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Alanna: The First Adventure
Alanna: The First Adventure
Alanna: The First Adventure
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Alanna: The First Adventure

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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About this ebook

A girl disguises herself as a boy to train as a knight in this first book in Tamora Pierce’s Margaret A. Edwards Award–winning young adult series—now with a new look!

From now on, I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.

In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom, and, disguised as a boy, begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart.

So begin Alanna’s adventures—filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil—that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.

Editor's Note

Inspiring fantasy...

Thirty years after its initial publication, this fantasy quartet continues to inspire young women. Strong-willed Alanna won't let her fears or her gender deter her from becoming a knight.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 8, 2009
ISBN9781439120293
Alanna: The First Adventure
Author

Tamora Pierce

Beloved author Tamora Pierce has written a great number of books, including the Song of the Lioness quartet, The Immortals quartet, the Circle of Magic quartet, the Protector of the Small quartet, The Circle Opens quartet, the Trickster series, The Will of the Empress, Melting Stones, the Beka Cooper series, and The Numair Chronicles. She lives in upstate New York with various cats, other four-legged animals, and birds who feed in her yard, and can be e-visited at Tamora-Pierce.net.

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Reviews for Alanna

Rating: 4.470769230769231 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

325 ratings106 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a nice quick story
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read this book nearly twenty years ago, and having just finished it again, it's great to see that it has stood the test of time. Alanna is certainly no damsel-in-distress. Instead, she is a clever, outspoken and feisty young heroine determined to prove her worth in a warrior's world. I loved the mix of fantasy and adventure, but what I found most refreshing was the absence of any romance. I think I will now revisit the rest of the series. A terrific read for young teens looking for a strong, female protagonist.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    2.5 Stars. I liked the idea of this one, but there wasn’t quite the depth in emotion and character I would have preferred.More than anything, Alanna wants to be a knight, but as a girl, that isn’t an option, so she comes up with this idea to swap places with her twin brother, and disguised as a boy, she’ll take his place as a knight in training. Alanna, starting out as a page, quickly acquires a group of friends and an enemy, as well as a connection with an older thief in town, for me, there wasn’t a single personality in this group who stood out from the rest, the bad guy is a bad guy there’s nothing else to him, and the friends were friendly, but beyond that there wasn’t really a notable quality about any of them, even the thief who could have and probably should have had a fun edge to him, didn’t really.As for Alanna, she’s persistent and tough, admirable traits, though it seemed like too much of her training took place without readers being witness to it, we see her stand up for herself, but it’s the journey not the destination right? I just feel like you lose out a bit on a big cathartic moment when you mostly gloss over the effort it took for the character to reach that point, when you don’t see Alanna learning tactics and having to try and try again to get a grasp on them, when you’re mostly just told at the end of the day how tired she is rather than truly see her put through the paces. I just don’t think the resulting triumph is as emotionally rewarding for the reader as it might have been had we gotten a true sense of what an uphill climb it was to get there. I would have welcomed setting aside the magic and mission/adventure until the next book, and instead focus squarely on the bullying, training and the uniqueness of her gender in that situation, digging into those aspects of the plot, finding the depth in them. I also longed for more of Alanna’s emotional responses, I just didn’t feel like the emotional toll of any of it – the bullying, the being a girl among boys, being a girl making her mark in a male dominated field, experiencing her first period, how she feels about being ignored by her father (convenient for the plot, but how did it affect Alanna on a personal level?) and for the first time in her life her brother isn’t her constant companion – this is a twelve or thirteen year old dealing with all this stuff mostly on her own, and yet her emotions in those moments are basic immediate reactions like anger, frustration, etc., what she’s feeling is never as thoroughly explored as it might have been. For me, so much of what happens in the book felt as though it happened on the surface rather than down deep inside the characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. Shows that us girls can be as good or better than boys :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was exactly what I was expecting: A YA fantasy about a girl disguising herself as a boy in order to train to be a knight. A little on the bland side - no one is terribly complicated - but there are adventures with gods and magic. Just right for bedtime stories, as was the reader's voice.