Okay, so I've redone this chapter, because it was just a little too soapy for my taste. The storyline is going to be very different from the original, but it's, in my opinion, much better than it was. Thanks so much for the reviews! I have to say, I only found the motivation to keep at this story because of the reviews.

Disclaimer: It's not good enough to be Tamora Pierce's, and definitely not cannon enough (in my humble opinion).

New Hope had grown so much. It had started as a refugee camp much like Haven but had quickly grown to be more like a protected village of sorts. It was Kel's pride and joy. She spent every waking minute helping to make it stronger, bigger, more prosperous. She skipped meals sometimes to help with a project or to write a report. She stayed awake for hours into the night to work on something or other. She had a constant headache but never went to a healer for it. In short, she was worrying Tobe.

Tobe walked into the room he shared with his mistress. He was tired from a day of mucking out stalls and grooming horses but had brought a plate of food with him knowing Lady Kel hadn't come to supper. He was a strong boy of 16 now, well fed and had hit a growth spurt a year ago that had made him a decent height and his work in the stables had made him broad shouldered and strong. He walked into Kel's office through the door adjoining her room to her office to see Kel slumped against her desk. In her hand she still held a quill. Her other was clenched tightly, blood dripping from where her nails had cut her palm.

Tobe knew this already without looking at her. He had found her in much the same position plenty of times. Normally, he woke her now and had her to eat, sometimes it was her only meal of the day. Tonight though, he decided she needed the sleep and he would hassle her to eat in the morning before he went off to his job as head hostler. He walked over to the desk and set down the plate of food. He watched her for a moment. Normally her husband, Domitan of Masbolle, would be the one to make her eat and sleep but he had had to go back to Masbolle when his brother died to make arrangements and to do all other sorts of lordly things he had to see to now that he was the Duke of Masbolle. He was not expected to come back for at least 3 months because he couldn't leave during the harvest. Kel had stayed behind to look after her own fief, New Hope and the surrounding area.

Tobe walked around the desk and gently lifted his mistress into his arms and was surprised by how light she was. She stirred in her sleep and started murmuring, "No, no, you can't, no." He could feel her ribs against his chest. Deep circles under her eyes showed her lack of sleep and her nightmare made her start to flail about in his firm hold. Tobe couldn't bear to see his mistress like this and promised himself he would make her take a break and regain her health.

He carried her into their room and set her down in her bed, gently tugging off her boots, pulling the covers over her and undoing her now long hair from the stern bun that she wore. He looked towards his cot in the corner and sighed, how he would like to go to bed and sleep.

No one ever said anything about how he still slept in her room at age sixteen-when her husband wasn't there-in front of him. He had overheard some people saying they thought it was because he was still afraid she would up and disappear on him again. That was true, but not in the sense they thought.

Tobe strode purposefully towards the barrack-like housing the orphaned working aged boys and bachelor young men lived in. The air was chilly outside. Tobe didn't notice, he was worrying about Kel. He loved her fiercely as a brother, and he couldn't bear to see her like she was. He hadn't missed the tear streaks on her face as he'd lain her on her bed. She seemed so frail, he couldn't let her do this to herself anymore. He strode into the building to shouts of greeting and invitations to card and dice games. He declined the card games politely and walked over to a young man a couple years older than him. Tobe quickly explained to the man that, until further notice, Tobe would be taking some time off and the man was to run the stables. The man nodded, barely looking up from his card game. He took over for Tobe often, but he didn't realize that this wasn't for one or two days as it was normally, this was going to be indefinitely.

Tobe walked out of the barracks and back into the brand new manor house. He walked up the left flight of steps to the guest's quarters, where he knew Alanna the Lioness had just arrived to as he had seen her horse in the stables as he had passed. He strode boldly up to the only room with a light in it and boldly knocked.

"What in the name of the Great Mother- oh hey, it's you Tobe. What can I do for you?" Alanna said when she opened the door. She was still dressed in her dusty traveling clothes but she didn't have her sword belt on.

"I umm, I need you to help me.. well umm Neal used to.." Tobe stammered under her violet gaze. Violet eyes were very disconcerting really.

"Spit it out boy" she said gently, but a little sharp "My dear former squire used to do what?" Alanna said, flaming eyebrows arched.

"Sir-Neal-used-to-this-potion-that-would-cure-really-bad-headaches-and-he'd-give-some-to- Lady-Kel-in-her-tea-at-night-and-I've-been-having-really-bad-migraines-lately-and-Lady-Kel-said- you-were-a-healer-and -" Alanna cut off his ramblings. She saw the lie for what it was.

"Who do you really need it for, Tobe," she asked gently. She could tell from how he was twisting the hem of his tunic he was worrying about someone. She guessed it was a friend from the village.

The boy bolted. He ran flat out until he was in the hall where the Lady's rooms were. He slowed down and walked quietly. He didn't want to wake Lady Kel. He slipped into the room, closing the door softly and got into his bed fully dressed. He was to tired to do anything but pull off his boots before falling asleep.

He woke to someone softly crying in the dead of night. He looked up groggily and saw that Kel wasn't in her bed. He quietly got out of bed and followed the sound of the crying. He realized the sound was coming from the privy and stood outside, not sure what to do. The crying stopped for a moment and he heard the sound of someone throwing up. He knocked on the door.

"Lady Kel? Are you allright? Lady Kel?" He called. The crying stopped for a moment and Tobe held his breath, waiting for what she would do next. The next thing he heard were sobs. His heart froze. What could make Kel cry like that?

"Lady Kel, I'm comin' in 'kay," he called in a worry filled voice.

"'kay." He heard between sobs and he opened the door to see Kel, who was like a older sister to him, sitting on the floor, her back against the wall. Terrible sobs racked her frail frame and Tobe, without thinking, walked over to her and held her against him, letting her cry herself out on his shoulder. When she was overcome by a wave of nausea he held her hair back and handed he water afterwards. Then she was back to crying into his shoulder.

"Lady Kel? What's wrong?" he asked when her crying had subsided.

"The Chamber," she said simply.

"The Chamber," he repeated slowly.

She nodded miserably. The pain on face was clear to Tobe begfore she swiftly tucked it away behind her Yamani Mask.

Despair quickly came over him. He couldn't lose her. The Chamber would not take her from him again. She was all he had. She was mother, sister, and confidante all in one to him. She was the one who'd saved him.

He stood slowly, shaking his head. She stared at him before turning her gaze and staring at her knees.

"No," he whispered. He backed into the door before turning and running through her room into the hall. He put a hand on the wall, leaning over, breathing heavily.

Tears stung at his eyes. He swiped at them shamefully. He couldn't take just standing there anymore. He strode through the halls, paying no heed to the servants who jumped out of his way with muttered curses for 'Milady's bastard'.

He reached the stables finally. He stomped over to the first stall, accidentally waking the stable boy in the process. The horse whickered at him. He swiftly saddled the mare and led her out of the stables. In his state he couldn't hear the horse's warnings of the danger outside New Hope's gates.

He rode through the north gate, following the rode straight into the heart of the Scranran camp.

Kel knew something was wrong even before the horn sounded from the gate.