CHAPTER 10: Third Year

"Winter's first minstrel!" Cythera yipped, fidgeting excitedly as the first course of dinner was set on the table.

Alanna glanced up at the stairs that led to the dais in the dining hall. There, dressed in a flamboyant patchwork of rainbow-colored polka dots, stripes and checkers, sat the first bard in the convent for almost a half a year. Due to countless mountain blizzards—the usual Grimhold Mountain winter—the City of the Gods had been cut off from almost every snippet of news from the south. Every year, the first minstrel of the late winter or early spring was met with open arms and feasts. It was time to learn the latest of country feuds, Court gossip, and any news from families. True, everything was at least a month old due to the frightful difficulty of getting through the melting snows of the mountain pass, but at least it was something.

Then the bard stood up, and a hush fell over the dining hall.

"Ah! Silence! What a pleasurable sound!" he cried pretentiously. Then he paused and added, "For a little while. But you—you, my friends, have wallowed in silence for too long. It is time that you hear again! That you learn of that which happens around you, of that which is good, and of that which is bad. I am here with that news, with the information of that which has happened—the events that have ended in love and in war—and I'm here to enlighten you with it.

"Now, listen closely, my friends, for this news which you are about to hear is no normal news! It comes all the way back from the month of September, when the air smelled fresh and crisp and a pleasant breeze tugged at clothes and hair. The place is Corus, the palace, with nobles just beginning to return from their voyages, not wanting to be stranded out in the open when the first snow began to fall. It is they, those nobles, who first witnessed this strange sight...

"She rides a horse sidesaddle but

Enemies, beware!

She wields a sword with a knightly force

And the strength of a bear.

She haunts the dreams of demons

Wears curlers in her hair

Can fight a giant without a thought

But be late for dinner? That's rare!

Dresses made of silk

Face paint applied with care

Gifted with both brains and brawn

Daggers hidden everywhere.

Leaves the palace in an uproar:

Who is this girl so fair?

There are whispers floating 'round about,

Rumors in the air

Shall I tell you what they are;

Reveal the truth, do I dare?

But of course!

She's ALANNA OF TREBOND:

THE LADY ON A BATTLE MARE!"

---

That day was the beginning of disaster for Alanna. Jessica treated her like some sort of clueless foreigner, and although Cythera managed to still act friendly, the intimacy in their friendship had greatly deteriorated. The boys did not find a day complete until they had screamed part of Freeman Hennet's song down the hallway after her. Teachers regarded her as something dangerous, each one—even the instructor of math—managing to somehow lecture her on discretion and the extent of a lady's right and role in society.

"I'm doomed!" Alanna cried one September night in the library. "It's been a whole year since I went to that palace, and the memories are still haunting me!"

Marinstha laughed. "I think this is hilarious. You spend three days in Corus and become famous!"

"Infamous, you mean. Now the convent has its own Thom the Demon."

"Trebond, I have a question to ask you," Marinstha said abruptly. "I was wondering if, maybe, perhaps you'd like a governess."

Alanna's eyebrows jumped together in confusion at the sudden, random remark. A girl with arranged marriages often had picky future parents-in-law who wanted to ensure that their daughter-to-be was properly trained. To do this, after three years in the convent, such a girl could continue her training privately with a pre-chosen noblewoman—a governess. Most girls didn't do it, instead staying at the convent. Alanna had planned to join this majority for the rest of her education. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not staying at the convent, Trebond. I'm leaving—before winter. And I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

Alanna stared at her in disbelief. "You mean... me?"

Marinstha jerked her head in a nod. "I believe so."

"But my father—" Alanna instantly protested.

"I've written to you father. He thinks I'm your etiquette teacher. He said yes. I also told him we're traveling. You'll meet more people and learn different things this way. And we'll be going down to Carthak sooner or later, I think, so you'll be able to continue your studies in that. Just a number of educational reasons—your father's a scholar, so he likes that kind of stuff. So do diplomats, so there will be some men who don't look at you strangely. And, truth be told, Alanna, I don't want to go travelling alone. It makes me feel stupid."

Alanna could only gape. However suspiciously fantastic her situation was, the road leaving the convent with Marinstha looked amazingly clear. "Leave the convent? I couldn't say no!"

