A/N: Thanks to all you lovely people who reviewed.

Alanna-of-Olau: You're story is great and thanks for the encouragement.

QuestioningReason: Thank you so much for your advice, I'll try to keep it in mind, although I'm not sure if I have or not.

Princess Kalasin, Lillianna-Rose, PurpleNinjaWarrior and queen-of-sapphires: I appreciate the reviews you put in too but if i write messages to every single one of my reviewers it'll take me ages so i'll leave you for next time, i hope you don't mind, if you do let me know and i'll do something about it (i think).

Disclaimer: By the way i forgot this last chapter so this counts for all chapters in case i forget again. None of it is mine apart from the priestesses and Kat, it's all Tammy's.

Chapter Two: Apprenticeship

"Shall I take you to see the City of the Gods?" Kat asked Alanna a few months later.

"If Nadia lets me, sure." Alanna replied.

"She will, she's also my Priestess Mother and I think she'll let us go." Kat told her. So they sped off to find Nadia and ask if they could go to the City of the Gods.


"Meet me here at exactly half past the hour of one. We can have lunch then and discuss further what you can do for the rest of the day." Nadia said as they stopped by the fountain in centre square of the City.

"Okay." Kat said as she and Alanna rode off.

"And don't forget the time." Nadia called after them.

"Humph, Priestesses, they're so finicky." Alanna said.

"Don't be like that Lanna; we're going to have some fun today." Kat said giving her friend a poke in the shoulder.

"Why don't we leave the ponies here so that we can explore on foot?" Suggested Alanna.

"Okay, but we might want to find some way of keeping them here or they might just wander off if you know what I mean." Kat said to her.

"Sure, you know a simple spell that could keep them on the spot?" Alanna asked her.

"Not really." Was the reply.

"I do, park your horse and pass the lead rope." Alanna said as she dismounted from her own horse. She tied the lead rope and reins to the post she was next to, said a quick incantation and watched as her violet Gift spread over the rope and sunk in. Then she said a word and broke contact.

"No one will be able to untie her now and I'm the only one who knows how to undo the spell." She told Kat as she took her friends lead rope and reins. She did the same thing to Kat's horse and then looked up.

"Lead the way O Queen of the City." She joked.

"Come on, I know a short-cut to a really good market area, as long as you don't mind some back alleys." Kat said with a glance over her shoulder as she hurried off.

"Not at all." She heard Alanna say. They made their way to the market and were on the way back to their horses, laden with purchases when they were stopped in a side alley.

"What have we here lads? Some noble lasses from the convent." A boy said as he stepped out of the shadows. The girls turned to leave the alley but found their way blocked by a group of boys, not too much older than themselves.

"Thinking of leaving?" the same boy asked.

"That wouldn't be very polite, we was only interested in having a conversation with you two loverly ladies." Another added.

"How nice of you but I think we'll be going now, things to do you see." Kat said to them.

"I think not, we wants some fun, don't we lads?" the ring leader asked his group.

"We don't feel like playing." Alanna said tersely.

"You'll just have to put up with it then." The boy said, striding forward towards Alanna.

"Don't move one step closer." Alanna ordered.

"I don't quite think a small lass such as yourself should be giving the orders here. Maybe I shall have to teach you a lesson." He said, stepping even closer.

"Take these Kat." Alanna said, passing her friend her parcels.

"What are you doing?" Kat whispered.

"Nothing much." Alanna replied, equally quiet.

"Here now, what's all this whispering about? Feel like sharing your conversation with the rest of us?" the boy said.

"Not really." Alanna replied. The boy strode forward and gripped Alanna by the arms, pushing her back against the alley wall.

"How's about a kiss instead?" he asked, pressing his mouth to hers. Alanna could hear Kat start to struggle in the background but she was intent upon the boy, who had just loosened his grip on her when she struck. She kicked him in a boy's tender region and ran over to where the rest of the group was surrounding Kat. She punched one in the face and then hit the others as they each turned to restrain her once they realized what was happening. When she reached Kat she pulled her friend up and grabbed half the parcels then turned to drag her friend out of the alley, only to find her way blocked by the boy who'd kissed her.

