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? This is a work in progress, so it might take me a while to get some parts out, so please be patient and continue reading, I'd love your input.
Comments are loved, critique slavered over, questions adored and notes ardently, hopefully, passionately seeked! Please send comments, whether good or bad!
:: I'm sorry I
didn't update for a few days, but I kind of spent a lot of time freaking out
over a doctor's appointment, and then fanfiction decided to go a little mad
*grimace* but here it is!
Cookies and chocolate bubbles go out to Twilight Flame and AB-scribere and Topaz
Wolf who was kind enough to comment twice! Thank you all!!! Everyone else,
ple-he-hease comment!!! Whether good or bad, I love both!!
Enjoy!
Part Four: The sky child
Once, the lightning-and-sunlight woven man began, once when the Earth was yet young and the sky still blue, the Mageics—as they were called then—trapped a spirit from the sky, in a young woman's body. It was not an easy endeavour. The spirit struggled, and combated, and the Mageics fought with it for many days. Until one day, something tipped the scaled in their favour.
~*~
"Will you let it go? For Mithros' sakes?"
They were sitting on a bench in the courtyard, hiding from Court duty. Or rather, Marcus was hiding from Court duty and Kendry was hiding from the nobles. Kendry looked at Marcus as he'd asked the question, a silent plea in his eye. Oh, I wish I could, she thought to him. But I can't. I *wont*.
"What has Mithros ever done for me?" she scoffed out loud. Marcus gasped, scandalised. "Kendry!" he whispered heatedly. "Don't talk about the Gods like that!"
Kendry had to laugh. "Marcus, dont you think the *Gods* can hear you even if you whisper?"
"Well, you certainly didn't whisper!" he told her indignantly. He looked around furtively then leaned closer to her. "Kendry, watch what you say…the gods—"
"If the Gods want to punish me, they can go ahead," Kendry interrupted him. "It's not like this isn't torture enough."
Marcus shook his head, surprised at his friend. "You have it lucky, you know," he told her. Kendry snorted, about to open her mouth.
"No, wait, let me finish," he said, holding up a hand. She sighed, but stayed silent. "Kendry, you have it so easy," he said. "Al you have to do is study and behave like a noble."
"And I should be proud of *that*?" she exclaimed. Marcus gave her an indecipherable look. "Yes, because some of us dont have it as easy as you."
Kendry couldn't believe it. Her friend was accusing her of being silly? "Well, if that's what you want me to be happy with, I'd rather I was born a commoner!" she told him hotly, then stormed off.
~*~
"The sky…told you who I am?" Kel asked incredulously. "You—" she stopped, almost saying you can't be serious. But remember, she told herself as she tried to slip on her Yamani mask, you are talking to a child. She turned around to feel the sun on her face, trying to figure out what to say. "Okay, Tia," she said when she'd regained some measure of control. "What do you mean?"
Tia blinked her dark eyes at her and said painstakingly calm. "The man in the sky told me."
"The man…" Kel said slowly. "Which man is that?"
"The man with the day and the night," Tia said with utter conviction.
This is not working, Kel realized. Whatever she'd ask, Tia had a stranger answer for. "Okay," she nodded, resigning herself to staying in the dark. For now, she vowed silently.
"You dont understand," Tia said suddenly. Kel looked up sharply, it was the first time Tia had volunteered anything apart from nods or answers when prodded. "Don't understand what?" Kel asked cautiously, hoping she wasn't scaring Tia off.
She could have saved herself he trouble. Tia got a strangely calm look on her face and in her eyes, almost like the quiet before the storm. "Don't worry," she said in a slow whisper. "All will be revealed in time."
What in Mithros' name? Kel thought. The child is crazy, she thought, shaking her head slightly. Crazy as Scanran.
"I know you think I'm crazy," Tia muttered. Kel jumped, startled. Could she be a mage? she thought. She knew some of them read minds. But the little child seemed not to have any power, and in any case, she was too young to have learnt how to use her Gift.
"No, I dont," Kel denied, lying through her teeth. Oh well, if it keeps her happy, she thought.
