Chapter Seventeen; Ambush.

Well, thanks to you all for your lovely reviews, they are great. I have been asked several times now whether U have any ideas for a story set in 'the Immortals' time. Although I am flattered that you think highly enough of my meagre talents at writing to ask, at the moment I don't. That is not to say that I wont come up with one, but at the moment I have four stories up here; two Alanna ones, a 'Lord of the Rings' continuation and a 'the Dark is Rising' story. I am also writing a 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' series, which I will post after I have finished one of the aforementioned ones, and ideas for a 'Legendeer triology' story. So as you can see I am rather busy, what with work, beta-ing and having a social life as well (no smirking S_star, I know it's because of you). But if you are intrested in me giving you the plotlines of any of the above mentioned stories, even those not published yet,  I can do so in authors notes or in private emails. Let me know at Dianahunters@yahoo.co.uk or in a review. I love hearing from you all.

Apologies by the way for the huge authors note, but you have to hear from me sometimes I suppose…

HuntressDiana.

Xxx

Alanna herself trotted along, soothing the mare beneath her as a harsh wind whipped up.

"Mithros! I hate the winter." She pulled her cloak tighter around her. It was times like this that she wished she lived in the Great Southern Desert instead of here in Corus, it was far warmer there. She loathed the cold and the wet, and she didn't like exposing her faithful mare to such conditions either.

A footstep rang on the cobbles behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see what had caused the noise. Alanna grinned ferally  as she saw three men approaching her from behind. She spurred Moonlight into a faster canter, whilst retrieving her bow from her bag and stringing it under cover of her cloak. Steering Moonlight only with her knees, Alanna wheeled her, drawing her bow to her ear and aiming for the man in the lead. When the men realised she knew they were there and that she was ready to fight them, they began to run towards her, abandoning caution, and unsheathing daggers and swords Alanna loosed her arrow and the first man fell. As they drew closer she shot another man, then dropped her bow onto the saddle in front of her, and drew her own sword. A hand reached for Moonlight's bridle. The mare rose high on her hind legs and dealt the man a solid blow on the side of the head. Alanna smiled grimly and patted her mount's neck. As she came back down to all fours, Alanna stood in the stirrups.

"Come on then!" Her blade gleamed dully in the night. As one man slashed at her leg she swerved Moonlight out the way, then cut him down with a single blow. A flare of pain streaking down her left arm alerted her to a man on her other side. She didn't have time to inspect her wound. Her new opponent was a large man, fair skinned, but with a scarred face. He grabbed her heel to try and pull her from the saddle. She struggled to shake him loose, then, knocking his hand away, sending his dagger flying, plunged her blade deep into his shoulder. He screamed out in pain and she kicked him away as his grip slackened. And with the backslash of the same stroke she cut across his neck. He fell to the ground, hands going to his throat. The last man threw a dagger at her, then turned to flee. She avoided the blade and urged Moonlight to follow him. In his haste, turning to see what she was doing, he stumbled and fell over the body of one of his dead accomplices. Alanna jumped off her horse's back and laid her sword tip in the hollow of his throat.

"who sent you?" he voice shook with restrained anger. "What did they tell you?"

"You're a killer! We were never told you were a killer. He just said get the girl and you'll get your gold." She pushed the blade closer, nicking the skin on his neck.

"Who sent you?" The man's mouth opened to reply, but instead he found himself choking and gasping for breath. "Tell me!" A droplet of blood appeared at the side of his mouth, and was soon joined by more. As he collapsed on his face in the road, she cursed, hearing his last breath shuddering from his soaked lungs.

"Great!" Alanna looked around to see if any of the other would be assassins were still alive. With another muttered curse she found that she had done her work too well. They were all dead. She bent and cleaned her sword on one man's tunic, then remounted her mare.

"Let's go girl. Remind me to tell Jon that the total number of assassination attempts is now twenty." Moonlight whinnied and set off at a grateful trot, eager to rid her nose of the metallic stench of death that surrounded her and her mistress so much recently.

Her mistress patted her neck and gave her control of their direction as she inspected her own wound. It was nothing serious, the blade had barely cut into the muscle. She would bind it up when she reached the palace.

I could have left you on a cliffhanger there, so I was quite nice to you. Show how much you appriciate that by giving me lots of reviews. By the way, I have now decided the ending to this… There. A mini cliffhanger. That's me happy as well as you.

Review me!!! I want lot of reviews!! Remember, the more reviews I get the more rewards I have to give you! I have to give three, fairly long, chapters for the next reward.