(My computer is apparently quite angry with me and it took an act of Mithros to get this darned chapter to load...I hope you like it. Lys' first tastes of life at the Swoop. hehe. R/R and enjoy.)

Lys squirmed in her seat, uncomfortable in the dress she was wearing. Ma had told her guests were coming to stay for a while so she would have to wear a dress to dinner. She had tried everything to get out of it, she had grumbled, complained, whined and fought but still she sat there in the pale green and white dress that was slightly big on her. Thom had helped her find clothes among her elder sister's things. Alianne, he had told her, was away at the convent learning to be ladylike. Lys couldn't believe anyone wanted to be ladylike, least of all the Lioness' eldest daughter. The door opened and Alanna walked in, soon followed by a man and a woman. Her nose began to itch furiously as the woman greeted the dogs that had been lying under the table but had gotten up when she entered. The woman looked kind enough but there was something about the man that made Lys nervous. He was something of a mystery to Lys; his demeanor showed a hidden power, his stride was long and his eyes showed a hidden power, he was a mage.
" Lys, these are my friends Master Numair Salmalî and Lady Daine Salmalin."
"'Lo." Lys muttered, staring at the table, trying to avoid making eye contact with the mage.
" Lys!" Thom was clearly stunned at the lack of respect Lys had for the black robed mage and the wild mage.
"No, no, Lys, it's alright. Thom, she doesn't understand."
Lys looked at Alanna, her eyes pleading, begging for her to be allowed to leave. When Alanna didn't respond, Lys turned to resume staring at the grains in the wood-hewn table but caught instead the eyes of the mage.
"It's alright, Lys," a kind woman's voice told her, "Numair's harmless."
"He be a mage, Ain't no one what can trust a mage. Da…'n the rest o' t'folk in the village trusted the Gallan 'n lookit what we done got."
Alanna's eyes widened as she gazed at her youngest in a new light. That was the first Lys had said of her life in Scanra. Daine walked around the table and sat beside Lys, gesturing for Numair to stay where he was.
" Lys, do you trust me?"
"I…I ain't seen no reason what'd make me not."
"What I told you I'm a mage?"
Lys looked Daine over carefully taking in everything. Her curly brown hair was held back by a forest green ribbon that matched her dress. Her blue-gray eyes shone with kindness but also showed the same intelligence Numair's did.
"But…they don't let…you be a lass liken me'n Ma, ain't no one be lettin' a lass be a mage. That be men's stuff."
Numair's jaw dropped, Alanna's daughter had just said a woman couldn't do what a man could do. He looked over at Alanna who was trying to restrain her famed temper.
"No one let me be a mage, Lys, I chose it…with a little help from my friends." Daine smiled at Numair, then Alanna and then down at the dogs who had resumed their nap at her feet. "Not all mages are like Blayce. Some of us just do out best to help the folk that look to us."
Lys looked over to Alanna, seeking reassurance.
"She's telling the truth, Lys, I can't tell you all mages are good because Goddess knows there are those who wish nothing more than to better themselves but Numair, Daine and most of those in Tortall are nice enough. And so far as a woman no being a mage, I'll have you know in Tortall a woman can be anything they want to be."
"You tellin' true, Ma? I ain't thought…Back home they sayed bein' a lass ain't no good, that a lass can't do what a lad can."
Lys looked again at Numair and he smiled back.
"Do you trust me now?"
"Bit more'n I did afore, S-sir Mage."

Dan cursed under his breathe as he soundlessly dropped from a tree into the palace grounds. He slid along the wall and watched some of the pages pass; they were about his age and rather dirty. He looked down at this own clothes and grinned, he would merely do what he'd done all his life and hide in the open. The doors creaked as he opened them and he winced at the sound. Anyone with an ounce of sense would realize he wasn't one of Tortall's noble sons. He walked through the halls doing his best to act the part he'd once been forced to play. His head held high, he tried to fit in and yet eyes every door he passed carefully, looking for 'George'. He saw one of the doors ahead was slightly open and the room shone brightly in his Sight; it was nearly coated in spells against looking and listening. This had to be the place. He sidled along the wall and glanced in. 'George' sat at a desk reading messages and glancing at a candle every so often to judge the time.
"George," Dan walked into the room, closing the door behind him, "I ain't late, am I?"
"No, lad, have a seat." George gestured to a wooden chair across from him and Dan sat in it. "You passed the first test fairly well for a young lad. Where're you from?"
"Scanra."
"Be more specific."
"Hamrkeng."
"The capital."
"Aye, Sir."
"Have you got a family?"

"No, Sir."
The lad glowed for a moment in George's Sight, he was lying.
"What's your full name?"
The lad paused and then spoke.
"Daniel Fletcher."
Another lie, but a carefully practiced one. There was something about him that didn't seem right. Suddenly, it was obvious, the lad didn't act quite like a commoner, didn't speak like one, at least not one in Scanra. Despite the coat of dirt he wore, his clothes still appeared finely made. A spy from Scanra? Perhaps. I'll just keep an eye on him, thought George, hire him on to make sure he keeps out of trouble.
"You any good with codes?"
"Never tried, but I catch on quick."
"You'll be workin' right here. You cover is as my personal servant and you'll keep an eye on whoever I tell you to, sound good?"
"Alright, sir."
"You'll get a bit more pay than a servant since your work'll be more than cleanin' and fetchin'."
"There anythin' I'll be needin' to know, sir?"
"You'll be comin' home with me when I head back to the swoop unless I have an assignment for you and then you'll stay with Sir Myles of Olau. You'll be provided some clothes, even my field workers look cleaner than you, lad, how long've you been wearin' that?"
"'Bout two years, Sir." A grin crept onto Dan's face as he spoke.
George scribbled something on a piece of paper.
"Take this down to the palace tailors, lad. If anyone asks who you are, tell them you work for the Baron of Pirate's Swoop."
"The Baron?"
"Yes, lad, now get goin'. When you come back, I'll give you your first assignment."
"Yessir," Dan started to walk out of the room and paused, "Thank you, sir."

