AN: Alrighty... I know this isn't great. Please, be kind with your reviews. I
apologize beforehand if anyone is OOC. This *Is* my first Tortall fic ever.
-Domthefantabulous
Alanna smiled softly to herself, violet eyes glancing around at the bustling streets of Corus. The town was in a frenzy, it seemed everyone was making last minute arrangements for Midwinter feasts and buying gifts for loved ones. Shops were incredibly busy, no surprise for this time of year. Grinning over at George, she brushed her copper locks out of her eyes.
"I'm not sure I can explain it, but I missed this place..."
From the look on his face she knew the feeling was mutual. They were returning to the palace for the Midwinter celebration, and both welcomed the change of scenery.
A drift of snow had fallen recently, blanketing the city in white. Children played in the streets, calling to each other and tossing snowballs, hiding behind snow forts and making snow men. The Midwinter Spirit was apparent everywhere, from the smiling, laughing people, to the mistletoe hanging from doorways. Alanna smiled again, leading her horse by the reins. She was too anxious to remain atop Moonlight; she had too much energy to burn. Running a hand through her red hair, she giggled softly as a snowball flew in their direction, even the cold couldn't put her in a bad mood. Bundled in layers of warm clothing, nothing was going to put a damper on her spirits; it was a much needed improvement over the last few weeks. With an impish grin, Alanna bent to grab a handful of snow, unbeknownst to poor Mr. Cooper.
"We made better time than we expected." George remarked, still unawares of the dangerous situation.
Without responding, the redhead let the snow fly, emitting a rather girlish giggle. It wasn't often she acted so silly, the weather and the thought of returning to the home she had spent over eight years in had her in quite a strange mood.
"I thou—oomph." George stopped midsentence as the snowball pelted him in the back. A mischievous glint lit itself in his eye as he dismounted. "Ye shouldn't have done that, lass... now I'll have to return the favor."
As he stooped to form a snowball, Alanna didn't give him a chance before pelting him with another of her own.
"Play nice, lass..."
"Or what?" she challenged
"Or you'll be sorry." George replied, taking a few steps closer.
"Oh?" she took a step back, just for safety measures, a grin on her face. "And I suppose you plan to do something about it, Mr. Cooper?"
"In fact, Mrs. Cooper, I do." The words were barely out of his mouth when he lunged forward, catching the lioness off guard. The two tumbled to the ground, rolling in the snow, as their horses looked on. Moonlight let out a snort, stopping so as not to step on her mistress. If horses could talk, this one would have been making comments about the silly mood snow put humans in.
Alanna let out a surprised cry as she fell to the ground, landing with a thunk in the snow.
"Not fair."
"Completely fair, my dear." George responded, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Now apologize for bombing me with snow."
"I will not." She responded fervently. "Now let me up."
"I will not." He grinned cheekily. "Apologize, dear heart, so we can be on our way."
"I'm sorry that you're too slow to dodge a snowball."
George raised an eyebrow. "Is it safe to assume I'm not going to get a willing apology out of ye, lass?"
"I believe it's safe to assume that, yes, Mr. Cooper." Alanna laughed.
He tweaked her nose. "Don't make me tickle you for being cheeky."
"I'm not ticklish." came her sniffy response.
"We'll see..." eyes dancing with laughter, he began to tickle her on the only spot he knew it would work, her sides. Alanna wriggled, laughing and trying to pull away.
"Stop stop stop! Not fair... stop!"
"Apologize."
"No... I won't. Quit! Stop stop...please..."
"As soon as ye apologize, love." He was clearly enjoying this from his grin.
"Fine, fine... I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"That's more like it." He laughed, kissing her forehead before standing and offering her his arm.
Gratefully, she took it, standing.
"That wasn't fair, you know."
"Of course." He gave her a cheeky grin. "You of all people should know I don't always play fair."
Reaching over to dust some snow out of her hair, he smiled. Taking his horse's reins in one hand, he wordlessly reached for Alanna's with the other. She smiled, taking his hand as she grabbed her horse's reins. The strolled the rest of the way to the castle that way, hand in hand, leading their horses.