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Written for young adults, this 1983 book was excellently written. The thing to remember is the date of publication -- what many people today consider standardized roles was new and fresh then. I admit I devoured this book as though I were again in my teens. I watched her make friends with people because she liked them, not because of their position. I was with her as she progressed in her dreams of being a knight someday. Her struggles with her magical powers was heartbreaking. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy. I have already bought the sequel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book got me into reading. Before I read this book I wasn't really into reading, and then a friend told me about these books and guess what? It was wonderful. I really like it, and I bet you will to!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Couldnt wait to finish it. The characters as I have said before are very black and white. Few characters that are grey include the king of theives, Eoger the princes cousin, the wazir of the bazhir tribe and now the prince himself. The book left me wating to read the next one right away and that is exactly what I am going to do now.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I discovered Tamora Pierce when I was in college and haven't been able to stop reading her books since then. I've read this one several times, but this time I listened to the audio. Trini Alvarado does a decent job with the narration but she seems a little girly for the story overall. Great to hear it though.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One of my favourite childhood reads, although this is very much a children's book and doesn't really stand up to adult reading. However, I can't escape my abiding love for its strong, stubborn, honourable heroine and her determination to pursue her dreams regardless of the challenges. A few shaky bits of prose aside, it's fast-paced and gloriously single-minded in letting its heroine overcome her challenges on her own. She may need to learn to ask for help, but she doesn't need rescuing. It's definitely simplistic (it's a children's book - it's allowed to be) - and while the Sweating Fever sequence retains its power, Alanna's adventures in Olau and Persopolis feel a little too easy to me now, without any real question of her survival. The real joy for me though is in Alanna's steadfast refusal to give in to the more mundane challenges of bullying, mathematics and swordcraft, repeatedly knuckling down and finding ways to achieve her goals. Not perfect, but still a great book for a younger reader (my 7 year old self would have given it 5 stars).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It's old cover was better just so you know, and I think if you are into fantasy this is one of the best reads for you. If you are just beginging to read higher level books this is a great choice. It is one of a series and has wonderful descriptions. It's about a girl who trades places with her brother (he goes to study "magic" and she goes to learn to be a warrior) and appearing as a man she faces many challenges such as, being a woman growing up?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I enjoyed this book a lot when I was younger, and was pleased to still enjoy it this time around. A strong young girl determined to prove she's as good as a boy, and yet constantly fighting her own doubts about it. Alanna aside, I've always liked the world of Tortall as well. There's nothing too special or weird or unique about it, but it's a pleasant fantasy world that's a perfect fit for younger readers or people who aren't into high/epic fantasy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Tortall books by Tamora Pierce are a young adult fantasy series; if you've never read a Tortall book, this is the best one to start with because it's the very first in the series. I wish I had found these when I was a teen, but they're very enjoyable to read if you're an adult, too. :) Oddly enough, even though this is the first of the Tortall books and I've read almost all of them, I don't think I've ever read this particular story arc."Alanna: The First Adventure" is no exception to the enjoyable read rule; it's a fun, fast read and definitely leaves you wanting to get onto the next one. The story involves the heroine Alanna disguising herself as a boy in order to become a page while her twin brother goes off to become a sorcerer; her goal is to become a female knight, but women aren't allowed to be knights. Fortunately this plan (mostly) works out, but I won't give away what happens. I love all the character development and growth Alanna goes through as the book goes on, as she becomes more comfortable in her own skin and begins to see that she's just as good as the male pages. (What can I say, I'm a sucker for strong female characters.) Like all the books in the series, the characters are wonderfully written; I always grow attached to Pierce's characters, and this time was no different.The only slightly bad thing I can say about the book is that it reads a lot more like a children's book than the later Tortall books; maybe this wouldn't have been so obvious, but I read one of the later books recently. This isn't bad, really, but it's just something I noticed as I was reading. It seemed the most obvious at the start of the book where everything works out a little too pat and perfect when things could have gone wrong at any point. Still, I guess it's not too hard to pass as a boy when you're an eleven year old tomboy (as someone who was a tomboy teen, I can relate), so the fact that Alanna's plan fooled people isn't too strange.I also noticed a