A/N: Thanks for being patient and stuff...um...ya...I've been having
literally a ton of homework every day (even on the weekends!!) so I have
been having trouble finding time to write...
Two days had passed since their classroom studies, and Tom, Phi, and Alex were sitting in the Dinning Hall eating breakfast (they had finally gotten used to the bell schedule and were actually able to make it down stairs in time for breakfast today...), when King Jonathan walked out of a room and onto a raised platform at the end of the hall. Instantly the entire room went silent with respect for the monarch, who cleared his throat and said, "I wish to inform all the first year pages that they will be going on their annual survival trip a little early this year..."
Devic turned to Phi and whispered, "Really early... most of the other pages go at the end of a training year, so they have all the skills they will need..."
Phi was about to ask him what skills they were supposed to have, when the king decided to continue his speech, "You will be riding out and meeting the King's Own," the room grew silent again, "and learning what happens in battle when they defend Tortall from the Scanran troops that, as you probably all know, are advancing on our capital. You won't be fighting of course, just observing. Your training instructor has informed me that he will keep you at a safe distance away from the battle, and he wished me to allow you first years to go so you can get an experience which, unfortunately, many of our older pages and squires all ready have."
Excited whispers spread through the hall and some of the older pages and squires looked enviously at the younger ones, obviously wanting to witness the famed King's Own in action. Tom, however, looked a little dubious, "Is that really a good idea? To take a bunch of ten and eleven year olds, not to mention a fifteen year old and a seventeen year old into battle like that?"
Phi turned to him and grinned, "What? You don't plan on going?"
He looked at her, "Noooo...Personally, I don't take a lot of delight in seeing people getting slashed into ribbons...besides, things are just beginning to get really interesting in Numair's study. He thinks he might have found a way to get us back home..."
Alex looked down at his plate, "It's gonna be weird going back, ya know? Speaking english again, riding in cars, seeing concrete, flushing toilets...hmm...actually, it might be kinda nice to get back home."
Jonathan walked back out of the room, and the excited whispers turned into excited yelling. The three teens excused themselves then walked back upstairs because Phi and Alex needed to pack and Tom just didn't have anything else to do for once. Devic caught up with them at the top of the stairs, "Hey! Phi, Alex! You just missed HaMich telling us that we're heading out tomorrow, so we had better get our gear together."
"That's what we're just about to do...what exactly will we need to take?"
Devic thought for a moment, then said, "Well...my older brother was a page and he told me that when they went out, they brought a bed roll, a few shelters for the trainers and guests, and each person carried a bag of food, a change of clothing, and they rode in their armor with their gear tied to their horses."
Phi looked at Alex, "...Did you catch any of that?"
"Not after the 'my older brother was a page...' part."
Tom shook his head, "It sounds like all you need is a sleeping bag, one tent, an extra pair of clothing, and some food."
"Oh...thanks Devic! Are we still having lessons today?"
"Nope. Lessons are cancelled so we can get ready. It's not just the packing that takes time. You'll also probably want to eat all the food you can get your hands on and get a lot of rest, because I hear the food is awful and we have to ride for hours without breaks so our bottoms will get really sore."
Phi looked at the boy, "Sounds like...fun... We'll meet you at dinner then!" she turned to Alex and Tom, "I guess we should start."
Alex nodded and the three walked up the stairs and into their rooms.
***
Phi started when the dinner bell rang. She had been taking Devic's advice and had spent the last two hours napping. She looked over at her packed bag. Tom and Alex had been by earlier, making sure that she was finished, claiming that they wanted to make sure she was packing light because they knew how much girls hated to rough it. She grinned as she remembered that it had turned out that her bag was smaller than theirs!
She walked out of her room and met her brother and Alex in the hall. From Tom's dishelved hair, she guessed that they had been napping too.
Together they walked down to the first floor of the palace, along the way meeting some of the other pages and squires that were coming down for supper. Alex kept joking that the trip would be like Lord of the Flies and that the pages would revolt against HaMich and become wild savages and paint their faces. Phi and Tom laughed and a few of the other pages wanted to know what was so funny. Fortunately, before the teens had to explain what they were laughing at they ran into Kel at the front of the Dinning Hall, "So, I hear that two of you are going on the trip tomorrow."
Phi smiled, "Ya...Do you have any advice for us?"
Kel grimaced, "Never tell anyone your afraid of heights...Oh! I almost forgot! You're going to meet up with the King's Own, are you not?" they nodded, "Good. That should be Raoul's squad. Dom should be there if you need anything."
Tom grinned, "That's good to know; who knows what evils these two will wreak upon the poor, unsuspecting pages!" Kel looked a little alarmed and he laughed, "I'm only joking! I think..."
The three waved good-bye to Kel and went into the Dinning Hall so Alex and Phi could enjoy their last meal in the palace before they went.
A/N: If you can't tell... this story's a little shorter than the other ones. But I have noticed that I tend to be procrastinating more often these days, probably from homework, or maybe just laziness...who knows...well, I do, but for my own personal safety I won't tell. I've decided to try something new. I'm going to write shorter chapters, but write more often! I promise to anyone who's still reading this, that I WILL finish this story, in case any of you are wondering...(that is, of course, if any of you are still reading...).
