Disclaimer: I do not own any thing (except my Pink PJ's!)
Devon halted Red behind Chubby and Daffodil, The pony that Thom was on, and dismounted. They had ridden half the day and they where now at the place where Trebond Way and The Great Road met. Coram and Maude had left the siblings alone to say goodbye.
"Keep your ears open Thom, seems they're useful to you."
Thom turned a puzzled look to Devon
"What do you mean Devy?"
"I mean, I think it's more than accident you heard rather than saw in the fire. You're smart Thom. You unravel words and such. I know you like to be heard brother but for a change listen."
Devon's voice seemed to come alive as she spoke. He felt as if it where a gust of wind circling him and covering him protectively like a blanket. Most would never have noticed it. Only Thom and Alanna could see or hear when Devy did something like this. A shield spell of sorts, but with no words. Devon merely had to speak. Her words where meant to give him advice, how to keep himself safe. So her magic expelled it's self through her voice and created a shield around him. One that would not protect his body but his mind. He had never thought Devon's methods of magic odd. Now he wasn't so sure.
Alanna placed a hand on her brother's shoulder.
"She's right Thom. Remember the voice you heard in the fire. If you ever hear it again promise me that you'll get as far from the speaker as possible."
"I promise Alanna. And you two. I want you to look out for one another."
"We will" Alanna promised
"I will" Devon said "She'll be to busy swinging swords and saving damsels."
"oh haha" Alanna muttered
Coram and Maude came back
"Lets go Coram said roughly.
Alanna and Devon nodded and followed him.
Both Devon and Alanna turned in the saddle and watched Thom till they could see him no longer
"Alanna" Devon whispered, "I think next time we see Thom he'll be a different person.
Alumna nodded. Devon was sure she wasn't aware of it but Alanna had tears in her eyes. Then again Devon did to.
"I hope he's still the same Thom we love."
With a nod both girls turned back to north, to Corus.
Neither was aware that there brother was watching them fade into the distance with the exact same thoughts.
Coram Smythson was sure that his life was over. He would never live down Thom's performance as a page. Not for the first time in his life he wished Alanna was the boy. He was about to get his wish. The sun glinted directly overhead, time for noon meal. Coram grunted orders to the cloaked children and they dismounted in the clearing by the road. Coram gave the two children their share of bread and cheese and sat down.
"We'll make the wayhouse by dark, if not before. This will do till then." He rumbled
Alanna pulled down her hood
"Fine by me" she said
Coram chocked spraying the road with liquid.
"Brandy" he whispered looking at the wineskin.
He returned to his immediate issue.
"By the Black God" he roared, "we're turning Back now an I'm tannin your hide when we get home! Where's that devil's spawn brother of yours?"
"Coram, clam down. Have a drink," Devon murmured in her soothing way
"I don't want to drink, I want to beat all of you till your skins won't hold water!"
"Coram is on his way to the city of the gods with Maude, she thinks where doing the right thing." Devon murmured
"That witch would agree with you two sorcerers." Coram said "and what does your father say?"
"Why should he ever know?" Alanna asked, "Thom doesn't want to be a knight and I do"
"I don't care if you want to be dancing bears!" He shouted, "You're a girl"
"Whose to know? From know on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin" she said sternly
"Lass it'll never work, you'll be turning into a woman-"
"I can hide all that with your help"
"And your father"
"Father doesn't care about anything but his scrolls" Alanna sighed, "Coram I'm being nice, do you want to see thing for the next 20 yeas? I can do that. Remember when cook was going to tell father who ate the cherry tarts? When godmother came to make father her new husband?"
Coram paled. The day the cherry tarts vanished the cook had seen hungry lions. When the twins godmother had come to get lord Alan to marry her she had left claiming the place was haunted.
"You wouldn't," He whispered
He had always thought the children where behind the cook's lions and Lady Catharine's ghosts. He hadn't said anything though.
Alanna changed tactics "look Thom can't shoot or fight, I can. Thom will embarrass you, I won't. Lets ride on. In the morning if you still want to go back we will. Father won't know till it's to late"
Coram sighed and mounted his horse while the girls mounted their ponies. He looked at Devon, she had the same far off look that many would take as inattention, Coram knew she heard every word. She had known that he would okay it all along.
"I'm to assume you plan on being more than a servant" He said dryly
"I plan to join the Shang, actually" she replied blithely
"The Shang, of course. What else?" He sighed
They rode on in silence for a long time. By the time they reached the inn Coram was drunk. The innkeeper helped him to bed while his wife fussed over 'the poor wee lad'.
The next morning he sat up as Alanna entered the room.
"Don't walk so loud" he begged
She handed him a foul tasting broth, but it made him feel better
"So he said looking the sister in the eyes "I take it I'm to call her 'master Alan'"
They both laughed and ran off to eat breakfast.
