Chapter 4 must include a map…
Yukimi noh Daiomoru. Yuki. She was Kel's friend. Her friend.
And what about Neal, Yuki's husband? Kel loved him like he was her own brother – no, she loved him more than any of her siblings. And he loved his faithless wife. How would he react – how would he even cope – to find that Yuki's heart now belonged to another?
How long had this been going on for? Kel shook with anger; for herself, for Neal, and for anyone else who had been deceived by that cruel Yamani minx. Had Yuki planned to eventually even tell Neal?
Kel's rage became bitter hurt and sorrow. How could she. How could she!
Her fingers were numb. Through the red mist coating her mind, Kel registered vaguely that the tent flap had slipped from her grasp. Still, she didn't care. How could she care about anything with the knowledge of her friend's dreadful betrayal?
Yet Kel was brought rudely back to the present; the whump of the tent flap had attracted attention in the silence of the night.
"Who's there?" Yuki's voice sounded afraid – quite rightly. Kel was going to go in there and give her a piece of her mind. She reached over to step inside –
"Who is it?" Dom's voice paused, before speaking warily. "Is that Kel?"
The latter heard a sharp intake of breath from within the tent. Ah, the deceitful wife is scared now, is she? she thought with a sense of satisfaction.
Yet Yuki wasn't the only one who had fears. At the sound of Dom's wonderful, sweet voice, all of Kel's doubts and worries had flooded back with renewed strength. She didn't want to confront him. She didn't want to do it.
Besides, she was dressed only in a rather airy nightgown and an old bed sheet. Not to mention the fact that she was armed only with a candle, and it had long been extinguished.
"Kel? That's you, isn't it?" Kel panicked as she heard Dom getting up – and even through her fear she didn't miss the rustle of bed sheets as he stood.
Run. There's nothing shameful in running if it's the only way of saving your skin. Kel thanked Lord Wyldon's advice as she scuttled as silently as she could back to the hospital tent. Maybe if she slipped inside quickly enough, she could grab a weapon, wake Owen to help her, and together they'd confront Dom. Yes. That might work.
Although, the fact remained, Kel still didn't much like the thought of engaging in a possible fight dressed in the flimsiest, most embarrassing garment known to humankind. But, of course, Lord Wyldon had also often impressed that a knight needed to be capable of responding in all situations. Although, thought Kel, I doubt he had nightgowns in mind when he said it.
Oh, Goddess. Where was a heavy metal object when she needed one?
Dom pushed inside the tent. He smiled ruefully. "Keladry of Mindelan. You are not going to like what I'll be doing to you next."
Kel grabbed the saucepan used to heat water for poultices. "Owen!" she cried, abandoning all subtlety as Dom walked slowly towards her.
A tousled head appeared from under the covers. Luckily Owen woke up quickly – he assessed the situation with a single glance. "Ah," he said, "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." Yet he made no move to come to Kel's aid.
"Kel, Kel, Kel." Dom continued to approach her. He pulled a map out of his pocket and shook it at her reproachfully. "You do realise we can't just let you foil our plans, don't you?"
Plans? A map? Was this some insane elopement scheme?
Kel looked wildly back and forth between Dom and Owen. "Is everyone here against me?"
Dom chuckled softly, but Kel saw nothing humorous about the situation. And then she saw nothing about the situation at all, as pale blue mist seeped from Dom's hands and Kel fell into a shroud of darkness.
Oo…Is Dom a reincarnation of Duke Roger? (gorgeous gitface) Well, that speculation is a little farfetched, but I would enjoy hearing what you think of it all. As always, please review, and I hope you're enjoying this fic. so far :)