Title: A Crow's Place
Author: icebyrd67
Rating: PG for some violence and possibly language
Disclaimer: This story is based off of books written by Tamora Pierce, so people and places belong to her. The only things I own are June and the plot.
Summary: In tradition of her family, Aly begins to hound her daughter, Junai to find her place in the world. Too bad the place Aly wants her to take isn't what June wants. And too bad Aly never bothered to tell June the truth about her past.
Chapter Three: Like A Daughter
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Do you have wild magic? Who are you?" The woman, Daine, said as the nestlings hopped over to her, pecking affectionately at her fingers, a sign of trust from the birds. That worried June a little.
"I am called Junai." June answered, lowering her weapons a bit. If the crows trusted these people, she would have to as well. At least until they gave her a reason not to. Slowly, she replaced the knives into their sheaths in her sash. She would still be able to reach them very quickly if the need arise. And she had a few more knives hidden away in her sarong and in sheaths lying flat against her arms. "What is wild magic?"
"The ability to communicate with animals. A type of magic. There are several forms of wild magic, from specialized animals such as horses or cats to broad wild magic that covers all animals." The man answered, plopping himself down in the ground next to the crows, revealing a fist full of dried cherries. "You've got the Gift that's for sure. I'm not sure of wild magic though, Mother. I can't sense that. She has the Sight as well. That's quite rare, isn't it?"
"How do you know so much about me?" June said, watching him, quite intrigued by the man. Rikash, Daine had said his name was. He was quite handsome. Not like the men back home. Oh, they were all right, she supposed, but they didn't have anything compared to this man. He had the look of a man who knew what he wanted to be in life, not a boy who pretended to be a man like the boys at home. The little lordlings who were thrown into their roles in life. She liked that look of his.
"I can see magic." He answered, nonchalantly, as if his gift was something everyone possessed. "Something I inherited from my parents' strange hybrid genes bred into me. It seems to work." He grinned, catching her eyes with his as he lounged casually on the ground. "You've got the Gift from your parents?"
"No. My parents are both without." She told him, ignoring the woman. Daine didn't seem too dangerous that she required June full attention. The man, Rikash, on the other hand, seemed to have a bit of a dangerous quality about himself. Like a big jungle cat ready to pounce. Like her father did. If he wasn't a crow, that is.
"From your grandparents then. How is it that you do not have wild magic, yet you speak to crows?" He asked, leaning towards her. "Junai is your name, yes? You must be the girl that George was speaking of. June. From the Copper Isles. Where do you come by your Sight?" He asked question after question, not pausing for her to answer. She was getting quite dizzy trying to keep up.
"Oh, don't bother trying, my dear." Daine said, getting to her feet. "You'll only give yourself a headache trying to keep up with my boy. Come. It is past midday and I am almost quite sure you haven't eaten yet. We can continue this conversation later, after a meal. We can also discuss times for our lessons." June's eyes grew as big as saucers at the idea of lessons with this woman she did not know.
"Um, lessons? What are you talking about?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Sir, what of the newest shipment?" The man, a pockmarked, tattooed man muttered quietly to his master as they sat before the fire in a pub, warming their hands on mugs of warm ale. "Shall we go ahead and move it north? We have the cover of the clouds tonight."
"Yes. Take care of this shipment. It is the utmost importance that everything arrive unscathed. If I receive another shipment of damaged goods, I shall take it out of you in blood. Do you understand?" The master, an icily handsome, clean shaven man, spoke in a soft educated voice that promised every bit of malice it dripped. The sound was enough to cause the other man to shudder in his boots.
"Yes sir, milord. I understand." The man stuttered, quivering in terror. His master was the type that would kill anyone who messed up once. There was no second chance with him really. Unless he really needed you alive.
"Good." His master said. They sat in silence for a moment before the master spoke again, his voice cold with distaste and hatred. "Why are you still in my presence?"
"I'm going, milord." The man stumbled from his chair and practically ran from the pub.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So I take it you have met Daine and Rikash?" George asked, not looking up from his papers when June barged into his office, propping clenched fists on either hip, glaring at him. "You know, if looks can kill, I would probably be sitting beside the Black God now." He sighed when she did not speak and laid his papers down, looking up at her.
"Lessons? You've called Lady Daine down from Corus to give me lessons?" June yelled, outraged at the idea. She did not want to be wasting her time in lessons every single day. George was her master, not her father. He had no right t arrange for her to have lessons.
"You don't understand the situation, June. I've asked Daine to help you control your magic a little bit better. I need to you have complete control over them before I send you to Corus. I've got work for you, but only if you can control that magic of yours. I know you can control your Sight, but I have yet to see you control your magic completely. And I know you've got a gift with animals. Daine can help you with that as well. She is the Wild Mage, after all. And her husband is Numair, the black robe. He can help as well. It would do you great good to study with them. It is a rare chance to do so."
"Daine and Numair know nothing of me. They know nothing of my situation! How are they to help me control my powers if they do not know me? I don't care how rare the chance happens to be. And I don't need help with my relationship with animals. I've got it completely under control. I am perfectly happy with my relationship with the animals. We are good! George, you are not my father! Do not presume to take that position in my life. I have a father and I came to Tortall to get away from him!"
"My dear—" George started, but stopped when June raised a finger.
