Disclaimer: I own anything you don't recognize. Everything else belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Key:
"speaking"
'thinking'
*italics*
{UniLang}
[Spanish]
Chapter Three
New Developments
Raoul stuck out like a spidren at court, and he knew it. He was beginning to regret his decision to wander around as yet another Columbani gave him an awkward nod before finding some excuse to leave. He guessed they were trying to make him comfortable, but he knew from experience that it's hard to do if you're not comfortable yourself.
It wouldn't have been so hard if he only looked a little more like them. All of them, even the women, wore crosses between breeches and leggings, all of various color and material. They wore shirts that had the appearance of a tunic, but was considerably shorter and lightweight with short sleeves, extending barely five inches below the shoulder. A few wore vests. They either went barefoot or wore sandals or another type of shoe - not a boot, and not a slipper; it appeared very durable and comfortable, whatever it was (1).
The city was by far larger than Corus. He'd made that discovery early in his walk, when he had been hardly two streets from the Home. He had turned the corner and stepped into a whole new city. This one was alive and thriving. There were people of all colors all over the place: walking along the boulevard; opening up shop across the street; steering more hovering wagons than he thought possible. And that wasn't even the heart of the city. It had gotten more crowded, more vibrantly alive, each street closer to the castle.
He had somehow (he still don't know *exactly* how) found that the castle was called Bremen's Fortress. It had originally been the town hall plus several acres of gardens, courtyards, and stables, but the Columbani had desired to visibly intimidate anyone who challenged them on the ground, so the castle had been built. It served a double meaning, however - and the second one was similar enough to the first that Raoul didn't see it in the beginning. But it struck him as he passed a construction zone with a sign reading "Future Home of the Columban Memorial Museum." Like everything else in the city, the future museum was built of stone. He realized then the second meaning. The castle, the walls, the stone buildings, and the museum: all were a defiant message to whoever opposed them: Columban is here to stay.
However, none of this kept him from getting lost very quickly. He didn't remember how he had come to where he was, two streets from the castle wall. Fortunately for him, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find a girl of 14 standing behind him, an eyebrow raised.
"You look lost," she commented in heavily accented Common.
He looked up at the castle wall, then at the city wall (which he could just barely make out), and finally turned back to the girl. "Yeah, it would seem so." He held out his hand. "Raoul."
She took his hand, shook it. "Casa. You staying at the Home?"
He nodded, and she turned to lead him down a street he hadn't noticed before. "How'd you know?"
She gestured to his attire. "You've got to be Mendari with those clothes. The only four places Regent Kel would put you - besides on your way - are Bremen's Fortress, her house, prison, or the Home. You're close enough to both the Fortress and Regent Kel's house that you couldn't possibly be lost - unless you're incredibly dumb, which I don't believe, and it's very hard *not* to be able to find your way back to the Fortress - and you're *obviously* not in prison since you're free to *be* lost, so by process of elimination, the Home's the best bet. And I was right."
"'Regent Kel'?" Raoul repeated.
"It's not really her title, but we call her that to show her respect, and our gratitude for what she's done for us."
"Which is...?"
She eyed him before continuing. "She gave up her home for us willingly."
"Actually, Casa, she didn't have a choice.
The duo turned to see a young man walking behind them. He gave them a quick smile and said, "Commander Stevan ordered her to. But she did it willingly, without complaining, and has done everything in her power to make our new lives here easy and comfortable. That's why we respect her so much."
"Close enough," Casa retorted. Turning to the big knight, she said, "this is my friend Renâl Revôn. Renâl, this is Raoul a Mendari from Goldenlake."
Raoul blinked and frowned. "I don't recall telling you that."
Renâl laughed. "Do you honestly believe that we've been living here for the past three years with our hands over our ears and our eyes glued shut? We keep ourselves up-to-date with what's going on in the outside world. Living smart like that let's us know when we need to be careful."
"You've only been here for three years? Where did you live before?"
Casa's eyes misted, a pained expression flashing across her face. Concerned, Raoul asked, "Are you okay?"
