Disclaimer : I own nothing in this, except for the plot. Yet.
A/N : Wow, I don't normally get hooked on a story that I'm writing. I've actually kind of ignored my others... Maybe it's because I actually know how this story is going to play out, and in my others, I just let them do their own thing. Oh well.
By the way, does anyone know of a site or place where I could find an "encyclopedia" of sorts? Something that would have hair/eye color for each of the characters, and any special traits? I've been thinking of making one only because it drives me crazy that I don't know where to find one, and sometimes the secondary characters start to blend in...Thanks! Please enjoy!
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The ride to the Dancing Dove was a companionable one. Alanna and Gary related stories of their days in-training, and Gary helped Alanna stay on top of the news. Alanna asked him how much of a decline he had seen in the pages each year.
"There is a decline in the pages, I remember when we started, and there's about an eight percent decrease. If it keeps decreasing, we're going to have quite a problem."
This news only strengthened Alanna's resolve. Tortall was a great kingdom, and part of that was due to it's knights. She didn't want to do a shabby job now and be responsible for the decay or Tortall later. Sure, she was taking things a bit seriously, but someone had to.
After they reached the Dancing Dove, Alanna took the horses to the stables, where a young boy took them from her and led them to stalls. She tossed him a silver coin, and headed back to the dining room. Gary had already found a table, and had ordered cider for the two of them. Alanna sat down and took a grateful sip of the cider. Jonathan arrived a few minutes later, dressed in comfortable breeches and a deep blue tunic, which made his eyes seem to be an even darker blue than normal.
He soon found Alanna and Gary, and slid into the remaining chair. He ordered mulled wine from a passing waitress and then turned to Alanna and Gary.
Before Jon had a chance to open his mouth, Alanna spoke up. "Jon, we've decided to do it. It's a big committment, but Tortall won't survive and flourish the way it is if we don't have knights to defend it."
At that, Jonathan broke into a tired smile. "Thank you Alanna. I had hoped that you would see things my way. I didn't want to have to argue with you, you're too good with a sword." The three laughed, then ordered lunch. After it arrived, they dug in with gusto.
Alanna wasn't finished with her talk though, "Why is it only going to be Gary, you and me? What about Raoul? He is known as the "Giantkiller"."
"I know, Alanna, and I wanted him to be able to come also, but he is in charge of a company of the King's Own. You and Gary work on your own more, and taking him away for half of a year would influence a lot more people, than you taking the leave." Jon explained.
Alanna sighed, and returned to her lunch. She missed Raoul, not having seen him for a while, and had hoped she would be able to sometime soon. "Oh well," she thought, "I've never been able to choose everything coming my way, and the King's Own does need him."
As they finished their lunches, Jon remembered something. "Can you two please be ready to leave by Wednesday?" Noticing Alanna's wide-eyed look, he clarified, "Yes, Alanna, this Wednesday, as in 4 days from now."
"Jon! I was planning on being able to take a ride home before we left, I need to see George and the children, and I can't really manage a trip there and back in four days!"
"Alanna," he said, his voice was strained. "Please..." he trailed off.
Then Alanna noticed lines in his face that hadn't been there weeks before, and felt a bit bad. Of course he would be away from his partner and children too. 'Yes,' spoke a nasty part of her mind, 'but they knew that when he would be leaving, your family had no idea that they wouldn't see you for months.' She toyed with her fork, getting control of her emotions. "It will be fine, I guess..."
"It can't be that bad," Jon argued. "At least you two will be able to talk, you both have the gift, you can communicate through fires."
"Well, yes," Alanna admitted reluctantly, "but talking to someone through the fire isn't the same as being with them, being able to touch and smell them. But it will be okay, I can do this, we've spent six months apart before, why should this time be any different?"
"Alanna, thank you for understanding. I don't really like leaving this soon either, but it's either leave now and miss the snows, or lollygag now and possibly be caught in a blizzard coming home."
Alanna remembered the last time she had been stuck in a blizzard, and reluctantly agreed with Jonathan. If he waited, there would always be one more thing that needed to be done before they could leave. Now that they were certain that all aspects of the trip had been planned out, the talked about matters that had nothing to do with politics - a welcome change for Jonathan.
