The next few weeks began to follow a pattern, she would get up to Nadia, go practice with Lucas, have breakfast with the other ladies, most of which chose to ignore her morning routine or didn't care, did her classes and most of the time ate supper since after the first time she was starved in the morning and no buns Nadia brought could have filled her up, then did a forced herself to do a few strengtheners before sleep and then sleep she did. Only once during the weeks did she ever have a funny night.

Her brother, Thom, was tired. His gift was low – too low for any human, even one as strong as her brother. She looked to see what was taking her brothers energy away determined to stop it before whatever it was hurt her brother even more. The scene confused her, the room smelled of spices and scents normally found in a chapel or church, never to be in a room with sick people. Everyone knows the number one rule in dealing with the sick, Lots of breathing room!!
She looked to see whom her brother was trying to save, and gasped at the boy in the bed. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat that ran all down his face. His eyes were shut but she could see he looked tortured on the inside. There were about 20 thick blankets on him. Good, at least they knew enough to try to sweat the sickness out. She thought. She looked around the room to see another man staring at her. This man was not a priest. He was short and plump, with long brown hair streaked with gray, and a long shaggy beard. His h ose bagged at the knee; his tunic was as rumpled as if he had slept in it. He had a tiny, delicate nose and a shocked look on his face. She was startled – did he actually see her? She shook it off and looked back to the boy in the bed. Alanna grimaced. She was terrified of her magic!!! She couldn't use it here, even if it was a dream!! One of the reasons she never told the Convent that she had the gift was because she feared it so. She looked back at her brother and pain streaked her face – if she didn't do something soon, her brother would use his life force to save the boy, I must do something. Alanna looked at the fire and walked to it. She took the vervaine from her brother's healers pouch and chanted the words.

The fire slowly turned purple; the colour of Alanna's magic.

She screamed. The pain was excruciating. "Please, Mother Goddess, give me strength" she cringed, but then straightened: she would fight this pain. "Give me Strength to fight." She asked again. Power flooded through her system, Alanna knew what she had to do. She stood up and walked to the boy in bed. Touching is clammy forehead she was sent to a place that no living mortal should ever be. She saw the boy; he was on the line of death and living. She could see the Dark God and with courage she didn't know she had looked to him and said, "you can't have him yet, it's not his time." She couldn't say how she knew that, and thought this was someone else talking through her, and for the millionth time that this was the oddest dream she's ever had. "Come with me now, boy." She called, reaching out her hand. The boy, looking at her oddly took it and they both left the dark place, going back to the land of the living. "You did good, my daughter," said a woman's voice. "I'm glad to see that you know what you were brough t here for." Her voice pained Alanna's tired ears. It wasn't a voice meant to be heard by mortals. The boy and Alanna were brought back to the room and he settled in his body, now shivering as he fought the rest of the sickness, now just a normal fever. They should know how to handle that thought Alanna. But as a last resort she sent the knowledge to the man in the room, who shook his head and went to helping the boy. And with her last strength she sent her brother into a normal sleep – he would wake up rejuvenated.

Alanna shot up in her bed. Was that a dream?? She thought, but looking inside herself she saw her gift was almost gone, and she was exhausted. She frowned at looked at the sky; it was almost time for her lessons with Lucas. She stood up, ready for the day when her ears roared and she fell to the ground.

~

Weary eyes opened and saw ceiling. Alanna was lying in her bed. She started to move, "No, Lady, you should stay in bed longer, get more rest." Alanna still too tired to argue, closed her eyes.

"Do you know what happened to her?" asked a deep, melodic voice.

"Nay, I came t' wake her up fer her lessuns, and well she was just layin' on the floor, as if she fell off her bed." Nadia looked at Alanna. "She'll be alright, right Lady?"

The Mother nodded, "she just needs rest, make sure no one disturbs her please. When she awakens she will be famished – could you have food waiting?" Nadia nodded and the Mother left. Alanna drifted again into dreamless sleep.

~

"They said she should wake up any day now!" said a familiar voice. "I want to see her once she's awake."

"Be quiet, Katariina, you'll wake her up!" Said another female voice.

"KAT! Can you say that? I hate my full name. K – A – T."