Alanna smiled softly to herself, violet eyes glancing around at the bustling streets of Corus. The town was in a frenzy, it seemed everyone was making last minute arrangements for Midwinter feasts and buying gifts for loved ones. Shops were incredibly busy, no surprise for this time of year. Grinning over at George, she brushed her copper locks out of her eyes.
"I'm not sure I can explain it, but I missed this place..."
From the look on his face she knew the feeling was mutual. They were returning to the palace for the Midwinter celebration, and both welcomed the change of scenery.
A drift of snow had fallen recently, blanketing the city in white. Children played in the streets, calling to each other and tossing snowballs, hiding behind snow forts and making snow men. The Midwinter Spirit was apparent everywhere, from the smiling, laughing people, to the mistletoe hanging from doorways. Alanna smiled again, leading her horse by the reins. She was too anxious to remain atop Moonlight; she had too much energy to burn. Running a hand through her red hair, she giggled softly as a snowball flew in their direction, even the cold couldn't put her in a bad mood. Bundled in layers of warm clothing, nothing was going to put a damper on her spirits; it was a much needed improvement over the last few weeks. With an impish grin, Alanna bent to grab a handful of snow, unbeknownst to poor Mr. Cooper.
"We made better time than we expected." George remarked, still unawares of the dangerous situation.
Without responding, the redhead let the snow fly, emitting a rather girlish giggle. It wasn't often she acted so silly, the weather and the thought of returning to the home she had spent over eight years in had her in quite a strange mood.
"I thou—oomph." George stopped midsentence as the snowball pelted him in the back. A mischievous glint lit itself in his eye as he dismounted. "Ye shouldn't have done that, lass... now I'll have to return the favor."
As he stooped to form a snowball, Alanna didn't give him a chance before pelting him with another of her own.
"Play nice, lass..."
"Or what?" she challenged
"Or you'll be sorry." George replied, taking a few steps closer.
"Oh?" she took a step back, just for safety measures, a grin on her face. "And I suppose you plan to do something about it, Mr. Cooper?"
"In fact, Mrs. Cooper, I do." The words were barely out of his mouth when he lunged forward, catching the lioness off guard. The two tumbled to the ground, rolling in the snow, as their horses looked on. Moonlight let out a snort, stopping so as not to step on her mistress. If horses could talk, this one would have been making comments about the silly mood snow put humans in.
Alanna let out a surprised cry as she fell to the ground, landing with a thunk in the snow.
"Not fair."
"Completely fair, my dear." George responded, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Now apologize for bombing me with snow."
"I will not." She responded fervently. "Now let me up."
"I will not." He grinned cheekily. "Apologize, dear heart, so we can be on our way."
"I'm sorry that you're too slow to dodge a snowball."
George raised an eyebrow. "Is it safe to assume I'm not going to get a willing apology out of ye, lass?"
"I believe it's safe to assume that, yes, Mr. Cooper." Alanna laughed.
He tweaked her nose. "Don't make me tickle you for being cheeky."
"I'm not ticklish." came her sniffy response.
"We'll see..." eyes dancing with laughter, he began to tickle her on the only spot he knew it would work, her sides. Alanna wriggled, laughing and trying to pull away.
"Stop stop stop! Not fair... stop!"
"Apologize."
"No... I won't. Quit! Stop stop...please..."
"As soon as ye apologize, love." He was clearly enjoying this from his grin.
"Fine, fine... I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
"That's more like it." He laughed, kissing her forehead before standing and offering her his arm.
Gratefully, she took it, standing.
"That wasn't fair, you know."
"Of course." He gave her a cheeky grin. "You of all people should know I don't always play fair."
Reaching over to dust some snow out of her hair, he smiled. Taking his horse's reins in one hand, he wordlessly reached for Alanna's with the other. She smiled, taking his hand as she grabbed her horse's reins. The strolled the rest of the way to the castle that way, hand in hand, leading their horses.