Disclaimer: I am not Tamora Pierce as you can clearly tell from my
writings. The plot is mine but I suspect that some things that will be
written here may appear in some of TP's future books, but not the same as I
write them. Alexander Debegri is my character, as well as Dedicate Helford
:D!! Oh and I forgot The Healer Afya is my character too.
Oh and some of you might have noticed that I only spelled Sandrilene correctly 2 times... I think its spelled funny with 2 'e's so I spell it Sandriline. Plus I find it easier to type.
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Riding hard on her golden mare Sandry puzzled over the last hour. Shortly after Niko had had the vision he collapsed on the floor and was immediately rushed to the air temple's hospital by Afya. Lark went to Alexandre and he was saddled and ready to leave by the time the others had gone back to Discipline to collect their baggage. Now, after thirty minutes in the saddle Sandry pulled back a tiny bit to ride beside Briar. Tris and Daja would have been close enough to hear ordinary speech if it had not been for the pounding of the five horses, and the pack mule. ~Is anyone as worried as I am?~ She asked nervously. Everyone was.
~Not only that but I'm tired. We've been riding for thirty minutes at least, and it's dark, and I didn't get dessert.~ Briar rubbed his belly.
Noticing the children's weariness Alexandre slowed his pace. He motioned for Sandry to talk with him. "Lady Sandriline, forgive me for my rudeness over this past week. I often feel uncomfortable around large groups of people, and even more so out of my own Fief, let alone the country."
"Of course you are forgiven Lord Alexandre." Sandry nodded.
"I believe your friends are tiring. As soon as we are in that forest," He pointed to a dense wood less than a kilometre away, "I promise we shall set up camp. Forgive me for mot being able to present you with better sleeping arrangements, I know that this is no place for a Lady."
"It does not bother me to sleep in the woods. I am a mage, as well as a noble. This will not be the first time I camp under the stars." By this time they had reached the first of the trees. They rode for another twenty minutes, slow paced, before Alexandre pulled off onto a path covered with weeds. It was clearly not used often. Following the path led to a tiny clearing, so small that the leaves from the surrounding trees canopied the area. The five could sleep here, with their horses, but only barely.
"Set out your bed rolls while I go get some fire wood." Alexandre ordered. The others hurried to obey and by the time their beds were made he was back with a large amount of dry fire wood. He set about to put the logs in a pyramid without using kindling. Briar, suspecting that this noble had no idea how to camp in the wild, or to light a fire was about to say something when Alexandre stuck out his hand and snapped his fingers. A fire burst into flame burning evenly around the pyramid.
"I thought that you might be a mage." Sandry commented lightly.
"That I am Lady Sandriline. But not a great mage, by far. Actually lighting flames is almost the extent of my powers." Alexandre seemed to not want to talk about himself.
"Please, call me Sandry. Forgive me if this seems impolite but we have told you a great deal more about ourselves than we know about you."
"I am sorry. There hasn't been much time for conversation. Please call me Alex. Nineteen years ago I was born eldest son to Thomias Count of Debegri, and the Countess Madelin. I am second cousin to the Duke of Qalai. My very small magical learning came from the Trembac Universtiy of Learning , where I had originally planed on studying sorcery. When my abilities failed to strengthen with teaching I, began to study the sciences, and am currently a Scholar there. Like I told Lady Sandry I prefer to be alone, or with groups of my trusted friends, and am only comfortable at my Fief or at the University. I only know tidbits of your achievements though. Would any of you care to enlighten me on your activities over the past years. Sandry nodded.
"It all began for me with the small pox epidemic. My parents died and my Trader maid Prissi used magic to lock me in a small room. That's where Niko found me, braiding threads to keep light in the room." Sandry told the man.
"After the Kisubo boat sank in an unsuspected storm I was eating the last food out of my Suraku when Niko found me." Daja explained.
"I had just been arrested for the third time when I was at the court of the magistrate in Hajra. I was to be sent to the Docks, and no one lives more than a couple of years there, but Niko had papers and he got me out of it and into Winding Circle." Everyone looked at Tris. She didn't like speaking of her past and the fact that her family had given her to the temple because they thought she was possessed. Tris decided she liked this man and told him about her family.
"At the temple the girls made fun of me and my magic, which I didn't know I had, got loose and wreaked havoc in the girls' dormitories. It was then that I was sent to the head dedicate there, who got Niko to take me to Winding Circle, and Discipline."
"Daja, because of her trader heritage, wasn't accepted in the girls' dormitories at Winding Circle."
"You accepted me Kaq." Daja said lovingly to Sandry.
