***Tortallan Fire***

Disclaimer: The Tortall Concepts belong to Tamora Pierce, and are being used by my lowly self to have a little fun with. All characters (except the ones from the books that you recognise, including the dog Jump and sparrows) in this story are figments of my own twisted imagination. The lyrics are from various different burst of lyrical spontaneity written by me.

Summary: Tiasandra is a waif of a child, abused and used by all, including her parents, then left for starvation. On the brink of madness, she finds Keladry of Mindelan, a light in her gloomy darkness. But will Tiasandra ah Mandran have the courage to tread the path pre-scribed for her, or will she fail? 

Authors Notes: Another story that has sprung up from the depths of my twisted mind. Please tell me what you think so far; is it worth continuing?
Comments are loved, critique slavered over, questions adored and notes ardently, hopefully, passionately seeked! Please send comments, whether good or bad!

CHANGES: This is a slightly different bit. I've changed the name of this chapter and some bits and bobs. I've also added this running commentary to the start. It might be confusing, but all will be explained if you do keep reading. Since this is a work in progress, please be patient as it might take me a few days to get each part out. But please keep reading, I'd love all your input.
Thanks to Twilight Flame, who pointed a few mistakes out to me, and thanks also to Twilight Flame (again) and AB-scribere for reading the last parts. Please keep commenting. Rest of y'all; follow their example, puh-lease!!

Part One: The Lost Child

It was dark night; that faithful spin of hours. The day had long since fled, and a faint sparse light of the moonlight was just enough to light the way.

They came from whence they were. They gathered across the plain, each called by the same urgent plea. The same burning cry that had roused the Old Ones is what roused Them now.

And when they gathered…silence fell.

~*~ Keladry of Mindelan rode through the forests of Mihuir, enjoying the end of a few weeks leave. At the end of the week I go back, she thought as she settled more firmly in the saddle of Peachblossom.

He snorted at her, as if to say sit still. "All right, all right, old friend," she told him, giving him a quick pat on his head. He bristled at being called old, and she had to smile at him, yet a worried niggle stayed with her. Kel could sense that sometimes Peachblossom got a little tired, although she was fairly sure he had years of fighting left in him. Still, she thought as she dismounted to lead him, its best if I dont ride him too much.

As soon as she took her trusty horse's reins and set out once again, a host of sparrows settled on her shoulders and Peachblossom's saddle and body, even clinging to his tail and mane. Kel offered a bright smile to all her friends as they cheeped hellos at her. "Hello!" she answered back, feeling not at all foolish. Having spent a few years with animals that were more than intelligent had dulled the natural impulse of feeling foolish. These animals were smarted than some two leggers she knew. And that was saying a lot.

Kel sighed, a mild feeling of contentment passing through her. It was wondrous to be riding again, and not worry about war. Two months ago, the war had finished, and the King had promptly ordered a few weeks of respite for each Knight, layered of course, but including the infamous Protector of the Small. Kel cringed each time she heard that title, and refused to acknowledge her friends when they called her by it. But she couldn't ignore the commoners when they asked her for help, no matter how untimely it may be.

Kel sat down in a small clearing near a river, deciding to stop for the day. It was only the fifth hour past noon, but it was her holiday, and she preferred keeping hers—and Peachblossom's—strength up rather than tiring them both for no reason.

As Kel sat and ate thick slices of bread on cheese she considered the events of the past months. After Lord Raoul's wedding and the announcement of the end of the war, she'd returned to New Hope to oversee the final building. Not as officer-in-charge, obviously, Franche was doing well with that. No, instead she'd visited all her friends, and had finally persuaded Tobe to stay behind while she took her respite. Two and a half weeks she'd spent mulling around the country-side, riding in the woods and helping out villagers whenever possible. Some had heard of her, but many hadn't, a small luck she thanked the Goddess for.

Nari, one sparrow that was a good friend, jumped up onto her shoulder, and Kel absently fed her some bits of bread. Realising all the birds had seen the crumbs, she laughed and smiled as they all cheeped their indignation. "Okay, here you all go," she said as she crumbled the final piece of bread for them. She stood up gracefully, brushing bits of grass from her clothing. "What do you say, Peachblossom," she asked as she surveyed her surroundings. "Would this be a good place to stay the night?" The horse looked around carefully, noting the way the trees formed a near-impossible-to-cross wall at Kel's back. He snorted and moved his head, nodding yes.

Kel watched him keenly, trusting his judgement as much as she trusted her own. "Then here's where we sleep tonight," she answered. She checked the area carefully, moving some leaves so they were in the front of her sleeping place as a shelter. Afterward, she gripped her bow and went hunting. Moving stealthily through the brush, she noted some movement to the left of her. She kept her movements casual, but a slow pounding started in her heart. Was the movement from some game, or was it from some hide-away Scanrans? The Knights of the Realm claimed all had been cleaned from the Lands, especially from the South, where she was, but there were always exceptions. Kel didn't know what to do. Do I kill them, she thought while stepping in a roundabout way, still pretending she was hunting. Are they even harmful?

Kel couldn't stop the niggle of worry that she had imagined it. But no, there was the movement again. She had to make a decision soon, foe or not!

Suddenly the brush broke, and Kel automatically loosed an arrow at whatever jumped out. A scant second later she screamed at herself. She didn't even know what she'd hit, how could she have been so stupid!

In two steps of her long legs, she was next to her victim. As she looked down at it, a vast feeling of relief skidded through her. It had been a *rabbit*. "Gods all thanks," she muttered as she picked up her dinner and went back through her camp. Jump and the two other dogs, which had come along, watched her with quizzical eyes. "No, this time you'll have to get your own dinner," Kel told them, ignoring their glares. "You are getting far too lazy." Jump yipped at her, then his two friends and him trotted off, moving through the undergrowth. Kel quickly skinned and gutted the rabbit, leaving its innards as thanks to the local forest god. She didn't want to anger any Gods on this short holiday.

As she cooked her dinner, then retired for the night, she realized that nothing really untoward had happened for almost three weeks. Which was a surprise, knowing herself. "Trouble follows me as surely as these animals do," Kel muttered after she'd eaten, cleaning her camp-area and lowering the fire. She decided not to put it off; it would be good protection against wild boars if they choose to wander into her camp.

I hope my holiday finishes in this much peace, she thought as she lay down on her makeshift bed for the night.

Gods all willing.

…

She watched the lady retire for the night, the fire going slowly down. The lady slept lightly, her breathing scarcely there. The little girl sat on a branch in the tree, her large eyes hauntingly dark. She scarcely blinked, and then only when it deemed necessary. Her eyes were fixed upon the sleeping woman below her, and for the first time in what seemed aeons, the whispers in her inner ears stopped.

What was it, a voice asked in her head, about this lady that stilled her so?  Why did peace come now? The little girl did not care. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, and drifted to sleep.

Kel slept lightly, as always. It would not do for a knight to slumber deeply. But even the deepest of sleepers would hear what slammed into her ears.

For the screams…the screams shattered the silence of the night.

~(it was many aeons ago, when the First came)~