Protector of the Small
Chapter 1: Back to Steadfast
Author's notes and such: I of course do not own any of the characters or ANYTHING that the oh-so-brilliant Tamora Pierce has created, but I am adding to an unfinished story. I don't have her writing-style, I'd be famous if I did, but still it's my own idea of what happens after the fourth book: Lady Knight of 'Protector of the Small'. Well, enjoy and R/R!
**
Keladry of Mindelan sat mounted on her horse Hoshi, and rode steadily up a curved road headed towards Steadfast. She hoped for a long hot bath when she arrived before going to see her friend, and long time crush, Dom.
Riding along beside her was her best friend, Neal. He was urging her to get to Steadfast quickly, for his betrothed awaited him there. Kel smiled as she watched her long time friend eat some jerky, he had a bright grin on his face since the day they left for Steadfast.
"Kel, how long has it been since we passed Mastiff?" He asked as a sparrow ruffled it's feathers while perched on his shoulder. Kel herself took some of her own jerky and began to eat.
"Well, we should almost be there." She said happily, thinking of how to best greet Dom. Her feelings where stronger for him now, he always knew how to make her smile. This thought made her grin until a group of sparrows burst from the trees nearby chirping in alarm. They circled and dived, flapping their wings madly.
"Spidrens!" Kel called to Neal as she dismounted Hoshi, and readied her glaive. Neal also dismounted, but he held his bows and quiver. "How many?" Kel asked the head sparrow, Nari. She dipped two times. "Two, well at least it's not more. Nari take the others to that tree over there to safety. I don't like you having to deal with Spidrens. Jump; stay clear of the web okay? Neal, be ready." The Sparrows relunctantly nodded then flew off; Jump set his throat into a deep growl. Neal nodded as he readied an arrow.
Sure enough two Spidrens popped out of the trees. They grinned at the humans, showing long, silver, razor-sharp teeth. Kel sneered at them, as Neal took his shot. He aimed true, easily taking down one of the Spidrens. The remaining one roared and advanced on Kel, just as Jump pounced on it and dug his teeth into one of it's legs. The monster shrieked as it thrashed its arms about trying to rid of this small creature. Kel briskly thrust her glaive once, and sliced the distracted monsters head off.
Jump walked over to her still growling into the trees. Kel looked around to see what symbol the shrieking sparrows made, but then she heard an ear- splitting roar. She looked at Neal, he had gone white. "Oh WHAT NOW!!?" She turned toward the trees and saw a 9-foot creature with a large ax in its hand. It easily cut down the trees in its way, growling in fiery. Kel's mouth dropped then she quickly pulled her quiver and Griffin bow out. She aimed true hitting the creature square in the eye, it roared and attempted to swing it's ax at her, but Neal struck it in the other eye while Jump attacked his arm, tearing flesh away.
Kel ran forward, glaive held up, and sliced the Giant's abdomen, clean open. It roared, arms dropped, and then began to sway. "Kel watch out!" Neal yelled as he ran out of harms way. Jump still stood beneath the creature, growling.
"Jump move!!" Kel yelled, but he couldn't hear her over the Giant's roar. As the creature began to fall, Kel quickly rolled, grabbing Jump, and rolling out of harms way just as the Giant fell next to them. Dust rose up in clouds, making Kel cough and wipe some out of her eyes, and spit some from her mouth. She slowly rose up and realized Neal was helping her to her feet. "Thank you." She attempted to wipe some of the dust from her breeches. She walked over and slit the Giant's throat just to be sure.
"Any more surprises for us today?" Neal growled as he used his magic to sooth any bruises Kel had just received.
"I hope n-" Kel broke off as the sparrows came squawking at her. They circled around in the air. "Friends." She assured Neal. "But who?" She then saw somebody trotting up the hill, bow and quiver in his hands.
"Well if it isn't Mother!" She heard the man say as he smiled at her brightly. She wiped her eyes and realized it was Dom. "I see you've been having all the fun." He said eyeing the Giant and two Spidrens. "Meathead! It's not even half a day's ride left to Steadfast. We were just checking the roads-"
"Sure that's what he was doing." Said one of Dom's men with a wicked smile. Kel was surprised to see Dom blush.
"Well, we should start for Steadfast, you two look like you need a good bath." He grinned as he helped Kel mount Hoshi, she felt she didn't need the help, but almost melted at his touch. She put on her Yamani face to hide any attempting smile. Neal glanced at her and grinned impishly.
Kel glared at him and brought Hoshi to a trot alongside Dom, Neal then came up next to Kel and kept smiling at her. "Are you this happy to be seeing Yuki?" Kel asked.
"Yes that, and seeing you two." Neal retorted tauntingly. Kel hid a blush, and was glad Dom hadn't heard that. She slowed Hoshi down, allowing Dom to ride ahead.
"What do you mean?" She said glaring at him.
"What I mean is I've seen my cousin fall over for girls before, but you- you're different. He's truly in love with you." Neal grinned at the thought. "And you with him. I know when you use your Yamani face, you can't fool me Mother." Neal rode ahead quickly before she could reply.
Kel decided to ride at the rear, isolated from the men as she thought about what Neal had said. She knew her part was true, but did Dom love her?
Just then Dom decided to ride alongside her. "You look troubled. Anything you want to talk about?" He asked kindly. Kel looked at him and smiled.
