The sky was turning a dim shade of pink and orange when Aly finally
got outside again. After the long winter snow's build-up, no one had been
able to leave the palace until late spring. And still, Aly had had to
finish training her spies and sending them on their way. They were going to
leave tomorrow for the week-long voyage to Rajmuat, and she still hadn't
seen Kyprioth. Come here you old goon. She complained to herself. It didn't
really matter whether or not he came, but it would certainly be helpful to
talk to him.
Aly shrugged off her distress and walked to the stables. Her own horse had been taken to prepare with the rest of the ship, so instead she chose a roan mare with a tan main, tail, and stockings named Angel. Aly untied the horse and led her outside, not bothering to saddle her. Since her year of being on Lombyn, Aly had become a master at riding bareback.
She kicked Angel into a trot and started up a nearby hill. She knew the lands around Tanair almost as well as some of the people who'd lived there all their lives after working as the Balitangs' goat herder.
As she reached the top, Aly turned to stare at the sky. It was turning purple, implying that night was almost here. Aly figured she only had a few minutes before she had to go back, but it didn't matter.
From behind her, a twig cracked. Aly veered around to see who it was, then smiled. Her crow-man friend Nawat stood behind her. "Hello," He said, a grin on his face, but his voice revealed that something was wrong.
"What's wrong, Nawat?" Aly asked. The crow-man wing-shrugged, shaking his head. "The crows say someone is coming, another Laurin. They say she's looking for you, claims to be sent by some lady named Respa...?"
"Rispah? What's wrong with Aunt Rispah?" Again, Nawat wing-shrugged. "Her messenger is coming. She should be here soon." Aly nodded. "You might want to go meet her. It would be the safest way to; getting all your friends involved will just make it more confusing."
"Good idea." Aly remounted her horse. "Where is she coming from?" Nawat pointed south-east, towards Kellaura Pass.
"She was spotted over there this morning, riding pretty fast."
"Thanks Nawat." He nodded, then turned around and jumped into a tree.
"Just tell a crow if you need my help," The bird-man said, and then vanished into the nearby trees. Aly nodded, turned her mare towards where he had pointed.
The sun had just finished setting when Aly came upon another traveler on the road. Turning her usual vision to the magical sight she picked out the traveler's features. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and a good figure. Aly recognized the lady to be Hilary, one of her aunt's good friends. Aly pulled Angel to a stop, and then waved her hand to Hilary. "Are you the messenger I heard of, the one that asks for 'Aly'?" The woman turned and nodded. "Hilary, what is it you have to give me?" "Alianne-," The woman mumbled, out of breath. "Aly. My name is 'Aly'." "Yes, Aly. I have this to give you." She held out her hand, an envelope inside. "It is from Rispah and Coram, requesting your immediate attention." Hilary turned her horse around and galloped away before Aly had much of a chance to speak. Slowly, Aly turned Angel back towards the castle. It would take an hour or so to get back, but she would be stupid to open the letter here. Besides, it was most likely written in code that could take a long time to decipher.
When she finally got back to Tanair castle, groomed the horse, and ate a late supper, it was well past midnight. Good thing I packed everything before leaving the castle. She thought to herself as she opened the envelope in the flickering light of her fire. Over the long winter, her rooms had been transferred to a warmer area upstairs, closer to Winnamine's and Dove's. After opening the letter and seeing that the code was one she could translate with ease, Aly fixed her senses to make sure no one was spying on her. Then, in a voice as quite as a whisper, she read the letter aloud:
Dear Aly,
How I have wished to speak to ye these past weeks, but now is not the time to catch ye up in Trebond's busywork. I'se be sending this to you because something terrible has happened. During a surprise attack on Mastiff, the bloody Scanrans got the upper hand, and seemed to have kidnapped some people. Now, although they have not sent ransom notes, we can safely say they have them. Among these people are Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, and (the reason I am writing this to ye) yer mother. It seems that his majesty is so worried now about making those Scanran thugs mad with another attack and getting those captives killed that he has even ordered your father to return all but his best spies, and even limit those. Of course, George is not the kind of man to listen to authorities, and is currently organizing a search party. Still, I ask that, if you could possibly find a way to help, please do so, even if it is only a prayer to the Goddess that yer mother's guards be lessoned. I just thought you should know.
Regretfully,
Coram Smythesson
The full impact of his words didn't hit Aly until she heard the bell- tower chime two in the morning. Slowly, she rose to her feet, squinting tears out of her eyes. Aly grabbed an old flower sack and stuffed the remains of her dinner, a few pieces of gold, and a change of clothes into it.
