Disclaimer: Not Tamora Pierce


Chapter 7 – Hurroks

One Week Later – One week until Neal and Yuki's wedding

Dom's squad made it back to New Hope from the afternoon patrol just before the gates closed for the night. Kel frowned, they should have been back a while ago. The men dismounted and seeing Kel, Neal and Merric sitting outside head quarters, Dom handed is reins off and headed over to them.

Merric looked up when Dom made it to them, "How was patrol? You're back late, thought I'd have to send out a search party for you lot!"

Dom grimaced, "Wolset nearly got us killed… again."

Kel could see Neal trying to decide between grinning at his cousin or actually being concerned that something may have happened out there. The humorous side of him won, as usual, "Well, don't leave it until the last minute is what I always say!"

"And I suppose being painfully ripped to shreds by a herd of mad hurroks is your ideal way to go, is it Nealan?" Dom snapped at his cousin and ran his hands through his hair, much the same way Neal always did when he was nervous.

Kel finally actually looked at Dom. His clothes were ripped underneath his armour and he was covered in patches of blood, and she thought she could see the outline of a clawed hoof mark on his breastplate, at his right shoulder.

"Well, there are certainly better ways to go, I'm sure cousin. At least you get to see the outdoors and some lovely landscape just before you breathe your final breath." Neal was for some reason still trying to rile his cousin, and it was working, just not in the way he had hoped.

"If you get a chance before they rip your eyes or throat out!"

"Ouch!" Neal drawled. "Someone isn't in the best of moods after a little skirmish are they?"

"I don't exactly want to die just yet thank you very much!" Dom was practically yelling now. He turned on his heel and stalked away, not wanting to let on just how upset he really was.

Dom did not want to let on how much the whole afternoon had upset him; he was still so shaken from trying to take on a herd of 15 crazed hurroks with only ten men. All because Wolset didn't know when to shut his big mouth! It wasn't Wolset's fault really, and Dom knew that, it was part of the world they lived in and the life he had chosen. He had kept his head while trying to organise his squad to fight back at them, he had gotten everyone under his command away from there in one piece. He had given Wolset a good telling to, made sure everyone was okay, and gave the order to head back to New Hope, then he allowed himself to think about what had happened.

When the hurroks had come at them all Dom could focus on were their fangs and claws, the crazed red eyes reeking of bloodlust. The claws had come within inches of taking off his head, and had settled for his arm and exposed side, all he saw in that moment was Kel. He realised something he had never acknowledged before.

What he felt for Kel, it was not just a phase, it was not just friendship, it was a lot more than any of that.

What he had felt in that moment, it scared him more than anything before.

Dom went back to the barracks where Wolset helped him out of his armour, and helped him treat his wounds. They were deep, and rather brutal, Dom thought he would have some ugly scars for the rest of his life. At least he was alive.


Later that night, Kel found Dom sitting on the wall looking out over the lands that surrounded New Hope. With no recent fighting, and in the moonlight the sight was truly surreal. Even though the war was winding down, they still barred the gate at night, it something that Kel thought New Hope would always do, because of what had happened at Haven. Everyone slept so much easier.

Kel sat down beside Dom, taking in the calm of the night.

Kel looked at Dom, he was in a clean outfit and she noticed the clean white of bandages wrapped around most of his left arm, and she wondered if there were any other wounds she did not know about. What Kel did know however, was that something was bothering him. After all of these years they had ridden together, all of these years of friendship. She had seen Dom after small skirmishes, she had seen him after serious battle, she had seen him injured and in good health, and he had seen her at her worst as well. She knew something was bothering him, and call it instinct, she just knew it had to do with what had happened on patrol earlier.

Her thoughts wandered to traitorous places once again.

She waited; she knew he would talk when and if he wanted to.

"I thought I was a dead man today." Dom's voice was a little rough. Kel turned to look at him, giving him the time and space he needed to gather his thoughts. She did not know that he had been thinking all too much since the attack.

