Chapter Five: The Road isn't always straight...
There are a great many paths in this world to take.
Some are straight, others: rocky and some have so many twists, your head spins.
It is the unexpected path that is the most rewarding.
Lady Tamaida of Ninequor to her daughter when her brother went to train as a knight instead ofher.
The next few days that Group Nobility spent at Ninequor were used to search the nearby vicinity for anymore clues to the attacks made upon Teirra's mother and her maids. Teirra's sketch had proved only mildly useful in simply identifying the bandits that had killed Sereous which left Teirra feeling restless. She had thought she'd been on to something.
The Rider Group soon discovered that the bandits, already days ahead, had split into several factions to which their group didn't have enough people or resources to attempt to follow at the moment. Teirra had been angry when she learned such, but her honor, always firmly wrapped around her mouth, kept anything from leaking.
What was worse was that they had been recalled back to Corus. The group would have two days of rest before going with a small group of the King's Own and a few knights to a more Eastern Scanran border territory with more "serious" threats. Teirra had been furious with that fact until her father and her commander reminded her of her duty and honor to serve the crown faithfully.
Teirra resolved herself to silence on the ride back to Corus, not to sulk as the others had imagined, but to compose herself and reflect. Teirra would never sulk, it wasn't in her character. But she couldn't let her mother's death mean nothing and disappear into the night like some bat. Teirra's honor would not let that happen. Her mother's killers would die by her sword or at least their leader would die by her sword and Teirra still firmly believed that this Sir Grufford was somehow involved.
Teirra had been assured that a smaller, less experienced group was going to follow the bandits. They would carry more resources and supplies than Group Nobility. That hadn't sat well with Teirra either. She wanted to be there herself.
Once at Corus, Teirra left the group, making sure Prancer was behaving, a few sharp words did that, and walked off on her own, much like she always did. Her intention was to find her brother, perhaps he had a solution. She ignored the part of her that told her Taex could no more help her than a fly, especially when the Ordeal was only a few months away.
When she couldn't immediately find him, her frustration built until she reminded herself that patience was honorable and her frustration was not. Teirra couldn't believe how irritable she was becoming and forced herself to take a deep breathe and let it out slowly.
"Lady Teirra! I didn't expect to see you back so soon." Sir Alyxander, Taex's knight-master turned her around with her voice.
Teirra bowed respectfully to the knight, who returned the greeting. "We were recalled for a more pressing matter." The words were practically forced from her mouth.
"That must be frustrating," Alyx admitted to her in a matter that suggested one of those mind-doctors. "I may not be run by honor as your family, so frustration must be something you try to dismiss, am I correct?"
"Yes, frustration is not always honorable," Teirra replied politely. Her irritation began to built and she quickly sought to press it down. It must be that time of the lovely month again, she reasoned to herself quickly. That can be the only explanation for my irritation at such simple things. It has to be, or I'm going crazy.
Alyx simply nodded, then added, "Taex isn't here, if you're looking for him. I sent him with his friends. He needs the distraction for the time being."
Teirra fought the urge to grumble. "I agree. He has much to think about with his Ordeal so close, only a few months away." Teirra clasped her hands behind her back, much like her father did when he tried to regain his patience with her. Silently, she wished Taex had been there so she could talk to him. It was a selfish thought, she knew that, but one she didn't dismiss.
"Lady Teirra," Alyx touched her arm gently. "Might I suggest the archery fields? Anger and frustration must go somewhere. It was the first thing I learned to teach your brother, else he might have destroyed something already."
Teirra looked at him and sighed inwardly. Revenge must wait, she told herself. Perhaps waiting would put honor back into her head and dispel revenge. It was a slight hope anyway. "It wouldn't hurt. Thank you for the suggestion."
"Lady Teirra, many mourned your mother's loss. It is understandable to hurt." Alyx told her.
Teirra took a deep breathe to hold back a wave of sudden tears. "Understandable, but unwanted."
"It always is, my lady. Take care. I will send a few knights your direction for practice." The knight-master patted her arm lightly.
"Thank you, sir." Teirra was apprehensive about company. She couldn't turn down the Knight's invitation honorably, so she had no choice but to accept the fact that others would join her.
Teirra walked back to her things and grabbed her bow and a few practice arrows to take with her to the fields for target practice. Maybe she'd just pretend the target was Grufford. She was sure that she would hit the target then.
She found an empty field, most of the trainees gone to eat their lunch, and took her stance. She stared down the sight for the target and froze, with the string back. What was she doing? What evil thought had crossed her mind that she could kill a man she didn't know with such a cold heart? Teirra blinked a few times, before shaking her head. He killed her mother, she was sure of it.
