To my readers: This is a little blurb about my inspiration. When I started this story, one of my best friends from university had just flown home, skipping graduation. So I was upset, and I felt like writing angsty, friendship, something. And I love writing Kel and Dom, so I wrote about them losing a great friend of theirs. The point of me telling you all of this: I am no longer hopelessly sad, and I find it hard to write emotions that I'm not feeling. So please tell me if I have them overcoming their grief for Raoul too hastily. I want them to move on, but not unrealistically fast. So I ask of you reviewers: don't let me ruin my story! If you feel the pace is off just let me know; I appreciate all of your feedback!
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Kel scraped the remaining food from the pot onto a plate. The remainder of the camp was quiet; the men had gone back to work at restoring Blue Harbor. When she had offered to help, Sergeant Wolset had put her on 'Dom-duty'. Her charge was still sleeping in his tent.
A thumping sound brought her attention to the ground. Jump was sitting at her feet, staring at the food. His crooked tail pounded the ground behind him.
"We've both had our share, Jump," Kel scolded. "This is for Dom."
At the sound of his name, Jump bounded towards Dom's tent. Kel put down the pot, chuckling as she followed him with the full plate in hand. She unfastened the tent with her free hand, and Jump leapt through the flap before her.
"Ugh!" A muffled voice cried from within.
"I guess he figured it was time for you to wake up," Kel teased. Jump was standing on Dom's chest, bombarding him dog-kisses. Keeping her face Yamani-smooth, she sat next to them, holding the food carefully away from the excitement.
"I haven't seen you in a while," Dom mumbled, pushing the dog from his chest.
"He's been with the pages a lot; I think he was staying with my Lord Wyldon since… since I took leave."
Dom struggled to sit up while Jump rested his head into his lap. Scratching Jump behind the ears, Dom looked at Kel, his blue eyes piercing. "He knew you needed a break… some time to get yourself together." He looked down at Jump, "didn't you boy?" Jump wagged his tail and snorted.
"The sparrows are taking their seed in Daine's rooms now," Kel added quietly.
Returning his attention back to Kel, Dom's smile was kind. "Kel, these animals… they're smart. They just… know you needed your space. They'll come back. Look here, this one's already back at your side!" He patted Jump's rear.
Kel bit the inside of her cheek as she searched his sapphire eyes. "How do you always know what to say?" Petting Jump's head with one hand, she handed Dom the plate with her other.
"Years of experience with charming the-"
"Oh, shut it," Kel rolled her eyes.
"Shutting," Dom grinned, as he began to shovel down his breakfast.
"Are you going to chew that?"
"Chewing," he replied, his overfull mouth splattering food on his bedroll. Jump crawled over Dom's legs and licked it up.
Sighing, Kel's eyes made their way down the bedroll. At the foot, there were muddy spots as remnants of their boots. "I'll wash that for you when you get up."
"You should. It's half your fault," Kel turned to him in surprise; she was relieved to find him smiling.
"I'm sorry. I should have taken my boots off earlier," she apologized.
"You can take off anything you like," his eyes twinkled with the implications.
Feeling a blush rise to her cheeks, she quickly turned her eyes back to the muddy bedroll. "I should do that now, so it dries in time for tonight."
Plate in one hand, Dom squirmed out of the bedroll, pulling Jump with him. "It's all yours."
Still avoiding his gaze, Kel scooped it up and headed for the nearby stream. She had gone to this stream earlier when she had washed her breakfast dishes. Now she knelt by the stream, scrubbing the mud from the cloth in the freezing water. As she hauled the bedroll from the water, Dom joined her and helped her wring out the excess water. Together they twisted in opposite directions, and then he carefully draped it across her extended arms. "I'll take this to the fire," she grunted.
"I'm going to clean my plate, I'll be right there," Dom picked up his empty plate that he had tossed on the ground.
Nodding, Kel turned to head back to their encampment. "I hope you didn't give Jump too much!" she called back.
