Thank you sooo much for the reviews. Dancing Amethyst, I tried to do what
you suggested. I don't know how well it turned out, though. Sorry for any
extra spelling/grammar mistakes I may have missed.
The attack rained on. Arrows were flying in random directions, and gore could not be avoided, no matter which way she looked. Luckily, being a knight had taught Alanna to ignore any blood during the fight. As she tripped down the flight of stairs to the ground level of Mastiff, something caught her eye. Ducking in and out of the fighting, she ran for a hole, about three feet high and two feet wide, which resided in the side wall. Could that be how the Scanrans had gotten in? Still, it would be too small for many of them to come through...
"Lady Knight, behind you!" Alanna turned, sword in hand, just in time to side-step out of a Scanran's ax's blade. Cursing her stupidity, Alanna bit her lip and dodged in, her sword biting the man's side. He fumbled clumsily around, preparing another attack. Alanna brought her sword up, but before she attacked, the man groaned in agony and fell, dead, onto the ground.
Behind him stood a tall brunette, smiling grimly. Alanna muttered a thanks, and the girl smiled back. "We lady knights have to watch each other's backs, you know." Alanna nodded to Keladry, sheathed her sword, and smiled.
"How true... Keladry, have you seen Raoul, I've been looking for him, but he's nowhere to be seen." Alanna had to yell to be heard above the ruckus of the battle around them. Keladry turned to a door near them, opened it, and motioned for Alanna to follow her inside. She followed quickly. "We can't stay here long, though, there's a battle going on and we should be in it." Alanna pointed out reasonably.
"I know, but I couldn't hear myself think out there." She sunk into a wooden chair next to a table used for map layouts, trying to catch her breath.
"I need to find Raoul. The troop that's supposed to report to him can't find him, and I can't keep telling them what to do. I'm a fighter, not a tactician." Alanna bit her lip, hoping Keladry would know where to find him.
"Actually, I saw him not long ago, but in this chaos, it's hard enough to keep your eyes on your own attacker, let alone someone twenty yards away from you. If you want, you can have them report to me. I've been here for longer than you have, so I might know this place better..."
"Aren't you supposed to be at New Hope?" Alanna suddenly enquired. Keladry nodded, but Alanna couldn't read her emotionless face. "Why aren't you?"
Keladry sighed. "I was called here to help with the fort, just for a few days... what is that smell?" Alanna sneezed. The air was turning crisp, smelling burnt and ashy. Alanna raised her hand to her neck, gripping the Ember stone tightly. The air around her turned a faint shade of sea blue.
Alanna blinked, finding it harder and harder to open her eyes. "Mages sleeping gas..." She muttered, collapsing. Alanna was barely aware enough to hear when Keladry's head hit the tactician desk she was sitting next to.
Alianne picked up speed. The horse she was riding was fast, but not as fast as Aly would have liked. The longer she stayed here, the longer her mother was in trouble. Grinding her teeth, she kicked the already-galloping horse faster. "Sorry Sugar," She whispered to the horse, calling her by the name Dove had always used. "I'm not trying to be mean, really I'm not." Aly could barely convince herself of that. For some reason, trying to go rescue her mother felt like trying to play hero. Shrugging, she let the horse gallop on.
Aly found herself half asleep on the horse's back when the sun started to peak over the hills in front of her. Sugar was only at a trotting pace, but was thoroughly exhausted. Looking around to see where she was, Aly realized that she was utterly lost, and no where near her destination. Slowly, she even grasped the fact that she didn't know where her destination was. Shaking her head in disapproval of herself, Aly turned her needs to a higher force, calling the Trickster in all the cruel ways she thought possible. Finally, she decided to hit him where it hurt.
"I'll leave right now and never speak to anyone of the Balitangs again if you don't show yourself to me this instant!" A lady walking across the street not far away turned to stare at her, and then took off without another glance back, most likely thinking she was insane.
As Aly turned back to where she had been watching before, she was almost surprised to see Kyprioth standing there in his usual form. "What is it now?" He said, playing with his nails.
"Take me to Tortall," It seemed like a large request of a god, but what other way could she put it. The Trickster suddenly looked up, lost in shock. "You heard what I said, take me to Tortall. You're a god; you can do so with the snap of a finger."
Kyprioth muttered himself before replying. Finally, he smiled, supposedly coming up with the perfect answer. "Why?" Aly almost screamed at him. He was acting like some crazy jester about something that didn't matter a crow's feather.
