Chapter two--
Gary was easy on Alanna, for she hadn't touched a weapon in eight years or used her muscles very much either. Every day they met and practiced. Alanna soon bought boy's clothing to make the lessons easier. They rode into the outskirts of Corus in the morning, bringing along weapons, and picnicked for lunch. Alanna had opened up to Gary and told him everything. They grew to be good friends, and though Gary wasn't quite sure with the idea of Alanna being a knight, she was eager to learn, so he couldn't deny her the chance.
"I used to be a bit of a nutcase," Alanna said with a laugh. "I mean, I was always screaming at everyone. Maude says it's my way of showing my frustration about not having any friends."
"Why didn't you have any friends? You're a nice person," Gary complimented. Alanna popped a berry into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
"Well, I guess Maude was kinda right. I was an only child and used to doing things on my own, you know, a loner. Whenever my father was nice to me, he was usually trying to trick me into something, so I didn't trust people who were friendly. And I was always angry at something. I lost it really easily. It seemed like I was never happy, no matter what."
"Well, if you don't trust people who were friendly, why'd you trust me?" Gary asked curiously. Alanna looked sideways at him.
"Good question. I mean, you're the first... uh..."
"Friend?" offered Gary. Alanna smiled.
"You're the first friend I've ever had. And I really can't answer that question. There was something about you that made me trust you. Or maybe it was something you said."
"Well, you should try making more friends. You'll need friends. Why don't I introduce you to mine?"
"No thanks. I have another theory about why I don't make friends."
"Really? Tell me." By now Gary had finished eating and was leaning against a tree, watching Alanna.
"Well, when I was about six, my father grew really distant. I was really confused, not to mention hurt and upset. I guess I kind of withdrew from the world then and didn't let myself get attached to anyone, so that I could never be hurt again."
"Oh. Like those people who never fall in love. I've heard of that. There's that phrase that goes, 'It's better to love and be hurt than never to love at all.' Or something like that. I think the same should apply to friendship."
"Easy for you to say," muttered Alanna under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Alanna said quickly. "I'm finished eating. Now, tell me how to fight."
Gary smiled and stood.
*
"Where are you these days? We never see you anymore," complained Raoul.
"Ah, he's too busy being with that lady of Trebond," Jon said, and they laughed. Gary flushed.
"We're good friends. I'm showing her the sights of Corus," he said defensively. He didn't mention to them that he was teaching Alanna to fight, for she'd made him swear not to tell anyone.
"Yeah, sure you are, Gary. I don't know what you see in her--she's was so rude to me," Raoul said.
"You don't know her, Raoul," Gary said angrily.
"Yeah, Raoul, stop attacking his lady," Jon said teasingly. "You know, maybe I'll meet her again. I mean, the first time I did, I was too preoccupied."
"I don't know. I'll ask her," Gary said carefully.
"Ask her what?"
"If she wants to meet you again. She's not exactly a social person, and I'm not quite sure she'd like it."
"Why wouldn't she like to meet me?" Jon asked, surprised.
"Because you ignored her the last time," Raoul explained.
"I did not!"
"Fine, fine, you did not."
"Did you hear about Elijah?" Gary said suddenly, to change the subject. Jon and Raoul turned to him abruptly, alert.
"I know, he's coming to Corus again," Raoul said. He glanced at Jon. Elijah was the powerful young sorcerrer who'd saved Jon from the Sweating Sickness years before, and Jon had promised him anything he wished in return.
"Maybe he's come to call on your promise," Gary said reasonably. Jon nodded.
"It seems that way. After all, he would have to travel a long way to get to Corus." A look of amusement crossed Jon's face. "Or maybe not, with him being a sorcerrer."
Elijah had appeared out of nowhere, healed Jon, and left moments later. They'd only exchanged a few words, Jon's promise being one of them.
"He'll be here next week," Gary continued. Raoul thumped Jon on the back.
"Better throw a ball or something in his honor."
"Uh...yeah."
*
Corus was thrown in chaos in preparation for Elijah's arrival. Alanna had trouble moving through the streets, home from her daily lesson with Gary, and soon grew lost. She found herself in a part of the city that she'd never been in before, and cursed under breath. She felt someone delibertly touch her on the shoulder, and she whirled around to face a middle-aged man with hazel eyes.
"Lost, miss?"
"What's it to you?" she snapped. He chuckled.
"Nothing. Just thought I'd help you out."
"Well, I don't need your help, thank you. I can find my way through Corus just fine."
"Care to explain why you're wandering 'round wearing boy's clothings?" the stranger asked cheerfully. Alanna glared daggers at him.
"No, I don't." With that, she turned and walked purposely away.
"The name's George, and I'm here to help you anytime you want, Alanna of Trebond!" she heard him call behind her. She gasped and whirled around.
"How'd you know my name?"
"I have the Gift. And it told me to talk to you."
"Well, my gifts tell me not to trust you," Alanna said icily. She felt sorely uncomfortable now, knowing that this stranger possessed the Gift. Magic scared her.
"Anytime you need anything, just call on me. Go to the Dancing Dove."
"Well, I've never seen a dancing dove in my life, and I really don't care if I ever see one!" What was wrong with me? Alanna asked herself. She was never this mean to strangers before!
"It's the name of an inn."
Alanna stared at him. He bowed cheerfully and left, vanishing into the crowd. Alanna shook her head and pushed her way through the masses, determined to find her way.
