Disclaimer: I am not Tamora Pierce so I don't own any of her characters.
a/n: Hello all. Thank you very much for your reviews. To answer your question Aly, possibly. It motivated me to write this chapter so quickly (three hours after I posted the story). George has come. What do you think he'll do?
"Let me get this straight. You woke me up at this hour to ask me if I wanted to spend the whole day outside in the. ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Alanna roared.
Raoul contemplated this statement. When he reached a conclusion he replied, "Yes I think we are."
Neal ducked as a blast of purple magic narrowly missed his head. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for Alanna, it missed Neal or else it would have been Neal's head that exploded instead of the table behind him.
Finally George decided to intervene from behind the Yamani screen he was hidden behind before Alanna set the room on fire."Calm down lass. This could be fun," said a tentative George
"Fun is not spending time out in the cold at this ungodly hour. But, I'll play." Startled at her quick acceptance, Raoul wondered why she had agreed so quickly. What did she want? "But I want first pick of armies."
A worried Kel asked, "Armies sir?" Raoul ignored her and kept thinking.
"Fine Alanna. But I want Kel," decided Raoul
"Raoul, you are asking me to give up the second Lady Knight. You are crazy."
"I thought we already established that but I'll play by your rules. It will just make my victory sweeter. Who do you want in exchange for Kel?"
A cautious Kel, and she had a right to be cautious as the table was still smoking, said "I'm right here sir."
"Buri," Alanna said, disregarding Kel.
"WHAT!" roared an outraged Raoul.
"And Numair."
"You surely don't mean the most powerful mage in the realm."
Faking mock concentration as if deciding the answer to Raoul's query, Alanna replied, "As a matter of fact I do,"
"How is it that you are getting the most powerful page in the realm and my fiancée?" puzzled Raoul, "I want Daine."
"Add in Dom and I'll agree."
"Then I want George too,"
"He's all yours," said Alanna as George tried to figure out if his wife's willingness to give him away to the opposing side was a compliment or an insult. She strode out of the room, grabbing Neal's ear in the process and whispering, "Never wake me up again," as he followed meekly behind.
--
"Alright men and women, as previously determined through some intense bartering, Kel, Daine and George will be part of my army and Buri, Numair and Dom will be on Alanna's team," barked Raoul at the line of people. They were all bundled up and standing in a clear field with a line drawn through it. Trees closed the field of from civilization in case Corus thought their knights were going crazy. Eventually, the armies were the following
Raoul: Kel, Daine, George, Wolset, Lerant, Merric, Seaver, Yuki, Thayet, Tobe
Alanna: Buri, Numair, Dom, Miri, Evin, Owen, Esmond, Faleron, Jon, Neal
Poor Neal was the last left. Nobody wanted to put up with his complaining. Alanna, felt obligated to take him only because he was her former squire. "Oh almost forgot something," Raoul had just remembered another condition, " Alanna, you are not allowed to get Numair to make you a six foot watch tower and 8 feet walls all around like the last time."
"Damn it."
--
"Alright men and ladies. Here are your assignments. I want Lerrant, Owen and Merric to make the fortress. That means high wall, stairs, and landings. Daine, see if your animals can help and do you by any chance have any of those sly creatures called darkings left? I want Kel and Wolset discussing war plans with me. Thayet, Tobe and Yuki start making snowballs. Move it!" Raoul roared handing very detailed blueprints to the building crew.
"What should I do Raoul?" asked George.
"What you do best."
"I'm assuming you mean spying."
"Fine. The two things you do best." (Invisible cookies to the person who guesses)
a/n: I wanted to leave you guys the longest chapter I have written so far in case I don't update tomorrow or tonight. The next chapter will be really short. Double agents. I wonder how they get pressed into service. ;) Please vote in my poll as to who should be the double agent.