Keladry of Mindelan-Knight of Tortall

Chapter 1
The early morning breeze wafted in from the cabin windows, as the girl on the warm bed shivered, and opened her eyes. It was an understatement to call her tall, for she stood at what the court ladies of Tortall would call "an un-ladylike height" of 5 foot 11 inches. Her chin-length chestnut hair fought her viciously as she bound it in an elastic band and started to get changed. She smiled as the sparrows that had adopted her chirped their morning greeting, swooping down on her shoulder and pecking her ear softly with their tiny beaks. At the foot of her bed, an ugly little dog awoke, strolling over to lick his master. It was plain to see that the animal had been hurt many times, from the obvious scratches on his snout and his worn down, black and white tail. He was apparently not any worse off from the wear, though, because he bounded with a start as he heard the approaching footsteps outside the cabin door.
"Kel? 'You there? Oy...Lady Knight!" came a familiar voice from outside.

Chapter 2
The dog gave a low, throaty growl as he stopped near the doorway. Keladry of Mindelan walked over curiously, saying "Stay there, Jump." There was a short rap on the oak door, and Kel opened it, grinning wide as she recognized her visitor.
A tall, gangly man walked through the entrance, gazing steadily at Keladry. His long brown hair was brushed back messily from his widow's peak, and the girl remembered a time when she would have loved to settle it with her fingers. It had been quite some time since she had thought of her friend in such a romantic way. There was a hesitant pause, and then a soft exclamation from Kel. "Neal!"
Nealan of Queenscove, at 6 feet, stood barely 2 inches above the pair of hazel eyes he was looking at.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Kel?" he said to her, cocking his head to see if anything had changed about his best friend in the past year. Starting out five years later than the rest of the Pages at the Tortallan Castle, Neal was now 24, and carrying on a life of his own. Suddenly his emerald eyes snapped out of their dreamy haze. He swept up Kel and twirled her around giddily. "Forget all this mushy reunion stuff!" he exclaimed. "Mithros, am I ever glad to see you again!