A/N: Ohhh, Myyyyy, Godddd! I just got some very bad news! Please, I beg you, don't kill me! Our new house won't get Internet till the 11th of May! God, I am so sorry! I'll try to write the chapters up, but I won't be able to put them on the Internet till then. =(again, and again, I'm really sorry! This will probably be the last chapter till then. And thanxxx to Alyss Mainwaring's advice! I especially enjoyed the chocolate part! Hehehe! ;) thank you to those who reviewed, and enjoy this last chapter, cause you won't get another up-date for about 4 days!
Again, I'm really sorry! =D
"I know, my 'iccle duckling! I know!" Ohh, great! It would appear I have a new nickname! And with those last cheerful thoughts, they made their way into the clearing.
At first no one noticed, but then a couple of heads turned there way, but not many. Kiy sighed exasperated, whilst muttering, quietly so only Kel could hear,
"This is not how I planned our entry to be! Never mind!" and with those quiet words said, Kiy placed two fingers to her mouth, and gave a very loud, ear-splitting whistle. This got the attention from everyone in the camp. There were about thirty-five to forty people altogether in the clearing. All of them Shang, apart from the Shangs in training. It was a very big clearing, with a big stone in the centre of it. Supposedly it was the rock that the Man from the story placed Keritina on when she became the Shang Flame. There was a big main fire roaring beside the rock, that had some meat cooking on it. Most of the Shangs were sitting around the fire, socializing. Others were standing around talking, sparing, or simply in their own tents that were spread out round the clearing. But once everyone heard the ear-splitting whistle, they all came out to investigate.
One fairly young man, around Kiy's age, stood up walking towards them. "Kiy! What are you doing here? Weren't you going to the Palace to train Pages with Rin?" the man asked, whilst eyeing Kel. Thank the Goddess my top is a long sleeved shirt! This way no one will find out that I have the Flame right away... Suddenly someone shouted out her name excitedly.
"Kel!" she was literally pulled off Peachblossom, and into the arms of someone she recognised quite well.
"Eda?" Kel whispered, not quite sure if it was really her. Kel's former Shang teacher from the Palace laughed at Kel's surprised face.
"I told you I'd quit, if he kicked you out!" and before Kel could answer she was swept up into another massive hug, from somebody else behind her. Kel was getting really out of breath, from all this squeezing. Finally the person behind Kel let her go.
"Now THAT, was pay-back that I never really could get when I sparred with you! Not to mention the embarrassment you got me in on your first day at the Palace, when you got me in the dirt first time!" Kel would've recognised that voice any where! She turned round facing him, with a smug grin on her face, and bowed to him Yamani style, palms flat on her thighs, to her other ex-teacher, the Shang Horse. Passing him some words in Yamani, his grin widened, if that was possible, till he nodded and laughed before hugging her again. Then he turned to Kiy, for after all, she was his sister, and hugged her. The rest of the Shangs were staring wide-eyed at all of this. Not by the fact that Kiy was here, but by the fact that she had some girl with her!
"So Kel, what are you doing here?" The Shang Wildcat asked her, still surprised. Kel winked at Kiy before turning her attention to the the question asked. She was well aware that the whole clearing was silent, waiting for an answer, curious as to who this girl was.
"Ohh, just thought I'd tag along, have a nice relaxing break with 'iccle Scorpi here." Kiy glared very hot daggers at a smirking Kel, as everyone laughed.
"Well, good to see you still have a sense of humour on you, Kel!" the Shang Horse said with a glint in his eye. (a/n: I can't remember the Shang Horses name, so I'm just going to call him Shang Horse.) "But what's the real reason for you and my adoring sister to come here, the Meeting Place of Shang? And where's Rin?" Kel thought about this for a sec, then turned to Kiy.
"Good question! She said that the Shangs had to see me, but no more than that." Kiy took the hint.
"Well, Rin's at the Palace, teaching Pages." Kiy said slowly.
"And why aren't you?" asked the man who came to greet them first.
"Because, Kel's my Shang Student." again she said rather slowly. The Wildcat and Shang Horse looked at Kel stunned.
"Aren't you a little... old?" the Shang Horse asked. "But, now come to think of it... you are trained quite well in the fighting arts all ready. But why couldn't you go with Kiy to the Pal... Aahhh!" The Shang Horse had finally pieced it together. And so had Eda, for she was nodding as well. But obviously, the other man, didn't get it, and looked at them quizzically. Eda spoke up for Kel.
"This is Keladry of Mindelan. The girl who tried out at Page training, but was
UN-fairly kicked out, by a conservative brat, named Lord Wyldon!" There was a murmur through the croud. "And I'm guessing that Rin went on to teach, and Kiy offered to train you. Am I right?" Kel and Kiy nodded.
"Right, we'll chat later. I'm sure you two would probably like to un-tack your horses, and have something to eat. Ohh, and I'm Dalinder, the Shang Dragon, otherwise known as Dal." He said smiling at Kel.
"I would introduce myself, but you already know who I am, so please just call me Kel." he nodded, smiling, and turned back to the camp fire. Kiy looked after him as he went, with a loving glint in her eye. Kel snorted, trying to cover up her laughing with coughing, as she realised, just who Kiy's Soft Spot was for. Kiy glared at her.
