A/N: ah, there is a plot now, so the going will be easier! Expect more, soon! Read fast, and reveiw even quicker!! Jonathan of Conte, the King of Tortall was behind his desk when Alanna and Raoul came to call. His bright blue eyes were tired and his jet black hair was laced with streaks of silver. He was nearing fifty, true, but he felt much older.
"Alanna! Raoul! George!" Jon leapt up from behind his desk to greet his friends. The four, along with Duke Gareth of Naxen the Younger-the Prime Minister-had been the best of friends while they were earning their shields (except for George, who was the King of the Rouge). "What brings you here?" Noting the serious looks on both their faces, Jon frowned.
"You should know perfectly well, my King," Raoul told him as he performed a mock bow. Jon clapped him on the arm, and gave Alanna a peck on the cheek. "I told you that I wanted to tell Alanna all I know, not have you go telling her falsehoods that differ from the truth!" Jon scolded, shoulders slumped.
"I'd rather what I knew wasn't the truth," Alanna replied simply. "It's a nightmare."
"That it is," Raoul groaned. "I didn't lie to her Jon, you know I wouldn't."
"Ah, I know, I just wish it was all a dream, myself." Jon rubbed his temples. He didn't like what he was about to do, even though he knew he had no other options. After sending his Champion off to Carthak to replace the dead ambassador, (a job she was all but willing to do) he had to send her to Scanra, to retrieve his Jewel! It's too much for anyone, goddess-blessed legend or not, his brain argued. The more sensible half countered it, telling him that it was his only hope. "Alanna, you know what I want you to do," he said finally, pausing for a breath. "I know you don't like it, but you are the Champion, my dear."
Alanna bit her tongue to keep from screaming in outrage. She should have known what was doing, and she should have told him from the start that she was willing. But lack of sleep had dulled her senses, and she hadn't even considered what role in the mess she would play. Come off it! her brain scolded. You could never sit back and watch something like this! They need you, and you'd feel beyond guilty! "You're sending me after the Jewel," she said quietly.
"Alanna, I have no choice! I need the Own to break up the spidrens, and that leaves you." He felt like a horrible person right then. He knew that all Alanna wanted to do was go home, get a good nights sleep, and see her children.
"I know, Jon, I know!" she replied angrily.
"You're taking companions; one squad," Jon said quietly. He didn't know how Alanna would react to this.
"Are you implying that I can't handle it myself? That I'm an old lady?" Alanna snapped, furious. George interrupted, looking at Jon apologetically. "She's been a little touchy on this subject lately." Alanna sent one of her trademark withering glares in her husband's direction.
"I'll compromise," she said sweetly, and shuddered. She hated that word. "I'll pick my companions." Jon gaped at her, open mouthed. "Agreed," he said after a minute, believing he had her beaten. George, however, had seen the wicked twinkle in his wife's eye. "I want Sir Nealen of Queenscove, Raoul, George, Gary, and Numair. Oh, and Lady Kel." Jon opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Numair! I need him! He's the most-" "Powerful mage in the realm, I know. But I need him more than you." "Raoul's the-"
"Knight Commander of the Kings Own, I know. He has plenty of backup. It's this or no one." Alanna grinned at her success.
"Fine." Jon snapped, pounding the table. "You leave tomorrow."
It didn't take long at all to reach Numair. Alanna merely had to go to his room in the castle.
"Hello, Alanna!" Veralidaine Sarasri opened the door to admit the woman into the rooms she shared with the lanky mage. Daine, a young woman blessed with wild magic, was one of Jon's best spies for her ability to shape-shift, and also Numair's lover.
"I need to talk to Numair," Alanna said after greeting her young friend. "It's confidential." Daine made a face, and called him into the room, leaving herself.
Numair entered, tall and tired looking. In his arms he carried Skysong (better known as Kitten), Daine's dragonet. Kitten chirped, delighted to see Alanna.
"I was sleeping," the mage complained, yawning. "Does Jon want me?" The tall man ran his hands through his flyaway brown hair.
"No, I want you," she said, motioning for him to sit. "It's about the Jewel." That seemed to perk Numair up a bit, as he sat, looking interested.
"You need assistance?" he asked, placing Kitten on the ground. "What can I do?" He petted the dragon with his long, elegant fingers.
"Yes. I want you to come with me. Jon's sent me to find it, and I'm not to go alone." Alanna made a face at this, making the man chuckle. "Ah, but I just got home...,"he moaned. "Very well. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow."
