Disclaimer: Unforunately I do still not own these characters...

A/N: First of all, thanks for your nice reviews!!! I was really excited if someone would like my story!

Alanna and George FOREVER!!! *g*

Please excuse these strange black…____________ you´ll know what I mean, it was an accident and I don´t know how to remove them…

Chapter 6

"Alanna!"

What the hell was going on here? Where was George? What if…

"Alanna!"

She winced as a big hand was laid onto her shoulder. He hadn´t even noticed someone was coming.

Raoul looked concerned.

"Alanna, didn´t you hear me? What´s that?"

"What? No, I didn´t…that… that´s George´s…I gave it to him…it…it´s blood."

Raoul hugged her around the shoulder.

"There´s no sign that some of the men were hurt. I guess he used it in defense." After a pause

he added "Alanna, I think we should go home. There´s noone out here anymore."

She looked at him, shocked.

"Go? But – George! What if they return! I mean, he wouldn´t just go, would he? Unless…"

She was not able to finish the sentence, not even the tought. That would be far too terrible.

Raoul crushed her in an immense hug.

"Alanna, no. There is surely a simple explanation. But we can´t stay. The men are tired, it´s

nearly dawning, some are hurt. We have to go."

She thanked Raoul silently for the hug, otherwise she couldn´t have trust her legs not to give

in.

"We – cannot go…"

She protested quietely while Raoul brought her over to her horse. She was confused, didn´t

know what to think, felt empty, on the one hand, on the other hand as if someone had ripped

her heart out brutaly, everything at once, everything mixed up. She felt sick.

Raoul brought Alanna home as the rest of the Own headed back to the palace. After they gave

the reins to the stableboy, oushed her slightly up the stairs. In the hall she stopped.

"We – what are we going to tell Eleni?"

Raoul hugged her around the shoulders.

"*You* are not going to tell anybody anything. You go up to your room and have a nap, all

right?"

She forced a weak smile, mumbled a "thank you" and went slowly upstairs. He hesitated a

minute, then knocked at the door, leading to Myles´ and Eleni´s rooms.

When Alanna reached their rooms she found it hard to breath. She sat on the bed, questions

racing through her mind. Where was George? Had they just left? But without the equipment?

And –  he would never just run! Was he hurt? Was he still alive? Would she ever see him

again? Would she ever know what happened? She had somehow hoped he would be here,

saying something like "Aye, lass, we knew you would do it."

She laid back, burrying her face in the covers.They laid there like they had left them the

morning before, George´s scent still onto them. She remembered the last night, how they had

slept with each other for the first time since her…accident and couldn´t help but cry. She was

tired, she was unhappy, she was frustrated and she wanted answers, even though she feared

them.

When she awoke it was already middy. She felt still tired and empty, her eyes swollen from

the crying, her head dull. She got up and went to the bathroom, stripping off her dirty clothes.

She washed, then pulled on female underclothing and fresh breeches. George had appeared to

like that mixture and so had she. Then she went over to the wardrobe, took out one of

George´s shirts and out it on.

She sat down in an armchair by the window, one arm around her knees and stuck her nose

into the shirt´s cloth.

She didn´t know how long she sat there, staring at the bed, thinking. When she decided

she couldn´t stand being alone anymore, she stood and went downstairs.

A light knock broke the silence in the livingroom. Myles and Eleni exchanged a look before

he called for the person outside to come in. Alanna closed the door behind her and leaned

against it.

"Mind if I join you?"

Eleni looked up from the embroidery she was working at and shook her head, slightly smiling.

Alanna took a seat in one of the armchairs and the room fell silent once more. All of a sudden

her face lightened up a bit and she looked at Eleni.

"Can you feel him?"

Eleni met her look with sad brown eyes.

"No."

Alanna´s face sank into shadow again.

"But – he isn´t dead. At least I know that. I *would* feel that."

The younger woman smiled sadly.

"Good to hear that."

They sat in almost complete silence, everyone deep in his own thoughts, until nightfall. When

a servant came to light the torches, Alanna stood.

"I think I´m going to bed."

Myles and Eleni nodded.

"Good night."

She left and closed the door carefully. Then she looked up, her eyes passing the entrace and

she yelped in – she couldn´t tell what. Later she would guess it was half happiness, half

shock. That was the least thing she had expected, altough she had hoped so much.

"George!"

The door she just had closed was janked open as she rushed down the stairs and threw her

arms around his neck. Tears burned in her eyes.

"Oh, George! Where the hell have you been?",

she whispered in his ear, not willing to release him. The she noticed something, she hadn´t

noticed in her excitement before. Something odd. He was not returning her hug, In fact he

hadn´t moved at all.

"George?"

She took a step back, startlet. He was staring with unmoving eyes at a point that seemed to be

far away.

"George?"