"Not at all!"
Grinning, Kel reached the fire-pit, and draped the bedroll across the makeshift clothesline that was strung nearby. As she adjusted it to ensure it wouldn't slip, Dom put his plate away with the other cutlery. "Now on to more useful tasks," Dom announced, walking toward the picketed horses.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kel demanded, hurrying after him.
Dom stopped, turning to her. "To help with the restoration effort," he said slowly. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, clearly not understanding how she was missing the obvious. "I really wish we could camp closer to them, actually. It's a pain having to ride there every day."
"You can't."
"I know, they need their game and-"
"I mean, I'm not letting you go." Catching up to him, she grabbed his arm.
"You're not… you're not letting-"
"Dom," she interrupted. "Please. You have them all worried sick. It's been over a fortnight, surely there are other things you have to do. You must be due for supplies, and it seems as if you should report and request a few more squads."
Dom's eyes narrowed as he jerked his arm from her grasp. "You never did tell me why you are here," his voice was cold; it made her stomach clench. Jump whined at their feet, having appeared from nowhere.
"Jump, I bet everyone would like it if you did some hunting for supper," Kel whispered, watching his small white form take off for the nearby woods.
"Answer me," Dom commanded.
Kel looked up into icy blue eyes, watching him cross his arms in impatience. "Nobody sent me, if that's what you're asking," she replied, captured by his unwavering gaze. When he didn't respond, she continued. "I just… wanted… needed to see you." Taking a deep breath, she broke the compelling eye contact to look down at her feet. "You left… and we were fighting… and it just seems nobody else understands and when I'm with you, it just… it doesn't hurt so badly and-"
He lifted her chin with his fingers, recapturing her eyes. He appeared to be searching for something; he was standing very close. How did that happen? She couldn't remember him moving. "I do have some paperwork I can do. Today." He lowered his hand from her chin and stepped back.
"Um, good! I can help you!" Was that too enthusiastic? Kel forced her breathing to remain normal. I thought he was going to kiss me! Shaking her head, she tried to clear her thoughts.
"Okay," he grabbed her elbow and led her toward his tent. If he had noticed her temporary lack of composure, he didn't say anything. Instead, when they entered the tent, he dug through his travel bag and pulled out a handful of papers.
"Only you would spend your leave filling out reports and making supplies lists," he informed her.
"Actually, my leave is over. I notified His Majesty that I'm ready to work again; I'm just waiting for an assignment now." She reached over and grabbed a few supplies request forms.
Dom smiled as he started on his own set of forms. "That's good to hear."
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As darkness fell, Kel and Dom left the tent to satisfy their hungering stomachs. Together they cleaned and cooked the pile of various game that Jump had hunted throughout the day. There was enough meat to feed the men for the night, as well as the following day.
"Premade midday meals tomorrow; they'll love that!" Dom laughed, emptying the pot onto the already overflowing platter. Kel grinned as she helped herself to some of the food.
They ate in companionable silence as Jump chewed a well-earned bone. "It's going to rain," Kel observed, looking up at the sky; it was prematurely dark. "Hope they make it back soon."
Swallowing his last bite, Dom pointed in the direction of the tethered horses. Turning, Kel saw the men brushing down their horses as the rain started to pour. Dom jumped up to get his damp bedroll, already dripping from the rain. He swore under his breath as he tossed it back on the line.
Kel, after covering the food to keep it from spoiling, gave him a sympathetic glance. Qasim strolled up, carrying Kel's travel bag. She looked at it in surprise. "I had forgotten about that!" she was startled.
"Yeah, we brushed Hoshi down this morning after you fell asleep. We left this by her, thinking you would get it…"
Kel flushed as she shook her head. "I forgot I didn't brush her."
Pretending he didn't notice, Qasim went on. "Lucky your travel bag is all wrapped in oilcloth. Dry as anything." He brushed his hair back; the rain spilling down his face as he held her bag out.
