Author's Note: Here's Chapter 3. Aren't we all thrilled. Well, I am, anyway, and that's all that really matters, isn't it? Anyway, I'm rambling again. As usual. But I do really have something relevant to say, I promise. To all of those who have reviewed my story: THANK YOU! YOU RULE! To everyone who hasn't reviewed yet, PLEASE DO SO! Anything you may have to say will be pored over, committed to memory, displayed to all who will pay attention, and worshipped on my personal altar of reviews. Please, REVIEW! Please! Even if you flame! A few notes to my reviewers:
ThePenMage: Since I'm M'cha? You must really enjoy reading my reviews then. Thanks for reviewing mine. And hey, this is different from the run-of-the-mill convent stories, right? And no, I have no problems with you calling me M'cha. I actually like that name better, but when I tried to register as M'cha it didn't work, so I switched to Araem. I cannot see why you would think of me as a guy. Does Araem sound masculine? Well, I suppose I'm no judge, as I obviously know I'm a girl. Of course, perhaps you're pronouncing it Arram. My own personal pronunciation is a-RAY-em. I think that sounds better than a-RAYM or AIR-um. The NINETEENTH??? That's TERRIBLE. I am so, so sorry. Good luck on your finals, though.
Temptress: Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. If no one reviews, then I feel like no one cares about my story, so then I feel to depressed to update promptly. Let that be a lesson to you!
Wish on a Unicorn: Thanks for all your encouragement. It is really appreciated.
QueenoftheRogue: Thanks for your compliment on Alanna's character. I myself, obviously, thought that Alanna would despise being in a convent. And she had already concocted one scheme to escape a lady's fate; what's to stop her from constructing another? On the subject of school, I too loathe it with a passion. It is my greatest nemesis. And all of my teachers keep assigning me homework, which takes away from the time I can spend reading and writing. Yes, set the monkeys loose! The evil school administrators deserve it. May they be whacked by a thousand angry puce gremlins shouting English cuss-words with a Russian accent and submerged in the diseased excretion of the gigantic blue-footed booby god! How dare they not release us from purgatory until the 14th! Evil, they are.
Opal-dragon: No danger of an A/J connection. He's so insufferably full of himself. Thanks for the compliment on my vocab; I pride myself on my knowledge of interesting words. And since I've updated mine, could you perhaps update yours? Both of them?
Neona: Check your reviews for Shadows of Thieves for HTML tips. I have mastered the art of italics. As for my vocab, I love big words. They are so endlessly useful, especially in arguments. If you use big words, they don't know what you're talking about, and they get all confused and flustered. Of course, all the people I end up having debates with are usually well-read enough that they do know what I'm talking about. Usually because they are members of my family (ahem, my brother).
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to Tamora Pierce. All else is MINE, and if you steal it, I will sic my friend Satan on you. She and her cousin Cerberus love devising evil tortures for people. You will be no exception.
Chapter 3: The Escape
Alanna saddled up in the faint light of false dawn, moving stealthily so as not to wake the grooms. Today was the day. She was leaving.
She led the mare over to the mounting block and swung into the saddle. Softly nudging her mount into a walk, Alanna moved toward the gates of the convent, hooves ringing sharply on the cobblestones in the hush of the morning.
She passed through the gates and turned back for one last look at the convent that had imprisoned her for the past six months. She would not be coming back.
The dull thud of hooves receding into the distance was the only thing that indicated that Alanna of Trebond was on her way.
~
After a long day of travel Alanna made camp by a river alongside the main road. She was already saddle-sore after a long day of riding, and she groaned as she gingerly lowered herself to the ground.
"I knew I was out of condition, but I didn't think it was this bad," Alanna announced to no one in particular. A few feet away, Silvermoon neighed; maliciously, Alanna fancied. "All very well for you to laugh, but you're not the one who can barely sit down." Another whinnying snort. Alanna gave up trying to reason with her mare.
"Well, all I want to do right now is sleep. I have a good four or five days left before I reach Trebond. That's going to be even worse, as I'll have to leave the road and take a detour to avoid meeting anyone who might recognize me. After that, it should be clear skies to Corus."
About to lower her head to the ground, Alanna suddenly remembered that she had yet to set the warding-spells around her campsite. With a groan she heaved her aching body up again.
"I keep forgetting…there's no one around to set the wards for me, or remind me to do them, at the very least. I'm on my own this time."
With another groan of complaint, she walked three times around her camp, chanting a simple protection spell as she went. When she finished her last circuit, she walked back to her bedroll and flopped down onto it with a sigh of relief. In an instant, she was fast asleep.
~
Four days later, Alanna reigned in and stared at the buildings nearby. They were the outlying farms of Fief Trebond. Trebond. Her home.
She was going to have to leave the road to avoid being recognized by any the townsfolk. She couldn't risk being caught now, when she was so close to her goal. Once she passed Trebond, it was only five days to Corus, her destination.
The girl pressed her heels into the mare's sides and turned into the forest.
~
Silvermoon cantered smoothly through the forest, trees and bushes blurring in Alanna's vision. She had finally passed the dangerous area. There was almost no chance that anyone would recognize her between here and the capitol. About to turn toward the road, Alanna heard the jangle of harnesses, the thud of hoof beats, and a low grumble of men's voices.
The girl stopped quickly and dismounted. Leading Silvermoon, she cautiously inched forward through the vegetation. When she could hear horses snorting carelessly, she tied her mare's reins to a tree and crept forward on her hands and knees. When she had almost reached the source of the disturbance, she carefully parted the bushes and peered cautiously out.
A boot heel thudded into the dirt scant inches from her face. She stifled a gasp and watched the heel's owner move towards the horses tethered nearby. As he moved farther away, she could see the rest of his body. He was wearing dirty riding leathers and an open shirt that looked as if it had not been washed for weeks. The smell that wafted through the air corroborated her theory. Alanna held her nose.
As her gaze moved past him, she had to stifle another gasp. There were more men, many more, all dressed similar to the first. As she watched, a few men opened up a pack and began to argue over the distribution of the contents. Catching a glimpse of the disputed items, her jaw dropped. Gold and precious stones flashed in the late afternoon sun. These men were bandits.
Alanna crept out of the undergrowth and moved back to Silvermoon's side.
"Bandits," she whispered in astonishment and a little fear. "What am I going to do?" She leaned against a tree and slid slowly down its trunk, landing gently in the dirt. "What can I do?" she murmured again. "Even if I had enough weapons too defend myself, I couldn't possibly take on these men. There's too many of them." She bit her lip. "I'm just going to have to avoid them. If only I could get back to the road." She laughed a little hysterically. "They're blocking the way to the road, that's not an option. I can't stay here—they could find me. I'll just have to go on and hope I can outdistance them."
Decision made, she mounted up again and set off on her way, more than a little shaken and not at all sure of herself.
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I just thought of something. If you liked my fic, then you should really read opal-dragon's two Alanna stories. They are really good, and it's opal-dragon that gave me the idea that Alanna could actually be interesting, even if she ended up going to the convent. So, everybody get out there and READ! Knowledge is power, people. And, while I've still got your attention, REVIEW!