"Not really."
Chapter 1: Back to Steadfast
Author's notes and such: I of course do not own any of the characters or ANYTHING that the oh-so-brilliant Tamora Pierce has created, but I am adding to an unfinished story. I don't have her writing-style, I'd be famous if I did, but still it's my own idea of what happens after the fourth book: Lady Knight of 'Protector of the Small'. Well, enjoy and R/R!
**
Keladry of Mindelan sat mounted on her horse Hoshi, and rode steadily up a curved road headed towards Steadfast. She hoped for a long hot bath when she arrived before going to see her friend, and long time crush, Dom.
Riding along beside her was her best friend, Neal. He was urging her to get to Steadfast quickly, for his betrothed awaited him there. Kel smiled as she watched her long time friend eat some jerky, he had a bright grin on his face since the day they left for Steadfast.
"Kel, how long has it been since we passed Mastiff?" He asked as a sparrow ruffled it's feathers while perched on his shoulder. Kel herself took some of her own jerky and began to eat.
"Well, we should almost be there." She said happily, thinking of how to best greet Dom. Her feelings where stronger for him now, he always knew how to make her smile. This thought made her grin until a group of sparrows burst from the trees nearby chirping in alarm. They circled and dived, flapping their wings madly.
"Spidrens!" Kel called to Neal as she dismounted Hoshi, and readied her glaive. Neal also dismounted, but he held his bows and quiver. "How many?" Kel asked the head sparrow, Nari. She dipped two times. "Two, well at least it's not more. Nari take the others to that tree over there to safety. I don't like you having to deal with Spidrens. Jump; stay clear of the web okay? Neal, be ready." The Sparrows relunctantly nodded then flew off; Jump set his throat into a deep growl. Neal nodded as he readied an arrow.
Sure enough two Spidrens popped out of the trees. They grinned at the humans, showing long, silver, razor-sharp teeth. Kel sneered at them, as Neal took his shot. He aimed true, easily taking down one of the Spidrens. The remaining one roared and advanced on Kel, just as Jump pounced on it and dug his teeth into one of it's legs. The monster shrieked as it thrashed its arms about trying to rid of this small creature. Kel briskly thrust her glaive once, and sliced the distracted monsters head off.
Jump walked over to her still growling into the trees. Kel looked around to see what symbol the shrieking sparrows made, but then she heard an ear- splitting roar. She looked at Neal, he had gone white. "Oh WHAT NOW!!?" She turned toward the trees and saw a 9-foot creature with a large ax in its hand. It easily cut down the trees in its way, growling in fiery. Kel's mouth dropped then she quickly pulled her quiver and Griffin bow out. She aimed true hitting the creature square in the eye, it roared and attempted to swing it's ax at her, but Neal struck it in the other eye while Jump attacked his arm, tearing flesh away.
Kel ran forward, glaive held up, and sliced the Giant's abdomen, clean open. It roared, arms dropped, and then began to sway. "Kel watch out!" Neal yelled as he ran out of harms way. Jump still stood beneath the creature, growling.
"Jump move!!" Kel yelled, but he couldn't hear her over the Giant's roar. As the creature began to fall, Kel quickly rolled, grabbing Jump, and rolling out of harms way just as the Giant fell next to them. Dust rose up in clouds, making Kel cough and wipe some out of her eyes, and spit some from her mouth. She slowly rose up and realized Neal was helping her to her feet. "Thank you." She attempted to wipe some of the dust from her breeches. She walked over and slit the Giant's throat just to be sure.
"Any more surprises for us today?" Neal growled as he used his magic to sooth any bruises Kel had just received.
"I hope n-" Kel broke off as the sparrows came squawking at her. They circled around in the air. "Friends." She assured Neal. "But who?" She then saw somebody trotting up the hill, bow and quiver in his hands.
"Well if it isn't Mother!" She heard the man say as he smiled at her brightly. She wiped her eyes and realized it was Dom. "I see you've been having all the fun." He said eyeing the Giant and two Spidrens. "Meathead! It's not even half a day's ride left to Steadfast. We were just checking the roads-"
"Sure that's what he was doing." Said one of Dom's men with a wicked smile. Kel was surprised to see Dom blush.
"Well, we should start for Steadfast, you two look like you need a good bath." He grinned as he helped Kel mount Hoshi, she felt she didn't need the help, but almost melted at his touch. She put on her Yamani face to hide any attempting smile. Neal glanced at her and grinned impishly.
Kel glared at him and brought Hoshi to a trot alongside Dom, Neal then came up next to Kel and kept smiling at her. "Are you this happy to be seeing Yuki?" Kel asked.
"Yes that, and seeing you two." Neal retorted tauntingly. Kel hid a blush, and was glad Dom hadn't heard that. She slowed Hoshi down, allowing Dom to ride ahead.
"What do you mean?" She said glaring at him.
"What I mean is I've seen my cousin fall over for girls before, but you- you're different. He's truly in love with you." Neal grinned at the thought. "And you with him. I know when you use your Yamani face, you can't fool me Mother." Neal rode ahead quickly before she could reply.
Kel decided to ride at the rear, isolated from the men as she thought about what Neal had said. She knew her part was true, but did Dom love her?
Just then Dom decided to ride alongside her. "You look troubled. Anything you want to talk about?" He asked kindly. Kel looked at him and smiled.
"Not really."