Savior ch.10

I don't own anything

Once again all flashbacks are in italics.

"So this is it." Merric asked.

Kel turned to him. "Like I said it's just a village he likes to stay in."

Seaver, Dom, Neal, Merric, Roald and Owen looked at the village in front of them. It consisted of a few crumbling wood structures. Crumbling was a nice way of putting it. In the center the biggest building looked to be a tavern with a few spare rooms serving as an inn for guests. A stable was next to it. The doors were wide open, it seemed the double doors were stuck so they couldn't move to close or open.

Despite its glum appearance lights spread out from the tavern with a loud den of voices and music coming from inside. In an odd way it seemed a very welcoming place.

Kel started to talk and they were all pulled out of their own thoughts. "This is what they call the main square. Most prefer to keep their homes a little deeper into the woods. I don't know where Tristan is but you've all had a long day. Use the stables for your horses and then take to the tavern."

"Where are you going?" Neal questioned her.

"To look for Tristan," Kel replied.

"Then we'll come." Neal told her.

"No," Kel was adamant about it. They parted ways and Kel made sure they entered the Tavern before going anywhere else.

Dusk had arrived and Kel could smell food being cooked as she went out into the neighboring woods. This particular village was the closest to any border. People flocked to its main square on market days to trade or sell food and supplies. Her horse Gentle maneuvered through the woods. Houses were more like low round domes leaning up against certain trees. They were close to each other.

When Kel had first come to Talla she had been amazed at their sense of nature. In Yamani the people respected the world and strived to be in balance. Talla on the other hand was one with the world. They truly were part of their surroundings in part because instead of cutting down all the trees to make way for new and big cities they lived among the forest.

The forest was what made Talla. Trees were walls for homes, they provided sap to make baked goods, and leaves provided cover from the bright sun on a hot day. Children ran around in zig zags when they played games with friends so they didn't hit a massive trunk. The rich soil provided gardens for most families. Streams and rivers held fish for food and gave a soothing aroma.

Kel couldn't say that Talla was completely void of greed. That was just a part of human nature. But there was friendliness about everyone. That might be in part that Talla had been isolated for so long from other kingdoms that they came to rely on each other. Money or power wasn't a driving force. They were peaceful with humans and nature.

Gentle stopped without being told. He had come here many times and knew which hut to stop at. Kel slide down and tied Gentle to a skinny tree before stooping down and lifting up a poor excuse for a flap which was used as a door and entered Tristan's home. No fire was in his hearth but it had been used recently. An unmade bed was tucked in a corner. A small wood table was in the center of the room. Stacked on top of it were mounds of papers and dirty dishes. The whole circular home was filled with trash and odds and ends. Cleaning wasn't on the homeowners mind.

Every time since the first time she had been here, Kel wondered if this had ever been a happy home. It was where he had moved as a teenager to be with his wife. And now he lived in solitude almost as if he was a hermit. He never came to see his family who lived in the capital city.

She turned around which was pointless. It wasn't as if he could be hiding anywhere. It was stupid of her to think that on the first try she would find him. She took a moment and finally slipped into the lone chair in the hut.

He was the reason in the first place that she hadn't wanted the others from Tortall to come with her. Tristan kept to himself, sometimes unseen for years. She looked down at her hands. Tristan.

Kel hadn't exactly told them everything about him to the others. He had every right to be bitter. A lot had happened to him. He had lost a brother, a wife, a child. And he had fallen in love with Keladry who had rejected him. He was just a bitter person in general.

She stood up and walked out of the house. She untied Gentle and climbed back on him. The neighbors most likely didn't have any information on his whereabouts. She clicked her heels so that her horse trotted forward. She would look around the surrounding area in the hopes that he was hunting nearby. And she would pray that he wouldn't be too far away.

"What do you think she's doing out there?" Owen asked Seaver who had taken a seat next to him. The boys had all groomed their horses and come into the tavern sitting at the bar. Dom and Merric were nursing large pints of some type of liquor. Neal sat grim on the other side of Owen with Roald beside him.

At first the room had turned to peer curiously at them when they first entered through the doorway. After a moment or two they had turned back to their own conversations or foolery. A large heavyset woman had served them and then ignored them. If Neal could say one good thing about Talla was that it was a place where people minded their own damn business.

