Well it's a rainy day here in California so I have noting to do, but homework. So I decided to try and update and here I am.
Kel woke with the atmosphere still dark. She got out of her thin white covers and found it uncomfortably hot and humid already. She cursed under her breath as she stubbed her toe. She quietly lifted her toe out from under Gwen's body that lay on the low cot.
Kel crept to where she kept her sword and did the pattern dance that she usually did with her glaive, but she was still waiting for her's to be sent. As she went through the last motions Gwen started to wake up.
"Gwen can you go send for a tub of warm water?" Gwen nodded, "Don't be surprised if I'm not back when you arrive, I need to go for a run."
Gwen nodded again and got dressed. She paused as she was about to walk out, "I must apologize my lord, because I am not a morning person." With that she left to fetch the water.
Kel got into a shirt and breeches and wrote a note to Lalasa just in case she woke up when neither her nor Gwen was there. Kel ran down to the practice courts, and looked up into the sky to see the sun was just barely starting to illuminate the castle.
'I still have probably three bells, till breakfast is over.' She decided to run the entire perimeter of the castle. She started running towards the sun in the beginning since it had not risen all the way across the horizon. 'I hope I make it back to my bath before it becomes a frozen pond, but that might be nice considering the heat.' The sun was mid way to the top of its peak when she was passing the King's Own's stables. She ran on until she was in the kitchen garden when she heard a man yelling.
She turned around to see a pale portly man running with a heavy meat cleaver. About five feet away from him ran his quarry. It was white dog with a heavy burden of many sausage links in its mouth. The dog ran in between her legs, daring the man to go after him. The man stopped in front of her, still heaving from the physical exertion.
"You don't--need to be—protecting--that runt lad. He's a scavenger." He managed to wheeze out. "Now hand--him over so I can--rid the world--of that little--bottom feeder."
"No he may not look like something, but every living thing matters. Gods have a purpose for everyone being here, big or small. And you need permission from the noble of your lands to kill animals. Since this is Corus the only noble you can go ask is the king. He is too busy to take care of it."
"My--my lord, forgive me. I--I didn't know you were a noble." 'A regular noble would have either hit or slashed him with their tongues.' "I will be taking the dog with me, so you cannot avenge your spoiled meat."
"How am I supposed to pay for the meat? My family does have to eat." He said whining.
"Go to Salma and ask her to take the money from my storage. Don't overprice that meat though." Kel said wearily.
"Aye m'lord." With that he stalked away.
Kel looked down at her charge. He was munching daintily on the sausages as if ignorant to her scrutiny. She picked the dog up and found that he was lighter than her sword. When she held the dog, the skin pushed against his bones, making the bones stand out even more than they already had been. She could see the dog's vertebrae and count the number of ribs. She examined her armful with great scrutiny seeing every detail.
The dog's left ear was torn to shreds, from what must have been a fight or another meat attempt. He was a ghostly gray-white for the most part; except for the black spots that scattered his nose, right ear, and rump. His whole body was a battlefield; he had scars from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail.
The dog finally seemed to realize that her eyes were on him and he turned to look at her. Kel's emerald hazel eyes met the dog's hazel eyes, the eyes looked like her eyes so much that she thought she was looking into a mirror. The triangular eyes glowed with recognition and licked her face. He wagged his tail and she saw that it was broken in two places and growing crookedly.
"Don't get comfortable with me. You will be going to Daine; she'll take good care of you." The dog cocked his head to the side in puzzlement. "First we will go to my room then to Daine's." Kel realized she was having a conversation with a dog and stopped herself. As she got to the familiar wood door, she slipped in and put the dog on the ground.
She bounded over to the privy where her cold water waited for her. She changed back into herself, and slid into the tub. As she was about to get comfortable she heard a squeal of delight outside of the door. She hurriedly binded her chest and pulled on a navy blue shirt and black breeches. Then finally turned back into Kile.
She found Gwen and Lalasa on the ground rubbing and scratching the dog's stomach. 'Gods that dog is going to get way too comfortable here.'
"Where did you get him?" Gwen asked excitedly without raising her head.
"I found him; a butcher was going to kill him. He's going to go to Daine."
"The wildmage?" Gwen asked, her eyes wide with awe. "She's here? Can I please come? She seems so--amazing."
"I don't see why not, Lalasa would you like to come?"
