Kalli
Authors Note: Thanks again for all the reviews! I am posting this one a little early because...well...I am bored to hell. But anyways, please keep voting who you want Alanna to have some fluff with...although ONLY light fluff. The story is A/G all the way. Please keep reviewing...I love to hear your concerns or likes or whatever you have to stay. R&R
Fire of the Elements
Disclaimer: I do not own Alanna, George, or any Tortallan people or settings that you may even remotely recognize from the original SOTL books. I do own Kalli though.
The following two weeks for uneventful; or at least nothing occured that would drastically change the Rogue. During the day, Alanna and George continued to show the Rogue war techniques, and by night the Rogue enjoyed their time, taking turns at Watch. Alanna nor George mentioned the happenings of the day when Jon and Gary had foolishly ridden over a few weeks before. Life continued as it had since the King had originally sentenced the attack, and no other attacks had ridden themselves over. Everything was fine, until sometime in mid-june.
Alanna's violet eyes shone brightly, the feeling of her catch poking through the material of her clothes and leaving a small indent in her skin. Alanna moved the cursed parchment, wondering what George would be able to do with the magic that had been reinforced inside the parchment to hide the meanings. A petite jingle of gold coins sounded inside the same pocket. Alanna wondered briefly what the King and Lord Provost would think when their messanger boy came back empty handed.
Trusting a mere boy with importance. Thought Alanna impatiently as she trudged carefully down an empty alley, although voices flooded from surrounding alleys.
Crack.
Alanna twirled around, resting her eyes on the side wall where she had heard the crunching of a leaf, or the snapping of a stick? What had it been? Waving the small unimportance from her mind, Alanna allowed her eyes to travel through the unseeing darkness, where a figure was beginning to appear in her eye-sight. Moving quickly without movement, Alanna slid herself towards the figure. Once a foot away, wondering whether to pounce or silently move towards the figure, the shadow slid out of the shadow, standing face to face with Alanna.
What the shadows had held was not a noble, drunk, or threatening man, but a girl - looking to be about fourteen or fifteen - glaring straight into Alanna's pressing violet eyes. She was three or four inches shorter then Alanna, with long brown/brown hair that slipped messily from a tie that held the hair to the low back of her head. She had a thin face, with dark eyes, almost black to Alanna's notice. She wore a pair of men's breeches and an un-dyed wool tunic. A single golden ear-drop was placed on each ear.
"Who are you?" Questioned Alanna, her voice straight and unreadable. If the girl answered without a proper title, then she was not worth robbing, or wasting time on for any manner.
"Who are you?" Replied the girl solemnly, as if every day a violet-eyed girl asked who she was and every day she replied in mimick.
Alanna sighed, ready to leave (the girl was of obvious no importance) when a small pang of intrigue interrupted her. Out of plain and foolish curoisity, Alanna stood her ground and replied "Alanna of the Rogue. Now tell me who you are."
"Kalli. Just Kalli." Replied the girl, her voice and expression unreadable.
"What are you doing in the alleys?" Questioned Alanna, her curiosity dashing away from her.
"Living. Is that okay?" Questioned Kalli sarcastically, rubbing what appeared to be a swollen eye.
Ignoring Kalli's sarcasm, Alanna continued, "Really? You live in the alley?" In her mind, Alanna continued Why haven't I seen you before?
"Sure. At times." Answered the girl, rubbing her eye harder then before. As she removed a dirty hand, Alanna could see an infection rising inside with her Gift.
"What's wrong with your eye?" Questioned Alanna, praying the girl would give her a proper answer.
"Nothing." Replied Kalli blankly.
"Look...Kalli I have a bit of the Gift, and I can see that your eye is seriously infected. Please come to Dancing Dove just so that I can fix the infection." Kalli gave Alanna a strange look, while Alanna glared back. She was not going to let the girl run off.
As if she knew that Alanna was not one to cross, Kalli sighed and muttered what sounded like and 'OK.' Turning to leave, after making sure that Kalli would follow, Alanna lead the girl to the Dancing Dove, curious at the girl and her prospects.
Alanna allowed her magic to flow into Kalli's infection, and slowly began to pull it from the girl's dark eyes. As the black cloud resisted for the final time, Alanna pulled it out and brought her breathing to a halt. Behind her, George stood silently, concern covering his face. Realizing he was still there, Alanna turned and flashed him a quick smile.
"Well...I suppose I can wake her up now." Digging through her Gift, Alanna used her magic to awake Kalli. As the girl stirred, Alanna again wondered why she had not seen her before.
"What? Where am I?" Kalli's voice was choked up, either by tears or by strain Alanna was not sure of.
"Back room of the Dancing Dove. George and I just saved your life." Answered Alanna, knowing that all George had done was comfort her and tell her she could make it. But still...the support was wonderful.
"Oh. Where's Zlak?" Questioned Kalli slowly.
"Zlak?" Questioned George, giving Kalli a strange look.
"Zlak...if he comes, I am not here." As Kalli whispered these words, she fell into a deep sleep.
"What was that all about?" Asked George as he and Alanna sat themselves in a corner of the Dancing Dove, each drinking a goblet of wine.
"I have no idea. She says she comes from the alley...the north-east one that I always take, but I have never seen her before. She looks strange too...I think we should urge her to stay at the Dancing Dove, George." Replied Alanna, taking a sip of the strange-tasting wine.
"OK. That sounds well enough. But if you proves danger..."
"Don't worry George, if anything suspicious happens, I'll be right at the case!"
George smiled at Alanna and left at the call of a pair of fighting Rogue.
It was not until she was settled into bed that Alanna remembered the parchment in her pocket.
Authors Note: So...how was it? Sort of a cliffy...but not a huge one. I hate writing cliffhangers. Anyhow, the next chapter will come as soon as I have five reviews...so keep them coming! Also, don't forget to vote who you want the fluff to be between with Alanna!
Fire of the Elements