#alianne crow

[randomthingsthatilike1]

honestly I think the wrong parent was sent to pick up Aly in the ending of Trickster's Choice

the entire book we see through Kyprioths visions to Aly that Alanna, above all, cares for Aly, that she really does see Aly for who she is and worries terribly for her lost, hidden daughter, angry and upset and scared. She's constantly scrying for her with the mirror Thom gave her--her daughter is missing and her husband lied to her about it.

After months and months of worrying and praying, Alanna finally knows where her daughter is. She loves George, she does, but he lied to her about her only daughter's well being. And after the 8 years of her training constantly lying to everyone Alanna is sick of it, sick of doing it and avoids it at almost all cost--but for this? For the love she has for her daughter?

She’s been worried sick, scrying every free hour, distracted and blaming herself for her daughter’s disappearance. She's not needed in Frasrland, not really, not with this stalemate at the border. The killing devices are all gone and nothing is happening there. They don't need her--but Aly does.

She’s been married to George for 20 years and she’s known him for 30--she’s picked up a few tricks on how to go around unseen, how to slip away seamlessly but first there are a few things she has to do.

Her husband with his nondescript features can roam freely.  She cannot. She’s far too distinctive nowadays, but to quote her daughter that is what razors and dyes are for. Her long hair is her pride and joy. After years of cutting it boyishly short, as well as being a good enough fighter she can have long hair--it’s her one vanity.

She loves her hair. She’d topple kingdoms for her daughter.

A short and stocky man with copper red hair isn't the ideal spy, but shes here to find her daughter--its the story she goes with. She’s looking for her daughter, a Tortallan, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Copper Isles.She speaks enough Carthaki to get by and well it’s not like she can’t defend herself, even with just a knife and hand to hand.

The only dead giveaway about her are her purple eyes, but she's a mage, with a powerful Gift specializing in manipulating the human body--if there's a magical way to create an illusion or temporarily change your eye color she would know it. If not, I'm sure George has found a way and she's already used it before.

This barely scratches the surface of what she’d do for Aly. She's a mage, with a powerful Gift specializing in manipulating the human body--if there's a magical way to create an illusion or temporarily change your eye color she would know it. If not, I'm sure George has found a way. She glamors her eyes to look the same as her daughter and her husband. She lightly dyes her hair, making it a more blondish red like Aly's.

She finds a young squire stationed at the border and surreptitiously steals some of his clothes and other supplies around camp, her personal weaponry far too flashy and distinctive.

Aly isn’t the only one who was trained by the King of Thieves.

You can’t tell me she’s never done anything like this with George, not wanting to be stared at by people who recognize the famous Lioness, either getting him out of some scrapes or just relaxing and having fun.

Kyprioth is sweating bullets. There's only so much he can hide, although he has far more power in the Copper Isles than Tortall so he can't stop her but he’ll do his best to hide her from the Goddess but uhhhhhhhh there’s only So Much he can do. 

Alanna is Determined--she will find her daughter and is she maybe less subtle than George was? Sure. But all the same, she’s brought to the Balitang’s home in Rajmuat and makes her way to Lombyn.

It’s the same scene, of Alanna approaching Winnamine , introducing herself as Alan Cooper and asking to buy Aly-- Winnamine realizing “Alan” isn’t really here to buy Aly.

It takes Aly just a little longer to recognize Alanna--and she comes to a halt and is filled with shock because this is the Lioness, her mother who is persona non grata to the Copper Isles due to killing one of their princesses decades ago (and wow that might actually get Ochabu to tolerate her mother) and would probably be either killed or ransomed as a hostage p much on sight, the King’s Champion, one of the most distinctive and famous women in the continent--is here.

She’s here, her hair short and lighter and her purple eyes--they’re very similar to Aly’s now. Alanna letting out a sob at the sight of her daughter--her hair also shorter, eyebrow scar, broken nose, but alive and safe and still with that spark in her eye.

Just. The PARALLELS of both having the explicit approval of their god to deceive and lie and how they both deceived so many people to achieve their goals. Aly seeing her mother engage in spycraft and trickery to try to find her is probably a better apology than Alanna could ever find the words for

Later after Alanna had her Own standoff with Kyprioth she tells Aly she didn’t want this life for her, not because she was a noble or a Trebond but because she’s Alanna’s daughter and she knows how hard it is to keep a secret and deceive the people she cared about, and how much it hurt when it all came out. That’s something George never had to deal with--George has never really had to deceive his loved ones. They’ve always known he’s Crooked and an inkling of what he’s been up to--but Alanna has. She did it for 8 long years and she was good at it too, but the amount of pain it brought her after meant she never wanted that for her daughter.