"T-TOMORROW? Is Jon insane?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes. "I must pack. I will see you tomorrow, then."
Alanna nodded. "Thanks, Numair."
Alanna visited Neal, and Gary as well, letting Jon contact Kel.
"It beats sitting around, waiting for someone injured to stumble in," Neal sighed. "Of course I'll come."
"Where are we going?" A voice asked. A tall man, with reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes walked in, drying his hands on his healer's robes. Duke Baird of Queenscove, Neal's father and the chief healer at the palace greeted Alanna warmly after nodding to his son.
"After the Dominion Jewel," was Neal's excited answer.
"Jon told me what happened. Neal, I don't think you shoul-"
"Father, all you've done all summer has been to complain about my getting under foot in the infirmary, and why couldn't I find something to do with myself. Now, I've found something to do, and you're forbidding me to engage myself in something other than planning my wedding and you want me here?" Neal yelled outraged. Alanna bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Go, then. But if you get yourself killed, than I will be greatly angered with you, my son." Neal made a face, and nodded to Alanna. "I'll come."
Gary's response was similar to Neal's, but was less willing to leave Corus.
"I don't know, Alanna. I need to help Jon," he began, looking up from his piles of paperwork. Desk knights. Alanna shuddered at the thought of such a fate.
"Yes, but I need you to come with me. Raoul's coming, and so is George." Alanna's husband had agreed to come, leaving old Maude in charge at Pirates Swoop. He was there now, saying good-bye to their children. Alanna was incredibly jealous of this.
"I suppose...." Gary sighed, and the brightened. "It'll be like old times." Alanna grinned. "There's the spirit."
So it was settled. The four knights, spy, and mage were preparing to meet Alanna at the palace gates the next morning, ready to face whatever was coming their way.
A/N: Ooohh, the plot thickens....tell me what you think. I'm on a roll here (4 chapters in 2 days! WOOOOOOO), so Chapter 5 shouldn't be too far off. Hope you've enjoyed it!
A/N: Ha HA! We are getting somewhere now! (a very special thanks to my best friend, a fanfic writer who is currently without any fics, for assisting me in the writing of this chapter. I quote you directly Janie, so be happy!) I'll leave you to imagine the rest, while I cage up my inspiration fo the night, so it doesn't escape, and leave me with no story at all. Ta ta!
"Alanna! Raoul! George!" Jon leapt up from behind his desk to greet his friends. The four, along with Duke Gareth of Naxen the Younger-the Prime Minister-had been the best of friends while they were earning their shields (except for George, who was the King of the Rouge). "What brings you here?" Noting the serious looks on both their faces, Jon frowned.
"You should know perfectly well, my King," Raoul told him as he performed a mock bow. Jon clapped him on the arm, and gave Alanna a peck on the cheek. "I told you that I wanted to tell Alanna all I know, not have you go telling her falsehoods that differ from the truth!" Jon scolded, shoulders slumped.
"I'd rather what I knew wasn't the truth," Alanna replied simply. "It's a nightmare."
"That it is," Raoul groaned. "I didn't lie to her Jon, you know I wouldn't."
"Ah, I know, I just wish it was all a dream, myself." Jon rubbed his temples. He didn't like what he was about to do, even though he knew he had no other options. After sending his Champion off to Carthak to replace the dead ambassador, (a job she was all but willing to do) he had to send her to Scanra, to retrieve his Jewel! It's too much for anyone, goddess-blessed legend or not, his brain argued. The more sensible half countered it, telling him that it was his only hope. "Alanna, you know what I want you to do," he said finally, pausing for a breath. "I know you don't like it, but you are the Champion, my dear."
Alanna bit her tongue to keep from screaming in outrage. She should have known what was doing, and she should have told him from the start that she was willing. But lack of sleep had dulled her senses, and she hadn't even considered what role in the mess she would play. Come off it! her brain scolded. You could never sit back and watch something like this! They need you, and you'd feel beyond guilty! "You're sending me after the Jewel," she said quietly.
"Alanna, I have no choice! I need the Own to break up the spidrens, and that leaves you." He felt like a horrible person right then. He knew that all Alanna wanted to do was go home, get a good nights sleep, and see her children.
"I know, Jon, I know!" she replied angrily.
"You're taking companions; one squad," Jon said quietly. He didn't know how Alanna would react to this.