lot of typos in my copy of the book (mostly quotation marks that were missing), but this is more something an editor should have caught or something messed up as it was being printed than a writing or story problem. I'm probably overly nitpicky about this kind of thing, though.Overall, this was a fun read and I really like Alanna. I think I'll give this book 4 stars out of 5; if the next book in the story arc is as good as the second part of this book, then I have a feeling that one will get at least a 4 1/2. :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Don't let this cover scare you. At least, it scared me. I was up against one of those small fantasy tomes that I so often thought had the worst illustations (still do.). I started to read, and quickly became enthralled by the description of emotions, and the story. This was my first Tamora Pierce book, and I spent the next two months reading all of her books, something I enjoyed hugely. I've told so many people to read this, and not one to this point hsn't liked it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow, I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I read a lot of fantasy in my younger days and this is definitely better than most of them (which isn't saying much). There were a couple of things about this book that I appreciated a lot. First, many fantasies have convoluted plots, this one does not (yet). This was a straightforward tale about a young girl that feels bound by the role her gender is given. She wants to become a knight and the only way for her to do so is to pretend to be a boy. So, I appreciated the simplicity of the plot. Second, Tamora does a good job of doing away with all the trivial nonsense most fantasies are filled with (page fillers, if you will). I hate reading about what every character is thinking and why they are thinking it and how the window curtains shimmer in the sun (sorry Robert Jordan fans). I appreciate the lack of information. It made for a straightforward reading experience. Also, Alanna is a very likable character, I think many young adults could relate with. Highly recommended for young adults looking for a fun read. Fans of fantasy and science fiction will also appreciate this book I believe.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was my first read of this book and my first by Tamora Pierce. Unlike a lot of reviews around my age (19) I didn?t first read this book in my younger teen years, and I only wish that I had because I think it would have become one of my very favourite childhood books and I would have re read it over and over the years. I couldn?t give this book 5 stars as for me now the writing was just a little bit too young to fully enjoy that?s why I only wish I?d read it when I was younger because I think I would have loved it even more. However this book was still immensely enjoyable and I feel like I?ll enjoy the books more and more as Alanna gets older as with her being between the ages of 10 and 13 in this book I didn?t connect with her as much as someone younger may be able to. Over all this was a really promising start and I?m really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the Song of the Lioness series to find out what happens to Alanna and co next.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I finally got to Tamora Pierce. This book and the first book in the Circle of Magic series have been on my list for three plus years. It's good though because this is the mood I'm in at the present time. I have three more of her series lined up. I got caught without book 4 of this series so I started the Protector of the Small series because I didn't want to leave Tortall yet and wait for Lioness Rampant to arrive. Great heroines (Sheroes, lol).
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A comforting little YA fantasy about a girl who sets out to defy the expectations of her gender and become a warrior maiden.The characters are a bit pat, and the story isn't very challenging or controversial - the good guys are real good and kind and wise, and are aided by equally kind and perceptive characters of the goodness of their hearts, whereas the bad guys are just bad, no explanation. The motivations of the characters aren't explored in any detail.Apart from a clunky introduction the story has a good flow, and the characters - conventional as they are - are likeable. Alanna and Thom - motherless twins - are sent to respectively a convent to become a lady and to the palace to become a knight by their negligent father.Relying on their fathers lack of interest, the forge his signature and switch places, sending Thom to a monestary to become a sorcerer, and Alanna - in the guise of Alan, the younger twin brother - to the palace to become a knight.The first book of the Song of the Lioness ends when Alanna is about to become a squire. With several enemies oppposing her, and unlikely friends supporting her and keeping her secrets.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    *Review Contains Spoilers*This is a well realized portrait of someone with talent, ambition, and the necessary support to use those to overcome obstacles that others aren't necessarily aware are there. At the beginning of the book, Alanna and her twin, Thom, are being sent off to places neither of them wish to go, and both are jealous of the other. Alanna makes the 'offer' to swap, and we then watch the consequences of her actions. There were a few times when it felt like it was going to go all Tom Brown's schooldays on me, but the violence was much more understated than I remember that being. Rather than the bully being pulled up, but being allowed to stay and making things worse, which I truly expected to see, when Alanna finally fights, she gets to stay and the bully leaves. The story itself is painted with a broad brush, and the high action point of the novel is very brief, even though in some ways everything did lead up to that. Written for am much younger audience than her later books, I found it interesting, and a quick read, and I'll certainly read the rest of the series, but I'm no highly invested.