She squeezed her eyes shut, but tears still managed to leak out. Renâl put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She sniffed and said, "We're from Earth - Regent Kel and the others call it Terra. It's a planet halfway across the universe from here, in a galaxy called the Milky Way. The D - the people Regent Kel and the others are fighting poisoned the air, so we can't ever go back. Regent Kel's side evacuated some of us, but the bad people still shot down a lot of the ships. My dad was on one of them." She bit her lip, but could no longer hold back her sobs. Renâl pulled her into a hug and pointed further down the street.
"That wall there surrounds the back courtyard of the Home."
Raoul nodded in thanks, and left the boy and weeping girl. The Lioness was leaning on the wall, watching him. When he was close enough, she commented,
"Never thought I'd see the big, bad, Knight Commander of the King's Own get lost."
He joined her in leaning against the wall. "It's surprisingly easy to do so here. The city's huge! Fortunately, Casa and Renâl were able to show me back."
"I couldn't help but notice you made the girl cry. What did you do?"
Raoul looked up at the castle wall. "Kel may be ruthlessly close-mouthed, but the Columbani sure aren't. According to Casa, they're from a different planet. She referred to me twice as a Mendari. Someone - the people Kel and her superiors are fighting - poisoned the air. A lot of people didn't make it - her father was one of them. That's about all I got out of her except that Kel settled them here under orders *only three years ago*. Them, I think, as a people, not just Kel. She also knew I was of Goldenlake without my saying so. Renâl, her friend, said that they keep up-to-date on what's happening in the outside world so they would know when they 'need to be careful'."
"Okay, first question - what's a planet?"
Raoul gave a clueless shrug. "Dunno. She said it was in a galaxy halfway across the universe, and called the galaxy the Milky Way."
"Maybe that's a fancy way of saying it's a fief in a country halfway across the ocean."
"Maybe."
Alanna pushed off the wall. "Well, maybe Kel will have an answer for us. She has to go somewhere on short notice, and she doesn't know when she'll be back, so she wants our answer now. Sable's going to take us to the 'spaceport.' Must be the dock."
"Does she need all of us?"
The female knight nodded. She wants to hear from everyone, even Alrik. He's been released, by the way."
Raoul frowned. "I thought they were going to keep him overnight?"
"Dr. Dasa changed her mind." They started walking to the gate that led into the courtyard. "She found nothing wrong with him - no damaged tissue, no blood - not even the usual side effects of a healing. There was no reason to keep him, so she discharged him."
"Not even the usual side effects?"
Alanna nodded in agreement as they entered the courtyard. "I want to talk to Numair and Duke Baird about that when we get back to Corus."
"*If* we get back."
_______________________________________
Kel had just finished the pre-flight check when the *Red Spot*'s comm *buzzed*. Startled, she jumped and banged her head on the underside of the console beneath which she had been crouching. A pesky squirrel had followed her into the shuttle, and Kel had managed to corner it under the pilot's console when she finished the checklist. Gently but firmly gripping her uninvited guest around the middle, she crawled out from under the console and seated herself in the pilot's seat, swatted the comm switch, and rubbed her head where she'd banged it. "What?" she said irritably.
Sable's voice trickled over the speakers, sounding both concerned and amused. "*The Mendari are here, Admiral*."
Kel bit her lip and nodded before remembering that the comm unit in the shuttle didn't wasn't visual. "I'll be right down."
"*Very good, ma'am*."
Kel switched off the comm and sat staring at the squirrel for a few minutes. It chattered quietly, blinking huge, innocent eyes at her. Suddenly, she reached out and keyed the comm again, startling her captive.
The speakers let out a burst of static that resolved itself into words. Jenist was on duty. "**Jupiter* reads you, *Red Spot*. Do you require assistance?*"
"Put me through to Captain Sarainak," she answered.
"*Right away, Admiral*." There was a click, and then the captain's voice filtered through. "*Canceling already, Admiral?*" He was plainly amused.
She made a face. "Very funny, Captain. Just a minor change of plans. I'll be bringing a Mendari up with me."
There was a brief pause on the other end. When Sarainak spoke again, the amusement was gone. "*Are you sure that's wise? It *is* against regulations for a civilian to be brought on board during Yellow Alert (2)*."
