Crossing Paths with a Sorcerer

Written by LeMistressV

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership to the characters that have appeared in Tamora Pierce's books. So please do not sue.

Summary: What if Alanna had not gone to the palace to become a knight? What if Thom had gone instead, undergoing all the hardships a noble must live through to become a respected knight? What would happen if Thom had gone through the path that he had not taken? Would it make a difference?

Chapter 1

Departing Home

Thom sat on a cushioned chair, his arm propped up against his chin as he thought to himself. Amethyst eyes glistened with envy and disappointment as he eyed his twin, sitting across from him. At least she'd learn magic, he thought, continuing to sulk. While he went off to the rocky road of sword whacking and discipline, his sister would become a lady and be married off to some buffer headed noble in no time. The thought made his skin crawl.

Although his twin relished the idea of becoming a knight, Thom did not. While his sister found sword fighting and archery to be a fascination, Thom could make no sense of it. He did not see the point of "whacking at things" and falling down. The very thought disgusted him – especially the sword whacking part.

"But I don't want to be a knight! I want to be a great sorcerer!" Thom snarled, slamming a fist down against the chair arm.

Identical, purple eyes looked up. Alanna shot her brother a vicious scowl and grumbled, "And do you think I want to learn to be a lady? Having everyone telling me to 'walk straight! Sit still! Shoulders back!' That will be the death of me!" she snapped, frustrated.

Thom turned to glance at his sister once again, amethyst eyes blazing enviously. "Well at least they teach you magic!" he snapped. "I have to go around acting like a fool in armor, trying to play a hero or something. You know I hate that stuff!"

Alanna grinned. "Well I think being a knight's exciting. Pity, though." She looked away from her brother and sighed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to face the harsh reality. Tomorrow I'm leaving for the City of the Gods, and you'll be heading for Corus."

Thom continued to scowl and stared long and hard at his twin. If he didn't know any better, he could've sworn his sister was on the verge of crying.

"Well, this is it," Alanna said as she unsaddled her pony. She looked Thom over and gave him a tight hug.

Thom returned to embrace, fighting back to urge to cry. He loved his sister and hated being separated from her. He knew Alanna would be very unhappy at the City of the Gods. "I'll write to you as much as I can."

Alanna smiled and pulled away from the hug. "And I'll promise to send you any spells you might want to learn. Maybe then, you won't be so miserable," she said, pushing her long, red hair behind her.

Thom nodded and gave his sister a final hug. "You will keep them secure, I hope." He grinned and moved towards Coram. "There will be plenty of tests ahead of you. Watch your back," he cautioned, feeling a slight shiver run down his spine. A part of him felt as if his sister would not live a normal 'lady' life.

"And you," his twin replied. "Take care!" And with that, Alanna turned her back and headed towards the healing woman, Maude.

Thom waved goodbye to his sister and made his way towards his worst enemy – Chubby, the evil pony who always dumped him onto the road. Carefully, he sat on Chubby's saddle and held tightly onto the reigns. "Foul little beast," Thom snarled into the pony's ear. "Don't think you'll dump me this time."

Chubby whinnied in disapproval and bucked a little.

Coram, the Trebond soldier, missed nothing. Eyeing the pony cautiously, he calmed the animal, patting its snout gently. "Well, lad, we best be goin'," he said, saddling his horse.

Thom gave a reluctant nod and followed the soldier to the long journey to Corus.

The trip to Corus was long and dull. Chubby seemed to be the only one enjoying itself, dumping Thom successfully several times while on the road.

Thom roughly patted his cloak and grumbled to himself. If Coram had been paying any attention, he could've sworn that Thom was muttering death threats to the pony. But alas, Coram was depressed. He dreaded his fate to be the castle's laughing stock because his master was a finicky lad, with no hope for a sword.

Thom was not so unfortunate at hunting, but he was still nothing compared to his sister. He failed miserably with a sword and couldn't use it to save his life. His archery was so bad that even assassins had to cry about it. It was a sure thing that Coram Smythesson, once a respected soldier at the palace, would now become the biggest joke in the history of Corus.

"So much for pride," Coram grumbled to himself, on the verge of tears. Thom was sure to humiliate him in no time. Heck, the boy didn't even like him.

"Cursed pony," Thom mumbled in the meantime, glaring at the back of Chubby's head. He wiped a streak of dirt off his face with his dirty sleeve and glanced at Coram. "How much farther do we have to travel? Shouldn't we stop to rest or something?" he asked, irritated with the day's ride. Traveling annoyed him, especially when riding the evil Chubby.

Coram looked up at the sky and studied it for a moment. "Few more hours till sundown. We ride till then. Unless ye' prefer t' camp out," he replied, shrugging.

With a sigh, Thom urged Chubby forward. "Sundown's fine," he decided.

Thom rubbed his back and winced. The ride from yesterday had been painful. Already his muscles ached from the bruises Chubby had inflicted on him when he had fallen off the pony's back. Cursing to himself, Thom swore to slay the pony once he arrived at Corus.

Coram was silent most of the way to Corus. Depressed and suffering from a terrible hangover – he had drunk himself half blind the previous night – he was in no mood for talk.

Thus, Thom was left to study a map he had taken from his father's study. For a moment, he traced one finger along Trebond and moved it to the path he and Coram were taking to Corus. "Guess we won't be arriving until a couple of days from now," he mumbled after a few hours of riding in silence.

The soldier nodded quietly, his head still throbbing. "Ye better get used t' th' wilderness, lad," he replied, running a hand through his aching temples.

Thom felt a sickening feeling in his gut. He was in no mood to be traveling a long journey while riding a pony that hated him so. "Shut up and stop wiggling," he hissed nastily to Chubby. "I ought to feed you to the wolves."

Coram sighed. It was going to be one long journey to Corus after all.