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was the first Tamora Pierce book that I discovered. I loved it and read the entire quartet in less than a week. The land of Tortal was rich and in vivid detail. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting. The story was fast paced and fun. I love suggesting Pierce to reluctant readers. The only trouble is finding something else for them to read after they finish all four quartets.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Alanna wants nothing more than to be a knight and her twin brother wants nothing more than to be a magician. Unfortunately, their father could care less and insists they follow tradition...until Alanna hatches a plan to switch places with her brother. She will go to knight school and he will go to the convent to learn magic. Alanna must pretend to be a boy as she goes through training - sword fighting, wrestling, and horseback riding. Alanna makes friends with the Prince as well as the town theif...can she keep her secret safe from them and everyone else? Quick and fun read. It reminded me a lot of Dealing With Dragons by Patricia Wrede...but with a little more mature audience in mind.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Cute story. Definitely could be a little deeper but since it is aimed at preteens I won't hold that against this one. Lots of build up for kind of a small climax but I will keep reading the series since I hear they only get better.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book introduced me to the genre of fantasy as a young adult and inspired me to start my own fiction career. Alanna is a strong female heroine who is neither perfect nor sterotypical. Her story inspires girls to reach for the impossible. I would suggest it as reading for young readers, 10-14, who have time to read the entire series since the books do not really stand alone very well. Older teen readers may enjoy the more complex later works of Ms. Pierce which provide more social insight and believable character reactions than the lioness series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The "Song of the Lioness Quartet" is one of my enduring favorites. I found the series through a friend when I was in fifth grade and read them voraciously as they became available to me. I have read pretty much everything Ms. Pierce has written and love all her works. Alanna holds a special place in my heart since it is one of the first fantasy books that I read with a strong shero. I am totally psyched about the new Beka Cooper series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I do believe that this is the first book Pierce published, and I've finally gotten around to reading it! I discovered her with the Immortals series, and the Circle of Magic series, and I fell in love with her. After reading through ten books, I forgot her. And then I found this series in a used bookstore, and discovered her again.I had fun reading this first book in the Alanna series (I guess the title makes that apparent), and was reminded of why I was enamored with her years ago. The writing is fluid, the action is fast and frequent, and she always uses strong female characters. Alanna is a girl, with the misfortune of being born into a world where women study courting, not knighthood. Being resourceful, with an absent-minded father, she decides to dress as a boy and go to the school for pages, anyway. Once there, she proves that a girl can be just as brave a knight as a boy, even if no one else knows it.As I read, I realized something else. I've changed - well, grown - over those intervening years, because the book didn't have the same hold on me that its predecessors had. A lot of fun, certainly, and a fast read. I still love reading about strong heroines who beat the odds. It just wasn't as earth-shattering as my earlier experiences. That said, I'll definitely finish this quartet.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Pretty good fantasy series for women and girls alike.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorite books ever and the perfect start to Tamora Pierce's books which are wonderful.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    My all time favorite book since Middle School. Girls kick butt, and Alanna leaves no doubt about that. Very real, very smart, must read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce is the first of the Song of the Lioness series. Alanna, dissatisfied with the life of a young lady, decides to change her destiny. She takes on the name Alan of Trebond so she can learn how to be a knight.She and her fraternal twin (how convenient!) trade places. He sneaks off to be a wizard and she goes in his place to be a knight in training. She has to put up with hazing, keeps up with her studies, and push herself physically.It made a nice distracting read on a long series of BART rides. If I were a tween, I probably would have eaten this book up and jumped into the next of the series. As an adult, though, I'm still contemplating continuing through the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a fun book! This series is perfect for young adults and has everything in it: magic, knights, and morals. I would put it in the hands of every child if I could and can't recommend the series highly enough.

