All rights to the POTS series belong to Tamora Pierce. I received no profit from this, only some peace from the Accursed Plot Bunnies of Doom.

Dom swallowed the dregs of his porridge before sitting back to gaze curiously at the young man across from him.

Merric's pale blue eyes were on the scrap of paper before him and his red brows were drawn in concentration. The knight sat with his broad shoulders hunched and tense, and Dom could see the lines of stress under his eyes and around his mouth.

"What's the problem?" Merric's hand jerked and smeared charcoal across the table as Dom spoke.

"What?" Merric glanced up, and Dom saw the walls of iron across his eyes.

"You're focusing awfully hard on that scrap of paper there," Dom nodded to said scrap of paper as Merric attempted to clean up the mess he had made with the charcoal, "What is it?"

Merric flushed and muttered, "Nothing, just a thought."

Dom regarded the younger man closely, there was the faintest of flushes on the tanned face and a little bit of shame. Deciding the boy could use some lightening up, he reached across the table and snatched the scrap of parchment.

"Hey!" Merric made a grab for it, but missed.

The knight had captured the unfinished refugee camp in astounding detail, from the churned mud to the rough palisade and infirmary. He had managed to include a few things that weren't even built yet, a number of barrack-like buildings and what appeared to be a watchtower built high above the wall.

Dom raised his eyebrows, impressed. "This is good work, Sir Merric."

"I, I- thank you, Sergeant Domitan." Merric looked ashamed, and the flush was definitely scarlet now. The young knight was lucky that the mess was almost deserted this late, he would have attracted the attention of anyone in the vicinity if there had been more people.

Dom smiled and sipped his drink, "Is this what you want to build? This watchtower?"

Merric shrugged, "It would be helpful, but I doubt we could. This is a refugee camp, after all, not a fort like Steadfast or Mastiff. I wish we could have one on top of the ridge, but I know for a fact we'd never get authorization to do that."

"You could build the watchtower, though." Dom said, sliding the scrap back, "It's a good idea, and if you end up clearing more land for planting…"

"Then we'll have extra wood for building." Merric's eyes lit up with excitement, "A watchtower would be the first on the list, for-warned is for-armed and all that. And if we had enough, then a moat with spikes-"

Dom smiled at the change in Merric, "You missed your true calling didn't you? As an architect?"

Merric grinned ruefully, "The curse of the eldest son of nobility."

"Glad I wasn't one."

Merric chuckled, "My sister and I used to build forts out of mud and twigs, and have mock battles. Our uncle would sometimes play with us, he taught us real tactics and ideas for our forts. When Eira went to the convent, she started drawing diagrams of forts, castles, cities, ships, anything… she loves to build and plan and design." His smile grew a little sad, "Any way, when she would send me the ideas, I would try to draw what I thought it would look like."

"Is this yours or hers?" Dom nodded to the drawing.

"Mine, I could just see where it would belong. From the second I saw the walls."

Dom grinned faintly, "I suppose I can put in a good word for it, if you present it to my lord Wyldon."

"Thank you, Sergeant." Merric started to fold the paper.

"Dom." Dom stood and gathered his dishes. "If you need help sorting patrols and guard duties, I'd be happy to give you some pointers."

"Merric, and thank you." The younger man followed him with his own dishes, "I'm afraid that I don't know as much about it as I wish I did."

Dom clapped the knight on the shoulder, "You can ask Kel as well, she learned a lot from Lord Raoul."

Merric almost grimaced, "I'm sure I will," he muttered.

Dom's flash of insight almost knocked him off his feet. Merric felt a little passed over because Kel and Neal were placed in positions over him.

From the Meathead's letters, Dom knew that Kel had been the best in the year-group. Merric was jealous of her skill and prestige, and from it sprang a deep wish that he could prove that he could be just as good as Kel. And he was desperate to prove it.

Dom stopped at the door of the barracks, "Or ask some of the sergeants, they would know there men's strengths better than me."

Merric smiled, an easy, friendly smile, "Thank you, Dom."

"You're welcome, my friend." And Dom realized that he did consider the younger man a friend.

Merric grinned and headed towards headquarters with a final wave. Dom just shook his head and repeated something Raoul had once told him, "Friendship transcends differences."

This occurred to me while reading Lady Knight, and wouldn't leave me alone. I just liked the idea that Merric might have considered Dom a friend. Merric was always my favorite character and I wish there was more of him in the books.

This may be expanded into a series of oneshots, with Kel's friends and family.