Chapter four; Trouble.
For those who didn't understand my last author's note, 'canon' Alanna means she is the character from the books, her life happened like the SotL quartet, with few alterations, if any, from me! The opposite is 'fanon' Alanna, like my version in 'Princess of the Rogue' and of course the sequel; 'Lady Storm'.
I hope that helps.
When Daine woke the next morning, it was to a horde of disgruntled animals slinking out of the half open door and window. Numair stood there, a hand planted firmly over his eyes and he knocked furiously on the door with his free hands.
"Gods bless it Numair!" She exclaimed, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand as she stretched. "It can't be much after midnight." She slipped out of bed, regretting it for a moment as the chill night air hit her body.
"It's not." She could tell he was smirking, even under his large hand covering his face.
"You can look, I'm decent."
He peeked through his fingers, then moved his hand away entirely when he saw she was wearing breeches and a half done up shirt, and her back was to him.
"What's the matter?"
"Hurroks. And some other, unidentified form of immortal."
"That's fair rude, attacking this time of morning." She moaned, even as she slipped on her boots, both she and Numair had become accustomed to being called away on short notice.
"Kit?" She called over her shoulder. "Are you coming with us?"
A trill answered her from under the bedcovers. The dragon was obviously happier in the warm, instead of gallivanting off to fight immortals.
"Very well." Daine drew the door shut behind her with a heel, even as she pulled her hair back from her face and secured it there with a couple of clips.
"How did you sleep last night Magelet?"
"Fine thank you." She answered, "I wish it'd have been longer though." She noticed the satisfied smile that crept across his full lips, and was about to ask what put it there, when Alanna, the Lioness and King's Champion came up to them, in full leather armour.
"Come on you two! Enough dawdling. I arrived at the palace late last night and the next morning I'm already out to fight."
"Lioness!" Daine cried happily. "You're here!"
"I am." The lady knight agreed, "We've a five mile ride so we can talk then. Meanwhile..." She jerked her head towards the north. "Can we get going?"
Darkmoon, Alanna's steed stood outside, and when he saw Daine he pulled away from the boy holding him to greet her.
"Hello you lovely." She rubbed his ears as he nosed her chest and took an apple from her pocket.
"That." said Numair rebuking to the horse. "Was her breakfast." Aside to Daine he added, "It is a good thing I know what these animals are like when you're around." He slipped another apple deep into her pocket and firmly buttoned the pouch.
Alanna pulled herself up into the saddle and set her shield up firmly behind her, on the side of his saddle. The red field, emblazoned with her symbol of a rearing lioness was well known and struck fear into many rogues' hearts.
"Come on then!" She called.
Daine and Numair mounted, the girl sitting comfortably astride her mare, Cloud, whilst the mage was nowhere near so easy in the saddle.
'We need to go quite fast Spots.' Daine addressed her teacher's mount 'And he is fair nervous and sleepy, Mithros knows why. Don't let him fall.'
'I try!' The large horse explained, 'but he is so nervous, if I even canter he jumps from shock and then falls off.'
'I know. But please do try.'
'I will.' The long suffering animal said, 'As long as you ask him not to do anymore magic on my back, it's very off putting.'
'I'll do that'. She agreed.
"Numair! Hold on to the reins properly," She chided, "Spots says he will try really hard not to let you fall off. I'll warn you when he's going to speed up."
'And I'll warn you.' She said silently to Spots 'When he's about to fall off. You can give him a good start then to wake him up.'
Both horse and girl laughed, the wicked smile on her face and the way Spots was shifting, made Numair even more nervous.
"What did you tell him?" He demanded.
"Nothing." Daine's wide eyes stared up at him, looking so innocent, Numair couldn't say anything else. When she laughed and moved up the line to talk to Raoul of Goldenlake's Drum, he said aside to Alanna who had been watching with great amusement.
"I hate this talent she has sometimes. I'm never sure if she's telling them to look after me, or to throw me."
Alanna laughed.
"That's half the fun of it!" She too left him, riding to the head of the column to get everyone moving.
"For you may be!" he called, and then muttered to himself as Spots shifted once more, "It's not as fun for me!"
They rode steadily for half an hour; Alanna explained the situation to Daine and Numair, as best as she knew it. The Hurroks had not actually attacked any villages in that area, but they had killed a charcoal burner and his family in the woods nearby. The sole survivor of that attack, a man called Lehir Huntsman, had seen another type of immortal. This one had slithered along the ground, with seemingly no legs, and it was blind. Like snakes, with whom it seemed to have a kinship, it sensed its prey by heat. They knew nothing more than that about it, and so Numair and Daine were going to take care of those immortals, maybe two or three of them, while Alanna took the other five warriors to deal with the Hurroks.