Kel raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you made that decision yourself."
Sarainak spoke confidently. "*Yes, ma'am. I thought it pertinent, given the situation*."
She pursed her lips, but nodded. "Next time, though, please notify me."
"*Yes ma'am*."
"I'll still be taking a Mendari, however."
"*And I'll ask again: Are you sure that's wise?*"
"Yes and no. *If* we get into a military situation while she's on board, she will have to be confined to the brig - we won't take the time to send her back. But bringing her up there and giving her proof that what I've said is true could help us avoid future trouble with the Mendari."
"*Can't it wait?*"
"I wasn't supposed to make a run up to the *Jupiter* for another week. I don't plan on keeping them here that long."
"You could've made a run regardless of whether or not you're scheduled to. You're doing that now."
Kel glared at the comm unit. "If I do that too often, the Mendari are likely to get suspicious. She'll be confined to my quarters until our business is done, and from then on she'll be my responsibility. I'll take the blame if the Commander comes down hard on us, though I doubt she will."
"*If you're sure*."
"I am, Captain."
"*Very well, Admiral. I'll notify Commander Triskal. Sarainak out.*"
Kel switched off the comm unit and looked at the squirrel. "I hope you're right about this," she told it as she made her way to the hatch. "'Cause if you're not, I'm going to blame you." She trotted down the ramp and set the squirrel on the ground, watching it scamper off. Turning to the group gathered there, she found them staring at her, quizzical, curious, and amused looks on their faces.
"What?"
Sable just shook her head, a small smile on her face.
Kel studied the faces of the Tortallans, hoping against hope that they wouldn't make her kill them. "Have you come to a decision?"
Raoul stepped forward. "I speak for all of us when I say we will keep silent." The others nodded. The knight glanced at Alanna, got a nod, and turned back. "We'd like to know if you would allow us to tell King Jonathan that there is something out here that he needs to keep people away from."
Kel shook her head. "No," she answered firmly. "If people are told to avoid something, they will naturally be curious and try to find out what. That will merely increase our risk of discovery."
Raoul nodded.
"You will be escorted to the Golden Lake in two days' time. You-"
"Two days?" Lerant blurted.
She silenced him with a glare before continuing. "You will be delayed because the squire Lisan will be accompanying me on my journey. We will be back in about two days."
Neal stepped in front of his squire protectively. "Why?"
"To ensure your silence. Don't worry, Sir Nealan - nothing will be done to harm her."
"Do *I* get a say in this?' Lisan asked.
Kel looked at her. "At the moment, you're the only one I feel comfortable taking. I fear the Lioness's temper, and the rest would become interferingly protective. I've yet to form an opinion of you, and that is working to your advantage."
Lisan chewed on her lip, eyes darting between Kel, the shuttle, and the Tortallans. "What do you think, sir?" she asked Neal.
Her knight-master sighed. "Believe it or not, she just gave you a major compliment. I think you'll be okay."
To Kel, the squire asked, "Will I need anything?"
Kel glanced at Sable, who nodded, gently patting the comuit(2) hooked to her belt. "Someone's coming with your packs. In fact, here he is now." A young man was just exiting the spaceport's main building with Lisan's satchel slung over his back. He handed it to her, bowed, and left.
Lisan joined Kel at the ramp. Before turning and reentering the shuttle, Kel said, "I promise you, no harm will come to you. Not on my watch." Lisan studied her eyes before she nodded and followed her up the ramp.
Definitions/Terms
(1) Take a wild guess. Jeans/khakis/dress - regular pants, t-shirts, and blessed tennis shoes. No boots or dress shoes for us civilized people!!! Yay! (Sorry, I'm just glad I don't have to walk around in boots or high heels all the time - wearing them for even four hours hurts.)
(2) Yellow Alert. It's a step below Red Alert, where they (the ship and crew) are in a dangerous situation - battle, standoff, those types of things. Yellow Alert is when battle could be eminent, so the crew must be careful and ready for a change to Red Alert. It is strictly against regulations for a civilian to be on board a military vessel during Yellow Alert.
(3) Comuit. Short for communication unit. High-tech cell phone, pretty much.
