Disclaimer: Not only am I penniless (all my money goes to gas and occasionally candy, which makes me happy because gas prices were down this weekend yay!!!!) but I don't own anything from Tortal, that concept is owned by the illustrious Tamora Pierce.
A/N Thanks for the review to Celestial Secrets you are most welcome for the story and the fake food… I'd give you real cookies but they're hard to transfer on a dial-up connection and you shouldn't take food from strangers… Anyway, the Rispah thing probably sounded worse on paper than it looked in my mind and the only real reason for it is that the term 'wardrobe malfunction' makes me laugh. It never fails to bring back fond memories of skipping the super bowl half-time show and returning to laugh at my family's faces after Janet Jackson's memorable routine. Anyway I apologize for the randomness and hope everybody reading this likes the story… here goes.
George stared at the tiny dot on the map. He had returned from his day trip as the sun was setting over the city and now he was sitting in his room in the dancing dove with Alanna.
"That's the place?" George asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes," Alanna replied tersely, "But I have something to tell you."
George looked at the map for a few more minutes, then he turned it sideways and grinned, "I've been there. Very nice … Pirates Swoop has a certain ring to it doesn't it?"
Alanna cuffed him playfully, "Would you shut your yap and listen to me George?"
"Go ahead," George replied, letting the map roll up on itself and leaning back in his chair.
"I tried to find you earlier, but some kid answered the door at your mother's house…"
"Good, Gill's still sticking around then. I had my doubts as to whether she would run off."
Alanna shot him a look and he stopped talking, "Alright, there's no easy way to say this. Some kid got into the palace today. The disturbing part is that no one knows how he got there. We did find out why he was there though."
"And?"
"Well, when he was within arm's reach of the king he made his intentions quite clear. Regicide."
"An assassin? Who in the blinking bloody blazes let a random kid near the king! And an armed brat at that I would assume?"
"He had knives all over his person. The point is no one saw him before he approached the king. No one knew him or had ever seen him before."
"And this concerns me?"
Alanna glared at him for a minute, "You are the spymaster George, you picked up that Gill kid, so obviously you suspected something about kids … Why didn't you warn us? The king is not happy and people want answers. Unfortunately you are one of the people who can attempt to give us those answers."
"Alanna I picked that kid up because she was alone and defenseless on the street, that had to do with being the rouge. It had nothing to do with the court or the king. I will come and look at this little would be assassin, right now if need be, and even see if I can get answers out of him, but I will not accept blame for something I did not have control over."
"Thanks George, let's go," Alanna smiled at him and George was glad he had offered to help. He went with her, "You know you really are a bleeding-heart George." Alanna teased as they walked.
"The kid needed help," George defended himself absently.
"You're not having second thoughts about leaving the court of the rouge are you?"
"Naw, I'll still have all the old contacts and my people, the close ones anyway, will keep in touch. The only real difference will be that everything will be above board and beyond reproach." George flashed her a devilish grin and they continued walking in silence.
George had often been through the passages that Alanna and he traversed on the way to find the would-be assassin. They ended up at a small out of the way library. Two knights stood outside the doors. Upon seeing Alanna the two saluted and stepped away from the door for her.
"George and I need to talk to the boy," Alanna said gruffly.
"Sir Raoul is with him right now Lady."
"He won't mind us and we won't mind him," Alanna said as she brushed past them and George kept pace at her heels.
The kid sitting in a chair at the center of the room didn't look like the sort to plan out an assassination. His shaggy hair hung limply in his sullen eyes as he glared out at the world. He was tense and looked like he would have liked to fight the large dark haired knight sitting languidly near him. Raoul was unfazed by the death glare being focused on him as he made idle conversation.
"Good, you brought him Alanna," he said upon seeing the new arrivals, "I don't suppose you'd care to explain this ragamuffin?" he directed the comment to George.
"I've never seen the little blighter before," George said standing beside Alanna a few yards away from the boy. If anything the boy's glower deepened.
George walked up close to him and knelt down so he was on a level with the kid. He called up his truth spell and asked, "What's your business here kid, sight-seeing?"
After a moment of silently glaring the boy spat on the floor, "Ah came to kill the lousy good fer nothin' king."
"I see and you are aware that such talk alone is treason?"
"You gonna hang me fer it?" the boy growled challengingly.
"Someone might if you don't hold that tongue o' yours youngling," George replied, "At least you are an honest boy."
The boy grunted a response. George looked into his angry eyes for a moment, "Why did you come to kill him?"
"Ah wanted ta." The boy lied. He lit up in George's sight.
"Are you sure that's why?"
"Yeah, Ah felt like it."
"I think you are lying to me. Remember that at this point the truth isn't going to lose you anything considering that your life, however young you may be, is forfeit."
"Tha's jus' like you. Killin' a kid. Jus' th' sorta thin' Tortall's famous fer back 'ome."
To George's surprise the boy truly believed what he had just said. There wasn't even the faintest glimmer of magic indicating the boy doubted the tyranny of Tortall.
"Why do you say that?"
There was a long silence. The boy spat and glared at each of the assembled before he growled an accusation, "They kilt mah family."
"Tortallians?" Alanna burst out, "That's absurd. Where are you from boy?" she added menacingly.