"Lady Teirra!"
Teirra, startled out of her trance, watched as the arrow flew and landed wide of the target. She let out a breathe and turned to see who had unsettled her aim. Before her stood the three knights she'd met a few weeks back: Alan, Domitran, and Mattieu. Domitran was the one who'd startled her, which somehow didn't surprise her since his aunt was known to do that to her as well. She gave them a weak smile.
"How are you doing?" Alan asked once they had gotten closer.
"As well as can be expected, sir." Teirra replied quietly, instantly shy.
"Well that's good." Domitran smiled brightly and clapped her lightly on the back.
"Good Sir Alyxander sent us over here, mentioning that you needed a shooting partner, or two, or three," Mattieu smirked.
"Sir Alyxander is good to my family," Teirra replied, still quiet. Her irritation and frustration nearly gone to the wind and replaced with all the flutterings of nervousness that she always encountered around those she placed higher than herself.
"I'd say so," Domitran laughed, making Teirra blush.
"Come now, Dommy, don't embarrass her." Mattieu scolded his friend lightly and with a smile.
Teirra blushed a deeper red and bent to retrieve another arrow to shoot. She aimed, taking her time while the knights went back and forth in the usual manner that men did. She supposed that it was nice to have that dull, little roar behind her. It stopped her from thinking of killing a man she didn't know. Teirra released the arrow and watched as it hit just outside the red dot in the center.
"So, Lady Teirra, your aim has grown better." Alan remarked as he came to stand beside her and fire his own arrow, of course hitting dead center of the dot.
"Your aim hasn't changed." Mattieu smirked. "Show-off."
Alan shot him a glance. "I never show-off. It's bad manners."
Mattieu rolled his eyes at his friend. "You're sounding like Thom."
"No, Thom is far too interested in his studies anymore." Alan replied and set himself for another shot while Teirra listened to them.
"Are you coming with your group to Slate Coast with us, Lady Teirra?" Domitran asked as he leaned against a wooden post set to mark where the archers were to stand.
"My group is going." Teirra replied, concentrating on her aim. Alan reached over and lifted her bow up ever so slightly. "I am a part of my group. I don't see the cause, or I haven't been told the cause, but yes, I am going."
"Good." Alan remarked. "Hold it steady. Try resting her hand against your cheek, yes, like that."
"Alan and I will be going." Domitran told her. "I even heard that the King's Champion might be going as well."
"She's itching for something to do, so I wouldn't doubt it." Alan sighed.
"You don't know?" Teirra looked at the knight who was son to the famous Champion.
"Concentrate." Alan pointed at the target. "And no. My mother is a... Free spirit. I love her dearly; she is my mother, but I hope she doesn't decide to come."
Teirra released the arrow, watching as it hit a couple finger-widths away from Alan's center arrow. "It would be an honor for her to accompany us." She turned to look at the knights.
The knights smiled back at her. "An honor, but for her own son, it only means more scrutiny." Mattieu informed her. "I'm sure you felt that way at your own fief."
Teirra nodded slowly, seeing their point. She had felt watched back home when Group Nobility had been there. Her father was ever watchful of what she did and how she did it. She could only imagine what it could mean for someone born to a famous legend.
"It will be her or the Lady Knight, I'm sure of it. The small attacks at Slate Coast have grown in frequency. I heard rumours of the Crown worrying about the Scanran's rising again." Domitran told them quietly.
"You know better than to gossip, Dommy." Alan scolded and his face turned serious. "It is just a few scattered troops that don't know the war has been over and for some time."
Teirra watched them. She hoped what Alan had said was right. She didn't want to be caught up in the war once again when she needed to get out and find her mother's killer. Slate Coast was too far from her home and there was no hope of finding leads in Slate Coast. Deep down, Teirra hoped that the King's Champion would go with them and it wasn't just so she could be around the famous legend. It would end this problem quicker so Teirra could be back for Taex's Ordeal and then home bound to find Grufford.
Teirra bit her lip and picked up another arrow, taking her time to aim once again. Now, Mattieu and Domitran joined Alan and Teirra. Teirra hardly registered their presence, she was too busy trying to work out getting back home or to Grufford, whichever came first.
Author's note: Goodness, writing Teirra has become a challenge, especially since I strive not to make her a Mary-sue. And I can't even begin to find where this story is going or how it will end. I've tried to end it in my head, but I don't like those endings... Maybe I should reread my own writing: It is the unexpected path that is the most rewarding. Goodness, writing Teirra has become a challenge, especially since I strive not to make her a Mary-sue. And I can't even begin to find where this story is going or how it will end. I've tried to end it in my head, but I don't like those endings... Maybe I should reread my own writing: