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A/N: Hello everyone, thank you so much for sticking with this story for so long! Now that we have come to the end of their page years, I have decided to split up the story and call this the end of part 1. I initially envisioned this as one long story that spans across the full plot, but I realised that their page, squire and knighthood years are about very different things with very different focus even if there is one overarching plot, and I’d like the story summary to reflect that. If I updated the summary to reflect their squire years, though, it will reveal too much to readers who are just starting on the story - so splitting them up it is!
Special thanks to reader karameiwaku, who tipped my hand when I was hesitating about splitting the story into three parts, and who suggested the title to part 1 and gave me inspiration for more!
And a huge THANK YOU to all of you who spent time reading and commenting. Your comments and kudos are very gratifying and inspiring, and all of your speculation about the knight masters / knight-mistress pairings were very fun to read! Reading your comments is a sure-fire way to get me excited about writing more, so please keep them coming!
Personally, this is the longest single story I’ve ever written, and I wouldn’t have gotten so far without all of you, dear readers. I can’t find the right words to share just how grateful I am for all of you reading this.
I also want to mention that there is a companion to this series, ‘Duty is an old man’, that showed how Kally took the news of Jon letting Vania begin her knight training. The Phoenix Quest is focused on Emmy’s story, but sometimes there are scenes and stories that fascinate me but don’t fit well into the overall arc and pacing. ‘Duty is an old man’ is one of them, and I’m playing with an idea of showing the highlights of Fianola’s story in another. If you have any special requests / ideas about companion fics, let me know in the comments! I can’t promise I’ll definitely take them on, but if I don’t know, there’s zero chance of it happening, right?
Anyway, since I’ve already written about 7-8 chapters for part II, here is a ‘trailer’ of sorts from what I already have - the wording may change, but the scenes and stories are pretty fixed.
After the trailer I have a snippet of Chapter 1 of part II - read on here, or go to The Phoenix Quest II: A Rising Flame to read the full thing!
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In the upcoming chapters of The Phoenix Quest II: A Rising Flame:
Now that Emmy and her year mates have found their knight mistresses and masters, they are ready to begin the next phase of their training. But things are heating up with rumours of rebellion rising. There will be danger ahead…
…“Stay with me!” Alanna was pressing something on Emmy’s thigh, and she slipped the roll of bandage under Emmy’s thigh expertly, and pulled it out from the other side. “I’ve sent a signal, I know Third Company’s close. Help is coming. Stay with me!”
“Third Company?” Emmy said weakly.
Alanna shot her a quick look. “Yes, Vania is coming. You want to see her, don’t you?”
Emmy managed to smile. “She will… have a fit.”
“I will have a fit once I know we’re safe,” Alanna snapped, tying the bandage tightly. Emmy flinched…
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…Vania put a trembling hand on Emmy’s arm, tears welling in her eyes again. “She took the arrow for me.” She said softly, “It was meant for me!”…
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Emmy and Vania will have to work through their growing feelings for each other, as well as confront what they mean…
…When Emmy opened her door, Vania all but pushed Emmy in, and she locked the door behind her. The moment Vania turned around, her lips was on Emmy’s. Emmy responded in reflex, the longing she had been suppressing rushing to the fore.
“You’ve been avoiding me.” Vania accused, her voice slightly ragged as they paused for breath. But she was on her again before Emmy could respond, and Emmy surrendered to the fire coursing through them, her body trembling at the feeling of Vania’s hands on her body…
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…“You think so far ahead, Emmy.” Vania finally said, letting out a nervous chuckle. She was afraid to confront her own thoughts.
Emmy met her eyes again, her gaze fiercer than Vania felt. “Don’t you think about the future? Or is this just — just a fling for you?”…
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But no matter the danger, familiar faces and new friends will help them along the way, or at least make life more interesting…
…“Indeed, the things that folks will say about our Protector of the Small, losing to her squire at a weapon that she’s been training with since she was six,” Neal said dryly as he approached them from his tent, his sword in hand. …
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… Eda laughed. Emmy watched in amazement as Eda laughed and laughed, leaning back onto thin air as her laugher rang across the practice courts. Emmy had never seen Eda laugh like this.