Lalasa shook her head vigorously, "My lady she'll turn me into something. She's uncanny, forever talking to animals and her clothes are always covered with the mess they make."
"She not uncanny, she's amazing! She has wild magic and she is a demi-goddess. To make her even more saintly, she's a bastard like me!" Gwen stormed out of the room carrying the dog. Lalasa looked ashamedly at the ground.
"We'll be back in a little while." Kel caught up to Gwen and headed her in the right direction. They were going through the teacher's hall, and a stream of sparrows and parakeets followed behind the two girls. Kel came to the door with two name inscriptions: Numair Salmalin and Veralidaine Sarrasri.
There was rustling heard behind the door and it was opened to a woman with smoky brown hair and gray-blue eyes. She had a soft mouth and under it was a stubborn chin. Her hair was covered in paste while her shirt had red glitter scattered all over it.
"Hello I don't believe we've met before." Daine said with a friendly greeting.
"I'm Kile of Trebond and this is Gwen Leasri. I found a dog and I was wondering if you could heal and take care of him. I would, but pages aren't allowed to have pets."
"Of course I will help, it's asking too much if there is a hurt animal and I can't heal them." Gwen, Kel, and the flock of birds went into the room and saw a small cat sized blue and yellow dragon and a tall lanky mage trying to get paste and glitter away from the dragon's clutches.
"This is my teacher and friend Numair Salmalin, I'm sure you've heard of him." She said smiling. "Numair," Numair perked his head up and let go of the paste and glitter. The young dragonet flew backwards onto her rump. "This is-"
"Keladry of Mindelan, I know we've met before, remember she was in my class last year." He shook his head ruefully at his silly wife and saw that Kitten was still trying to eat the glitter.
"Keladry? Is that really you? That must be what all the animals meant. Many birds and horses were telling me that the Protector was back. I couldn't make any sense of it, but I guess that's their name for you." Kel crinkled her nose at the silly name, "Don't look disgusted, Numair's name is the 'Storkman.'" Gwen seeing that it would be another long repetitious story sat down and played with the dragon. Kel explained her story to the two and Numair perked up as she explained her illusion spell.
"So only black mages can see through your disguise?"
"Yes"
"I've really got to hand it to Alanna. That's a very complex spell, and it takes a lot of power. She probably had to make most of it up as she went."
"I still can't believe it's you, Kel. All your animals missed you so much; they went into mourning when you left. Peachblossom didn't eat any apples from anyone; he said he would only eat apples from your hand. All the sparrows flew around with Neal, but anyone could tell they were depressed. It looks like they are much better now that you're here though." She said gesturing to the birds. "Who are all these pretty little blue birds, we don't have any like that around here."
"I'll tell you if you heal the dog." Kel said smiling.
"Oh, of course, how out of character for me to forget an animal over a human. Hold Jump for me, that's his name, and I will try and fix him up."
Two bells later Numair had left and brought back food. Only then did she remember that she had missed breakfast, but Numair passed by her and gave Jump meat and Daine bread.
"I'll try and keep him, but he needs sleep from his healing just like humans do." Daine said tiredly
"He's not the only one, thank you for all your help Daine."
"No thank you, you give animals the same respect that you give people. As I can see you look through titles to the true person inside. Thank you, Keladry. Oh and you're not getting out of telling me where those other birds are from."
"Couldn't you just ask them?" Kel asked puzzled.
"Yes I could, but I would rather hear it from you."
"Well one day they came to my window, just like the sparrows did, and I had seen some in the convent aviary. They seemed to grow attached to me and followed me to the castle. Can I ask you for another favor Daine?"
"Anything within reason."
"Would you ask the parakeets if they could messages for me? I wanted them to send messages for me to the convent and Trebond."
"I think I can manage that as long as they're willing to do it, I won't force them to." Daine went into meditation and all the parakeets got perches on her body. For a couple minutes Daine's eyes stayed closed, she opened them and said, "They're very eager to do it and will send a message to anyone they've seen that's your friend. Just tell them who to send it to and they will be on their way." Daine said smiling.
"Well I should be on my way. I still haven't had food yet."
Numair winced, "Sorry about that, I thought you would have eaten," Numair paused as if trying to remember something important. "Kel I need to talk to you later please, maybe tomorrow if you have enough time."
"Yes Master Salmalin."