Alanna talked about her children. Alianne, Alanna's daughter, didn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. Alianne was interested in clothes, boys, and parties, which were three things that her mother disliked the most. Still, Alianne was a sweet girl, and had been well-educated. Just because she wasn't interested in warfare, didn't mean that she didn't learn. From George, she learned all of the more underhanded tricks, and from Alanna, she learned about court, even though she knew that it was a very biased view.
Thom, Alanna's younger son, did want to become a knight. He had been trained by George in knife fighting and wrestling, and by Alanna for things that would help him become a good knight. However, he was a bit quiet, and didn't take to learning the way his sister had. Alanna sighed.
"Come on now, Alanna! You can't expect your children to be perfect now, can you?" Judging from Alanna's face, Gary realized that she had. "You aren't perfect, why should your children be?" Alanna gave Gary a withering glare, then laughed. She knew that she wasn't perfect; her temper was living proof.
The rest of the lunch passed uneventfully. "Now, remember to meet me at the stables at nine on Wednesday morning, if I don't see you before then." Jonathan reminded Alanna and Gary.
Alanna rolled her eyes. "Yes, Father."
Jon smirked. "You didn't used to call me father."
"You didn't used to treat me like a child!" Alanna retorted. Gary could smell the electricity in the air. Alanna and Jon really didn't need to make a scene in the Dancing Dove. Gary quietly ushered Alanna towards the exit, Jon following behind.
On the way back to the palace, Gary rode in the middle, separating Alanna and Jon...and their tongues. He made polite conversation, and Alanna and Jon knew better that to bait each other. "It's going to be a long trip," Gary thought to himself and sighed.
-----
That night, Alanna tried to contact George through the fire, but he didn't respond. "He must not be in bed yet...or else he's asleep," she thought, and decided to try later. She cleaned her teeth and changed into her nightshirt, then tried again. Still no response. She climbed in bed with a sigh. He must already have been asleep, she told herself, and drifted off into a strange sleep. One minute she thought that she was dreaming, the next she thought that she was awake, but she was never quite sure.
Once, she awoke and saw George standing at the foot of her bed. Not saying anything, just standing and watching her. There waes no hint of a smile on his lips, and the normal mischeviousness in his eyes was hidden from Alanna. She sat up and called to him, but still got no response. As she reached towards him, he slowly faded, leaving her alone.
Finally, the sun crept over the horizon, releasing Alanna from bed. She rolled out of bed, and went to the bath houses to bathe. She got out feeling lazy, but refreshed. She dressed simply. She had no one to impress today, but strapped Lightning securely at her waist, she knew better than to leave anywhere without it.
She got to the mess hall just in time to see Gary sit down. She quickly got some food and went to sit with him. They ate in a comfortable silence. Gary had never been a morning person. When they were done eating, they went out to the practice areas. It wasn't a cold morning, it was just brisk. Even though Alanna hated the cold, she liked the feeling of the cool air on her bare arms. She wouldn't be hot for long.
She and Gary went through a few practice bouts to warm up. Alanna loved the feeling she got of having the blade in her control, and knowing that her body would do what she demanded of it. Their fencing got more intense, and by the time they were finished, both were drenched in sweat. Alanna clapped a hand on Gary's shoulder - or what she could reach of it. "What do you say we go into the city for midday?" Alanna suggested. "But I need another bath first..."
Gary laughed. "I'll meet you by your rooms in, what? An hour?"
"Sounds good," Alanna said and trotted off towards the baths - for the second time that day.
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A/N : Thank yous! I really want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, I know the plot hasn't really gotten started yet, but I DO know what's going to happen, and I like it so far. I'm also working on two other fics, read them please if you get the chance! (After Scanra, Before Love, and Unrest in the Desert)
So, thank you to :
thekeeperofwords : I fixed your little problem in this chapter, and besides if he had gone, it would have caused too much...friction(?) later. If he went, I'd have had to kill him off...just kidding! Sort of.
jjread : I know that it's not very exciting yet, the plot is yet to come. In the next chapter or so.
Clarylissa : I think that my story is supposed to be odd...I haven't seen any like it on ff.net...but it will get better! I promise!
Jen : Thank you! Just thank you! hehe. I was wondering if Alanna was...Alanna enough.
Jilla Kala : Thank you...I'm trying to keep writing. hehe.
