Alanna's sad recollection

Thea woke up to the chilly October air, shivering because most of her blankets were being used by the guests. The Lioness and Gabi had yet to awake, so Thea treaded quietly through the room as she dressed and rebraided her hair. Gabi was still snoring lightly when Thea left the room, closing the door behind her.

Whne Pete realized that Thea was serious about the fighting arts he had cleard some of the feilds of crops and made practice courts. But Thea wasn't the only one who ended up practicing combat in these courts. The ex-bandits soon had lessens in archery, knife and the spear there (if they so chose) after they where finished being built. Luckily noone else was at the courts when Thea arrived there for she didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment. Especially when she was about to practice her worst form in fighting.

Archery was diffently not her strong point, or anywhere near it. Sure she can catch arrow out of the air like picking flowers from the ground, but for some odd reason she could not get the hang of the bow. Thats why she really needed to practice, without interruptions or an aduiance.

Thea slowly walked to the shed at the side of one of the courts to retrive her bow and quiver. Then she walked slowly (as if on a death march) back to stand a good distanc away from one of the six targets. The quiver held six pratice arrows, and she had gone through one round when she heard footsteps. From the way the vibrations felt to her feet (soft and distance) she knew the person was about 50 yards away. Also by the rhythmand beat of the footsteps she knew automatically it was Pete. Her ability to hear footsteps (or anything that had a specific rhythm or beat to it) from distances because of the vibrations in the ground, and reconize them as a certain persons footsteps (she had found out rather young that everyones footstep beat was different and unique), weirded out Pete a bit. He can put up with alot of her "Musical wierdness" (as he calls it), but the whole foot beat thing still amazed him. So Thea normally kept that to her self.

"Your getting better" Pete observed when he came to stand next to her.

"Getting better? I didn't hit the center of the target once!" She replied studding her work with disgust.

"Yes, I can see that, but if you look at the bright side, at least you hit the target 5 times out of six" he said while gestering to the lone arrow sitcking out of the tree that was several feet to the left of the target. Thea had jerked right before she loosed the arrow, and it went a bit astray.

Thea sighed (her eyes hazel with dissapiontment) and said "Pete? I don't get it, I can throw knifes very well, and i can use the sling shot considerablly well, but no matter how much i practice i can't seem to get the hand of this thing." She held up the bow emphasizing her statement. Peten just smiled at her, having heard similar statements from her before. Pete prepared himself to give her, his normal speech.

"Thea you are good at many things, but you are not perfect, you can't be perfect because then whats the piont in life? There are many things you will do that no matter how hard you try, that particular thing is not for you, sure you can practice some more and get better at it but it will never be as good as some of the other things you are good at doing, like empty handed combat." And with that he took his outer jacket off and rolled up his sleeves, "Speaking of which, i could use alittle practice myself in that area".

"Practice? you? Never." But Thea was smiling, her eyes back to the nuetral gold. Even though Pete gave practically the same speech to her everytime she practiced with a bow, it was still good to hear the words again. Quickly she put down the cause of her self dissapiontment and started streching for something she could do very well. After she finished streching, she bowed respectfully to Pete and took her fighting stance. They fought for over a half hour of heavy combat before Pete was able to land Thea on her stomache and put his knee into the middle of her back.

"Give Up?" he voiced, barley panting where she was panting pretty hard.

"Never, but i will stop my challenge for the moment" She repiled as Pete got up and helped her to her feet.

Pete rolled down his sleeves and put his caot back on. "I have to go talk with our loveable villagers and explain to them that everything is going to be back to normal soon." He paused for a second then added "I Hope" beore he turned and headed for the village.

It was only when he was a good distance away that it hit hit her. It hit her hard. The very sad song of a certain lady knight, that was covered by layers of fake cheerfulness.

Thea turned to see The Lioness sitting on the fence that seperates the archery court from the staff combat feild. It looked as if she had been there for quite sometime, Thea just hadn't notice because she had been in the middle of combat with Pete, and that always took all her concentration. She smiled and waved as she picked up her bow, walked over to the small, sad woman.

Alanna jumped down from the fence when Thea neared. "I hope i didn't wake you up this morning when i left the room."

"No you were already gone by the time I got up" There was a small pause before Alanna continude "Wrestling"

"Pardon Me? Wrestling?"

"It's what I realy sucked at when i was training, still do to. We all have are weaknesses."

At first Thea was confused, Alanna must have notice because she pointed to her arrow in the tree. Thea blushed, her eyes a deep blue with embarrassment. Alanna noticed the change and smiled. "Come on, I help you collect them, befroe anyone else has to see." Thea murmured her thanks and started walking towards the targets with The Lioness by her side.

They gathered the six arrows, returned them to their quiver and stored them back in the shed. All the while talking about random things such as the weather and fighting tips. After Thea locked the shed back up, they started walking back towards the manor. At first there was a comfortable silece, but then Alanna brought up the subject they both had been avoiding.

"You where the only one to see through my mask, not even my longest friend the King could see though it. How did you know about it?" She didn't have to say what it was, for they both knew. It was the sadness locked up inside the Lioness, almost makng her go insane.

"I guess, I knew because i have a way of detecting things, especally if they are so loud." Alanna was alittle confused about the last part of the statement but decided to brush it off as one of those "no need to know at the moment things".

There was more silence, a bit uncomfortable this time, as they walked over to a bench that sat at the front of the house. It sat uder atree, shading them from the light of the still rising sun.

Thea decided not to pressure her with questions. She would know if the Lioness wanted her to know. I didn't take long before the talking started.

"My husband George died two years ago, we lived a long happy life and i was really sad to see him go, but it wasn't just that he died it was why he died. I had to tell everyone that he died of just being old, which he was but he was healthy in his old age. Something from his past came to haunt him in his last days. A son of one of his enemies, from when he used to be The King of Thevies. i don't know the specific details, but i do know that he died protecting information that can be used against this country, my friends. My daughter is investigating it for she is the only other who knows. My husband died a hero, like he always though he would, but i am not aloud to tell anyone. Atleast not until the threat can be eliminated and I am getting to old to do anything about it, I can't help my daughter uncover the secret in that information, she won't tell me this information 'for my own safety', she won't even tell me the whole truth about George's death and why i am not aloud to tell anyone"

There was a long pause while the Lioness wipped her streaming eyes. "I probably am making no sence, but i don't get it much either. I just don't what i'd do if i lost my daughter too."

Thea smiled reasurringly "It'll work out, don't worry, have faith in your daughter and if you ever need any help, with anything you can come to me, and i'll see what i can sing up."

Alanna gave Thea a grateful smile as they got up and walked towards the Manor. "Thank you Thea, for listening to this old woman, I may not know you that well but i have a felling that i can trust you wholeheartedly."

A/n:

sry for not updateing for so long, my computer crashed then i had 5 weeks at summer camp. forgive me