Tortallan Spies
Episode 1: Switching
By Dragon Stone
Note: Tortallan Spies, a remake of my original piece from 1999, is based in an alternate universe set in a time much like ours. Tamora Pierce's characters are, of course, copyrighted to Tamora Pierce. Rated PG-13 for swearing, sexual implications, and adult themes.
---
Keladry Mindelan sat down beside her best friend, Nealan Queenscove. Next to Neal sat his trainee Owen Jesslaw. Owen was a short, plump, energetic boy that she liked well enough, but sometimes rode her nerves. She picked at the food on her lunch tray today, not wanting to break the news to her "partner."
Neal ended the breadstick-war he and Owen had been engaged in when she first arrived. Noticing her mood, he bit into the breadstick and attempted a joke, "Aren't you the one who always tells me not to play with my food?"
Kel smiled weakly and put her fork down. "Neal, Wyldon is sending me to Scanra on a mission."
Her tall, green-eyed friend cracked a grin. "So what's with the long face? That's great! I mean, we are gonna have the-"
"Me. Just me, Neal," Kel said softly.
Owen looked up, his muddy brown hair in his eyes. He swallowed his mouthful of soup and joined into the conversation. "Just you? I thought you two were partners."
"People always assumed. We were never really assigned together," Kel explained. "I guess he wants me to go at it alone this time."
Neal ran his fingers through his light brown hair, thinking. Not willing to sound upset, he commented, "I guess, since I'm busy training Owen he decided I should stay here. What gets me is why on earth Wyldon would send you alone. Wyldon never sends anybody alone on missions unless they're professional. And no offense, Kel, but you aren't."
"He said something about requesting an operative," Kel recalled.
Owen's eyes were wide now, attention all on her. "An operative? By the gods, this must be a pretty serious mission! Know who the guy is?"
"No," Kel shrugged. "Wyldon's not even positive if they can send one down."
Neal scowled, "If not?"
"There will be a team down there," Kel guessed.
Owen looked at his wristwatch. "Sorry, Kel. Neal and me gotta run."
Kel swore to herself that if she ever came in contact with Owen's 12th grade English teacher she would gut him. As Neal and his trainee walked off she put on her Yamani mask and forced herself to eat. Nobody bothered her, which she was glad for. She wasn't good with people. Neal was one of the few people she loosened up around. Even that took quite awhile. The Yamanis, where she had spent a majority of her life at, was not the ideal place to gain people skills. She was twenty-two and just now learning to ask strangers for the time.
A green light blinked against her face. She looked down at her pager. Wyldon wanted her. She dumped her half-eaten lunch in the disposal and put her tray back. When she got to her car, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Wyldon's number.
"Sir?" She asked as she started her car and backed out of the parking space.
"We got him, Mindelan," Wyldon stated.
"Got who, Sir?" Kel asked, confused.
"The operative," Wyldon growled. Kel blushed. Even though she couldn't see Wyldon, she could just imagine his scowl.
"Oh. Do you want me at HQ?" She already knew the answer, which is why she left the academy already. Whenever he called it always meant he wanted her back at EDD (Emissonary Department of Defense) headquarters.
"Mindelan, you already knew the answer to that," he replied. Goddess, he knows me too well, Kel sighed. Not that there is a lot to know.
"Yes, Sir. I suppose I did. One more question, Sir, before you hang up."
"Yes?"
"Aren't operatives supposed to work alone? Or do I have things mixed up?"
"You don't," Wyldon assured her.
"Well, then why are you pairing me up with one?" Kel asked.
Wyldon offered a small explanation, "The man I'm sending you after is hardly the easiest to catch. I'll just feel better if you have an experienced man on your side."
"If he's not the easiest to catch, then why are you sending me?" Kel asked distraught.
"Mindelan, do remember there is a war going on. They don't want to waste men. I'm surprised I even got the operative I requested. I guess he was a bit idle. Quit whining and get down here," Wyldon said gruffly. Kel heard a click at the other end of the line.
She snapped her compact cell phone shut and focused on the road. "Don't want to waste men. This Blayce fellow can't be that much of a threat."
---
Kel wandered around headquarters. According to the secretary, Wyldon was busy. No doubt he was probably talking to his wife on the phone. Wyldon was an intimidating man, but his wife had some kind of power over him. Kel was pretty sure that if Mrs. Cavall ordered her husband to eat cow dung that he'd eat it without saying a word.
Kel stepped into the bathroom. She glanced in the big mirror over the sinks. Noticing she looked horrible, she stopped to straighten herself up. Her ear length, light-brown hair was array. She wet and finger-combed it down so it looked respectable.
She was still in her workout clothes-a white tank top and gray sweatpants. She prayed that Wyldon wouldn't comment. I've got to remember to change after I'm done exercising, she scolded herself.
