FOUND YET LOST " Kel? " he whispered, dumbfounded. " What are you doing here? "
There was quite a bit of distance between them, so she couldn't hear him call her. Instead of getting up to follow her he watched.
Kel walked over to where the waves met the sand sat down. In 1 hand, she scooped up water, in the other some sand. Then she modeled it to become something. She used her finger to make the details. Then she sat down in the water and stayed there.
Neal decided it was time for her to come back. Softly he greeted her. " Hello, Kel. "
She patted to a seat beside her and answered, " Hi, Neal. "
There was something a little weird about all this. He looked Kel in the face and found that her eyes were still closed. She was breathing with the sea. Meditating.
" What're you doing? " he asked curiously.
" Sitting, " was her dreamy-voiced answer.
He put his arms around her, happy and relieved that she wasn't kidnapped. Instead he was rewarded with her great Yamani skills.
She bent his little fingers and flipped him over her hip. When he finally landed, she sat on his stomach and looked at him, clearly surprised. " Sorry, Neal, " she apologized but didn't get off him. " What're you doing here? "
He tried to get up, but the way she sat on him refused to let him do so. " Um… Kel? Can I get up? "
Kel got up and gave him a hand. " Why am I here? Why are you here? "
" I thought you were kidnapped, " he explained worriedly.
Neal still hadn't let go of her hand and she was starting to feel giddy. She tried yanking it away but he ignored it. Finally she gave up and demanded an explanation.
He quickly answered with what Lalasa had told him and what he told Cleon. She laughed half bitterly and happily. She was afraid that he'd bring up their little argument last night.
" But I don't know how you got here? " he ended.
The truth hit her like a whoosh, a heap of snow sliding off the roof. Her free hand flew to her mouth.
Neal peered into her eyes. " What? "
" I figured it out, " she announced proudly. And began, " Yesterday I was so mad over our fight that I cried myself to sleep. I dreamt that I changed. Believe I left the door open. I was looking for a place inside myself that was calm and peaceful. Somehow my mind was triggered to the Emerald Sea. It's peaceful, serene, gentle. I guess I rode Peachblossom all the way here. " Kel looked around and found Peachblossom playing with Explorer.
Neal put 2 and 2 together. " You sleep-walked, " he told her.
She nodded, then quickly yanked her hand free. At least she wouldn't feel so giddy or cry. Kel made a serious face and said, " We should get back. Lord Wyldon will kill us if we don't get back. "
As she was walking she realized Neal wasn't with her. " Neal, coming? Or my Yamani skills? "
" A kiss? " he asked hopefully.
She turned around slowly. If this was just a dream it was a grand one. Her teeth bit down on her lip. It felt real. She looked into his eyes. He wasn't joking. There, in his verdant gaze was a fire. Did he want a kiss between friends? Or a passionate one?
Neal came closer. He was just about to kiss her when she pulled back. A thoughful look crossed her face.
He pulled her closer and looked her in the eyes. " Kel, it might have taken me six years to realize it, but I do love you. " he informed her.
" You love me! " she squeaked.
" I love you, Kel. "
" I love you, too. " Kel looked up and kissed him for more than 5 seconds when someone tapped their shoulders.
Neal glared at Cleon and growled. " You just destroyed the moment. "
" And this isn't what I think. " Cleon quoted, his eyes narrowed down to Neal's arm on her waist.
Kel stopped giggling and took a deep breath. She looked at Cleon
He was limping. His shirt had stains of blood and his breeches looked as if they had been slashed with a sword.
" What happened to you? " she asked.
" Let's just say I might have started a war. " Cleon mumbled.
" Kel? " he whispered, dumbfounded. " What are you doing here? "
There was quite a bit of distance between them, so she couldn't hear him call her. Instead of getting up to follow her he watched.
Kel walked over to where the waves met the sand sat down. In 1 hand, she scooped up water, in the other some sand. Then she modeled it to become something. She used her finger to make the details. Then she sat down in the water and stayed there.
Neal decided it was time for her to come back. Softly he greeted her. " Hello, Kel. "
She patted to a seat beside her and answered, " Hi, Neal. "
There was something a little weird about all this. He looked Kel in the face and found that her eyes were still closed. She was breathing with the sea. Meditating.
" What're you doing? " he asked curiously.
" Sitting, " was her dreamy-voiced answer.
He put his arms around her, happy and relieved that she wasn't kidnapped. Instead he was rewarded with her great Yamani skills.
She bent his little fingers and flipped him over her hip. When he finally landed, she sat on his stomach and looked at him, clearly surprised. " Sorry, Neal, " she apologized but didn't get off him. " What're you doing here? "
He tried to get up, but the way she sat on him refused to let him do so. " Um… Kel? Can I get up? "
Kel got up and gave him a hand. " Why am I here? Why are you here? "
" I thought you were kidnapped, " he explained worriedly.
Neal still hadn't let go of her hand and she was starting to feel giddy. She tried yanking it away but he ignored it. Finally she gave up and demanded an explanation.
He quickly answered with what Lalasa had told him and what he told Cleon. She laughed half bitterly and happily. She was afraid that he'd bring up their little argument last night.
" But I don't know how you got here? " he ended.
The truth hit her like a whoosh, a heap of snow sliding off the roof. Her free hand flew to her mouth.
Neal peered into her eyes. " What? "
" I figured it out, " she announced proudly. And began, " Yesterday I was so mad over our fight that I cried myself to sleep. I dreamt that I changed. Believe I left the door open. I was looking for a place inside myself that was calm and peaceful. Somehow my mind was triggered to the Emerald Sea. It's peaceful, serene, gentle. I guess I rode Peachblossom all the way here. " Kel looked around and found Peachblossom playing with Explorer.
Neal put 2 and 2 together. " You sleep-walked, " he told her.
She nodded, then quickly yanked her hand free. At least she wouldn't feel so giddy or cry. Kel made a serious face and said, " We should get back. Lord Wyldon will kill us if we don't get back. "
As she was walking she realized Neal wasn't with her. " Neal, coming? Or my Yamani skills? "
" A kiss? " he asked hopefully.
She turned around slowly. If this was just a dream it was a grand one. Her teeth bit down on her lip. It felt real. She looked into his eyes. He wasn't joking. There, in his verdant gaze was a fire. Did he want a kiss between friends? Or a passionate one?
Neal came closer. He was just about to kiss her when she pulled back. A thoughful look crossed her face.
He pulled her closer and looked her in the eyes. " Kel, it might have taken me six years to realize it, but I do love you. " he informed her.
" You love me! " she squeaked.
" I love you, Kel. "
" I love you, too. " Kel looked up and kissed him for more than 5 seconds when someone tapped their shoulders.
Neal glared at Cleon and growled. " You just destroyed the moment. "
" And this isn't what I think. " Cleon quoted, his eyes narrowed down to Neal's arm on her waist.
Kel stopped giggling and took a deep breath. She looked at Cleon
He was limping. His shirt had stains of blood and his breeches looked as if they had been slashed with a sword.
" What happened to you? " she asked.
" Let's just say I might have started a war. " Cleon mumbled.