Alanna threaded her way through the maze of the city, keeping to the back
alleys. Her feet padded softly across the sodden cobbles. A dust bin fell
over, alerting her of another's presence there. Her eyes spun around wildly
until they settled on a group of rogues. She grinned and pulled from her
sais from her breeches, twirling them in a threatening yet dazzling pattern
of dance.
They pulled back from the edge of the weapons and drew their own blades. Alanna smirked. She loved her sais and she was undefeated with them. "I am Shang. You do not want the trouble that it would cause to steal from my purse." She told them, swinging her sais into an even more complex pattern.
They looked unsure but one countered cockily, "what would a Shang warrior be doing walking amongst the back streets?" He raised his hand to strike her down with his sword but she moved, all but a blur to their vision. He blinked; she rushed at him and uncurled her foot into his stomach. He went down moaning.
She moved slower this time to place herself over him when I voice called out from behind her. "Leave the poor lad be. He's young an' foolish." She turned to find the man that had been at the bar staring at her. "Go on. Leave us." He directed the rogues that remained standing. They bowed their heads muttering various 'yes majesty' 's in the general direction of the man before grabbing their fallen colleague and sprinting back out the alley the way they had come.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "King of thieves?" She enquired, deducing this from the other rogues' manner of speech towards him.
He inclined his head slightly and told her, "George Cooper." He told her extending his hand for her to shake. She took it and grasped it firmly; even through her light Shang gloves she could feel the calluses on his palms.
"Alanna." She informed him. He looked at her quizzically before asking.
"Alanna..?"
//Flashback//
"Your name?" The Shang Bear asked while he stood hunched over the form he was filling in.
"Alanna of Trebond." Said the red haired girl. He glanced up at her coldly before looking back at his sheet.
"This isn't usually a Noble's profession. What did your parents say?" He asked coldly his large figure still bent over the table.
"They do not know. I left to come here and become a Shang warrior." She told him proudly. He did not seem impressed. He stood up and grabbed her roughly around the wrist. She bit back a wince at his tight hold on her.
"Look here Lil Missy. This ain't no summer camp that you can run away to when your pa won't buy you the doll you asked for. This is hard work and isn't to be taken lightly. Just 'cause you're a noble doesn't mean the teachers or the pupils will treat you differently. They won't bow down to any of your high an' mighty superiority either." He told her forcefully.
She looked indignant and mustered up all her courage to confront this large man. She would not be frightened away by a man that appeared to be more ogre than human. "I did not expect that kind of treatment. However, I truly do wish to become a Shang Warrior."
Surprise registered in his eyes which he quelled quickly. He grunted. "Well, you're a tad old but if this is truly what you want then I suggest you remove the title from your name 'cause once we're through with you the you won't be needin' any of those fancy titles. You'll 'ave one of your own and you'll 'ave earned it!" His eyes glittered with malicious amusement. "So, I'll ask you again; name?"
Alanna did not look impressed. "Just Alanna then, I shall not replace my name with a false one but if not having my title is necessary then I shall not have it." The Shang Bear looked vaguely astonished but then shook his head and replaced the look with a blank face, portraying nothing of his emotions.
//End Flashback//
"Just Alanna." She told him firmly. He did not make a fuss like many did when she told them this.
"Well then, Just Alanna, What say that you accompany me for a drink?" George asked in a friendly tone.
She shook her head. "What I could really do with is accommodation for the night." Realising how that sounded she blushed a light red while George tried to hold back a fit of laughter.
"Right you are then. Follow me." He turned around and left the alley and Alanna followed close behind.
(A/N: Next chappie I'll have them in the Danching Dove and perhaps introduce Jon that way like you suggested DragonDaine and we shall see how it goes from there. I think I shall keep it as Jon being Prince for now, easier for him to move around unnoticed. That being the case, would he be the Duke's next target? Ignore me, I'm rambling now. Thank you for reviewing!!!)
They pulled back from the edge of the weapons and drew their own blades. Alanna smirked. She loved her sais and she was undefeated with them. "I am Shang. You do not want the trouble that it would cause to steal from my purse." She told them, swinging her sais into an even more complex pattern.
They looked unsure but one countered cockily, "what would a Shang warrior be doing walking amongst the back streets?" He raised his hand to strike her down with his sword but she moved, all but a blur to their vision. He blinked; she rushed at him and uncurled her foot into his stomach. He went down moaning.
She moved slower this time to place herself over him when I voice called out from behind her. "Leave the poor lad be. He's young an' foolish." She turned to find the man that had been at the bar staring at her. "Go on. Leave us." He directed the rogues that remained standing. They bowed their heads muttering various 'yes majesty' 's in the general direction of the man before grabbing their fallen colleague and sprinting back out the alley the way they had come.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "King of thieves?" She enquired, deducing this from the other rogues' manner of speech towards him.
He inclined his head slightly and told her, "George Cooper." He told her extending his hand for her to shake. She took it and grasped it firmly; even through her light Shang gloves she could feel the calluses on his palms.
"Alanna." She informed him. He looked at her quizzically before asking.
"Alanna..?"
//Flashback//
"Your name?" The Shang Bear asked while he stood hunched over the form he was filling in.
"Alanna of Trebond." Said the red haired girl. He glanced up at her coldly before looking back at his sheet.
"This isn't usually a Noble's profession. What did your parents say?" He asked coldly his large figure still bent over the table.
"They do not know. I left to come here and become a Shang warrior." She told him proudly. He did not seem impressed. He stood up and grabbed her roughly around the wrist. She bit back a wince at his tight hold on her.
"Look here Lil Missy. This ain't no summer camp that you can run away to when your pa won't buy you the doll you asked for. This is hard work and isn't to be taken lightly. Just 'cause you're a noble doesn't mean the teachers or the pupils will treat you differently. They won't bow down to any of your high an' mighty superiority either." He told her forcefully.
She looked indignant and mustered up all her courage to confront this large man. She would not be frightened away by a man that appeared to be more ogre than human. "I did not expect that kind of treatment. However, I truly do wish to become a Shang Warrior."
Surprise registered in his eyes which he quelled quickly. He grunted. "Well, you're a tad old but if this is truly what you want then I suggest you remove the title from your name 'cause once we're through with you the you won't be needin' any of those fancy titles. You'll 'ave one of your own and you'll 'ave earned it!" His eyes glittered with malicious amusement. "So, I'll ask you again; name?"
Alanna did not look impressed. "Just Alanna then, I shall not replace my name with a false one but if not having my title is necessary then I shall not have it." The Shang Bear looked vaguely astonished but then shook his head and replaced the look with a blank face, portraying nothing of his emotions.
//End Flashback//
"Just Alanna." She told him firmly. He did not make a fuss like many did when she told them this.
"Well then, Just Alanna, What say that you accompany me for a drink?" George asked in a friendly tone.
She shook her head. "What I could really do with is accommodation for the night." Realising how that sounded she blushed a light red while George tried to hold back a fit of laughter.
"Right you are then. Follow me." He turned around and left the alley and Alanna followed close behind.
(A/N: Next chappie I'll have them in the Danching Dove and perhaps introduce Jon that way like you suggested DragonDaine and we shall see how it goes from there. I think I shall keep it as Jon being Prince for now, easier for him to move around unnoticed. That being the case, would he be the Duke's next target? Ignore me, I'm rambling now. Thank you for reviewing!!!)