"I know ye do," Tia insisted in common slang, a sudden determination coming into her mind. "But I dont care! I'm only here because HE told me to!"
"Who?" Kel asked, intrigued that Tia was at least talking.
"HIM! The one you dont understand about," Tia said sullenly. "None of you do."
"Who else doesn't understand?" Kel asked, intent on getting to who exactly Tiasandra ah Mandran was.
"No one," Tia said pointedly. Well, there's goes that vow, Kel thought. She tried a different approach. "Where is your family, Tia?"
Tia looked away, her eyes suddenly darkening. She got a far-away look in her eyes, almost dreamy. Except she didn't look like was having a pleasant dream. "Tia?" Kel prodded after some time, brushing back her hair that was being blown about by the wind. Strange, she thought surprised, I could have sworn the sun was out. The sky had suddenly darkened, and in the horizon storm clouds were gathered. Good Gods, she thought, that was sudden. She turned back to Tia huddling in the corner, her body screaming defensive at ever curve. "Tia?" she asked again.
"They're dead, okay?!" Tia exploded. "Dead to me!"
Kel shut her eyes, feeling Tia's pain. I knew it, she thought briefly, sadly. She hadn't wanted to be right. "Tia…" she started.
"What?" Tia shouted, suddenly turning around fully. "Are you surprised? Yer a noble, ain't ye?"
"Yes," Kel said quietly.
"Then FINE! Then you dont understand about us commoners!" Tia had stood up, shouting as the wind whipped her long hair about her. She looks…fierce, Kel thought, as she too got up. "Tia, I am not like all nobles," she said placidly.
"Aye? That's what they all say!" the child—who suddenly didn't look quite so young anymore—said. "And I wont stand for it anymore!" Suddenly she turned and ran into the forest, seeming to suddenly disappear. "Tia!" Kel called urgently, worried for her safety. If she got caught in the forest—and especially in a storm like this. Kel looked up, at a sky that had gone the colour of midnight and clouds that seemed to roll with the wind. Lightning crackled in the distance as Kel hurriedly grabbed her glaive. She had to go after Tia, and she had to go now!
With hurried steps she ran into the forest.
~*~
Kendrina of Naxen watched the moon, standing on a hill in the Castle gardens. I'm trapped, she thought, trapped in a life I have no wish to be in.
She sighed, wrapping her cloak closer by her throat—something seemed to be wrong with the weather.
Something is wrong with life, she thought, looking up at the moon. She replayed the conversation with Marcus in her mind. "I'm not like that," she muttered as she bent to touch a blade of grass. It unfurled in her hands, its length and colour changing, growing as it turned into a rose. She smiled briefly, proud of herself. She'd spent just a short time honing her Gift, yet it was sharper than a sword.
At times it seemed she lived in deceit, hiding her true feelings of the Court, hiding her Gift. It's amazing, she thought, as she separated the rose from its roots. Amazing that no one's discovered my Gift! She was happy, though. Happy to be spared the scrutiny of those mage-teachers. And yet…al she could think of was the look in Marcus' eyes as his words stabbed at her. She clenched her jaw, defensive once more. "I'm not like the other nobles. I'm not!"
It was important, Kendry knew, to never forget that. Because if she did, she would truly be trapped.
"I'm not," she repeated to the moon, looking up at its blank, silver face. She could almost envy its detachedness, its cool uncaring nature.
I could be like you, she thought, if I didn't care so much. Therein lies the problem. And suddenly, a complete anger rose up in her, and she stood with a graceful rush that belied her nobility. "And you," she stabbed at the moon. "You, what of you? Mmh?" she paced angrily as she spat out the words, unheeded of the Danger those very words put her in. "You sit up there, just watching while you have the power to *change* and yet…yet you do *nothing*! How could you!" she stared straight up at the sky and hurled the words up as high as they could go. "How can you call yourselves Gods if you wont *help*!" she breathed once, twice, her chest heaving with exertion.
It was as she drew her third breath that it happened. Lightning and sunlight crackled the sky all at once, and Kendrina of Naxen forgot she could breathe.
Oh no, she thought.