"I guess she's really just going to look for him." Seaver answered Owen. "We have to trust her." He looked down the bar on either side of him to look at his friends. "She knows this place better than we do."

Merric snorted into his cup before taking a long drink of it. He placed it in front of him and crossed his arms on the bar counter. They were all solemn and quiet in their own thoughts.

"I really want to know about the Order." Owen didn't know the meaning of silence. The loud crowd behind him let out booms of laughter as a man was beaten at some silly game only men played when they were away from their wives.

Roald nodded his head in agreement. "But I believe there will be many questions throughout that may not be answered."

"I want to know how she ended up here." They all looked at Merric who for the most part had remained completely quiet during the ride into Talla.

"We all do," Roald mused. He had taken the role of trying to keep the others from having fits about seeing Kel again. She hadn't spoken much during the ride or opened up at all. Saying she was a new Kel to them was fair. She was so different and he wasn't sure what had happened in her life for the past eight years.

They lapsed back into silence with the bars busy noise filling their ears. They all sipped on their drinks feeling the long journey sneak up on their tired bodies.

"What do you know about the Order?"

They all looked down the bar to a cloak figure on the end. A hood covered his head including his eyes giving him an unfriendly appearance. His voice was deep yet it held caring notes. He was hunched over the counter his hands wrapped around an oversized cup. He didn't turn his head or his body to face the men he spoke to.

"Excuse me?" Merric was closest to him.

"You men aren't from here." He spoke. "And yet you wonder about the Order."

"Do you know about the Order?" Roald leaned forward to ask him.

They couldn't hear him but by his body's movements it was clear the man was laughing at them. "Every Tallan knows about the Order. It's not some secret or mystery. Question is how did strangers from another Kingdom crawl in and start asking about the Order."

"We didn't crawl in." Owen instantly went in to defend them. "We were brought here. What rock have you been under if you don't know that Tortall now knows about Talla?"

The man lifted his head up so that his profile now showed the tip of his nose. "Tortall?" the man rolled the name around his mouth in thought. "I know of only one Tortallan in this Kingdom."

"You know Kel." Neal leaned around the others to get a better view of the talker. "You must know Kel then."

The others watched him closely as his head gave a small bob of a nod. "Did you ride in with her?"

"Yes," Roald answered truthfully. "What do you know of her?"

The man lifted his cup to his lips taking a drink and then setting it back down. "Not much. I always wondered how she came of here."

"I think we're all wondering that." Dom told him.

The line of men sat drinking. The group from Tortall kept sneaking glances at the cloaked figure wondering who he was. They remained in silence before the man leaned back on his barstool. He turned his body more towards them, still not enough for them to be able to see much of him.

"Tell me why this girl left her country. Who was she?"

They all gave pointed looks to each other. As soldiers it had been drilled into them to watch their words.

"She wanted to leave. So she did." Roald tried to slip over the question.

"No," he automatically discredited the reply. "Tell me why she would leave her home."

They paused not willing to share the information but of course Owen spilled it out.

"It had the whole nation in tears when the Lady Knight left Tortall."

"She was a knight?" they caught a surprised tone come from his voice. "Women Knights aren't common."

"No," Dom slammed his cup down. "But damn did she fight anybody that came in her way of getting her shield. And then she gave it all up." It was clear that the liquor he had been drinking was already buzzing around his head.

"She gave it up?"

Owen nodded. "One day she got news that New Hope, a refugee village that she had personally grown to be a booming town was burned to the ground. Everybody was lost including close friends of hers."

"She came undone." Merric looked down. "She snapped and without thinking exploded at the King and gave it all up."

"And you are not happy about this." The man could detect Merric's sorrow which came out more as anger.

Merric shrugged his shoulders. "She let people down. She went all that way and now she has nothing."

"How do you know she has nothing?" they all looked at him when he asked them.

"Who are you?" Neal rudely asked.

"A man just trying to get drunk." And as if to prove a point he swallowed the rest of his drink. "Are you knights then?"

"Nah," Dom shook his head no. "They are but I'm just your regular everyday soldier."

"Those are the best." He replied. "You look as if you've been in service for a while."

Dom nodded while fidgeting with his drink. "I was on my way up the ranks but I got stopped short."

"Is there a reason why?"