Alanna smirked and stirred in her bed. She slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to see 3 set of eyes on her: Kat's, Cordelia's and Nadia's.

"Ah! Look what you've done now, chatterbox!" cried Cordelia.

Kat looked down ashamed. "Sorry, Alanna. Did I wake you up?"

Alanna shook her head, "No no, I woke up before I knew you were here. I was just keeping my eyes shut. I think its about time I woke up anyway… how long have I been sleeping?"

"5 days."

Her jaw dropped. "5 DAYS!?! I've been asleep for 5 WHOLE DAYS?" Kat nodded. "Goddess! What did I do to make myself so exhausted?"

"That's 'xactly what we're te ask ye." Replied Nadia. "do ye know what ye were doin' th' last night t'were awake?"

"Uhhmm… no… I don't remember doing anything that would have caused this... except I had a silly dream about my brother and another boy that was rather odd – but it was only a dream was it not?"

The girls shrugged, "Who knows?" Cordelia looked at her, "Well are you feeling well enough to join classes tomorrow? You missed quite a bit of work – you'll be catching up for weeks."

Alanna grimaced, "Can someone remind me why I woke up?"

Nadia laughed, "here ye go, I brought ye some rolls and porridge. It'll fill ye up good and quick."

Until then Alanna didn't notice how hungry she was, now seeing the food she wondered how she lived without it for 5 days. Famished she ate everything on the tray as fast as she could fork the food into her mouth – one of the most un-lady like meals Alanna's ever eaten, although most knew it probably wouldn't be her last.

"So what was this dream about?" Asked Kat, curious. "Do you think it was the reason you were so exhausted?"

"Well it was odd, I've never had a dream like it before, I was suddenly in this room, with a young man in a bed and my twin brother Thom holding out his arm, his gift nearly gone…" Alanna continued explaining the dream to the girls, who couldn't believe it.

"You have the gift?" Cordelia frowned. "Shouldn't you have classes to learn how to use it??"

Alanna blushed. "I- I've been terrified to use it, ever since I was little. I thought if I maybe ignored it – it would go away. I didn't like using it, I always and still do think, that I can't control it – I could hurt someone."

Cordelia shook her head. "No, no, no. when you don't train your gift, that's when people get hurt. You wield your own gift, it doesn't wield you. You had better tell the Mother before you continue classes, now you have to switch a class from this term with one of the next, so you can fit in Gift lessons now – before it gets out of hand."

Alanna nodded, understanding. "Yes, I know. I think I always knew it would come to this, I just didn't want to admit it."

Kat smiled "Well you're alright and that's all that matters. I think you'll have the rest of today to straighten yourself out – and as a warning you might want to think up a story to tell the others, you've turned yourself into quite a topic of gossip. What did Delia tell the others? That she tried to change herself into a boy so she could run off to the palace???" Alanna grimaced.

"Tsk tsk, poor girl, didn't anyone ever tell her that she's th' only one that could pull off being a lad?" Nadia winked and shooed Kat and Cordelia out of the room. "now, Lady, will I suggest ye go see Lucas, he might b' a strong lad, but he's been worried 'bout ye!"

Alanna thanked Nadia until the blushing servant shooed her out of the room as well. So she walked towards the servant's quarters to find out where she could find Lucas. Men sent her up to the parapets at the front of the manor. Lucas grinned when he saw her. "S'about time ye awoke, milady! I've been missin' ye in the mornin' an' so have me men! I've been pickin' on 'em stead o' ye these passed couple a' days and they don't like it much."

"Sorry, sir, I think I was a tad too tired to jump out of bed for exercises. I hope I didn't fall too far behind. And I'm sure your men were thrilled to have you on their backs for more push-ups! I think they all needed a bit of dicipline." Her comment received a glare from the man-at-arms on Lucas's left. She winked, "but I'm afraid I'll have to take you back! I still have a lot more learning to do!"

"O course ye do! And I shant let 'nother soul teach ye, so ye'll be back t'morrow mornin' then?" Alanna nodded. "Wonderful! I'll see ye then, Lady."

"Call me Alanna, please. I don't like being reminded what I'm here for thanks."

"alright – Alanna, see ye in the mornin'"

~CJ~