That was why Kel spent the majority of her time back at the academy. She preferred the academy gym to headquarters'. Although headquarters' gym was bigger, the academy had more weapons and tools set out for trainees. It wasn't usually open to agents, but TWI-Trainee Weapons Instructor-Hakuin Seastone had pulled some strings for her.
"Good enough," Keladry mumbled and headed for Wyldon's office again. The secretary allowed her entrance. When she entered, Wyldon was scribbling down a list, or so it appeared.
"The grocery list for this week, Sir?" She asked in all seriousness.
Wyldon scowled at her, "Was that a joke, Mindelan?"
Kel flinched inwardly, "No, Sir. I don't joke-Sir."
Wyldon hissed incoherent profanities under his breath and finished his list. He carried on business, "Okay, Mindelan. You leave tomorrow. You know the routine: pack as little as you can into one duffle bag. The man you will be working with is Joren Stone, who will arrive tomorrow at noon. You will meet him in the main lobby. Got it?"
Kel nodded. "Got it, Sir."
She saluted and exited the office. The secretary walked in and handed Wyldon the papers, "Here's the papers you requested, Sir."
"You people are forever calling me sir."
"What would you like us to address you as, Sir?" The secretary smiled. "Calling you ma'am would be a little disturbing for all of us, Sir. I mean, unless you want to be called ma'am. I'm sure we could all get use to it-"
"Denise, leave. Now," Wyldon ordered, getting impatient with her rambling. As she left Wyldon wondered why he ever hired her. He scribbled down on his agenda-calendar "Fire Denise" and got ready for his trip to the grocery store.
---
Author's Note: This is a remake of the original Tortallan Spies that was based originally in Tamora's current Tortall. Four years later, I've decided to base the story in an Alternate Universe much like ours-with the exception of names, fictional creatures, and a new bad guy.
Yes, this does have some slight (okay, many) similarities to Sulia Serafine's "It Could Be Worse." You will see faint influences of her work in here. Honestly, if I had never read her stories I would never have been able to remake this fic. So, thank you, Sulia.
Forgive me for spelling and grammar errors. I'm NOT good at beta-ing my own stuff. If you would like to beta for me, please email me at: dragonsdestroy@inbox.net.
Don't forget to review! Thank you.
Dragon
PS Original is tossed, and if it were here (and its not) it would be under my original name.
Episode 1: Switching
By Dragon Stone
Note: Tortallan Spies, a remake of my original piece from 1999, is based in an alternate universe set in a time much like ours. Tamora Pierce's characters are, of course, copyrighted to Tamora Pierce. Rated PG-13 for swearing, sexual implications, and adult themes.
---
Keladry Mindelan sat down beside her best friend, Nealan Queenscove. Next to Neal sat his trainee Owen Jesslaw. Owen was a short, plump, energetic boy that she liked well enough, but sometimes rode her nerves. She picked at the food on her lunch tray today, not wanting to break the news to her "partner."
Neal ended the breadstick-war he and Owen had been engaged in when she first arrived. Noticing her mood, he bit into the breadstick and attempted a joke, "Aren't you the one who always tells me not to play with my food?"
Kel smiled weakly and put her fork down. "Neal, Wyldon is sending me to Scanra on a mission."
Her tall, green-eyed friend cracked a grin. "So what's with the long face? That's great! I mean, we are gonna have the-"
"Me. Just me, Neal," Kel said softly.
Owen looked up, his muddy brown hair in his eyes. He swallowed his mouthful of soup and joined into the conversation. "Just you? I thought you two were partners."
"People always assumed. We were never really assigned together," Kel explained. "I guess he wants me to go at it alone this time."
Neal ran his fingers through his light brown hair, thinking. Not willing to sound upset, he commented, "I guess, since I'm busy training Owen he decided I should stay here. What gets me is why on earth Wyldon would send you alone. Wyldon never sends anybody alone on missions unless they're professional. And no offense, Kel, but you aren't."
"He said something about requesting an operative," Kel recalled.
Owen's eyes were wide now, attention all on her. "An operative? By the gods, this must be a pretty serious mission! Know who the guy is?"
"No," Kel shrugged. "Wyldon's not even positive if they can send one down."
Neal scowled, "If not?"
"There will be a team down there," Kel guessed.
Owen looked at his wristwatch. "Sorry, Kel. Neal and me gotta run."
Kel swore to herself that if she ever came in contact with Owen's 12th grade English teacher she would gut him. As Neal and his trainee walked off she put on her Yamani mask and forced herself to eat. Nobody bothered her, which she was glad for. She wasn't good with people. Neal was one of the few people she loosened up around. Even that took quite awhile. The Yamanis, where she had spent a majority of her life at, was not the ideal place to gain people skills. She was twenty-two and just now learning to ask strangers for the time.