"Don't say anything!" Kiy muttered quietly so only Kel could hear. Then Kiy turned, and led Kel away, their horses in toe. Kel still trying to contain fits of giggles. The Shang Horse walked beside Kel, wanting to help them un-tack. He to, had noticed his sister's behaviour. She asked him about it in Yamani.
"Does he love her back, d'you think?" He grinned.
"I think he does, but he doesn't know that Kiy likes him back. Same goes with Kiy." Kel smirked.
"Well I don't know 'bout you, but I'm feeling a bit match-makerish! Wouldn't you say?" The Horses grin widened.
"I was hopping you'd say that!" the three of them talked jokily, while the horses were seen to, then they let them loose with the other horses. But not till Kel gave Peachblossom, a detailed warning, on what would happen if he started fighting with the other horses, as Kiy and her brother looked on at Kel, laughing at the horses innocent face, as if to say, Are you talking to me, Mistress? I'd never do such a thing! I'm offended, at the mere suggestion of it!
Once that done, they made their way back to the camp fire to socialize. Kiy and Kel weren't hungry, for they had eaten not that long before their arrival. Then the Shang Horse looked at her side-long.
"Well, come on Kel! Lets see how good a teacher my, errr... lovely sista is! I'm guessing you haven't had a glaive partner for a little while." Kel's ears perked up at the mention of a little glaive spar.
"Ahh! Its been so long, since the last time I beat you!" Kel grinned, going to get her glaive out of her pack, as her Shang opponent did the same.
"You only won, cause I was going easy on you!" he fought back, a mock-frown carved into his face.
"Of, course you were!" Kel smirked rolling her eyes. By now everyone was silent, obviously curious as to see, a glaive, for they had never heard of one. And also to see how well the Scorpion's trainee could fight. Once Kel drew it out of her pack, everyone stared wide-eyed, (except for Kiy and Eda) at the weapon. Till Dal finally asked,
"What's that?" The Shang Horse glanced at him.
"It's called a Glaive. The Yamani people use it as their favoured weapon. In their language it's called a Naginata." Kel walked over to Dal, and handed him hers for inspection. Dal's eyes went even rounder.
"Mithros! It's weight alone, is un-natural! How do you manage to even pick it up? Let alone swing it?" Kel shook her head and took it back from him, smiling.
"Come on Horsie! Lets get this over and done with!" They both took up a stance, as everybody crowded round to watch. Kiy walked out in the middle, checking that they were ready, before lowering her hand down in the `begin` sign.
The two circled each other, sizing up the other, by looking at the grip and the flow of their bodies. Then suddenly, the Horse came up with a slight swing that would've gutted Kel, had she not have blocked on time. Then Kel went into an Underfoot Sweep, forcing the Shang to jump, whilst he tried to jab at her upper-half,which ended up with her having to duck. They broke away, again circling. Then he made a lunge for her. Kel flipped over his head, landing behind him, and as he tried to move round to meet her, she tripped him up with the dull end of the glaive. This made him stumble, and Kel had no problem in-taking this little opening, and moving the blade swiftly ,she rested her blade at his neck. That had been a very short bout. Everyone were to awed to clap, except for Eda and Kiy. The Shang Horse grinned at Kel.
"You, Missie, have gotten to an unbeatable stage!" Kel grinned back.
"Nahh! Its just that your getting old!" She joked. He pouted at her.
"Who are you calling old?" He asked with mock-horror. They carried on in this sort of banter till the other Shangs managed to recover from their little shock. Then Dal said hoarsely,
"You beat a full fledged Shang?" Kiy nodded.
"Kel beat me yesterday, in Hand-to-Hand Combat. And about four days ago we had our first training spar, and she almost won, but she was tiring. But it lasted longer that fifteen minutes." Again Dal looked at her in utter shock.
"FIFTEEN MINUTES? All beginners only last about two at the most!" Kel shrugged.
"I have had other training." she replied.
They all sat down round the fire again. This time they got blankets, because it was getting colder. It was now pitch black, except for the light the fire gave off. Kel sat there, simply watching the beautiful flames. She was in a way addicted to fire, if that were possible. She loved it with a passion. Normally, when she and Kiy made a fire Kel would rest her hands in the warm flames. Feeling them lick her palm and fingers, but never burning her. Just simply giving her a pleasant tingling feeling, that she just couldn't get enough of.
Kel rolled up her sleeve, thinking it was to dark for anyone to see the tattoos. Then she was literally hypnotised by the lovely flickering orange, yellow and redness of the flames. She was gradually leaning in closer. Un-aware that everybody was staring at her.
"Kel?" Eda shook her gently. Kel didn't budge. Instead she slowly pushed her hand into the flames. And she smiled slightly.
"Kel!" the Shang Horse was now grabbing her round the shoulders pushing her back.
"Leave, her!" Kiy cried. Everyone turned to her, shocked that she'd do such a thing. Then Dal looked at Kel's arm.
"Sweet Mithros, child!" Kel suddenly jerked back, as everyone looked at her.
"What, Dal?" Kel asked, wandering why everybody was staring at her as if she was some kind of God.
"YOUR ARM!"
A/N: well there you go! The last chapter, for 4 days! Hope you enjoyed it! I am soo sorry about not being able to up-date for a while! Thanxxx for not Killing me (I hope)! :D And Thank you forz all the lovely reviews!
Plz r/r