Author's Note: I'm just trying out the reaction to this, I've so far got 20,000 words in this and I'm still going, but I'm so very excited about getting the story out (even though it is only about a quarter done already). This is not an actual whole chapter, this is just a preview and a means of me to be able to say:
I would really like to put out a call to everyone about my absolute need of a few beta readers, so if you have a good concept of grammar, spelling, the Tamora Pierce universe, and are very picky with details and characterisation, and are not afraid to tell people when their story, scene, paragraph or sentence are absolute rubbish, then please either tell me that you're interested about becoming a beta reader for me in your review, or email me at the address listed on my in-much need-of-an-update user page. I would really appreciate more than one beta reader. Also, it'll help if you're able to switch your spell checker to English (UK) or (AUS) as I'm a proud Aussie and spell colour with a 'u'. ?
That's it, except for me notifying you all that once I find my beta readers I shall most probably remove this story until it's completion- so don't be surprised to find it gone.
Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce and her associated publishers own all characters and concepts from the Tortall universe.
Spring 467
CHAPTER ONE
Lady Knight Keladry of New Hope threw herself over to the privy then began to gift the privy with the contents of her stomach. It was not a pleasing experience, this was the tenth night in a row she had been kept up by the queasiness of her unsettled stomach, by morning the unpleasant feelings would be gone. Kel hoped she knew what it was that caused her sickness; the sickness itself coupled with the absence of Kel's menses for six days straight days could possibly mean that she was with child.
She smiled to herself she was excited that she might be pregnant and would have really liked to share the news, however she didn't want to get the hopes of herself and her husband up, only to be disappointed as she had been thrice. Her lover was a Sargent in the King's Own, Domitan of Masbole. The youngest son of Lord and Lady Masbole had blue eyes and a kind smile. He had wicked grins as well, but most of those he kept for Kel.
Very few people knew of Kel and Dom's relationship. Kel's poor misfortunate servant boy had forgotten once to knock on the door adjoining his and Kel's rooms before walking into Kel's room. The boy had received a shock, stared, eyes wide at the two naked bodies and the mussed bed sheets, then he had grinned and walked back through the door. Kel heard the small click of the door closing and became aware that she was staring at the door still, dumbfounded.
The talk afterwards between Kel and the boy was no less dumbfounding, she still remembered what Tobe had said to her, 'Lady, if you think I've not learnt what goes on between men and their ladies before now you're mistaken. I know what it is what you were doing and I say I approve of him, he's nice'. Tobe had petted Kel on the shoulder before adding, 'by the way, I'm sorry 'bout not knocking and all'.
He had always made sure to knock after that occurrence. Tobe had been someplace in his eleventh year, a year after Kel and Dom had begun to court and more than three years before they had told their parents.
The pair had explained their relationship and Dom had expressed to his father the want to marry Kel, it was then that the negotiations- if they could be called that, had begun. Kel's dowry had been small, the arrangement was a friendly one, an arrangement for love, not for politics, Kel was a knight and Dom the youngest son. They had consent.
However there were complications, laws were that Dom, a certified member of the King's Own would have to resign if he had any spouse or child, Kel and Dom had explained to their parents how people in the own went about marriage- to stay in the own as long as possible, most would wait until their wife were pregnant before resigning and marrying before the child was birthed. This was what Kel and Dom planned to do, being in the own was a well-paid job, Kel and Dom could not turn down money, which could set their children up for a good life.
So they had waited, after the arrangements were made Kel had discarded her pregnancy charm and so for the past eight months when Dom would visit New Hope, or Kel would go to Corus to for consultations, they would try for a child. Dom's company had been called away after escorting supplies to New Hope just last week but in that time, Kel guessed one of the tries to beget her with child must have been successful.
She could only grin as drafted a letter to Dom, which would inform him of their success if they were successful. She and Dom were going to be parents, and she would be taken as his wife. Until then, her pregnancy would have to be kept to herself and some tight-lipped healer who could confirm her pregnancy and the symptoms which came with it. Kel knew just the person.
Dom looked up from his letter, a dreamlike grin across his face then he rose to his feet and let out a whoop, his companion looked at him oddly, "Dom?"
"We're finally pregnant!" Dom unbuttoned the top button of his shirt and reached in, pulling out the ring that had hung around his neck; it was a simple band of gold made to fit to Kel's finger.
