This is a dark chapter at the beginning and sad at the end, the middle is somewhat happy though so bear with me. I know I am mean in this chapter but it'll get better, and that's a promise.

Disclaimer: I am not Tamora Pierce, if you thought so, please visit Neal...

Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers!

"Neal-Dom-they've-they've found.."

"Who? Who've they found?"

"K-Kel."

Raoul ran, with Wolset right behind him, followed by every man in Third Company. They ran to Neal and Dom to find a small figure laying crumpled on the ground. The ground was soaked in its blood.

--

Raoul skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees looking at his ex-squire.

Her face was bruised in every possible colour, her eyes were swollen and black, her lips carried cuts that had bled, the dry blood plastered to her hair with and both sides of her head. The most notable feature was a cross that was fresh and that still bled. The 'X' was two whip lashes that crossed over her nose and to her temples and bases of the jaw. Two at least of her fingers looked broken, Raoul suspected the left wrist to be as well and her left arm was twisted in a position that a normal arm couldn't twist in. Her arms were both black and blue by beatings and she wore a bloody scratch down her right arm. Her breeches were torn and you could clearly see bruises. Her breeches and shirt were covered in her own blood, most of it dried.

Neal was looking at her horrified and Dom wore an even uglier and more horrified expression. The men of Third Company wore similar expressions as well and they looked with severe pity at Kel. Raoul was at a loss for words, his ex-squire, his only decent squire, the first official girl squire in centuries lay there in front of him. Broken, beaten, torn apart. Tears sprung to his eyes and he saw that the same happened to many of the men's faces as well.

Neal, face twisted by tears, laid her body gently on the ground.

"My-my b-back!" whimpered Kel. Everybody started, Kel? Kel was dead, nobody could have suffered these wounds and still live. But it had been Kel, her mouth had barely moved but they had seen it, she was alive!

Dom looked at her, terrified and shocked and Neal who was just as much shocked gently turned her over, a moan escaped Kel's cracked lips.

The company flinched in horror at the sight of her back. It was a bloody mess, whip marks crisscrossed all over her back.

"MITHROS!"

The company caught unawares jumped to look behind them. There stood the Lioness and another company of men.

"Alanna?! What're you doing here?"

"We were chasing killer unicorns a little ways off and heard a horn call, we came in assistance." She shrugged it off simply.

"Who is that?" she asked sharply pointing at the figure in Neal's arms.

The men suddenly remembered Kel and turned back to her silently.

"Do I need to repeat the question?" The Lioness's tone was not one to ignore.

"It's-it's Kel." Raoul stuttered.

Alanna's eyes flew open in shock and she ran to Neal's side.

"Kel? Kel!"

Kel opened her swollen eyes and mumbled "Lanna?"

"Kel? What happened?"

"I hurt too much." she gasped through gritted teeth, Alanna seemed to snap out of her shock and let her magic flow over the other knight's body. She grimaced as she searched and then she gasped as she removed her magic.

"Seven!"

"Seven?" Raoul asked

'Seven broken bones and a concussion, thats not possible for someone to live through!"

The men of the kings own shuddered, Seven broken bones.

"Kel how do you feel?"

"Going black.." Kel moaned and then she closed her eyes.

"No!" shouted the Lioness; "Kel! Stay awake! Neal, I need your help."

Green and purple magic surrounded her body, Alanna called for magical reinforcements. All the men with the gift poured it into her and Neal.

After several hours of waiting, hoping, wondering, Alanna and Neal withdrew their powers exhaustedly from Kel's body.

"She's going to be fine, physically." gasped Alanna and then she fell into Wolset's arms. He carried her into the newly set up camp and put her to bed. Neal stumbled towards his and fell asleep immediately.

Raoul picked up Keladry who was unconscious somberly and brought her into a cot in the make-shift infirmary.

Sourly the men went to bed, Kel would be alright, physically, what about mentally? Who could've done this? Why? They let the bastards that had done it go! Frustrated they all fell in gruesome sleeps, Kel's hideous wounds flashing in their minds.

--

Morning broke and all the men went to make breakfast, they didn't talk except once to ask how Kel was faring, she was still asleep.

Third Company and Second who had come with Alanna stationed themselves in a big clearing, they wouldn't be moving until their sick were tended.

The third day Alanna and Neal both woke up. They ate little and fell back asleep. The fourth day they were back to full health and they checked on Kel regularly. They tended to the small wounds, having only fixed the bones and the concussion before. Alanna tended the wounds where Neal was not comfortable looking and Neal tended the bigger wounds as Alanna became exhausted. On the sixth day when the men (and Alanna) were starting to worry, Kel woke.

