Author's Note: Hello! I'm sorry it's taken me forever to update. Inspiration just was not coming and I was going to delete the story, but because of my broken arm, I had studyhalls for a while, and I filled up my notebook comletely. I would like to have ten reviews before I update again, so tell me what you think. What about the title? I keep changing it because I can't find what I want. This is the best so far.
Thanks to KusajishiYachiru, Faithful Haven, nativewildmage, tortallanrider, amishamj, ionalama, BeauxbatonBoy05, Twilight Shades, Knight Queen, Elfsquire90, epobbp, crazzydancer, confusedpink, and MoonSeaEarth.
Seirien- Hmmm... Well, I won't give it away, but who else do you know that has orange magic?
charlie and lola- Of course I will include Jon and Thom and all the rest. I have the pairings worked out and a lot of the girls the squires originally end up with will not exist, but will be replaced with a character of my own creation. I like AG, but I'll go where the story leads me. It could be AJ, or she could even end up with Liam. Tell me what you think.
Chapter 3 - Through the Hedges
The guards were all abuzz during breakfast the next day. Gwendolyn and I rushed to the table to hear what was casing all of the commotion.
Cinda was talking to Jessamine. They had no idea what was going on. Jessamine said there was a rumor of a new arrival at the convent. Seeing as it was the guards talking, it was either a very pretty girl or a renowned warrior. At this new information, Cinda began rattling off names of nobles and heroes.
Emiliane burst into the Dining Hall. Her skirts and hair flared out as she ran to the table. She took in a few heaves of air and gasped, "Visitor. Shang Warrior."
I could feel my heart beat faster and my stomach drop. A Shang! A real Shang warrior! I could have a chance to meet a member of the legendary order of the Shang. Forget butterflies, I had dancing bears in my stomach. Maybe they would teach me something while they were here.
Reality threatened to calm my nerves, bit I ignored it. I have not had a dream since I came to the convent. I had to have something to look forward to.
Emiliane regained normal breathing once more. She settled her skirts and I handed her a roll. She ripped off a piece and started to tell us all that she found out.
Yesterday, a stranger came to the convent. At first, they were denied entrance. They refused to go away and called for the First Sister to speak for them. She was fetched and she recognized them as soon as they slid their hood off. It was the Shang Dragon!
We all stared at her open mouthed. The title of the Dragon was the highest rank some-one of the Shang order could receive. This was amazing.
The First Sister had told the Second Sister, Sister Margaret, that they were just in Corus six months ago.(I could be wrong, but I faintly remember Alanna being told a Shang left right before she came to Corus.) They knew they were headed for the City of the Gods and came prepared with details of all the latest trends in Corus.
Cinda perked up at hearing the word fashion. She grilled Emiliane to find out if she knew even the tiniest shred more, but our well of information was sucked dry.
After reflecting on what she said for a few moments, I realized tat Emiliane didn't say whether the Shang was a man or woman. Acting as though it was nothing important, I asked, "Emiliane, was the Shang warrior male or female?"
She cocked her head to the side and gave me a suspicious look. Slowly, she declared, "I do not know. Why?"
I wish it's a woman. She would be more willing to show me a few things, even if its self defense moves against men without any honor. I looked down and picked at my porridge with a spoon. I told Emi, "Oh, no reason. I just heard a lot of stories when I was younger about the fierce Shang women." Emi shrugged it off.
I was distracted more than usual during class. Dinner would be the ideal time for the First Sister to present the Dragon, so I'll have to wait till then to find out their identity.
Sister Patricia came up behind me and snatched my embroidery from my hands. She held it up to her long, thin, knobby nose. She scanned back and forth on every stitch.
My work depicted a knight with red hair and purple eyes. When people asked me who it was, I told them it was Thom, but it was really me. I've spent weeks on it, trying to get the detail just right.
Sister Patricia looked up at me and pursed her lips. I could hear the tap of her disapproving foot. I smiled up at the Sister and her eyebrows snapped down in a cold glare. Her mouth drew into a thing line as she started her critique. "This is fair enough in the beginning, but barely. The rest of it is sloppy, lazy, and sausage fingered work. You will start over," she scolded.
With that, she tore the material in two and threw it in the trash basket. All of my hard work was just tossed aside. I could feel my blood boil as she slinked away. Then, to top it off, Veronica walked over. She sat down of the seat cushion next to me. Her work was in her hand. It was a horn of plenty overflowing with frui8t. Every stitch was perfect. She looked down at the knight on the floor and patted my arm. In a false nice tone, she consoled, "Al least you're getting better, Alanna. I can easily recognize that as a rock wit h a fox on top of it." One last pat and she walked back to her snickering friends.
I crossed my arm in my wrists in my lap and form fists. Gwendolyn gave me a one armed hug to ease my temper. I took a deep breath and she released me. When everyone was looking away, I picked up the unharmed knight. It had been spared of the ruthless rip. I folded it up in my hand and snuck out of the room.
When I was farther away, I opened my hand. Gently, I smoothed the material out and admired it as I wandered through empty corridors. Most were adjacent to small courtyards scattered throughout the convent.
After a while, I looked up. I had just followed where my feet took me, and now I was in an unfamiliar place. Hedges were on the outskirts of the walkway. The ground in the middle was bare, hard-packed dirt. I heard a door open on the other side of the courtyard.
I ducked down behind the shrub as fast as lightening. Adrenaline rushed through my veins at a possible threat. It was probably Veronica out to find me so I get in trouble and punished with an extra hour of prayer.