Smiling, Kel nodded as she took her bag. "I don't really like being wet and cold. A little trick I learned from Raoul." Startled, Kel gasped. How casually she slipped his name in a conversation; she had yet to say it since his passing. "He, uh…"
Dom wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her back to his tent. "Can we not chitchat when it's pouring out? That would be great." Kel leaned against his chest; his shirt was clinging to his well-muscled form. She looked up at him gratefully, following him as he climbed through his tent flap.
"Thank you," she muttered, sitting down and pulling her boots off. "We should probably change so we don't drip over everything," she added.
"Do you not have a tent packed?" Dom was pulling his own boots off as he watched her dig through her bag.
"I do. It must be over by Hoshi where this bag was." She pulled out her bedroll and carefully spread it across the floor. "Do you mind?" she held up her dry clothes.
Dom snorted as he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face. "Of course you're welcome to stay in here," his muffled voice was dripping with amusement. "But you don't have to share a tent."
"You need a bedroll, Dom. It's freezing at night. And I should have grabbed yours before the rain started."
"I'm sure Wolset wouldn't mind if I shared with him."
"I'm decent now," Kel informed him. He lifted his head, observing her comfortable attire as she continued. "Seeing how it's my fault that you have to share with someone, I don't think you should make one of the other men suffer for my negligence."
Dom exaggerated a look of mock hurt. "Oh, so sharing my bedroll is classified as suffering, now, is it?"
Kel tossed her wet clothes at him. "Get changed, Dom."
He crawled over to his bag, tossing her clothes in the corner. "No peaking, now."
Grinning, Kel plopped herself facedown on her bedroll, burying her eyes. She heard rustling cloth and the sound of his wet clothes landing atop hers in the corner.
"All clear," he said, sitting next to her.
She turned over and sat up, trying to appear nonchalant. He was wearing loose-fitting breeches and no shirt, which suited him very well, she thought. Carefully, she focused on his eyes. I am a calm lake. Smooth. Like his chest… She forced herself to look away, aware that her gaze had drifted downwards.
"Usually I sleep bare," he informed her. "But I thought that since I have company…"
"You don't need to change your sleeping habits for me." As soon as she said it, she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. Since when do I speak before I think? It seemed an inappropriate time to start. However, she pulled on her Yamani mask and risked sneaking a glimpse of him. He had a playful eyebrow raised above twinkling eyes. "I mean-"
Jump bounded into the tent, shaking water on the floor. He yipped before curling up next to the foot of the bedroll. A messenger poked his head in through the open flap. "Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan?"
"Yes..." Kel was surprised.
"Come in, step out of the rain, it's pouring out!" Dom stood up as best he was able in the short tent, trying to usher the man inside.
"Well, I got me own tent pitched just outside," the messenger said, refusing Dom's attempts to get him to step inside. "I'm just t'let the lady know she's assigned to New Hope, and she's t'head out tomorrow mornin'." He stepped back and disappeared in the rain.
Kel climbed into her bedroll, careful not to kick Jump at her feet. "I guess I should get some rest," she murmured, lying down. "I'll have to ride out early."
Dom crawled in next to her. "You'll get to catch up with your refugees," he replied, pulling the top layer so it covered them both. "That's a great assignment for you."
"I just wish it wasn't so soon," she turned on her side, resting her head on his bare chest. Tracing patterns along his abdomen with her fingers, she delighted in watching him shiver at her touch.
He wrapped one arm around her, holding her close. The other he used to tilt her head up, kissing her softly on the lips.
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I would like to thank SarahE7191 for letting me borrow her pretty ,.-''-.,.-''-.,. border :). I stole it from her Keladry Warrior Goddess (with her permission of course!). It beats a straight line, eh? (LOL sorry, but I'm a Canadian and I said eh… sorry to my fellow Canadians for filling that stereotype). Anyways… review if you feel so inclined! :) I hope to update soon… but I'm not really sure what should happen next… any ideas?
