The story takes place in Corus, 3 years after Kel defeats Blayce. The war ended 1 year ago.

Disclaimer- I do not, nor will I ever, own any of these characters. That pleasure belongs only to Tamora Pierce.

Losing Tobe

Lady Keladry of Mindelan was searching through her things when she saw it. When she looked at it, all thoughts of her spyglass evaporated. What she saw was her servant, Tobeis Boon's, whom everyone knew as Tobe, indenture papers. What she read made her go considerably paler.

While she knew that Tobe's contract ended four years after she had contracted him, she had never thought about it. What she read here was that his contract ended in 3 days! Where would he go? What would he do? Would he become homeless? What would she do without him? Who would take care of him? Who would be there to talk to Peachblossom and Hoshi? As she thought about it, she realized she didn't want to lose him, but what could she do?

As she pondered this, she wandered through the palace in a daze. When Tobe saw her later that evening, he was worried, he had never seen the Lady act this way! "Lady, what's wrong?"

"Tobe, I just found out that your tenure as my servant ends in 3 days."

Tobe was stunned. In the past four years, all he had worried about was if the Lady would disappear on him. Now it seemed the opposite was happening, he would disappear on her! His first worries were for the Lady. What would she do without him to help her? Who would take care of her? Who would be there to care for her horses? While he knew she was perfectly able to take care of her own horses, he knew she couldn't do it as well he could. She didn't have magic with horses. She wouldn't be able to tell when the horses were at their limit or what they were thinking.

It was with heavy hearts that both of them went to sleep that night.

When Kel woke up that morning, she was so distracted that she did something she hadn't done for over a decade. She skipped glaive practice. One of her best friends, Yuki, noticed this and was worried. She voiced her concerns to her husband, Sir Nealan of Queenscove, usually known as Neal. "Neal, Kel really has me worried. Her mind is occupied on something and I doubt it's good. You know she hasn't skipped glaive practice since she started working it into her routine as a page! She would have to be really worried to do this."

Neal, who knew Kel better than anyone except Tobe, knew it had to be personal. He approached her about it the next day. "Kel, what's wrong? You haven't been this distracted in the whole time I've known you. It isn't like you, and frankly, you have me worried."

Kel, who couldn't take it anymore, cried, "oh, Neal, it's all so confusing! In less than a day, Tobe will no longer be with me. I've grown so used to him, that it would be painful to lose him. What should I do?" And then, to her horror, she started crying. She tried and failed to control her emotions.

To say the least, Neal was surprised. This wasn't like Kel. He had never seen her lose control over her emotions before. As a page she was nicknamed the 'Yamani Lump' because she had never let her emotions show. This outburst was proof that what was happening truly disturbed her. She hadn't even been this way when Stenmun had taken the people of Haven to be sold as slaves, and the children to be killed for death machines. He handed her his handkerchief and thought it over while she got a firmer grip on her feelings. Then he had it!

"I think I know what's happened, you've grown to love him as if her were your son and like any mother, you don't want to lose him."

As Kel thought about it, it all clicked into place and she knew he was right. But what could she do? She thought about the Lioness, had she ever gone through this? Then she got it. Maybe she could adopt him, like Sir Myles did Alanna! If she thought of Tobe like her son, why not make it a reality? Immediately she perked up. She ran her idea by Neal, who startled by the sudden change, agreed whole-heartedly. They spent the time they had left discussing what to do about Tobe. They didn't even realize what was happening around them until Kel looked out the window.

It was the last day of Tobe's service. He was packed and ready to leave at sunset. As he was making his way to the gates, he was kind of sad that the Lady, who he had come to call 'Mother' at times, wasn't there to say good-bye. But maybe it was all for the best. He wouldn't have to see her upset. And make his last moment with her sad.

He was almost at the gate when he heard a familiar voice calling his name. "Tobe! Tobe!" He turned around. There was the Lady and she was running toward him. He was so stunned he couldn't move. She ran up to him gasping, "Where…Are…You…Going?

"I'm leaving, seeing as how you no longer need me, Lady," answered Tobe.

"But that's where you're wrong, Tobe. I do need you." When Tobe looked questioningly at her, she replied, "Tobe, I want to adopt you."

When he didn't reply, she asked, "What do you think? Would you like to become my son?"

Surprised, and a little suspicious, he asked, "Why? Why would you do this for me? I'm just a commoner with not a copper to his name."

"Because I love you, Tobe. And I would like nothing more than to make you my son."

It was too much for Tobe. Four years ago she had taken him away from an abusive master. She had clothed him, fed him, taught him to read, given him a home, and not once had she been unkind to him. Now she was offering to adopt him! He started crying and ran into her arms. He knew it was unseemly for a boy of 14 to embrace the lady knight, but he didn't care. He loved her, and was glad that she was going to become his mother.

2 months later

As Tobe lay in the room next to his adoptive mother, he couldn't but remember a night like this over four years ago, when he had first met her. As he looked back on it, he remembered what he had first thought. He had thought that she was crazy, or taking drugs or drink, when she had bought his papers from Alvik. Now that he thought about, he was right that she was crazy. But it wasn't a bad crazy, it was the good one, where you're crazy with kindness. As he curled up to sleep, he realized it was the first time in his life where he was truly happy, where he had no worries. And as he finally fell asleep, his last thought was that this was the first of many nights where he lived happily ever after. . . . or as happy a life with a lady knight could be.

(A/N- This was my first fic, review if you want to)