"There is," he tilted his head to look at the man. "But it doesn't matter now."

"No really," Neal kept at it. "Who are you?"

The door leading into the tavern was blown open and they all turned to look as Kel entered the room. Trees outside were being blown around by the strong winds. There was a hushed silence in the room as she walked in. She stopped and blinked back at everybody realizing they were staring at her. She gave a curt nod and a small smile and suddenly the room fast forward to its original bar antics. Men threw daggers at a target. Loud drunken laughs filled the air. Ale was passed out.

She found the men at the bar and stopped behind them as there wasn't any room for her. They turned to her waiting to be filled in.

She shook her head. "We stay the night and then leave before sunlight, alright? We need to move faster. I'm not sure where we'll find…" her voice lingered off as she spotted the cloaked man sitting next to Merric. Surprise kept her face frozen and she closed her open mouth.

They noticed her staring and they followed her eyes to the mysterious man they had just been talking to. His face was still veiled.

She raised a hand to her temple to rub it and an angry tone crept into her voice.

"Of course you're here," she vaguely waved a hand in the man's direction. "You're a drunk so of course you're in a tavern. Now I feel stupid for not checking here first."

The men were speechless while looking at the cloak. He threw his head back just enough so that the hood was thrown off his head. A dark mop of curls capped his head. A handsome face turned to Kel.

"Good to see you too, Kel." He abruptly stood up throwing some coins were he had been sitting for the bartender. "Lovely chat, boys." He nodded at them before swiftly moving past them to the door.

Kel turned just as fast trying to stay on his heels. Seeing the movement the other men turned in their stools and tried to follow the two though it wasn't as graceful. The alcohol had obviously taken its toll on Merric and Dom and the others just couldn't quite grasp what was happening. Finally they stumbled outside.

"Hey," they could hear Kel yelling at the man. "Stop."

"Stop?" the man turned back to face her. He finally came to a halt as did the others. They were basically watching a showdown between the two.

"I knew he was no good." Owen whispered to no one in particular though the others looked at him incredulous.

"You were the one that talked the most to him." Seaver told him.

"Did not," Owen said. "He was sketchy from the beginning. Nobody likes the creepy hooded guys drinking alone."

Neal shook his head in disbelief at his young friend before turning back to the fighting couple.

Kel and the man were up in arms with each other's voices getting louder. Kel looked annoyed as the man turned everything she said back to her in a mocking tone.

"Did your husband know about the whole Knight thing?"

"Of course he did," Kel put her hands on her hips in a truly cliché way. "But that's not the point. Did you know who they were when you talked to them?"

"I don't care who they are." He made to walk away again but she stayed at his heels.

"Tristan the Order is being assembled." She told him.

"Well get somebody else." He replied back.

"You know that's not how it works."

"Make it work then." He stopped moving and stood still except for his right arm which he kept on a small dagger that hung from his belt. It was a nervous crutch that made him finger the hilt. The pair stared at each other not making any moves to say anything.

She sighed and turned to see eyes watching the two. She turned from her friends and looked back at Tristan.

"I don't know where you've been for the past however long you've been gone," she really didn't know what he had been up to the past months. "But you're needed in the Capital. Either go on your own accord or you'll be taken with a warrant straight from the King."

"I'm not going back." His voice was lifeless and his face cold.

Kel stepped closer to him and he made no move to distance himself. "Your family and Country need you." She was inches from him now as she tried to reason with him.

"No," and without realizing it his hand pulled the dagger from his hip and without time to move blood came from Kel's shoulder.

The blood brought everybody back to reality as her friends rushed to her side to assess the damage. It was no were near life threating but she looked up angrily at the man in front of here.

"Your father is dying Tristan." She spit. The stinging from her cut was morphing into anger. "You're an heir to the throne. Get your life together."

She turned on her heels marching away, waving off Neal's green hand. The others watched her. When Owen looked back Tristan had already disappeared into the dark woods. They ran to catch up with Kel.

"I'm sorry," Roald asked Kel. "But were we just speaking to a prince."

"Uh huh," Kel mumbled out. They were in the doorframe of the tavern again. "Just forget about him. We'll meet tomorrow before dawn." And with that she slipped into the Inn and left them.

