Its gonna be sad.
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Kel rolled over. Raising her hand, she touched the cheek of the boy next to her. Curling closer to Neal, she snuggled under the woolen blanket.
He yawned and twisted around. "Not morning yet, is it?" he murmered.
Standing slowly, Kel nodded sadly. "Yes, Neal, it is. And we have to wake up."
Unhappily, he rose up. Staggering to the window, he gasped as the cold wind hit his face. Turning, he playfully gathered his wife of two days in his arms. "I promised Father i would be there today, but what are you planning to do?" He kissed her nose.
Groaning at his amiability, Kel replied tartly, "Teaching staff and Yamani weapons to the young boys and girls. We need a working guard eventually, and not just the older generation needs to be prepared in combat!" Kissing him back, she combed his hair and propelled him towards the Infirmiry.
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"Morning!" Neal caroled cheerfully.
Cleon looked up from his making of ointments. "Why, hello Neal." He smiled mischieviously. "Why so cheerful?"
"I don't know," Neal replied waspishly, "why so tired, Cleon?" He gestured to the dark rings under his friends eyes.
Cleon sighed. "I have to warn you, don't make Kel pregnant right away. It's not the healthiest thing for a sixteen year old girl. Besides," he teased, "You would like her for yourself, at least for a while. I was up til moonfall with that boy of ours."
Neal grinned. "Anyway, where's Father? He asked me here for a case of skin mottling." Cleon pointed tiredly at the other hut.
"Thanks," Neal said and walked to the other structure. "Hello, Father, Joren," he greeted.
The former squire had much changed. From his old, cocky attitude had blossomed a quiet, rather serious young man. However, he now had a purpley orangish aqua mark spread across his arms.
"And what's this?" Duke Baird asked, eyebrows raised. "I can't reach it with my magic, whatever it happens to be."
Examining the blot, Neal poked it to the immediate discomfort of Joren. "Sorry." Peering at it closely, he inquired, "Did you do anything with this arm that might make it discolor so...vividly?"
Joren shook his head. "Only planting, and irrigation ditches." He shrugged. "This came up a couple of days ago." He ran his fingers through his blonde hair. "Hurts like all get out, though."
Speaking slowly, Neal saw a familiar pulse in the blob of color. He stared out the window at the glowing rainbow sky, pausing in thought. "Reminds you of Chaos, doesn't it?" he observed, before realizing what he might be hitting upon.
"Chaos?" they gasped, horrified. "Chaos could be doing this?" Everyone stared at the colorful blot.
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