A/N : Wow, I don't normally get hooked on a story that I'm writing. I've actually kind of ignored my others... Maybe it's because I actually know how this story is going to play out, and in my others, I just let them do their own thing. Oh well.
By the way, does anyone know of a site or place where I could find an "encyclopedia" of sorts? Something that would have hair/eye color for each of the characters, and any special traits? I've been thinking of making one only because it drives me crazy that I don't know where to find one, and sometimes the secondary characters start to blend in...Thanks! Please enjoy!
------
The ride to the Dancing Dove was a companionable one. Alanna and Gary related stories of their days in-training, and Gary helped Alanna stay on top of the news. Alanna asked him how much of a decline he had seen in the pages each year.
"There is a decline in the pages, I remember when we started, and there's about an eight percent decrease. If it keeps decreasing, we're going to have quite a problem."
This news only strengthened Alanna's resolve. Tortall was a great kingdom, and part of that was due to it's knights. She didn't want to do a shabby job now and be responsible for the decay or Tortall later. Sure, she was taking things a bit seriously, but someone had to.
After they reached the Dancing Dove, Alanna took the horses to the stables, where a young boy took them from her and led them to stalls. She tossed him a silver coin, and headed back to the dining room. Gary had already found a table, and had ordered cider for the two of them. Alanna sat down and took a grateful sip of the cider. Jonathan arrived a few minutes later, dressed in comfortable breeches and a deep blue tunic, which made his eyes seem to be an even darker blue than normal.
He soon found Alanna and Gary, and slid into the remaining chair. He ordered mulled wine from a passing waitress and then turned to Alanna and Gary.
Before Jon had a chance to open his mouth, Alanna spoke up. "Jon, we've decided to do it. It's a big committment, but Tortall won't survive and flourish the way it is if we don't have knights to defend it."
At that, Jonathan broke into a tired smile. "Thank you Alanna. I had hoped that you would see things my way. I didn't want to have to argue with you, you're too good with a sword." The three laughed, then ordered lunch. After it arrived, they dug in with gusto.
Alanna wasn't finished with her talk though, "Why is it only going to be Gary, you and me? What about Raoul? He is known as the "Giantkiller"."
"I know, Alanna, and I wanted him to be able to come also, but he is in charge of a company of the King's Own. You and Gary work on your own more, and taking him away for half of a year would influence a lot more people, than you taking the leave." Jon explained.
Alanna sighed, and returned to her lunch. She missed Raoul, not having seen him for a while, and had hoped she would be able to sometime soon. "Oh well," she thought, "I've never been able to choose everything coming my way, and the King's Own does need him."
As they finished their lunches, Jon remembered something. "Can you two please be ready to leave by Wednesday?" Noticing Alanna's wide-eyed look, he clarified, "Yes, Alanna, this Wednesday, as in 4 days from now."
"Jon! I was planning on being able to take a ride home before we left, I need to see George and the children, and I can't really manage a trip there and back in four days!"
"Alanna," he said, his voice was strained. "Please..." he trailed off.
Then Alanna noticed lines in his face that hadn't been there weeks before, and felt a bit bad. Of course he would be away from his partner and children too. 'Yes,' spoke a nasty part of her mind, 'but they knew that when he would be leaving, your family had no idea that they wouldn't see you for months.' She toyed with her fork, getting control of her emotions. "It will be fine, I guess..."
"It can't be that bad," Jon argued. "At least you two will be able to talk, you both have the gift, you can communicate through fires."
"Well, yes," Alanna admitted reluctantly, "but talking to someone through the fire isn't the same as being with them, being able to touch and smell them. But it will be okay, I can do this, we've spent six months apart before, why should this time be any different?"
"Alanna, thank you for understanding. I don't really like leaving this soon either, but it's either leave now and miss the snows, or lollygag now and possibly be caught in a blizzard coming home."
Alanna remembered the last time she had been stuck in a blizzard, and reluctantly agreed with Jonathan. If he waited, there would always be one more thing that needed to be done before they could leave. Now that they were certain that all aspects of the trip had been planned out, the talked about matters that had nothing to do with politics - a welcome change for Jonathan.
