Feather in the Wind.
(This is a long author's note. If you know what this is about you can skip to the story. Sorry! Opening chapters always take long to… Open.)
TITLE: Feather in the Wind.
AUTHOR: AlyssaC
EMAIL: alyssac01hotmail.com
CATEGORY: Adventure
PAIRINGS: Hint of SJ and the usual AB
SPOILERS: None that I know of.
RATING: PG-Little bit of minor language (again).
WARNINGS: Very minor language. And, this has not been Beta'd save by me so there might be some mistakes.
FEEDBACK: Please, I even take constructive critics. Constructive mind you.
DISCLAIMER: 'Skydancers' does not belong to me. I don't know who they do belong to, but it's not me.
Joanie-Ellen and all the original plot twists do belong to me though and I'm very protective. If you do want to use her, or some of the other story plots please ask first.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is a story, written after a story that should've been written after it. I actually wouldn't have bothered writing it, had I not received such soul lifting reviews on the "second one" that I decided 'heck why not?'. I thought very long and hard on how to approach this and I think I'll suggest that you read "To Dance with Lords and Ladies" first. Yes, it's the second one, but it's fairly self explanatory. (Regular Readers are welcome to argue this point). The thing is, I think that you should know J-E before you actually find out how she came to the academy. And, purely for the fact that it might take a while for this one to get finished. I'm very busy, (getting a degree in science is harder than I thought!) but I hope to upload a new chapter every two weeks. Wish me luck! For Jewel, who had some questions on "To Dance...", they're at the bottom. Thanks for reading this!
BACKGROUND: Those who have read my previous stories can skip to the story.
All of you other people. Joanie-Ellen is an orphan who I created because I felt Dame Skyla was an incredibly lonely person and needed a little bit of spice in her life. This is the story of how J-E came to the academy.
DEDICATED to all of those who have read "To Dance" and inspired me to write this fic.
GA! Finished!
Read on!
Chapter 1: Run in.
"Stop that kid!"
"Joanie, you're a dead twerp!"
"We're going to get you for this one!"
A young girl ran through the late afternoon crowds. Dirty blond hair stood in all directions as she agilely wove her way through the people.
"Get out of my way!" She snapped and elbowed a man.
She glanced behind her, noticed that the big youths were still there and picked up her pace with a curse.
"Damn it you guys, it's just a wall!" She called back, uncharacteristically – a bit breathless. "Honest busi… Whoops!"
Having not paid attention where she was going she didn't notice the blond woman in front of her…
Who didn't notice her either.
Dame Skyla dropped the heavy shopping bags on the pavement and turned around to look for her companion. Today was not turning out as she had hopped. Had it been up to her, she would've been in bed reading the book that she had been busy with for two months.
A sudden emergency announcement of cold weather had literally shattered all her hopes of a quite weekend though, as she and her Head cookdorm mistress had to buy some emergency supplies in fear that they might get snowed in.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky but…
An oldish Hispanic woman trudged up the frozen sidewalk, expertly balancing the heavy shopping bags, using them as weights to counter her own.
"My dear old husband, rest his soul, always said that when a sky's as clear as this we'll have snow for a week."
Skyla wanted to give the woman an irritated look but decided on indifference.
"You're husband is not dead Sonya."
The woman snorted and put the bags down. "Gosh yes," she exclaimed, "but I wish he was."
At this, Skyla had to laugh. She knew Sonya Romano's husband, he was her gardener at the Academy. For as long as she could remember the two had been at each other's throats, bickering about that, arguing about this.
Yet, if anyone dared suggest divorce to them, they'd be sorry.
Sonya dropped her bags and turned around. "There are only two more bags left." She said. "I'll go get them; you can stand here by the truck. Don't freeze now."
Before Skyla could comment the woman was off again.
Shaking her head, Skyla decided that she could only see herself as privileged to…
Her next thoughts were on the ground, wondering how the hell she gotten there.
And for that matter, who was on top of her.
The figure scrambled off of her with a string of curses.
Skyla opened her eyes, only to make contact with two deep brown pools. The girl, as she could see now, blinked and pulled away – breathing heavily.
"Sorry." She muttered and glanced behind her. Her whole frame tensed as she prepared to shoot off again but was overwhelmed by a fit of coughing.
Without realizing what she was doing Dame Skyla had sat up to steady the girl as her small frame shook with ferocity of her chest spasm.
As her coughing subsided the young girl leaned forward to catch her breath. Immediately her eyes shot up and soughed out something in the crowd.
Relief sparked in her eyes and there was a small twitch in the corner of her mouth before she squirmed away from Skyla's touch and turned to face the woman.
"I am… So sorry!" The kid said suddenly. "Really, so sorry." She held up her hands in an innocent gesture. "Are you okay?"
Without waiting for a reply she jumped up and pulled the woman out of the soggy snow drift next to the road.
Too baffled at the quick change in her manner Skyla nodded.
"You shouldn't be running on these sidewalks." She said without thinking. "They're very slippery."
The kid raised an eyebrow and sniffed. "Yeah." She said dismissively, coughed then slipped her hands into her pockets before she resumed seeking out the last pieces of obnoxious mud on Skyla's person. "You'll have to wash the dress when you get home. I really didn't see you, or. I did, it was just too late. I'm really so sorry."
