A/N Let me begin this chapter by mentioning that Dom and I do not get along. LunaSphere once challenged me to write a 'Hidden Darkness' drabble for him, which I did. He made a few appearances in the Goldenlake SMACKDOWN, as well, but other than that we stay on the other side of the room from one another and mostly stare at our drinks and avoid eye contact. However, here he is again... I don't know about this. He makes it difficult. There is a good alliteration in here, though. :D

Leaves, Mature, Pumpkin, Friendship, Harvest aka One Step Behind

Dom found her, like he always did, working for the people of New Hope.

Her people. Even if she was transferred tomorrow, the peoples' hearts would always belong to the Lady Knight; the Protector of the Small, as the children she rescued have all begun to call her, much to her embarrassment.

The furrow in the field he followed was filled with fallen leaves, blown in from the forests on the edges of the clearing. They crunched under his feet, announcing his approach.

She leant against her scythe as she wiped a hand across her forehead, looking back to watch him making his way across the recently shorn field towards her and she smiled. "Dom!" she called out, waving at him enthusiastically. "When did you get here?"

"Just now," he replied, grinning. He was one of the few to get so much from the always controlled Kel; it was an honour that he cherished. "I came to rescue you from your toils to attend to us wayward Own types, if you need it."

She laughed. "You think your company will be less work?" she asked, teasingly, but still shook her head. "I need to get this strip done to the trees," she said. "The wheat is done, the pumpkins mature next week and we still have root vegetables to get in if we want to get through the winter without rations."

She bit the corner of her lip for a moment, her expression of worry, which made Dom laugh. "You pulled a full camp through two winters while at the height of the war with Scanra," he said. "You will get through this winter. I have utter faith in you." She looked away over the field and back. "Don't be embarrassed about it; you deserve to be commended by more than a lowly officer in the King's army. You made a miracle here, keeping everyone alive."

"I had a lot of help."

"Maybe. But they wouldn't have made it, if not for you being in command."

Both of them looked north, then, thinking of the rescue mission that turned into a nightmare.

"I never did thank you for coming after me."

"No, I think you just yelled at me and told us all how stupid we were. Rude, that."

She made a face at him and he laughed again.

"You don't need to thank me. Anyone who knows you would have fought for the chance to help."

She waved him away and got back to work, truly embarrassed by his praise. He wondered, briefly, why people often mentioned that she was hard to read. Everything about her seemed so clear to him.

The wind was winter-cold from the north, but the sun still shone some summer warmth down on them, lighting up her face as she worked. Neal would make some comment if he saw his cousin staring like Dom knew he was, but...

He knew an entire company, the population of a northern fort and the majority of two years worth of new knights who loved this woman with the fierce, dedicated love reserved for the true leaders of their time. She had already done extraordinary things and she hadn't had her shield five years yet. She would be a legend to rival the Lioness or the Wildmage before she was done. Dom was ready to be one of the crowds willing to ride behind the enemy's lines to follow her, to be one of the many jumping to arms when she called and to ride where she rode, but he wanted...

Turning to walk back towards New Hope, Dom shook his head and laughed at himself.

"Dom!" she called after him.

The sun was in his eyes. He raised a hand to his forehead to shield his eyes, but he still had to squint and she was just a silhouette against the sky.

"Thank you!"

He chuckled, letting the distance between them kill the sound before it reached her. She didn't yet understand that there was no need to thank him; he would follow her into the depths of Chaos if she asked it of him.

"You're welcome!" he called, instead.

Still a knight only five years with her shield, still unaware of the greatness she could achieve, and still carrying all the insults and doubts that were piled on her throughout her training, Kel wasn't ready to be a legend... yet. But Dom would stay close. There would be an army willing to follow her before too long. And just because he was going to be part of it, didn't mean he wanted to lose sight of her; or for her to lose sight of him. He would follow, but he would be just one step behind.

Dom didn't turn back as he walked, but he was aware the entire time that he walked away from her.

It felt unnatural.