Wolset, his corporal looked up from mending a shirt and squealed excitedly, "We are? How lovely!"
Dom clutched the ring in his hand, "Not you", he replied as he waved the letter about in his other hand.
"Who is she then, and why haven't you told me about her before! I'm wounded", Wolset replied.
"You know the lovely lady", Dom told them, both men were his corporals and companions, they should know first. "you're friends with her in fact".
"Can't be", Wolset whispered, his face a knot of disbelief.
Dom replied with a grin, "course it can, and it is. Me and my lovely lady knight are to be wedded".
"How long had that been going on then?" Wolset asked.
Dom explained, "and so", he finished, "You'll be taking my position very soon then, as soon as we get out of this miserable bog".
"A toast then", flasks were unhooked and bought together with a clang. Each man only took a few sips before they returned their flasks to their belts- alcohol did not go well with travelling, it was an unspoken rule in the own not to drink so much that it went to your head. Not when you were on the job.
"So then, two days ride to Corus before I resign, it's going to be odd, not being in the own", Dom reflected.
"Don't think the own will miss you too much though", Wolset ducked Dom's playful clout, "where is it that you'll be settling down then?"
"Well, it's custom to settle at the house of the husband, but I'm a younger son as you know, and Kel's in command of New Hope. The refugees would never stand to loosing her, so I suppose I might settle there, become Lord to her Lady or Baron to her Baroness…" Dom paused, "I've actually no idea what title is given to the partner of a commander".
"Whichever it is, we'll all give our blessings and hope you'll be happy", Wolset promised. He stood and clapped his sergeant on the shoulder, "but I'll be going to bed now, I need my beauty sleep, can't disappoint all the pretty ladies waiting for me in Corus, after all".
Dom waved his goodbyes and put out the lantern at the side of his bedroll, his dreams were filled with a little girl who's hair was a mousy brown and who's eyes were blue, combing the hair of her doll and playing Lioness and Protector of the Small with a refugee lad.
The sun was rising when Kel awoke, even though it was logical thinking that if one was kept awake at night by her meal tossing inside of her like waves in a storm that one would sleep past the normal time that she woke up. Something inside of Kel was reluctant to admit this though, and so Kel swung herself out of her bed, shedding the sheet, which had somehow become twisted around her legs. As she dressed, Kel grimaced at her white and black veteran mongrel Jump, who slept soundly in Kel's bed, she wished she could have a nice long sleep sometimes, but the orphaned youths and other refugee children would tease her if she didn't go out in the mornings to practice.
The open space between headquarters and the infirmary was the place where unofficial glaive training sessions were held- only those dedicated glaive students attended these, the ones that used their initiative and decided that more than a little practice each day was needed to get good- or stay good- with a weapon. The usual students were there, fifteen year old Tobe who was Kel's once-servant boy but still inhabited the rooms adjoined to hers. Kel would never think to throw him out of them, or request he leave them- he was a fixture at New Hope and akin to a smaller brother for Kel.
Tobe was still small, the life he had led before coming into Kel's service could be blamed for that, boys needed food when they were growing and Tobe had always received hardly any before the age of nine. However, even though he was small he could still be called good looking- he was tall, it was only in his lithe skinniness that he could be called small. Perhaps in years to come he might fill out a little, and his body frame would prove to be just as nice an asset as his scruffy rouge like blonde hair and intelligent blue eyes, and then even more girls would chase after him.
Beside him were the other youths he spent most of his free time with, Loesia, Gydane, and Keon. Also there were Gydo's ten-year-old brother, watching over his enthusiastic five-year-old sister who gripped a near-bald red haired doll, and two boys and a girl in their early teens who Kel knew to be Klent, Fellec and Nemma, The only one of the group not clutching a glaive or makeshift glaive was Irnai. Irnai never participated in the weapon training; Kel suspected that the early rising of the thirteen-year-old girl had a lot more to do with Tobe's sharply handsome face.
As Irnai had grown, so had her will until now she was for most of the part a thirteen year old, until she called upon her secret talent. Numair visited frequently, but the girl did not have the gift- she was a seer out of a legend, however he and Daine did help Tobe harness his horse magic, sometimes they bought Sarralyn and Rikash, but that limited the speed they travelled- Rikash could not fly like his parents and sister.
