The Protector of the Small. To them, that's all she is, the Lady Knight who beat the mage Blayce and helped win the Scanran War, the first known female page for over one hundred years, the hero. Never did it occur to them that she had feelings, a life, anything more than great deeds.

I am an old, old man now, with grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even a few great-great-grandchildren. My life is almost done, and now, as the sun sets over the road of my life, I think back to my best friend Keladry of Mindelan.

She did not deserve to die so young. One can only imagine the great deeds she would have done, had she lived. She didn't even die in a way that would win her praise, in a war or protecting royal children or such.

No, she died of illness. She would have lived, I could have saved her, but she insisted that her baby be saved first. No one even knew she was with child, not even her husband. She knew –and we knew- that if she'd told us we never would have allowed her to go bandit hunting.

Days of cold, wet, cloudiness, with sleet, snow, or rain took their toll on her already over-worked body. With only a month before the birth of her child, she really should have been in bed, but she was Kel. She refused to stay behind like any normal woman –even the Lioness rested when she was pregnant with her children- she had to go out and help us hunt bandits.

I remember finding her in her tent, face an ashen white, skin chapped with the heat of a fever. I tried to heal her, but she whispered, "No… save the baby,"

You can imagine my shock, but I never could resist anything she told me to do. I saved the baby- and in doing so I killed my best friend.

My wife Yuki and I raised the little girl –her father could not stand to look at her, as like to her mother as she was- and refused to have anything to do with her. I couldn't bring myself to name her… no one could. All her life she went about as 'Girl.'

I regret that now, but there is no changing the past. If I could change the past I would have called another healer to save the baby and then saved Kel, and Girl would have had a mother. Perhaps she wouldn't have jumped in front of the arrow aimed at the king then, perhaps she would have had something to live for.

She was so like Kel, in every way. Even though she was never taught it, she had a yamani mask the rival the best of the best. She mothered everyone, though where she learned it is beyond me. No one ever cared for her. She always put others first- even others whom she hated, like King Jonathan. She knew he was needed in the realm, and she was not.

Kel.

I remember her during page years, standing up the bully Joren. Practically leading a Spidren hunt. Fighting bandits. Overcoming her fear of heights. Saving Lalassa. Throwing fans in the Grand progress.

She was unique, that's certain. As was her daughter, the last thing she ever gave to the world.

And the best.

Ahem… right. It sucks, officially. But I'm putting it up anyways… and no, I will not tell you who her husband is, though obviously it isn't Neal. It doesn't really matter, as you can see.

Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns… well… everything. All the stuff related to Tortall, in any case. Except Girl… maybe I shall write a fanfic about her, even though I really shouldn't.