Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns all. I only own the plot.

A/N Another chapter. Enjoy.

Alanna's Mis-Adventure.

She saw that he was in the middle of a meeting and under normal circumstances she would have waited outside. George looked up and saw her swaying there unsteady on her feet. He was on his feet and ran to her in a minute.

"Send for my mother, Fingers." George ordered one of the men that sat near him. He dismissed the others quickly. Bending over slightly, George slipped an arm around her and lifted her gently. He moved her over and set her down on his bed.

"What have you done to yourself lass?" George demanded of her gently. Aside from Jon, Coram, and Thom her brother, George and his mother were the only ones that knew that she was a girl learning to become a knight.

"I made a wrong turn on my way here George. Five men ambushed me, wearing the badge or Duke Rodger. I took a few out but they managed to get me." Alanna winced in pain. She was finding it hard to breathe and a pain was building up in her chest. She coughed deeply.

"Dear Alanna, I am so sorry. I was not thinking that you would be coming to see me today. I should have posted more guards to follow you." He gently stroked her hair out of her face, and for once she didn't resist. "What were you coming out here for anyway?"

"I missed you." She mumbled. "I had a huge fight with Jon." She trailed off as a wracking cough spread across her body. "He was angry that I spent so much time her with you. He almost sounded.jealous. He was actually quite rude.I came to see you anyway."

"Alanna, I am touched." George genuinely was.

"George. You need to stop the blood flow in my leg. You mother will not immediately come to you, and if the blood does not stop flowing I will die." George paled at Alanna's words and yelled loudly for those who were guarding the door. They entered quickly.

"Alanna, you need to tell us what to do." He told her quickly. Then quietly to her, "I don't want to loose you."

"Very well George. You need to bind my leg just above the place where it is bleeding. You need to do the same thing with my arm. Then you need to apply pressure onto my leg so that the pace of the blood slows. Hurry George, I cant stay conscious for too long.' Alanna was already starting to drift in and out of unconsciousness. She merely grunted when the pressure was applied. She didn't know when she drifted out, but when she opened her eyes she saw that George's mum had just arrived. She also saw that George was still applying pressure on her leg and that tears were silently falling from his eyes.

"Mother. Help me. I don't know what to do. She fell unconscious after telling me to stop the bleeding but I cant make it stop!" She hurried forward and assessed the situation.

"George. Get someone to boil some water. The lass is slipping away." George said nothing, but ran to do what his mother had told him to do.

"Alanna, my dear. What have you done?"

"Not enough to protect myself, apparently," she mumbled. Mistress Cooper looked up surprised to see Alanna awake.

"My gift is helping me stay conscious." She told the healer quietly. "I know that my wounds are serious but I must return to the palace."

"You will not be going anywhere near that place. I know that they have good healers, but there is no way that you would be able to stop them from finding out your secret." Georges mother said bluntly.

"Your right of course."

"Why don't you send a message to you prince?"

"No! He wouldn't care at the moment anyway. I have a better way. George?" Alanna called to the lad who was wringing his hands by the door.

"Yes lass?"

"Can I send a message through you?"

"Of course, Shall I get you some paper?"

"Use you brains, George. She couldn't possibly write." His mother interrupted, her hands working quickly on Alanna's leg and arm.

"I knew that. Tell me what you want to send."

"I need to get a message to the palace. They need to know where I am, or they will get worried and I'll be receiving extra punishments as it is. You must tell." She broke off into a fit of unconvienant coughing. "Myles." She started coughing again, and this time a trickle of blood fell from her mouth and she feinted.

"George you must hurry." His mother told him.

"I'll go myself. Take care of her mother."

"I will."