Ok, this is my first fanfic, so bear with me. Pleeeaaasssseeeee give me some feed back, or else I'll assume this story sucks and write another.
Disclaimer: all these characters belong to Tamora pierce, I do not own them, (sadly)
Kel looked out the foggy window into the bleak grey outside. 'Oh when will this rain cease!' thought Kel bitterly. It had been raining in Tortall for four days straight now, and everyone was getting a little antsy. Kel decided that she had to make use of herself. There were few people in the castle this time of the year. Most of her friends were either home with their families or off with their knights. Kel sighed and retrieved her glave from the corner of her room. Walking out the door she headed down the empty stone corridor and found her way to one of the indoor combat courts. Everything was empty. Kel stood in the middle of the room for a minute, simply drinking in the quiet and peace of it all. Then she began to perform a pattern dance with her weapon. Her pattern dances, however beautiful were completely fatal. It consisted of deadly swing after hack in a combination of beautiful swiftness. The glave which was her prime weapon in combat resembled a staff, with a sharp, curved metal piece on the end. She didn't realize that she had an observer until she had finished her pattern dance and the observer started clapping.
"That was amazing Kel. I swear, every time I watch you use that thing you do something more deadly."
Kel swirled around. "Neal!" cried Kel with excitement. She ran over to her best friend and he engulfed her in a hug.
"What's brought you here? I thought the lioness was patrolling up in Scanra for the summer?" asked Kel, inquisitively.
"Oh, well, actually that's an interesting story. Now you'd think that being a knight with her experience, she'd know better that to pick fights with giants," Neal said dryly. "She wouldn't have come back if the king hadn't ordered her to."
"Well either way, I'm glad to have you back at the castle. It's so dull around here with no one to talk to. I thought I would just burst if I didn't find something to do that was useful," Kel grumbled. At this Neal laughed. He had always known her to be the productive one. He slung an arm around her shoulder and led her into the hallway. They walked down the hallway and into Kel's room. She put her glaive away and sat on her bed.
"So what's new with you?" asked Kel. "The lioness still hounding you?" she grinned. She had always thought that the lioness would be her first choice to be her knight master, but after hearing of how Neal talked of her temper and quick tongue, she thanked Mithros for her own knight master, Lord Raoul.
Neal sighed dramatically "Of course, with her healing lectures every four minutes and her love for fighting all things moving." Kel knew Neal well, and also knew that the lioness was good for him. They talked for what seemed like hours until they realized that they were hungry. They walked down the hallway to the mess hall to eat some good palace food.
Upon entering the mess hall they spotted their old table and trotted towards it. Before they had even sat they heard a familiar voice. Owen of Jesslaw who was a year younger than Neal and Kel came over with his usual jolly expression. Kel, who hadn't eaten in the mess hall in her time here, hadn't seen her young friend all summer.
"Kel, Neal! When did you get here? Oh I've missed all you guys so much!" shouted Owen as they all found seats at their table. They all ate their meals in between talk of where they had been, and what they had done. Eventually the subject came up of girls. Kel always ignored them when the boys talked of other ladies, but now she decided to pay attention.
"So Neal who's your latest fancy?" asked Owen mockingly. Neal was infamous for having very dramatic crushes on women he wouldn't most likely ever have. Neal blushed a deep crimson. Could Kel have seen correct, the great Neal blushing over a girl, she must be special.
"Owen, you're just jealous, because you couldn't get a girl with a love potion and all the help of the goddess herself." joked Kel.
"Oh yeah? Well it so happens that I do have a girl!" shouted Owen with triumph. Kel and Neal gawked at him.
"Who?" asked Neal, accusingly
"Her name's Cynthia, and I met her visiting my family this summer. And if I may say so myself she's a gem, not more so than our Kel here though," added Owen ceremoniously.
"What about you Kel? Have you got a beau? You never talk about your personal life," inquired Neal. Now it was Kels turn to blush.
"Me? The uncouth warrior maiden? No, nobody is interested, and if they are, they haven't shown any inclination," stated Kel matter-of-factly. Owen protested vividly saying that she was as good as any other noble girl, if not better. She smiled at his notion.
"That's not true," said Neal "Cleon tells you how beautiful you are every time he sees you."
"Oh you know he's just jesting. He wouldn't seriously be interested in me. He is more of the older woman type." Kel replied. "I'm just destined to become an old maid, having adventures as a lone knight." At this she stood up from the table and brought her food tray to the serving staff. She walked out the hall and towards her room. Is that how she really wanted to die? as an old maid? 'No, you know what you want, you want Neal, you know you do,' said a little voice in her head. Afraid of that thought she shoved it into the farthest corner of her mind, and thought louder still. 'No, I don't like him any more...do I?' Suddenly confused, she decided to hum a song to keep those treasonous thoughts out of her head.