Alanna took a deep breath and steadied her frenzied nerves. The
castle, her plan, it was all going to come true. She had waited for this
moment for years... Secretly in her heart, she could not wait to see her
friends again. Especially Jon. How they would treat her... that was a whole
different story.
Alanna knew that she had just barely made it for the Tournament. It would start in less than a week. She was strangely confident, after training with the boys for months, (they were now knights) she knew their style of fighting. They could have changed, but she highly doubted so. She had an advantage in that sense. The years training with the Shang had stripped her of her original fighting patterns and her fighting style was now totally different...
After that sudden move against the Shang Dragon, there had been stunned silence. No one had beaten the Shang Dragon in sword play for years. However, Alanna did. A complete stranger, a girl... The Shang had been impressed with Alanna's skill with the sword and her determination and courage. They had agreed and taken her in. Her tutor was the Shang Tiger, Leo. At the thought of Leo, Alanna's grim smile softened, unwittingly. Leo had thought her new tricks with the sword, things that knights do not learn. Leo had thought her how to fight with her hands and kick with her feet. Leo had thought her something else, something more personal. Leo had thought her how to find herself. In the midst of her jumbled up feelings of fury and revenge, Alanna had found inner peace when she was with Leo.
The months of training had been tough. Learning how to kick took her a month to learn and many more to perfect. Fighting with her arms devoured up a year and while these took place, she had strengthened her body physically and improved on other aspects of fighting- like swordplay and archery. She had been good with the bow from young, but now, her accuracy was sharpened. She cold hit a coin in midair. She could fight with the sword and beat anyone in the Shang village. However, only swordplay. In the other aspects... Alanna smiled grimly again.
Another ache winced in her heart. How she missed the village! And the Shang people! They were like her, their personalities revolved around the arts of fighting. And they treated everyone as an equal. Boy or Girl. Not like the tortallan king.
Alanna took another deep breath and walked through the gate. She was tempted to walk up the familiar short-cut, through the kitchen and to the hall, too se her friends and to show them that she had survived these years, but instead, she followed the marked path that let to the fields. The field was covered with tents and more tents. Many commoners and nobles, trained in the arts of war had gathered there for the competition. Some were training with each other, not with real swords or lances, but with wooden sticks. Others were just hanging about, chatting. A smile spread across her face. Alanna was ready for this. She was ready to fight.
The next few days had passed in a blur. She did not practice her skills; instead, she rested her aching body. She had rode miles from the Shang village. Leo had accompanied her half way, but he had to turn back. The next few days had been pure torture, and only the thought of the tournament had driven her, maniacally. She had covered leagues in just a few days.
Alanna spent most of her time studying the competitors. They were all men, and obviously trained. She studied their weaknesses and strengths. Occasionally, she would even talk to some of them when she was bored. However, she wore a cap at all times, and tied her hair in a knot, unseen. She did not want people to guess her identity. She meant to take everyone by surprise...
Suddenly, she saw someone. She saw Jon. There he was, clad in knight wear, talking to some competitors. He hair shone in the sunlight, and from his shirt, everyone could see his slightly muscular frame. A perfect smile was hooked on his face. She felt her heart constrict. How much she would pay to talk to him again! Why shouldn't I? She wondered to herself...
Alanna knew that she had just barely made it for the Tournament. It would start in less than a week. She was strangely confident, after training with the boys for months, (they were now knights) she knew their style of fighting. They could have changed, but she highly doubted so. She had an advantage in that sense. The years training with the Shang had stripped her of her original fighting patterns and her fighting style was now totally different...
After that sudden move against the Shang Dragon, there had been stunned silence. No one had beaten the Shang Dragon in sword play for years. However, Alanna did. A complete stranger, a girl... The Shang had been impressed with Alanna's skill with the sword and her determination and courage. They had agreed and taken her in. Her tutor was the Shang Tiger, Leo. At the thought of Leo, Alanna's grim smile softened, unwittingly. Leo had thought her new tricks with the sword, things that knights do not learn. Leo had thought her how to fight with her hands and kick with her feet. Leo had thought her something else, something more personal. Leo had thought her how to find herself. In the midst of her jumbled up feelings of fury and revenge, Alanna had found inner peace when she was with Leo.
The months of training had been tough. Learning how to kick took her a month to learn and many more to perfect. Fighting with her arms devoured up a year and while these took place, she had strengthened her body physically and improved on other aspects of fighting- like swordplay and archery. She had been good with the bow from young, but now, her accuracy was sharpened. She cold hit a coin in midair. She could fight with the sword and beat anyone in the Shang village. However, only swordplay. In the other aspects... Alanna smiled grimly again.
Another ache winced in her heart. How she missed the village! And the Shang people! They were like her, their personalities revolved around the arts of fighting. And they treated everyone as an equal. Boy or Girl. Not like the tortallan king.
Alanna took another deep breath and walked through the gate. She was tempted to walk up the familiar short-cut, through the kitchen and to the hall, too se her friends and to show them that she had survived these years, but instead, she followed the marked path that let to the fields. The field was covered with tents and more tents. Many commoners and nobles, trained in the arts of war had gathered there for the competition. Some were training with each other, not with real swords or lances, but with wooden sticks. Others were just hanging about, chatting. A smile spread across her face. Alanna was ready for this. She was ready to fight.
The next few days had passed in a blur. She did not practice her skills; instead, she rested her aching body. She had rode miles from the Shang village. Leo had accompanied her half way, but he had to turn back. The next few days had been pure torture, and only the thought of the tournament had driven her, maniacally. She had covered leagues in just a few days.
Alanna spent most of her time studying the competitors. They were all men, and obviously trained. She studied their weaknesses and strengths. Occasionally, she would even talk to some of them when she was bored. However, she wore a cap at all times, and tied her hair in a knot, unseen. She did not want people to guess her identity. She meant to take everyone by surprise...
Suddenly, she saw someone. She saw Jon. There he was, clad in knight wear, talking to some competitors. He hair shone in the sunlight, and from his shirt, everyone could see his slightly muscular frame. A perfect smile was hooked on his face. She felt her heart constrict. How much she would pay to talk to him again! Why shouldn't I? She wondered to herself...