(A/N: So I was going to wait, but I am very excited that people are actually reading it, so I'm going to post again. After though, I'll probably post once a week, or try anyway. OMG! I forgot my Disclaimer before! Okay, here it is:
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Tamora Pierce's character (Jon, Numair, Alanna, Daine, King Roald, or any of the others, nor do I won Tortall or any other places.)
The next day, Alanna woke with a start and realized how late she had slept in. The sun was already out and warming the ground under her feet when she stepped outside her tent.
Remembering the time, she re-entered her tent, and emerged five minutes later, dressed packed and ready to go. She knew they would be leaving later that day, and she wanted to be ready.
As she hurried in the direction of Numair's tent, the camp was a flurry of activity all around her. The entire army would be packing up and leaving for the Tortallan capital, Corus. Well, everyone but a few.
Alanna, the King, Numair, Jon and some others would be heading to the nearby fief, Olau, to try to figure out what had happened to the mage, in case he returned.
Alanna sighed as her thoughts turned to the evil mage. He had appeared in Tortall just over a month ago, a new mage no one had heard of. Everything about him was strange. His clothes, his accent, even his name: 'Jeremy'. She snorted at the thought of it. What kind of a name is that?
At first everyone thought he was a joke, just some crazy young man, starved for attention. Those thoughts came to a grinding halt when his soldiers had come. Then it wasn't a joke anymore.
No one knew what he was after, or how to stop him. He had been raiding villages all around Tortall. There didn't seem to be a reason why. Just to cause panic and chaos.
Lost in her own thoughts, Alanna was startled to realize that she had arrived outside Numair's tent. She stepped inside and looked around. A dozen faces looked back at her. Among them she saw the faces of Gareth the younger of Naxen Raoul of Goldenlake and Prince Jonathan or Tortall. These men were her friends, the ones who had stayed with her even when they had discovered she wasn't the boy she was pretending to be to earn her shield, something that girls weren't allowed to do. And here she was, the first Lady Knight; Sir Alanna of Trebond and Olau.
Alanna turned her attention back the room around her. She looked to the man at the head of the table and bowed to him. "You're Majesty, please excuse me for being late, I overslept…."
She could see Gary and Raoul trying to hide smiles as she finished bowing to King Roald and sat down at the table beside Jon. But the King didn't see to notice. "It's fine," he said distractedly, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. He turned back to the man who sat on his right, Numair.
"So you think you may find something in the Olau library?" The King asked Numair.
Jon took Alanna's hand under the table. Raoul must have noticed, because he gave Alanna wink. She glared back, but they both knew it was all in good fun. Raoul was always joking about Alanna and Jon. They had all been friends at knight school long before Alanna and Jon had become lovers.
"I'm not positive," answered Numair, "but there are a couple things I want to look up, and he might have some good information…" he shook his head, "But it's just a guess. This mage is unlike anyone I've met before. If I could figure out where he came from…" The last part was more talking to himself than anything.
As Alanna sat with her hand in Jon's something was nagging at the back of her head, eating away at her subconscious. Or rather, someone: George.
'I'm perfectly happy with Jon,' she told herself sternly, 'I don't need George. He's busy traveling for the King on his spy missions. There isn't anything between us anymore. I'm happy. I love Jon.'
Her thoughts were interrupted as a girl with leaves tangled in her hair arrived in the tent. She was medium height, with dark hair. Her skin was tanned from lots of time spent outside.
"Ah, Daine," said Numair, his face and voice softening, "Come; sit down."
Alanna forced herself not to smile. Usually Numair was a serious man, but he always softened when Daine was around. Which was most of the time, since Daine and Numair shared a tent.
"What did you find out anything from the birds?" He asked her.
"Nothing," Daine said, rubbing her forehead, "Well, nothing we didn't already know. They said that these men showed up about a week ago, and then they flew away. They have only just returned, and they're the only animals I can feel nearby, which is strange. It takes a lot to scare them all away. But if there was a large enough spell they would get scared enough…" she lapsed into silence.
Numair nodded, his brow furrowed. "Are you sure they understood what you were asking about?" he asked.
Everyone, including Numair was still learning about Wild Magic concept. It was not unusual for Tortallans to be born with the Gift of magic; Alanna, Jon and many others had it. Some only had the ability to perform household chores, while some studied and became great sorcerers. But Daine was the only person anyone had ever known to have Wild Magic, a type of magic that allowed her to communicate with and even transform into animals, because her magic was so strong. Just how mystified Alanna. Even if she didn't know how it worked, she knew that it was very useful. Daine could send birds to spy, or even ask animals to help them fight enemies.
"Of course I'm sure," Daine said glaring at Numair. Numair dropped it at that.
"Alright," Numair sighed, "I guess I will wait a bit and see what is in Sir Myles's library," he continued, naming the Lord of Olau.
"Everyone, we leave at noon. Be ready," King Roald told them.
Jon squeezed Alanna's hand as they stood up to leave. "See you later," he said, winking.
Because she had finished packing before, Alanna decided to go and see Moonlight.
She headed for the makeshift corral that had been set up on the edge of the camp. It was where all the warhorses of all the soldiers were kept. But it was fairly easy to pick out Moonlight's golden coat.
Nearby where Moonlight stood, she saw someone speaking to a small, grey pony. Alanna knew that it must be Daine, and her pony Cloud. Cloud had been with Daine since she had come to Tortall from Galla after losing her family in a fire. They could often be seen together in the fields, Daine speaking softly into Cloud's pricked ear.
Alanna arrived beside Moonlight and twined her fingers through Moonlight's pale mane. Moonlight turned her head and blew softly into Alanna's fiery hair. Alanna smiled and remembered how Moonlight had come to be Alanna's. George had sold it to her for far less than she was worth, Alanna now realize, but she couldn't ever thank him enough for doing so. Moonlight had never failed her.
Thinking of George made her heart jump into her throat. "Stop it," she told herself sternly, as she forced it back to its place.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice cutting through them. "That is an amazing animal," it told her.
Alanna looked up and saw Daine standing on the other side of Moonlight's neck, her hand on her golden neck. She was speaking softly to Moonlight, and Alanna couldn't make out what she was saying. Alanna scarcely dared breath; she didn't want to interrupt anything. Finally Daine laughed and said, "This horse will never fail you. Where did you get her? Her story is a bit confusing."
Alanna sighed and turned away, her heart disobeying her by jumping back into her throat. "From a good friend," she told Daine, swallowing hard.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed! All my posts will be around that long, btw. It is a good length for me. Thanks to the two people who have already reviewed:
Alenor: Yes! I love A/J fics! Of course, I love the whole triangle thing.
L.B.99: Yes, short I know. It was like a teaser trailer idea:P Hope it makes you read more!
