**
George stared at the red haired woman that sat in his inn; she looked like a commoner with her red hair pulled hurriedly back into a pony tail and her un-dyed shirt and breeches but George prided himself on recognising noble born. She sat alone in a booth and sipped at her drink. She had been there for quite some time but had only got through three tankards. A few men had tried to approach her but she had just stared at them, unnerved by her violet gaze they had mumbled their excuses and left her alone.
"George, my friend, still clutching to your throne I see?" A man's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Liam Ironarm, Shang Dragon.
"What you be doin' here Liam?" He asked in a friendly tone. The Dragon's eyes went a crystal colour.
"I've heard that things are going to be going down in Corus shortly; I wanted to be here when the action begins." He told George. George looked up sharply; he had not heard any of these rumours. "Now, if you will excuse me; I must say hello to a friend of mine." With this he strode over to the booth where the noble dressed as a commoner was sitting and tapped her on the shoulder lightly.
She turned around and her face lit up with a smile as she embraced him in an amiable hug and invited him to share her table. On good terms with the Shang Dragon? Who was this woman? His curiosity got the better of him and he excused himself from the conversation, stepping past his court and walked over to where the Dragon and the woman were happily conversing.
**
Alanna looked up surprised into the eyes of the Shang Dragon. "Liam!" She exclaimed, her entire demeanour changing; she leapt up and enveloped him in a friendly hug. He reciprocated the gesture and signalled for them both to take a seat. She looked around and noted sheepishly that many of the inhabitants of the inn were staring at them. She sat in the chair across from Liam and questioned him. "What are you doing in Corus?"
"Would you prefer me not to be?" He rallied. Alanna blushed and hit him lightly on the shoulder.
"You know that is not what I meant. I was just curious what brought you into this rat infested city." Her eyes darted around, looking at the less than salubrious company amongst them.
"Now, is that any way to talk about someone's home?" A man's deep voice enquired lightly. Alanna spun to face him, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Why didn't you say there were a local behind me?" She hissed at Liam. Both men chuckled, much to Alanna's annoyance. "I am sorry for the insult to your glowing city." Alanna said through gritted teeth. She did not want to get involved in an argument with this man as much as she was spoiling for a fight; he was not worth causing a riot within the city walls.
"Glowin'?" He commented raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, glowing. Have you got a problem with my vocabulary now?" She demanded hotly. This man was severely testing her patience. She looked up at him to find him grinning; she looked down again and stared into her half empty tankard.
"Just not a word I would use to describe Corus 'tis all. Corus is my own bonny city but I think it more rat infest'd than glowing." When she glanced up at him through her eyelashes he winked at her. Infuriated she stood up to confront the man, only to be pulled back into her seat by Liam.
"Don't be teasing her. Alanna doesn't have much but her pride." Liam told the man, a grin spreading through his eyes. Alanna did not share the joke and glared at him indignantly.
"If I had nothing but my pride, I would not spend so much time in your company because you constantly belittle me. And Ironarm, last time I checked, I had a lot more than just my pride." She commented haughtily, standing up and leaving the two men behind blinking, one favouring a beautiful shade of red on his cheeks.
**
"Are you two court'n then?" George asked Liam curiously. Liam shook his head mutely. Ye Gods, Liam Ironarm has been struck dumb by the mere presence of this woman.
"No," he answered honestly, "Although I have had the pleasure of being Alanna's companion before. She is not the one for settling down is our Alanna; she is known for it, even amongst us Shang." George followed the conversation dazedly while he thought about the lass with the red hair and purple eyes that could penetrate the soul. She had the respect of the Shang Dragon; he was impressed and possibly attracted as well.
A thought went through George's head. "What's her rank?" He blurted out. Liam blinked, a bit shocked at the sudden outburst.
"She doesn't have one as yet. This is her year outside the Shang Citadel to prove herself and gain her rank." He paused and raised an eyebrow at George. "Why?"
George shook his head and regained his composure. "No reason." He said. "You were saying about the state of Sarain?" He directed the conversation away from the red head
Liam's eyes glinted with amusement and yet another one falls into the depths of her eyes and finds himself drowning.
(A/N: I don't know where this is going really. Do I introduce Alanna to Jonathon and thus make the set complete? I was going to have Alanna and George have a run in with Claw but realised that without Alanna, Ralon would not have left Court to become Claw. Also, with Alanna not there would Jonathon be King? I have already decided that Queen Lianne will be the one to suffer and die from The Sweating Fever, not Jon. So yeah, the question is whether the Duke has killed King Roald yet? It's weird thinking about how all those characters lives would completely change without Alanna there.)
