I'm BACK! And guess what?!?!?!? IT'S SUMMER VACATION!!!! Actually it's been summer vacation for a while now but yeah... Anyway. Guess what else? It's suppose to be 90 degrees tomorrow AND it's my birthday in only a few days! On July 7th I'll be 15 years old! Go me! I'll be able to get my drivers permit! Whoot!

Anywho, now that I have thoroughly bored you with my personal life I shall get on to the Thank-you's.

Cassa-Andra: Thanks for reviewing! You rock. Yeah, sorry about the spelling thing. And of COURSE it will be Alanna George! That is the best kind there is!!!

Bridget: YAY! You rock! I'm glad that you like my humble fic. I thought it would be funny to see the typical Alanna at the convent have a little twist. I hope that this next chapter is as good if not better than the last two!!! Thanks again.

mUd: Ah short and sweet. I promise you that I will write more, in fact that is what I am doing right now! Thanks!

EVERYONE: PLEASE review! It boosts my very small and fragile ego!!!

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" Alanna!" Madame Delcia snapped at her the next morning. Alanna looked up from her food in confusion.

" Slurping is the number one way to get yourself ridiculed and thrown out at court. You may leave now." Alanna who had only had one bite of soup wanted to protest but seeing the look on the head mistresses face she bit back a scathing reply.



The next class they had was sewing. The mistress showed Alanna how to thread it-after she admitted that she had never threaded a needle-in a scornful way and left her.

Alanna looked down at the simple pattern on her lap or a tulip and a sun above it.

She stabbed the needle in the cloth and poked her hand on the other side. Alanna let out a curse that she had learned from Corum back at Trebond.

Alanna looked up in time to see Madame Delicia faint in horror and all the other girls look at her in either distaste or sympathy as one of the mistresses lead her away saying she would not being have lunch that day.

Alanna was left in her room to "think over her sins". She sunk onto her bed and bit back the tears that threatened to fall.

She had to get out. She couldn't breath in this stuffy room. She pried open the window. She clambered out as well as her tight dress would allow her too.

I'm only TEN years old! She thought rebelliously to herself. I don't need to know how to get a husband. I want to fight.

She made her way to the stable and peeked inside. She didn't see anyone. She went in and look in at the horses.

She put her hand out to a small black pony who sniffed her and snorted before going back to her feed.

" I wish I was a horse." Alanna said out loud to herself, " Then I wouldn't have to wear this ridicules dress. I can't breath." She grumbled then she froze when she heard a muffled laugh.

Alanna whirled around to see the stable boy that had taken her pony when she had first gotten her.

" What's 'ye name?" He asked her. He was small and had sandy blond hair, and hazel eyes.

Alanna didn't answer instead she demanded,

" Are you going to tell on me? 'Cause I'm not gonna tell you if you are." The boy shook his head so Alanna said, " I'm Alanna of Trebond. Who are you?" The boy gestured for her to sit down next to her on the hay bail and said,

" I'm Dale. Dale Pane. 'Ye like it? This place, I mean." Alanna grimaced and Dale laughed at her expression. A bell rang from inside the building.

" I better go." Alanna hesitated then asked, " Can I come back sometime?" The boy nodded and Alanna grinned and rushed back to the convent.

Alanna hurried back into her room as fast as she could so she would not get caught. Unfortunatly, not fast enough. Madame Delia stood there with her arms crossed as Alanna jumped/fell down from the window.

That meant only one thing: No dinner for her that day. And a days worth of clothes mending as punishment, and more after that for doing her stitches wrong.

About a week later Alanna was finally able to sneak out of the stuffy convent and hurried down to the stable again in hopes of seeing Dale. She peaked around the corner before going into the stable to check if anyone was there. Not seeing anyone Alanna walked into the barn. She looked around and thought she heard a voice in the loft. So pulling up her skirts she hoisted herself onto the ladder and up into the loft.

There, she saw three large boys smoking. She popped her head all the way up and one of the boys let out a shriek. Alanna stifled a laugh as all the boys jumped to their feet.

