Eerrrgg!!! When I titled this chapter "chapter five sort of" I meant
that this chapter isn't done! I just needed help!! Now the chapter is
done. Totally revamped from what I had before.
Chapter Five
Alanna spun around to see a tall young man, around 18 or so, looked up at them. He was skinny, with floppy, dirty black hair, and equally black eyes, and a charming smile. He seemed entirely unremarkable, but for one thing. He wore a black mage's robe.
"I am Arram Draper, a black robe mage." The couple stared, George questioning, and Alanna suspicious. Black robe mage's were very rare. There were only six in the world.
At Alanna's nod he continued. "I will serve you, if in return you will not tell anyone about me."
Alanna's look darkened, and her eyes narrowed.
George noticed with a sigh. Bad sign, he thought. Very bad sign.
Quickly he added, "I may not look like much, but I went through twelve full years of mage training in the University of Carthak. I can do pretty much anything in the way of magic."
Alanna looked him over, scrutinizing every part of him. He didn't look like much, gangly and tall, very tall. Outward appearances didn't mean much about the strength of the Gift though. She was short and stocky, not your average great knight and sorceress.
She probed his mind with her Gift, and doubled over with the strength of the protections there. Building her own Gift to shield it, she entered her Gift into his again. It was vast, its immense power beating down on her. She faltered, and his Gift overpowered hers, pushing her out of her mind. She gaped at him. She had only seen someone with this much power once before. That had been her own twin brother, Thom, and he was dead now.
At last she decided that it couldn't hurt too much if she found out this boy's game. Alanna gripped her emberstone. The boy shone bright with a sparkling black color. She spoke matter-of-factly. "Will you stay with us until we dismiss you or no longer have need of you? No running because the going gets tough." When he nodded she continued. "All right. We might take you on. If we think you can help us." She eyed him carefully, thinking, we'll have to test him first.
He bowed. "I would be honored to serve your ladyship." He straightened, and Alanna realized how very tall he was. He had to be at least a foot and a half taller than she.
Smiling, he spoke. "What do you have in mind for a test, lady? And please don't think of me like I'm only a child. You aren't much older than me at twenty years to my eighteen, lady knight."
She blushed, and then realized what he had said. "You-" She shook with rage. "You read my thoughts!" Alanna advanced on him, sword unsheathed, bristling with anger. "Why should we let you help us, if we can't even trust you to stay out of our heads."
The boy shrank back at the sight of the advancing knight, then seemed to remember himself and straightened. "You wouldn't stand a chance in a magical dual against me. I am a Master, whereas your only magical training was as a page."
"And as a shaman," George whispered, but Alanna didn't hear him. Her eyebrows came together with an almost audible snap, but she sheathed her sword, still seething.
Arram went on, oblivious. "When you wanted to test me, would the ability to read the mind of the only lady knight be enough to make me pass? I can do plenty more."
Alanna gasped at his arrogance. "What- but- you-" She gaped.
"You will not be threatenin' my soon-to-be lady of Pirate's Swoop. You will not hurt her." George, forgotten until that moment, came up behind them. "She is a Bazhir shaman, and a fair powerful one at that. She beat, and destroyed the Ysandir in a magical duel when she was only thirteen. She fought an elemental for the Dominion Jewel. Do you really want me to list her accomplishments to you?"
"I'm sure I'll find them out in all due time. I already know of quite a few, or I would not have offered my help. If you would recall, that is why I spoke to you in the first place: to offer you help, not pick a fight." Arram was becoming a bit frustrated. Why were these people so suspicious of him, he was trying to help!
"Why?" Alanna had spoken again. "Why do you want to help us? What's it to you?" She had been suspicious of the young man's motives from the start.
He shrugged. "I am a black robe mage-"
George cut in. "You said that already. Tell us something new."
The mage glared but continued, "As I was saying, I feel it is my duty to help people in need."
"I'm not in nee-" George covered Alanna's mouth with his hand.
"Also, I wanted to meet the great lady knight."
Alanna grinned at his ignorance. She was no court lady. Flattery wouldn't win her over!
Arram went on. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to help me in return" It was a gamble, but one he hoped he would win.
"Maybe. You said before, only if we don't tell anyone about you. Why are you so secret?"
He took a deep breath. "Can I trust you? If I tell you why, you won't tell them I'm here?" George nodded. He would never betray a fellow rogue. Alanna hesitated, then followed suit.
"I am wanted my Ozorne, Emperor Mage of Carthak, for treason against the throne." Alanna eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but George silenced her once again.
"He accused me of wanting to kill him! I would never have done that; he was my best friend! Was. I escaped the University and came to Tortall. I've been working as a juggler ever since. I've sold everything I own just to stay alive. Except my robe. I can't sell it. Who would buy a black mage's robe? They wouldn't be allowed to wear it and a supposedly treasonous black rode mage is on the run."
"Besides," he grinned wolfishly, "it keeps me warm. I beg you, please take me into your service. I'll do anything magical you like."
Alanna was confused. "I didn't hear of any runaway mage."