“I would have taught her if she asked!” Eda said as she calmed down, laughter lingering in her eyes...
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…“We didn’t get to throw you,” Jessamine of Jesslaw said as Darren of Wellam threw Emmy on her back, as if that explained everything.
Darren extended a hand to help Emmy up. “Now we can claim that we’ve thrown the Lioness’ squire on her back.”
“Which she allowed you to.” Wilina of Rosemark said quietly, shaking her head…
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… The woman snorted and waved a little. “I’m sure Buri told you we don’t like the whole title thing. I’m Miri. Call me commander again and I’ll tell Buri on you.” She said, extending her hand with a grin.
Emmy grinned back and shook Miri’s hand. “Noted, Miri. Call me Emmy.”…
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… To her surprise, Clarissa brought her pony a little forward so that she could glare at Mick. “If you can’t remember your manners, go annoy someone else. We don’t want her to think that Sea Gale is a group of barbarians.”
“Aw.” Mick said, and when Emmy caught his eyes, he did look a little apologetic. But he pulled his reins, and turned back join the other Riders towards the end of the line.
“Sorry about that.” Clarissa muttered, “Sea Gale isn’t a group of barbarians, for the record.”…
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And below is the first part of chapter 1 from part 2, ‘Knight Mistress’. The story is already up at The Phoenix Quest II: A Rising Flame, so please hop over there to read the full chapter, and don’t forget to subscribe! I try to write ahead and post an update every weekend, so stay tuned!
One fine morning in June, Squire Emmeline of Tirragen set out on the road north with her knight-mistress, Lady Knight Alanna of Pirate’s Swoop and Olau, King’s Champion of Tortall.
Emmy, as she was known to her friends, couldn’t quite keep a grin off her face. Alanna wasn’t very specific on where exactly they were headed, but Emmy didn’t really care. Despite her initial apprehension at the thought of leaving her friends behind, her complete recovery from a recent bout of injuries had left her feeling much better and hopeful. She was also still in mild disbelief that she was traveling beside a legend, and it left her heart bursting with excitement at the adventures ahead.
It helped that her lover, Princess and Squire Vania of Conté, gave her a long farewell and showered her with warm reassurances six days ago, before she set out for Port Legann with her own knight mistress, Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, Captain of Third Company of the King’s Own.
Still, her eyes lingered on the city streets as they rode through Corus, trying to commit the details of the city she had called home for the past four years in mind. Who knew when would be the next time she would see it again? Alanna was known to not dwell at court for long.
“Missing the city already?” Alanna said when they left Corus behind. She had gestured for Emmy to ride beside her the moment the road became wide enough for her to do so.
Emmy grinned at her knight mistress. “Just taking one last look, my lady. I’m ready for adventure!”
Alanna snorted. “I’m going to repeat this to you when we’re drenched in rain and mud with no inn in sight.”
“Do you mean to stay at inns, my lady?” Emmy was curious. She had traveled with the Shang Wildcat, Eda Bell, over two summers in her page training. Eda had avoided those entirely when she was on the road.
“One tip for you,” Alanna turned to shoot her a look, “I like my baths, and I can be a real bear if I go too long without it.”
Emmy smiled. “I’ll make sure a hot bath is ordered for you the moment we stop at an inn, then.”
Alanna’s lips quirked. “You’re a fast study.”
Emmy bowed from her saddle. “As your squire should be.”
It wasn’t something that she would have done even just weeks ago. But Alanna had checked in on her almost every day in the infirmary after Emmy agreed to be her squire, and Emmy had slowly gotten more comfortable around the living legend. After all, she had caught Emmy when she stumbled, and seen her embarrassing performance when she picked up her sword again after her recovery. Emmy figured that, if Alanna had seen her at her clumsiest and still did not regret her choice, then maybe Emmy did have a chance with her after all.
As they rode on, Alanna asked Emmy more about her page years. She already knew a good deal, thanks to Vania’s letters, though she wanted some of the details, and asked Emmy to explain things from her perspective. In return, she shared some stories from her own page years, and Emmy’s eyes were wide for a long time, imagining famous folks like the King, Lord Raoul and Alanna herself as pages.