She stomped up the stairs and opened a door that led into a sparse room. The carpet had stains on it and the walls were paper thin. She sat down on the bed before fully flopping onto her back. The ceiling had yellow spots. When she had first come into Talla she had stayed here for almost a year. This still felt like her room. She continued to stare up at the ceiling and after a while sleep overtook her.

Mayer tried to move slowly across the bed. The mattress wiggled and he froze looking back to see Kel stirring. She had been having trouble sleeping and he didn't want her to wake up on account of him. Her balled fist came to her closed eyes, rubbing them. She moved her head, eyes fluttering open, she spotted Mayer. Her hand grabbed his upper arm pulling him back into the bed. She had tugged at him with such force that he was almost on top of her but he held himself up desperate to not crush her huge pregnant belly.

"No," she whispered sleepily. "It's too early to go yet."

"I have to," his voice was low as well. It was just too early to be loud. He brushed hair off her face. "You know the rules. The Order is meeting today."

"It's too early," she said again. Mayer rolled onto his side close to her body. The pillow propped up his head.

Kel's face showed weariness and tire. Her body had swelled and was not agreeing with her pregnancy. It kept her sick and in bed for most of the time.

"Why did I marry you if you don't even stay with me in bed?" She slapped him slightly and he laughed. It was moments like these that he knew he had rubbed off on her.

Mayer continued to stroke her hair while studying her. He would never know why she married him. She loved him enough to deal with the many chores given to a royal. She dealt with it never taking it on as mundane work but as a privilege.

Mayer heard her slow breathing and knew that she was once again sleeping. Leaning over her he gave her a soft kiss and ran his hand down her stomach. Getting out of bed this time he made sure not to make a peep.

The next time Kel woke up she knew it had been a few hours. No movement was in the room and she hoisted herself up and out of bed. Walking or more like waddling to the window she looked up at the sky. Last week it had been a dark grey. The weeks before just grey. Not it was pitch black. The perfect shade of gloom and death.

Despite that she could still see Talla going on with its daily duties. She spotted Tobe working with a horse. A smile came to her face and she turned from the window, one hand on her belly. Isobel wasn't in sight so she did the best she could to dress herself which was a feat getting into awkward positions to look respectable and put together.

Leaving the room she shared with her husband she passed the solemn faces of the staff. They were friendly but everybody's mind was on other matters. Kel walked slow and steady trying to keep her whale like body from bumping all over the place. One hand skimmed the wall acting as a friend to keep her up right.

The hallway kept going and she was on her own with no person in sight. She kept sliding on her feet towards the main hallway hoping she might see Mayer if he had a break. She paused up against the wall and brought in a breath. She was so happy to be pregnant but her body was so tired.

"Alright there?" Came out a voice.

Turning only a bit she noticed a man behind her. She jumped back at the sight of his companion, a large black cat. The beast blinked green eyes at her not making a move towards her. It's pure black fur was slick and standing on all four legs it almost came up to her waist. Whiskers framed its face tail swishing up and down behind it. The animal wasn't ordinary she could tell that immediately. The cat turned its face upward to look at the man as if asking why they had bothered to stop.

"I could bring you a chair." He continued waiting for her to speak back.

"No thank you," she found her voice finally looking up from the cat to him.

The man was silent not moving on or past her. He stared up and down at her and she felt like she was on display.

"You must be the famous new wife of my brother that I've been hearing about." He stated.

It was her turn to do the blinking and staring. The tall man stood with perfect posture, his back straight showing lean muscles. His hair was unkempt and ragged curls ran through it. His eyes were a mix of pure blue and green. Smooth skin was blank on his face.

"You're Tristan?" She moved forward slightly, her hand was still holding the wall. "Mayer's brother."

He bowed his head and Kel continued to stare. She had been in Talla for almost two years. In that time she had toured the entire country, became a princess, and gotten pregnant and gone to countless balls and family events and not once seen the other heir. Of course Mayer had gone out to see him several times throughout the years always riding out to the forest to seek him. She knew that he lived close to the village she had once lived in near Harriet and Roland. He never felt the need to come see his parents or come into the big city. She couldn't imagine a prince of Tortall not being in the public eye.

A door banged open and it pulled Kel out of her wonderment. Looking back she could see inside one of the main drawing rooms. A round chestnut table was being vacated as men left it. Mayer came out into the hall and a cheeky grin grew when he saw the two.