When they parted, the two followed the directions given to them by Lehir. They had to dismount soon after entering the wood, as the branches were very low and there was no real track to lead them. Instead they followed the beaten path to the Charcoal burner's cottage.
"Any sign?" Daine asked.
"Not that I can find." Numair replied, "Wait here, while I go and see if there are any in the hut."
Daine nodded and as he left, she scouted around the hut, trying to find tracks. Numair soon rejoined her, shaking his head, the scene inside the hut hadn't been nice. Blood was spattered all up the walls and although the dead bodies had been removed, it was still ghastly.
"Can you sense them anywhere nearby?" the mage asked.
Daine concentrated for a second, then suddenly opened her eyes and pointed to the west.
"The birds say they are that way." The pair left Cloud and Spots buy the hut and walked towards the clearing Daine's informants were directing them to on foot. Before they got too close, Daine strung her crossbow. It was a present from last Midwinter, from Alanna the Lioness. It was a beautiful weapon, or as beautiful as a tool of death could be. It was ebony wood, carved with shapes of animals. One of the children of the village had done that, the Baron of Pirate's Swoop, and Alanna's husband George Cooper had told her, and Daine prized it even more for that fact. The engravings had been cunningly highlighted by twists of silver wire. The bolts she used sparingly and only ever on immortals like these. The rest of the time she used ordinary fletched quarrels. These bolts were black as well, and incredibly sharp. The
metal of the bow and bolts was brilliant silver and engraved on the stave was her name 'Verilidaine Sarrasri' and a message from the Lioness, that Hakim, one of the soldiers of the King's Own, had said the night they had met. 'Your
ancestors are proud.' For a bastard, orphan child, those words had lifted her heart and her pride.
Numair had a belt knife, but more importantly, and his main weapon, was the ball of black fire, laced with silver that gathered around his hands and arms. Daine shivered slightly. Sometimes it was hard to see her gentle, kindly teacher and friend in the most powerful mage in Tortall.
He glanced over at her, and nodded, resting a large hand on her shoulder for a brief second.
"Are you ready?"
She nodded.
"Then let's go!"
They dived into the clearing, weapons at the ready.
He he he he he cliffy!!!!!!
HuntressDiana
For those who didn't understand my last author's note, 'canon' Alanna means she is the character from the books, her life happened like the SotL quartet, with few alterations, if any, from me! The opposite is 'fanon' Alanna, like my version in 'Princess of the Rogue' and of course the sequel; 'Lady Storm'.
I hope that helps.
When Daine woke the next morning, it was to a horde of disgruntled animals slinking out of the half open door and window. Numair stood there, a hand planted firmly over his eyes and he knocked furiously on the door with his free hands.
"Gods bless it Numair!" She exclaimed, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand as she stretched. "It can't be much after midnight." She slipped out of bed, regretting it for a moment as the chill night air hit her body.
"It's not." She could tell he was smirking, even under his large hand covering his face.
"You can look, I'm decent."
He peeked through his fingers, then moved his hand away entirely when he saw she was wearing breeches and a half done up shirt, and her back was to him.
"What's the matter?"
"Hurroks. And some other, unidentified form of immortal."
"That's fair rude, attacking this time of morning." She moaned, even as she slipped on her boots, both she and Numair had become accustomed to being called away on short notice.
"Kit?" She called over her shoulder. "Are you coming with us?"
A trill answered her from under the bedcovers. The dragon was obviously happier in the warm, instead of gallivanting off to fight immortals.
"Very well." Daine drew the door shut behind her with a heel, even as she pulled her hair back from her face and secured it there with a couple of clips.
"How did you sleep last night Magelet?"
"Fine thank you." She answered, "I wish it'd have been longer though." She noticed the satisfied smile that crept across his full lips, and was about to ask what put it there, when Alanna, the Lioness and King's Champion came up to them, in full leather armour.
"Come on you two! Enough dawdling. I arrived at the palace late last night and the next morning I'm already out to fight."
"Lioness!" Daine cried happily. "You're here!"
"I am." The lady knight agreed, "We've a five mile ride so we can talk then. Meanwhile..." She jerked her head towards the north. "Can we get going?"
Darkmoon, Alanna's steed stood outside, and when he saw Daine he pulled away from the boy holding him to greet her.
"Hello you lovely." She rubbed his ears as he nosed her chest and took an apple from her pocket.
"That." said Numair rebuking to the horse. "Was her breakfast." Aside to Daine he added, "It is a good thing I know what these animals are like when you're around." He slipped another apple deep into her pocket and firmly buttoned the pouch.
