Chapter One:
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters created by Tamora Pierce. This story takes place after Lady Knight, and even after tricksters choice (It hasn't come out yet, but I do know a few things about it) I'll be taking several liberties on names, and if you want to yell at me over them, please do. (but yell softly, please, my ears are sensitive) that's it, just please don't sue me!!!
Alanna of Pirates Swoop, known to the population of Tortall as the Lioness, rode lightly on a sandy coloured gelding. Her old horse, Moonlight, who was as much of a legend as she was, had been put to pasture, but her son still lived on in her name. George rode behind her, keeping a wary eye out for the treacherous traps of his old group of people. He knew that behind the shadows of the trees Stephan and Tobe were leading a string of horses from the bazhir, and wanted to keep an eye on them as well. The two of them rode in silence, but it was a comfortable one. Alanna absently fingered her sword, for suddenly she had an urge to bolt. She was afraid, and Alanna didn't get scared very easily these days. Alanna silently stopped her horse, and George stopped as well. She slid to the ground, and took her sword out of its sheath.
"How many times has that lighted up?" George asked quietly. Alanna looked at her necklace, and was shocked to see it was glowing with a fierce white light she had only experienced when the gods were around.
"Only when the Goddess was around." Alanna shook off the feeling of foreboding, and slowly made her way through the woods, her sword only cutting debris when she could get no further. Finally, the two of them had made it in to a clearing. A doe, and her fawn were feeding on the plush grass, but took off, startled by the trespassers. Alanna, about to go further up, for she could see a stream, was stopped by a firm, cool hand resting on her shoulder.
"I don't think those deer were eating." Alanna slowly made her way across the grass, wary of the tall trees that rose above them. Anyone could shoot at them, and they would be none the wiser. Alanna stopped. At the far end of the clearing was an oddly human shape. Alanna made her way over to it, and saw that it was a girl. She looked as if she was only sleeping, but she wore clothes that Myles of Olau, her father, had only ever described to her. Her skin and hair were both white, her hair so white that it gleamed in the meager sunlight. Alanna knelt down, and was startled to see that her chest was rising slowly up and down.
"George," Alanna tried to whisper, but her voice was hoarse, and he couldn't hear, "George! She's alive!" George ran over, and knelt beside her.
"I can't sense anyone, my Lioness. What is all this about the young one being alive?" Alanna glared at him.
"I THOUGHT she was dead. Now, I'm sure she's alive." George looked down, and could see the silvery gleam of metal.
"Look, she has a trinket." George reached down, and pulled a long silver chain from beneath her shirt.
"George!" George looked at his wife, his eyes dancing merrily. "Me love, are you jealous?" "No, I am not jealous! Can I see that?" George could sense Alanna was uneasy, but handed the charm over without a word. As soon as he did, her sword heated up, and began to hum like lightning had, before she lost it to the gate of Idramm. The bright light descended on the two of them. Alanna was in pain, from the bright light, and the burns she had received from her sword. But she brought up her one good hand, and clutched the trinket the goddess had given to her long before. She opened her eyes, praying that she would not be blind once she did. The whole clearing was bathed in eerie white light, some of it tinged in purple from Alanna's shield she had created to try and protect her and George. The light seemed to be coming from the girl, and it slowly evaporated. Suddenly, Alanna could see as clearly as she had before, but she was worried about George. George was fine, as far as she could tell. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, but Alanna wasn't sure. He pointed out weakly, and Alanna turned. The girl had stood up, revealing purple eyes that were much darker than her own.
"Et et un a lireat imbra ossaw rune?" Alanna stared at her. The girl was speaking another language, one she had never heard before. Alanna stared at the young girl, her uneasy feeling rising to full force. George sensed her uneasiness, and clutched the offered hand. The girl stared at the two of them, and offered her hand.
"Umbrael essae ossa? Belir le henire re k'leela! NINA ORAE MIKA!!!!" The girl suddenly burst in to tears, and collapsed to the ground. Alanna took a tentative step towards her, but the girl didn't seem to notice. Alanna knelt by her, and softly touched her cheek.
"I am Alanna." Alanna pointed to herself, then pointed to the girl. The girl looked up expectantly, waiting for Alanna to say more. When Alanna said nothing, the girl said, stuttering, "Alanna?" Alanna smiled, a smile quickly playing across her lips.
"Yes, I'm Alanna. Who are you?" The girl grinned, and quickly wiped her tears away. She stood up, and bowed to the two of them.
"Etta Shimoyorel'ernetteria." Alanna's jaw dropped, and George laughed outright.
"You've got her name at least." George said, his eyes twinkling merrily.
"Yes, but how do we pronounce it? She said it too fast for me to even try for a nickname!" George grabbed the girls hand, and pumped it up and down, surprising the girl.
"I'm George. For now, would you care to be Shimmy?" The girl stared at him and started to laugh hysterically.
* Alanna rode through the gates to her home, Pirate's Swoop. George had the girl, "Shimmy" thrown over the front of his saddle, for when she had finished laughing, she collapsed. The towers, which had been bare of flags since the two of them had left to visit the king, had both Alanna's lioness flag, and George's baron flag. They flapped gaily in the wind, showing the two of them that they were being welcomed home. Alanna passed the reins to Stefan, who had made it to her home before she did. He grinned, and took off down the road, towards the stables. George passed the girl down to Alanna, and swung off his horse. Tobe ran up to grab George's horse, and gave an impish grin to the two of them. Alanna passed the girl back to George, but the girl barely stirred. She snuggled up closer to George, and Alanna grinned at George's obvious discomfort. Alanna tucked the covers around the girl, covering her tiny little body. Alanna shut the heavy oak door behind her, leaving the girl in peace.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters created by Tamora Pierce. This story takes place after Lady Knight, and even after tricksters choice (It hasn't come out yet, but I do know a few things about it) I'll be taking several liberties on names, and if you want to yell at me over them, please do. (but yell softly, please, my ears are sensitive) that's it, just please don't sue me!!!
