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Wed Jan 30 09:03:19 CET 2008
e
turns and sees her guards, who have finally caught up to her. When she turn=
s
back to Elanzil, hoping to get in the last word, She is gone. Shaking her
head, Alanna limps back out to the main street. As she feared from Elanzil'=
s
parting shot, her old wounds are troubling her again. She curses Sheldar,
and starts to curse Elanzil, as well, but then thinks better of it.
"Come on. My friend is probably at the palace by now. Let's go find her."
--=20
"The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart."
~ Miles Naismith Vorkosigan
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<span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: '-webkit-serif&#=
39;; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacin=
g: 2px; "><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;">Alan=
na's guards quicken their pace to keep up with their Queen as she pract=
ically runs down the steps of the palace and out the main gate into the cit=
y of Askileon, calling after her, "Your Majesty! Wait! It is not safe!=
"<br>
<br>"In my own capital?" she calls back over her shoulder. "=
Come now, can't you keep up with a near-cripple?"<br><br>Alanna la=
ughs, and the echoes ring from the stones of the palace walls strangely mul=
tiplied.<br>
<br></span><i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;">=
By the Gods, though; I feel better than I have for many a moon!</span></i><=
span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;"><br><br>Suddenl=
y she stops, and a chill runs down her spine, as the echoes of the laughter=
break through her focus on finding Yavanna=97echoes that are </span><=
i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;">not</span></=
i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;"> in her=
own voice=97and she remembers when she </span><i><span class=3D"Apple=
-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;">did</span></i><span class=3D"Apple=
-style-span" style=3D"font-size: small;"> last feel this hale. As the =
guards catch up to her, she hisses under her breath, "What are you pla=
ying at, Elanzil?"<br>
<br>One of the guards, who had lagged behind in quick conversation with a m=
essenger, catches up and says, "Your Majesty, I have word of the Lady =
Yavanna. She is being conveyed here even now by the guards from the docks.&=
quot;<br>
<br>Alanna does not respond. She scans the crowd, straining with eyes and w=
ith her inner senses to catch a glimpse of Elanzil's form or a momentar=
y flicker of her essence.<br><br>"Your Majesty? Did you hear me?"=
asks the guard tentatively.<br>
<br>Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spots something=97what, she=
's not quite sure: a flicker of dark hair, a hand waved in invitation=
=97but she sets off after it at a run. Bewildered, the guards follow her, b=
arely keeping up.<br>
<br>For some time, Alanna weaves through crowds, along cross streets, and d=
own back alleys, following tantalizing flickers that only her eyes can see.=
At length, she finds herself in front of a small shrine, where an old woma=
n prays, apparently totally unaware that her Queen stands beside her...and =
her Goddess before her.<br>
<br>"Well, that was fun," Elanzil remarks.<br><br>"What in t=
he name of=97of=97of </span><i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=
=3D"font-size: small;">Urlos</span></i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" sty=
le=3D"font-size: small;"> was that all about?" Alanna snarls. &qu=
ot;My best friend from Ikalak is here, and You lead me on some kind of wild=
goose chase, just to show me a little shrine?"<br>
<br>Elanzil chuckles, then sobers, and looks directly at Alanna with Her un=
earthly eyes. "You needed to be reminded of Who I Am." She turns =
and gestures to the somewhat crude representation of Elanzil's victory =
over Akorin in the Starlight Battles before time began. "I am the Dark=
Victor, Alanna. I am the one to whom all women will turn to help them when=
they have no more hope. I am your patron, and have been for years...as I h=
ave been </span><i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size=
: small;">hers</span></i><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-siz=
e: small;"> also."<br>
<br>Alanna's eyes widen as her mind turns over all she knows of her fri=
end, and her mouth hangs open, arguments dying on her lips.<br><br>"Ye=
s," the Goddess murmurs, "you see it, don't you? She has serv=
ed Me faithfully for some time now, though she knows not My name or My face=
. Now, go to your friend. Go to her...and when you have greeted her properl=
y, when she is comfortable in this new land...bring her to Me. Bring her to=
this place, and teach her of My glories. And do not forget how easily you =
were able to run here..."<br>
<br>From behind Alanna comes a relieved cry, "Your Majesty! Thank the =
Gods!" She turns and sees her guards, who have finally caught up to he=
r. When she turns back to Elanzil, hoping to get in the last word, She is g=
one. Shaking her head, Alanna limps back out to the main street. As she fea=
red from Elanzil's parting shot, her old wounds are troubling her again=
. She curses Sheldar, and starts to curse Elanzil, as well, but then thinks=
better of it.<br>
<br>"Come on. My friend is probably at the palace by now. Let's go=
find her."</span></span><br>-- <br>"The only thing you can't=
trade for your heart's desire is your heart."<br>~ Miles Naismith=
Vorkosigan
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