~
The ride until they stopped was pretty uneventful; Alanna was in a bit of a temper the whole time since she hadn't gotten any sleep. Sister Reddlark hadn't gotten over Alanna's talkback however, and made her ride beside her and recite her duties and responsibilities of being a Lady. Alanna said them through her teeth. I won't be ruled by those someday, she promised.
~
The rest of the year went by uneventfully. Alanna progressed in her training with Lucas and her lady skills were developing well – perhaps they might be perfect if Alanna's mind wasn't on her bruises and sore arms and legs. She knew though, if the ladies saw that her lessons were lagging because of her early morning training, they would make her stop. Most of them didn't even know she got up early, and if they did, they didn't say anything to her. So she got into the routine of sucking up any hurting muscles until they weren't looking.
Alanna was constantly overtired during most of the year, but only at the beginning of summer – when exams started – did the stress of learning both lives take a toll on her.
"I can't do this anymore!" she screamed one particularly hot day to Kat.
"Then stop training, Alanna, ANYONE can see that it's wearing you down. It won't be long until they force you to stop… and I know you're going to hate that."
"I can't stop training – it's my dream Kat! If I let go of that… then I might as well just stop doing everything!"
Kat shook her head. "Well I know there's nothing I can do to stop you… but Alanna, you're KILLING yourself! Think about it reasonably. You get up after little sleep, beat yourself with those crazy men, then go to classes instead of resting your sore muscles, and after classes you practice more with that stupid sword, then spend half the night doing work from lessons, then start the silly routine over again!! AND exams are coming up! I don't even know how you're going to manage doing exams over everything else!!"
"I'll manage… I swear I will. If I don't then I'll die trying. No one will stop me – so I suggest you don't try."
"Hey, I know I can't change you're mind, I'm just trying to look out for you."
Alanna smiled. "Thanks,"
"So are you going to come with me and Cordelia to the gardens?"
"Sure.. I guess I need a bit of a break – but I'll only come for a while."
"Great! Let's go."
"So you and Cordelia are friends now? I thought that she wasn't too fond of you…I mean that she thought that-" Alanna blushed.
"It's alright," Kat interrupted. "We had a misunderstanding. She thought I thought I was too good for them when they played those pranks on me and didn't react how they liked. I just waited until I was alone before I showed how much it hurt…" It was Kat's turn to blush. Alanna put an arm around her friend.
"If I was around when they were doing that… oh boy they'd leave you alone."
Kat grinned. "I know. That's why I'm glad you're my friend!"
Alanna dreaded the time when exams started… but it turned out to be in some ways a break for her. Classes ended for the girls to study, which meant no more homework, and Lucas gave Alanna a bit of a break from training. She still worked hard during the next 2 weeks, but it wasn't as stressful as the passed months had been. She looked forward to a nice peaceful 2 weeks off at the end of the month, before returning to the high pace life she set for herself at the convent.
Exams came and went. She had passed all her classes, some good and some bad, but her average marks were higher than most teachers had expected of her, which pleased her even more and put her in a great mood for the break.
For a week during the holiday, Alanna went to Corus, to finally find a sword and to maybe spend some time with George, she knew he still had more fighting techniques he could teach her and she wanted to learn all of them.
She studied with him for the first half of the week, learning some of his lessons in the mornings, taking a break in the Inn for a drink and some games with the rogues, a few more hours of lessons and then a walk home through the market streets, always on lookout for a deal on a sword. It became a nice routine for her for those days. George always found a way to make her laugh.
A knock at the door interrupted Alanna and George one day that week. George, always cautious, grabbed a knife from the dresser.
"Majesty? Ye've got sum visitors," said Solom from the other side of the door.
George grinned, "C'mon in then," he called back.
The door opened to reveal 4 young men. One of them caught Alanna's eye.
"THOM!!!" she screamed and nearly knocked over the other men near him as she jumped to give him a hug.
"Hello to you to, Alanna. Still doing men's work I see." He teased and hugged her back.
