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.
Rating: Mmmh, lets say 15, just to be on the safe side.Spoilers: Protector of the Small, Song of the Lioness
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!I know I'm late with this, but I haven't had access to my stupid computer!! I know this is short, but it has to be for the other one, which should be out by Monday-ish, because by then this comp should be acting normal again (here's hoping).
A thousand thanks to Twilight Flame, Topaz wolf, Ad-scribere, and silver.shadow who commented last time. Thank you all loads, and everyone else, PLEASE follow their example! Give me a reason to continue!
Enjoy! Part Five: A twist of fate
"Tia!" Kel called as she ran into the forest, struggling against the wind that seemed intent on ripping her apart. "Tia!" her voice was less than a whisper in the roaring thunder. Gods all above, she thought as she tried to see further into the growing darkness, where did this wind *come* from? She jumped over branches on the floor, and a sudden gust of wind knocked her into a tree. "Ufh," she grunted, the breath knocked out of her. I'll kill her, she thought as she grimly took step after struggling step. I'll kill her—if I find her safe and well.
Kel refused to give into the panic that was rising in her stomach. A storm of this size was scaring her. What would it be doing to Tia?
"Please let her be alright," Kel whispered, not knowing whom she was aiming the prayer too. "Please let her be okay." She wouldn't be able to live with herself if the little girl was hurt, no matter if it was not her fault.
But it is, she thought as she tried to keep her clothes from being snatched by the winds. It is my fault, I made her upset and—
No! she yelled at herself. Keep it together, Lady Knight. You wont be any help to anyone if you lose it.
"Tia!" she tried to yell again, the word snatched by the storm as soon as it left her lips. She had to find her.
She had to!
~*~
A crackle of lightning-and-sunlight woven lit the sky for one brilliant moment, and Kendry lost her breath.
Uh oh, she thought, dismayed.
A ball of pure light seemed to materialize in front of her, halfway to the next hill and *in the middle of the air*!
A knot of fear had materialised in her chest. She stepped back unconsciously, trying to control her breathing.
Gods above, she thought, not knowing how true that statement was. The ball had turned taller now, roughly in the shape of a man. It started moving towards the hill until its light-feet touched the grass. Kendry had to fight the instinct to run. She was clutching the rose so hard its petals were cutting into her hand, and a trickle of blood ran down her arm, unnoticed by her. All she could think off was running away, or getting away alive. She somehow knew it wouldn't be wise to run.
Suddenly the glare brightened unbearable, so she had to throw a hand over her eyes or go blind. When the glare died down, she lowered her arm, risking a glance. What she saw made her mouth go wide, and she muttered. "Oh Mithros."
~*~
Kel was knocked into tree after tree, falling down more times than she took steps. "Tia!" she cried, fighting to stay upright. Finally she came to a clearing, and she leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath. She was starting to think that maybe—
But no, she didn't want to go down that road. She heaved a breath and was about to start when the figure seemingly materialised out of the middle of the air.
She cried out, startled into falling back and bringing up her glaive. It took hr a moment to figure out that it was Tia, and she was huddled into a defensive position. "Don't come any closer!" she yelled. Kel wasted a breath thinking that how odd it was that Tia's voice reached her perfectly.
"Okay, I wont!" she yelled back, breathless and more than a little pleased that she could stop. Now if only this gods-forsaken wind can do the same, she thought. "Are you okay?" she asked of the little child.
"I'm bloody fine," the child yelled and Kel had to grin. She wondered where Tia had learned that word.
"Listen Tia," Kel yelled, worried about the wind. They had to get out of the storm before it got any worse, and it looked like it was. "We need to go!"
"I ain't going anywhere with ye!" Tia yelled loudly.
"Why?" Kel asked, exasperated beyond belief. This child was testing her!
"Because ye'll…ye'll hurt me again!" Tia clapped her hands over her mouth as if that wasn't what she meant to say. Great, Kel thought. Now we're getting somewhere.
"What makes you say that?"
"Everyone does, so why not ye? Yer 'nother noble, ain't ye?" Tia sounded so sure of it Kel's heart clenched. She'd love to get her hands—and her glaive—wrapped around the neck of whoever hurt her.
"But I've never hurt you." Kel said, trying to make her voice soft—which wasn't easy when she had to yell to even be heard. "And I wont," she added.
"That's easy for ye to say," Tia said, and her voice managed to be soft. Kel had to struggle to even stand upright, and it seemed the wind didn't affect Tia at all. It was almost like it passed through her.
