Summer Storm
Disclaimer: I don't own anything per usual.
Chapter 1-
Keladry of Mindelan brushed a stray piece of her hair out of her face as she nudged her mount forward. The winds where picking up, the clouds where very grey and she wasn't sure she wanted to be stranded outside in a storm. If she did get stranded, she would know who to blame it on. Esmond, Faleron, Seaver, Neal, Merric, Owen, and Dom. Or no, better yet Lord Wyldon for sending them all to her to watch over now that the war was winding down. As Peachblossom snorted in disdain, rain pelted down slight expectedly onto her and her gelding. Groaning mentally, she guided Peachblossom towards the trees, and knew she was far away from New Hope because she was undoubtedly lost.
It was a sad day when someone who knows the land surrounding their Refugee Camp like the back of their hand or their own homeland gets lost, Kel thought bitterly unbuckling Peachblossom's girth from the saddle before letting him underneath the tree. Slipping into the hollow she settled down on her saddle blanket and got ready to wait for the rain to stop. She blamed immediately the young annoying yet energetic knights back at New Hope doing paperwork for her. This set a smile on her face because of what she had done to them...
Flash Back
"That's it! I can't take it anymore get up here NOW!" Keladry shouted out of the window from her office staring down at them. Seaver and Merric where holding Owen's arms and legs, Neal was holding a bucket of honey and Dom was standing watching while Esmond and Faleron brought forth a bunch of feathers. They had had enough of Owen's 'jolly' singing and where about to pour honey and feathers on him since they didn't have tar. It had been Neal's brilliant idea to give him one of the old punishments for being a progressive of tar and feathering from forever ago, but they used honey as a stand in. Looking highly embarrassed at the situation they all trotted towards her office.
In her office, Kel at them down and made them start copying reports and doing math problems to put their 'bundles of energy' to use and Owen's jolly singing while he wrote was enough punishment in Kel's mind. As she left her office to go riding she was satisfied by her ways of working out the problem...
End Of Flashback
In Kel's Office...
"Oh boy," Owen groaned staring out the window. Neal looked up to see rain pelting down and Esmond groaned out loud as well knowing full well Kel was out riding and would probably blame them. A bit confused, Merric set down his quill and paper and raised an eyebrow in question. Seaver ignored all of them and continued to work on the reports because he didn't want anymore of Kel's wrath that day. That was until he noticed there was tension in the room and looked up and waited for someone to speak.
"Kel's out riding. She'll blame us for getting on her nerves and making her put us to paperwork," Esmond said it glumly and Dom smiled brilliantly making the rest glare at him. It was almost as bad as Owen's jolly singing only this time there was no reason for him to be smiling like a blessing had come down from the goddess herself. That was exactly how he was smiling.
"Not so fast. Who was it that sent us here when we where getting on his nerves? I still think he should have sent me with the rest of the Own since I'm not a worthless Knight," he said it while smirking at the rest of them, "But we can get her to send a message to Wyldon! But first we had better find her," Dom adds his eyes amused and worried at the same time. Neal noticed the worry and knew he would have to ponder this later while the rest of them stood up.
In the stables, they hurriedly groomed and tacked their horses and Dom was forced to send Neal back to clean his mare's hooves out properly. He refused to let a good sturdy horse go lame because of his cousin's lack of intelligence. After his own mount was completely ready to go, and his saddle and bridle checked Dom swung on waiting for the rest of them to come out. Merric was next, then Esmond, Faleron, followed by Owen, and Seaver. Neal dragged his mount out after a few moments before they set off and Dom instructed them to go in pairs to find them. He himself was alone, seeing as he put Neal with Owen, Esmond with Seaver, Faleron with Merric, and then he set off in the opposite direction wondering how Kel could have gotten lost or if she had gotten thrown, or a number of different but all ending tragic accidents.
In Kel's Hollow
The rain fell even harder and Peachblossom now was tucked neatly around the tree attempting to block out rain. He wasn't succeeding. Kel sighed deeply wishing it wasn't raining otherwise she would still be attempting to find her way back. It wasn't a good idea to chance it if she didn't know the territory. There could be unknown holes, hills, slippery sections or pools of water anywhere and she'd rather not risk her mount. Stretching her long legs in front of her, she started to loose herself in thought when she heard the sounds of someone shouting her name. A familiar voice that made her attempt to stand up clumsily aware that she was soaking wet and had grass and mud all over her.