"Come on Gwen, it's time we go back. I still need to take a bath and finally eat." Gwen sat up which was replied with a protest from the young dragon, but Gwen kissed the dragonet's nose and continued on her way. The two exited the room, followed by the little birds.
"Why do you need to see her tomorrow Numair?" Daine asked curiously.
"George sent me a letter and he described how he saw strong magic inside of the girl. Kel's servant, Gwen, has a strong gift and Sight. She has it mixed together, he had looked at it and said it was so warped and wrapped up that she doesn't know the full extent of her powers let alone be able to use them."
"So Gwen has strong magic, what does that have to do with you?"
"She needs training. If that power gets out of control, there's no knowing what trouble could come to wherever she is, and what harm it could do to Gwen. I could help her control it, I am a black robe."
"Yes my big powerful black robe mage can do fairly everything. C'mon love let's clean off Kit."
By the time the two got back to the room, it was time for midday meal. Kel went to the even more crowded dining hall. She went through the moving line to get turkey and bread. She sat again in the same chair, in the corner, alone until Owen yet again disturbed the serene silence around her.
"Do you want to on a ride with my friends and me? We're planning on going to a pond and practice weapons."
"Of course, I can't pass up a chance to practice."
"Okay. We're meeting at the stables after midday." Silence settled over the two, but Kel surprisingly broke it.
"So Owen after you ran away from me, how long did it take you to get all the potatoes out of your hair?"
"Less than you'd think." He said smirking, "I stole a tomato from the kitchens and squeezed it onto my hair. It came right out, but now there is a slight twinge of red in my hair."
"At least all I had to do was wash my hair, face, and clothes. Kel looked down at her food to find it was gone. "I'll catch up with you later; I need to get my sword from my room."
"All right see you at the stables."
Kel stood up and gave her plate to the lady behind the counter and headed ran to her room. She grabbed the heavy broadsword, that Coram had given her to train with and headed to the stables. As she walked past all the stalls she saw Faleron, Merric, Owen, Esmond, Neal, Cleon, Roald, and Seaver all in their horses' stalls getting them ready for the ride.
She came to the last stall to find Peachblossom again trying to get out. She was about to swing the stall door open when a hand grabbed her shoulder.
She quickly grabbed the arm and turned it quickly to make it go farther than it was capable of going.
"It's not supposed to go that far!" whined her would be attacker, who happened to be Neal.
"Sorry. You shouldn't come behind people in the first place." She reprimanded.
"Well you shouldn't try to ride let alone go into a stall of a crazy horse that likes to bite people."
"He looks harmless, and he looks like he's the only one that will take my size." She pulled the stall open and slipped inside. Peachblossom butted his head against her chest in a loving greeting. She leaned towards Peachblossom's large ear and whispered, "I missed you too."
"Well that's interesting; he has taken a part of everyone that tried to take care of him. He even bit Stefan once. So are you picking Peachblossom to be your mount?
"No I just decided to come into this horse's stall and get acquainted with him."
"Want me to get the saddle, blanket, and bridal?"
"Sure why not, that way he won't try and bite you. He seems to be looking at your arm with particular interest." Neal jogged off to get the equipment.
'I just acted like I've known him for a long time. I have to pretend I don't know him very well.'
'But every time I think of him, the truth wants to come gushing from my lips.' Neal came back with the riding gear. "Everyone is waiting for you." With that he left.
"Let's go to the reunion Peachblossom." She laid the blanket and saddle onto his back, and tightened the girth, remembering the first day she had met the gelding. She put the bit into her hands to make sure it wasn't too hot or cold. She mounted the strawberry roan and walked over to where her old friends waited.
"Well it's nice you decided to join us today," drawled Neal.
"Who is everyone here?" Kel said feigning ignorance.
"That's Cleon of Kennan, Seaver of Tasride, Merric of Hollyrose, Esmond of Nicoline, Roald of Conte, Faleron of King's Reach, and I guess you already know Neal." Owen said introducing everyone; each inclined their heads in greeting.
"Yes we met after the potato incident. Can we go now? I haven't practiced all day." Neal's eyes brightened.
"Are you a scholar? People here are so uncivilized; you'd think that barbarians had brought them up. All us scholarly men need to stick together."
"No I'm not a scholar. I ran around the castle, and then was busy."
"That's not training?" Owen asked with an incredulous look on his face.
