My good friend Destiny Ruler, thanks for R&Ring. This story is so much
better than the last one, and I haven't even gotten a lot of reviews! Awww!
Oh, yeah, you're not going to stuff the Chinese oral exam, okay? And the
written, and English, and the Biol, and the two maths (don't worry, they're
easy (
ElspethElf, you're my first non-person I know in person review. Thanks heaps. It might take a while for me to finish this, as I have no idea how I'm going to do the Alanna/Daine/Kel part of my fanfiction. I'm not really sure have to deal with non original characters.
Kementari, I think I'm kinda scared that if I get too confident in my writing I'll end up getting arrogant about it (yeah, me: I do happen to be a Leo, believe it or not). I didn't think the Shang sounded that mean while I was writing it, but that's probably because I was writing it. Okay. my summary and title sucks deleted. Thanks! Oh, yeah, luck for the Lit exam, and the English, and whatever other exams you have.
Spoilers: Immortals 'ship, although if you're far enough into the series to have figured it out, you're fine. I think that's it.
A/N: I am pretending I haven't read Trickster's Choice. It's a lot more convenient that way.
This chapter's a bit blah, the next one's way better.
* ~ * ~ *
The Palace
Chapter 2
Lady Keladry of Mindelan woke up, as she had when she was a page, before dawn to practise with her glaive. A small flock of sparrows sat on the windowsill watching her. More than half of them had followed her back from Haven, the need for the refugee settlement past. King Maggur of Scandra had given up on stealing land from Tortall due to the loss of Blayne, his machine maker, and the crushing defeats dealt out by the Tortallian army.
Just when she had swept the glaive down in the move 'brushstrokes on paper', a stocky black and white dog jumped through the window. Its head was shaped like a wedge, and its left ear was now nothing more than a tatter.
"Jump, what are you doing up here?"
Kel stabbed forward with the glaive and swept it through half a turn before reaching down to scratch the dog's head. Its tail, crooked through being broken more than once, thumped on the floor. She continued her routine until the last stroke and put her glaive away.
* ~ * ~ *
Verilidaine Sarrasri, otherwise known as Daine, the Wildmage of Tortall, woke up to the sounds of birds chattering, greeting the morning and chasing breakfast. She could understand their every word, thanks to her Wild magic. She had spent the last few years spying for the realm and teaching classes at the palace. Recently, she had visited Haven with her lover Numair Salamain, the most powerful mage in Tortall, in the middle of a spying session on King Maggot. Speaking of Numair, his side of the bed was empty.
Daine got out of bed in a hurry. The King of Carthak had been after him for years, and it was possible that he could have gotten into the castle during the night, however unlikely.
Then she remembered. The King of Carthak was dead, had been so for years. A light breeze from the open window blew a folded note off the desk. Daine picked it up and read it. Numair had been summoned by King Jonathan early in the morning, and would meet her in the mess hall for breakfast.
I had better get to the mess hall then, Diane thought. Then she grinned. Don't want to miss my scoundrel of a boyfriend.
* ~ * ~ *
Lady Alanna, Baroness of Pirate's Swoop and the King's Champion, sat in the mess hall, watching the pages and palace-bound squires eat their morning meal. She spotted one page stealing a piece of bread of another's plate. Just like Ralon had to her many years before, and Joren to the realm's other female knight, Keladry of Mindelan.
Alanna had also been stationed up near the Scandran border, defending Tortall from the wrath of King Maggur. She hadn't seen Kel since before the war had broken out on the border.
Daine sat down next to Alanna. "Numair was called by the King before dawn. He said he'd meet me here, but-"
She was interrupted by a lanky, dark haired mage sitting down next to her. He seemed slightly angry and had little on his plate: a sure sign he had work to do.
Nuamair kissed Daine briefly on the cheek. "Sorry love, but I have to work. The Dominion Jewel was stolen last night and the King has asked me to help find who did it." He glanced at Alanna. "I'm surprised you didn't feel it," he told her.
"I did, but I didn't think it was important," she said almost dismissively. "Are you sure the Jewel is missing?"
"Do they need my help?" Daine asked.
"I'll tell you when they have enough information about the thief for you to give your friends enough to find him. Right now, though," he said, finishing up his breakfast, "I must get back to work. We'll most likely be scrying all day before anyone will see anything useful."
He gave Daine another kiss on the cheek before leaving the table. Alanna screwed up her forehead in thought.
"The Jewel is well protected, with spells as well as the best locks to be found in the Eastern Lands. How could this have happened?" She shook away the thought. "It must have been Maggur. Who else would want to get their hands on the jewel badly enough to risk taking it?"
* ~ * ~ *
Okay, I finished chapter three during International Studies (when I got my SAC on Australian Foreign Policy back and got 39 out of 50, happy Issie), and chapter two during Blue Heelers the same night. Chapter three however isn't typed up yet, which I will start straight away. Am I slightly weird or what?
Please R&R, all you big red fire engines out there. (sorry, I think it has to do with a lack of Rove. Not enough, and you remember every single thing he has said. Although now, thanks to Rove, I know why my boyfriend likes Weird Al: Hawaiian shirts!!!! And I know why I like my boyfriend: Hawaiian shirts!!!)
