A/N: Thank you all for the great reviews! Thanks again to 4-eyedDragon for letting me use her characters and plot. Now this story is close to an ending. Don't worry it's not this chapter! I want to let you all know that a sequel is already forming in my head. I want to finish this story first though before I even think about putting ideas on paper! Please, read on!
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's books or the characters Alianne, Jane of Trebond, or any future characters I use from 4-eyedDragon's story.
*************************************************************
By the noontime meal, Alanna was nervous. By nightfall she was a wreck. It confused her. She had never felt this way before when Jon was gone, searching for George. She went to talk to Kourrem and Kara to tell them her suspicions. They welcomed her into their shaman tents with open arms and listening ears. "I just know something's happened to him." Alanna said as she paced the length of the tent. "I can almost hear him, calling out to me for help. Besides I've never been this nervous when he's been gone before."
Kourrem was the first to speak. "Alanna, you don't know for sure that something's happened to him. Besides, it's too dangerous for you to do anything while you're pregnant. Doing something reckless, which you are prone to do, could hurt you or the baby." Alanna glared at her and opened her mouth to object but Kara cut her off. "Kourrem's right, Alanna. You are prone to do reckless things and if you do, you put not only yourself at risk, but your child too. Do you really want to do that?" Kara asked Alanna. Alanna stared at her in disbelief. "Like Kourrem said, we don't know for sure that anything's wrong. But we'll send a group of tribesmen to check on them in the morning." Alanna smiled. "How did you two get so wise?" She asked. The two shamans beamed. "We had a good teacher." Kara said, grateful for the face veil that hid her blush that was brought on from Alanna's praise. "A very good teacher." Kourrem added as she got up to hug Alanna goodnight.
Alanna left their tent and went to bed. As she slept she began to see the familiar gleaming black towers of the Black City. As her view of the city became clearer, she saw two men in the streets. The one with coal black hair, she immediately recognized as Jon, was lying on the ground bleeding. The tall brown haired man was George, and he was standing over Jon with a knife raised for the kill. Alanna woke up just before he swung the knife into Jon's heart. She was sweating and panting. After calming herself down, she realized that this was no dream. It was a vision, given to her by the Goddess as others before this one had been. It was then she realized the visions of her mother never felt the same as these. She had no time to ponder it though. Jon was in danger and she was the only one who could save him.
She got out of bed carefully and dressed silently so Faithful wouldn't wake and stop her. Her efforts were futile. You'll probably kill yourself and your baby, you know. Faithful mewed and yawned. But I know there will be no stopping you, Alanna. I will not go with you. I'm not ready to die. Faithful curled up and went back to sleep. She smiled and quickly petted her loyal cat. Then she left her tent. Before going to the stables, she snuck into the healers' tents. She quickly located Maude's bag and, using her Gift, disarmed the protective spells on it. She grabbed the bag and fled to the stables. She knew Jon's injuries would be bad and need more help than what her supplies could provide. She put a sleep charm on the stable boy and slipped a gold noble in his bag. Then she saddled Moonlight and climbed into the sidesaddle position. She rode out of the stables and into the darkness to save Jonathan and put a stop to George's killing spree, once and for all.
*************************************************************
The Bloody Hawk's campsite was closer to the Black City then the only inhabited southern city, it only took her an hour to arrive at the Black City's gates. But she knew that an hour was long enough for Jon to be killed and for George to escape. She thanked the Goddess that Moonlight was trained to ground-tie as she dismounted. She hugged Moonlight before grabbing the healer's bag and taking a deep breath. Then she entered the city she had left years ago and had prayed she would never have to return.
She walked swiftly through the streets, knowing George was with Jon in the town square. When she reached the city's center she stopped and surveyed the scene. She immediately saw Jon laying on the ground, pools of blood around him. She caught her breath and continued to look for possible danger. Seeing none, but knowing it was there, she slowly made her way to Jon. Suddenly George appeared in front of her, having jumped from behind the fountain. "I knew yeh'd come. I knew yeh'd have one of yer visions and yeh'd come to save yer 'love'. George said bitterly. "How do you know about my visions? I've only told a few, trustworthy, people." She asked, trying to keep him talking while she thought of a plan. Alanna looked around George to see if Jon was still breathing. George smirked and grabbed her chin in his hand, making her face him. "I have me sources." He smirked. "Let's get back to the matter at hand now. "Yer precious prince is dying. And the only way I'll let you get past me to heal him is if you come back to me. Child and all."
Alanna felt a familiar nudge from her child, giving her sudden inspiration. She took a deep breath, knowing what would happen if her new plan failed and what she would have to do if it didn't.
"Oh no! I think I'm going into labor!" Alanna yelled before she let out a scream. She looked at George to see his shocked and confused face, which was her cue. She grabbed her dagger and plunged it into his side. As George fell to the ground, cursing his pain, she grabbed the healer's bag she had dropped and ran to Jon's side. She quickly cleaned Jon's wounds, examining them as she did. Jon wouldn't survive unless she used her Gift. She closed her eyes and threw all her healing power into Jon. The baby's Gift helped hers; but Alanna was drained by the effort. She opened her eyes when she felt arms holding her close. Jon was awake and kissing her passionately. Suddenly, Alanna felt wet. She broke off Jon's kissed as she screamed. She was contracting. "I'm… going… into… LABOR!" Alanna screamed to Jon. Jon was panicking until he saw Maude's bag next to Alanna. He had no other choice than to deliver the baby right now, himself.
Thank Mithros I took those birthing classes with Alanna. Jon thought to himself as he pushed the screaming, sweating, Alanna into a laying position. He grabbed the instruments he needed and put Maude's bag behind Alanna's head. He checked the baby's progress and found he could see the top of the baby's head. "Alanna, love, I need you to push." He waited a beat. "Now!" Alanna pushed and she heard a baby's cry. She laughed and looked at Jonathan's awed face. "Now push one more time with all you've go!" Alanna pushed and saw Jonathan wiping down a baby with a cloth. Her baby. She heard him mutter, "It's a girl." Before the blackness overcame her and she passed out.