"You kicked me you little wench and now you'll pay." He said. He raised his hand to strike her face and Alanna braced herself for the blow, which never came.

"That's not a nice thing to say to a lady." The young man holding the boys arm said.

"Apologize and be on your way." He instructed. The boy stammered out an apology before fleeing with his gang.

"Now tell me, what are two young ladies like yourself doing down a side alley?" the man asked.

"We were taking a short cut." Kat replied.

"Well then, allow me to escort you to your destination." He said, indicating that they should lead and he would follow. So Kat led the way to where their horses were.

"Thank you for your help back there in the alley." Kat said.

"It was my pleasure, but may I enquire as to your names?" he asked.

"I am Lady Katerine of High Pass and this is my friend, Lady Alanna of Fief Trebond."

"Well then ladies, it was a pleasure meeting you." He said and then disappeared into the crowd. Alanna undid her magic on the ropes and they rode to meet with Nadia, deciding to return to the convent rather than stay in the City for the rest of the day.


"Who's this then?" A boy sneered over Thom.

"Probably some country boy hoping to pass himself off as noble." Another said.

"I'm a page." Thom said.

"No, you're what I say you are. You are a country boy, not a page." The second boy said.

"I'm not a country boy, I'm a page and I thought pages learnt manners. Obviously not." Thom said.

"Are you implying that I don't have manners?" the boy asked.

"What do you think?" Thom asked him. The boy tackled him and Thom hit back with all his might. The other boy attacked him again but was pulled off by a tall boy with black curly hair.

"What's happening here?" an icy voice asked. Thom looked up and saw a boy, not much older than himself, with midnight black hair and sapphire eyes surveying the scene.

"Highness this boy was being rude to me." The boy who'd attacked Thom whined.

"Did I ask you Malven?" the boy with the blue eyes asked.

"But Highness I was just telling you what happened." The boy labelled 'Malven' said.

"If I recall you were told not to speak to me ever again. Be gone!" the boy commanded. Malven fled the hall and the boy with blue eyes turned to Thom.

"What happened?" he asked in a kinder tone.

"Not much." Thom replied.

"Well then. I'm Jonathan of Conte; this is Raoul of Goldenlake, Gareth of Naxen, and Alex of Tirragen." He said, indicating each boy in turn as he told their names.

"Call me Gary; otherwise people confuse me with my father." The younger Gareth of Naxen said when Jonathan had finished.

"And who might you be?" Jonathan asked.

"Thom of Trebond, Highness." He said.

"I prefer my friends to call me Jon." The Prince said.

"Okay Jon." Thom said.


Dear Alanna,

I know you'll be absolutely miserable in the convent but I can't help but think you are better off there than I am here. Sure, at least I have friends, and I assume you have made some by now too, but I've been mottled shades of blue, purple, black, yellow, green and red since I started training. It is not fun at all. I wish I could see you, it's not much fun without you around and I know you'd want to be doing half of the stuff I do to but I can't help but enjoy some of the things we do. Like I have access to the largest library, in fact all of the libraries, in the Palace. I'm sure father would love it here where he could spend his days immersed in books and I just don't see why he doesn't stay at court anymore. I'm sure he likes the libraries so there must be some other reason. Sorry it took so long for me to write to you but I have been very busy, there's really no such thing as free time for a page here. I'm also sorry this letter is so short but it seems we've run out of time. Write back soon or I'll use the fire.

Lots of love from Thom.

Alanna sighed as she finished reading her brother's letter. Kat heard her.

"What's up buttercup? Missing your boyfriend?" she teased.

"Oh shut up Kat, you know very well that I don't have a boyfriend and that this letter's from Thom." She said irritably.

"Then what's wrong?" Kat asked.