Seeing Kel, wet and covered in mud and grass made Dom's heart pound because all those miserable thoughts that had found their way into his head came creeping back after being banished. He watched her as she stepped forward then jumped out of the rain grimacing and probably mentally cursing it. Sliding off his mare, he watched as she trotted to the small shelter where Peachblossom was attempting to get covered. He was startled when the gelding moved over to let the other horse slid in, before stepping lightly towards where Kel stood, attempting to stay dry. He was amused to see she was glaring at him with a fierceness that would have made most of not everyone else back down.
"Good afternoon," he greeted and slipped soaking underneath the hollow. She glared at him, and was about to order him out of the hollow but pitied his rain soaked form and moved over.
"Is it afternoon? Really? I couldn't tell because it's RAINING," she snapped at him and he smiled at her.
"Yes its afternoon. You'll be happy to know your reports are done," he tugged her down to sit next to him and was amused to see her compile but grudgingly. Leaning against the back of the tree instead of him, Dom watched as she settled down as though expecting to have to sit there for awhile. He leaned back next to her, and slid his arm around her shoulders, "Do you know how cheerful this is?" he says smiling brightly, "How wonderfully beautiful it is outside. And how nice it is to sit with you?" he adds and she looks away pointedly attempting to show him nothing he said would soften her mood. He didn't know he was succeeding. As they sat there, Kel watched the rain and Dom watched her before she starts to answers his mocking questions.
"You do know, that I don't find this cheerful. It's not 'wonderfully beautiful' outside and I'm not so sure you'll find it nice to sit with me in a few minutes," she comments and he smiles at her nodding his head in agreement.
They sit in silence, both contemplating their situation before Dom begins to drift off and start thinking of his past. Well, not his past as in things he's done bad just in general. His favorite memories with Neal, his moments at balls, things he would take back that he said to a certain standard bearer. Not attempting to tar and feather Owen. Actually, he muses to himself, If anything I wish I could have finished doing that before being sent to write reports for Lord Wyldon.
Kel leaned against the tree trunk aware of Dom being pressed neatly against her and it took all her will power not to blush or lean closer. She was thinking of her page years, those moments of doom with Neal, and those days serving stuff conservatives, not to mention all the teasing of Owen when she found out about Margarry of Cavall. Unlike the others, she had done it out of earshot of people who could use it against him, namely Neal. Not singing love ballads underneath Neal's window. No, Kel thought to herself smiling in the memory of Cleon getting water poured on him, That one was actually quite funny. After a few more minutes of recalling the past, Kel moves and faces him about to speak before sitting in silence for a few more moments.
"I hate the rain," she says it clearly in distaste, eyeing the foul weather in pure hatred before smiling to herself, "That's funny. I have a grudge against weather,"
"Only you," Dom mutters and she glares at him. Dom, remembering it was partly his fault for being in this situation bowed his head in submission, "Fine fine, I agree I loathe this weather as much if not more then you," he smiles when she rolls her eyes and settles against the wall of the tree.
It was starting to get cold, and Kel was wondering how long they'd been sitting there. She felt extremely tired and irritable when Dom pulled her close and told her they would need body heat. Nodding in general because she was too tired to really think straight, she closed her eyes. Wondering when she'd gotten this drowsy she felt herself drift off and knew she was safe enough with Dom here.
Dom knew he shouldn't have deluded himself into thinking the only reason he had tugged Kel over closer to him was for body heat. He just wouldn't admit that he liked her for more then a friend, and so he'd found an excuse to wrap his arm around her and let her fall asleep. He had seen the weariness start to slowly appear and her confusion when it almost completely took over her. It was delightful to watch her as she struggled to stay awake. Therefore he'd done the only logical thing and 'tugged her close for body heat'. Setting his head on top of her, he let himself drift off following her idea.
Neal was passing by a tree that had a hollow when he noted two horses standing from the rain and then two figures, asleep side by side. Smiling to himself, he wheeled his mare around and decided to let them stay out there for awhile. The rain had only started to let up, and they needed more quality time together...
A/N: The tar & feathering thing I got from one of my history class. I couldn't remember whether they did it to loyalist or colonist so I decided to do the whole progressives vs. conservatives in the 'olden' days of Tortall.