Two days had passed since their classroom studies, and Tom, Phi, and Alex were sitting in the Dinning Hall eating breakfast (they had finally gotten used to the bell schedule and were actually able to make it down stairs in time for breakfast today...), when King Jonathan walked out of a room and onto a raised platform at the end of the hall. Instantly the entire room went silent with respect for the monarch, who cleared his throat and said, "I wish to inform all the first year pages that they will be going on their annual survival trip a little early this year..."
Devic turned to Phi and whispered, "Really early... most of the other pages go at the end of a training year, so they have all the skills they will need..."
Phi was about to ask him what skills they were supposed to have, when the king decided to continue his speech, "You will be riding out and meeting the King's Own," the room grew silent again, "and learning what happens in battle when they defend Tortall from the Scanran troops that, as you probably all know, are advancing on our capital. You won't be fighting of course, just observing. Your training instructor has informed me that he will keep you at a safe distance away from the battle, and he wished me to allow you first years to go so you can get an experience which, unfortunately, many of our older pages and squires all ready have."
Excited whispers spread through the hall and some of the older pages and squires looked enviously at the younger ones, obviously wanting to witness the famed King's Own in action. Tom, however, looked a little dubious, "Is that really a good idea? To take a bunch of ten and eleven year olds, not to mention a fifteen year old and a seventeen year old into battle like that?"
Phi turned to him and grinned, "What? You don't plan on going?"
He looked at her, "Noooo...Personally, I don't take a lot of delight in seeing people getting slashed into ribbons...besides, things are just beginning to get really interesting in Numair's study. He thinks he might have found a way to get us back home..."
Alex looked down at his plate, "It's gonna be weird going back, ya know? Speaking english again, riding in cars, seeing concrete, flushing toilets...hmm...actually, it might be kinda nice to get back home."
Jonathan walked back out of the room, and the excited whispers turned into excited yelling. The three teens excused themselves then walked back upstairs because Phi and Alex needed to pack and Tom just didn't have anything else to do for once. Devic caught up with them at the top of the stairs, "Hey! Phi, Alex! You just missed HaMich telling us that we're heading out tomorrow, so we had better get our gear together."
"That's what we're just about to do...what exactly will we need to take?"
Devic thought for a moment, then said, "Well...my older brother was a page and he told me that when they went out, they brought a bed roll, a few shelters for the trainers and guests, and each person carried a bag of food, a change of clothing, and they rode in their armor with their gear tied to their horses."
Phi looked at Alex, "...Did you catch any of that?"
"Not after the 'my older brother was a page...' part."
Tom shook his head, "It sounds like all you need is a sleeping bag, one tent, an extra pair of clothing, and some food."
"Oh...thanks Devic! Are we still having lessons today?"
"Nope. Lessons are cancelled so we can get ready. It's not just the packing that takes time. You'll also probably want to eat all the food you can get your hands on and get a lot of rest, because I hear the food is awful and we have to ride for hours without breaks so our bottoms will get really sore."
Phi looked at the boy, "Sounds like...fun... We'll meet you at dinner then!" she turned to Alex and Tom, "I guess we should start."
Alex nodded and the three walked up the stairs and into their rooms.
***
Phi started when the dinner bell rang. She had been taking Devic's advice and had spent the last two hours napping. She looked over at her packed bag. Tom and Alex had been by earlier, making sure that she was finished, claiming that they wanted to make sure she was packing light because they knew how much girls hated to rough it. She grinned as she remembered that it had turned out that her bag was smaller than theirs!
She walked out of her room and met her brother and Alex in the hall. From Tom's dishelved hair, she guessed that they had been napping too.
Together they walked down to the first floor of the palace, along the way meeting some of the other pages and squires that were coming down for supper. Alex kept joking that the trip would be like Lord of the Flies and that the pages would revolt against HaMich and become wild savages and paint their faces. Phi and Tom laughed and a few of the other pages wanted to know what was so funny. Fortunately, before the teens had to explain what they were laughing at they ran into Kel at the front of the Dinning Hall, "So, I hear that two of you are going on the trip tomorrow."
Phi smiled, "Ya...Do you have any advice for us?"
Kel grimaced, "Never tell anyone your afraid of heights...Oh! I almost forgot! You're going to meet up with the King's Own, are you not?" they nodded, "Good. That should be Raoul's squad. Dom should be there if you need anything."
Tom grinned, "That's good to know; who knows what evils these two will wreak upon the poor, unsuspecting pages!" Kel looked a little alarmed and he laughed, "I'm only joking! I think..."
The three waved good-bye to Kel and went into the Dinning Hall so Alex and Phi could enjoy their last meal in the palace before they went.
A/N: If you can't tell... this story's a little shorter than the other ones. But I have noticed that I tend to be procrastinating more often these days, probably from homework, or maybe just laziness...who knows...well, I do, but for my own personal safety I won't tell. I've decided to try something new. I'm going to write shorter chapters, but write more often! I promise to anyone who's still reading this, that I WILL finish this story, in case any of you are wondering...(that is, of course, if any of you are still reading...).