Turning, she threw the letter into the dying flames, and before she could watch it burn, she wheeled out of her room, determination set clearly on her face.
Aly shrugged off her distress and walked to the stables. Her own horse had been taken to prepare with the rest of the ship, so instead she chose a roan mare with a tan main, tail, and stockings named Angel. Aly untied the horse and led her outside, not bothering to saddle her. Since her year of being on Lombyn, Aly had become a master at riding bareback.
She kicked Angel into a trot and started up a nearby hill. She knew the lands around Tanair almost as well as some of the people who'd lived there all their lives after working as the Balitangs' goat herder.
As she reached the top, Aly turned to stare at the sky. It was turning purple, implying that night was almost here. Aly figured she only had a few minutes before she had to go back, but it didn't matter.
From behind her, a twig cracked. Aly veered around to see who it was, then smiled. Her crow-man friend Nawat stood behind her. "Hello," He said, a grin on his face, but his voice revealed that something was wrong.
"What's wrong, Nawat?" Aly asked. The crow-man wing-shrugged, shaking his head. "The crows say someone is coming, another Laurin. They say she's looking for you, claims to be sent by some lady named Respa...?"
"Rispah? What's wrong with Aunt Rispah?" Again, Nawat wing-shrugged. "Her messenger is coming. She should be here soon." Aly nodded. "You might want to go meet her. It would be the safest way to; getting all your friends involved will just make it more confusing."
"Good idea." Aly remounted her horse. "Where is she coming from?" Nawat pointed south-east, towards Kellaura Pass.
"She was spotted over there this morning, riding pretty fast."
"Thanks Nawat." He nodded, then turned around and jumped into a tree.
"Just tell a crow if you need my help," The bird-man said, and then vanished into the nearby trees. Aly nodded, turned her mare towards where he had pointed.
The sun had just finished setting when Aly came upon another traveler on the road. Turning her usual vision to the magical sight she picked out the traveler's features. She had light brown hair, blue eyes, and a good figure. Aly recognized the lady to be Hilary, one of her aunt's good friends. Aly pulled Angel to a stop, and then waved her hand to Hilary. "Are you the messenger I heard of, the one that asks for 'Aly'?" The woman turned and nodded. "Hilary, what is it you have to give me?" "Alianne-," The woman mumbled, out of breath. "Aly. My name is 'Aly'." "Yes, Aly. I have this to give you." She held out her hand, an envelope inside. "It is from Rispah and Coram, requesting your immediate attention." Hilary turned her horse around and galloped away before Aly had much of a chance to speak. Slowly, Aly turned Angel back towards the castle. It would take an hour or so to get back, but she would be stupid to open the letter here. Besides, it was most likely written in code that could take a long time to decipher.
When she finally got back to Tanair castle, groomed the horse, and ate a late supper, it was well past midnight. Good thing I packed everything before leaving the castle. She thought to herself as she opened the envelope in the flickering light of her fire. Over the long winter, her rooms had been transferred to a warmer area upstairs, closer to Winnamine's and Dove's. After opening the letter and seeing that the code was one she could translate with ease, Aly fixed her senses to make sure no one was spying on her. Then, in a voice as quite as a whisper, she read the letter aloud:
Dear Aly,
How I have wished to speak to ye these past weeks, but now is not the time to catch ye up in Trebond's busywork. I'se be sending this to you because something terrible has happened. During a surprise attack on Mastiff, the bloody Scanrans got the upper hand, and seemed to have kidnapped some people. Now, although they have not sent ransom notes, we can safely say they have them. Among these people are Sir Raoul of Goldenlake, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, and (the reason I am writing this to ye) yer mother. It seems that his majesty is so worried now about making those Scanran thugs mad with another attack and getting those captives killed that he has even ordered your father to return all but his best spies, and even limit those. Of course, George is not the kind of man to listen to authorities, and is currently organizing a search party. Still, I ask that, if you could possibly find a way to help, please do so, even if it is only a prayer to the Goddess that yer mother's guards be lessoned. I just thought you should know.
Regretfully,
Coram Smythesson
The full impact of his words didn't hit Aly until she heard the bell- tower chime two in the morning. Slowly, she rose to her feet, squinting tears out of her eyes. Aly grabbed an old flower sack and stuffed the remains of her dinner, a few pieces of gold, and a change of clothes into it.
Turning, she threw the letter into the dying flames, and before she could watch it burn, she wheeled out of her room, determination set clearly on her face.