"'Why'? You want to know why? I have to go help my mother, and I need your help to do so. Shouldn't you feel powerful, being begged for favors by your little mortal friend?" Aly took a deep breath, recapturing her temper. "All you have to do is send me to Trebond. It shouldn't be that hard."
"Your mother is none of my concerns. If you want her to be safe, go beg my sister. Let her take care of your mother." The scorn in his voice was almost unbearable, and after all that had happened that night, along with not getting any sleep, it was too much. Aly lost control of herself. Her nose felt like it was on fire, and the ocean swirled in her ears. Aly turned her face away before the god could see her crying, but it was no use.
Kyprioth rolled his eyes. "Don't cry on me, Aly. C'mon. Stop." He sounded like a child refusing to clean his room, causing her to only get madder. "Aly..."
"Take me home. Grant my father's boon and take me home." In her mind, Aly was already planning how to convince her father to let her go up north, to find her mother. "If you won't help me, then I have absolutely no reason to help you." She folded her arms across her chest and stuck her chin in the air.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Kyprioth asked himself wearily. Aly tried to keep herself from smiling. "I'll send you to this Trebond, but only if you promise, promise to come back as soon as you've helped your mother." Aly let out a squeal of joy, and then jumped up and gave Kyprioth a hug. He rested his arms behind her, and for a second, Aly felt that everything would be okay: The war with Scanra would end, she would fulfill her job in the Copper Isles and return home, and her family would be reunited once again.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Just hurry back, my human puppet." He smiled, backed away from her, and put his hands on her shoulder, like a parent trying to get their child to listen to them. "And remember, I want you back in one piece. Not just one leg or arm will due." Aly nodded, laughing. Her eyes seemed to clear up instantly. "Now close your eyes," Kyprioth ordered; Aly obeyed without a second thought. A searing heat touched her forehead, and the air seemed to swirl around her and remain still at the same time. Before Aly could even open her eyes, she knew by the cool air that she was in the place her mother used to call home.
Okay.. umm... can anyone tell me how to get html to work? That would just be wonderful. I shall try to update again soon, unless, of course, everyone hates my ideas and then I will go to my friends and ask for writing advice. I do really want to become better.
The attack rained on. Arrows were flying in random directions, and gore could not be avoided, no matter which way she looked. Luckily, being a knight had taught Alanna to ignore any blood during the fight. As she tripped down the flight of stairs to the ground level of Mastiff, something caught her eye. Ducking in and out of the fighting, she ran for a hole, about three feet high and two feet wide, which resided in the side wall. Could that be how the Scanrans had gotten in? Still, it would be too small for many of them to come through...
"Lady Knight, behind you!" Alanna turned, sword in hand, just in time to side-step out of a Scanran's ax's blade. Cursing her stupidity, Alanna bit her lip and dodged in, her sword biting the man's side. He fumbled clumsily around, preparing another attack. Alanna brought her sword up, but before she attacked, the man groaned in agony and fell, dead, onto the ground.
Behind him stood a tall brunette, smiling grimly. Alanna muttered a thanks, and the girl smiled back. "We lady knights have to watch each other's backs, you know." Alanna nodded to Keladry, sheathed her sword, and smiled.
"How true... Keladry, have you seen Raoul, I've been looking for him, but he's nowhere to be seen." Alanna had to yell to be heard above the ruckus of the battle around them. Keladry turned to a door near them, opened it, and motioned for Alanna to follow her inside. She followed quickly. "We can't stay here long, though, there's a battle going on and we should be in it." Alanna pointed out reasonably.
"I know, but I couldn't hear myself think out there." She sunk into a wooden chair next to a table used for map layouts, trying to catch her breath.
"I need to find Raoul. The troop that's supposed to report to him can't find him, and I can't keep telling them what to do. I'm a fighter, not a tactician." Alanna bit her lip, hoping Keladry would know where to find him.
"Actually, I saw him not long ago, but in this chaos, it's hard enough to keep your eyes on your own attacker, let alone someone twenty yards away from you. If you want, you can have them report to me. I've been here for longer than you have, so I might know this place better..."
"Aren't you supposed to be at New Hope?" Alanna suddenly enquired. Keladry nodded, but Alanna couldn't read her emotionless face. "Why aren't you?"
