…:All I Wanted was Adventure:…
Summary: My version of Alanna's story starting at the end of the second book. What happens when Alanna is captured by agents of the copper isles? Can the safety of Tortall be risked for the safety of one girl? What does George have to do in all of this? AlannaGeorge
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any body that you don't recognize.
Recap:
She let a whoop of sheer exuberance and kicked Moonlight into a gallop. "C'mon, Coram!" she cried, galloping past him. "Let's go find adventure!"
…:Chapter One:…
Alanna looked up at the grey skies through the branches of the willow tree. An eagle flew overhead, shrieking its praises to the overcast sky. A single ray of light shone through the clouds and illuminated the eagle for a split second. Suddenly a magnificent peregrine falcon appeared, ramming into the eagle as the ray was again swallowed by the clouds. Grappling with it and forcing it out of the sky. The eagle shrieked in pain as it spiraled down into the trees. Alanna squinted in confusion at the sight and, just as she was about to turn away the peregrine rose above the treetops once again and screamed its triumph for the forest to hear. As the falcon soared out of sight another ray of sunshine broke free of the clouds and this time shone directly upon her.
Disconcerted by this omen, Alanna turned onto her side on the pine needle strewn floor and propped herself up on her elbow. Coram was cooking pork sausages over a small fire as Moonlight and his black stallion grazed on the late autumn grasses. Faithfull was stretched out with his stomach to the fire. Typical cat.
They had just set off from the city, the palace, and all her friends a few days before and they were now riding south. Originally Alanna had intended to ride for the desert, wanting to spend the winter somewhere warm for a change, but now she was not so sure.
She didn't know if there would be much adventure in a desert after all. She pulled a map from the pack lying on the ground a few feet away and spread it out on the ground before her. Maybe she would head towards the golden lake; she had heard strange rumors about the inhabitants in that area. Surly there would be plenty of adventure there…
Suddenly she heard a groan and a thud. She whipped her head around to find Coram lying motionless on the ground beside the fire with two men standing over him. How had they approached so silently? She scrambled up and tried to grab her sword but it was across the fire and there were three more men that she hadn't seen. One grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her. She kicked a second in the crotch as he approached and he doubled up in pain but the man that had a hold of her pressed a cloth soaked in arid smelling liquid over her nose and mouth. A third had grabbed faithful and shoved him into a rough sack. She struggled back and whipped her head around, trying to free herself but it was no good, her attacker was at least double her size…the last thing that she saw before succumbing to the darkness was moonlight taking out one of her attackers and dashing off into the trees before another could grab her.