"A good sight," he told them. "I'm glad you've gotten to meet each other."

Tristan smiled at his brother the first sign of any emotion Kel had seen. It wasn't that he hid his emotions as she had once done in the Yamani Islands. It was more that he was closed off. He didn't allow himself to be anything but there. He walked past the two giving Mayer's shoulder a big clap.

That was it. Nothing else. No good byes or nice to meet you pleasantries were given. The large cat licked its lips looking at Kel before walking after the man, its hips swaying.

Mayer helped Kel down the hall going back the way she had come. They reentered their room and Kel sat down on the edge of her bed wiped out from the short walk. She gave herself a smile thinking about the long hours of training she had endured as a knight and how one massive belly wiped that all away.

"Did it go well?" Kel asked.

Mayer nodded. He sat down and took off a boot shaking it to get debris out from the bottom.

"Is it nice seeing everybody again?" She continued. "I know the circumstances aren't great but seeing all your childhood friends I think makes life better."

"I agree," Mayer looked at her. "I think mother is glad to see Tristan. It's been a while."

"Does he ever come?"

"No," he shrugged and Kel put a hand on his shoulder. Mayer would never say it but Kel thought she saw a glimpse of sadness and struggle that he always had to pick up the reigns while his younger brother did whatever he wanted living in the forest. Mayer sighed and looked at Kel. "We came to a decision."

Kel nodded at him to continue.

"We have to ride out."

Kel nodded sadly. The hormones running through her made her eyes water. It wasn't like as a soldier she was foolish enough to believe that Mayer could stay here forever while the enemy made havoc outside. Rowena was suffocating them with her toxic clouds, using them as prey. The army needed to ride out in order to protect Talla.

Mayer fell back onto the bed and looked upward. Kel leaned back and wrapped one arm around him trying to get close to him. She wanted to feel him. Just a simple touch made her feel warm and loved. In return her husband hugged her back leaning his head on hers. Kel's face was tucked into his chest.

"It will be fine."

"Don't jinx it." she murmured back.

"Have you thought of names?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Tell me."

"No, it's a surprise.

"What do you mean it's a surprise?" he bantered back. "Do I not get a say in the matter?"

"No," Kel told him. She felt him laugh.

"Your mother still plans on traveling here?"

"Yes," Kel snuggled in closer. She felt so lucky to know that her mother would come see her new family. The queen had actually become close with her.

"When do you leave?" Kel asked him. He took a moment to reply to her.

"Tonight."

Kel sighed and closed her eyes breathing him in. The world had stopped these past few months. The skies had changed everything. Bright happy thoughts and feelings didn't come to Talla as quickly anymore. She counted to ten in her head. It soothed her. He was leaving for the good of Talla. He would come back.

…..

Kel was zoned out on her bed. The sheets hadn't been changed or cleaned in two weeks. The pillow that her head was on was wrinkled and yellow water stains appeared on it. Breathe in breath out. Kel heard somebody scuffle just outside the door. Murmuring was heard until somebody thought better than to come in.

He was dead. Her husband had been killed.

Kel turned in the bed the sheets wrapped haphazardly around her legs. The mound of a belly only allowed her to turn on her side. She had ordered Isobel to stop coming and as a result she was in her own grief. Morning came and went. The clouds had left and blue skies won. Talla was safe. Her husband was gone.

Kel sat up only when she looked at the clock. It was close to midnight the changing of the shift. People would be too focused to realize the widowed princess was leaving her chambers. Creeping up out of bed she managed to put on a thick cloak to keep her warm in the twilight.

Instead of going out the main double door where somebody was sure to be keeping watch, she left using a narrow back tunnel. In the two weeks since news of her death she had been thankful that people had let her mourn in her own way. The only nuisance had been doctors and maids poking in to make sure she was alright in her pregnant state. Even locked away in her room she knew that the castle was keeping a close eye on her wondering now that her husband was gone that she might leave Talla.

Kel scuffled down the dark tunnel finally coming to another heavily bolted door. On the outside nobody knew it was actually an entrance but rather just thick stone wall. Kel pushed her whole body on it till it gave way and for the first time in weeks she was outside. She needed to breath in fresh air.