Keladry sighed. "I was called here to help with the fort, just for a few days... what is that smell?" Alanna sneezed. The air was turning crisp, smelling burnt and ashy. Alanna raised her hand to her neck, gripping the Ember stone tightly. The air around her turned a faint shade of sea blue.
Alanna blinked, finding it harder and harder to open her eyes. "Mages sleeping gas..." She muttered, collapsing. Alanna was barely aware enough to hear when Keladry's head hit the tactician desk she was sitting next to.
Alianne picked up speed. The horse she was riding was fast, but not as fast as Aly would have liked. The longer she stayed here, the longer her mother was in trouble. Grinding her teeth, she kicked the already-galloping horse faster. "Sorry Sugar," She whispered to the horse, calling her by the name Dove had always used. "I'm not trying to be mean, really I'm not." Aly could barely convince herself of that. For some reason, trying to go rescue her mother felt like trying to play hero. Shrugging, she let the horse gallop on.
Aly found herself half asleep on the horse's back when the sun started to peak over the hills in front of her. Sugar was only at a trotting pace, but was thoroughly exhausted. Looking around to see where she was, Aly realized that she was utterly lost, and no where near her destination. Slowly, she even grasped the fact that she didn't know where her destination was. Shaking her head in disapproval of herself, Aly turned her needs to a higher force, calling the Trickster in all the cruel ways she thought possible. Finally, she decided to hit him where it hurt.
"I'll leave right now and never speak to anyone of the Balitangs again if you don't show yourself to me this instant!" A lady walking across the street not far away turned to stare at her, and then took off without another glance back, most likely thinking she was insane.
As Aly turned back to where she had been watching before, she was almost surprised to see Kyprioth standing there in his usual form. "What is it now?" He said, playing with his nails.
"Take me to Tortall," It seemed like a large request of a god, but what other way could she put it. The Trickster suddenly looked up, lost in shock. "You heard what I said, take me to Tortall. You're a god; you can do so with the snap of a finger."
Kyprioth muttered himself before replying. Finally, he smiled, supposedly coming up with the perfect answer. "Why?" Aly almost screamed at him. He was acting like some crazy jester about something that didn't matter a crow's feather.
"'Why'? You want to know why? I have to go help my mother, and I need your help to do so. Shouldn't you feel powerful, being begged for favors by your little mortal friend?" Aly took a deep breath, recapturing her temper. "All you have to do is send me to Trebond. It shouldn't be that hard."
"Your mother is none of my concerns. If you want her to be safe, go beg my sister. Let her take care of your mother." The scorn in his voice was almost unbearable, and after all that had happened that night, along with not getting any sleep, it was too much. Aly lost control of herself. Her nose felt like it was on fire, and the ocean swirled in her ears. Aly turned her face away before the god could see her crying, but it was no use.
Kyprioth rolled his eyes. "Don't cry on me, Aly. C'mon. Stop." He sounded like a child refusing to clean his room, causing her to only get madder. "Aly..."
"Take me home. Grant my father's boon and take me home." In her mind, Aly was already planning how to convince her father to let her go up north, to find her mother. "If you won't help me, then I have absolutely no reason to help you." She folded her arms across her chest and stuck her chin in the air.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" Kyprioth asked himself wearily. Aly tried to keep herself from smiling. "I'll send you to this Trebond, but only if you promise, promise to come back as soon as you've helped your mother." Aly let out a squeal of joy, and then jumped up and gave Kyprioth a hug. He rested his arms behind her, and for a second, Aly felt that everything would be okay: The war with Scanra would end, she would fulfill her job in the Copper Isles and return home, and her family would be reunited once again.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Just hurry back, my human puppet." He smiled, backed away from her, and put his hands on her shoulder, like a parent trying to get their child to listen to them. "And remember, I want you back in one piece. Not just one leg or arm will due." Aly nodded, laughing. Her eyes seemed to clear up instantly. "Now close your eyes," Kyprioth ordered; Aly obeyed without a second thought. A searing heat touched her forehead, and the air seemed to swirl around her and remain still at the same time. Before Aly could even open her eyes, she knew by the cool air that she was in the place her mother used to call home.
Okay.. umm... can anyone tell me how to get html to work? That would just be wonderful. I shall try to update again soon, unless, of course, everyone hates my ideas and then I will go to my friends and ask for writing advice. I do really want to become better.