Ok well, I'm sorry its taken a while to update, but I did finally get that essay done, I wasn't happy with the result, but it was better than nothing I suppose. Disclaimer is as usual, I don't own anything except a brilliant wit and fabulous imagination, not to mention my stunning looks. Everything else belongs to the fantastic Tamora Pierce….Green with envy? Nah, Orange is in this season…
Dedicated To my Loyal Reviewers, I hope I don't Disappoint you.
Piglet12345- That's probably what she should have done, but what sort of author would I be if a character hadn't been blown out a window? Not an imaginative one. ;)
Oreostar90- It's a bit more than ouch, more along the lines of 'Dam that's painful' I believe… Updating now.
Queen Tigress- Kill Neal? But he's so witty! I'll bare it in mind though for upcoming chapters…Do you really think being blown out a window in a fiery blaze could kill the Lioness? Maybe.
Sirladyknight- And why do you think she's dead…yet? And well, I'm working down a list at the moment, titled 'The characters I'll Kill off that will create havoc in the world of Tortall and make me laugh manically'….
Zerrin of the wind- We all love George- he's THE lovable rogueDramatic? Never crossed my mind- insane did though, more than once. :P
Ontopofcloud9- You'll just have to read this chapter won' t you? I need to decide first though I suppose…
Chapter Eight: Unconscious and Splintered
Recap: "Everybody get down on the floor NOW!" George bellowed at the top of his lungs, as the corridor exploded with energy- and Alanna blown out with it.
(George POV)
He climbed over the rumble that once made up the third floor corridor, searching for his lost love.
"Alanna? Where are you?" He heard a distant grumble, that sounded like Alanna saying 'I'll not try and save his life again anytime soon…not even a thanks…' But it oculd have just been his imagination.
"Don't die, please don't…I don't know what I'll do without you…I won't be able to live without you…stay strong…help is coming…I swear…"
"I'm ok, really…I don't know why you're getting so worked up…' She hadn't noticed the piece of wood piercing her stomach until the burning pain set in.
(Dom POV)
"Alanna..." His attention quickly returned to the thing before him. "What the hell are you?" Dom looked the smug Kel up and down. She wasn't the same, he could feel a buzz in the air, and it sent a chill down his spine. It didn't feel natural. He didn't wait for a reply- not that he'd expected one anyway. "Killing off my closest friends for the sake of it? First Buri, Raoul and now Alanna. What the hell do you think you're playing at? Whatever it is, it stops here. With me."
Her smirk quickly vanished, and was replaced with a threatening snarl. Her face had twisted with hate, so much that he didn't even recognised the one he loved, Kel's. The edges of her body where becoming blurry, from the tears that flowed freely down his face for his friends? No, this was different…
"Please. I'm not bothering with the likes of you. Anyway, you're too cute to kill…yet. If you want a fight, you're picking one you have no chance of winning. Think about it, you're unarmed." He checked his sheath, she was right. Stupid, I didn't even wear a dagger belt today- so much for thinking it would be uneventful… "And you're angry- and angry fighters make grave mistakes."
"Why are you telling me this, but avoiding my questions?" He needed to buy time to think this through. He touched the reassuring blade he kept up his sleeve- he was never caught off guard, he only let them think so. He wanted to get as much information out of this impostor as he could, before he threw her out of that dam window like she'd done to Alanna. "Fine, you don't need to answer them. Just tell me what you've done with the real Kel."
She thought about this for a minute, "What makes you think I'm not the real Kel, and the one you thought you knew- and loved- was just an act?"
"Because I love Kel, and I don't love you." He flicked the knife down into his palms, cutting into his callused skin. He hid the cutting pain, and didn't even flinch- he kept his eyes on it. He gripped the handle, with his sweaty palms.
"Well that's truly hurtful, but to be honest, I didn't think it would work between us either." Her eyes flickered between Dom, his blade and the noises coming from the stairs case behind her. Dom took advantage of her distraction, and flung the dagger towards her, lodging itself into her right thigh. She fell to the ground. The Third Company ran towards them, swords unsheathed. Its about time,they always seem to miss the excitement. Typical.
They surrounded the now unconscious Kel, thanks to one swift blow from one of the knight's sword. Knocked out she looked like the same caring Kel, unchanged from who she once was, but he wouldn't be fooled again.
A/N
Just so you know, there will be more Alanna George scenes in the next chapter, to explain what will happen, as I focused mainly on Dom here. Sorry it was so short, but I thought it's probably better to update a short chapter than not to update at all.