When they stopped for a quick lunch of bread and cheese under a large tree by the road, Alanna looked at Emmy with an odd look on her face.
“You haven’t ask me where we’re headed.”
Emmy shrugged. “I figured you’d tell me when you want to.”
“Next time, ask.” Alanna said, taking another bite, “I like my squires sharp. I think you are, but you won’t learn if you follow me like a puppy all the time.”
“Yes, my lady,” Emmy said, bowing her head a little. Alanna was right. Emmy was too careless, indulging only in her excitement for the road. She was here to learn, after all!
“Where are we headed, then?” Emmy asked as she straightened.
“Cresthill. It’s a town just north of Barony Olau. There’s a mage I’d like to meet, and Cresthill is the latest town where he’s said to have passed through.”
Emmy frowned. “You’re looking for a mage?”
Alanna nodded, turning to check on their horses. “Have you heard anything about magical attacks?”
Emmy’s eyes widened, suddenly connecting the dots. She nodded. “I heard about them from Buri and Eda last summer, when the Sandrunners tribe saved Rider trainees from a group of immortals.”
Alanna was surprised, and wanted to know the story. Emmy told her about how the tribe received a call for help, and how Emmy joined them. She related the story from Buri afterwards — that there had been an increasing number of attacks by groups of immortals controlled by magical collars.
“Have you found who’s behind the attacks, my lady?” Emmy asked eagerly the moment she finished her story.
Alanna shook her head. “I wish that was the case. The mage I’m chasing goes by the name Ilyorn Silversmith, and he’s been the one helping to repel these immortal attacks.”
“Oh. He’s on our side, then?”
Alanna took a sip from her waterskin. “That’s a good question. What’s interesting though, is that he always seem to be one step ahead of the Riders or the Own that’s called to aid these towns or groups of travellers. It took us more than a year to notice it — at first, he stopped a few attacks, and we were glad for the help. It’s only when we started tracing the attacks and his location that we realised he always seem to be heading where the next one is.”
“You think he’s the one starting the attacks?” Emmy asked sharply.
“That, or he’s the luckiest mage alive. Or the unluckiest.” Alanna said with a crooked smile. “Either way, the towns and people he saved all but worshipped him. Some of the local lords had even invited him to dine in their castles, and he’s been building quite a name for himself.”
“If that’s the case,” Emmy asked with a frown, “Wouldn’t he be easy to find?”
“Good question,” Alanna said, “Next question.”
Emmy blinked, her thoughts racing. “But he isn’t? He leaves a town before he needs to? He travels alone, and rides fast, or under the cover of night?”
Alanna chuckled. “Very good. You’ve earned your dinner tonight.”
“What do you plan to do when you find him, my lady?”
“I’m going to ask him if he wants to serve the Crown.” Alanna said casually, taking another bite.
Emmy stared. Alanna waited while Emmy struggled to find her words. “But… but my lady, you just said we don’t know if he’s actually behind the attacks. Why… why would you ask him if he wants to serve the Crown?”
“How do you think Numair Salmalín decide to serve the Crown?” Alanna asked with a raised eyebrow. “Because I asked. We may not know if Ilyorn is going to be the next Numair, or the next Ozorne. But how he responds to this offer will tell us more about what he wants.”
Alanna grimaced a little. “The Whisper Man’s been trying to get more information on him, but it’s been difficult. We are quite sure that Ilyorn Silversmith is not his real name. There’s no record of this name that goes back beyond the last few years, even though by all accounts, he’s Tortallan.”
Emmy remembered that the Whisper Man was the codename for the realm’s unofficial spymaster and Alanna’s husband. He was supposed to be good, and if he couldn’t find anything, then Ilyorn must be good at hiding his tracks.
“It’s usually not wise to confront someone as powerful as him without knowing more,” Alanna shook her head a little, “But we don’t have much choice, not with the increasing number of attacks and the dead ends from the investigations. Be careful when we meet him, Emmy.” Alanna was already standing up and stretching before Emmy recovered from her surprise.
Emmy jumped to her feet and bent to dust her breeches in one smooth motion.
Alanna eyed her as she stretched carefully, shaking her head. “Youngsters.”