Kel nodded to the group and begun her pattern dance, she finished first then watched the rest of her charges finish, Loey was graceful with her movements as if the glaive was a part of her arm. Gydo treated the glaive as an instrument, she used it and wielded it with a stern face until she finished and gave a grin, back to her normal outgoing self. Meech was still growing into the glaive, Tobe was precise and quick, Keon, the eldest at eighteen commanded it, the other three had only just started with the weapon, all three of them orphaned four months ago, they had been sent to New Hope. The place that was acknowledged as the best refugee and orphanage home in Tortall by commoners because of the fair treatment everyone received.
Each of the children left, until only Tobe, Gydo and Loey were left. Kel stayed too, the three of them were looking at her as if they had something important to say. "Can we talk to you- in private?" Tobe asked.
"Of course", Kel replied, confused. Tobe was never formal with her, he was like a little brother, he spoke his mind and he never really had cause to talk to Kel in private, especially not with Gydo and Loey present, Kel lead them back to headquarters, to her study- the council room.
All three were solemn, they sat after Kel did, Tobe was biting his lip, "Lady Kel, Tobe is fifteen, he turned so last winter, me, I'm fifteen too, sixteen in two months 'n Loey is seventeen already, we're trained with weapons and we know our letters and numbers- you made sure we knew all of 'em".
"Speech too, we learnt the right way to speak", Loey reminded Gydo with a smile, she was dazzling with dark curls and large brown eyes.
Gydo rolled her eyes, "I suppose, but we like helping people, we like having a purpose. We each think we've outgrown the parts of role models to the little ones, reminding them and putting them through their paces, looking out for them. Others can do that now, Meech is quite a hit with them, the newlings are good with them too. Men are at Loey and me to marry them. I've talked to Mama…".
"All that's left is for Loey and I to talk to you", Tobe spoke now, his voice soft and serious, "We want to become riders", he said, and Kel felt her stomach churn, "you've trained us good and each of us love you, but there are bigger things, more adventures and more horses. Us three… together we've been through a lot and turns out Loey has always wanted to be a rider but she didn't want to leave alone. Me and Gydo will keep her company, as we become riders ourselves".
"You'll have to do some hard riding if you want to reach Corus by March full moon", Kel informed the youths, trying to hold back tears. She should have expected this, Tobe 's bond had run out two years ago but he had still stayed, but Kel had never seen the future without the confident boy at her side.
Loey nodded, "we know, that's why we're telling you now, so we'll get there in time. We're thankful to you, our dear Mother Goose. None of us would be alive were it not for you", her eyes were grave, "but should you not recommend it- we won't go".
"How could I not recommend that you do what you desire? You will do the realm some good- Buri told me countless times you all had the initiative to be in the riders, I'm silly not to have suggested it myself", Kel smiled, holding back tears, "New Hope will miss you though. Headquarters will be so much quieter with Tobe and yourself gone- it will leave just Irnai, Keon, Wellam, Jude, Merric and me".
"We'll miss New Hope", Tobe replied, he saw Kel's sad smile and leapt up to hug her, "we'll write and we'll send money back to New Hope, to thank you and everyone and- Kel I'll miss you".
Kel returned the hug and soon the embrace was being shared by all four of them, "You'd best all pack and say your goodbyes then. I'll fix everything else for you, but you really must leave today if you do want to get there- Evin, Miri and Padrach are all easy going but you don't want to anger them too much, not by being late".
"We'll be there someday, we'll be up there with the big names that everyone knows. Like you, and certainly a credit to yours and Merric's training", this was said by Gydo, and not for all the world could Kel doubt them.
Kel chuckled, "speaking of the old man, go and rouse him, tell him your plans. Get him up before nightfall for once!"
Kel's charges grinned, Tobe raised an eyebrow, "He says he needs the sleep though, to recover enough from Lady Nacy's last visit to be able to survive through the next one with that terror he and her spawned".
"He loves them both, and he knows that he's not fooling anyone", Loey added. Kel waved a hand, dismissing them. The sound of footfalls filtered into the room as they raced to wake Merric- Kel hoped they didn't do it with a pitcher of icey water because if they did there was a high chance that Merric would grant her the same privilege in the near future.