I crouched there for a few moments listening intently for the rustle of skirts and a taunting call. Instead, there was an almost inaudible pat of bare feet. It sounded relaxed, like the person could be absolutely silent if they so choose, but the convent was a carefree place surrounded by stone walls and a city full of powerful mages.
The whoosh of a long object and the snap of fabric startled me after all of the quiet. Curiosity got the best of me. I leaned forward and peaked through a clearing in the branches. A man stood at the center of the small space. A wooden staff fit comfortably in his grip. He must be one of the guards out here to practice.
His skin was tan and face covered with pock marks. Rusty red hair was clipped close to his scalp. He was in the middle of a pattern dance. He spun in the air, lashing out with the polished wood.
An envious sigh escaped my lungs. The man came around, his staff pointed at my location in the hedges. I tensed up and held my breath. The light glinted off his eyes, giving them a sense of lethal awareness.
With one swift motion, the staff was leaning against a bench. Next, he gave a show worthy of the players. He tumbled light he had been in a troop since early childhood.
Relief put color back into my ghostly face. He was not aware of my presence that was just how the exercise ended… I think.
I anxiously paced across my room. Gwendolyn did not take very long, but my anticipation of dinner made time seem to crawl by. When we finally started off to the Dining Hall, Gwen had to run to catch up with me. She grabbed my arm and forced me to a normal stride. I tried to yank my arm from her grip, but her hands were like a steel shackle.
A new respect for the timid noble lady swept through me. She just does not sit and embroider all day. I cherish the fact that I had her here at the convent. Her coolness balanced my hot-headedness. I slowed down and gave her a warm smile.
The Dining Hall was filled with all of the nobles. Servants were not permitted to eat with us at dinner. There was not an empty place to be found. We scanned the room for an opening on a bench that we could squeeze into.
Gwendolyn spotted something and dragged me across the Hall. I saw where she was going and I could not believe her. It was right in front of the dais, where the First and Second Sisters and the high ranking people sat. (I can't remember if the women of the convent are sisters or daughters.)
Sister Margaret would be breathing down my neck. Only favorites and suck-ups dared to sit so close. What was Gwen thinking?
It was too late now. The room started to quiet down in anticipation of the First Sister's prayer to the Great Mother Goddess to bless the food.
We quickly slid into the opening directly front and center. We bowed our heads, closed our eyes, and laced our fingers.
As soon as she was done, throngs of maids stormed the tables. They delivered the food right to the tables. Jessamine ended up bringing us our food. We smiled politely at each other, but then lowered our eyes. Servants were not allowed to interact on a friendly basis with the nobles, so we had to be careful not to alert any suspicion of a bond more than lady and maid.
When Jessamine bent over, she expertly slipped a piece of parchment into my hand. I slowly slid my hand into my lap and unfolded it with my fingers. I glanced down and read it quickly. "The Shang Dragon has not taken his eyes off of you since you entered the room. He seems to be evaluating you," was scribbled unevenly.
I have been teaching Jessamine to write. She thinks of it as a code, so she is catching on very quickly. I crumpled the note and Jessamine shot me an apprehensive look as she walked away.
Once everyone was done eating, the First Sister stood up once again. Every head turned to find out what she had to say. By now, gossip had spread like wildfire and people wanted to know what was really going on. This was the first time I dared to turn around, but my eyes looked only at her.
She stood with her hands folded in front of her to drive the suspense. She smiled warmly and cleared her throat. "Hello! I suppose you have all heard the rumors. Some are preposterous. And Kara, there was no ferret god speaking through a beggar seer. So, calm down," she announced.
An uproar of vicious giggles pierced the silence. The First Sister cleared her throat and everyone's jaws snapped shut. She continued, "There is an important guest that arrived just yesterday. He is well traveled and respected. May I present Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon!"
She turned to her right and to the man I saw at the center of the courtyard. There goes my dreams of a female Shang, but a male Shang was better than no Shang at all.
The man called Liam Ironarm stood up. He leaned towards the First Sister's ear and whispered something. The First sister nodded.
Free time was unusually active. Girls were running about trying to find the Shang Dragon for all the fashions in Corus and descriptions of the courts in far off lands.
Gwendolyn was off with Cinda somewhere and I was all alone. Just sitting in my stuffy room drove me up the wall. I went outside and wandered about looking for someone to talk to or something to do. I certainly was not going to practice lady's work. I have to do more than enough for my taste.
I naturally strayed farther away from the sounds of giddy girls. Following the sound of silence, I found myself back at the courtyard I had been at this morning.
I glanced around to see if I was alone. The temptation was just too strong. I walked into the sunlight from under the covered path. The glow of the sun had a warm, pleasant touch to my back. My eyes closed and I envisioned Coram in my mind's eye.
I could picture him going through his pattern dances like it was yesterday. The Shang Dragon's dances were too complicated for me, but I could work at Coram's.
I set my feet shoulder-width apart. I placed one fist at my side and lashed out with the other. I kicked forward, blocked high, and followed it with a side kick.
I returned to just standing there. This was ridiculous. I do not know what I am doing. I could be practicing it wrong and then the incorrect way will become habit. A little voice in my head said it was better than nothing. I struck out with my fist once more.
A strong hand gripped my forearm. Someone had sneaked up on me while I was unaware. I turned around and hit a broad chest. The musty odor of sweat mingled with cologne. I took a step back to see…
Yay! A cliff hanger. Who do you think it is? I think it's pretty obvious. Tell me what you think or ideas of where this is going. Review!
Starlit Emerald-Eyed Empress