Key:
"speaking"
'thinking'
*italics*
{UniLang}
[Spanish]
Chapter Three
New Developments
Raoul stuck out like a spidren at court, and he knew it. He was beginning to regret his decision to wander around as yet another Columbani gave him an awkward nod before finding some excuse to leave. He guessed they were trying to make him comfortable, but he knew from experience that it's hard to do if you're not comfortable yourself.
It wouldn't have been so hard if he only looked a little more like them. All of them, even the women, wore crosses between breeches and leggings, all of various color and material. They wore shirts that had the appearance of a tunic, but was considerably shorter and lightweight with short sleeves, extending barely five inches below the shoulder. A few wore vests. They either went barefoot or wore sandals or another type of shoe - not a boot, and not a slipper; it appeared very durable and comfortable, whatever it was (1).
The city was by far larger than Corus. He'd made that discovery early in his walk, when he had been hardly two streets from the Home. He had turned the corner and stepped into a whole new city. This one was alive and thriving. There were people of all colors all over the place: walking along the boulevard; opening up shop across the street; steering more hovering wagons than he thought possible. And that wasn't even the heart of the city. It had gotten more crowded, more vibrantly alive, each street closer to the castle.
He had somehow (he still don't know *exactly* how) found that the castle was called Bremen's Fortress. It had originally been the town hall plus several acres of gardens, courtyards, and stables, but the Columbani had desired to visibly intimidate anyone who challenged them on the ground, so the castle had been built. It served a double meaning, however - and the second one was similar enough to the first that Raoul didn't see it in the beginning. But it struck him as he passed a construction zone with a sign reading "Future Home of the Columban Memorial Museum." Like everything else in the city, the future museum was built of stone. He realized then the second meaning. The castle, the walls, the stone buildings, and the museum: all were a defiant message to whoever opposed them: Columban is here to stay.
However, none of this kept him from getting lost very quickly. He didn't remember how he had come to where he was, two streets from the castle wall. Fortunately for him, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find a girl of 14 standing behind him, an eyebrow raised.
"You look lost," she commented in heavily accented Common.
He looked up at the castle wall, then at the city wall (which he could just barely make out), and finally turned back to the girl. "Yeah, it would seem so." He held out his hand. "Raoul."
She took his hand, shook it. "Casa. You staying at the Home?"
He nodded, and she turned to lead him down a street he hadn't noticed before. "How'd you know?"
She gestured to his attire. "You've got to be Mendari with those clothes. The only four places Regent Kel would put you - besides on your way - are Bremen's Fortress, her house, prison, or the Home. You're close enough to both the Fortress and Regent Kel's house that you couldn't possibly be lost - unless you're incredibly dumb, which I don't believe, and it's very hard *not* to be able to find your way back to the Fortress - and you're *obviously* not in prison since you're free to *be* lost, so by process of elimination, the Home's the best bet. And I was right."
"'Regent Kel'?" Raoul repeated.
"It's not really her title, but we call her that to show her respect, and our gratitude for what she's done for us."
"Which is...?"
She eyed him before continuing. "She gave up her home for us willingly."
"Actually, Casa, she didn't have a choice.
The duo turned to see a young man walking behind them. He gave them a quick smile and said, "Commander Stevan ordered her to. But she did it willingly, without complaining, and has done everything in her power to make our new lives here easy and comfortable. That's why we respect her so much."
"Close enough," Casa retorted. Turning to the big knight, she said, "this is my friend Renâl Revôn. Renâl, this is Raoul a Mendari from Goldenlake."
Raoul blinked and frowned. "I don't recall telling you that."
Renâl laughed. "Do you honestly believe that we've been living here for the past three years with our hands over our ears and our eyes glued shut? We keep ourselves up-to-date with what's going on in the outside world. Living smart like that let's us know when we need to be careful."
"You've only been here for three years? Where did you live before?"
Casa's eyes misted, a pained expression flashing across her face. Concerned, Raoul asked, "Are you okay?"