--

I opened my eyes to a fierce sun which nearly blinded me.

I looked at my surroundings. I was in a bed instead of the floor where I usually slept. I was wearing my clothes whereas I usually wake up without them on. My head isn't pounding my clothes are clean my wounds are-- my wounds! My blood! It's gone. my arm isn't broken and neither are my fingers! I can move my wrist, I can breathe without hurting myself, that means, my ribs are together again! I wanted to jump for joy, I wasn't tired anymore. Who had healed me? Why? When? How? The Neal's face swam into my mind and green and purple fire. Green and purple fire? That meant Alanna and Neal,that meant Third Company, that meant Dom-

I got up and changed my clothes (out of habit you know) and went outside.

It was early and deserted except for the sound of a lone person practicing with weapons. My heart leap as I saw a familiar sergeant swinging his sword around in a practiced step.

"Mind if I try that?" I drawled.

He sprang into the air like a rabbit and looked around to find who had spoken. I walked out of the shadows. He looked at me in wonder for a split second before barreling into me.

"KEL!" he shouted loudly in joy.

He picked me up and swung me around before putting me down and hugging me into a bone-crushing death grip.

"Dom, I was just healed."

He blushed and let go as if stung.

"I was kidding." and I leaped forward to hug him again.

"Dom what's all this noise yer making?" a tired Wolset came into the clearing rubbing his eyes.

I let go of Dom and raced to Wolset to hug him too, never was I happier to see these faces. His eyes widened as he realized who it was, when he was through the short shock he hugged me back just as fiercely.

Dom laughed at our sights and then he jogged quickly back to camp.

"Meathead!"

"Don't call me that, and it's too early for your antics."

"C'mon dear Meathead, I have a surprise."

"Why'er you in such a good mood?" Neal grumped out before turning the other way.

"Don't make me call Alanna." threatened Dom smiling.

Neal leapt out of bed and dressed quickly.

"This had better be good." he muttered. Dom led him quickly to the clearing where Kel hugged Wolset.

"Kel!" Neal ran like a madman towards his just-like-a-sister and best friend.

Kel whipped around from Wolset and hugged Neal in turn just as deeply as she had Dom or Wolset.

Apparently the noise had roused the camp and soon Kel had hugged everyone except his log-like sleeper of a former Knight Master and a grumpy and stubborn Alanna who refused to get up, not knowing who she was missing. Alanna finally angered by the racket dressed and left the tent, preparing to shout at the men. She yelled in surprise upon seeing Kel and hugged her deeply. Kel was like a daughter to the Lioness. Alanna skipped away merrily to go and bug Raoul into waking up. Nothing made her happier than waking her childhood friend up.

Raoul upon seeing Kel hugged her almost harder than Dom had, she laughed and let him, it was good to see them again, she never wanted to leave again, even voluntarily.

--

I know you just woke up today but we must send a runner to the king with your news and of why you disappeared, and of course, the state we found you in." Raoul hated to wipe the smile off Kel's face but he needed to know what had happened and he needed to tell the king that the second female knight had finally been found.

"Start with the beginning please." added Alanna. They were in Raoul's tent, Dom and Neal were present and Wolset was obviously outside the tent listening in, Kel knew he was there but she was happy he was, she would rather he told the soldiers than herself having to repeat it to them one at a time.

"Well, that night at the fort I felt a strange orange light around me, when I woke up, I wasn't anywhere near Steadfast--"

"Magic?"

She nodded to Neal, he pulled a disgusted face, fighting with magic, it was very unfair.

"I woke up tied to a tree. They didn't say who they were-" she saw Raoul's dejected look and aded hastily "Yet, they just tied me to a horse and forced me to run along with it."

Dom's eyes flashed in anger but she decided to ignore him and continue her tale.

"When we stopped for the night they decided to speak to me in anything other than insults. They are an organized group of Scanrans, Gallans, Carthaki and I think some from the Isles."

Alanna and Raoul raised their eyebrows at each other, while Neal and Dom's faces betrayed confusion.

"An organization that sets place in Scanra, they said they worked for the king, either of thieves or of Scanra, that they did not mention. They wanted information on King Jonathan and then they'd ransom me back. I kept my mouth shut obviously. They said they wanted to capture someone who Tortall cared about, someone who meant something, they wanted an example. They said they shot two birds with one arrow because this way they can show not only that Tortallan knights aren't worth a copper but also that women aren't meant to fight."

Alanna clenched her hands into fists, Dom, Neal and Raoul all showed anger sketched into deep lines on their faces.