George grinned. "I did. You wanted adventure, my lioness. You got it. This lad will surely make life interesting."
Alanna sighed, looking the boy over. She grimaced at what she saw, and then shook her head. "I don't think-" The ember glowed hot, searing her skin. "Fine. The gods will it so. As much as it's against my better judgment, he can work for us."
The trio returned to the palace. The trial drew near.
Thanks to:
Chapter Four:
PrincessAlyssa16: Thank you
Oneinamilliongirl: thank you and thank you
Vera: Of course, here, have a big chocolate cookie! If you don't like chocolate then... I don't know.
Pheep: Yay! Thank you! I need it!
Ryoko.Kilala: I sincerely hope I spelled that right, and *sweeps grand Player's bow* Thank you, thank you. I needed to put at least one cliffy in more story. I just had too!
Unknown: Thank you, and you'll just have to be surprised at where she get's married. Although it's not that surprising.
MysticAnubisOfTheRing: Thank you. I had the Numair thing planned for a while, good psychic skills on guessing though! Become a Seer lol.
Chapter Five:
Tequila: I know that. The time period for Numair between Alanna and Daine si kind of warped. I says in Wild Magic that "about 8 years ago" Numair met Alanna. Alanna was 29 and he was 27, so eight years ago would make him nineteen. I don't know how that lets him leave Carthak shortly before his twenty-first birthday. I'm not saying that Tammy didn't write that it was his twenty-first, because I also remember seeing it. However, she wrote two different time frames so I just picked the one that made more sense. I'm just going to say that this is the end of his sleight-of-hand/juggler period. It ended because he met Alanna. Thank you for your review though!
Vera: I just HAD to put a cliffy. They make me happy. I'll try to read your story/ Chocolate is my friend!
Ryoko.Kilala: That wasn't the end of the chapter! I put up what I had so far so that people would help me figure out what to write! And they did! So I'm updating the chapter!
Jesse: Thanks for reading, Thank you for your compliments. This will probably make MUCH better sense after I send you the 3rd and fourth book. I WILL send them. Eventually.
Leeread: Thank you!
Goddess of the Moon: Numair is two years younger than Alanna. I don't think I'll be stuck for tooooo much longer, thanks for your concern!
Pheep: Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! THANK YOU! You gave me such good ideas! Me will try to use them! Only two people gave me ideas and you were one of them! Thank you!
Also would anyone like to be my beta??????? And teach me how to beta??? But mostly be my beta?? *I feel so demanding, I asked for help and now I'm asking for a beta, what a bum I am*
Please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that this chapter isn't done! I just needed help!! Now the chapter is
done. Totally revamped from what I had before.
Chapter Five
Alanna spun around to see a tall young man, around 18 or so, looked up at them. He was skinny, with floppy, dirty black hair, and equally black eyes, and a charming smile. He seemed entirely unremarkable, but for one thing. He wore a black mage's robe.
"I am Arram Draper, a black robe mage." The couple stared, George questioning, and Alanna suspicious. Black robe mage's were very rare. There were only six in the world.
At Alanna's nod he continued. "I will serve you, if in return you will not tell anyone about me."
Alanna's look darkened, and her eyes narrowed.
George noticed with a sigh. Bad sign, he thought. Very bad sign.
Quickly he added, "I may not look like much, but I went through twelve full years of mage training in the University of Carthak. I can do pretty much anything in the way of magic."
Alanna looked him over, scrutinizing every part of him. He didn't look like much, gangly and tall, very tall. Outward appearances didn't mean much about the strength of the Gift though. She was short and stocky, not your average great knight and sorceress.
She probed his mind with her Gift, and doubled over with the strength of the protections there. Building her own Gift to shield it, she entered her Gift into his again. It was vast, its immense power beating down on her. She faltered, and his Gift overpowered hers, pushing her out of her mind. She gaped at him. She had only seen someone with this much power once before. That had been her own twin brother, Thom, and he was dead now.
At last she decided that it couldn't hurt too much if she found out this boy's game. Alanna gripped her emberstone. The boy shone bright with a sparkling black color. She spoke matter-of-factly. "Will you stay with us until we dismiss you or no longer have need of you? No running because the going gets tough." When he nodded she continued. "All right. We might take you on. If we think you can help us." She eyed him carefully, thinking, we'll have to test him first.
He bowed. "I would be honored to serve your ladyship." He straightened, and Alanna realized how very tall he was. He had to be at least a foot and a half taller than she.
Smiling, he spoke. "What do you have in mind for a test, lady? And please don't think of me like I'm only a child. You aren't much older than me at twenty years to my eighteen, lady knight."
She blushed, and then realized what he had said. "You-" She shook with rage. "You read my thoughts!" Alanna advanced on him, sword unsheathed, bristling with anger. "Why should we let you help us, if we can't even trust you to stay out of our heads."
The boy shrank back at the sight of the advancing knight, then seemed to remember himself and straightened. "You wouldn't stand a chance in a magical dual against me. I am a Master, whereas your only magical training was as a page."