Alanna earned her shield through treachery, the constant fear of being found out dogging her footsteps and once she got it she made sure no other girl would have to.

For Aly just to be reminded how similar she really is to her mother and begrudgingly putting that together--for Kyprioth to tell Aly that yes George gave her the skills he needed that made Aly his ideal Spymaster and what she’s done so far in keeping the Balitangs safe is why he wants her to stay, but it was Alanna’s actions that really sold him on recruiting Aly in the first place.

(I have other feelings about Kyprioth and Alanna here because d a m n “they say he loves a good trick”--as a girl for 8 years Alanna fooled the Tortallan monarchy and nobility. That’s what his Promised Queen will have to do. And he is George’s patron--it would make sense that both of them loved aspects of Alanna.)

(also while she’s there it’d be hilarious for Sarai to spar against Alanna and have her ass handed to her--it’d be a great nod back to when Aly was observing Sarai and thinking about her own training bc it sure would make Ulasim wonder wait can Aly use a sword????)

(also if anyone wants to write this go for it)

[axolotlcipher]

See the joke is that I love Tammy, but GURL these romances. All lighthearted fun from ur local lesbian.

[plainselfraisingflour]

Trickster's Queen spoilers!!

Just realised that Aly is both spy master (autocorrect keeps changing that to 'spam aster' which is also a career goal) of a country immediately post-revolution AND pregnant by 17 or 18 years of age. The epilogue of Tricket's Queen also implies that she has taken off her anti-pregnany charm and planned for children before their wedding.

There was no rush for her!!! So young and so busy running spy networks etc. Why doesn't she just enjoy some time being young and in love first?!

But I love it all.

[elvencantation]

is it bad i really don’t care about the aly and nawat drama? i’m just. no. give me cool spy stuff and plot. this is boring

[where-our-stories-start]

[fiction-quotes]

“Many babies,” piped one of the darkings on the cradles.

“Only three.” Aly said it wearily. Nawat had the feeling that she’d said it several times already. “The bigger one belongs to Terai. As for triplets, it does happen, from time to time.”

“Darkings never see before,” another of the creatures remarked. “Only ducks have so many.”

“Chickens,” said another darking.

“Geese,” added a third.

“Before we name all of the animals you know who have more than one child,” Taybur said, his voice quiet but firm, “it is time to leave. These babies need to sleep.”

  —  Nawat from Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales (Tamora Pierce)

[fantastic-nonsense]

quick quick someone make the Trickster's Duology miniseries before Amybeth McNulty gets too old to play Aly

[averyprettyfairy]

[miramelindamusings]

Was doodling this morning and it became Aly! I haven’t read the Trickster series since 7th grade (It was the first Tamora Pierce series I had ever read). I should really do a re-read!

[princess-of-lions]

“Fear is a good thing. It means you’re paying attention.”

- Page

“Someday I must read this scholar Everyone. He seems to have written so much - all of it wrong.”

- Emperor Mage

“Reflect as if you have all time, even when time is short.”

- First Test

“You need never unsay anything that you did not say in the first place.”

- Squire

“You’re a far better spy hemming sheets than if you clank with daggers.”

- Trickster’s Choice

Some wisdom from the renowned Tamora Pierce.

[dominionjewel]

Alianne Crow, Spymaster of the Copper Isles “Why, I’m just as true and honest as dirt. And I’m even more charming than dirt.” - Trickster’s Choice

[minty-bunni]

Aly, upon marrying a bird-man and getting pregnant: Fraternal twins run on my side of the family and my husband is a literal bird. There is no way I'm pregnant with more than one child.

Aly upon having fraternal triplets:

[pirates-swoop]

Nawat bringing Aly bugs and pretty feathers

[presidentmenace]

tamora pierce universes ♦ tortall ♦ daughter of the lioness

helene hammer as alianne of pirate's swoop ↳ "Why, I'm just as true and honest as dirt. And I'm even more charming than dirt."

[where-our-stories-start]

[padmeskywalkers]

the tortallan heroines for @aspiringwarriorlibrarian from your secret santa!

Why do boys say someone acts like a girl as if it were an insult?