"No it's not, training pertains to when you use a weapon."
"Dear boy, training is anything that the Stump would force you to do. And that is exactly what the Stump would do if it wasn't so important that we learned other things besides stamina."
"Well I still haven't trained with a weapon so if we can go it would be greatly appreciated."
"I'll lead the way so all you insolent children can converse amongst yourselves." Neal's horse took off at a gallop, and following closely behind him were Owen, Faleron, Cleon, Merric, Seaver, Roald, and Kel brought up the rear.
Roald dropped behind to go beside Kel. "I won't be too long; since I know Peachblossom will grow more irritated the longer I'm here." He said smiling.
"What's your name? Owen introduced us to you, but not the opposite."
"I'm Kile of Trebond and Owen is too excited to remember something as insignificant as names." Roald smiled. 'Gods this sounds crazy, even in my own head, but Kile's hair looks vaguely familiar.'
"So I have one more question, what did you mean by the potato incident."
"Last night we met and we got into a discussion. I ended up putting mashed potatoes and carrots in his hair, while he spit chewed up food into my face and poured broth on my head." Kel said grinning. Roald laughed in spite of his too-polite manners.
"I would have paid to see that, but I had to have dinner with Mother. Tell me when you are doing another show."
"Yes your Highness." Kel said bowing in the saddle the best she could, as protocol told her to do, knowing very well that he would correct her.
"Please don't bow; you might fall off of the horse. I'm the same as everyone else outside of the court and balls." Kel smiled inwardly. 'He still hasn't changed.' "Well I should go back up; Peachblossom is starting to eye Shadow." As if on cue Peachblossom lunged for the other gelding's flank, but missed as Shadow pulled away.
As the tan, black, and white hides of the horses came to a stop she looked ahead to see a large clearing with a dazzling sapphire pond, which looked so inviting in the extreme heat.
"Who brought their swords?" Merric called from farther ahead. Everyone yelled I do, but Owen, who had brought a staff. "Let's square off with height. To make it even."
Kel found herself faced off with Faleron. He had been the best swordsman of all the second year pages last year, so he would be a good partner for her.
"Have you even started practicing with a sword?" doubt in his voice, "We can grab some sticks and I can help you with staff work if you'd like."
Kel blazed inside, 'How could someone doubt my skills before I have even tried to do anything.'
'You're not an average page remember. You've already had a year, when they think you've had none.'
"Try me out before you evaluate me." Kel replied tightly. All the pages stared at the page, wondering why he had used an uptight tone with one of the kindest boys in their group.
Faleron's dark eyes filled with wariness and determination. 'I know what's at stake here. A first year page just challenged me. I can't get out of it without looking cowardly.' Faleron nodded his head, and fetched his sword from its sheath. They both stretched for a while, the other boys waited for the fight to begin.
Kel stood up and went into guard position, and Faleron followed her lead. They each bowed to each other, went into guard position again, and Faleron lunged at her. 'He's ages slower than Alanna was.' She blocked the attack, watching his arm movements for Faleron's favorite strike, Faleron used to slash across high then to strike quickly down. He recoiled his sword and struck low. Kel blocked it again waiting for him to strike high.
'Why isn't he attacking me? It's like he is waiting for something. Gods how can a first year page be this experienced? I don't think even Kel was this good.' Faleron kept doing low and middle assaults. Kel controlled herself from attacking, knowing he would strike soon enough.
Her hands started slipping on the hilt of the broadsword from all the sweat on her palms. Suddenly he attacked high; Kel blocked it and started to block low. She caught the edge of his sword and sent it flying from his hands. The sword flew towards where the other boys sat, sending them to try and stumble out of the way. There was an awed silence as they saw Faleron yield to the younger page. The boy drew his sword back from Faleron's throat, bowed, and put his sword back in its sheath, that was attached to Peachblossom's saddle.
Her emerald-hazel eyes shifted around uneasily since no one had spoken or moved. "Is everyone going to keep looking at me like I'm a court lady?" Faleron was the first to move and speak.
"Well fought Kile. I'm sorry I judged you before I had even fought you." They shook hands and Kel nodded her head to show she accepted the apology. She found herself being clapped on the back and congratulated.
"Where'd you learn to fight like that? That was jolly!" Owen asked with zeal.
"The Lioness came every once in a while and she helped me out. She stayed for the whole last month I was at home." She said shrugging.
