A/N this is my first Tamora Pierce fanfic, so be critical. My stupid school
taught us to like critisism and now I won't take anything less. It's weird,
but oh well.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Tessa so far.
Tessa smiled as she sat down to eat her lunch, gracefully spreading her medieval style skirt around her. She was just getting off of her shift teaching the little kids how to use a bow and arrow at the Medieval Fair in her town. Tessa sighed. 'I wish it could be like this always,' she thought. 'Medieval times are so much fun. Oh, wait! I wish I could be in the Tortall series by Tamora Pierce! That would be fun!'
Tessa sighed again and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and reached way down inside of her, to the little spark of stuff that was Tessa, and Tessa was it. She felt it and pushed with all of her might. Suddenly, she felt a great wrenching, as if some almighty thing was pulling her. She was afraid to open her eyes. Eventually, about the time when Tessa felt like she was about ready to explode, the feeling stopped and Tessa opened her eyes. She definitely was not where she had just been. Instead, she seemed to be outside of a pub of some sort, entitled The Dancing Dove. The name rang a bell inside her head, but she ignored it for now. Instantly, a wave of sickness overcame her. 'I've got to get some medical attention,' she thought as her stomache began to heave. 'Or a toilet.' And hurried into the pub.
She walked in a few steps and leant against the wall, forcing the sickness back long enough for her to find some answers. She stood up tall and strait and walked into the main room of the pub. A wave of noise greeted her. Tessa flung a hand to her head and proceeded to look around for some management. The first sign was of a woman, a rather top-heavy red head, who was telling off a group of men in the corner for, as far as Tessa could tell, having to much to drink and helping themselves to more young ladies than was respectable. Tessa decided to wait until the woman had moved away from those men to approach her.
"Excuse me, ma'am? Could you please tell me where I am?" Tessa asked politely, trying her bet to imitate the native accent.
"Oh, hello, dear. I didn't see you there. Now what was that you said?" the woman asked kindly. Tessa felt another wave of sickness overtake her. She forced it back down as quickly as possible.
"Uh, could we go someplace a little more quiet? It's kinda loud in here," Tessa asked nervously.
"Of course, dear," the woman replied and lead her into a small room in one of the corners that Tessa hadn't noticed before. "Now what was that you said? I'm Rispah, by the way."
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I am."
If the woman (Rispah, did she say it was? Once again, a little bell rang in Tessa's head, and once again, she forced it away for now) thought anything strange of this comment, she kept it to herself. "This is the Dancing Dove Pub in Corus City, Capital of the Kingdom of Tortall," she replied.
Tessa's eyes widened and she fell heavily into a chair. "Tortall, did you say?" she asked faintly.
"Yes, dear. Now what is your name, and where are you from?" Rispah asked, apparently unfazed by Tessa's odd behavior. Suddenly it all became clear. The Dancing Dove was the pub in Corus that The King of the Rouge once lived at, and Rispah was his cousin, the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge. Tessa had to make up something and fast.
"Uh, I'm Tessy from a small fief northeast of here called Hunter's Ridge," she replied nervously, trying to remember if it had ever mentioned Rispah having the magical Gift in any of the books. She didn't think so, but Tessa wasn't sure.
"Listen. There's been an emergency of some sort back at my village. They sent me here to find someone who could take me to Numair Salmalin. It's very important. Can you help me?" Tessa made up and pretended to explain panickly.
"What sort of emergency?" Rispah asked, her eyes narrowing.
"They didn't tell me. The village just told me to come here and find Numair Salmalin immediately," the lies slid easily off of Tessa's tongue. "Can you find a way for me to meet him?"
Rispah looked at Tessa closely and sighed "Yes, Tessy, I do know a way. It will take a while, but I can get you a meeting with Numair," she said. "I'm busy today, but I can help you tomorrow or so."
That plan presented a problem, Tessa realized.
"Um, ma'am? I don't have any money for lodgings," she explained nervously, afraid that Rispah wouldn't be able to help her.