"Are you implying that I can't handle it myself? That I'm an old lady?" Alanna snapped, furious. George interrupted, looking at Jon apologetically. "She's been a little touchy on this subject lately." Alanna sent one of her trademark withering glares in her husband's direction.
"I'll compromise," she said sweetly, and shuddered. She hated that word. "I'll pick my companions." Jon gaped at her, open mouthed. "Agreed," he said after a minute, believing he had her beaten. George, however, had seen the wicked twinkle in his wife's eye. "I want Sir Nealen of Queenscove, Raoul, George, Gary, and Numair. Oh, and Lady Kel." Jon opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Numair! I need him! He's the most-" "Powerful mage in the realm, I know. But I need him more than you." "Raoul's the-"
"Knight Commander of the Kings Own, I know. He has plenty of backup. It's this or no one." Alanna grinned at her success.
"Fine." Jon snapped, pounding the table. "You leave tomorrow."
It didn't take long at all to reach Numair. Alanna merely had to go to his room in the castle.
"Hello, Alanna!" Veralidaine Sarasri opened the door to admit the woman into the rooms she shared with the lanky mage. Daine, a young woman blessed with wild magic, was one of Jon's best spies for her ability to shape-shift, and also Numair's lover.
"I need to talk to Numair," Alanna said after greeting her young friend. "It's confidential." Daine made a face, and called him into the room, leaving herself.
Numair entered, tall and tired looking. In his arms he carried Skysong (better known as Kitten), Daine's dragonet. Kitten chirped, delighted to see Alanna.
"I was sleeping," the mage complained, yawning. "Does Jon want me?" The tall man ran his hands through his flyaway brown hair.
"No, I want you," she said, motioning for him to sit. "It's about the Jewel." That seemed to perk Numair up a bit, as he sat, looking interested.
"You need assistance?" he asked, placing Kitten on the ground. "What can I do?" He petted the dragon with his long, elegant fingers.
"Yes. I want you to come with me. Jon's sent me to find it, and I'm not to go alone." Alanna made a face at this, making the man chuckle. "Ah, but I just got home...,"he moaned. "Very well. When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow."
"T-TOMORROW? Is Jon insane?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes. "I must pack. I will see you tomorrow, then."
Alanna nodded. "Thanks, Numair."
Alanna visited Neal, and Gary as well, letting Jon contact Kel.
"It beats sitting around, waiting for someone injured to stumble in," Neal sighed. "Of course I'll come."
"Where are we going?" A voice asked. A tall man, with reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes walked in, drying his hands on his healer's robes. Duke Baird of Queenscove, Neal's father and the chief healer at the palace greeted Alanna warmly after nodding to his son.
"After the Dominion Jewel," was Neal's excited answer.
"Jon told me what happened. Neal, I don't think you shoul-"
"Father, all you've done all summer has been to complain about my getting under foot in the infirmary, and why couldn't I find something to do with myself. Now, I've found something to do, and you're forbidding me to engage myself in something other than planning my wedding and you want me here?" Neal yelled outraged. Alanna bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Go, then. But if you get yourself killed, than I will be greatly angered with you, my son." Neal made a face, and nodded to Alanna. "I'll come."
Gary's response was similar to Neal's, but was less willing to leave Corus.
"I don't know, Alanna. I need to help Jon," he began, looking up from his piles of paperwork. Desk knights. Alanna shuddered at the thought of such a fate.
"Yes, but I need you to come with me. Raoul's coming, and so is George." Alanna's husband had agreed to come, leaving old Maude in charge at Pirates Swoop. He was there now, saying good-bye to their children. Alanna was incredibly jealous of this.
"I suppose...." Gary sighed, and the brightened. "It'll be like old times." Alanna grinned. "There's the spirit."
So it was settled. The four knights, spy, and mage were preparing to meet Alanna at the palace gates the next morning, ready to face whatever was coming their way.
A/N: Ooohh, the plot thickens....tell me what you think. I'm on a roll here (4 chapters in 2 days! WOOOOOOO), so Chapter 5 shouldn't be too far off. Hope you've enjoyed it!
A/N: Ha HA! We are getting somewhere now! (a very special thanks to my best friend, a fanfic writer who is currently without any fics, for assisting me in the writing of this chapter. I quote you directly Janie, so be happy!) I'll leave you to imagine the rest, while I cage up my inspiration fo the night, so it doesn't escape, and leave me with no story at all. Ta ta!