In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce Read Free Book Online Page B

grunting and determined was digging in the snow overhead. Faithful’s violet eyes glowed in the darkness beside her.
    â€œI think it’s a boar,” Alanna hissed as soundlessly as she could. “It figures.” Carefully, moving as little as possible, she worked Lightning up and free. When an ugly, cloven hoof burst through the beaten snow over the tent opening, Alanna thrust upward with all her strength. She burst from the snow, shaking clumps from her face, to feel her sword wrenched from her hand.
    The boar was squealing with rage, trying to dislodge the blade that was driven through his chest and back. Suddenly he stiffened and fell. Alanna walked toward him carefully, seeing a glaze comingover his eyes. Gripping her swordhilt to pull it free, she stopped; the boar’s eyes were a demonic red. Suddenly he shuddered one last time—and vanished.
    Wordlessly Alanna gathered up her things. She didn’t need Faithful to tell her—as he was, forcefully—that someone had just tried to kill her: someone with a command of sorcery. “I have no proof,” she snapped, and that was the end of it. She would never tell anyone until she had proof.
    On top of everything else, there was Delia. More than once that winter Alanna thought that if she heard the lovely girl’s name once more, she would scream. Jonathan spent his free time writing bad poetry to Delia and insisting that Alanna listen to him read it. Gary and Raoul fought a duel over one of her riding gloves, and Duke Gareth sent them both on border patrols to cool off. The only good thing about this punishment was that they had to take Douglass and Sacherell with them; even those two had been bitten by romance.
    Alanna continued to dislike the girl unreasonably, staying away from her as much as she could. She sometimes felt that Delia knew Alanna detested her. She also thought Delia liked to have Jonathan’s squire giving her special service: fanning Delia when she was hot, bringing her glasses of lemonade, even dancingwith her; all activities that got Alanna into trouble with her lovesick friends. Jonathan went so far as to accuse her of using Delia to make her masquerade as a boy seem more believable! He later apologized, but it was their first big fight, and Alanna couldn’t quite forgive Delia for being the cause.
    Alanna was forced to listen when Jon ranted about Delia’s flirtations with other knights, and she suffered through his attempts at poetry. She tried to be the best friend to him she could, because it was obvious (to her, if not to Jonathan) that Delia was toying with him. The girl would convince Jon one day that she was his alone, and ignore him the next. Soon they were sleeping together—sometimes. Which only made it worse. Jon was cross and elated by turns.
    Only Alex and his squire, Geoffrey of Meron, seemed unaffected by Delia, and it was a welcome change to talk with them. It was during one such conversation with Alex on a windy day in March that Alanna discovered they wanted to test each other. Before he had passed the Ordeal, Alex had been the best of the squires; now he was getting a reputation as one of the finest knights in Tortall.
    He and Alanna had been talking about what it was like to be good, with everyone watching for mistakes,until it was only natural to find one of the indoor fencing courts and see which of them was better. They had agreed a referee was not necessary, since they were only using blunt practice swords. Not even Faithful was there.
    Alanna watched Alex stretch as she did so herself, excitement running through her veins. She had always wondered if she was as good as her dark friend. Now she would find out.
    Their stretching finished, they saluted each other with the practice swords. Without warning Alex struck, his hand flashing in a complex overhand pass that brought his blade within inches of Alanna’s unguarded face. Only a quick backward leap saved her. She circled,