"Don't worry, Chicklet. You can stay here for a while until you find some more permanent lodgings or you get your little mess straitened out."
"That would be wonderful, thank you so much!" Tessa said excitedly.
"Here. Let me show you to your room," Rispah said with a smile. When they got to the room that was going to be Tessa's, Rispah handed her a key.
"This key has been spelled. No one goes in or out of your room without your say-so," Rispah explained. "But if you lose the key and someone else picks it up, they can come into your room," Rispah thought for a moment. "Why don't you go inside and start to make yourself at home? I'll be right back in a moment." She turned and left. Tessa headed into her new room and immediately made a lunge for the toilet. When she was done being sick, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and heard the door open. She looked through the door and saw Rispah standing in the door holding a string on one hand and tucking something into her apron pocket with the other.
"Hey! I thought no one could get in here unless I gave them permission!" Tessa exclaimed, having been unnerved after being transported to a (supposedly) fictional place.
"Calm down, Chicklet. I have a companion key. Speaking of which, let me see yours."
"No! Why?" Tessa shouted. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge.
"I'm not going to take it, Chicklet," Rispah said, thoroughly amused. "I am going to thread this string through it though, so you can wear it around your neck."
"Oh. Okay. Sorry. I was raised not to trust anyone. By the way, what is that you keep calling me?"
"'Chicklet'. It's because you remind me of a newborn chick. Lost and confused and a bit jittery." Rispah explained. Tessa decided to take it as a compliment.
"Why don't you get some rest? It's going to be a long day tomorrow," Rispah said kindly. Suddenly her face came over with realization. "Oh! You don't have any clothes, do you Chicklet?"
Tessa shook her head.
"Well, for tonight you'll have to sleep in your under things. Give me your clothes and I'll wash them for you. Also, I'll cut a couple of my things down until you get the chance to go shopping."
Tessa smiled gratefully and murmured a 'Thank you'. She stripped off her clothes and handed them to the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge. Tessa climbed into bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. A/N long chapter, I know, but oh well (I've noticed I say that a lot). The next one will be shorter. ~ Sugar High
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Tessa so far.
Tessa smiled as she sat down to eat her lunch, gracefully spreading her medieval style skirt around her. She was just getting off of her shift teaching the little kids how to use a bow and arrow at the Medieval Fair in her town. Tessa sighed. 'I wish it could be like this always,' she thought. 'Medieval times are so much fun. Oh, wait! I wish I could be in the Tortall series by Tamora Pierce! That would be fun!'
Tessa sighed again and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and reached way down inside of her, to the little spark of stuff that was Tessa, and Tessa was it. She felt it and pushed with all of her might. Suddenly, she felt a great wrenching, as if some almighty thing was pulling her. She was afraid to open her eyes. Eventually, about the time when Tessa felt like she was about ready to explode, the feeling stopped and Tessa opened her eyes. She definitely was not where she had just been. Instead, she seemed to be outside of a pub of some sort, entitled The Dancing Dove. The name rang a bell inside her head, but she ignored it for now. Instantly, a wave of sickness overcame her. 'I've got to get some medical attention,' she thought as her stomache began to heave. 'Or a toilet.' And hurried into the pub.
She walked in a few steps and leant against the wall, forcing the sickness back long enough for her to find some answers. She stood up tall and strait and walked into the main room of the pub. A wave of noise greeted her. Tessa flung a hand to her head and proceeded to look around for some management. The first sign was of a woman, a rather top-heavy red head, who was telling off a group of men in the corner for, as far as Tessa could tell, having to much to drink and helping themselves to more young ladies than was respectable. Tessa decided to wait until the woman had moved away from those men to approach her.
"Excuse me, ma'am? Could you please tell me where I am?" Tessa asked politely, trying her bet to imitate the native accent.
"Oh, hello, dear. I didn't see you there. Now what was that you said?" the woman asked kindly. Tessa felt another wave of sickness overtake her. She forced it back down as quickly as possible.
"Uh, could we go someplace a little more quiet? It's kinda loud in here," Tessa asked nervously.