Book preview

Alanna - Tamora Pierce

1

TWINS

THAT IS MY DECISION. WE need not discuss it, said the man at the desk. He was already looking at a book. His two children left the room, closing the door behind them.

He doesn’t want us around, the boy muttered. "He doesn’t care what we want."

"We know that, was the girl’s answer. He doesn’t care about anything, except his books and scrolls."

The boy hit the wall. "I don’t want to be a knight! I want to be a great sorcerer! I want to slay demons and walk with the gods—"

D’you think I want to be a lady? his sister asked. ‘Walk slowly, Alanna,’ she said primly. ‘Sit still, Alanna. Shoulders back, Alanna.’ As if that’s all I can do with myself! She paced the floor. There has to be another way.

The boy watched the girl. Thom and Alanna of Trebond were twins, both with red hair and purple eyes. The only difference between them—as far as most people could tell—was the length of their hair. In face and body shape, dressed alike, they would have looked alike.

Face it, Thom told Alanna. "Tomorrow you leave for the convent, and I go to the palace. That’s it."

Why do you get all the fun? she complained. I’ll have to learn sewing and dancing. You’ll study tilting, fencing—

"D’you think I like that stuff? he yelled. I hate falling down and whacking at things! You’re the one who likes it, not me!"

She grinned. "You should’ve been Alanna. They always teach the girls magic— The thought hit her so suddenly that she gasped. Thom. That’s it!"

From the look on her face, Thom knew his sister had just come up with yet another crazy idea. "What’s it?" he asked suspiciously.

Alanna looked around and checked the hall for servants. "Tomorrow he gives us the letters for the man who trains the pages and the people at the convent. You can imitate his writing, so you can do new letters, saying we’re twin boys. You go to the convent. Say in the letter that you’re to be a sorcerer. The Daughters of the Goddess are the ones who train young boys in magic, remember? When you’re older, they’ll send you to the priests. And I’ll go to the palace and learn to be a knight!"

That’s crazy, Thom argued. What about your hair? You can’t go swimming naked, either. And you’ll turn into a girl—you know, with a chest and everything.

I’ll cut my hair, she replied. And—well, I’ll handle the rest when it happens.

What about Coram and Maude? They’ll be traveling with us, and they can tell us apart. They know we aren’t twin boys.

She chewed her thumb, thinking this over. I’ll tell Coram we’ll work magic on him if he says anything, she said at last. He hates magic—that ought to be enough. And maybe we can talk to Maude.

Thom considered it, looking at his hands. You think we could? he whispered.

Alanna looked at her twin’s hopeful face. Part of her wanted to stop this before it got out of hand, but not a very big part. If you don’t lose your nerve, she told her twin. And if I don’t lose mine, she thought.

What about Father? He was already looking into the distance, seeing the City of the Gods.

Alanna shook her head. He’ll forget us, once we’re gone. She eyed Thom. D’you want to be a sorcerer bad enough? she demanded. It means years of studying and work for us both. Will you have the guts for it?

Thom straightened his tunic. His eyes were cold. Just show me the way!

Alanna nodded. Let’s go find Maude.


Maude, the village healer, listened to them and said nothing. When Alanna finished, the woman turned and stared out the door for long minutes. Finally she looked at the twins again.

They didn’t know it, but Maude was in difficulty. She had taught them all the magic she possessed. They were both capable of learning much more, but there were no other teachers at Trebond. Thom wanted everything he could get from his magic, but he disliked people. He listened to Maude only because he thought she had something left to teach him; he hated Coram—the other adult who looked after the twins—because Coram made him feel stupid. The only person in the world Thom loved, beside himself, was Alanna. Maude thought about Alanna and sighed. The girl was very different from her brother. Alanna was afraid of her magic. Thom had to be ordered to hunt, and Alanna had to be tricked and begged into trying spells.

The woman had been looking forward to the day when someone else would have to handle these two. Now it seemed the gods were going to test her through them one last time.

She shook her head. I cannot make such a decision without help. I must try and See, in the fire.

Thom frowned. I thought you couldn’t. I thought you could only heal.

Maude wiped sweat from her face. She was afraid. Never mind what I can do and what I cannot do, she snapped. Alanna, bring wood. Thom, vervain.