George stared at the red haired woman that sat in his inn; she looked like a commoner with her red hair pulled hurriedly back into a pony tail and her un-dyed shirt and breeches but George prided himself on recognising noble born. She sat alone in a booth and sipped at her drink. She had been there for quite some time but had only got through three tankards. A few men had tried to approach her but she had just stared at them, unnerved by her violet gaze they had mumbled their excuses and left her alone.
"George, my friend, still clutching to your throne I see?" A man's voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up to see Liam Ironarm, Shang Dragon.
"What you be doin' here Liam?" He asked in a friendly tone. The Dragon's eyes went a crystal colour.
"I've heard that things are going to be going down in Corus shortly; I wanted to be here when the action begins." He told George. George looked up sharply; he had not heard any of these rumours. "Now, if you will excuse me; I must say hello to a friend of mine." With this he strode over to the booth where the noble dressed as a commoner was sitting and tapped her on the shoulder lightly.
She turned around and her face lit up with a smile as she embraced him in an amiable hug and invited him to share her table. On good terms with the Shang Dragon? Who was this woman? His curiosity got the better of him and he excused himself from the conversation, stepping past his court and walked over to where the Dragon and the woman were happily conversing.
**
Alanna looked up surprised into the eyes of the Shang Dragon. "Liam!" She exclaimed, her entire demeanour changing; she leapt up and enveloped him in a friendly hug. He reciprocated the gesture and signalled for them both to take a seat. She looked around and noted sheepishly that many of the inhabitants of the inn were staring at them. She sat in the chair across from Liam and questioned him. "What are you doing in Corus?"
"Would you prefer me not to be?" He rallied. Alanna blushed and hit him lightly on the shoulder.
"You know that is not what I meant. I was just curious what brought you into this rat infested city." Her eyes darted around, looking at the less than salubrious company amongst them.
"Now, is that any way to talk about someone's home?" A man's deep voice enquired lightly. Alanna spun to face him, her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Why didn't you say there were a local behind me?" She hissed at Liam. Both men chuckled, much to Alanna's annoyance. "I am sorry for the insult to your glowing city." Alanna said through gritted teeth. She did not want to get involved in an argument with this man as much as she was spoiling for a fight; he was not worth causing a riot within the city walls.
"Glowin'?" He commented raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, glowing. Have you got a problem with my vocabulary now?" She demanded hotly. This man was severely testing her patience. She looked up at him to find him grinning; she looked down again and stared into her half empty tankard.
"Just not a word I would use to describe Corus 'tis all. Corus is my own bonny city but I think it more rat infest'd than glowing." When she glanced up at him through her eyelashes he winked at her. Infuriated she stood up to confront the man, only to be pulled back into her seat by Liam.
"Don't be teasing her. Alanna doesn't have much but her pride." Liam told the man, a grin spreading through his eyes. Alanna did not share the joke and glared at him indignantly.
"If I had nothing but my pride, I would not spend so much time in your company because you constantly belittle me. And Ironarm, last time I checked, I had a lot more than just my pride." She commented haughtily, standing up and leaving the two men behind blinking, one favouring a beautiful shade of red on his cheeks.
**
"Are you two court'n then?" George asked Liam curiously. Liam shook his head mutely. Ye Gods, Liam Ironarm has been struck dumb by the mere presence of this woman.
"No," he answered honestly, "Although I have had the pleasure of being Alanna's companion before. She is not the one for settling down is our Alanna; she is known for it, even amongst us Shang." George followed the conversation dazedly while he thought about the lass with the red hair and purple eyes that could penetrate the soul. She had the respect of the Shang Dragon; he was impressed and possibly attracted as well.
A thought went through George's head. "What's her rank?" He blurted out. Liam blinked, a bit shocked at the sudden outburst.
"She doesn't have one as yet. This is her year outside the Shang Citadel to prove herself and gain her rank." He paused and raised an eyebrow at George. "Why?"
George shook his head and regained his composure. "No reason." He said. "You were saying about the state of Sarain?" He directed the conversation away from the red head
Liam's eyes glinted with amusement and yet another one falls into the depths of her eyes and finds himself drowning.
(A/N: I don't know where this is going really. Do I introduce Alanna to Jonathon and thus make the set complete? I was going to have Alanna and George have a run in with Claw but realised that without Alanna, Ralon would not have left Court to become Claw. Also, with Alanna not there would Jonathon be King? I have already decided that Queen Lianne will be the one to suffer and die from The Sweating Fever, not Jon. So yeah, the question is whether the Duke has killed King Roald yet? It's weird thinking about how all those characters lives would completely change without Alanna there.)