Alanna pulled herself up into the saddle and set her shield up firmly behind her, on the side of his saddle. The red field, emblazoned with her symbol of a rearing lioness was well known and struck fear into many rogues' hearts.
"Come on then!" She called.
Daine and Numair mounted, the girl sitting comfortably astride her mare, Cloud, whilst the mage was nowhere near so easy in the saddle.
'We need to go quite fast Spots.' Daine addressed her teacher's mount 'And he is fair nervous and sleepy, Mithros knows why. Don't let him fall.'
'I try!' The large horse explained, 'but he is so nervous, if I even canter he jumps from shock and then falls off.'
'I know. But please do try.'
'I will.' The long suffering animal said, 'As long as you ask him not to do anymore magic on my back, it's very off putting.'
'I'll do that'. She agreed.
"Numair! Hold on to the reins properly," She chided, "Spots says he will try really hard not to let you fall off. I'll warn you when he's going to speed up."
'And I'll warn you.' She said silently to Spots 'When he's about to fall off. You can give him a good start then to wake him up.'
Both horse and girl laughed, the wicked smile on her face and the way Spots was shifting, made Numair even more nervous.
"What did you tell him?" He demanded.
"Nothing." Daine's wide eyes stared up at him, looking so innocent, Numair couldn't say anything else. When she laughed and moved up the line to talk to Raoul of Goldenlake's Drum, he said aside to Alanna who had been watching with great amusement.
"I hate this talent she has sometimes. I'm never sure if she's telling them to look after me, or to throw me."
Alanna laughed.
"That's half the fun of it!" She too left him, riding to the head of the column to get everyone moving.
"For you may be!" he called, and then muttered to himself as Spots shifted once more, "It's not as fun for me!"
They rode steadily for half an hour; Alanna explained the situation to Daine and Numair, as best as she knew it. The Hurroks had not actually attacked any villages in that area, but they had killed a charcoal burner and his family in the woods nearby. The sole survivor of that attack, a man called Lehir Huntsman, had seen another type of immortal. This one had slithered along the ground, with seemingly no legs, and it was blind. Like snakes, with whom it seemed to have a kinship, it sensed its prey by heat. They knew nothing more than that about it, and so Numair and Daine were going to take care of those immortals, maybe two or three of them, while Alanna took the other five warriors to deal with the Hurroks.
When they parted, the two followed the directions given to them by Lehir. They had to dismount soon after entering the wood, as the branches were very low and there was no real track to lead them. Instead they followed the beaten path to the Charcoal burner's cottage.
"Any sign?" Daine asked.
"Not that I can find." Numair replied, "Wait here, while I go and see if there are any in the hut."
Daine nodded and as he left, she scouted around the hut, trying to find tracks. Numair soon rejoined her, shaking his head, the scene inside the hut hadn't been nice. Blood was spattered all up the walls and although the dead bodies had been removed, it was still ghastly.
"Can you sense them anywhere nearby?" the mage asked.
Daine concentrated for a second, then suddenly opened her eyes and pointed to the west.
"The birds say they are that way." The pair left Cloud and Spots buy the hut and walked towards the clearing Daine's informants were directing them to on foot. Before they got too close, Daine strung her crossbow. It was a present from last Midwinter, from Alanna the Lioness. It was a beautiful weapon, or as beautiful as a tool of death could be. It was ebony wood, carved with shapes of animals. One of the children of the village had done that, the Baron of Pirate's Swoop, and Alanna's husband George Cooper had told her, and Daine prized it even more for that fact. The engravings had been cunningly highlighted by twists of silver wire. The bolts she used sparingly and only ever on immortals like these. The rest of the time she used ordinary fletched quarrels. These bolts were black as well, and incredibly sharp. The
metal of the bow and bolts was brilliant silver and engraved on the stave was her name 'Verilidaine Sarrasri' and a message from the Lioness, that Hakim, one of the soldiers of the King's Own, had said the night they had met. 'Your
ancestors are proud.' For a bastard, orphan child, those words had lifted her heart and her pride.
Numair had a belt knife, but more importantly, and his main weapon, was the ball of black fire, laced with silver that gathered around his hands and arms. Daine shivered slightly. Sometimes it was hard to see her gentle, kindly teacher and friend in the most powerful mage in Tortall.
He glanced over at her, and nodded, resting a large hand on her shoulder for a brief second.
"Are you ready?"
She nodded.
"Then let's go!"
They dived into the clearing, weapons at the ready.
He he he he he cliffy!!!!!!
HuntressDiana