Lys laughed happily as the animals clamored to see Daine. Alanna and Numair had gone to discuss something leaving Lys with the wild mage. Lys sat down in the shade of a tree and watched Daine happily.
"Have you given any thought to what you want to do, now that you're in Tortall?"
"I ain't…A lass can do anythin' what she be wantin' to, right?"
"That's right."
"E'en a knight?"
"Your ma's a knight, so is her friend Lady Kel."
Lys smiled and leaned back against the tree. Alanna leaned against the side of the tree and motioned for Daine to pretend she wasn't there.
"I think…I be wantin' to be a knight."
"It's hard work. Not just training either, there's a lot of book work."
"I can learn it, if it be what I be havin' to do."
Daine knelt down next to Lys.
"If you need help, I'm just down the way."
"Bedtime, Lys." Alanna put her hand on the young girl's shoulder. "In the morning you can start your schooling."

Lys lay on her back staring up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and felt the sea air, smelled the salt and fish, heard the sea birds. The alien environment kept Lys awake but finally her eyes shut and the blanket of sleep came over her.
"Little one."
The darkness pealed back slowly.
"Blessed be, my daughter."
The voices were so familiar. Lys scanned the darkness and finally saw them. The woman from the dream, the goddess, stood by her da.
"Blessed be, Goddess, 'n 'lo, Da."
"Have you been mindin' your Ma, little one?"
"Aye, Da. I been good."
Adarian smiled at the girl.
"You've chosen a tough path, but I know you can do it. Mind your studies and mind your Ma."
"Mind Faithful as well, my daughter, he will guide you so far as he is allowed. Your page years will be difficult, far more so than your mother's."
"I can do it, there ain't nothin' what be too hard."
The goddess smiled and bent over. She scooped up a pebble and clenched it in her fist. Light shone out between her fingers and when she opened her hand, what had been a pebble glimmered in changing purple hues.
"Take this, keep it with you and it will serve you well. Tell no one save those you trust most. Mind Numair, the things he teaches you will be crucial. Blessed be, Lys of Pirate's Swoop."
Lys held the stone in her hand, felt the warmth radiating out of it as the darkness began to fill back in. She woke slowly as light fell across her cheeks through the open window. She started to sit up when her hand rested on something warm, the stone from the goddess. There was a strong cord looping through a small hole in the pebble. She hung it around her neck and tucked it down into her tunic.

Dan sighed and brushed off his fawn breeches. He looked across the hall at the nobles of Scanra.
"May I present," called one of the footmen, "The young lord Rathhausak."
That was his cue. Dan stepped forward and bowed awkwardly. He glanced back at his father.
"My son will be in charge of Fief Rathhausak, with help of course. Blayce the Gallan will assist and advise him in all matters."
The nobles nodded as the scrawny mage moved to stand behind the young lad. He rested his hand on Dan's shoulder and smiled down at him.
"Lad, lad, wake up."
Dan's blue-gray eyes snapped open and he saw George.
"Mornin', sir, did I sleep too late?"
"No, lad, you were talkin' in your sleep. 'Bout a mage and some fief."
"I did? I was?"
"Aye, lad…There anythin' botherin' you?"
Dan shook his head, his blond hair settling back down slowly.
"Nothin', sir."

Lys cursed loudly in Scanran as the letters on the page made less and less sense. Who back home would've imagined that all these scribbles meant something? Thom sighed as once again his baby sister tried to spell "cat" with a "k" that was backwards no less.
"No, Lys, it's a "C"."
He carefully scrawled the word out for her and she scowled at it.
"Ain't there an easier way to be doin' this, Thom?"
"No, there isn't." He stressed the word, trying to make her see her mistake.
The piece of charcoal in Lys' hand slowly began to take on a purple hue as she struggled through her letters again. Thom's eyes widened as he stared at it. Alanna walked into the room, her sword sheathed on her belt.
"How're things going, Thom?"
"Not too badly…I suppose. Although, look at the charcoal."
"It's…turning purple."
"I think it's her Gift doing it."
Lys looked up from her struggles suddenly and the purple faded.
"Doin' what, Thom?"
"You didn't notice?"
"Notice what?"
Thom stared at her in disbelief.
"The charcoal, it was purple."
"I don't got…it couldn't a been me."
Alanna put her hand on Lys' shoulder and spoke softly.
"Jon's sending me back to the front for a bit. Thom, keep teaching Lys, alright? And explain to your da when he comes home. He can check her for the Gift. Lys, mind what your brother says and be good."
"A'ight, Ma."
"Yes, Ma."
Alanna smiled at her children and turned to leave the room.
"Ma, you gonna be comin' back, right?"
"Of course I will."
Alanna was a little stunned at the question, did Lys honestly think Alanna would just leave and not come back? What had the people in Scanra been like to her? Alanna shook her head as she walked out. There would be plenty of time to think on that as she rode north.