Ok, well here it is. :Cringes: Don't yell, I really did mean to post up sooner, but it just doesn't quite work when you've got the internet down and a broken laptop. (I was missing a key) But I fixed it and am back to posting. Also, I have a bit of advertising to do here, in my boredom and madness at not being able to post, I started a new story called, so that's about Alanna being queen of the rogues, and George going to be a knight. That will be put up later today. Any way I thought it was an interesting idea, so take a look if you've got a chance. Plz, thanx.

Also, while I am doing the explaining, I just want to mention that I didn't think that my writing of the fight scene was that good, so I didn't include the fight in Ralon's room in the beginning of this chapter, so if any of you want to give me tips on how to improve the fight scenes it would be greatly appreciated as that is what Alanna's going to have to do along her way of becoming a knight. Thanx.

Disclaimer: Well I think by now you've picked up on the idea that it's not mine, but Tamora Pierces, and you would be 100 correct.

A Knight with no eyes

Chapter 4: Thom's History

The first month had now gone by, and Alanna was happy to find that she was enjoying herself now, completely during her time as a page, Including the sprained fingers she occasionally had to heal, albeit grudgingly. She hated her gift with a passion, and wouldn't be seen using it anywhere but where she could heal herself privately (She thought that getting rid of the pain was worth using her Gift). She it was her own phobia, along with spiders. Feeling that it only brought around destruction and evil, or in times of need, like with her mother, it was absolutely useless. Thom didn't agree with her however causing a slight rift between the two, but it was overgrown the instant Alanna had realized that he wouldn't ever make her use it, at least not now that he was going to learn to be a mage. She supposed that she should be happy for his passion, seeing that if Thom had enjoyed wielding "pointy sticks" and waving them in the air she would have never gotten to where she was now. So she tried not to think about it until the pain got real bad.

Ralon still beat her up, and she could tell that her friends were getting suspicious about her sudden "clumsiness," but she would never come straight out and tell anybody about her problems. This was something she would deal with on her own, or at least until Ralon became a knight and she wouldn't hear him ever again. She wouldn't let others fight her battles, it was her own code of honor, and she would live by it. Every once in a while, one of her friends would bring up the subject hoping to get a confession out of her but she wouldn't give in.

It was hard for her to believe that only 2 short weeks ago, she had gone to Coram demanding that he take her home, or let her run away. She had thought that the life at the palace was unbearable with not being able to speak her mind and getting up at the crack of dawn business. Coram knew her to well though and had said just what it took to get her to stay. She could still remember his words. "I never figured you for a quitter." She had stormed out of his room, only to come back that night and tell him there was no need to pack, that she would stay. Only when she was in bed, with Gainel the dream god, pulling her into his realm did she realize that she heard no noise of movement to indicate unpacking. Coram would normally have sworn his soldiers curses, and gone about noisily unpacking, or joyfully would be the case as he had enjoyed his week back in the ranks of his fellow friends. But there was none of that, only the obnoxious creaking of his bed as he laid back into it and, the gentle breathing as he too was lulled into dreams.

She was happy in her new home just as Thom was happy with his, not that she could understand why. Who would want to be around brainless girls anymore than they had to? She certainly didn't.

The next morning she was woken earlier than usual by a hard rapping on Coram's door. She groaned and got up out of bed knowing that if she went back to sleep it would be all that much harder to get up later when she had to. She put on her pages attire as she had become accustomed to over her time as a page, and listened in on the conversation next door. There was a new voice that she hadn't heard before asking for her to go to Duke Gareth's office. Coram's smooth rumble comforted her and when the door clicked shut she opened the door adjoining their rooms and went through.

"Ye heard?" He asked as he saw her come through.

"Of course, he was only in the next room over and in our wall there's a door with cracks around the edges making it easy to over hear" She pointed out for a moment to stall, but eventually she had to let it out. "Does he know?"

"I've no idea. I don't think so, ye've done well with hiding your disguise. Even I hardly notice sometimes. But I can't think of what else he would want to talk to you about." He rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Good, well he said he wanted me by the next bell, so I'd better not keep him waiting. Do you think I look presentable?"

He chuckled. "Nothing but. Now get along." He said shoving her out the door.

Alanna was caught up in her thoughts that she forgot to stop and ran right into the Dukes door. She quickly reached up and rapped twice so as to make it look like the first slam from her body wasn't really that, but a nice polite knock. The door creaked open and she walked in.