"And so they thought she would do better at discipline as well. Briar was brought their for being accused of thieving, and pulling knives on his fellow students. I didn't do so well in the girls' dormitories either. I stood up for a Trader for one thing." Sandry said smiling at Daja. "So I was also brought to Discipline. That was the year of the earthquake, pirate attack, forest fires, and the Blue Pox."
Alex wanted to know more about these four events and it was early morning before anyone got any sleep. Crawling into their bed rolls half asleep it was Sandry who thought to put up a spell to protect them. Doing so tired her further and she was asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.
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Next day Briar awoke to find Alex tending the fire, and cooking chunks of rabbit on a skillet. Good, he thought, I'm starving. Everyone else was still asleep so he went over to Alexandre. "There is a small creek through there," Alex said pointing. "The water is cold but refreshing, if you wish bathe now before the others awake." Briar nodded. Walking quicker than most would in suck a dense forest because he could feel where all the tree roots were through his magic, he found the creek. The water was clear and when he bent down to drink some it numbed his teeth. Shivering he ran into the freezing water, the faster the better, he thought.
As he dressed in a clean pair of breeches he could hear Sandry giggling with Alex at the fire. He followed her voice back and accepted the slice of bread she passed him. "Good morning!" She said happily.
"Mornin'," he returned. Biting into his bread, he said with his mouth full "Have we any cheese?" (A/N: has anyone else noticed that in most books about fighting long ago all they eat is bread, meat, and cheese? What's that about?) Sandry opened a package and he took a slice, putting it in his bread.
Daja awoke next. "More riding today I suppose?" She mumbled. Even after the numerous times she had been taught proper riding stance she still disliked being on horseback.
"The faster we get to Qalai the better." Alexandre replied from his log seat across from Briar. Daja nodded, knowing he was right. Sandry took out her spindle, planning to finish the silk threads today. She could easily spin on horseback and she wanted to have everything dyed and fitted before they reached Qalai.
"What do you keep spinning Sandry?" Daja asked. Sandry looked up but didn't answer.
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They had been riding at a normal pace for and hour and a half when Briar felt the presence of other people (walking on plants!). "Someone's coming." He whispered, not wanting that person to hear him. He took a yellow pouch of seeds from his mage's kit. Sandry grabbed a piece of black string. Daja moved her staff into a horseback fighting position. Everyone felt the winds picking up. Debegri unstrapped a sword from its place on his pack, and attached it to his belt. A few minutes later the sound of cracking twigs and crunching leaves confirmed Briar's report. A tall man with black hair was soon standing in front of Alex. He looked to be unarmed, but Sandry, Briar and Tris appeared this way also, and they were far from unarmed.
"Alexandre what a pleasant surprise." The new man muttered, clearly surprised.
"Demitrius," Alex nodded.
"I hadn't expected to see you so... Soon..." The man called Demitrius stated.
"Clearly, you didn't expect to see me so alive either." Alex corrected. Sandry remembered what Niko had said a week before, something about Alex being poisoned by an ally. She readied the string in her hands in case of a sudden attack. Demetrius looked some what confused at Alex's statement.
"Why would I even imagine that you wouldn't return to us alive, old friend?" He asked.
"Don't play games with me Demi. Where are you headed?"
"I am just our for a walk." He answered simply.
"A day's ride from Qalai?" Alexandre replied rolling his eyes. "Who were you meeting?" Something, no someone, hurtled out of the forest just as the words were uttered. The man attracted Alex pulling him from the saddle and wrenching the sword from his hands. Sandry tied a knot in her thread, tripping him, but he was soon back on his feet, punching, kicking, biting, doing anything that would weaken his opponent. Briar called up the plants growing around Demitrius, and the attacker's feet, pouring his power into them and making the grow rapidly. The grasses entangled their legs making them unable to move much more than a few centimetres. Daja got off her horse and went over to the men, jabbing them with her staff. Tris took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself and the wind that was now whipping at mock hurricane speed. Alex was bleeding and Sandry ran to him preparing bandages to wrap around his larger cuts, Briar was already rubbing healing salve into them.
When Alex had been bandaged and had rested for a few moments he went over to the two men. "Should we take them with us?" Briar questioned. Debegri shook his head.
"Can you make the weeds keep them captive long enough for us to get away?" He asked. Briar nodded already strengthening the plants. When he was finished Debegri stood in front of the two men once more. "I am going to forget that ever happened. If you ever try that again I will slit your throats myself." And with that he clamoured back up into his saddle and started off again.
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A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, I started school Tuesday. I wasn't going to write tonight but then I thought that I should update 'cause I haven't done so in a while! Aren't I wonderful? Well anyway since I updated I thought you might be so kind as to review. I don't think the story is going as I had planned but what can you do? I didn't know how to finish the chapter so I made up that fight scene. The next chapter will hopefully be better.