"Excellent!" Marinstha exclaimed. "Now, there are a couple of things you have to know. For one, I can't have you calling me 'Daughter Marinstha' and 'my lady' once we're out of here. I hereby give you permission to call me by my first name."

"'Jarinth'?" Alanna gasped. "You want me to call you 'Jarinth'?"

"It's not a bad name—"

"Daughter Marinstha," Alanna cut in flatly, "I'm your student. I can't call you by your first name!"

"Why not? Once I hand in my resignation, I will no longer be a Daughter. I don't want to be a Daughter. What will you call me then? 'Lady Marinstha'? Please don't. It annoys me, and the last thing we need is a wrinkly old noblewoman wearing breeches. My name will be Jarinth Marinstha. I always travel as that. Many people recognize that name as a commoner's instead of a noble's because I've travelled so much as a commoner already. You can stay as Alanna of Trebond because not many people have heard of you, and those who have already know you're weird."

Alanna only just resisted sticking her tongue out in reply and instead contented herself with a grimace. "Fine, then. Gods, this'll be awkward—Jarinth. What else do I have to know?"

"Our first major stop is the Great Southern Desert. No, don't look at me like that, I know it's dangerous. But we'll stay pretty close to Persopolis—"

"Sorry?"

"Persopolis. The one stone city in the whole desert. But, as I was saying, we'll make plenty of other stops on the way. Olau—because I adore Olau and I'll go there every chance I get, even if Myles isn't there—and Port Caynn and so on and so forth. We'll be in the Great Southern Desert by the first Corus snowfall, though, believe me.

"But I have also offered my services to His Grace, so if he ever happens to have need of a mage, he can call on me, and we're obligated to be at his side in seconds. That shouldn't be too soon, but it probably will happen once or twice.

"And when I say 'travel', I mean travel. None of this two-weeks-in-a-stuffy-carriage nonsense. We have three mounts: two to ride and one extra to carry camping gear, so pack lightly. Usually I survive with three outfits: one for the day, one for the night, and one extra. Wear breeches. Replace corsets with breastbands. And prepare ahead of time for your period—as if puberty isn't bad enough at home, it follows you out onto the road too, where there's a limited supply of bandages. No cosmetics. Have Kevin get you a dagger or two, so you have less conspicuous of weapons than Lightning. There's a certain type of saddlebag you should be able to keep this all in that you can unfold into a sleeping bag at night—I'll get you one. Do you have a water canteen? No, of course not. I'll get that for you too. So," she finished cheerfully, "what do you think?"

Alanna was impressed. "You really have this all planned out, don't you?"

Marinstha beamed. "I'm no stranger to travelling."

"Okay then. When do we leave?"

"Saturday. Dawn."

Alanna's jaw dropped. "Saturday?" she squeaked.

"Yes. Today's Wednesday. I announce my departure tomorrow. That gives you a day to pack and a day to say good-bye. I would write to Disart, too, if I were you, because you're going to be so caught up later reporting everything that's happened you won't remember to tell her you've left. Come on, Trebond, the sooner the better. Two days more and you don't have to listen to one more syllable of Hennet's song!"

Marinstha knew her too well. Alanna grinned. "Saturday! I can't wait!"

---

Clothes, writing kit, daggers, Lightning, saddle, Alanna listed off nervously in her head. Like always before long journeys, she had the terrible feeling of having forgotten something. She shook her head. Calm down. Everything will be fine.

The first rays of sun were just glimmering over the eastern mountaintops, but they were hardly enough to light the courtyard around her. Torches had to suffice instead. From the small, flickering flames, she could just make out Marinstha going over last-minute instructions with First Daughter Rinnesia, who was keeping a hawk's eye on the hostler as he checked the buckles of the horses' saddles one more time. It was much calmer than when she had left for Corus. Then, there had been a carriage, footmen running all over with luggage, Daughters lecturing on proper Court manners, and students in their nightclothes with their noses pressed to the high windows, awake at six o'clock in the morning to see her off. Today no one knew Alanna was leaving so early—Marinstha had made sure of that. The last thing they wanted was someone untrustworthy seeing the two of them riding away in breeches.

"Ready?"

Alanna jumped and turned to see Marinstha about to mount up onto her horse, Bella. Alanna nodded weakly and swung up onto Moonlight. Then the gates swung open.

"Alright," Marinstha said as they urged their horses forward. "Great Southern Desert, here we come!"