She squeezed her eyes shut, but tears still managed to leak out. Renâl put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She sniffed and said, "We're from Earth - Regent Kel and the others call it Terra. It's a planet halfway across the universe from here, in a galaxy called the Milky Way. The D - the people Regent Kel and the others are fighting poisoned the air, so we can't ever go back. Regent Kel's side evacuated some of us, but the bad people still shot down a lot of the ships. My dad was on one of them." She bit her lip, but could no longer hold back her sobs. Renâl pulled her into a hug and pointed further down the street.
"That wall there surrounds the back courtyard of the Home."
Raoul nodded in thanks, and left the boy and weeping girl. The Lioness was leaning on the wall, watching him. When he was close enough, she commented,
"Never thought I'd see the big, bad, Knight Commander of the King's Own get lost."
He joined her in leaning against the wall. "It's surprisingly easy to do so here. The city's huge! Fortunately, Casa and Renâl were able to show me back."
"I couldn't help but notice you made the girl cry. What did you do?"
Raoul looked up at the castle wall. "Kel may be ruthlessly close-mouthed, but the Columbani sure aren't. According to Casa, they're from a different planet. She referred to me twice as a Mendari. Someone - the people Kel and her superiors are fighting - poisoned the air. A lot of people didn't make it - her father was one of them. That's about all I got out of her except that Kel settled them here under orders *only three years ago*. Them, I think, as a people, not just Kel. She also knew I was of Goldenlake without my saying so. Renâl, her friend, said that they keep up-to-date on what's happening in the outside world so they would know when they 'need to be careful'."
"Okay, first question - what's a planet?"
Raoul gave a clueless shrug. "Dunno. She said it was in a galaxy halfway across the universe, and called the galaxy the Milky Way."
"Maybe that's a fancy way of saying it's a fief in a country halfway across the ocean."
"Maybe."
Alanna pushed off the wall. "Well, maybe Kel will have an answer for us. She has to go somewhere on short notice, and she doesn't know when she'll be back, so she wants our answer now. Sable's going to take us to the 'spaceport.' Must be the dock."
"Does she need all of us?"
The female knight nodded. She wants to hear from everyone, even Alrik. He's been released, by the way."
Raoul frowned. "I thought they were going to keep him overnight?"
"Dr. Dasa changed her mind." They started walking to the gate that led into the courtyard. "She found nothing wrong with him - no damaged tissue, no blood - not even the usual side effects of a healing. There was no reason to keep him, so she discharged him."
"Not even the usual side effects?"
Alanna nodded in agreement as they entered the courtyard. "I want to talk to Numair and Duke Baird about that when we get back to Corus."
"*If* we get back."
_______________________________________
Kel had just finished the pre-flight check when the *Red Spot*'s comm *buzzed*. Startled, she jumped and banged her head on the underside of the console beneath which she had been crouching. A pesky squirrel had followed her into the shuttle, and Kel had managed to corner it under the pilot's console when she finished the checklist. Gently but firmly gripping her uninvited guest around the middle, she crawled out from under the console and seated herself in the pilot's seat, swatted the comm switch, and rubbed her head where she'd banged it. "What?" she said irritably.
Sable's voice trickled over the speakers, sounding both concerned and amused. "*The Mendari are here, Admiral*."
Kel bit her lip and nodded before remembering that the comm unit in the shuttle didn't wasn't visual. "I'll be right down."
"*Very good, ma'am*."
Kel switched off the comm and sat staring at the squirrel for a few minutes. It chattered quietly, blinking huge, innocent eyes at her. Suddenly, she reached out and keyed the comm again, startling her captive.
The speakers let out a burst of static that resolved itself into words. Jenist was on duty. "**Jupiter* reads you, *Red Spot*. Do you require assistance?*"
"Put me through to Captain Sarainak," she answered.
"*Right away, Admiral*." There was a click, and then the captain's voice filtered through. "*Canceling already, Admiral?*" He was plainly amused.
She made a face. "Very funny, Captain. Just a minor change of plans. I'll be bringing a Mendari up with me."
There was a brief pause on the other end. When Sarainak spoke again, the amusement was gone. "*Are you sure that's wise? It *is* against regulations for a civilian to be brought on board during Yellow Alert (2)*."
