asked Vixen angrily. "It's been missing for weeks! I nearly had to pay the rent with my portion of the loot because we couldn't make ends meet! What exactly are you trying to pull here, Xavier?" Murmurs ran through the people in the room wandering what was going to happen next.
"Then you deny the charge?"
"Well duh."
"Then fight me to prove it."
"I don't have to," said Vixen coldly. "I could pay for a truth-speaker to prove me right. But because I long to spread your entrails out for the birds of the air to eat I will."
"Sister, his entrails would be below what vultures normally eat," said Mouse lightly, "I would hate to see one die because of it..."
"So a vulture is worth more than me?" said Xavier with an odd smile. "I'll be sure to let a few feast on you and your sister's graves when this is over with."
"That is if you live that long," snarled Vixen, rising to her feet. The fight was on.
*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*~~~@~~~*
Sorry to lave you with a bit of a cliffie there, it wasn't supposed to be that way, it just got too long as it was so you'll find out first thing next chapter, I promise! Please review and tell me what you think, I spent a long time on this chapter and would appreciate it, thanks!
~crosseyedbutterfly~