"Of course, dear," the woman replied and lead her into a small room in one of the corners that Tessa hadn't noticed before. "Now what was that you said? I'm Rispah, by the way."
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I am."
If the woman (Rispah, did she say it was? Once again, a little bell rang in Tessa's head, and once again, she forced it away for now) thought anything strange of this comment, she kept it to herself. "This is the Dancing Dove Pub in Corus City, Capital of the Kingdom of Tortall," she replied.
Tessa's eyes widened and she fell heavily into a chair. "Tortall, did you say?" she asked faintly.
"Yes, dear. Now what is your name, and where are you from?" Rispah asked, apparently unfazed by Tessa's odd behavior. Suddenly it all became clear. The Dancing Dove was the pub in Corus that The King of the Rouge once lived at, and Rispah was his cousin, the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge. Tessa had to make up something and fast.
"Uh, I'm Tessy from a small fief northeast of here called Hunter's Ridge," she replied nervously, trying to remember if it had ever mentioned Rispah having the magical Gift in any of the books. She didn't think so, but Tessa wasn't sure.
"Listen. There's been an emergency of some sort back at my village. They sent me here to find someone who could take me to Numair Salmalin. It's very important. Can you help me?" Tessa made up and pretended to explain panickly.
"What sort of emergency?" Rispah asked, her eyes narrowing.
"They didn't tell me. The village just told me to come here and find Numair Salmalin immediately," the lies slid easily off of Tessa's tongue. "Can you find a way for me to meet him?"
Rispah looked at Tessa closely and sighed "Yes, Tessy, I do know a way. It will take a while, but I can get you a meeting with Numair," she said. "I'm busy today, but I can help you tomorrow or so."
That plan presented a problem, Tessa realized.
"Um, ma'am? I don't have any money for lodgings," she explained nervously, afraid that Rispah wouldn't be able to help her.
"Don't worry, Chicklet. You can stay here for a while until you find some more permanent lodgings or you get your little mess straitened out."
"That would be wonderful, thank you so much!" Tessa said excitedly.
"Here. Let me show you to your room," Rispah said with a smile. When they got to the room that was going to be Tessa's, Rispah handed her a key.
"This key has been spelled. No one goes in or out of your room without your say-so," Rispah explained. "But if you lose the key and someone else picks it up, they can come into your room," Rispah thought for a moment. "Why don't you go inside and start to make yourself at home? I'll be right back in a moment." She turned and left. Tessa headed into her new room and immediately made a lunge for the toilet. When she was done being sick, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and heard the door open. She looked through the door and saw Rispah standing in the door holding a string on one hand and tucking something into her apron pocket with the other.
"Hey! I thought no one could get in here unless I gave them permission!" Tessa exclaimed, having been unnerved after being transported to a (supposedly) fictional place.
"Calm down, Chicklet. I have a companion key. Speaking of which, let me see yours."
"No! Why?" Tessa shouted. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge.
"I'm not going to take it, Chicklet," Rispah said, thoroughly amused. "I am going to thread this string through it though, so you can wear it around your neck."
"Oh. Okay. Sorry. I was raised not to trust anyone. By the way, what is that you keep calling me?"
"'Chicklet'. It's because you remind me of a newborn chick. Lost and confused and a bit jittery." Rispah explained. Tessa decided to take it as a compliment.
"Why don't you get some rest? It's going to be a long day tomorrow," Rispah said kindly. Suddenly her face came over with realization. "Oh! You don't have any clothes, do you Chicklet?"
Tessa shook her head.
"Well, for tonight you'll have to sleep in your under things. Give me your clothes and I'll wash them for you. Also, I'll cut a couple of my things down until you get the chance to go shopping."
Tessa smiled gratefully and murmured a 'Thank you'. She stripped off her clothes and handed them to the Queen of the Ladies of the Rouge. Tessa climbed into bed and was asleep before her head hit the pillow. A/N long chapter, I know, but oh well (I've noticed I say that a lot). The next one will be shorter. ~ Sugar High