Alanna talked about her children. Alianne, Alanna's daughter, didn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. Alianne was interested in clothes, boys, and parties, which were three things that her mother disliked the most. Still, Alianne was a sweet girl, and had been well-educated. Just because she wasn't interested in warfare, didn't mean that she didn't learn. From George, she learned all of the more underhanded tricks, and from Alanna, she learned about court, even though she knew that it was a very biased view.
Thom, Alanna's younger son, did want to become a knight. He had been trained by George in knife fighting and wrestling, and by Alanna for things that would help him become a good knight. However, he was a bit quiet, and didn't take to learning the way his sister had. Alanna sighed.
"Come on now, Alanna! You can't expect your children to be perfect now, can you?" Judging from Alanna's face, Gary realized that she had. "You aren't perfect, why should your children be?" Alanna gave Gary a withering glare, then laughed. She knew that she wasn't perfect; her temper was living proof.
The rest of the lunch passed uneventfully. "Now, remember to meet me at the stables at nine on Wednesday morning, if I don't see you before then." Jonathan reminded Alanna and Gary.
Alanna rolled her eyes. "Yes, Father."
Jon smirked. "You didn't used to call me father."
"You didn't used to treat me like a child!" Alanna retorted. Gary could smell the electricity in the air. Alanna and Jon really didn't need to make a scene in the Dancing Dove. Gary quietly ushered Alanna towards the exit, Jon following behind.
On the way back to the palace, Gary rode in the middle, separating Alanna and Jon...and their tongues. He made polite conversation, and Alanna and Jon knew better that to bait each other. "It's going to be a long trip," Gary thought to himself and sighed.
-----
That night, Alanna tried to contact George through the fire, but he didn't respond. "He must not be in bed yet...or else he's asleep," she thought, and decided to try later. She cleaned her teeth and changed into her nightshirt, then tried again. Still no response. She climbed in bed with a sigh. He must already have been asleep, she told herself, and drifted off into a strange sleep. One minute she thought that she was dreaming, the next she thought that she was awake, but she was never quite sure.
Once, she awoke and saw George standing at the foot of her bed. Not saying anything, just standing and watching her. There waes no hint of a smile on his lips, and the normal mischeviousness in his eyes was hidden from Alanna. She sat up and called to him, but still got no response. As she reached towards him, he slowly faded, leaving her alone.
Finally, the sun crept over the horizon, releasing Alanna from bed. She rolled out of bed, and went to the bath houses to bathe. She got out feeling lazy, but refreshed. She dressed simply. She had no one to impress today, but strapped Lightning securely at her waist, she knew better than to leave anywhere without it.
She got to the mess hall just in time to see Gary sit down. She quickly got some food and went to sit with him. They ate in a comfortable silence. Gary had never been a morning person. When they were done eating, they went out to the practice areas. It wasn't a cold morning, it was just brisk. Even though Alanna hated the cold, she liked the feeling of the cool air on her bare arms. She wouldn't be hot for long.
She and Gary went through a few practice bouts to warm up. Alanna loved the feeling she got of having the blade in her control, and knowing that her body would do what she demanded of it. Their fencing got more intense, and by the time they were finished, both were drenched in sweat. Alanna clapped a hand on Gary's shoulder - or what she could reach of it. "What do you say we go into the city for midday?" Alanna suggested. "But I need another bath first..."
Gary laughed. "I'll meet you by your rooms in, what? An hour?"
"Sounds good," Alanna said and trotted off towards the baths - for the second time that day.
------
A/N : Thank yous! I really want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, I know the plot hasn't really gotten started yet, but I DO know what's going to happen, and I like it so far. I'm also working on two other fics, read them please if you get the chance! (After Scanra, Before Love, and Unrest in the Desert)
So, thank you to :
thekeeperofwords : I fixed your little problem in this chapter, and besides if he had gone, it would have caused too much...friction(?) later. If he went, I'd have had to kill him off...just kidding! Sort of.
jjread : I know that it's not very exciting yet, the plot is yet to come. In the next chapter or so.
Clarylissa : I think that my story is supposed to be odd...I haven't seen any like it on ff.net...but it will get better! I promise!
Jen : Thank you! Just thank you! hehe. I was wondering if Alanna was...Alanna enough.
Jilla Kala : Thank you...I'm trying to keep writing. hehe.
