A/N: I'm glad some people liked my introduction. And here is the second chapter. Please read . . . blah . . . etcetera. Lol.
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Alanna rode with a small company, coming back from business for the kingdom. On her way back she'd stopped at her home for a short visit, her children all gone in different directions, it proved to be a small reunion with only her husband. Then rode on to Daine and Numair's place to take Daine away from her own child for a short while. Daine had insisted on coming with her to the palace after hearing some of the horses had come down with some sort of illness.
The procession stopped suddenly.
A pure white horse, except for the four legs, which were black from each knee down stood in the middle of the road. The horse was also decorated with bright spots of fresh blood. Each red mark standing out in extreme contrast to the fur.
"Daine, come see this." Alanna called. Daine had stayed near the back.
"I see it." The wildmage said. Alanna waited because the girl was probably talking to the mare, questioning it as to what had happened. Alanna could tell it belonged to someone because of the saddle but where was the rider?
Daine finally spoke, her voice thick with urgency. "She says her rider is hurt in the forest." As the words were still coming out of her mouth she dismounted and followed the mare into the forest with speed.
Arra fought to keep her eyes open, the poison was working fast in her system and yet terrribly slow. Ghost had left, maybe to find help, she couldn't be sure.
Though her mind was slowly becoming foggy questions still sluggishly went by.
Who would want her killed? That was the only reason she could think of for a poisoned arrow. They hadn't tried to steal anything from her so they weren't theives. Arra noticed the loss of feeling in her fingers when she tried to move them.
I don't want to die like this. Maybe another way but not by a coward who shoots from afar then leaves the person to die. No . . . not like this...
Leaves crunched, sounding the approach of someone. Arra grabbed one of the daggers she kept with her and readied herself to throw. She wouldn't go without a fight. The girl waited. Then through the bushes sprouted her own white mare, Ghost. Following closely was a young woman, older than Arra. The woman had brown smoky curls framing her face and cool grey eyes. Arra put her weapon down. Somehow she could feel she could trust this person.
"Pois--" Arra had trouble forming the words. Her tongue felt too weak to hold itself. "Poisoned . . . arrow." She finally managed out. Arra couldn't remember what happened next, whether the woman helped her or just looted whatever she had with her, but she prayed it was the former just before her eyesight flickered black. The last thing she saw was those cool grey eyes.
"So young, so young you were." The old woman's cackle could almost be heard in her words even when she wasn't laughing. "You've got a future ahead of you. You've tried to hide from it but it followed you anyways." Then the old woman actually did cackle.
"No, no no." Arra shook her head. No. She wasn't going to Tortall for that. She would leave after she had control over her Gift. That was all. The woman's cackle followed still bringing her back to her childhood.
Her mother, blond haired and beautiful, sat in her chair calmly. She waited for the seer to say what it was she had traveled so far to tell them. Arra's father couldn't be there as he was attending to business.
Arra remembered even at her young age of three. Who could forget when your life was planned right before you without your consent?
The old woman finally spoke. "Your young child could have a great future ahead of her." The woman paused, then continued. "Surely, you know you cannot have any more children?"
Arra's mother looked up from her calm state to meet the old woman's eyes. Suprise written clearly across her beautiful face. "Y—yes I know but how did you--?"
"I know plenty. This one could rule you know." The old woman didn't stop in the subject change.
"How can she? We need a male heir." The golden haired woman said back sadly. She blamed herself for not producing the male needed. Even though in this land women were accepted to rule, male heirs were preferred.
"Nonsense. She can marry a male, he will rule by her side." The old woman laughed, sounding more like an evil cackle to the young Arra though. "Actually I know who she will marry." She cackled again. "A Tortallan prince."
Tortallan prince ...
Tortallan prince . . .
The words rang and echoed in her conscience.
Arra sat up in bed gasping for air. She hadn't had that dream in a while. It was stronger than any of the others. Maybe it had to do with being in Tortall?
Wait, a bed?
There was one person sitting next to her, asleep. The person was aged, if not old, with brown hair. Arra hated to wake the person up but she needed to. Gently, she shook one shoulder. "Excuse me? Sir, excuse me."
Suddenly he awoke, opening green eyes. "Your awake, good. I'm Duke Baird. Are you hungry?"
Arra shook her head then asked, remembering the poisoned arrow in her shoulder. "Was I healed?"
"Yes, and lucky we found you when we did." Came the answer.
"Then I won't be able to eat anything for a while. My stomach won't hold it. But may I ask, where am I?" Arra tried to ask kindly.
"Tortall. I'm the Chief healer. I'll be right back. I need to inform the king you've awoken." With that he left the room.
The king? Ug, I didn't want to be noticed this time. Not in this kingdom anyways. The king? It is from the fruit of his loins my life became a misery!
Disrupting her thoughts, the door opened. A man entered he had black hair and a neat closely cropped black beard. Sparkling sapphire eyes shone from behind long eyelashes. This had to be the king, no mistaking the air of command around him.
The Duke Baird entered after him and also a red haired woman with a sword clipped at her side. Alanna the Lioness, there was also no mistaking her.
Not sure her legs would work Arra settled for an explaination and an apology. "I would stand but, er, I'm not sure if my legs would hold. Please forgive me."
"No, of course not. Rest." King Jonathan said mildly.
When no one spoke for a short while Arra decided to speak. "When will I be able to leave?"
"Your fair comfortable around Royalty." Alanna commented.
"You meet a lot of royalty when your the Namel--" Arra caught herself from the bitter comment, and also from letting them know.
"You mean the Nameless Shang?" There was no bitterness in her words as she lifted her hand holding up a silver token the size of her palm. It was blank, no decorations. It was the token that marked a Shang, usually it held the picture of an animal after which they were named but . . .
Arra darkened. Being the Nameless Shang wasn't something she was proud of. "You went through my packs." Then she also remembered the Emperess of Carthak was this king's daughter. She may have told them about her and her looks could be spotted if looked for.
The woman knight opened her mouth to speak again when the king stopped her. "Alanna." He warned then turned to Arra. "You were hit with a poisoned arrow do you know why?"
"Not really."
"Were you passing through Tortall or stopping?" The king continued.
"I--" She wanted to say she was passing through but she knew very well that was a lie. "I was stopping here." For some reason she continued to speak. Arra felt she could trust these people, and that apparently made her tongue loose. "I need help controlling my Gift, I've had accidents that haven't been pretty."
"A Shang with the Gift?" The Lioness questioned with a raised brow.
"I, uh, hid it from them." Arra said vaguely. "I came here hearing that mages here could help me. Apparently, I'm 'bursting at the seams' with my 'uncontrolled Gift' as one person put it."
"You look too young to be a Shang." The king commented probably noting her size.
"I'm seventeen." And as way of explaination she continued. "My teacher taught fast while still making sure everything was jammed into our brains as well as our bodies. I asure you I am Shang."
"Your welcome here as long as you wish. The mages here will help you if you only ask them." He stood to leave when Arra was struck with memory.
"And Ghost? How is she? Where is she?" Her voice was almost frantic.
"You mean your mare? She's fine our wildmage took care of her." The king said just before he left.
Arra laid back into the bed, relieved. Alanna walked over. "Get rested." She said her amethyst eyes kind. Arra smiled in response and closed her eyes to sleep.
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A/N : Well how did you like it? Eh? I'd love to know. So please review!