(I LOVE half days! I've gotten so much done! Here's more of Lyssie's adventures for your enjoyment. I'm still not Tamora Pierce and I still don't own Tortall or any of the people who normally reside there. Please R/R)

Alanna glanced across at the girl riding along side her on the dappled pony. Her head was down, her eyes staring at the road. Draped across her slumped shoulders was a black cat. Every so often her eyes would dart up to look at Alanna or down to the sword sheathed on her belt.
"Lys?"
"Yeah, Ma?"
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah…ain't nothin' wrong…"
Lys stared back down at the back of the pony's head and said nothing more. Alanna sighed, why was she so quiet? It was unlike a girl of Pirate's Swoop to be even remotely quiet. They traveled on in silence for a time until they reached the border and entered Tortall.
"This is Tortall, Lys."
"'S'big. And what're those big stone houses?"
"Those are castles, well, fiefs really. We're going to one, Pirate's Swoop."
"Aye, the Goddess telled me bout that. She sayed we live there."
"Yes, we do…"
Lys fell silent again, staring off into the distance at the fields and meadows, forests and streams, rivers and oceans.
Soon they reached Corus and Alanna stopped at the Dancing Dove.
"S'this Pirate's Swoop, Ma?"
"No, Lys. This is Corus and right here, this is the Dancing Dove. We'll spend the night here and then continue on in the morning."
Alanna led Lys into Dancing Dove.
"Lass!"
"'Fingers!"
"'Ow's George doin'?"
"As well as he can be, with me on the road."
Alanna smiled at this man and Lys looked at him, trying to figure out if she knew who he was, if she had ever seen him.
"An' who's this li'l Lassie?"
"This is my youngest daughter, Lys."
"Well, 'ello Lassie. I'm 'Fingers, a friend o' your Da's." Lys' eyes glazed over suddenly and she stared at her feet. "Did I say summat wrong?"
"She might not have understood you..."
Lys shook her head but still wouldn't look up. She fingered the pommel of her sword and then side-stepped behind Alanna.
"Guess the lass just don't like me."
"Lys, is something wrong?"
Lys didn't respond for a moment and then shook her head.
"Tired."
"Alright...See you around, 'Fingers. Come on, Lys."
Alanna led Lys to the inn keep and got them a room. They slowly climbed the stairs up to the same room Alanna had been in so many times before with George as a page. Lys sat on the floor and drew her blade slowly. Alanna set her bag on the floor by the end of the bed.
"Ma?"
"Yes, Lys?"
"Why'd he say...that he know Da?"
"Because he does, Lys."
"No, Da say he on'y went to Tortall....once...."
Alanna looked at Lys, confused and then realized that whoever had taken care of her in Scanra was Da to her, not George. This could present a bit of a problem once they got home...