Kel raised an eyebrow. "I'm assuming you made that decision yourself."
Sarainak spoke confidently. "*Yes, ma'am. I thought it pertinent, given the situation*."
She pursed her lips, but nodded. "Next time, though, please notify me."
"*Yes ma'am*."
"I'll still be taking a Mendari, however."
"*And I'll ask again: Are you sure that's wise?*"
"Yes and no. *If* we get into a military situation while she's on board, she will have to be confined to the brig - we won't take the time to send her back. But bringing her up there and giving her proof that what I've said is true could help us avoid future trouble with the Mendari."
"*Can't it wait?*"
"I wasn't supposed to make a run up to the *Jupiter* for another week. I don't plan on keeping them here that long."
"You could've made a run regardless of whether or not you're scheduled to. You're doing that now."
Kel glared at the comm unit. "If I do that too often, the Mendari are likely to get suspicious. She'll be confined to my quarters until our business is done, and from then on she'll be my responsibility. I'll take the blame if the Commander comes down hard on us, though I doubt she will."
"*If you're sure*."
"I am, Captain."
"*Very well, Admiral. I'll notify Commander Triskal. Sarainak out.*"
Kel switched off the comm unit and looked at the squirrel. "I hope you're right about this," she told it as she made her way to the hatch. "'Cause if you're not, I'm going to blame you." She trotted down the ramp and set the squirrel on the ground, watching it scamper off. Turning to the group gathered there, she found them staring at her, quizzical, curious, and amused looks on their faces.
"What?"
Sable just shook her head, a small smile on her face.
Kel studied the faces of the Tortallans, hoping against hope that they wouldn't make her kill them. "Have you come to a decision?"
Raoul stepped forward. "I speak for all of us when I say we will keep silent." The others nodded. The knight glanced at Alanna, got a nod, and turned back. "We'd like to know if you would allow us to tell King Jonathan that there is something out here that he needs to keep people away from."
Kel shook her head. "No," she answered firmly. "If people are told to avoid something, they will naturally be curious and try to find out what. That will merely increase our risk of discovery."
Raoul nodded.
"You will be escorted to the Golden Lake in two days' time. You-"
"Two days?" Lerant blurted.
She silenced him with a glare before continuing. "You will be delayed because the squire Lisan will be accompanying me on my journey. We will be back in about two days."
Neal stepped in front of his squire protectively. "Why?"
"To ensure your silence. Don't worry, Sir Nealan - nothing will be done to harm her."
"Do *I* get a say in this?' Lisan asked.
Kel looked at her. "At the moment, you're the only one I feel comfortable taking. I fear the Lioness's temper, and the rest would become interferingly protective. I've yet to form an opinion of you, and that is working to your advantage."
Lisan chewed on her lip, eyes darting between Kel, the shuttle, and the Tortallans. "What do you think, sir?" she asked Neal.
Her knight-master sighed. "Believe it or not, she just gave you a major compliment. I think you'll be okay."
To Kel, the squire asked, "Will I need anything?"
Kel glanced at Sable, who nodded, gently patting the comuit(2) hooked to her belt. "Someone's coming with your packs. In fact, here he is now." A young man was just exiting the spaceport's main building with Lisan's satchel slung over his back. He handed it to her, bowed, and left.
Lisan joined Kel at the ramp. Before turning and reentering the shuttle, Kel said, "I promise you, no harm will come to you. Not on my watch." Lisan studied her eyes before she nodded and followed her up the ramp.
Definitions/Terms
(1) Take a wild guess. Jeans/khakis/dress - regular pants, t-shirts, and blessed tennis shoes. No boots or dress shoes for us civilized people!!! Yay! (Sorry, I'm just glad I don't have to walk around in boots or high heels all the time - wearing them for even four hours hurts.)
(2) Yellow Alert. It's a step below Red Alert, where they (the ship and crew) are in a dangerous situation - battle, standoff, those types of things. Yellow Alert is when battle could be eminent, so the crew must be careful and ready for a change to Red Alert. It is strictly against regulations for a civilian to be on board a military vessel during Yellow Alert.
(3) Comuit. Short for communication unit. High-tech cell phone, pretty much.