A/N: Hey everyone. You all said so many nice things to me in your reviews. So all of you that reviewed this chapter is dedicated to you. Also if you have written any stories, I try to read some of the stories of my reviewers and return the favor. So look. At least one of your stories should have a review from me in there. If not, then I will get to it as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: You know the usual. The characters are Tamora Pierce's. The plot and the few characters you don't recognize are mine.

Enough yacking. So here is the story.

Different Destiny

Alanna looked desperately at her company. They all seemed way to shocked to do anything. Before they knew it the bandits were upon them trying to get them split up. Alanna's instincts took over and she found herself lashing out at the bandits that were trying to drag her from her saddle. One unfortunate one underestimated her and got in kicking distance. She easily took out his eye with the heel of her riding boot.

Coram unsheathed his big broadsword in one smooth motion, cutting down the thieves that dared get too close. But there were way too many of them. They teamed up on him, and moving as one they landed a spear through his sword shoulder.

Thom wasn't faring nearly as well as the rest. He had foolishly tried to kick an attacker, but the man was too quick for him and he had grabbed his foot and pulled him off his horse. Thom then spat in the man's face. Just as the man was about to cut him down, Maude ran in and took the knife for him.

Within minutes of the fight starting, it was finished. With a slightly bloodstained pair of twins, a burly manservant that had half of a spear still sticking up out of his shoulder while he was still tied up, and a Maude who was just barely hanging on to life with the knife wound slowly seeping out blood.

Alanna wistfully looked through the small cracks in her wooden crate that she had been in for at least two weeks. Quickly after they were beaten by the mountain bandits they were bound and gagged and shoved into the crates which were still her prison.

She looked at the one other figure that had been squished into the crate with her. It was her twin Thom. She was sure she looked somewhat in the state of disarray he was in now. He was bruised and beaten with his hair matted down with dirt and blood. His used to be good riding clothes has holes worn in them and dirt and animal dung all over them.

When Alanna really thought about it she guessed they were the lucky ones. Maude had been given the mercy stroke and was dead, while Coram had traveled in a similar crate but was then sold as a slave to a Scanran Noble.

Alanna and Thom both looked up when suddenly the top of there crate was loosened and hoisted off. They looked at each other confused. They were let out to go to the bathroom after dark. That was also when they were fed their scant rations. Now it was a little before midday.

They were quickly and forcefully dumped out of the crate in a heap of limbs when Alanna noticed were they were. At the ship docks.

All of a sudden a man came up and fastened makeshift collars on them that were radiating a strong magical force. As soon as the collar was latched around Alanna's neck she felt the radiation of the magic go away but she couldn't use her gift at all. She was absolutely sure that this was a slave collar.

After having the collars being put on and a leather leash was attached to them and they were being dragged aboard a large vessel. Alanna had always been squeamish of ships and balked as soon as they tried to lead her on to the plank. With one wave of the mages hand she felt the collar constrict tightly not allowing her to breath.

The mage gave a malicious laugh as he saw her fight for her breath. "So girly, you going to listen to what you are told to do or am I going to have to work my magic some more," he said as he released the magic.

She scowled at him but did what she was told anyway.

Many days later after braving another week in the ships hold, she staggered as her "handler" yanked on her collar leading her to a place she recognized as the slave market. She could barely muster the energy to care anymore.

Within the hour she had been sold with her brother to the slave market to be auctioned off at another time. The only bit of luck in the situation was that she and Thom were together.

After they were sold they were put in a small cage with a few other people. The twins looked at each other and started to discuss their situation.

"Alanna, what are we going to do. It is unlikely that we will be sold to the same people," said Thom.

"Well I don't see what we are going to do. We will just have to wait to go to the auction and deal with problems as they come," responded Alanna.

That night Alanna sent a prayer up to the Great Mother Goddess. "Please let me and Thom get sold to the same master."

The very next day the answer to Alanna's prayers came. An older man came wanting to purchase a couple of young slaves to be messengers for none other that the Prince of Carthak. (sp?)

Alanna and Thom were the only two children in the slave pens at the moment so they were sold to the man. As soon as he took a look at their clothes he took them to the seamstress and had regular commoner clothes bought for them. After they were bathed and changed he informed them that they were to serve a lesser son of the Emperor of Carthak. They would live at the University with him and do all of his cleaning and errand running.

As soon as the University came into sight Alanna gasped and decided that it couldn't be that bad to live here.

A/N: Phew it is done. Thank you to all my reviewers. If you have any opinions about what should happen please tell me in your reviews. I want to write what you want to read. Thank you. And since you reviewed so nicely the first time the next chapter will be posted no matter what.