Chapter 3: Fortune, Fate, And Prophecies
The door suddenly swung open, and five more people strode into the room, making it incredibly crowded, as it wasn't a large room. Three of the people were the lanky man, the redhead, and the pregnant woman that Nicole had seen earlier. The other two, an older man with very shaggy hair and a man that would have been handsome if not for his overlarge nose, were unfamiliar to her.
The redhead sat down on Nicole's bed and looked at her cast. "Baird, why haven't you healed this yet? The girl must be in the gods only know how much pain."
"Actually, I'm not in much pain," Nicole said, a little shyly, for she knew who this must be, "but I would like this cast off and the leg healed, if you can."
The redhead looked at everyone irritably. "George, Daine, Yuki, I don't think you should stay here. The room's crowded enough as it is." Looking annoyed, the man with the large nose, the beautiful Japan - no; she must be Yamani - woman, and the pretty woman with child, left the room sullenly.
The redhead looked at Nicole. "Now, then. I am - "
"Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau. I know who you are."
Alanna frowned. "Really? And how would you know that?"
"I've read all about you in a series called Song of the Lioness. It was written by Tamora Pierce - she's an American author in my world. You're married to Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop, and you have three children - Thom, Alan, and Alianne. You disguised yourself as a boy and went to the palace to train as a page when you were ten." Nicole proceeded to recite a shortened version of Alanna's life, finishing with the ongoing Scanran war. "I don't know much about what happened during the past nine years in your life. Those books were centred around Lady Keladry of Mindelan, mostly, and it didn't say much about you."
Alanna stared open-mouthed at Nicole. For once, she was at a complete loss for words. She knew most people knew a lot about her life, since she was famous in most of the Eastern and Southern lands, but what was the girl saying about this 'series'? "You say you're from another world?"
"Yeah. It's called Earth. I got transported here.somehow.after I fell in a skating competition and broke my leg. I don't know how exactly I broke my leg, because you don't generally break something that big in a little fall, but anyway."
Alanna frowned, but without another word, laid her hand on Nicole's leg. Her hand began to glow with violet fire, and Nicole felt a strange coolness drifting through her leg. Alanna pulled her hand away and pulled out a belt knife. She stuck it deep in the plaster cast and began to saw away grimly at it. As she did so, the very lanky man sat down in a chair by Nicole's bed.
"If you know who Alanna is, then I suppose you must know who I am," he said calmly.
Nicole nodded. "You're the mage Numair Salmalin. A black robe mage. And that young woman that left earlier was Daine Sarrasri, your lover. And apparently, the mother of your child," she added, with a smile. Daine had always been her favourite character.
Numair nodded, not the least bit fazed that she knew him and Daine too. "Now, Sir Myles and I - I'm sure you know who he is - have been trying to figure out how you got here for the last hour. We found an old prophecy in the palace library that may turn up some clues, but we don't know if it does without knowing the exact details of how you got here." He handed her a faded piece of parchment.
In Tortall's gravest time of need, The one to save, the one to seek, Will stumble 'pon this hopeless land. And fate will fall out from her hand.
Child from a distant world Out of time and space is hurled Guided by a goddess's hand Great things for her to do are planned.
A sending of ill luck and fate Posing in the form of skates Finally she comes to save The land in which good luck has caved.
Numair let her read it a few times, and then asked, "Does it make sense?"
Nicole nodded, and then told him a fully detailed story of how she'd come to be here. Numair listened, nodding his head a few times, and then said, "Well, all I can conclude is that you were sent here to save Tortall, when not even people like the Lioness or the Protector of the Small can do it. The question is, when is that?"
The door suddenly swung open, and five more people strode into the room, making it incredibly crowded, as it wasn't a large room. Three of the people were the lanky man, the redhead, and the pregnant woman that Nicole had seen earlier. The other two, an older man with very shaggy hair and a man that would have been handsome if not for his overlarge nose, were unfamiliar to her.
The redhead sat down on Nicole's bed and looked at her cast. "Baird, why haven't you healed this yet? The girl must be in the gods only know how much pain."
"Actually, I'm not in much pain," Nicole said, a little shyly, for she knew who this must be, "but I would like this cast off and the leg healed, if you can."
The redhead looked at everyone irritably. "George, Daine, Yuki, I don't think you should stay here. The room's crowded enough as it is." Looking annoyed, the man with the large nose, the beautiful Japan - no; she must be Yamani - woman, and the pretty woman with child, left the room sullenly.
The redhead looked at Nicole. "Now, then. I am - "
"Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau. I know who you are."
Alanna frowned. "Really? And how would you know that?"
"I've read all about you in a series called Song of the Lioness. It was written by Tamora Pierce - she's an American author in my world. You're married to Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop, and you have three children - Thom, Alan, and Alianne. You disguised yourself as a boy and went to the palace to train as a page when you were ten." Nicole proceeded to recite a shortened version of Alanna's life, finishing with the ongoing Scanran war. "I don't know much about what happened during the past nine years in your life. Those books were centred around Lady Keladry of Mindelan, mostly, and it didn't say much about you."
Alanna stared open-mouthed at Nicole. For once, she was at a complete loss for words. She knew most people knew a lot about her life, since she was famous in most of the Eastern and Southern lands, but what was the girl saying about this 'series'? "You say you're from another world?"
"Yeah. It's called Earth. I got transported here.somehow.after I fell in a skating competition and broke my leg. I don't know how exactly I broke my leg, because you don't generally break something that big in a little fall, but anyway."
Alanna frowned, but without another word, laid her hand on Nicole's leg. Her hand began to glow with violet fire, and Nicole felt a strange coolness drifting through her leg. Alanna pulled her hand away and pulled out a belt knife. She stuck it deep in the plaster cast and began to saw away grimly at it. As she did so, the very lanky man sat down in a chair by Nicole's bed.
"If you know who Alanna is, then I suppose you must know who I am," he said calmly.
Nicole nodded. "You're the mage Numair Salmalin. A black robe mage. And that young woman that left earlier was Daine Sarrasri, your lover. And apparently, the mother of your child," she added, with a smile. Daine had always been her favourite character.
Numair nodded, not the least bit fazed that she knew him and Daine too. "Now, Sir Myles and I - I'm sure you know who he is - have been trying to figure out how you got here for the last hour. We found an old prophecy in the palace library that may turn up some clues, but we don't know if it does without knowing the exact details of how you got here." He handed her a faded piece of parchment.
In Tortall's gravest time of need, The one to save, the one to seek, Will stumble 'pon this hopeless land. And fate will fall out from her hand.
Child from a distant world Out of time and space is hurled Guided by a goddess's hand Great things for her to do are planned.
A sending of ill luck and fate Posing in the form of skates Finally she comes to save The land in which good luck has caved.
Numair let her read it a few times, and then asked, "Does it make sense?"
Nicole nodded, and then told him a fully detailed story of how she'd come to be here. Numair listened, nodding his head a few times, and then said, "Well, all I can conclude is that you were sent here to save Tortall, when not even people like the Lioness or the Protector of the Small can do it. The question is, when is that?"