Neither woman of the pair was the young hero that they had once been, but
both knights were in good fighting trim and they were well able to keep up
a breakneck pace as they raced up northwards. It was familiar countryside
to both of them, and there were plenty of friends en route to get supplies
from.
They reached a small camp the next evening. It was a small group, Kel noted with disapproval: just two men at arms and a maid plus Yurimi herself. Neal's slipping, she thought, getting soft. There was a day he wouldn't have let her out without a full cohort! The three adults were sitting talking around the fire, and Yurimi, who wasn't visible, was supposedly asleep in the carriage.
Alanna and Kel had dismounted a while away and tethered their horses to a tree. They had then continued on foot, worming their way gradually closer. They were almost at the camp when a girl appeared, hurrying along a pathway. The two knights vanished into the undergrowth. She was carrying a glaive unsheathed in her hands and had a travelling pack and bedroll strapped securely to her back. Kel grinned. Weak-willed was probably the worst description possible that the king could have used for Yurimi.
"Shh," Kel whispered, as she motioned to Alanna to stay back. "It's only me."
"Aunt Kel?" Yuri whispered back suspiciously. She pushed through the bushes to where Alanna and Kel were crouched, then relaxed as she recognised them. Kel hugged her.
"Yes, we came to find you. I take it you don't want to go to the convent? But do you still want to be a page?"
"Oh yes, but the King said no, so I guess I can't. Mother suggested I should try to get to the Yamani Isles."
"Don't bother with that. We've thought of another way to make you a knight, even if the king didn't strictly give his permission. The Training Master has agreed."
"Where do I go?"
"You ride pillion with me. We're going up north to the Scanran frontier - I hold lands jointly with a friend up there, and its perfect for learning combat."
Yurimi gasped. She could hardly believe her luck. She had almost resigned herself to the convent at one point, when it became clear that her guards were taking their duties seriously. This had been her first chance to slip away, and she had taken it. Instead of the hated convent, which she had been running away from anyway, or a rather disappointed life at the Yamani court, she was going to be a page. She wondered for a moment exactly how she could be a page without going to the palace to study under the Training Master, but gave up. Her father had always said you could trust Lady Keladry with your life, so if she said it was okay, it must be.
Before long, they were riding on through the night, Yuri bouncing along quite happily behind Kel. The horse, naturally, was not quite so pleased with the arrangement however light she was. They set up camp when the knights judged they were a safe distance away from any search parties looking for a solitary girl on foot.
Yurimi was sent for firewood while the knights put up the tent with a practised ease. Then Yuri ran through a pattern dance with her glaive - she had, after all, promised her mother - before she was unceremoniously sent to bed. Yuri curled up quite happily in her small corner of the tent, and soon she was asleep.
Yurimi woke quite early the next morning, and dressed slowly, taking care not to strain her abused leg muscles, which had begun to ache most inconveniently. The tent, Yuri saw, was quite empty apart from her, and the flap was hanging loosely open. From outside came the crackling of a fire, and the clangs of swords clashing. She stuck her tousled head out, and saw them finishing an intricate bout with wooden practice swords.
When they'd done, Kel looked round and noticed her watching.
"Morning Yurimi," Kel said cheerfully. "Do you have your glaive handy by any chance?"
"Of course, Aunt Keladry." Alanna collected up the swords, packed them neatly and began to make breakfast. Keladry, a seasoned knight for many years, fought Yurimi, only just ten years old, and struggled to hold her own.
"You're good," Kel said, as she managed to win at last. Pack your glavie ready for travelling, and I'll explain our idea."
Yuri ran off happily, and packed her things up, bringing them out ready to be slung onto a horse for the next stage of the journey.
"Now Yuri," Kel continued as she listened eagerly. "Our idea is that instead of being a page at the palace, you'll come up instead to New Hope on the Scanran border. I hold a part share in those lands, with the young lord there. This is the same method of training as he went through a few years ago, so there is a clear precedent. There are easily enough people up there to teach you everything, including Lord Wyldon, who was the Training Master when I was a page. Baron Owen of Jesslaw is sending us all of the textbooks you're likely to need and a list of everything you need to know. You'll be on a routine as close to the schedule of the standard pages as we can make it, although knowing your parents I suspect you're very well prepared academically."
"That sounds great. Will I be serving you then, Aunt Kel?"
"Yes, and as you are, I'm going to have to insist that you're formal. I expect you know what that means, since you're accustomed to Yamani court manners."
"Yes my lady."
"Then we'll do fine. Packed up your things onto Silvermoon?"
"No, my lady."
"Do so, then we'll eat."
Yuri bowed, somewhat shakily, it must be admitted. She was adjusting mentally to her 'Tortall' manners. Being half Yamani, and having to visit there regularly, had meant that she had had to learn two entire sets of formal manners in as much detail as her parents and tutors could teach her. Of course, she had learnt the correct etiquette for girls, and would now have to change slightly since pages all acted like boys. This wouldn't be as hard as it sounded, since she had often helped her younger brother with his lessons.
