Chapter 11. The
Secret Meeting.
They rode into the town at a collected trot seeing as they weren't really
in much hurry to get there. As they entered the gates Kel was suddenly glad
that Chis had dressed in everyday clothes. If she had been clothed in a
rich, royal, expensive outfit it would have attracted too much attention
which was exactly the sort of thing Kel didn't want.
Safely inside the gates the girls stared around, feeling alien in this unusual bustle and crowdedness of the town. Chis suddenly muttered to Kel, "what do we do now?" but Kel couldn't answer as she herself did not know. They didn't have to wait long, because as they were talking a man was pushing his way through the crowds coming up to them. When Kel saw him she immediately put her hand on her dagger's hilt - the dagger was hidden inside her clothes - and was about to draw it and for a good reason too!
She thought for a fleeting moment that this was the man from her dream, but she realised that it wasn't possible because even though he had the same colour hair as the man, his eyes were, instead of blue, a deep vivid green. He had the look of a rogue about him and looked quite suspicious. He beckoned to the girls, who, not knowing if he could be trusted didn't budge. But still he beckoned to them and Kel remembered something someone had once told her that Alanna's husband used to be the king of thieves in Tortall.
She nudged Peachblossom forward to the man. "Kel?" Chis whispered uncertainly to her, "don't worry Chis, I know what I'm doing" Kel reassured her. "I hope so!" Chis said doubtfully. The man waited until the girls were quite close and suddenly.. "He's gone!" Kel gasped. The man had disappeared completely. Luckily Chis's sharp eyes hadn't missed him. He was standing at the door of an inn waiting for them. They nudged their horses forward.
Suddenly two boys came up to them from out of nowhere and one said to Kel, "'scuse me most gracious ladies, may we take your horses to Baron George's stables? We will show you where they are when you are leaving" Kel looked at him, he looked trustworthy, slowly she nodded. Chis looked as if she were about to argue so before she could say anything Kel quickly said "promise you'll take good care of them though" the boys both nodded.
They both dismounted expertly and Kel whispered into Peachblossom's ear "be nice to them o.k.? or I'll tell Stefan and Daine on you" the horse snorted as if to say, you wouldn't do that to me! Kel gave her a warning glance before turning her back to them and walking slowly, but firmly, towards Alanna's husband. Chis followed suit.
When they reached the door, George said nothing but slipped inside and the girls went in after him. Inside it was dimly lit by a few candles. Kel could see a few tables and chairs and in the far end a bookcase. George went over to the bookcase and pulled a dusty looking book with a blue cover out.
Almost instantly, the bookcase swung open to reveal a dark passageway. They went up that passageway and up some stairs, into a beautiful big room decorated in violet coloured hangings and lots of big furniture. There were many comfy looking sofas and chairs standing around a big table in the middle of the room. There was a big collection of weapons and knight's armour in the corner. Also, there was an enormous library at the very back of the room. But only Chis took this in, all Kel was looking at was Alanna, standing in the corner of the room doing a patterned sword dance. She didn't even notice them until George said, "sit down and I'll get you some drinks" His voice was rough but had a mischievous edge to it. Alanna turned around smiling at the girls while George left the room.
"Please" she said, "sit down" The girls sat. "Um I'll go and help the baron get the drinks," Chis said, feeling that Alanna and Kel needed to be alone to talk. She was right, seeing as neither of them tried to stop her. She looked around her but the door seemed to have vanished! Looking at her, Alanna saw the problem and said, "look behind the painting" she pointed at the one she meant. It was a beautiful painting. It showed a landscape at night but it was the sky that attracted her to it so much. It was silver, then blue, then purple.
Kel looked at it and gasped, that was definitely the light that came out of her in her dream, no doubt about it! What the HELL did all this mean?!!! Her face had gone completely white and ashen when she had seen the painting and Alanna had noticed. "Kel?" she said, genuine concern in her face, "Kel what's wrong?" Kel shook herself and just muttered, "nothing, I.I'm fine. So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I've heard rumors that they're cooking something up in Scanra and the Copper Isles. I don't know where they're planning to attack, or if they're even going to attack but something has definitely been going on over there. I don't know how long for, maybe a few years even" - at that moment Kel heard Joren's father's words sound in her head, "we were in our um place of business" and Wyldon's reply, "for three years?!" - "but I think that Tortall might have to go and protect neighboring countries if the countries are attacked" Alanna was saying, "and everyone, knights squires and pages will have to fight. I have reason to believe that someone is going to try and stop you from fighting." Kel gasped. Stop her from fighting! "but who would do something like that? And why me???" "not just you," Alanna said darkly, "all the good warriors will try to be stopped too, from someone inside Tortall"
"But I don't even know if these rumors are true, I just wanted to tell you to.well.keep your eyes open and always be on alert, you never know when you are about to be attac-" but her words were cut short by screams coming from the kitchen. Alanna and Kel looked at each other in horror before jumping from their seats and leaping to the painting trapdoor.
