Alanna walked to her room in a daze. Slowly she came to her senses and thought about what happened. I can't let him win like that ever again... she thought, there's no way I can get walked on like that. She looked at herself in the mirror and winced; a bruised eye, cut lip and bloody nose stared back. That won't do. She sent her healing to her eye and fixed her lip and nose. Looking out the window she noticed it was later than she thought and changed for nighttime. Lying on her back she tried to sleep but found she couldn't, her mind kept drifting to what she should do. If I let it go this time, it'll happen again and maybe worse; if not to me then someone else. An hour passed and she was getting fed up with not being able to sleep so after a last attempt at a good nights sleep she got out of bed and got dressed into her riding clothes. She snuck out of the room and tip toed down the hall to the stables. Stefan quickly got her horse ready and she rode her to a side gate.
"A coin for passage?" she asked the guard.
"What fer?" he asked and turned around.
"Coram??!" Alanna squealed. SHE had wondered what happened to her old servant.
"Alanna?" he choked. "What're ye doin' here?!"
"I'm er.. going for a ride?"
"A ride? at THIS time of night?? and in Corus? why aren't ye in the City of the Gods?! And did something happen to yer eye?!" he sputtered.
"I'm in Corus because we have a break and I came to visit Thom."
"And the eye?"
ALanna looked at her feet. "I fell down?"
Coram laughed. "Ye fell down? And bruised yer eye? C'mon lass, do better than that!"
"I fell down and that's that." She answered stubbornly.
He rolled his eyes. "That still don't answer my first question, lassy."
"I can't sleep... I need to get out of this stuffy place!"
"I don't know, Alanna, I don't want to let you out at night, what if something happens to you?"
"Don't be silly, Coram! I can take care of myself... and nothing will happen I promise!" she tried to look sincere.
Coram eyed her suspiciously, "If I don't see ye back here before mornin' I'm finding yer hide and tannin' it til it can't hold water!" he warned.
Alanna grinned, "thanks Coram!" and patted the old servant on the shoulder. She rode through the gate and to the city, to The Dancing Dove.
The place was bustling with activity, but Alanna knew where she was going. She walked to the bar and yelled to Solom. "Solom you old drunk, where's George?"
"Of, Alanna he's just in his rooms."
"Thanks!"
"but he's in a meeting!" he called after her, but she didn't hear him. SHE was thinking about what she was going to say to him, how she's going to explain her situation.
SHE knocked on his door and slowly opened it, slightly embarrassed at how many people were there. George was sitting at the head of a table with a few men and women all around him. They all looked at her suspiciously. George, spoke first, "Nice shiner." he said with a funny look in his eye.
Alanna grimaced, she forgot about the effects of her brawl. "George?" she started timidly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she looked around. "Alone?"
George nodded and led Alanna to another room and she watched as he checked all the corners of the room before sitting down.
"Now what have you to talk to me about? I see you're having trouble with someone at the palace."
ALanna nodded and swallowed. "That's what I'm here about..." Why is it so hard to ask for help? she thought.
"So ye want me to send a few of my boys to ruff them up? or perhaps a cutthroat?" he interrupted.
Alanna stood up, knocking over the chair. "If that's why you think I'm here, then I'm out of here! I thought, I just thought..." How could he think of such a thing?
"Easy there, Alanna. I misjudged you, I thought you were here to use my sources, not a friend asking a friend for help."
"What do you mean 'use your sources'?"
George sighed. "I've met many a noble that thought it was my pleasure to have their friendship, and often called for my services only when it served them best. They wanted a kept thief, not a friend."
"Well that's not why I'm here for sure."
"I see that now, so tell my dear, what's the problem?"
Alanna took a deep breath and told him the story, from when him and Kat had just escaped from Ralon's and his friend's to that very evening when Ralon had attacked her.
"So I was wondering... well could you help me learn better techniques for fighting? I know you've taught me a lot of thief-like things... picking locks and climbing walls and such. But you only touched on the fighting arts you know, whenever I try to get you to teach me them, you changed the subject."
"Yes, I did, I didn't know if you were up for something along those lines. I'm sorry t' say Alanna, I misjudged you again, for a second time, it won't happen a third I promise."
"So you'll teach me?"
"Aye, lass," Alanna grinned.
"When do we begin?"
"Take off your boots and we'll start right now."
Alanna worked with George until a few hours before sunrise, when she promised Coram that she'd be back for. She rode her horse swiftly into the night and went back to the castle the same way she came in, saying good morning to Coram and Stefan.
Exausted, she fell into bed and fell asleep swiftly, satisfied that she had done as much as she could in the time she had.
be kind and review?? thanks read-ahs!! :)
~CJ~