They rushed to do as she said, Alanna returning first to add wood to the fire already burning on the hearth. Thom soon followed, carrying leaves from the magic plant vervain.

Maude knelt before the hearth and motioned for the twins to sit on either side of her. She felt sweat running down her back. People who tried to use magic the gods had not given them often died in ugly ways. Maude gave a silent prayer to the Great Mother Goddess, promising good behavior for the rest of her days if only the Goddess would keep her in one piece through this.

She tossed the leaves onto the fire, her lips moving silently with the sacred words. Power from her and from the twins slowly filled the fire. The flames turned green from Maude’s sorcery and purple for the twins’. The woman drew a deep breath and grabbed the twins’ left hands, thrusting them into the fire. Power shot up their arms. Thom yelped and wriggled with the pain of the magic now filling him up. Alanna bit her lower lip till it bled, fighting the pain her own way. Maude’s eyes were wide and blank as she kept their intertwined hands in the flames.

Suddenly Alanna frowned. A picture was forming in the fire. That was impossible—she wasn’t supposed to See anything. Maude was the one who had cast the spell. Maude was the only one who should See anything.

Ignoring all the laws of magic Alanna had been taught, the picture grew and spread. It was a city made all of black, shiny stone. Alanna leaned forward, squinting to see it better. She had never seen anything like this city. The sun beat down on gleaming walls and towers. Alanna was afraid—more afraid than she had ever been….

Maude let go of the twins. The picture vanished. Alanna was cold now, and very confused. What had that city been? Where was it?

Thom examined his hand. There were no burn marks, or even scars. There was nothing to show that Maude had kept their hands in the flames for long minutes.

Maude rocked back on her heels. She looked old and tired. I have seen many things I do not understand, she whispered finally. Many things—

Did you see the city? Alanna wanted to know.

Maude looked at her sharply. I saw no city.

Thom leaned forward. "You saw something? His voice was eager. But Maude cast the spell—"

No! Alanna snapped. I didn’t see anything! Anything!

Thom decided to wait and ask her later, when she didn’t look so scared. He turned to Maude. Well? he demanded.

The healing woman sighed. Very well. Tomorrow Thom and I go to the City of the Gods.


At dawn the next day, Lord Alan gave each of his children a sealed letter and his blessing before instructing Coram and Maude. Coram still did not know the change in plan. Alanna did not intend to enlighten him until they were far from Trebond.

Once Lord Alan let them go, Maude took the twins to Alanna’s room while Coram got the horses ready. The letters were quickly opened and read.

Lord Alan entrusted his son to the care of Duke Gareth of Naxen and his daughter to the First Daughter of the convent. Sums of money would be sent quarterly to pay for his children’s upkeep until such time as their teachers saw fit to return them to their home. He was busy with his studies and trusted the judgment of the Duke and the First Daughter in all matters. He was in their debt, Lord Alan of Trebond.

Many such letters went to the convent and to the palace every year. All girls from noble families studied in convents until they were fifteen or sixteen, at which time they went to Court to find husbands. Usually the oldest son of a noble family learned the skills and duties of a knight at the king’s palace. Younger sons could follow their brothers to the palace, or they could go first to the convent, then to the priests’ cloisters, where they studied religion or sorcery.

Thom was expert at forging his father’s handwriting. He wrote two new letters, one for Alan, one for himself. Alanna read them carefully, relieved to see that there was no way to tell the difference between Thom’s work and the real thing. The boy sat back with a grin, knowing it might be years before the confusion was resolved.

While Thom climbed into a riding skirt, Maude took Alanna into the dressing room. The girl changed into shirt, breeches and boots. Then Maude cut her hair.

I’ve something to say to you, Maude said as the first lock fell to the floor.

What? Alanna asked nervously.

You’ve a gift for healing. The shears worked on. It’s greater than mine, greater than any I have ever known. And you’ve other magic, power you’ll learn to use. But the healing—that’s the important thing. I had a dream last night. A warning, it was, as plain as if the gods shouted in my ear.

Alanna, picturing this, stifled a giggle.

