sword.
All at once she felt different inside her own skin.
“Me,” she said at last. “You should pick me.”
“But you’re a girl.” It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
“So?” she demanded. “Even Captain Sklaw says I’ll be a swordsman yet. I’m as good an archer as Alex, and he’s a boy and a squire. I’m a better tracker than Raoul. And have I ever failed you? Back there, or when you had the Fever—”
“I’m glad you agree with my reasons,” he interrupted calmly. “I told Father you’d probably accept.”
Alanna swallowed hard.
“Before we left, I told him I wanted you for my squire. He didn’t seem very surprised.” Jonathan wriggled, trying to find a softer spot on the ground.
“B-but,” Alanna stuttered, “isn’t it different? Now that you know—”
“That you’re a girl? No, not in the way you mean. Girl, boy or dancing bear, you’re the finest page—the finest squire-to-be—at Court.” He chuckled. “I almost had to fight Gary for you. He said it wasn’t fair, me getting the best because I’m the prince.” He took her hand. “Alanna of Trebond—I will be honored if you will serve as my squire.”
Alanna kissed his hand, blinking back tears. “My life and sword are yours, Highness.”
He spoiled the dignity of the moment by ruffling her hair. “Now, get some sleep.” He settled back and closed his eyes. “You know,” he murmured, “I’d almost rather face old Ylon again than Lord Martin in a temper.”
“I’ll blame it all on you,” she replied sleepily. “See if I don’t.”
He dozed off quickly. Alanna lay awake a little while longer, watching the dark towers of the Black City in the distance. If there were any more Ysandir about, she was too tired to care. She wished she had Jon’s faith in Duke Roger, but knew she wasn’t going to get it. Still, she could figure out the Duke of Conté later. As Jon said, there was morning and Lord Martin to face, and it was time at last to sleep.
The Beginning
TAMORA PIERCE has nineteen fantasy novels for teenagers in print worldwide in English, German, Swedish; and Danish, and audio books in Danish and English, with two more—Shatterglass and the untitled first book in a new Tortallan series—to appear in 2003. Alanna: The First Adventure is her first published book and the foundation of the Tortallan quartets: the Song of the Lioness, The Immortals, and The Protector of the Small. Alanna received an Authors Citation by the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Seventeenth Annual New Jersey Writers Conference and was on the Recommended Fantasy list of the Preconference on Genres of the Young Adult Services Division of the American Library Association, June 1991. Her other publications include short stories, articles, and her two Circle of Magic quartets. She was also an actor and writer for a radio drama and comedy production company in the 1980s and recently resumed her voice actors motley for Bruce Coville’s Full Cast Audio book company. Tammy has been a housemother, a social worker, a secretary, and an agent’s assistant. She lives in New York with her Spouse-Creature, technoweenie Tim Liebe, three cats, two parakeets, and wildlife rescued.
Alanna’s adventures have only started …
In the Hand
of the Goddess
SONG OF THE LIONESS BOOK II
The copper-haired rider looked at the black sky and swore. The storm would be on her soon, and she was hours away from shelter. No matter what she did, she was going to have to spend the night out-of-doors.
“I hate getting wet,” Alanna of Trebond told her mare. “I don’t like being cold, either, and we’ll probably be both.”
The horse whickered in reply, flicking her white tail. Alanna sighed and patted Moonlight’s neck—she also didn’t like exposing her faithful mare to such conditions.
They were on the last leg of an errand in the coastal hills. A forest lay before them; beyond it was the Great Road South and a half a day’s ride to the capital city and home. Alanna shook her head. They could probably find shelter somewhere under the trees, if luck was with them.
Clucking to Moonlight, she picked up their pace. In the distance thunder rolled, and a few drops of rain blew into her face. She shivered and swore again. Checking to make sure the scroll she carried was safe in its waterproof wrapping and tucked between her tunic and shirt, Alanna shrugged into a hooded cloak. Her friend Myles of Olau would be very upset if the three-hundred-year-old document she had been sent to fetch got wet!
Moonlight carried