Oh and some of you might have noticed that I only spelled Sandrilene correctly 2 times... I think its spelled funny with 2 'e's so I spell it Sandriline. Plus I find it easier to type.
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Riding hard on her golden mare Sandry puzzled over the last hour. Shortly after Niko had had the vision he collapsed on the floor and was immediately rushed to the air temple's hospital by Afya. Lark went to Alexandre and he was saddled and ready to leave by the time the others had gone back to Discipline to collect their baggage. Now, after thirty minutes in the saddle Sandry pulled back a tiny bit to ride beside Briar. Tris and Daja would have been close enough to hear ordinary speech if it had not been for the pounding of the five horses, and the pack mule. ~Is anyone as worried as I am?~ She asked nervously. Everyone was.
~Not only that but I'm tired. We've been riding for thirty minutes at least, and it's dark, and I didn't get dessert.~ Briar rubbed his belly.
Noticing the children's weariness Alexandre slowed his pace. He motioned for Sandry to talk with him. "Lady Sandriline, forgive me for my rudeness over this past week. I often feel uncomfortable around large groups of people, and even more so out of my own Fief, let alone the country."
"Of course you are forgiven Lord Alexandre." Sandry nodded.
"I believe your friends are tiring. As soon as we are in that forest," He pointed to a dense wood less than a kilometre away, "I promise we shall set up camp. Forgive me for mot being able to present you with better sleeping arrangements, I know that this is no place for a Lady."
"It does not bother me to sleep in the woods. I am a mage, as well as a noble. This will not be the first time I camp under the stars." By this time they had reached the first of the trees. They rode for another twenty minutes, slow paced, before Alexandre pulled off onto a path covered with weeds. It was clearly not used often. Following the path led to a tiny clearing, so small that the leaves from the surrounding trees canopied the area. The five could sleep here, with their horses, but only barely.
"Set out your bed rolls while I go get some fire wood." Alexandre ordered. The others hurried to obey and by the time their beds were made he was back with a large amount of dry fire wood. He set about to put the logs in a pyramid without using kindling. Briar, suspecting that this noble had no idea how to camp in the wild, or to light a fire was about to say something when Alexandre stuck out his hand and snapped his fingers. A fire burst into flame burning evenly around the pyramid.
"I thought that you might be a mage." Sandry commented lightly.
"That I am Lady Sandriline. But not a great mage, by far. Actually lighting flames is almost the extent of my powers." Alexandre seemed to not want to talk about himself.
"Please, call me Sandry. Forgive me if this seems impolite but we have told you a great deal more about ourselves than we know about you."
"I am sorry. There hasn't been much time for conversation. Please call me Alex. Nineteen years ago I was born eldest son to Thomias Count of Debegri, and the Countess Madelin. I am second cousin to the Duke of Qalai. My very small magical learning came from the Trembac Universtiy of Learning , where I had originally planed on studying sorcery. When my abilities failed to strengthen with teaching I, began to study the sciences, and am currently a Scholar there. Like I told Lady Sandry I prefer to be alone, or with groups of my trusted friends, and am only comfortable at my Fief or at the University. I only know tidbits of your achievements though. Would any of you care to enlighten me on your activities over the past years. Sandry nodded.
"It all began for me with the small pox epidemic. My parents died and my Trader maid Prissi used magic to lock me in a small room. That's where Niko found me, braiding threads to keep light in the room." Sandry told the man.
"After the Kisubo boat sank in an unsuspected storm I was eating the last food out of my Suraku when Niko found me." Daja explained.
"I had just been arrested for the third time when I was at the court of the magistrate in Hajra. I was to be sent to the Docks, and no one lives more than a couple of years there, but Niko had papers and he got me out of it and into Winding Circle." Everyone looked at Tris. She didn't like speaking of her past and the fact that her family had given her to the temple because they thought she was possessed. Tris decided she liked this man and told him about her family.
"At the temple the girls made fun of me and my magic, which I didn't know I had, got loose and wreaked havoc in the girls' dormitories. It was then that I was sent to the head dedicate there, who got Niko to take me to Winding Circle, and Discipline."
"Daja, because of her trader heritage, wasn't accepted in the girls' dormitories at Winding Circle."
"You accepted me Kaq." Daja said lovingly to Sandry.
"And so they thought she would do better at discipline as well. Briar was brought their for being accused of thieving, and pulling knives on his fellow students. I didn't do so well in the girls' dormitories either. I stood up for a Trader for one thing." Sandry said smiling at Daja. "So I was also brought to Discipline. That was the year of the earthquake, pirate attack, forest fires, and the Blue Pox."