Probably more shelter, Kel shrugged, going back to the problem at hand.
"Tia!" she yelled, bringing up her glaive solemnly. "I promise you by my glaive and the great Goddess and Mithros that I will never intentionally hurt you, and I will damn well try never to hurt you unintentionally."
She strained to the see the child's face through all the swirling wind and darkness, and thought she saw belief flicker across her face.
"I swear!" Kel yelled again, meaning it with every fibre of her being.
She waited with baited breath, trying not to have a heart-attack.
"Okay," the voice came to her like a breeze to her ears, and suddenly Kel was moving forward. She didn't even notice the winds lessen. She just crouched in front of Tia, who was looking at her with the largest eyes she'd ever seen. "Do ye promise?" Tia whispered.
Kel nodded solemnly. Tia nodded back, and then suddenly burst into tears. Kel didn't hesitate about taking her into her arms.
The wind lessened and the rain changed to big fat drops that fell as steadily as Tiasandra's tears.
Kel only hoped Tia believed her.
Because she had meant every word.
~*~
"Great Mithros," Kendry breathed.
"Not quite," the figure said, becoming completely visible as the last rays of light died away.
Gorgeous. That's all Kendry could think off.
He—it?—was a boy-man. He looked to be about sixteen and he was tall, wiry as if he had trained as a knight. His hair was an amazing mixture of silver and white; it looked almost like lightning. His skin was bronze and shone with an otherworldly sheen, almost as if the sun had kissed his skin. Kendry was thinking about kisses of her own.
She realised she was staring and took a defensive step back.
"Not quite?" she asked, trying to control her breathing. This was beyond anything she had ever read—or heard.
"Not quite," the figure repeated. "I'm his son."
Kendry forgot she could breathe again. "You're what?" she breathed, unable to think. She knew it was a joke, it had to be. It had to be a joke.
That or she was losing her mind.
"His son. I'm Aristotle," he had a devilish glint in his eyes. All Kendry could do was think about how good looking he was. His voice was beautiful, like a harp being strung. Incredible how he could sound so lovely yet so masculine. "Aristotle," she repeated softly.
"Yes. But most call me Aris."
Kendry laughed. She couldn't help it. She laughed so hard she had to bend over and catch her breath. The rose flew from her hand, and even when she saw the blood on her hand she didn't stop. "Aris?" she asked him, still chuckling. "Gods have nicknames?" she didn't wait for his nod, only started whooping with laughter again. Vaguely she thought that maybe it wasn't such a good idea that she was laughing at a *god*, but she wasn't thinking.
"That's it," she said breathlessly when she could talk again. "I've lost it. I really have. This is the weirdest thing I've ever thought of."
"Kendry, you didn't think off it. Its real."
When he said her name she knew he was right. She lost the smile, and just stared at him. "You have got to be kidding."
Aris shook his head, coming closer to take her hand. His hand felt so strange, she just let him. It was like she had stuck her hand inside the sun and it had welcomed her. Aris ran a finger down her palm and the cut disappeared instantaneously. "Thanks," she said breathlessly.
He just smiled, and again it struck her how like the night-and-day wrapped around each other he was.
"Um," she said, chuckling a little. "Don't worry," she said at his expression. "I wont lose it again."
"Good," Aris muttered, and Kendry was gob smacked again. Gods had a sense of humour?
"Aris, what is it that brought you here?"
Aris turned to her, and she noticed for the first time that his eyes were gold with silver sparkles in it. Oh, she thought struck by his beauty. She couldn't believe just how good looking he was—and she couldn't believe she was thinking of things like that.
"Kendrina," he said slowly. "There is something you have to know."
"What?" she said apprehensively, knowing she was already not going to like whatever he would tell her.
Aris winced as if he didn't want to tell her, but had to. "My father has sent me to tell you something."
"Mithros?" she whispered. What could Mithros want with her? She hadn't done anything—except…"Oh hell's basket," she muttered. She KNEW she shouldn't have shouted. She should have kept her mouth *shut*.
"What have I done," she muttered.
Aris looked at her, puzzled. "Nothing. This is something else."
"Then, what?" Kendry yelled, completely forgetting she was talking to a *god*.
Aris gave up being careful. "You're Chosen."
Kendry stared at him. She was sure she'd heard him wrong. She could not have heard what she thought she had.
"I. Am. What?" she asked, just to be sure.
"You. Have been Chosen," Aris repeated slowly. "By the Earth Goddess herself."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now you've read: please review!!! Its just one click, and tell me what you think!!!