Dame Skyla's shock was quickly beginning to fade to amusement as she watched the kid fuss around her.
"It's… Okay." She said and tried to get her to stand still. "Really. Are you okay? That's a nasty cough you have."
Again the raised eyebrow. "Fine." The girl said and looked around her. "That's why I was running you see, I'm late. My mom's waiting for me by the bus stop but I got sidetracked. Gonna take me to the doctor now you see? My mother."
Dame Skyla nodded. "That's a good idea." She said and started gathering the scattered groceries. The kid immediately chipped in and took most of them from her with a:
"Let me help, this your truck? There…"
Before she could really even blink all the packages that had been standing around the truck was loaded in and settled in the back.
Her young accomplice sniffed and rubbed her nose with the back of her sleeve as she pulled the tarp tight.
"All settled." She said. "You gonna leave now?" She looked almost hopeful.
Shaking her head, trying to get back into the swing of things, Skyla studied the girl closely for the first time.
She couldn't have been more than eleven.
Dame Skyla took in her dirty-oversized clothes, gaunt cheeks and dirty mousy colored hair. She didn't miss the haunted look that hid behind her alert brown eyes. As she became aware of the fact that the woman was studying her, her petite body tensed up. The intense look that entered her gaze sent sudden shivers of dèja vu down Dame Skyla's spine. She could've sworn that she had seen her before. ((SEE AN BELOW))
"I'm just waiting for my companion to come back." She said murmured distracted. "What's your name child?"
A shadow of caution crossed over the girl's young features. She looked over her shoulder before she started grinning again in a carefree manner.
"Joanie."
Skyla raised an eyebrow.
"Just Joanie?" She queried.
The kid nodded, her dark eyes rested on something behind Skyla. She tensed and shifted back against the car.
"Dame Skyla!" Sonya's voice erupted behind her. "Don't you give that kid any money; she'll nab your purse the moment it's in your hand! Hey you, shoo!"
Joanie's reaction was like that of a dog which was use to being kicked. She shied away but staid close to the car. Her brown eyes flashed.
"I didn't ask her for money!" She snapped. "I'm only helping!"
Sonya held up a fist as she stopped by the car. "I know you lot." She said threatening. "I lost two grocery bags to you bunch of hooligans last week. Get off or…"
Skyla quickly stepped in between the two. "Easy there Sonya." She said sternly. "She was only helping me. I slipped in the mud."
The Hispanic woman grunted. "Then what is she still doing here?" She queried.
"I offered to take her to the bus stop." Skyla said without thinking. "We are going that way, aren't we? She has to meet her mother there and I kept her up."
She did not miss the look of utter relief and gratitude that crossed the child's face.
Sonya Romano wasn't convinced but, she couldn't argue with her boss.
"We have to go to the post office so I guess we can drop her off." She said begrudgingly. "You are sitting in the back."
"Sonya!" Skyla said shocked but Joanie brushed it off as she loosened the tarp again and hopped in.
"I want to." She told the woman. "It's just a quick trip anyway. Don't want to take your space. I don't like close spaces anyway."
Skyla wanted to argue against the two but realized that she wasn't going to get anywhere. She watched as Joanie fished a beanie out of a bag that hug over her one shoulder and pull it over her hair. She glanced behind her for a quick second, her eyes worried. Skyla followed her gaze to a group of youths hanging around close by.
"Dame Skyla?" Sonya was already in the truck, the passenger side open.
Sighing Skyla settled in and gave the woman a disapproving look. "She was only trying to help." She said and fastened her seatbelt. "You shouldn't judge kids like that so quickly Sonya." The Hispanic woman grunted and shifted the vehicle into gear.
"Trust me Dame Skyla," she said, "with kids like these you can never judge them too quickly. They're trouble with a capital T."
Skyla shook her head and glanced in the rearview mirror.
"She just wants to get to the bus to meet her mother Sonya." She said patiently. "Tell me what's not innocent about that…"
The conversation lasted long past the post office.
What Skyla missed, was the not so innocent Italian sign of Good Will Joanie threw in the youths' direction when the two women weren't looking…
AN: Okay, this is the first chapter so I feel as if it's a bit clumsy. But I can guarentee that it will hopefully become a bit more flowing down the line. I always have problems starting at the beginning of the story. Oh, before i forget. Skyla has actually seen Joanie before. There was an episode where the 5 Skydancers went back in time. I can't remember exactly how (think i came in late) but they met Skyla there when she was still young and not even married to her husband yet. (I remember something about her being shy or afraid of him?) If there is anyone who knows a bit more details about this episode please send it to me. I want to write that story was well because it plays a big plot hole in my story but I can't remember anything save that they went back in time and that the dogs were still puppies... Either way, keep that in mind.
AN on ToDanceWithL&L: (if you haven't read this story yet, don't read any further. Spoilers!)
Sorry! My mistake! I actually meant for it to be sort of veiled. What you need to figure out, (I'll go look at the piece again and see whether i can edit it so that it's more obvious) is that Joanie's Silver Feather comes from Horse. That's why she could muster such a great power in the storm (she was acutally using his) and why he took such a fancy to her. That's also what he meant by she's a representive of all 3 worlds. Skyla wanted him to tell her that from the beginning, but Horse wants Joanie to figure it out by herself. Sorry again! My mistake. Oh, and thank you for the GREAT review. Take care. Alys