"Did you think those stuffy teachers at the Convent would change me that much?" she asked. Thom only grinned. Her brother looked different than when she had last seen him, almost 3 years ago. He wasn't a skinny little boy; she could see the muscles under his shirt. Something else was different, though she couldn't say what. He looked happy – which was something she wasn't expecting of him, since he seemed pretty intent on hating the Knight life. I'll have to ask him about it later. She decided. When we're alone. Instead she asked him how his training was going.
"Well its well enough, I give my best I suppose." He answered. The other boys snickered and he glared.
Alanna looked at them, remembering they were there, She noticed she had met two of them before. "Raoul, Jonathan, it's nice to see you again," she said politely. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met before?" she said to the last.
He was a tall, chestnut haired youth with eyes to match that were full of intelligence. "No, I don't think so, I'm Gary – Gareth of Naxen." Alanna curtsied and Gary bowed. Then realizing what she just did she nearly fell over.
"Of all the God's cursed stupid things they could have taught me…" she began muttering, as Thom and George began to laugh. The others just looked confused. "Thom, look at what they've done to me! They've drilled it into my skull! I've turned into one of their mindless zombies!!" Now both Thom and George were nearly falling over guffawing at Alanna's point, so much so that Alanna turned to glare at them. "Don't you start to laugh to hard, Thom, you know I can still duck you into the fish pond should I choose to! And George I might not be able to beat you –yet- but I can give you a good run!" Both tried to contain their laughs, not very successfully however, so Alanna just turned to the other three men in the room, ignoring them.
All three were very confused. Alanna blushed slightly and changed the subject. "So have you gotten many letters from Kat this summer?" she asked Raoul. He blushed and smiled goofingly.
"A few."
Alanna grinned, "She speaks of you often," Raoul opened his mouth, but Alanna cut him off, "But alas, that was all in confidence." She teased. "How are you otherwise?"
"Just fine," he muttered, "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at the convent or something?" he asked.
She cringed at the thought of going back there. "We get a few weeks off in the summer after exams, so I came to stay here for a week, and er study, with George." George, over his bought of laughter grinned.
"Study, eh? Is that what we're callin it now?"
"Why what would you call it George?" asked Thom, curious.
"Well I dunno bout what ye'd call it, but I'd be callin' it fightin'" he answered, winking to Alanna's glare.
"Fighting?" asked Gary. "You're fighting? But you're a girl." He said frankly.
Alanna's glare turned to him. "Thank you, sir I hadn't noticed."
He took a step back that was a menacing look. Raoul stepped in, "You're fighting? Who's teaching you?"
"George is, and so is a man-at-arms at the convent."
"Really??" he asked, looking impressed.
"So you really got someone to teach you the ways of a knight?" asked Thom, over his previous amusement. Alanna nodded. "Well that makes two of us getting what we want." Alanna looked at him confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, once I got to the palace, they obviously saw that I didn't er- have the stuff to be training as a knight, but of course had to teach me anyway – my archery is better, to let you know- so once they saw my strong gift they let me work with Duke Baird as a healer, in some of my spare time, as well as Duke Roger who has taken upon himself to teach me the rudiments of sorcery. Not quite what I had in mind for myself of course, but its better than just learning to be a knight."
"Well that's good for you." She answered. Duke Roger…hmm that name sounds familiar…was he mentioned at the convent before? She wondered.
"Well lass it's getting late, I think you should head back to your Inn soon, b'fore it gets too late." George spoke up from behind them all.
Alanna shook her head out of her thoughts and looked out the window. "I think that's a good idea." She said noticing how dark it had gotten so fast.
"We'll walk you." Said Thom, "I think it's best we get back to the palace in any case."
So Alanna and the four boys walked the way down the lane to her Inn.
"You know you should come up to the palace one of the days before you leave." Said Jonathon, one of the first things he had said this whole trip. "I would like to see how you handle a sword sometime."
"I don't know… the sisters at the convent said that 'I shouldn't set foot in the castle until I'm presented at the age of 16'"
Thom scoffed. "Since when have you listened to them?"
Alanna grinned. "You're right, I'll give it a thought. Maybe I'll stop by tomorrow. I leave in a few days." They stopped at the door. "Good Night!"
there yah have it! another chappy from moi!! :) hehehe please review? i'd like the feedback! thanks!
~CJ~