She told them about Nick and Sebastianna, carefully avoiding the pregnancy charm and her sleeping arrangements.

"We traveled for little over two weeks, I kept my mouth shut and got beaten for it, the last day of the second week they decided to try changing their methods of torture, they took out a whip and started when the alarm for enemies sounded. They heard that there were too many men and decided to flee, they didn't have time to take me with them, they'll come back though, I have a feeling I haven't heard or seen the last of them."

She finished her story and took a deep breath to still her shaking tongue. The occupants of the tent stayed silent for a long time until Raoul finally found his voice and bade me a good night's rest.

--

I heard them start talking but was too tired to care I went to my new tent but could not seem to find sleep. A red-haired head poked into the tent soon after and I sat up to make room for Alanna.

"You skipped over some details."

I looked away from her and studied the tent flap looking far too interested.

"Kel, I healed you, there were some cuts that were not made when you were clothed else there'd be a rip in the fabric. Mithros Kel what happened?"

Involuntary tears leaked down my cheeks as I looked at her in the face. She came to sit beside me and put her arm around my shoulder;

"Kel, please we must know."

The tears kept falling but I stuck my chin out stubbornly;

"Nick gave me a pregnancy charm when no one was looking." Alanna eyes flooded with relief.

My voice trembled as I whispered; "The chief he-he cut it off. Alanna he-he ma-de me! I wo-ould nev-ver!" I hiccuped through my tears.

Alanna shushed me in a motherly fashion and held me closer to her. Her eyes leaked sadness.

"Kel, I know, can you lay down? I need to check."

I nodded and sank towards the floor to lay down, I crossed my fingers in hope.

She sent her purple magic into my stomach and it traveled down into my abdomen. Alanna's eyes grew bigger and she removed her magic. She looked at me sadly.

"Alanna-- no please no!" I broke out in heart racking sobs. She placed a hand on my shoulder to give me comfort. I stood up and ran, ran for all I was worth, ran, into the clearing where I had met Dom this morning. I flung myself under a tree and cried in earnest.

Alanna walked into the tent in which Raoul and Dom were sitting. Her eyes were sad and the two were uneasy.

"So... found out what Kel was hiding?" Raoul started off awkwardly.

"Nikolaus gave her a pregnancy charm, Ralstone cut it off, she's... she's pregnant."

The two men's eyes grew in shock; "No!" whispered Dom.

"The man forced her for two weeks without a charm, it was bound to happen." Alanna had never heard herself sound so sad.

"Where is she?" Dom asked somewhat forcefully. Alanna let him go this time, only this time, because he was a good friend of Kel's.

"She ran off, I don't know wh-" She threw herself off to the side as Dom ran past her. She scowled but sank onto the floor of the tent, standing was too much then and there. Raoul went to sit beside her, clenching and un-clenching his fists.

"If I ever get a hold of him..."

"Then you'll call me and we will make him pay, but there's nothing we can do now, except be there for her."

"What's to become of Kel? The baby?"

"I don't know Raoul, I just don't know."

Raoul looked at the letter he had written for the king, the ink splotch that had marked he page when Alanna had said Kel was pregnant really meant he should throw out the letter but he didn't feel like rewriting it all down again so he just added;

sorry for the ink stain your majesties (Raoul knew he was the only one other than Alanna and Gary who had permission to taunt the king and queen like that)

but Alanna has just told me Keladry is pregnant,

the leader of the 'kidnapping party' claimed her for his official bed warmer for two weeks.

Nikolaus gave her a charm but Ralstone cut it off, two weeks worth of nights without a charm, I am told, can do that to women.

We will go back to New Hope and stay there for a little while,

I don't believe she should be ordered off to heroics any time soon.

Do not expect me to attend any formal parties any time soon as well, now, at least, I have an excuse.

-Raoul-

Sir Raoul of Goldenlake and Malories Peak

--

Alanna read over the ending of the letter and snorted, then felt bad and looked out into the night,

"I hope she's okay.'

"She's strong, she'll be fine." Raoul sounded like he was trying to reassure himself as much as he was Alanna.

"She's strong, but nobody is that strong."

They both looked out into the night, both wondering what would be made of the Kel and her 'condition', both wondering how strong someone can be before they crack, both wondering what the fate of the Lady Knight and her unborn child would be.

--

Okay, his chapter was a little dark at the beginning and now something new has been uncovered and Kel's pregnancy is too. I feel so bad for her, but it won't be that bad, don't worry, the world will look up eventually. Hope you liked the chapter and don't worry, it does get brighter.

Thank you for reviewing hope you do so again! (hint hint)

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xxTunstall Chickxxc