"Well you two already squared off, you can watch us now if you would like, but I still want to go against Kile later." Neal said with a genuine smile, it felt like the first real smile in a while.
"Kile lets go swimming." Faleron suggested. Kel panicked, but didn't let it show on her face. She bit the inside of her mouth thinking, 'What should I say? What were the stories Alanna told me?'
"No thanks I don't like swimming."
"Ah c'mon Kile it's humid and hot, of course you want to cool off." Kel would have loved nothing more than to go swimming, but knew she would be discovered if she did.
"I would rather stay and watch the others. I can learn new moves, and learn from their mistakes."
"Your loss." Faleron said shrugging. She heard material fall to the ground and blushed in spite of herself. She pretended to watch Owen give Merric feeble strikes with a staff. She looked farther to see Cleon and Neal trading blows, but Neal flinched every time the swords clashed. Kel sighed, 'Neal hasn't changed at all; he's just using a different weapon. He's still the scholarly Neal that tries to write poetry to unattainable ladies.
She heard a large splash behind her and guessed that Esmond, Seaver, and Roald were done; she tried in vain to restrain her face of any color.
"Let's go Kyle!" Owen yelled, it seemed that the two were done with their training and going to the pond.
"I'm going to wait for them to be done." She said nodding towards Cleon and Neal. 'I have no idea what I'm going to do when they're done.' She sighed as she saw Neal's sword hit the ground. 'Time to face the music.' She turned towards the pond when she heard shouting. She blushed visibly as Cleon was about to do a tucked-jump into the water, only clad in his loincloth.
'Gods this is not somewhere I want to be. Maybe I should make-up some lame excuse that I have to go and train more or something.' Her eyes were clouded over with thought when a hand in front of her face made her focus. There stood Neal, also only clad in a loincloth. Kel bit the inside of her mouth hard to stop from yelping in surprise.
"You've never seen yourself almost naked before?" he asked studying Kel's eyes. "Are you a eunuch or something? If you are, why didn't you become a minstrel instead?" he asked smirking. Kel tried to move her mouth but it emitted nothing. Neal waited a couple more minutes; he shrugged and ran towards the pond.
Kel shook her head and decided to bond with Peachblossom. After she had done that for while she decided to practice. She drew out some of her hidden daggers out of her boots. She made a bulls-eye with a dagger on a trunk of a tree, then stepped back twenty paces. Kel grabbed the hilt of a dagger, looked at her target, and sent it soaring into the bark. She went over to check it and saw she had hit at the just off of the hub of her wobbly bull's-eye. Kel continued to do this a couple more times; until she decided to she had done enough with the daggers.
She heard shouting and laughing emitting from the pond still, so she practiced Shang moves. She practiced the hardest moves Alanna had taught her: the Dragon's Clutch and Flight of the Phoenix. She practiced them repeatedly hitting the air, trying to get her body comfortable with the strenuous assaults. About ten yards away Neal lay against a tree watching the page's vigorous training. He saw him throw the daggers repeatedly against the tree, getting close to the bull's-eye almost every other time. Every time the dagger would hit the tree, the tree would quake a little, sending leaves to the ground.
Neal watched in awe as the young page tried to practice the some complex Shang moves he had read about in his Shang Wars and Fights book. The old Shang Dragon, Liam Ironarm, had invented Dragon's Clutch and Flight of the Phoenix was the most recent Shang move invented by the Phoenix herself, who happened to be a woman. The move was made especially for women to get away rapists. So a woman had either taught this page or he was a girl, which didn't seem likely.
'How could a lad that young know how to do things that are way over his head? It's like he is a year older or else already been in training, and not like the regular nobleman training either.' His questioning thoughts were broken when his friends came back from their swim. They stared with wonderment at the complex moves that Kile was attempting.
"Gods…" they all whispered their own awe, but one broke the comfortable silence.
"Kile what were those jolly moves you were doing?" Owen asked with fervor. Kel looked toward the voice and found all the boys with their shirts sticking against their wet chests.
"I was practicing. So are we ready to go?" she asked trying to change the subject. Everyone seemed to take the hint, but Owen.
"What were you doing Kile? What are those moves called?"
"They're Shang moves; it's the Dragon's Clutch and Flight of the Phoenix." She said gruffly as she jumped onto Peachblossom's saddle. "See you at dinner." "Go." She whispered into Peachblossom's ear, he trotted until he heard the command faster, and he gladly raised his stride into a canter. Her silhouette had disappeared before anyone could call out.
