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George chucked Alanna under the chin. “I’ll enjoy watchin’ you grow up, lass. Count on me to help.”
Alanna gripped his hand, meeting his eyes. “I never thought for a second that I couldn’t.”
“You’re probably the only person in the city besides me who can say that,” George’s mother commented, returning. “He’s a good boy, even if he is crooked. Here. Slip this on.”
Alanna looked puzzledly at the gold symbol dangling from a thin cord. She had never seen such a letter before, and she could feel it radiating power. Quickly she slipped the cord over her head, tucking it under her shirt. The feeling of strange magic vanished.
“Let George’s people bring me to you from now on,” Mistress Cooper instructed. “I doubt you’ll need me much, though. Give me your hand.”
Alanna obeyed. The woman just touched her fingers, then pulled away as if she had been burned.
“Now what?” Alanna wanted to know.
“Poor lass.” There was pity in the woman’s face. “The Goddess has Her hand on you. You’ve been given a hard path to walk.” She tried to smile. “Luck to you, Alanna of Trebond. You’ll need it.”
* * *
Alanna was just slipping into her rooms when Coram found her.
“Two guesses as to who’s wantin’ to see ye.”
Alanna made a face. “I couldn’t help it. The problem was urgent.”
“Yer problem now is urgent, too,” was the reply. “The Duke’s fit to be tied.”
For visiting the city without permission, Duke Gareth restricted Alanna to the palace for two months. She also had to report to him during her time after the evening meal and run his errands. She took it without complaint, since she had no choice. She certainly couldn’t tell a displeased Gareth why she had ridden off for the city.
Her thirteenth birthday passed, and it was August before she was free to leave the palace again. Even after she was taken off restriction Alanna remained on her best behavior. The Duke of Naxen had never been satisfied with her vague excuses for her morning ride to the city, and he watched her, so she watched herself.
Duke Gareth was not the only one keeping an eye on her. Sir Myles still observed her at odd moments. Her friendship with the knight had deepened steadily, until she was spending some nights playing chess with her older friend rather than joining the Prince and his circle. For one thing, Myles told fascinating stories. Myles could also explain why people behaved as they did. Although fighting was becoming second nature to her, Alanna didn’t understand people. Myles did, and she turned to him for instruction.
They were playing chess one fall evening when Myles asked, “Have you ever seen my estates? They lie just off the Great Road North, between here and Trebond.”
Alanna frowned at the board. “I’ve never been anywhere except Trebond and Port Caynn.”
Myles raised his eyebrows. “You should see more of Tortall. Did you know I have ruins up at Barony Olau dating back to the Old Ones?”
Alanna was fired with curiosity. She knew a little about the Old Ones. They had sailed across the ocean to build a civilization north of the Inland Sea. Bits and pieces were all that was left: parchments that lasted centuries, mosaics showing white cities with high towers—and ruins. The royal palace was built on the remains of one of their cities. Alanna had always wanted to know more about these people who had come before hers.
“Are they good, your ruins?” she asked eagerly. “Have you ever found anything there?”
Myles’s eyes danced with amusement. “They’re large, and I’ve found a number of things there. Would you like to ride up with me and have a look? You’re in check, by the way.”
“I’d love to go. D’you think it’s true, that the gods were afraid the Old Ones would challenge them, so they rained fire on the Eastern Lands? There.” She moved her king out of danger. She glanced at Myles in time to see an odd, thoughtful look on his face.
“I never knew you were so interested in the Old Ones—or the gods.”
Alanna shrugged. “It’s not something I talk about much. Duke Roger doesn’t like to answer questions about the Old Ones or the gods. Well, he says we aren’t old enough to understand. And the others aren’t very interested.”
“I don’t think that’s wise,” Myles commented. “Our gods are much too busy in our lives for us to ignore them.” He moved a piece. “Check, and mate.”
Alanna was dressing for bed when Timon came for her. She changed back into her clothes rapidly and followed the servingman.
“What have ye done now?” Coram called after her. “Why does the Duke want to see ye this time?”
“How should I know?” Alanna said, turning to scowl at the soldier. “Maybe he likes my company.”
Instead of taking her to Duke Gareth’s office, near the king’s council chambers, Timon took Alanna to the Duke of Naxen’s private study, in his personal suite. Alanna was shocked to find Duke Gareth wearing a bright brocade dressing gown.
The tall man looked at her and sighed. “I suppose you know Sir Myles wants you to ride with him to Barony Olau tomorrow?”
Alanna gulped. “He mentioned my visiting him, but I didn’t know it’d be today or tomorrow, saving your Grace’s presence, sir.” She twined her hands nervously behind her back.
The Duke smiled thinly. “I’m not angry, if that’s what’s making you babble. I’m simply puzzled. I wasn’t aware the two of you were so close.”
Alanna shifted her weight on her feet. “We play chess, sometimes,” she admitted. “And I wait on him at dinner—you gave me that duty, sir.”
“So I did.”
“And he knows things I don’t understand. I can talk to him, sir.” Alanna blushed. “I didn’t mean to imply—”
The man actually grinned. “Don’t put your foot in it any more than you have, lad. I’m not here to be your nanny. And I’m not displeased that you and Myles are friends. It’s good for you to have an older man to talk to. If your own father had any—” He stopped short. Alanna was surprised to see him blush faintly. “That was uncalled for. Forgive me, Alan.”
“I know of nothing to forgive you for, sir,” she said honestly.
“All right, then. You’d better get some sleep. Myles plans an early start. I’ll have Coram wake you. You’ll be gone for a week. I expect you to keep up with your studies, or I’ll think twice about any other outings of this sort.”
“Thank you, your Grace.” Alanna bowed deeply and hurried from the ducal presence. She ran back to her rooms, to find Coram waiting up for her. She told him her news, hardly able to stand still from the excitement. “And the Duke wears a red-gold brocade dressing gown. Can you imagine?” she asked as she disappeared behind her dressing screen.
Coram chuckled. “It’s things like that that remind me who ye are. Sometimes even I forget ye’re not a lad.”
Alanna, in her nightshirt, popped into bed as Coram doused the candles.
“Coram?” she said when he had settled under his own blankets.
“Aye?”
“D’you think anyone else has—guessed—that I’m not a boy?”
The man yawned. “Unlikely. Ye’ve taken too much care with yer disguise. Now, go to sleep. Or at least let me get some. The dawn watch’ll be the death of me.”
Alanna was up, dressed and packed when Coram came for her the next morning. He handed her a roll and a glass of milk. “Drink and eat,” he ordered her sternly. “Did ye get any sleep last night?”
She grinned sheepishly. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, behave yerself and don’t gulp that milk. He won’t leave without ye.”
Coram was right. Myles was awaiting her in the courtyard, dressed for riding. The very thought of Myles riding made Alanna stare. Somehow she had never envisioned the older man on a horse. Then she scolded herself mentally. Myles had had to pass all the tests she did. How could he have been knighted otherwise?
