(A/N:) Yeah! You didn't think I'd do it? I did it! Yeah!

That's right. I'm just breaking all the rules! Ozorne, Thom, Roger, Alex... what's next, huh? Ha Ha! Ha! and also Ha! This is like the coolest like story in like the world. Ever. I mean, holy fucking shit. What else could I possibly do? Read and find out.

I'm serious.

Oh, and also, everything that happens in this book ties in with the next book, and the next book, and the next book... and so on... and so on...

So you have to read this one. I'm not submitting thesequel until I'm done with this one, so you should read this one. Really.

I mean, Gods, you've gotten so far! Don't give up! I believe in you. And that's saying something. Jk jk.

(End of A/N)

10. Reunion

"WHAT!?"

"I said that your brother, Thom is here," Jonathan repeated, and seeing she was about to tell him that was impossible, added, "Would you like to see him?"

"It is... impossible," Alanna replied slowly, remembering how Thom had brought Roger back from the dead.

"Really?" Jonathan asked, cocking one of his eyebrows skeptically. "So you deny that you had to kill my cousin two times?"

"Alright, it's not impossible. It's just not possible," Alanna concieted. "I don't believe everything I here, Majesty. I do believe other things, such as things that I see."

Jonathan got the hint. "Alright. Wait here, and I will bring your humble brother to meet you."

Alanna sat on a hard wooden bench outside the mess hall, where Jonathan had confronted her. How could this be? How could Jonathan possibly be telling the truth? Her brother, alive?

Without warning, her eyes brimmed with tears. Her brother was alive! Jonathan would not lie to her about something like that, and she seriously doubted he would lie to her about anything else. Thom!

Footsteps greeted her ears. Jonathan and Thom walked around the corner, Thom wearing new robes of black.

"Thom!" she cried, not caring if it looked rediculous for a full knight of the realms to cry in front of companions. She ran to meet them before they'd fully rounded the corner, hitting Thom at top speed.

She didn't pass through, so it wasn't a similicron. With a sad sort of happiness, she hugged him tightly, weeping freely into his shoulder.

"What's this then?" Thom asked, taking her chin in hand and raising her eyes to his. "A knight of the realm crying?"

She laughed, blinking the tears out of her eyes quickly, knowing that the men in the mess hall would soon come out. She pulled away from Thom.

"Miss me?" he teased.

"Of course, you fool!" she exclaimed, staring into his eyes. "I never even dreamed I'd see you again, at least not in my lifetime."

"Nor did I," Thom replied, "It seemed as likely to me as you 'kissing a pig.'"

"I can't believe you still remember I used to say that!" Alanna exclaimed after a second of trying to figure out what he meant.

"At war again, sister?" Thom asked. "I thought this was Fort Drell when I rode in. They look somewhat similar. I should have guessed that our esteemed King," he smiled at Thom and bowed slightly, "would have gotten my sister into another war with Tusaine, let alone allow Tusaine to take over the entire river vally and the fort itself."

Jonathan glared at Thom, and Alanna could see his arms flexing, as if readying himself for a fight.

"Thom ---" Alanna began to warn him.

"I know, dearest sister. I can't be being locked up right after our reunion, can I?" he turned back to Jonathan, kneeling on one knee. "You have my most gracious appologies, noble one."

Jonathan couldn't help but smile, although his arms remained flexed.

"By the way, is there anything I can do to help around here?" Thom asked, climbing to his feet.

General Yami signaled to the men on the other side of the field they were in with a wave of his arms. The lead general over there, Hilam, waved back, and then his batallion, including him, sunk into the shadows.

Yami glanced back at his own batallion, twenty or so sweating men, and flicked his fingers almost carelessly to the center of the field, where an accurate model of a Rider barrack was set up.

The men behind him charged forward silently, the product of years of hard training in the service of Tusaine and Yami. With amazing speed and accuracy, they tore apart the side of the Riders barracks nearest them.

Right on cue, archers in the trees began firing into the building through the opening that Yami's batallion had created. Their arrows pierced into life-sized models of humans, painted in Tortallan colors.

Yami's group disappeared into the shadows of the forest, just as Hilam, leading his batallion charged out into the clearing just as silently. Armed with flaming arrows, they set the wall nearest them aflame.

The fire spread quickly, eating everything in its path. It had been created by Ozorne. The other two walls, the end ones, quickly crumbled as well, and both batallions swarmed into the Riders barracks, slicing into the wood and straw dummies.

The time that this delicate opperation took, was only three and a half minutes, including the time they'd spent on destroying the Tortallan walls before that.

"General Yami," Hilam aknowledged, running up to meet with Yami's battallion. "That was the best time yet."

"Yes," Yami said lazily. "Amazing what training can do for an army."

"I know what training can do for an army, Yami," Hilam replied suddenly cold. "I was top general before you and Ozorne entered the picture. And I was about to be remade top general before you came. I am a Duke; I can have you killed, and I can kill you myself. I can have you exicuted. I suggest that you do not take that tone with me again."