Devon halted Red behind Chubby and Daffodil, The pony that Thom was on, and dismounted. They had ridden half the day and they where now at the place where Trebond Way and The Great Road met. Coram and Maude had left the siblings alone to say goodbye.
"Keep your ears open Thom, seems they're useful to you."
Thom turned a puzzled look to Devon
"What do you mean Devy?"
"I mean, I think it's more than accident you heard rather than saw in the fire. You're smart Thom. You unravel words and such. I know you like to be heard brother but for a change listen."
Devon's voice seemed to come alive as she spoke. He felt as if it where a gust of wind circling him and covering him protectively like a blanket. Most would never have noticed it. Only Thom and Alanna could see or hear when Devy did something like this. A shield spell of sorts, but with no words. Devon merely had to speak. Her words where meant to give him advice, how to keep himself safe. So her magic expelled it's self through her voice and created a shield around him. One that would not protect his body but his mind. He had never thought Devon's methods of magic odd. Now he wasn't so sure.
Alanna placed a hand on her brother's shoulder.
"She's right Thom. Remember the voice you heard in the fire. If you ever hear it again promise me that you'll get as far from the speaker as possible."
"I promise Alanna. And you two. I want you to look out for one another."
"We will" Alanna promised
"I will" Devon said "She'll be to busy swinging swords and saving damsels."
"oh haha" Alanna muttered
Coram and Maude came back
"Lets go Coram said roughly.
Alanna and Devon nodded and followed him.
Both Devon and Alanna turned in the saddle and watched Thom till they could see him no longer
"Alanna" Devon whispered, "I think next time we see Thom he'll be a different person.
Alumna nodded. Devon was sure she wasn't aware of it but Alanna had tears in her eyes. Then again Devon did to.
"I hope he's still the same Thom we love."
With a nod both girls turned back to north, to Corus.
Neither was aware that there brother was watching them fade into the distance with the exact same thoughts.
Coram Smythson was sure that his life was over. He would never live down Thom's performance as a page. Not for the first time in his life he wished Alanna was the boy. He was about to get his wish. The sun glinted directly overhead, time for noon meal. Coram grunted orders to the cloaked children and they dismounted in the clearing by the road. Coram gave the two children their share of bread and cheese and sat down.
"We'll make the wayhouse by dark, if not before. This will do till then." He rumbled
Alanna pulled down her hood
"Fine by me" she said
Coram chocked spraying the road with liquid.
"Brandy" he whispered looking at the wineskin.
He returned to his immediate issue.
"By the Black God" he roared, "we're turning Back now an I'm tannin your hide when we get home! Where's that devil's spawn brother of yours?"
"Coram, clam down. Have a drink," Devon murmured in her soothing way
"I don't want to drink, I want to beat all of you till your skins won't hold water!"
"Coram is on his way to the city of the gods with Maude, she thinks where doing the right thing." Devon murmured
"That witch would agree with you two sorcerers." Coram said "and what does your father say?"
"Why should he ever know?" Alanna asked, "Thom doesn't want to be a knight and I do"
"I don't care if you want to be dancing bears!" He shouted, "You're a girl"
"Whose to know? From know on I'm Alan of Trebond, the younger twin" she said sternly
"Lass it'll never work, you'll be turning into a woman-"
"I can hide all that with your help"
"And your father"
"Father doesn't care about anything but his scrolls" Alanna sighed, "Coram I'm being nice, do you want to see thing for the next 20 yeas? I can do that. Remember when cook was going to tell father who ate the cherry tarts? When godmother came to make father her new husband?"
Coram paled. The day the cherry tarts vanished the cook had seen hungry lions. When the twins godmother had come to get lord Alan to marry her she had left claiming the place was haunted.
"You wouldn't," He whispered
He had always thought the children where behind the cook's lions and Lady Catharine's ghosts. He hadn't said anything though.
Alanna changed tactics "look Thom can't shoot or fight, I can. Thom will embarrass you, I won't. Lets ride on. In the morning if you still want to go back we will. Father won't know till it's to late"
Coram sighed and mounted his horse while the girls mounted their ponies. He looked at Devon, she had the same far off look that many would take as inattention, Coram knew she heard every word. She had known that he would okay it all along.
"I'm to assume you plan on being more than a servant" He said dryly
"I plan to join the Shang, actually" she replied blithely
"The Shang, of course. What else?" He sighed
They rode on in silence for a long time. By the time they reached the inn Coram was drunk. The innkeeper helped him to bed while his wife fussed over 'the poor wee lad'.
The next morning he sat up as Alanna entered the room.
"Don't walk so loud" he begged
She handed him a foul tasting broth, but it made him feel better
"So he said looking the sister in the eyes "I take it I'm to call her 'master Alan'"
They both laughed and ran off to eat breakfast.