"Ahh, Alan. Welcome, please sit down." He went around his desk and bumped into something before sitting down. Alan too reached for a chair, and finding one quickly pulled it out and put her bottom in it. "Sorry about interrupting your precious sleep," he laughed seeing her look of 'It's morning, how could anyone be up at this hour.' "But I thought it was necessary to get these to you, and have a talk before lessons start this morning."

"Excuse me sir, I can understand having a talk, but what would you need to give me?"

"These," he heaved a groan and placed a heavy box of something on the table. "You're father sent these with a letter to me this morning. He asked that you fill up every page in these books so that he can have his own personal history of his son on the way to knighthood. He also said something about having it professionally published to add to his library." He looked up and noticed her glare at the desk. "You seem to have the same outlook on books that I do."

"Was that a joke your Grace?"

"Uhh, no."

"Ok, well I'll be sure to do that then. You also said there was something that you wanted to talk about."

"Yes, in his letter to me he kept referring to you as Thom, could you explain why?"

"Well, I can only think that it's because Thom is the older one of us, if only by a few minutes," She grumbled, doing her best to make this believable. "It was only at last minute that he consented us to us to let us go where we wanted. He probably talked his mind out of the idea, being a traditionalist, he can't bear the thought of having the oldest go anywhere but the palace. Besides, we look so much alike that since he never paid much attention to us, he didn't really notice that much of a difference between the two of us."

"Ok, well here are the books, I'll let you be off then."

She lifted up the books, and he held open the door for her. She walked out relieved that her secret was safe for now at least. As she walked back to her rooms she thought back over the conversation and her own thoughts at her dad's wishes. 'How am I going to do this, While we look alike, Thom and I write extremely differently, surely dad would notice something like-' Her thoughts were suddenly cut off as she bumped into someone and the journals tumbled out of the box onto the floor.

"Great,"

"Alan?" Her companion asked. "What are you doing up at this bell?"

"Well, your wonderful uncle decided he'd like to provide me with half a library of books to fill, all of which have now been turned into floor tiling thanks to you." Came her ever pert answer.

"I'm sorry"

"Don't be," she started to gather the books around her that she knew the location of from the noise of there fall. Wondering why the Prince made no effort to help pick some up. He must be looking at her.

"Alan,"

"Look, your highness, I've really got to go." She stood.

"We've gone over this before, it's Jon, not your highness," he spat out the word in disgust. "Here,"

Alanna cut him off, "No, I've really got to go," and with that she set off down the hall, leaving a Prince staring behind her still surrounded by a sea of books..

"Gary," Jon pounded on the door to his cousins room, "Gary! Wake up!"

The door opened and a bleary eyed Gary looked out at Jon through the crack in his door. "What are you doing up now? We've still got a full bell 'til we normally get up."

"Oh come on Gary, even Alan's awake today." Joked Jon.

"Oh, so you want to talk about him. Come on in, I call the bed." He said, getting both of them to laugh. The door shut and Jon pulled up a chair.

"I was walking in the hall earlier and bumped into Alan, he was carrying a huge box of books, and they all tumbled out when we crashed. He seemed like he wanted nothing more than to disappear. And when I held out the other books that he hadn't picked up, it looked like he didn't even see them."

And now to my reviewers…

Coeur Casse- Thanx, people like you keep me going

VanHelsingWannaBe- Sorry Bout Daniel, you totally wrote that, but thanx for r&r'ing me, I will get to you, Thanx for the support.

PS. Gerg! –spell it backwards and laugh ;)

Lianne- Thanks for agreeing with me, I really want to kick his butt, but that would mean kicking the computer for the moment which would mean no more story. But yeah, he will leave, eventually. I am thinking about keeping him longer than the book has him just to add some spice, but I don't know yet. Well, let me know what you think.

Red Rose of Love- Ok, thanks again for the idea. It's mine now. Although I will give you the credit when I write it, just to be fair and all. And as always thanks for the compliment and support. Keep reading… and reviewing. ;)

Pink Squishy Llama- Do I know you? You sound an awful lot like someone I know. Oh well. Here it is, wouldn't want to be cursed to see lions everywhere. (SOTL: First Adventure)

Epobbp- A new reviewer, welcome to my list of reviewers. Where did you're name come from? I am glad you like it, so here it is.