{A/N I'd like to state for the record that I do not own a copy of the books. As such there are bound to be plenty of canonical errors (as well as all the other regular kind). Feel free to correct, shout or laugh at me.
This is pure fluff, except when its not. Roger doesn't exist in this story.
Hope you enjoy - plotless. }
Disclaimer : I do not own any of Tamora Piece's characters or settings. I just like to sneak into her toybox and play with them once in a while.
e-mail : terra786@hotmail.com
Chapter 2
Alanna got up before dawn ready to do some warm up exercises and practice some fighting techniques. She had just finished doing sit-ups and was about to start on her push-ups when she saw Calisto sitting cross legged on the edge of the bed.
"What are you doing up? How long have you been here?" Alanna asked sitting up and crossing here legs.
"I couldn't sleep, too excited about today I guess." Calisto answered. "I've been here quite a while, but I didn't want to disturb you."
"Okay," Alanna said still staring at her suspiciously.
"You can go on doing your exercises I'm not going do anything to you while your back is turned," Calisto said trying to look shocked and hurt that her best friend could even think that. Alanna ignored her and started to do push-ups. She was just about to start some very complicated exercises when there was a knock on the door. Alanna stopped what she was doing and looked at Calisto who was still sitting on the bed not uttering a word, it was unnerving.
"Go get the door," Alanna said and as Calisto got up to go to the door she added, "And if it's for me tell them I'm busy."
As Alanna started her exercises she heard the door open. She had done these exercises a million times before and with only half her concentration on her movements she began listening to the conversation outside.
"Hello," Calisto said. Alanna wondered who it was.
"Can I speak with Alanna?" a grumpy voice Alanna recognized as Thom's asked.
"No," Calisto said brightly.
"Why?" Thom's voice sounded really irritated.
"She's busy," Calisto answered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
Just as she attempted a difficult roundhouse kick Alanna had to stifle a giggle as she imagined the look on Thom's face. She lost her concentration and there was a thud as she hit the floor. Alanna moaned in pain as she stood up.
"What was that?" Thom asked with his usual curiosity. "What's my sister doing in there?"
"Well…um…she's… er…" Calisto stalled knowing that Alanna did not want anyone know about her fighting skills.
"She's moaning over the loss of her…" Calisto started but Alanna interrupted her before she could finish her sentence by wrenching the door open and pushing Calisto aside.
"Over the loss of that stallion I told you about yesterday." Alanna said as she glared at Calisto. Before Calisto could do or say anything else she turned back to Thom and asked, "Why did you come to my room?"
"We just came to ask you to breakfast…" Thom stopped and his eyes widened as he asked in a shocked voice, "What are you wearing?"
Alanna looked down at herself and gulped. She was still dressed in the tight-fitting clothes she wore to practice, which allowed for easy movement. Her eyes moved from her brother's appalled face to the faces of his friends who stood behind him, but they didn't look that unhappy. She threw back her head determined not to start blushing and answered sarcastically, "Clothes" and as an afterthought she added, " Yes, we'll come with you to breakfast, wait while I change."
She pulled Calisto into the room and slammed the door. The boys now stopped smiling and Gary let out a disgusted noise, they were all starving and everyone new how long ladies took to change. Five minutes later Alanna and Calisto breezed past them and strode down the corridor. Alanna turned around and asked, "By the way, do you mind if we come and watch you practice." The boys too stunned at the girls quick reappearance from their room did not notice the mischievous look Alanna and Calisto exchanged.
Alanna and Calisto sat on a grassy mound watching the knights and squires fencing and wrestling. Calisto who was quite bored was fiddling with her hair as Alanna analysed the men's moves. Alanna nudged Calisto as she saw Gary, Raoul, Jonathan and Thom moving towards the Archery area. The girls got up and moved closer, this was going to be very interesting thought Alanna as she leaned against the fence. As the boys stepped forward and raised their bows a voice was heard saying, "Please, please have mercy! Don't kill me! I have little dust bunnies at home!" It seemed to be coming from the first practice dummy.
A second voice cut in shouting, "Ah, quit your jabbering. These scrawny boys couldn't even pull the drawstring properly, let alone hit an unmoving target."
Another even louder voice started shrieking, "Murder! Murder! You can't kill me! I'm too young to die! Somebody save me! H-E-L-P!" A crowd had started gathering, attracted by the wails and moans.
"Quit whining and take it like a dummy!" the second voice commanded.
The fourth dummy began talking over the other three voices in superior tones, "All of you be quiet. They can't touch us. Its abuse! I'll take them to court, I'll call the king!"
The second dummy began challenging Thom to fire at him, "Come on. What are you afraid of, you scaredy cat? Momma's boy!" Thom's face had become red and when he heard some stifled laughter in the crowd it was too much, he drew back the arrow and fired. It hit the dummy in the chest and it looked downwards disbelievingly, "He got me, I can't believe he got me. Look there…it's a white light," he said softly and his voice along with all the others faded. By this time Alanna and Calisto could control themselves no longer and where leaning against the fence laughing helplessly and gasping for breath.