Gary was easy on Alanna, for she hadn't touched a weapon in eight years or used her muscles very much either. Every day they met and practiced. Alanna soon bought boy's clothing to make the lessons easier. They rode into the outskirts of Corus in the morning, bringing along weapons, and picnicked for lunch. Alanna had opened up to Gary and told him everything. They grew to be good friends, and though Gary wasn't quite sure with the idea of Alanna being a knight, she was eager to learn, so he couldn't deny her the chance.
"I used to be a bit of a nutcase," Alanna said with a laugh. "I mean, I was always screaming at everyone. Maude says it's my way of showing my frustration about not having any friends."
"Why didn't you have any friends? You're a nice person," Gary complimented. Alanna popped a berry into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully.
"Well, I guess Maude was kinda right. I was an only child and used to doing things on my own, you know, a loner. Whenever my father was nice to me, he was usually trying to trick me into something, so I didn't trust people who were friendly. And I was always angry at something. I lost it really easily. It seemed like I was never happy, no matter what."
"Well, if you don't trust people who were friendly, why'd you trust me?" Gary asked curiously. Alanna looked sideways at him.
"Good question. I mean, you're the first... uh..."
"Friend?" offered Gary. Alanna smiled.
"You're the first friend I've ever had. And I really can't answer that question. There was something about you that made me trust you. Or maybe it was something you said."
"Well, you should try making more friends. You'll need friends. Why don't I introduce you to mine?"
"No thanks. I have another theory about why I don't make friends."
"Really? Tell me." By now Gary had finished eating and was leaning against a tree, watching Alanna.
"Well, when I was about six, my father grew really distant. I was really confused, not to mention hurt and upset. I guess I kind of withdrew from the world then and didn't let myself get attached to anyone, so that I could never be hurt again."
"Oh. Like those people who never fall in love. I've heard of that. There's that phrase that goes, 'It's better to love and be hurt than never to love at all.' Or something like that. I think the same should apply to friendship."
"Easy for you to say," muttered Alanna under her breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing," Alanna said quickly. "I'm finished eating. Now, tell me how to fight."
Gary smiled and stood.
*
"Where are you these days? We never see you anymore," complained Raoul.
"Ah, he's too busy being with that lady of Trebond," Jon said, and they laughed. Gary flushed.
"We're good friends. I'm showing her the sights of Corus," he said defensively. He didn't mention to them that he was teaching Alanna to fight, for she'd made him swear not to tell anyone.
"Yeah, sure you are, Gary. I don't know what you see in her--she's was so rude to me," Raoul said.
"You don't know her, Raoul," Gary said angrily.
"Yeah, Raoul, stop attacking his lady," Jon said teasingly. "You know, maybe I'll meet her again. I mean, the first time I did, I was too preoccupied."
"I don't know. I'll ask her," Gary said carefully.
"Ask her what?"
"If she wants to meet you again. She's not exactly a social person, and I'm not quite sure she'd like it."
"Why wouldn't she like to meet me?" Jon asked, surprised.
"Because you ignored her the last time," Raoul explained.
"I did not!"
"Fine, fine, you did not."
"Did you hear about Elijah?" Gary said suddenly, to change the subject. Jon and Raoul turned to him abruptly, alert.
"I know, he's coming to Corus again," Raoul said. He glanced at Jon. Elijah was the powerful young sorcerrer who'd saved Jon from the Sweating Sickness years before, and Jon had promised him anything he wished in return.
"Maybe he's come to call on your promise," Gary said reasonably. Jon nodded.
"It seems that way. After all, he would have to travel a long way to get to Corus." A look of amusement crossed Jon's face. "Or maybe not, with him being a sorcerrer."
Elijah had appeared out of nowhere, healed Jon, and left moments later. They'd only exchanged a few words, Jon's promise being one of them.
"He'll be here next week," Gary continued. Raoul thumped Jon on the back.
"Better throw a ball or something in his honor."
"Uh...yeah."
*
Corus was thrown in chaos in preparation for Elijah's arrival. Alanna had trouble moving through the streets, home from her daily lesson with Gary, and soon grew lost. She found herself in a part of the city that she'd never been in before, and cursed under breath. She felt someone delibertly touch her on the shoulder, and she whirled around to face a middle-aged man with hazel eyes.
"Lost, miss?"
"What's it to you?" she snapped. He chuckled.
"Nothing. Just thought I'd help you out."
"Well, I don't need your help, thank you. I can find my way through Corus just fine."
"Care to explain why you're wandering 'round wearing boy's clothings?" the stranger asked cheerfully. Alanna glared daggers at him.
"No, I don't." With that, she turned and walked purposely away.
"The name's George, and I'm here to help you anytime you want, Alanna of Trebond!" she heard him call behind her. She gasped and whirled around.
"How'd you know my name?"
"I have the Gift. And it told me to talk to you."
"Well, my gifts tell me not to trust you," Alanna said icily. She felt sorely uncomfortable now, knowing that this stranger possessed the Gift. Magic scared her.
"Anytime you need anything, just call on me. Go to the Dancing Dove."
"Well, I've never seen a dancing dove in my life, and I really don't care if I ever see one!" What was wrong with me? Alanna asked herself. She was never this mean to strangers before!
"It's the name of an inn."
Alanna stared at him. He bowed cheerfully and left, vanishing into the crowd. Alanna shook her head and pushed her way through the masses, determined to find her way.