A green light blinked against her face. She looked down at her pager. Wyldon wanted her. She dumped her half-eaten lunch in the disposal and put her tray back. When she got to her car, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Wyldon's number.
"Sir?" She asked as she started her car and backed out of the parking space.
"We got him, Mindelan," Wyldon stated.
"Got who, Sir?" Kel asked, confused.
"The operative," Wyldon growled. Kel blushed. Even though she couldn't see Wyldon, she could just imagine his scowl.
"Oh. Do you want me at HQ?" She already knew the answer, which is why she left the academy already. Whenever he called it always meant he wanted her back at EDD (Emissonary Department of Defense) headquarters.
"Mindelan, you already knew the answer to that," he replied. Goddess, he knows me too well, Kel sighed. Not that there is a lot to know.
"Yes, Sir. I suppose I did. One more question, Sir, before you hang up."
"Yes?"
"Aren't operatives supposed to work alone? Or do I have things mixed up?"
"You don't," Wyldon assured her.
"Well, then why are you pairing me up with one?" Kel asked.
Wyldon offered a small explanation, "The man I'm sending you after is hardly the easiest to catch. I'll just feel better if you have an experienced man on your side."
"If he's not the easiest to catch, then why are you sending me?" Kel asked distraught.
"Mindelan, do remember there is a war going on. They don't want to waste men. I'm surprised I even got the operative I requested. I guess he was a bit idle. Quit whining and get down here," Wyldon said gruffly. Kel heard a click at the other end of the line.
She snapped her compact cell phone shut and focused on the road. "Don't want to waste men. This Blayce fellow can't be that much of a threat."
---
Kel wandered around headquarters. According to the secretary, Wyldon was busy. No doubt he was probably talking to his wife on the phone. Wyldon was an intimidating man, but his wife had some kind of power over him. Kel was pretty sure that if Mrs. Cavall ordered her husband to eat cow dung that he'd eat it without saying a word.
Kel stepped into the bathroom. She glanced in the big mirror over the sinks. Noticing she looked horrible, she stopped to straighten herself up. Her ear length, light-brown hair was array. She wet and finger-combed it down so it looked respectable.
She was still in her workout clothes-a white tank top and gray sweatpants. She prayed that Wyldon wouldn't comment. I've got to remember to change after I'm done exercising, she scolded herself.
That was why Kel spent the majority of her time back at the academy. She preferred the academy gym to headquarters'. Although headquarters' gym was bigger, the academy had more weapons and tools set out for trainees. It wasn't usually open to agents, but TWI-Trainee Weapons Instructor-Hakuin Seastone had pulled some strings for her.
"Good enough," Keladry mumbled and headed for Wyldon's office again. The secretary allowed her entrance. When she entered, Wyldon was scribbling down a list, or so it appeared.
"The grocery list for this week, Sir?" She asked in all seriousness.
Wyldon scowled at her, "Was that a joke, Mindelan?"
Kel flinched inwardly, "No, Sir. I don't joke-Sir."
Wyldon hissed incoherent profanities under his breath and finished his list. He carried on business, "Okay, Mindelan. You leave tomorrow. You know the routine: pack as little as you can into one duffle bag. The man you will be working with is Joren Stone, who will arrive tomorrow at noon. You will meet him in the main lobby. Got it?"
Kel nodded. "Got it, Sir."
She saluted and exited the office. The secretary walked in and handed Wyldon the papers, "Here's the papers you requested, Sir."
"You people are forever calling me sir."
"What would you like us to address you as, Sir?" The secretary smiled. "Calling you ma'am would be a little disturbing for all of us, Sir. I mean, unless you want to be called ma'am. I'm sure we could all get use to it-"
"Denise, leave. Now," Wyldon ordered, getting impatient with her rambling. As she left Wyldon wondered why he ever hired her. He scribbled down on his agenda-calendar "Fire Denise" and got ready for his trip to the grocery store.
---
Author's Note: This is a remake of the original Tortallan Spies that was based originally in Tamora's current Tortall. Four years later, I've decided to base the story in an Alternate Universe much like ours-with the exception of names, fictional creatures, and a new bad guy.
Yes, this does have some slight (okay, many) similarities to Sulia Serafine's "It Could Be Worse." You will see faint influences of her work in here. Honestly, if I had never read her stories I would never have been able to remake this fic. So, thank you, Sulia.
Forgive me for spelling and grammar errors. I'm NOT good at beta-ing my own stuff. If you would like to beta for me, please email me at: dragonsdestroy@inbox.net.
Don't forget to review! Thank you.
Dragon
PS Original is tossed, and if it were here (and its not) it would be under my original name.