"Do not "my dear" me, George." Her voice was now cold. "I respect you and I am grateful to you for all you have done for me, but this is something I will not allow. I will not condone this behavior. This is the last conversation we will have on this matter." June turned around and stormed out of the room.
"She's a bit like her mother isn't she?" The Lioness stepped into the room, staring after June as she turned the corner. Alanna smiled, sitting on the corner of George's desk. George grinned and took his wife's hand, tangling his fingers with hers.
"Actually, I think she is a bit like her grandmother." He pressed his lips to her fingers. "A lioness protecting her cubs or herself. I am proud of the girl. She has grown to be a fine woman, just like Aly."
"Perhaps a bit too much like Alianne. Perhaps we should consider allowing Rikash to talk her about. Daine said that they had made a connection in the woods. It would seem that Rikash intrigues our girl. Although I am unsure of whether to encourage this match or not. Aly says that she wishes June to marry into the Isles. I wonder how June feels about that."
"We know how June feels. June feels like she should run away before Aly forces her to do something. I only wish I could get those two to sit down and talk. It isn't fair that they are both so unhappy." George sighed. "And that they are both so stubborn. Sometimes I wonder how Nawat does it. Having to deal with both of them every single day."
"Well, he is crow. I'd expect that he escapes to the sky on a regular basis. I have always wondered if June can change as well. I mean like her father does."
"I don't know. Maybe she will tell us one day. As for the other matter, I'll speak to Rikash later. Perhaps after dinner."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"I cannot believe the nerve of that man!" June raged, hurling a book at the wall before upending the chairs of her living quarters. "Acting as if he is my father! Ordering me to take lessons! How dare he!" She threw yet another object at the wall, taking twisted pleasure in the satisfying shatter it created. A soft knock on the door interrupted her anger. "What?" She snarled, pulling the door open to reveal the very young man who intrigued her so. "Can I help you?" She asked, civilly, fighting to regain her control although she was still angry enough to whip up the breeze coming in through the window into a miniature tornado in her room.
"Might I have a word with you?" He asked, peering into her room to survey the damage. With a flick of his hand, he quelled the tornado before he pushed pass the girl to intrude into her home. "This is quite a mess you've made." He commented, straightening the chairs. He redirected the breeze that had once been a tornado to sweep together the bits of parchment and glass. "You know, George is only trying to do what's right by you."
"He's trying to treat as his daughter and I do not appreciate that of him." June answered clenching her fists so tightly; they turned white. "He has no right."
"Aye. He is trying to treat you as a daughter. But perhaps the reason he does so is because he sees you as a daughter. Or rather, at his age, a granddaughter. Did you not think of that?" Rikash asked, raising his brow at her. She didn't answer. "I thought not."
"Why do you care?" She snapped, redirecting her wrath towards him. Because he was right and she didn't have a reason to by mad at George for trying to help her. "You don't even know me."
"I care because I have to." Rikash gave her a faint smile. "Because if I don't, then I will never get the chance to get to know you like I know we are fated to. I care because if you agree to these lessons, you will be taking them with me, thus ensuring that we are friends, thus ensuring that the visions I have come true."
"What?" June stared at him as if he were mad. What in the world was he talking about?
"Lady Junai, I am a seer. Do not ask me how or why, but I am a seer. I can see the future in my dreams, when I scry, when I look into the eyes of a person. When I looked into your eyes, I saw something that I desperately want to come true. Do you understand what I am saying? Because my mother is half-goddess, because my grandparents are gods, and because my father is the strongest mage alive, I was born with abilities that have never been seen. Such as seeing the future and seeing the types of magic a person holds. I can see magic."
"Okay. So you can see the future. What is this thing that you so desperately want to come true?" She raised her brow, challenging his self-acclaimed abilities.
"That, Lady Junai—" He took one of her hands in his and kissed it lightly with a player's look of love. "I cannot tell. For if I tell, the future will not come to be." He grinned mischievously and swept out of the room, leaving June to simply stare after him.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The man crept silently up to the door and knocked softly, barely touching the wood. There was a muffled scrape of metal and a pair of eyes appeared between the bars. The man outside the door held up his finger, indicating he held three of whatever it was he transported and the door pulled open, revealing a rather dank and dark hallway.
"Quickly. Before anyone sees you." The man who was behind the door waved the transporter into the castle, glancing around to make sure no one saw. "How many do you bring?"
"Three wagon-loads. The master will be happy with this haul. It was a bit easier than normal with the Wild Mage being gone. And she took that get of hers with her. No worrying that someone will see what we plan. Help me get them inside." He jabbed his crook into one of the bundles that moved too slowly.
A little squeak of pain was emitted from the bundle before he jabbed it again, forcing it into silence. After a few moments, the three wagons were unloaded and the packages moved down the main stairs onto the floor below where they would be stored in a large room until someone was ready to purchase them.
These children were a bit younger than the previous loads, the eldest being no more than twelve. Last time, the majority of the package was at least ten. This time, they were mostly eight and under with a few exceptions. They were a pretty bunch. They would sell well.
The prettier ones would be sold into families who desperately wanted children. Those who weren't would be sold to ill-reputable houses where they would work as play-toys until they were too old or too ugly. And the uglier ones would be sold into labor slavery. The lucky ones were the prettiest ones.
They would be sold as soon as the master found the buyers he wanted. Until then, the Tortallan-born children would be held captive in the belowground chambers.