As Kel finished cleaning and brushing Peachblossom she cleaned the tack and put it into the tack room, since she had borrowed it. She went back to her room where she found Lalasa adding some length to her nightshirt and Gwen playing with the sparrows.
"Gwen I'll take you to the smith tomorrow after I meet Master Salmalin."
"Okay, I'll be ready to go."
"Do either of you need any clothes when I go to get my fittings?"
"I'm fine." Replied Gwen.
"Could you maybe get me some fabric?" Lalasa asked hesitantly.
"I'll try my best." She walked into the privy to find a warm bath waiting for her. She took a bath, and then changed into a white shirt. Over that she put an emerald green tunic, and then she slipped on a pair of raven black breeches. She brushed her girl hair first, which had grown past her ears. It seemed her brown hair had picked up even highlights than usual during the summer. She changed her hair to the short-cropped black boy hair that she had been using.
She looked at the door half expecting the boys to come into her room for inspection, but knew those times were over. She still had half a bell left, so she decided to use her exercise balls to strengthen her hands. As the bell rang she was shaken out of her reverie. She stood up and strode out of the door.
She saw dozens of boys striding out of their own rooms; the tide of boys swept her toward where the dining hall was. Boys lined in four different groups, she saw Owen in one line so she went over and stood behind him. A couple minutes later the last straggler came in, as if on cue Lord Wyldon walked through the room.
Neal watched as Lord Wyldon walked through the door. 'Gods it's the Stump's fault Kel isn't here. I could wring his bloody neck.' Neal settled for wringing his hands together in a nervous gesture.
Kel watched as Lord Wyldon droned in a monotone voice about having sponsors and responsibility. She looked at all her friends. Neal appeared to have a disturbed and malevolent look on his face. Merric and Seaver were discussing something. Esmond appeared to look very interested although from his eyes you could tell he was bored. She strained to see her fourth year friends, but Joren and Zahir blocked them.
Joren wore a creamy white shirt with a blue tunic pulled over it. His muscular chest filled out the shirt, to the point that Kel could count his well-defined muscles. His breeches were a navy blue that contrasted against his light clothes and features. The breeches were looser than usual, but you could still make out his chiseled calf muscles. The pants clung tight in all the right places-
'Now that is where I stop this observation! Why are the gods playing with my mind? This is not something I need to think about, especially about Joren. For Gods' sake he tortured me last year, and he is the most arrogant person I have ever met. But the gods have blessed him with good looks and good fighting skills. No, not good looks! His personality poisons him and his true demeanor can be seen through those icy blue eyes, hate, cold-hearted, and malicious.'
She was shaken from her thoughts, quite literally. Owen was shaking her, as if she was dead.
"Kile? Kile?"
"Owen I'm fine, my brain is shaken up a little, but I'm fine. What's the matter?"
"My lord called you, but didn't answer."
"Trebond, for your obvious insolence, you will be given a bell of work in the armory."
"Yes my lord."
"Step forward Trebond, state your name and fief."
"Kile of Trebond."
"Who will be Kile's sponsor?" Three boys stepped forward at once and said in unison, "I will my lord." The three were Neal, Joren, and Faleron.
"Three? Joren, why do you want to be this page's sponsor?"
"On the way over we met up by accident and were attacked by an immortal. He has good fighting skills and I'd like to pick his brain for techniques I haven't been taught."
"Hmm…a good thought, but the point of sponsorship is to teach your sponsor something not the other way around. Queenscove why do you want another sponsor? Especially since your last one failed under your guidance." There was an assortment of snickers heard from the older pages. Neal knew he was being baited, but he ignored that.
"It is not my fault she's gone. You sent her home when she was better than anyone else."
"But she did get into fights regularly and that was influenced by you Nealan. She was a distraction to everyone."
"Look around you my lord! There are many who were affected by her and now she is gone. Don't you think we're more distracted now that she is gone? Some will end up writing to her or thinking about her more than they will think about training." Neal's emerald eyes blazed with anger and passion.
"If that is the way you feel Queenscove, then you are forbidden to write to her till Midwinter." Lord Wyldon's voice said sternly not wanting to be out done by a boy in front of all the pages.