Alanna of Pirates Swoop, known to the population of Tortall as the Lioness, rode lightly on a sandy coloured gelding. Her old horse, Moonlight, who was as much of a legend as she was, had been put to pasture, but her son still lived on in her name. George rode behind her, keeping a wary eye out for the treacherous traps of his old group of people. He knew that behind the shadows of the trees Stephan and Tobe were leading a string of horses from the bazhir, and wanted to keep an eye on them as well. The two of them rode in silence, but it was a comfortable one. Alanna absently fingered her sword, for suddenly she had an urge to bolt. She was afraid, and Alanna didn't get scared very easily these days. Alanna silently stopped her horse, and George stopped as well. She slid to the ground, and took her sword out of its sheath.
"How many times has that lighted up?" George asked quietly. Alanna looked at her necklace, and was shocked to see it was glowing with a fierce white light she had only experienced when the gods were around.
"Only when the Goddess was around." Alanna shook off the feeling of foreboding, and slowly made her way through the woods, her sword only cutting debris when she could get no further. Finally, the two of them had made it in to a clearing. A doe, and her fawn were feeding on the plush grass, but took off, startled by the trespassers. Alanna, about to go further up, for she could see a stream, was stopped by a firm, cool hand resting on her shoulder.
"I don't think those deer were eating." Alanna slowly made her way across the grass, wary of the tall trees that rose above them. Anyone could shoot at them, and they would be none the wiser. Alanna stopped. At the far end of the clearing was an oddly human shape. Alanna made her way over to it, and saw that it was a girl. She looked as if she was only sleeping, but she wore clothes that Myles of Olau, her father, had only ever described to her. Her skin and hair were both white, her hair so white that it gleamed in the meager sunlight. Alanna knelt down, and was startled to see that her chest was rising slowly up and down.
"George," Alanna tried to whisper, but her voice was hoarse, and he couldn't hear, "George! She's alive!" George ran over, and knelt beside her.
"I can't sense anyone, my Lioness. What is all this about the young one being alive?" Alanna glared at him.
"I THOUGHT she was dead. Now, I'm sure she's alive." George looked down, and could see the silvery gleam of metal.
"Look, she has a trinket." George reached down, and pulled a long silver chain from beneath her shirt.
"George!" George looked at his wife, his eyes dancing merrily. "Me love, are you jealous?" "No, I am not jealous! Can I see that?" George could sense Alanna was uneasy, but handed the charm over without a word. As soon as he did, her sword heated up, and began to hum like lightning had, before she lost it to the gate of Idramm. The bright light descended on the two of them. Alanna was in pain, from the bright light, and the burns she had received from her sword. But she brought up her one good hand, and clutched the trinket the goddess had given to her long before. She opened her eyes, praying that she would not be blind once she did. The whole clearing was bathed in eerie white light, some of it tinged in purple from Alanna's shield she had created to try and protect her and George. The light seemed to be coming from the girl, and it slowly evaporated. Suddenly, Alanna could see as clearly as she had before, but she was worried about George. George was fine, as far as she could tell. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, but Alanna wasn't sure. He pointed out weakly, and Alanna turned. The girl had stood up, revealing purple eyes that were much darker than her own.
"Et et un a lireat imbra ossaw rune?" Alanna stared at her. The girl was speaking another language, one she had never heard before. Alanna stared at the young girl, her uneasy feeling rising to full force. George sensed her uneasiness, and clutched the offered hand. The girl stared at the two of them, and offered her hand.
"Umbrael essae ossa? Belir le henire re k'leela! NINA ORAE MIKA!!!!" The girl suddenly burst in to tears, and collapsed to the ground. Alanna took a tentative step towards her, but the girl didn't seem to notice. Alanna knelt by her, and softly touched her cheek.
"I am Alanna." Alanna pointed to herself, then pointed to the girl. The girl looked up expectantly, waiting for Alanna to say more. When Alanna said nothing, the girl said, stuttering, "Alanna?" Alanna smiled, a smile quickly playing across her lips.
"Yes, I'm Alanna. Who are you?" The girl grinned, and quickly wiped her tears away. She stood up, and bowed to the two of them.
"Etta Shimoyorel'ernetteria." Alanna's jaw dropped, and George laughed outright.
"You've got her name at least." George said, his eyes twinkling merrily.
"Yes, but how do we pronounce it? She said it too fast for me to even try for a nickname!" George grabbed the girls hand, and pumped it up and down, surprising the girl.
"I'm George. For now, would you care to be Shimmy?" The girl stared at him and started to laugh hysterically.
* Alanna rode through the gates to her home, Pirate's Swoop. George had the girl, "Shimmy" thrown over the front of his saddle, for when she had finished laughing, she collapsed. The towers, which had been bare of flags since the two of them had left to visit the king, had both Alanna's lioness flag, and George's baron flag. They flapped gaily in the wind, showing the two of them that they were being welcomed home. Alanna passed the reins to Stefan, who had made it to her home before she did. He grinned, and took off down the road, towards the stables. George passed the girl down to Alanna, and swung off his horse. Tobe ran up to grab George's horse, and gave an impish grin to the two of them. Alanna passed the girl back to George, but the girl barely stirred. She snuggled up closer to George, and Alanna grinned at George's obvious discomfort. Alanna tucked the covers around the girl, covering her tiny little body. Alanna shut the heavy oak door behind her, leaving the girl in peace.