They reached a small camp the next evening. It was a small group, Kel noted with disapproval: just two men at arms and a maid plus Yurimi herself. Neal's slipping, she thought, getting soft. There was a day he wouldn't have let her out without a full cohort! The three adults were sitting talking around the fire, and Yurimi, who wasn't visible, was supposedly asleep in the carriage.
Alanna and Kel had dismounted a while away and tethered their horses to a tree. They had then continued on foot, worming their way gradually closer. They were almost at the camp when a girl appeared, hurrying along a pathway. The two knights vanished into the undergrowth. She was carrying a glaive unsheathed in her hands and had a travelling pack and bedroll strapped securely to her back. Kel grinned. Weak-willed was probably the worst description possible that the king could have used for Yurimi.
"Shh," Kel whispered, as she motioned to Alanna to stay back. "It's only me."
"Aunt Kel?" Yuri whispered back suspiciously. She pushed through the bushes to where Alanna and Kel were crouched, then relaxed as she recognised them. Kel hugged her.
"Yes, we came to find you. I take it you don't want to go to the convent? But do you still want to be a page?"
"Oh yes, but the King said no, so I guess I can't. Mother suggested I should try to get to the Yamani Isles."
"Don't bother with that. We've thought of another way to make you a knight, even if the king didn't strictly give his permission. The Training Master has agreed."
"Where do I go?"
"You ride pillion with me. We're going up north to the Scanran frontier - I hold lands jointly with a friend up there, and its perfect for learning combat."
Yurimi gasped. She could hardly believe her luck. She had almost resigned herself to the convent at one point, when it became clear that her guards were taking their duties seriously. This had been her first chance to slip away, and she had taken it. Instead of the hated convent, which she had been running away from anyway, or a rather disappointed life at the Yamani court, she was going to be a page. She wondered for a moment exactly how she could be a page without going to the palace to study under the Training Master, but gave up. Her father had always said you could trust Lady Keladry with your life, so if she said it was okay, it must be.
Before long, they were riding on through the night, Yuri bouncing along quite happily behind Kel. The horse, naturally, was not quite so pleased with the arrangement however light she was. They set up camp when the knights judged they were a safe distance away from any search parties looking for a solitary girl on foot.
Yurimi was sent for firewood while the knights put up the tent with a practised ease. Then Yuri ran through a pattern dance with her glaive - she had, after all, promised her mother - before she was unceremoniously sent to bed. Yuri curled up quite happily in her small corner of the tent, and soon she was asleep.
Yurimi woke quite early the next morning, and dressed slowly, taking care not to strain her abused leg muscles, which had begun to ache most inconveniently. The tent, Yuri saw, was quite empty apart from her, and the flap was hanging loosely open. From outside came the crackling of a fire, and the clangs of swords clashing. She stuck her tousled head out, and saw them finishing an intricate bout with wooden practice swords.
When they'd done, Kel looked round and noticed her watching.
"Morning Yurimi," Kel said cheerfully. "Do you have your glaive handy by any chance?"
"Of course, Aunt Keladry." Alanna collected up the swords, packed them neatly and began to make breakfast. Keladry, a seasoned knight for many years, fought Yurimi, only just ten years old, and struggled to hold her own.
"You're good," Kel said, as she managed to win at last. Pack your glavie ready for travelling, and I'll explain our idea."
Yuri ran off happily, and packed her things up, bringing them out ready to be slung onto a horse for the next stage of the journey.
"Now Yuri," Kel continued as she listened eagerly. "Our idea is that instead of being a page at the palace, you'll come up instead to New Hope on the Scanran border. I hold a part share in those lands, with the young lord there. This is the same method of training as he went through a few years ago, so there is a clear precedent. There are easily enough people up there to teach you everything, including Lord Wyldon, who was the Training Master when I was a page. Baron Owen of Jesslaw is sending us all of the textbooks you're likely to need and a list of everything you need to know. You'll be on a routine as close to the schedule of the standard pages as we can make it, although knowing your parents I suspect you're very well prepared academically."
"That sounds great. Will I be serving you then, Aunt Kel?"
"Yes, and as you are, I'm going to have to insist that you're formal. I expect you know what that means, since you're accustomed to Yamani court manners."
"Yes my lady."
"Then we'll do fine. Packed up your things onto Silvermoon?"
"No, my lady."
"Do so, then we'll eat."
Yuri bowed, somewhat shakily, it must be admitted. She was adjusting mentally to her 'Tortall' manners. Being half Yamani, and having to visit there regularly, had meant that she had had to learn two entire sets of formal manners in as much detail as her parents and tutors could teach her. Of course, she had learnt the correct etiquette for girls, and would now have to change slightly since pages all acted like boys. This wouldn't be as hard as it sounded, since she had often helped her younger brother with his lessons.