Alex wanted to know more about these four events and it was early morning before anyone got any sleep. Crawling into their bed rolls half asleep it was Sandry who thought to put up a spell to protect them. Doing so tired her further and she was asleep the minute her head hit the pillow.
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Next day Briar awoke to find Alex tending the fire, and cooking chunks of rabbit on a skillet. Good, he thought, I'm starving. Everyone else was still asleep so he went over to Alexandre. "There is a small creek through there," Alex said pointing. "The water is cold but refreshing, if you wish bathe now before the others awake." Briar nodded. Walking quicker than most would in suck a dense forest because he could feel where all the tree roots were through his magic, he found the creek. The water was clear and when he bent down to drink some it numbed his teeth. Shivering he ran into the freezing water, the faster the better, he thought.
As he dressed in a clean pair of breeches he could hear Sandry giggling with Alex at the fire. He followed her voice back and accepted the slice of bread she passed him. "Good morning!" She said happily.
"Mornin'," he returned. Biting into his bread, he said with his mouth full "Have we any cheese?" (A/N: has anyone else noticed that in most books about fighting long ago all they eat is bread, meat, and cheese? What's that about?) Sandry opened a package and he took a slice, putting it in his bread.
Daja awoke next. "More riding today I suppose?" She mumbled. Even after the numerous times she had been taught proper riding stance she still disliked being on horseback.
"The faster we get to Qalai the better." Alexandre replied from his log seat across from Briar. Daja nodded, knowing he was right. Sandry took out her spindle, planning to finish the silk threads today. She could easily spin on horseback and she wanted to have everything dyed and fitted before they reached Qalai.
"What do you keep spinning Sandry?" Daja asked. Sandry looked up but didn't answer.
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They had been riding at a normal pace for and hour and a half when Briar felt the presence of other people (walking on plants!). "Someone's coming." He whispered, not wanting that person to hear him. He took a yellow pouch of seeds from his mage's kit. Sandry grabbed a piece of black string. Daja moved her staff into a horseback fighting position. Everyone felt the winds picking up. Debegri unstrapped a sword from its place on his pack, and attached it to his belt. A few minutes later the sound of cracking twigs and crunching leaves confirmed Briar's report. A tall man with black hair was soon standing in front of Alex. He looked to be unarmed, but Sandry, Briar and Tris appeared this way also, and they were far from unarmed.
"Alexandre what a pleasant surprise." The new man muttered, clearly surprised.
"Demitrius," Alex nodded.
"I hadn't expected to see you so... Soon..." The man called Demitrius stated.
"Clearly, you didn't expect to see me so alive either." Alex corrected. Sandry remembered what Niko had said a week before, something about Alex being poisoned by an ally. She readied the string in her hands in case of a sudden attack. Demetrius looked some what confused at Alex's statement.
"Why would I even imagine that you wouldn't return to us alive, old friend?" He asked.
"Don't play games with me Demi. Where are you headed?"
"I am just our for a walk." He answered simply.
"A day's ride from Qalai?" Alexandre replied rolling his eyes. "Who were you meeting?" Something, no someone, hurtled out of the forest just as the words were uttered. The man attracted Alex pulling him from the saddle and wrenching the sword from his hands. Sandry tied a knot in her thread, tripping him, but he was soon back on his feet, punching, kicking, biting, doing anything that would weaken his opponent. Briar called up the plants growing around Demitrius, and the attacker's feet, pouring his power into them and making the grow rapidly. The grasses entangled their legs making them unable to move much more than a few centimetres. Daja got off her horse and went over to the men, jabbing them with her staff. Tris took a few deep breaths in order to calm herself and the wind that was now whipping at mock hurricane speed. Alex was bleeding and Sandry ran to him preparing bandages to wrap around his larger cuts, Briar was already rubbing healing salve into them.
When Alex had been bandaged and had rested for a few moments he went over to the two men. "Should we take them with us?" Briar questioned. Debegri shook his head.
"Can you make the weeds keep them captive long enough for us to get away?" He asked. Briar nodded already strengthening the plants. When he was finished Debegri stood in front of the two men once more. "I am going to forget that ever happened. If you ever try that again I will slit your throats myself." And with that he clamoured back up into his saddle and started off again.
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A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, I started school Tuesday. I wasn't going to write tonight but then I thought that I should update 'cause I haven't done so in a while! Aren't I wonderful? Well anyway since I updated I thought you might be so kind as to review. I don't think the story is going as I had planned but what can you do? I didn't know how to finish the chapter so I made up that fight scene. The next chapter will hopefully be better.