"Ah dunno. Ah came 'ere from Galla. Someun bought mah brother an' me an' we've, mah brother, our mastah and Ah have been looking fer mah sistah fer years we followed 'er 'ere. Th' mastah says tha' Tortall's th' reason the Isle's lak slaves as they do. 'E tol' us that if' n we did 'way with the king we'd be free."
"So which is it?" George asked befuddled by the web of light that danced in his magic vision denoting half-truths littered throughout the account, "You're looking for revenge for your family who was killed by Tortallian raiders; or you were employed to help find your sister and that happened to include knocking off royalty; or you were told that the king had a hand in your enslavement and you want revenge… so which is it?"
The boy's mouth curled back in a rictus snarl. "Mah family got kilt by slavers as were profittin' from th' diversion of local troops fer fightin' Tortall ta snatch up some easy pickings"
"You were captured by slavers during a border-fight?" George asked to clarify.
"Yeah," the kid growled.
"And you want revenge on the ones you think caused it?"
"Ah more than want it Ah need it."
"You here with anybody?"
The boy stared right through George refusing to give any answer.
"Answer the question and don't make this difficult for yourself kid."
"Ah might be."
"Not good enough, yes or no?"
"Yeah, what's it to ya?"
"How many?"
"Ah'm not tellin' you."
"I suggest you do," George said threateningly Alanna fidgeted impatiently with her sword. The boy took the hint.
"Two other guys, they 'elped me 'scape th' mastah so long as Ah 'elped them 'ere."
"Alright, now we are getting somewhere. Tell me all about them."
"No!"
"You think they'd protect you? Tell me or there will be consequences… don't forget that you are in Tortall…" George trailed off ominously allowing the boy to come up with whatever torturous threat he could concoct.
"Alrigh' wha' do ya wanna know?"
George grinned and started asking questions in earnest.
Gill was recovering from a lesson with Stefan. The man was apparently a hostler, but he was one of the strongest people she had ever met and he had by no means gone easy on her during their sparring. Gill appreciated his teaching, but she missed George's calm instruction and easy-going smile.
Besides despite him being a magic-man she somehow felt safe when he was around. That was a concept she hadn't thought much about since she was a little kid before the slavers got her.
"Eat your supper girl," Eleni broke into Gill's reverie, "pushing it around your plate won't do a thing for anybody and if you want to learn fighting you need to keep your strength up."
"Yes ma'am," Gill replied and took a bite. She ate mechanically and then went up to the room she had been using. There she collapsed into bed dead tired. Eleni expected George to come by the next day. Which meant normal lessons with him.
Gill didn't remember falling asleep but she must have because she was awakened by the sound of someone pounding on the front door downstairs. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling and hoping whoever it was would leave for a moment before crawling out of bed to confront the culprit.
When she did reach the door Gill inched it open to reveal a very impatient George standing outside. With him was the same red-head from before. Gill glowered and stepped aside to let them in.
"Did ya really have ta wake me to come in?" she grumped.
"I was going for mother, but yes I left my key at home," George replied preceding the woman inside and tousling Gill's already untidy hair.
"pfft, I don't buy that line fer a second, you coulda picked it an' we both know it."
"Ah, but that would be disrespectful, breaking into me own mother's house."
"Knock it off George, we need to get the kid out of here in a hurry and talk to your mother to boot."
"Right, is Mother awake Gill?"
"I dunno, I was sleeping."
"Alright, well, you and Alanna can make us all some tea while I wake Mother, this could be a long night."
Alanna shepherded Gill into the kitchen and George went after his mother.
When they arrived Alanna busied herself bringing the fire back to life and putting on some water to boil. Gill slumped sleepily at the table.
"So why are you two here so late at night?"
Alanna gave her a measuring look, and then joined her at the table, "You know about what happened and Prin-King Jon's coronation?"
"I'd of had to of been hiding under a rock not ta."
"Well, unfortunately people took this as a sign of weakness, never mind that the coup and everything was unsuccessful even though everything was in turmoil from the passing on of leadership, it was perceived as weakness. So for the past bit we've had more border incursions than we can count, assassins crawling out of the woodwork and rumors of a plague in the south. George was checking out the rumors when he left, they are largely unsubstantiated nonsense. After so many failures the assassins seem to be running out and that leaves the borders as our only concern.
"Well, other than the fact that we had an attempted regicide today and the culprit's story was extremely similar to yours. He said he was captured in a raid and that he came here via Galla."
"Good for him. I don't much care about kings or the like so if it's all the same to you I ought to go back to bed."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that. The queen has come up with a way to stop the raids and bandits and the like, but as for the assassins, that's my job, mine and George's. George trusts you; I don't. We are sending you to our home until things settle down. Time will tell whether you are a threat or not."
"Fine then, if I must travel I will do so with a full night's rest, so good night."
Gill stalked out and Alanna looked on impassively.
A/N Sorry this took so long to post. I was in New York last Friday to Tuesday around 1:30 in the morning, Tuesday I had to babysit and then Wednesday I had a calc AP test and Youth group so I didn't get home till late and Thursday we went on a field trip to a hospital all day and I ended up having to fill out scholarship applications and Friday we went out to dinner so this is my first opportunity to finish it up… I hope you like the new chap, soon as I get a review I'll do the next one up fer ya.