" I'm lookin' for Dale." She said, greatfully dropping her lady-like language, " You seen 'im?" Two of the boys looked at the one boy. He was the same size as the other boys, but he seemed larger. He had a commanding sort of look to him. He sneered at Alanna's fancy dress and snarled,

" What 'cho wan' with 'im? Come 't spy on us?" Alanna eyed him with distaste and spit at his feet, with aim that would have made Coram- the man who taught her everything she knew about spitting and much much more- proud.

" Don't think so high and mighty of yourself. What I came down 'ere for is none 'o your business. Now is it?"

The boys clenched their fists and the biggest boy stepped forward and grabbed her by the front of her shirt.

" I would think ye would be treatin' me wiv more respect. You'd best start doin' so now, girly or ye'll be sorry."

Alanna yanked herself out of his grasp and punched him hard in the face. Then cursed as she forgot the number one important rule to punching: Do NOT put your thumb inside the fist or you'll pay. And pay she did. Alanna felt the bone in her head crack.

Then she looked up and the last thing she saw was a fist coming straight at her.



"Alanna! Are you all right?" Alanna moaned and asked,

" Thom? Is that you?" She opened her eyes and Dale swam into focus above her.

" What happened?" She asked stiffly through what she suspected was a broken nose. If the blood dripping down her front was any sign.

" One 'o Pete's lads hit ye in the face, and knocked ye off the loft. Ye landed on ye're head. I figgered that ye could check it wiv ye're Gift when ye woke up."

Alanna jumped and found Dale sitting next to her on a hay bale. Alanna looked at him startled and asked,

" How did you know I had the Gift?" Dale laughed. And asked her,

" Ye think ye're the only one wiv the Gift? I got the Sight. So I knew the instant I saw ye that ye had the Gift. And in abundance as well."

Alanna nodded stiffly and asked,

" What time is it? How long have I been layin here?"

" Oh, 'bout two hours give or take." Alanna grimaced and tried to get up,

" I'm gonna get my hide tanned if I don't get back in that hell hole." She gasped as she felt fire run through her body and fell back, biting her lip to keep from shrieking.

" I suppose I ought to 'ave told ye that ye're ribs are probably broken, shouldn't I?" Dale said with a rueful shrug. And with a last nod Alanna passed out again.

When she woke again she knew three things she was lying in a bed, her body was healed, and she was starving. She sat up and a nurse rushed over to her with a bowl of stew that smelled better than anything Alanna had ever smelled before. She knew it probably was only because she was so hungry but she didn't care.

After she had scarfed down the food and drank a pitcher of water she took a deep breath and looked at the nurse who smiled down at her and handed her another tankard of water.

" You took a beating, didn't you lass?" Alanna nodded and drowned the second tankard in one gulp.

" What day is it?" She asked as her voice cracked from dryness. The nurse answered,

" Three days since you took such a beating. My son Dale brought you in here."

" Dale's your son?" Alanna asked and the nurse nodded then said,

" Where have my manners gone? I'm Rita. Rita Pane." Alanna reached up and shook the woman's warm hand then asked,

" How much trouble do you think I'm gonna be in?" Rita shook her head and said,

" I don't really know but my guess is a lot." Alanna groaned, "Well, it could be worse child. You got out lucky. A broken nose, a concussion, and two broken ribs. But you'll be all right."

Alanna nodded and stood slowly. Rita handed her a gown and shift. Alanna grimaced and pulled them on muttering,

" I wouldn't have fallen if I had been wearing breeches." Rita laughed, then told Alanna she was free to go and to go to the sewing room. Then she left to take care of another patient.

*Well,* Alanna thought to herself, * Not exactly a great way to start out the beginning of my years here, but at least I have a friend... I think.*

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AN- Well, what's the verdict? Good bad? Great awful? I know this chapter was a little slow but I tried my best. I figured that even though she is becoming a lady she should still have a few enemies! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! If you do I'll give you a cookie!