ElspethElf, you're my first non-person I know in person review. Thanks heaps. It might take a while for me to finish this, as I have no idea how I'm going to do the Alanna/Daine/Kel part of my fanfiction. I'm not really sure have to deal with non original characters.
Kementari, I think I'm kinda scared that if I get too confident in my writing I'll end up getting arrogant about it (yeah, me: I do happen to be a Leo, believe it or not). I didn't think the Shang sounded that mean while I was writing it, but that's probably because I was writing it. Okay. my summary and title sucks deleted. Thanks! Oh, yeah, luck for the Lit exam, and the English, and whatever other exams you have.
Spoilers: Immortals 'ship, although if you're far enough into the series to have figured it out, you're fine. I think that's it.
A/N: I am pretending I haven't read Trickster's Choice. It's a lot more convenient that way.
This chapter's a bit blah, the next one's way better.
* ~ * ~ *
The Palace
Chapter 2
Lady Keladry of Mindelan woke up, as she had when she was a page, before dawn to practise with her glaive. A small flock of sparrows sat on the windowsill watching her. More than half of them had followed her back from Haven, the need for the refugee settlement past. King Maggur of Scandra had given up on stealing land from Tortall due to the loss of Blayne, his machine maker, and the crushing defeats dealt out by the Tortallian army.
Just when she had swept the glaive down in the move 'brushstrokes on paper', a stocky black and white dog jumped through the window. Its head was shaped like a wedge, and its left ear was now nothing more than a tatter.
"Jump, what are you doing up here?"
Kel stabbed forward with the glaive and swept it through half a turn before reaching down to scratch the dog's head. Its tail, crooked through being broken more than once, thumped on the floor. She continued her routine until the last stroke and put her glaive away.
* ~ * ~ *
Verilidaine Sarrasri, otherwise known as Daine, the Wildmage of Tortall, woke up to the sounds of birds chattering, greeting the morning and chasing breakfast. She could understand their every word, thanks to her Wild magic. She had spent the last few years spying for the realm and teaching classes at the palace. Recently, she had visited Haven with her lover Numair Salamain, the most powerful mage in Tortall, in the middle of a spying session on King Maggot. Speaking of Numair, his side of the bed was empty.
Daine got out of bed in a hurry. The King of Carthak had been after him for years, and it was possible that he could have gotten into the castle during the night, however unlikely.
Then she remembered. The King of Carthak was dead, had been so for years. A light breeze from the open window blew a folded note off the desk. Daine picked it up and read it. Numair had been summoned by King Jonathan early in the morning, and would meet her in the mess hall for breakfast.
I had better get to the mess hall then, Diane thought. Then she grinned. Don't want to miss my scoundrel of a boyfriend.
* ~ * ~ *
Lady Alanna, Baroness of Pirate's Swoop and the King's Champion, sat in the mess hall, watching the pages and palace-bound squires eat their morning meal. She spotted one page stealing a piece of bread of another's plate. Just like Ralon had to her many years before, and Joren to the realm's other female knight, Keladry of Mindelan.
Alanna had also been stationed up near the Scandran border, defending Tortall from the wrath of King Maggur. She hadn't seen Kel since before the war had broken out on the border.
Daine sat down next to Alanna. "Numair was called by the King before dawn. He said he'd meet me here, but-"
She was interrupted by a lanky, dark haired mage sitting down next to her. He seemed slightly angry and had little on his plate: a sure sign he had work to do.
Nuamair kissed Daine briefly on the cheek. "Sorry love, but I have to work. The Dominion Jewel was stolen last night and the King has asked me to help find who did it." He glanced at Alanna. "I'm surprised you didn't feel it," he told her.
"I did, but I didn't think it was important," she said almost dismissively. "Are you sure the Jewel is missing?"
"Do they need my help?" Daine asked.
"I'll tell you when they have enough information about the thief for you to give your friends enough to find him. Right now, though," he said, finishing up his breakfast, "I must get back to work. We'll most likely be scrying all day before anyone will see anything useful."
He gave Daine another kiss on the cheek before leaving the table. Alanna screwed up her forehead in thought.
"The Jewel is well protected, with spells as well as the best locks to be found in the Eastern Lands. How could this have happened?" She shook away the thought. "It must have been Maggur. Who else would want to get their hands on the jewel badly enough to risk taking it?"
* ~ * ~ *
Okay, I finished chapter three during International Studies (when I got my SAC on Australian Foreign Policy back and got 39 out of 50, happy Issie), and chapter two during Blue Heelers the same night. Chapter three however isn't typed up yet, which I will start straight away. Am I slightly weird or what?
Please R&R, all you big red fire engines out there. (sorry, I think it has to do with a lack of Rove. Not enough, and you remember every single thing he has said. Although now, thanks to Rove, I know why my boyfriend likes Weird Al: Hawaiian shirts!!!! And I know why I like my boyfriend: Hawaiian shirts!!!)