"That was your best idea yet, Alanna," Calisto got out between giggles. "You're brilliant."
Alanna looked up and saw Thom and the other squires and knights looking down at them in disbelief. Thom looked ready to kill. Alanna turned to Calisto who was still laughing and had not noticed the boys staring at them.
"Quick, run!" she hissed at her friend and they both began running towards the castle.
"Stop!" Thom shouted furiously.
Alanna shouted over her shoulder as they ran of "Sorry, can't talk now, things to do, places to be."
Alanna was trying to walk down a torch-lit passage, in search of the boys. She didn't seem to be succeeding, perhaps because she was dragging Calisto behind her. Her friend was trying to escape from her grasp, begging her to go back to their room and stay there for the rest of their lives or at least until the boys forgot about the incident earlier. Alanna was firm, she wasn't going to hide away from her brother and a few squires. What could they do to her? She rounded a corner and saw them standing at the end of the passage talking to a Lady. She appeared to be standing quite close to the boys, particularly Jonathan. The Lady was wearing a very low cut dress and was leaning towards him smiling in what she obviously thought was a flirtatious manner. Alanna bit on her tongue to stop herself from laughing. Thom looked up when he heard her come stalking down the passage, head held high, pulling Calisto behind her. Alanna stopped right in front of them keeping a firm hand on Calisto's arm in case she decided to run away. She cleared her throat and Gary, Raoul and Jonathan turned to look at them too. Alanna saw that when Jonathan turned to face them, the lady immediately put her hand on his shoulder and started batting her eyelashes.
Alanna looked at her faking concern. "Are you alright?" she asked her, the lady looked puzzled. "What I mean is, is there something in your eye?"
"She's batting her eyelashes Alanna," Calisto hissed audibly at Alanna.
Alanna raised an eyebrow at her, "Batting her what?" she said in a louder tone.
"Eyelashes. You know, flirting," and Calisto began to imitate the lady.
"There really seems to be a lot of dust in the air," Alanna said looking at Calisto but that was a bad idea because Calisto was biting the inside of her cheek and you could see she was trying hard not to laugh. Alanna couldn't hold it in longer and she doubled over. Calisto joined in and before long they were leaning against each other laughing.
"Is there something you wanted?" Thom said when it seemed that Alanna and Calisto weren't going to stop laughing. They looked up to see a stern looking Thom glaring back at them. The Lady they'd insulted looked fit to kill. Alanna glanced at Calisto who looked back at her and shook her head furiously; fiddling with the chain she always wore. She always toyed with it when she was upset or nervous. Oh well, it would be better to just get this over with quickly Alanna thought and looked at her twin.
"We-just-wanted-to-apologise-for-what-we-did-earlier," she said in a rush and looked behind him. "Who's your friend?" she asked.
Gary answered for Thom who was looking very shocked and didn't even seem to have registered what Alanna has said. "This is Lady Delia" Gary said gesturing to the Lady that was standing next to Jonathan. Alanna and Calisto gave her a friendly grin trying to show they had only been joking earlier. "Delia this is Alanna, Thom's sister, and her friend Calisto," he went on.
"I should have known she was your sister Thom. If she wasn't wearing that dress I would have thought she was your brother," Delia said looking at Alanna and giving a fake giggle.
Alanna shrugged not taking the bait. "We're twins we're supposed to look alike," She said matter-of-factly. The bell went for the boys to go to their last class. They looked at Delia apologetically and Raoul said, "Sorry ladies but we have to go," and they all strode around the corner. As soon as the last boy had rounded the corner the smile vanished from Delia's face.
"I meant what I said you know. You really look like a guy; you even walk like one, and that dress you're wearing. Maybe next time you should look in the mirror before you leave the room" Delia smirked. Calisto opened her mouth obviously ready to retort. Delia must have seen this because she quickly added, "You shouldn't be so proud of that little trick you pulled this morning. Nobody was impressed. You should leave the real magic to the experts." She suggested. Subtle insults definitely had no meaning to Delia. Calisto was clutching her chain again and she looked ready to curse Delia. Alanna decided that they had better get out of there as she felt her own temper rising. She caught Calisto's eye. Calisto got the message and they simultaneously turned with a flick of their hair. They would deal with Delia later.
Alanna stormed around her room. "She didn't even get to know us!" she said turning abruptly and looking at Calisto.
"She probably just thought we were going to steal her boyfriends," Calisto said wisely.
"What?!" Alanna cried. "Them!"
"I know I mean Raoul's too tall, Gary's too stuffy, Jonathan's just Jonathan and Thom's a disgusting, loathsome little…and he's your brother, so I'll just stop talking now" Calisto came to a stop as she remembered Alanna was standing in the room.
"Yes he is, but what are we going to do about Delia?" Alanna asked ignoring Calisto.
A grin spread across Calisto's face, "Oh, I've got an idea," she said mischievously and leaned over to whisper in Alanna's ear.
Alanna grinned, "Let's do it!"