"It seems like Thom's having so much fun, even if he doesn't like half the things he's doing. I know I'd like them." Alanna said.

"Well you'll just have to put up with being stuck here with me." Kat said.

"I know." Alanna said, sighing again.

"Gee thanks, it's nice to know I'm loved." Kat said sarcastically.


Knock knock!

"Alanna are you there?" Nadia called through the door.

"Yes, come in." Alanna called out.

"Good, the First Daughter wishes to see you." Nadia told her as she came in.

"What does she want?" Alanna asked.

"How should I know?" Nadia replied archly.

"Well you are the priestess, not me." Alanna replied as she left the room. She followed Nadia to the First Daughter's study and went in. She stopped just inside, seeing that the man they'd met in the City was sitting in the office in front of the First Daughter.

"Ah, Lady Alanna, I do believe you've met the Shang Dragon, Liam Ironarm." The First Daughter said. Alanna stared with her mouth hanging open in shock.

"Nice to see you again Lady Alanna." The Shang Dragon said, rising and taking her hand to kiss it.

"You're the Shang Dragon?" Alanna asked once she got her speech back.

"Yes, I am." He replied.

"Please take a seat Lady Alanna, we have some things to discuss." The First Daughter said. Alanna sat in the chair next to the Dragon's.

"Master Ironarm has told me that he has seen you fighting-" the First Daughter managed to say before Alanna interrupted.

"It was only in defence First Lady, I promise." Alanna said. But the First Daughter continued on as thought she was not interrupted.

"-and that he thinks you may have the technique to be a Shang. He wishes to discuss the option with you." She said.

"You want me to be a Shang?" Alanna asked.

"If you are willing." The Dragon replied.

"I'll do it, definitely." Alanna said.

"There is just one problem." The First Daughter said.

"What?" Alanna asked.

"You shall have to ask your father and I believe he wishes for you to be brought up here in the convent and then go on to Corus when you are of a marriageable age." She replied.

"Oh, can't we sort something out to fix that?" Alanna asked desperately.

"We might be able to. Depending on whether we have a priestess who does not mind travelling we might be able to convince your father to let you become a Shang apprentice and have a priestess travel with you and teach to be a lady as you do so." The First Daughter suggested.

"Can we ask him, please?" Alanna asked.

"Yes. I shall write a letter to him today and have it sent off as soon as possible so that we might gain a reply shortly." The First Daughter said.

"Thank you." Alanna said.

"You're welcome. Now leave us be to discuss this further." Alanna was instructed. She left and went back to her room to write a reply to Thom's letter.


Dear Brother,

You'll never believe what has happened. If I tell you, you can't tell anyone okay? I trust you. Listen to this: I and my friend Kat were cornered in an alley in the City by some local boys and we started fighting and the boys were stopped from hitting us by a young man, possibly only eight or nine years older than ourselves which would make him about nineteen or twenty but he may be younger or older, I'm not sure. Anyway he took us back to our horses, asked our names and then was off on his way. This was about three days ago and today I was summoned to the First Daughter and he was there. She started off telling me that he had told her I had been fighting and, don't say it was rude of me, I butted in to tell her it was in self defence but she just continued on. The man was the Shang Dragon Liam Ironarm and he wants me to be his apprentice! The First Daughter is writing to father to ask him so don't tell anyone unless I know okay? I'm so excited, imagine me a Shang! I just thought you might like to know what was happening here. By the way, thanks for your letter and don't worry about the bruises, they should leave you in oh, say a few months unless you heal them. Actually don't worry about it; if you let them heal naturally you'll become more resilient to them.

Hear from you soon, Alanna.


A/N: Okay, so was it any better than last chapter? Please review. Also, did I write too much conversation? I'm aiming for 10 reviews before I update this time. By the way, did you like the short insight into Thom's life? I know the Ralon incident was a lot like the book but I didn't want to change it too much. Don't forget to R/R, thanks. Luv Alenor.

PS: I know this indicates how completely out of it I am but could someone please tell me what OCC stands for?