"And as a shaman," George whispered, but Alanna didn't hear him. Her eyebrows came together with an almost audible snap, but she sheathed her sword, still seething.
Arram went on, oblivious. "When you wanted to test me, would the ability to read the mind of the only lady knight be enough to make me pass? I can do plenty more."
Alanna gasped at his arrogance. "What- but- you-" She gaped.
"You will not be threatenin' my soon-to-be lady of Pirate's Swoop. You will not hurt her." George, forgotten until that moment, came up behind them. "She is a Bazhir shaman, and a fair powerful one at that. She beat, and destroyed the Ysandir in a magical duel when she was only thirteen. She fought an elemental for the Dominion Jewel. Do you really want me to list her accomplishments to you?"
"I'm sure I'll find them out in all due time. I already know of quite a few, or I would not have offered my help. If you would recall, that is why I spoke to you in the first place: to offer you help, not pick a fight." Arram was becoming a bit frustrated. Why were these people so suspicious of him, he was trying to help!
"Why?" Alanna had spoken again. "Why do you want to help us? What's it to you?" She had been suspicious of the young man's motives from the start.
He shrugged. "I am a black robe mage-"
George cut in. "You said that already. Tell us something new."
The mage glared but continued, "As I was saying, I feel it is my duty to help people in need."
"I'm not in nee-" George covered Alanna's mouth with his hand.
"Also, I wanted to meet the great lady knight."
Alanna grinned at his ignorance. She was no court lady. Flattery wouldn't win her over!
Arram went on. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to help me in return" It was a gamble, but one he hoped he would win.
"Maybe. You said before, only if we don't tell anyone about you. Why are you so secret?"
He took a deep breath. "Can I trust you? If I tell you why, you won't tell them I'm here?" George nodded. He would never betray a fellow rogue. Alanna hesitated, then followed suit.
"I am wanted my Ozorne, Emperor Mage of Carthak, for treason against the throne." Alanna eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but George silenced her once again.
"He accused me of wanting to kill him! I would never have done that; he was my best friend! Was. I escaped the University and came to Tortall. I've been working as a juggler ever since. I've sold everything I own just to stay alive. Except my robe. I can't sell it. Who would buy a black mage's robe? They wouldn't be allowed to wear it and a supposedly treasonous black rode mage is on the run."
"Besides," he grinned wolfishly, "it keeps me warm. I beg you, please take me into your service. I'll do anything magical you like."
Alanna was confused. "I didn't hear of any runaway mage."
George grinned. "I did. You wanted adventure, my lioness. You got it. This lad will surely make life interesting."
Alanna sighed, looking the boy over. She grimaced at what she saw, and then shook her head. "I don't think-" The ember glowed hot, searing her skin. "Fine. The gods will it so. As much as it's against my better judgment, he can work for us."
The trio returned to the palace. The trial drew near.
Thanks to:
Chapter Four:
PrincessAlyssa16: Thank you
Oneinamilliongirl: thank you and thank you
Vera: Of course, here, have a big chocolate cookie! If you don't like chocolate then... I don't know.
Pheep: Yay! Thank you! I need it!
Ryoko.Kilala: I sincerely hope I spelled that right, and *sweeps grand Player's bow* Thank you, thank you. I needed to put at least one cliffy in more story. I just had too!
Unknown: Thank you, and you'll just have to be surprised at where she get's married. Although it's not that surprising.
MysticAnubisOfTheRing: Thank you. I had the Numair thing planned for a while, good psychic skills on guessing though! Become a Seer lol.
Chapter Five:
Tequila: I know that. The time period for Numair between Alanna and Daine si kind of warped. I says in Wild Magic that "about 8 years ago" Numair met Alanna. Alanna was 29 and he was 27, so eight years ago would make him nineteen. I don't know how that lets him leave Carthak shortly before his twenty-first birthday. I'm not saying that Tammy didn't write that it was his twenty-first, because I also remember seeing it. However, she wrote two different time frames so I just picked the one that made more sense. I'm just going to say that this is the end of his sleight-of-hand/juggler period. It ended because he met Alanna. Thank you for your review though!
Vera: I just HAD to put a cliffy. They make me happy. I'll try to read your story/ Chocolate is my friend!
Ryoko.Kilala: That wasn't the end of the chapter! I put up what I had so far so that people would help me figure out what to write! And they did! So I'm updating the chapter!
Jesse: Thanks for reading, Thank you for your compliments. This will probably make MUCH better sense after I send you the 3rd and fourth book. I WILL send them. Eventually.
Leeread: Thank you!
Goddess of the Moon: Numair is two years younger than Alanna. I don't think I'll be stuck for tooooo much longer, thanks for your concern!
Pheep: Thank you! Thank you! Thank You! THANK YOU! You gave me such good ideas! Me will try to use them! Only two people gave me ideas and you were one of them! Thank you!
Also would anyone like to be my beta??????? And teach me how to beta??? But mostly be my beta?? *I feel so demanding, I asked for help and now I'm asking for a beta, what a bum I am*
Please REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!