They reached the kitchen, "what the..?" Said Kel. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* HEE HEE!!!! CLIFFHANGER!!! Oh yeah sorry about the second chapter, I don't know what happened to it!!! I'm trying to change it so go back to it and it might have the right chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!!! And thanks for those who already have, Keep them coming!!!!! Bye! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Safely inside the gates the girls stared around, feeling alien in this unusual bustle and crowdedness of the town. Chis suddenly muttered to Kel, "what do we do now?" but Kel couldn't answer as she herself did not know. They didn't have to wait long, because as they were talking a man was pushing his way through the crowds coming up to them. When Kel saw him she immediately put her hand on her dagger's hilt - the dagger was hidden inside her clothes - and was about to draw it and for a good reason too!
She thought for a fleeting moment that this was the man from her dream, but she realised that it wasn't possible because even though he had the same colour hair as the man, his eyes were, instead of blue, a deep vivid green. He had the look of a rogue about him and looked quite suspicious. He beckoned to the girls, who, not knowing if he could be trusted didn't budge. But still he beckoned to them and Kel remembered something someone had once told her that Alanna's husband used to be the king of thieves in Tortall.
She nudged Peachblossom forward to the man. "Kel?" Chis whispered uncertainly to her, "don't worry Chis, I know what I'm doing" Kel reassured her. "I hope so!" Chis said doubtfully. The man waited until the girls were quite close and suddenly.. "He's gone!" Kel gasped. The man had disappeared completely. Luckily Chis's sharp eyes hadn't missed him. He was standing at the door of an inn waiting for them. They nudged their horses forward.
Suddenly two boys came up to them from out of nowhere and one said to Kel, "'scuse me most gracious ladies, may we take your horses to Baron George's stables? We will show you where they are when you are leaving" Kel looked at him, he looked trustworthy, slowly she nodded. Chis looked as if she were about to argue so before she could say anything Kel quickly said "promise you'll take good care of them though" the boys both nodded.
They both dismounted expertly and Kel whispered into Peachblossom's ear "be nice to them o.k.? or I'll tell Stefan and Daine on you" the horse snorted as if to say, you wouldn't do that to me! Kel gave her a warning glance before turning her back to them and walking slowly, but firmly, towards Alanna's husband. Chis followed suit.
When they reached the door, George said nothing but slipped inside and the girls went in after him. Inside it was dimly lit by a few candles. Kel could see a few tables and chairs and in the far end a bookcase. George went over to the bookcase and pulled a dusty looking book with a blue cover out.
Almost instantly, the bookcase swung open to reveal a dark passageway. They went up that passageway and up some stairs, into a beautiful big room decorated in violet coloured hangings and lots of big furniture. There were many comfy looking sofas and chairs standing around a big table in the middle of the room. There was a big collection of weapons and knight's armour in the corner. Also, there was an enormous library at the very back of the room. But only Chis took this in, all Kel was looking at was Alanna, standing in the corner of the room doing a patterned sword dance. She didn't even notice them until George said, "sit down and I'll get you some drinks" His voice was rough but had a mischievous edge to it. Alanna turned around smiling at the girls while George left the room.
"Please" she said, "sit down" The girls sat. "Um I'll go and help the baron get the drinks," Chis said, feeling that Alanna and Kel needed to be alone to talk. She was right, seeing as neither of them tried to stop her. She looked around her but the door seemed to have vanished! Looking at her, Alanna saw the problem and said, "look behind the painting" she pointed at the one she meant. It was a beautiful painting. It showed a landscape at night but it was the sky that attracted her to it so much. It was silver, then blue, then purple.
Kel looked at it and gasped, that was definitely the light that came out of her in her dream, no doubt about it! What the HELL did all this mean?!!! Her face had gone completely white and ashen when she had seen the painting and Alanna had noticed. "Kel?" she said, genuine concern in her face, "Kel what's wrong?" Kel shook herself and just muttered, "nothing, I.I'm fine. So what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I've heard rumors that they're cooking something up in Scanra and the Copper Isles. I don't know where they're planning to attack, or if they're even going to attack but something has definitely been going on over there. I don't know how long for, maybe a few years even" - at that moment Kel heard Joren's father's words sound in her head, "we were in our um place of business" and Wyldon's reply, "for three years?!" - "but I think that Tortall might have to go and protect neighboring countries if the countries are attacked" Alanna was saying, "and everyone, knights squires and pages will have to fight. I have reason to believe that someone is going to try and stop you from fighting." Kel gasped. Stop her from fighting! "but who would do something like that? And why me???" "not just you," Alanna said darkly, "all the good warriors will try to be stopped too, from someone inside Tortall"
"But I don't even know if these rumors are true, I just wanted to tell you to.well.keep your eyes open and always be on alert, you never know when you are about to be attac-" but her words were cut short by screams coming from the kitchen. Alanna and Kel looked at each other in horror before jumping from their seats and leaping to the painting trapdoor.
They reached the kitchen, "what the..?" Said Kel. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* HEE HEE!!!! CLIFFHANGER!!! Oh yeah sorry about the second chapter, I don't know what happened to it!!! I'm trying to change it so go back to it and it might have the right chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!!! And thanks for those who already have, Keep them coming!!!!! Bye! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*