It don’t do to laugh at the gods, Maude told her sternly. Though you’ll find that out yourself, soon enough.

What is that supposed to mean?

Never mind. Listen. Have you thought of the lives you’ll take when you go off performing those great deeds?

Alanna bit her lip. No, she admitted.

I didn’t think so. You see only the glory. But there’s lives taken and families without fathers and sorrow. Think before you fight. Think on who you’re fighting, if only because one day you must meet your match. And if you want to pay for those lives you do take, use your healing magic. Use it all you can, or you won’t cleanse your soul of death for centuries. It’s harder to heal than it is to kill. The Mother knows why, but you’ve a gift for both. Quickly she brushed Alanna’s cropped hair. Keep your hood up for a bit, but you look enough like Thom to fool anyone but Coram.

Alanna stared at herself in the mirror. Her twin stared back, violet eyes wide in his pale face. Grinning, she wrapped herself in her cloak. With a last peek at the boy in the mirror, she followed Maude out to the courtyard. Coram and Thom, already mounted up, waited for them. Thom rearranged his skirts and gave his sister a wink.

Maude stopped Alanna as she went to mount the pony, Chubby. Heal, child, the woman advised. Heal all you can, or you’ll pay for it. The gods mean for their gifts to be used.

Alanna swung herself into the saddle and patted Chubby with a comforting hand. The pony, sensing that the good twin was on his back, stopped fidgeting. When Thom was riding him, Chubby managed to dump him.

The twins and the two servants waved farewell to the assembled castle servants, who had come to see them off. Slowly they rode through the castle gate, Alanna doing her best to imitate Thom’s pout—or the pout Thom would be wearing if he were riding to the palace right now. Thom was looking down at his pony’s ears, keeping his face hidden. Everyone knew how the twins felt at being sent away.

The road leading from the castle plunged into heavily overgrown and rocky country. For the next day or so they would be riding through the unfriendly forests of the Grimhold Mountains, the great natural border between Tortall and Scanra. It was familiar land to the twins. While it might seem dark and unfriendly to people from the South, to Alanna and Thom it would always be home.

At midmorning they came to the meeting of Trebond Way and the Great Road. Patrolled by the king’s men, the Great Road led north to the distant City of the Gods. That was the way Thom and Maude would take. Alanna and Coram were bound south, to the capital city of Corus, and the royal palace.

The two servants went apart to say goodbye and give the twins some privacy. Like Thom and Alanna, it would be years before Coram and Maude saw each other again. Though Maude would return to Trebond, Coram was to remain with Alanna, acting as her manservant during her years at the palace.

Alanna looked at her brother and gave a little smile. Here we are, she said.

I wish I could say ‘have fun,’ Thom said frankly, but I can’t see how anyone can have fun learning to be a knight. Good luck, though. If we’re caught, we’ll both be skinned.

No one’s going to catch us, brother. She reached across the distance between them, and they gripped hands warmly. Good luck, Thom. Watch your back.

There are a lot of tests ahead for you, Thom said earnestly. "Watch your back."

I’ll pass the tests, Alanna said. She knew they were brave words, almost foolhardy, but Thom looked as if he needed to hear them. They turned their ponies then and rejoined the adults.

Let’s go, Alanna growled to Coram.

Maude and Thom took the left fork of the Great Road and Alanna and Coram bore right. Alanna halted suddenly, turning around to watch her brother ride off. She blinked the burning feeling from her eyes, but she couldn’t ease the tight feeling in her throat. Something told her Thom would be very different when she saw him again. With a sigh she turned Chubby back toward the capital city.

Coram made a face and urged his big gelding forward. He would have preferred doing anything to escorting a finicky boy to the palace. Once he had been the hardiest soldier in the king’s armies. Now he was going to be a joke. People would see that Thom was no warrior, and they would blame Coram—the man who was to have taught him the basics of the warrior’s craft. He rode for hours without a word, thinking his own gloomy thoughts, too depressed to notice that Thom, who usually complained after an hour’s ride, was silent as well.

Coram had been trained as a blacksmith, but he had once been one of the best of the king’s foot soldiers, until he had returned home to Trebond Castle and become

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