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Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. They're all Tamora Pierce's. I'm not good enough to come up with them on my own! : )
Delia of Eldorne sat in her chair smiling. Alanna the Lioness had killed her beloved Roger, not once, but twice. Now, at last, it was her chance for revenge. Alanna would die soon, if she wasn't dead already. Her poisoned arrow had made sure of that. The King would be distraught and weak when she revealed her real power! Tortall would be hers!
Darkness galloped into the stables at top speed. "Get Duke Baird!" Jonathan called to Stefan as he hastily dismounted. "Tell him to hurry!" The hostler obeyed, running as fast as he could to the healer's quarters. Jon laid the limp form of Alanna on a bench nearby. He checked her pulse again. It was still there, but getting weaker by the minute. He turned her over to get a look at the wound in her back. She had already lost a lot of blood and the arrow was in deep. Duke Baird entered the room breathless in a short while. He took one look at his patient and got to work. "Your Highness," he said, "I'll need you to help me with your Gift. I'll remove the arrow, but once it's out, you'll have to help me stop the blood flow. This is no ordinary arrow. There is magic on it. I can feel it just by touching it. She is in gravest danger." Jon nodded grimly as the chief healer set to work. The King had seen him work many times, but it was somehow horrifying to watch when it was on Alanna. He knew that he was married to Thayet and Alanna to George, but he couldn't help but still feel something for her. It had been years since their fight in the desert, but he still regretted it. Alanna gave a small twitch when the Duke removed the arrow from her back. Blood started flowing freely from the hole the arrow had occupied. Jonathan quickly got to work bandaging the wound and putting healing magic on it while the healer inspected the arrow. "This is very strange magic," commented Duke Baird thoughtfully. "I haven't seen anything like this since Duke Roger was killed." Jonathan stopped moving and stared. His cousin had been the most powerful - and evilest - sorcerer who ever lived. Jon wouldn't put it past him to be able to kill someone from the realm of the dead. It would be just his sort of thing. Suddenly, the King realized that his hands were covered in blood, despite the thick bandage on Alanna's back. "I need some help here!" he cried. "I can't stop the bleeding!" Duke Baird rushed over to help him. They both put the most powerful magic they could find within themselves on the wounded figure lying before them. As they worked, Jon prayed to all the gods that she would be alright. He loved her, even if he couldn't show that love openly.
Suddenly, the stable door burst open and a man strode in.
"What's happened to Alanna?" demanded George Cooper.
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. They're all Tamora Pierce's. I'm not good enough to come up with them on my own! : )
Delia of Eldorne sat in her chair smiling. Alanna the Lioness had killed her beloved Roger, not once, but twice. Now, at last, it was her chance for revenge. Alanna would die soon, if she wasn't dead already. Her poisoned arrow had made sure of that. The King would be distraught and weak when she revealed her real power! Tortall would be hers!
Darkness galloped into the stables at top speed. "Get Duke Baird!" Jonathan called to Stefan as he hastily dismounted. "Tell him to hurry!" The hostler obeyed, running as fast as he could to the healer's quarters. Jon laid the limp form of Alanna on a bench nearby. He checked her pulse again. It was still there, but getting weaker by the minute. He turned her over to get a look at the wound in her back. She had already lost a lot of blood and the arrow was in deep. Duke Baird entered the room breathless in a short while. He took one look at his patient and got to work. "Your Highness," he said, "I'll need you to help me with your Gift. I'll remove the arrow, but once it's out, you'll have to help me stop the blood flow. This is no ordinary arrow. There is magic on it. I can feel it just by touching it. She is in gravest danger." Jon nodded grimly as the chief healer set to work. The King had seen him work many times, but it was somehow horrifying to watch when it was on Alanna. He knew that he was married to Thayet and Alanna to George, but he couldn't help but still feel something for her. It had been years since their fight in the desert, but he still regretted it. Alanna gave a small twitch when the Duke removed the arrow from her back. Blood started flowing freely from the hole the arrow had occupied. Jonathan quickly got to work bandaging the wound and putting healing magic on it while the healer inspected the arrow. "This is very strange magic," commented Duke Baird thoughtfully. "I haven't seen anything like this since Duke Roger was killed." Jonathan stopped moving and stared. His cousin had been the most powerful - and evilest - sorcerer who ever lived. Jon wouldn't put it past him to be able to kill someone from the realm of the dead. It would be just his sort of thing. Suddenly, the King realized that his hands were covered in blood, despite the thick bandage on Alanna's back. "I need some help here!" he cried. "I can't stop the bleeding!" Duke Baird rushed over to help him. They both put the most powerful magic they could find within themselves on the wounded figure lying before them. As they worked, Jon prayed to all the gods that she would be alright. He loved her, even if he couldn't show that love openly.
Suddenly, the stable door burst open and a man strode in.
"What's happened to Alanna?" demanded George Cooper.
