Thump… Thump… Thump

She was focused. So focused.

Thump.. Thump.. Thump

Her heart matched the rhythm of Peachblossom's hooves.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

In fact, her heart sped up with the increasing beat of his gallop.

Thump Thump Thump

She narrowed her eyes. She steadied her lance. She tightened her thighs to encourage her mount to hurtle even faster. She braced her body for impact.

ThumpThumpThump

The clatter of metal upon metal ricocheted across the practice court as two mounted knights bodily collided. The placement of her lance didn't go over as well as Kel had planned. It roughly scraped across Darrwan's armor rather than pop him clean out of the saddle. Although it didn't go as cleanly as she would have preferred, it still landed him off of the saddle and onto the ground.

Kel Rounded Peachblossom into a circle and slowed him to a walk.

"Are you okay?" She asked Darrwan as he stood up from the dirt.

"I'm perfectly fine," he snarled, trying to wipe the dirt from his once shiny armor.

Kel shrugged, wrapped her reins around her wrist, and turned Peachblossom toward the rail where two of her friends were standing.

"Way to go Kel!" Nealan of Queenscove cheered. "I had no doubt that you would make a floor wipe out of him!" Neal glared pointedly at Darrwan. Earlier that day Darrwan had challenged Kel to a jousting match in front of his friends. Kel had politely turned him down multiple times. Only after several minutes of taunts and jeers about her ability to fight did Neal angrily accept for her. "Fine, she'll do it," he had snapped. "And won't you feel stupid when she wins? Which there is no doubt she will!"

Kel handed down her lance to her friend Owen of Jesslaw before swinging herself up and out of the saddle.

"I should have just ignored him," she said. "This was just a waste of time for all of us."

"A waste of time?!" Darrwan of Jefer's View demanded as he walked up behind her. Kel closed her eyes briefly in exasperation. She hadn't meant to insult him within his hearing. "You call a joust with ME a waste of time?!"

"Come on, Man," Neal said. "When you challenge the Keladry of Mindelan to a joust, you've got to know that it's a lost battle already."

"She was lucky," exclaimed Darrwan.

"She was 'lucky' for all three rounds of the match?" Owen asked.

"I demand a rematch." He spat on the ground at their feet.

Kel looked over Darrwan's shoulder at his friends who were laughing. No doubt at Darrwan's expense.

"I'm sorry, but I have somewhere to be," she told him. She didn't really have anywhere to be, but she didn't feel like a rematch. It was a hot, muggy summer afternoon, and a suit of armor is not the most comfortable outfit to wear in even the most agreeable of circumstances.

"He's probably about to tell all his little friends that you're too scared to take him on again," Neal commented as he watched Darrwan stomp away. Kel and Owen both laughed appreciatively. The three of them, with Peachblossom in tow, turned and began to walk toward the stables.

"What do you want to bet as soon your capital leave is over, you're going to be assigned border duty?" Owen asked Kel.

"I don't want to bet anything. We all know that that is what's going to happen," she replied. "What's his hurry?"

They watched as a palace messenger hurried up to them.

"Lady Knight," the messenger said formally, "King Jonathon would like to meet with you as soon as conveniently possible in the king's study."

"What does he want to meet with me about?" Kel asked, puzzled.

"I don't know; I'm just the messenger."

He stood there expectantly. Kel didn't have any change on her because she was wearing her armor, so Neal flipped the messenger a copper.

"What do you think this is about?" Kel asked Owen and Neal.

Neither of them had any idea. Neal said, "I bet you are about to be put in charge of another fort or something. It has to be something official. The king doesn't personally call in knights to give them border duty. He leaves that up to Sir Gary or Lord Padraig."

"Here Kel, I'll take care of Peachblossom for you," offered Owen. "You do need to get there 'as soon as conveniently possible'."

Kel thanked him and took him up on his offer.

"You should have taken Owen up on that bet!" Neal called after her as she hurried toward the palace.

Fifteen minutes later Kel found herself seated in the King's study. Across from her sat King Jonathon and Queen Thayet. To her left sat a man introduced to her as Captain Bloomroi. He was a Yamani man and looked to be in his mid fifties. Scars on his skin and missing teeth revealed him to have seen quite a few battles in his day. He smiled warmly at Kel and shook her hand when they were introduced.

After a few minutes of polite conversation, King Jonathon got to the point of her visit. He turned to her and told her, "Captain Bloomroi has come to Tortall to collect parcels and documents. We, the queen and I, would like you to be second in command of a small convoy of three ships. We feel that we can trust you with this task after your proven leadership skills. We also feel that since you know the Yamani culture best, you would reflect well on the integrity of the crown under the captain."

"What specifically will my duties entail, sir?"

The king leaned back in his chair and folded his hands. "There will be fifteen Tortallan men and fifteen Yamani men aboard the convoy. You will sail from Port Caynn to Port Legann. At Port Legann you will collect miscellaneous valuable items that are currently being prepared for shipping. You will escort them from Port Legann up to the Yamani Islands and receive a large sum of money and some vital documents that you will return to Corus with. Do you accept?"

Kel felt like she didn't have much of a choice. "Yes, sir."

The king and queen smiled. "I just have one question," she said.

"Just one?" asked the Queen.

"I gather that whatever we are being paid to guard and transport must be extremely valuable, right?" The king nodded. "Why do we have such a small number of men? The Emerald Ocean is teeming with pirates this time of year. If they hear of this we are going to have every pirate on the coast after us."

"Good question. But time is of the essence, and the ships we have are the fastest there are. Unfortunately we only have access to three in our harbor right now. We're hoping that the ships' speed will out maneuver pirate attacks. And if any do manage to get aboard, we have hand picked the best Tortallan soldiers to accompany you. Not to mention the fifteen Yamani warriors." King Jonathon nodded graciously to Captain Bloomroi. Captain Bloomroi inclined his head.

"I don't like it." Kel said. "It seems to me that we're just asking for trouble."

"We trust the people that we have chosen. We have you two fine leaders, Yamani warriors, and a handful of the King's Own." Jonathon paused. "Although she doesn't know it yet, the King's Champion will be joining you as well."

The queen rolled her legendarily lovely eyes. "I don't look forward to being the one to inform her of this little development."

Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, King's Champion, sat across from her monarchs in the very same chair that had been occupied by Kel only an hour before.

"You want me to do what?!" she asked incredulously.

The king sighed. "Alanna, we need our best fighters on this mission. I have a bad feeling that something is going to wrong. "Plus, we need you to act as a mage and a healer as well. I'm sorry, but this is not a request."

Alanna felt her ever present temper being goaded. "You're asking me, NO, demanding me to spend a month on a ship. A Ship! A lot of help I'll be when I spend the entire journey hurling over the edge of the railing."

Thayet said, "I understand how annoyed you must be Alanna, but we really do need you."

Alanna had already become resigned to the fact. "How long until I leave?"

Jonathon and Thayet warily exchanged glances. "You all leave tomorrow morning. So you have until then to pack and say good-bye to your family."

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