Alanna The First Adventure - By Tamora Pierce Page 0,28

me. He trusts me, and he doesn’t even know I have the Gift.”

“Have you ever been trained?” King Roald asked.

“I learned all our village healing woman had to teach me, sire. I can heal, and—I can conjure. My brother’s the same, only he can see people’s minds and sometimes the future. I can’t.”

“Why didn’t you tell Duke Gareth this when you first arrived?” the King demanded. “Why didn’t your father tell us?”

She scuffed her foot along the floor. “My mother died having Thom and me. She had the Gift too. Father was angry—he thought their magics should’ve saved her. So he said he wouldn’t ever use his Gift again, and we weren’t to use ours. We weren’t even to be taught how to use it; but Maude, the village healer, taught us in secret” She hung her head. “As to the other, I want to be a knight Using my Gift doesn’t seem fair, somehow. It’s as if I’m fighting dirty.” Roald nodded, understanding. “But Maude said I should use my Gift for healing. She said I had the power to heal more than most people. She said if I didn’t heal, I wouldn’t make up for the killing I did as a knight. I didn’t listen to her.” Alanna’s voice was soft. “I disobeyed her, and one of my friends died.”

The King put his hand on her shoulder. “You did what you thought was right, Alan. We can’t all see the future, and we can’t know what will be asked of us.” He rubbed his forehead. “I should have listened to Roger,” he said, more to himself than to the Queen or to Alanna. “If he were here now, teaching you boys—” He drew a deep breath and looked at Alanna once more. “Jonathan has the Gift. He gets it from me—from the Conté line.

“If—when he gets well, I shall see to it you lads are properly trained. I have ignored this part of our heritage, too. Like your father, I thought our magic would vanish if I ignored it.” The King shook his head. “A knight must develop all his abilities, to the fullest. And evil is often armed with sorcery.”

Alanna thought she knew what the King meant. If she had been more thoroughly trained, she wouldn’t feel so helpless now. If the fever was magical, she was going into the fight badly prepared.

Lianne was fanning herself. “It’s so hot in here,” she complained.

“We’re trying to sweat the fever out, Majesty,” Alanna explained. “It’s best to try all the natural cures first.”

The King patted the Queen’s hand. “Remember what Duke Baird said. We can trust Myles and Alan. We must trust them.”

Lianne went to the sleeping Jonathan, taking his hand. Her eyes were bright with tears. “He’s all we have, Alan. I can’t—I am unable to bear any more children.” She smiled bravely at the King. “If my lord trusts you, then so do I.”

“Mother?” Jonathan’s voice was no more than a whisper. “Father?”

Alanna hid in the dressing room. It was not long before Roald called her back. “He is asleep. Will you call us if—” The King could not say it. Impulsively Alanna reached out and patted his arm.

“We’ll let you know right away if anything changes, sire,” she promised.

Myles stepped quietly into the room, bowing to his king and queen. “He’ll be all right,” the knight told Lianne. “He has all our prayers.”

“Except for those of the one who sent this fever,” replied the Queen.

The King and Myles exchanged a look. The Queen was right Who was Jonathan’s enemy?

Gently the King took his lady’s arm. “Come, my dear,” he said softly. “We must leave.”

Coram and Timon came back as Jonathan’s parents left. Alanna rolled up her sleeves. “Let’s get this fire built up again,” she said grimly.

It was a long night Jonathan’s coughing finally stopped. Alanna listened to his chest, smiling when she could hear him breathing easily. But the fever continued, drying Jon’s lips till they cracked and bled. He fought Alanna and Myles, dreaming, living through ugly nightmares. His voice was worn down to nothing, and it shook Alanna to see him scream without making a sound.

Myles grabbed her shoulders. “Alan, this can’t continue! Your Gift! Use it!”

“I’ve been using it!” she cried. “And I haven’t the training—”

“Go inside yourself, then! Can’t you see he’s dying?”

Alanna looked at the fire. It roared hungrily in the hearth, waiting for her. She rubbed her eyes. Already she was tired from the little spells and charms she