Yami ignored him. He wasn't afraid of death, besides, Ain needed him. He wouldn't allow anyone, not even Hilam, to kill him at this point. Not until the war was won, or they found a suitable general to replace him.

"Did you hear me?" Hilam demanded.

Yami massaged his temples, trying to block out Hilams voice as he screamed: "I said did you hear me! I will have you killed, if you do not respond to me now!"

Yami turned to stare into Hilam's wildly angered eyes.

"Shut up," he said slowly, making sure that Hilam heard every word of it. "How's that for a response?"

Hilam stopped walking, only to stare at Yami angrily. His voice cracked with anger as he screamed: "Arrest this man!"

No one came to stop Yami, so he continued walking, leaving a surprised and angry Hilam behind him. They had more work to do, much more.

"And you don't know where Alex or Roger are?" Gareth the Older of Naxen demanded. "You did not stop to think that Roger or Alex might be... somewhat... dangerous?" he guestered at Alanna. "She had to kill him twice, because he wouldn't die. He almost succeeded in killing the past King and Queen. Your telling me he's back, but you don't know where? We might as well just hand Jonathan over to him on a silver platter, wrapped and roped."

With angry, echoing steps, he began pacing the chamber they were in. His breath came in short bursts, and his eyes were wide with anger.

"Alex ---" Thom began

"You let them go!" Gareth interrupted. "Alex does not pose as much of a threat to the King, but more to your sister ---" Alanna suddenly turned white, and began to sweat. "What's wrong?" he demanded of her.

"Your right. I never thought about it when I heard Alex was alive... but he will be able to blend in much more than Duke Roger, he ---"

"Get to the point!" Gareth snapped.

"He can get to me."

"No!" Thom screamed standing. "We both know what he looks like! He won't get to either of us," he rushed to Alanna's side to comfort his sister.

"Why is it that you fear Alex so?" Gareth asked, his voice softening.

"Because he can beat me," Alanna replied. "There are only two people in this world that can beat me in a fencing match. One of them is on our side, but the other is Alex, and he has a fuel to inspire him on his hunt for me; revenge."

Daine stood, testing her wounded spots. Her chest was now very near to being fully healed, the cut in her neck was gone, and her arm --- as far as she could tell --- was fine.

Looking around, she saw a pile of her clothing in the corner. Bending down, she undressed. Turning to find a fresh loincloth, she glimpsed herself in the mirror. It was the first time she'd seen herself in a mirror for a long time.

Gasping, she dropped her old loincloth to the floor, walking to the mirror. She'd become a full grown woman over the years, without even realizing it.

Her lips were soft and beautiful, her hips rounded and large enough for child-birth. Her breasts were larger than they'd been last year, full and round. She'd had her monthly cycles since she was thirteen.

Turning back to clothing herself, she pulled on breeches, and a soft white shirt. They were all fresh, she noticed. Someone must have done laundry.

Stepping out the door, she walked into the open-air deck. Across the open-air deck from her room was Numairs, inside Numair's rooms was Numair. She could see him from the window up in his tower-study; the window was opened.

"Hello!" she called up to him.

"I see you're feeling better," he commented, smiling down at her. He'd been really worried about her while she was recooperating, and had come to see her every day --- the days that the maid that had beat him with a book wasn't there.

"I'll come to see you later," Daine said, discovering that she didn't have to yell for him to hear her, as the fort was unusually quiet. "I'm going to find Alanna."

He nodded, as his head disappeared back through the window. Feeling rejuvinated after her two extra days of rest, Daine made her way to the end of the open-air deck, and ran down the stairs, happy to discover that there was barely any pain in her chest, which had been a hendrence to her.

It was easier to find Alanna then Daine thought; she was in the middle of the training yards, fencing with Jakkar.

For a moment, Daine lent back, gazing with admiration at the only woman knight in the world. She was every bit as good as people made her to seem, never faultering in her movements.

Of course, as even Alanna admitted, Jakkar was better. He started attacking in earnest, and by the rules of Chivalry, which clearly stated that the first to draw blood won, he lightly poked her in the arm, winning the match.

Alanna laughed, looking down at the barely noticable pinhole in her flesh.

"I've got patrol," she said to Jakkar, who nodded. With a sigh, Daine sat back. She'd have to wait to learn more about Alanna's brother, Thom, later, when Alanna could properly introduce them.

Seeing movement in the corner of her sharp eyes, Daine whipped around to stare into the eyes of a man taller than her, and shorter than Numair; Thom.

"Oh!" Daine uttered a cry of surprise.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Thom said, with a dejected look on his face.

"I apologize, Lord Thom," she said formally, bowing slightly.

"Please!" he exclaimed. "My friends call me 'Thom.'"

"Am I your friend, Lord Thom?"

"I certainly hope you can be," he replied. "You seem to be well liked by everyone here at the fort, including our King..."

Daine blushed but didn't reply.

"What can you tell me of Ozorne?" she asked shyly.

"I can tell you," he said slowly, "That Ozorne wants you... that he wants you dead. That he wants revenge on you."