Caught out in Milliways

[heatherandsteel]

It had been a long night with a tiring session with Etienne then going to Goldengreen to check in with Toby and see how she's doing.

After that, no one was free to give him a ride back so he decided to take a bus back to Toby's apartment. He should be able to make it before dawn without a problem and later he could tell Toby, she would like that he'd taken the bus.

The bus driver hadn't blinked at the leaves he'd made seem like coins and it was quiet until they broke down a few blocks from Toby's place and he could feel dawn pressing down.

He quickly got out and made his way into the park, but the trees changed and then dawn hit and he held onto a tree and tried to remember how to breath.

Comments

[heatherandsteel]

"Yes, he understands in cat form though can't talk back other than in meows and he can change into a man,"

The illusion is powerful and subtle but if he thinks of it like a don't-look-here then if he truly looks at it, that will make it go away. Since its enough like his own magic that he's able to ignore what the spell wants him to do.

[the_lioness]

"Can he?" Alanna's eyes widen. "Faithful, that's a trick you haven't learned yet."

He gives her a baleful look, but comes to sit on her feet. It settles her even further.

[heatherandsteel]

"I think only Cait Sidhe can do it. Ah, there,"

He smiles as a whiff of the heather and steel of his magic fills the air and he can see through the illusion.

[the_lioness]

Alanna tenses. How can she not?

Her hair is short, her chest is bound, her stride is masculine, and her muscles are well-developed: these things will not change. What might appear more evident to Quentin are softer lines and other physiological clues that might make the people who spend day in and out with Alanna, who know she's nearing seventeen years, start to wonder.

The Goddess likes to muddle their perceptions a bit.

[heatherandsteel]

Now he leans back, the differences are subtle and he blinks,

"I don't understand. Are you a girl?"

[the_lioness]

There it is.

Alanna leans her head back against the tree.

"If I was, could I trust you to keep that a secret? I don't fancy death by execution."

Or banishment, which would feel almost as awful. Maybe worse.

[heatherandsteel]

"Yes, hiding keeps you safe," That's why he hides what he is.

[the_lioness]

She exhales slowly.

"As I said, only noble sons may train for knighthood in Tortall. Noble daughters are sent to convents and learn how to be wives."

[heatherandsteel]

"That wouldn't suit you. How do you keep the illusion up if its not your Gift?"

He sits as he was leaning in a weird way.

[the_lioness]

"I don't know. Honestly, I've never..."

Faithful looks up at her again. They stare at each other for a moment.

"Huh."

Alanna clears her throat.

"Perhaps I have help." She scowls, unreasonably annoyed at the idea until she remembers that's probably not the wisest way to react.

[heatherandsteel]

"Oh, from someone more powerful? That would make sense. The Luidaeg can do all sorts of things no one else can,"

If someone like that was helping to keep the illusion going it would fit.

[the_lioness]

Alanna blinks.

"Loo-what?"

[heatherandsteel]

"Luidaeg, the sea witch, she's one of the Firstborn and if you ask her and accept that there will be a price, she helps. I like her,"

She's honest and took care of Katie when she needed it.

[the_lioness]

"A sea witch."

Does Alanna look a little green around the edges? Surely not.

"I'll take your word for it."

Beat.

"You promise you won't tell anyone? It's more important than I can say."

[heatherandsteel]

"I promise by the root and the branch, the rose and the tree, by oak, ash, yarrow and thorn, no one will learn your secret from me,"

He sits up straighter and meets her gaze to make sure she understands the weight of what he's saying.

[the_lioness]

His words sound like a poem, or a formal oath, and Alanna appreciates them that much more for it.

She smiles, none of the nerves evident now.

"In that case, Quentin, I'm Alanna of Trebond, daughter of Alan of Trebond, twin sister to Thom of Trebond whose place as page I took at the palace. He went off to the convent to study magic with the Mithrian priests."

[heatherandsteel]

Her reaction is good to see and he smiles then asks, "Did he have to dress as a girl or do they take girls and boys at the convent?"

[the_lioness]

"Not even once," Alanna snorts.

That's not entirely true. The day they separated they had to switch clothing a bit.

She doesn't really like thinking about that day, though.

"Studying sorcery is allowed, especially if an older brother tries for his shield." She holds her hands wide to indicate herself. "He's much happier. For some reason, he didn't want to spend his time riding and whacking at things with sharp sticks."

Madness.

[heatherandsteel]

"That's not fair. Clearly he doesn't appreciate the finer things in life like a proper sparring session. I had a good one this evening,"

Then he yawns, the magic burst helped a lot but this is still when he would normally be asleep.

[the_lioness]

"His priorities are very odd," Alanna agrees, amused at the memory of her brother falling off Chubby the pony.

Quentin's yawn makes her feel moderately guilty, however.

"Perhaps we can have our own later. After you rest."

She stands and offers him her hand.

[heatherandsteel]

"Yes, I'd like that,"

He takes her hand and when they're out of the shade of the trees, he puts his human disguise back up and casts one on her to return her to where she was before.

Then inside he gets a room and falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.