He in turn, knew that Kel was listening. He wanted to tell her. Tell what it was he felt in that moment. What he felt for her. What he knew he had felt for all of these long years and pushed aside as a mere infatuation. This may be the only time that he would have her by herself for a very long time. He wanted to tell her while he still had the courage, and before something happened to either of them. Tomorrow was never certain in this life they had both chosen.

"I froze, Kel. Just for a second, but I still froze." He took a deep breath.

"All I could see were claws, and fangs and those eyes…" He shuddered before continuing. "I knew that if we were too slow, they'd have us. That ten men under my command would be killed and I could have prevented it. My men rely on me to lead them, they look up to me. They depend on me."

Still, Kel listened.

"We got through it though. I made sure we got out, I made sure everyone was okay, I got us back here." Dom looked at his hands which had become fists as he talked.

"I had so many thoughts going through my head. I knew I didn't want to die yet, when I think about it, I feel as if I have not done much with my life."

At that, Kel had to protest, "That's not true Dom. You have done so much! You are one of the best soldiers and commanders in Tortall. You have saved so many, just in being who you are. I wouldn't call that nothing."

"That isn't what I mean, Kel."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I spent so much time with women, but I have never found one that I truly care about. Not as more than just a friend at least, for I am not a heartless man. I always wanted to settle down eventually, but now… I see Raoul and Buri and how happy they have made each other and I think, what if they had had more time instead of dancing around the fact for all of these years? I see Neal and Yuki together and I think to myself, what would it be like, to love someone that much? More than yourself?"

Dom was still looking out over the landscape surrounding New Hope's walls. This was a side of Dom that Kel had never really seen before, at least, not in a long time.

"I know what you mean. I want that one day too. A love that consumes you. Then again, I think back to what my sisters-in-law have said so many time, who would want me? I am a warrior, and that is always who I will be. I did not even stop to think about my daughter when I went into the middle of Scanra. I knew it was the right thing to do, she will always have family around her and they had no one. I still feel so guilty over it. I suppose if I never find that kind of love, at least I have her. I will not be completely alone."

Dom finally turned to look at Kel, he grabbed her by the shoulders and the look she saw in his eyes scared her just a bit.

"Why would someone not want you Kel?" He demanded. He did not stop to wait for an answer. "You are so strong, you are loyal almost to a fault, and you always put other people before yourself. I think that you deserve someone who will make sure they put you first for a change. You became the first lady page since Lady Alanna, you got through that stupid probationary year, and you became the squire of one of the most renowned commanders that anyone has ever seen. You had a child and you still managed to persevere and become the first true Lady Knight."

He knew that he was showing more feeling than he had ever shown her before. He did not want to scare her away, but this may be his only chance…

Kel looked away from the intense feeling she saw in his gaze, she did not know where this had come from. At a loss for words she looked back into his deep sapphire eyes. Dom's emotions blazed as brightly as any fire. The lake that usually froze her emotions so well, cracked for the for the first time in a long time and just for a second she let herself get lost in the depths of her friends eyes. Her traitorous thoughts came back in force and as stupid as she felt in allowing it, she let herself hope.

"When that hurrok came at me Kel, I truly thought that I was a gonner. All I could see was you and I knew that if I died I would never get to tell you."

"Tell me what, Dom?"

"How I have felt about you for all these years. No matter how much I have tried to deny it to others and to myself. Kel, I would follow you to the Black Gods realm and back again. I would do anything for you or for Silvia. Anything at all."

"Dom… You can't unsay any of this…"

"I know Kel. I have thought about it. Even if you do not feel the same I need to know that I have tried. I need to know that you know. Kel… I love you. I think I have always loved you. I do not want to lose you as a friend because you are a dear one, and I will not say another word on the matter if you do not wish it. I have told you probably my worst kept secret and I entrust that to you. Now... It's your choice."