Kel sneaked around the perimeter of the castle and with a final crouch and duck she made her way deeper into the forest. She was just wondering around. She didn't want to be in her room anymore but she still needed alone time which she knew she wouldn't get inside.

The moon was full tonight. Her feet stopped in between green bushes. Knotty trees and their branches overflowed. Kel kept her head tilted back so that she could see the stars. Movement rustled behind and she looked back to see Tristan. It didn't faze her so she went back to her stargazing.

"We took a boat when I was a young child to the Yamani Islands." She didn't know why she was talking. "At night we would always look up at the sky. My mother used to tell me the bright lights were angels in the sky."

He didn't make a sound so she kept going.

"I used to think they were the prettiest things in the whole world." She turned to face him realizing he wasn't going to just go away. He was half hidden in the shadows until he took a step forward. "Do you think he's up there?"

He nodded after thinking it over. "I think he could be."

Kel looked back up again before returning her eyes to him. "Where's your cat?"

"Hunting," Tristan moved closer.

"How did he become your companion?" she asked.

"I found him tangled in a blackthorn bush, twisted up so that blood was dripping out of him. I helped free him. He's been with me ever since."

Kel wobbled slightly on her heels so he placed a hand to steady her. She brushed it off but he remained by her. "Why do you not come to the castle?"

He shrugged not giving an answer. This was the first conversation the two had really had and because of that she didn't want to pester him. She made to turn from him so that she could go deeper into the forest but a pain rocked her back.

"Alright there?" Tristan held her up so that she didn't sink to the ground in agony.

Kel couldn't form an answer the pain was so terrible. She felt wetness between her legs and she looked down at herself. She was in labor.

"We're too far from the castle." She told him. Together they hobbled along him leading. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. It felt like a mile but really only a few steps they landed in a treeless area, a small cottage in view. He took more of her weight so that they could get to the doorstep faster.

"I thought that was you," an elderly woman opened the door but stopped at the sight of Kel.

"Gilly," he nodded his head as a type of salutation. "Can you help?"

Without any more questions the door was flung open wider. The woman helped get Kel inside. As if she'd done this a thousand times she helped the pregnant lady into bed and put water on to boil.

"You always bring me the strangest things." Gilly told Tristan. "She's going to have a baby awfully soon."

Gilly came around to Kel's side using cloth to wipe her forehead. "You ready to push?"

Kel couldn't think but she did everything that was instructed. Breath. Push. Breath. Push. Tristan held her hand and in the back of her mind she thought this was all wrong. This wasn't how or where she was supposed to be.

A cry brought her back down. Gilly stood up from a stool she was sitting on. It was Kel's baby in her hands. She passed it to the mother and Kel stared down at it. It was hers.

"There's another one coming." Gilly was back at the stool.

"Did you know you were having twins?" Tristan looked at her in the bed shocked.

Kel nodded dizzily, still holding her son. "We didn't tell anyone because the birth was a higher risk. We didn't want anything to happen to one of them." Her voice came out watery. The baby was so small and wrinkled. Its body was red. She threw her head back in pain, pushing.

Another cry brought her back. Gilly wrapped the second one and stood up. She handed the baby to Tristan. Kel looked up her arms clutching one baby. Her mind went to the story Mayer had told her a long time ago. Tristan had lost his baby years ago along with his wife.

Now as Kel held her son she watched Tristan, silent and still, his arms holding the baby. Her son was loud and moved widely, hungry for its life to begin. The girl he held though had its eyes open already, just barely though. It looked around and was content. Tristan hadn't looked at Kel once since the baby had been place in his arms. He was mesmerized by her. She had him wrapped around her finger already.

"Let her hold her daughter." Gilly elbowed him. "You need to go out and send news. It's not every day the Queen gets new grandbabies."

Both babies came into Kel's arms and she looked up to thank Gilly. It was a different way to meet somebody new. Tristan must have known she had once been a midwife and it was just luck she had a home close by.

"What are the names?" Gilly asked the mother gently. Kel's face was red from exhaustion. She sucked in her breath, it was watery from tears.

She shook her head thinking about her dead husband. Her hair was matted to her from sweat. "The names were a surprise for him." she sobbed out. They were sad tears, but happiness crept into them.

I want to give a big thanks to everybody who has written a review. It's great motivation and I like hearing your thoughts.