Neal's eyes sunk into his head and he stayed silent. He stepped back into the crowd of boys, where Merric and Seaver pulled him into the group. 'Why not give me pitching hay? I'll do anything physical, I'll even stay in Peachblossom's stall for a night. I don't want Kel to think I'm ignoring her. Pain goes away eventually, but a broken friendship, may never be healed.'
"So, Faleron you are the only one left. You are the page's sponsor. Now everyone is dismissed, all the sponsors are to show their pages around the palace."
Kel followed behind Faleron as he went through the door and into the moving line. Behind her stood Neal, then after him was Merric followed closely by Owen. Owen had been picked by Merric to be his sponsor and following close at Owen's heels were the rest of the boys.
As Kel grabbed some venison she saw Neal completely skip it and go straight to the vegetables. She grabbed extra venison and bread, Faleron stared at his new sponsor seeing how much food he put on his plate. 'I guess since he spends so much energy he has to eat extra food.' Neal sat at the spot that the group had claimed their own a year back and waited for everyone else to join.
"So Queenscove, tired of getting burned by Wyldon?" Joren asked from behind him. "I could send Kel your regrets, but-" Joren was cut off as Neal picked up a handful of carrots and stuck them into Joren's mouth.
"Just shut it Joren. No one likes to hear you banter except yourself." Joren stormed away not knowing how to answer dignifiedly with his mouth full of disgusting carrots. Neal's eyes danced with mirth, and then he saw his friends come to sit by him.
"Here I saw you only grabbed vegetable." Kile said as he spooned over a huge slice of venison.
"But I don't need this much-" he started to complain, but he was cut off when a roll was stuck into his mouth.
"Insufferable mortals, how I look down on you."
Okay I'm really sorry this took so long, but it is a long chapter. It's just that I promised you would find out who her sponsor was, so I had the whole day to spend. Well hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll try to update quickly. Thank you so much to all those fabulous reviewers again. You guys broke my record, again! I got 12 for one chapter! I love you all so much, now individual thanks:
parcheezie- I hope this makes up for how long it took me, it wasn't quick but it is a lot. Just in case I'm going to hide some throwing stars under my fluffy pillow. Thanks for reviewing!
- hey you reviewed, but boo you haven't updated cries silently in little ' Thanks for reviewing!corner Not too fast this time but its long so there
Imperfectionist ;D- Parties are fun! Wow you have updated twice this week I was so happy, like you I check my email and fanfic every single day. Which does wonders to my school homework. More sexy Joren in this one whoo hoo! Thanks for reviewing! hands a pumpkin pie
Jedi Alanna- It was people like you that made me go through the whole day. My fingers kept on waggling over the keyboard promising people I would bring the sponsor question to an end and now it way long, oh well it could be worse. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thinks for reviewing! gives a choco chip cookie and milk
oceanspike- is that all you can say? Only three words, I am crushed, but strangely satisfied with your beautiful words. Thanks for reviewing! hands the biggest cookie you've ever seen!
alianne of conte- I am glad I actually explained something well enough that it was sufficient. My sis is always complaining how I suck at explaining so that made my day when you wrote that lol. Don't worry there will still be k/j interactions of some types…Thanks for reviewing! hands a big bucket full of smarties
Lioness Fury- wow I really have gotta read the lioness books over again. I don't remember any of that, well I'll have to go back and correct that later, when I think about it. Also she can do telepathy, gods I must be loosen my mind hits head against wall and runs to get aspirin Well thanks for the critiques if you have time keep them coming! Thanks so much for the critique/review! hands a big gob of brownie bite dough
ossini- well sorry that I didn't update quickly, but I did update! What your name supposed to mean? Sorry I'm just curious…Thanks for reviewing!
Erkith- never I wanna a k/j! I want sexy Joren in the story! Although Dom will create problems later on…well thanks for reviewing! Keep updating your stories!
CodeNameTargeter- well this is where it is so far so yea… well I hope you enjoy the chapter and hopefully I can update quicker next time. Thanks for reviewing!
the-dragon-whisperer- well my mum is suggesting for me to get off also so I have to make this short, I have solved all those problems you have addressed, since it would be weird. Well gotta go have fun reading! Thanks for reviewing! hands a luscious piece of chocolate cake
Okay please review people I won't beg just please review! Till next time people…takes Joren and saunters off
Edited 7/2/09