This chapter has been updated!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry I had part of this chapter saved on the computer at my dad's house, part of it saved on the computer at my mom's house and part of it saved on a floppy disk. The computer at my dad's house doesn't have a working A: drive so I've just now been able to combine the two chapters. Then the site wasn't letting me upload because my connection speed to the internet wasn't high enough for me to upload the chapter and then the site went into read only mode.
anyways:
Hello again….I apologize if there are some typos in this…I jammed my finger playing basketball and I can't bend it so I'm down a finger when I type…I'll try and proofread very carefully….
Disclaimer: duh-huh……………you really think I'm genius enough to come up with these characters myself….hah……..Tamora Pierce owns the characters, the locations, etc……..new news huh?
Thank you so much for reviewing!!! To all of you who have reviewed, I owe my sanity (however loose) to you : )
If you haven't reviewed, Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please, please, please…..review………
……………………………………………..
460 H.E. November 16Neal watched his cousin thoughtfully. 'Mithros, please help us find Kel,' he thought. Adding as an afterthought, 'Alive.' Dom's eyes were red as if he'd been weeping again. Trying to keep a cheerful face Neal strode over to him.
"Hey lover boy," Neal said clapping his cousin on the shoulder.
Dom scowled. 'How can he joke at a time like this?' he thought. "Hi Nealan," he sighed.
Neal's worry deepened. He couldn't remember the last time his cousin had called him by his full name. To Dom, Neal was always Meathead. "You okay?" he asked.
Dom could not take it anymore. "Do I look okay to you?" he rounded on his cousin. "Kel's captured, for gods' sake she's probably being tortured right as we speak, before she was taken she had heartbreaking news and there isn't a damn thing I can do for her. This stupid blizzard will put us behind at least week if not more and you expect me to be okay?"
Neal watched his cousin. Dom had had friends captured before. Sometimes it was months before they were able to attempt a rescue. Of course Neal had seen Dom worry over his friends but he had never been overly emotional. 'I think there's more to Dom's feelings…maybe he really does love her,' he thought. "Sorry Dom," Neal said and walked away.
……………………………………………..
Camped in a cave, waiting out the end of the blizzard, made everyone on edge.
"How much longer?" Alanna asked Raoul.
He looked down at her, "Two more days at least. Numair said he was in contact with the weather mages at the palace and they say were in it for at least that if not more."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I know you care about Kel."
"If she died out there," Raoul told Alanna. "I'll never forgive myself. After all I was the one who sent her on this mission."
"You didn't know what was going to happen. No one could have known," Alanna tried to comfort Raoul.
"I guess," he sighed. "If she gets out of this alive I want to adopt her," he said, abruptly changing the subject.
Alanna smiled. "I think that would be very good for the both of you."
Raoul's coal-black eyes were bright as he looked at the Lioness. "She's barely eighteen, she didn't deserve the heartbreak that comes with loosing your family."
The Lioness nodded grimly as she recalled her own experiences of family deaths.
"Gods I'm stupid," Raoul muttered with a crooked frown. "Here I am going on about that when I know full and well that you too lost your family. Sorry Alanna."
She grinned up at the man who had been her protector in her page days, "I came to terms with it a long time ago. Besides I have Sir Myles now and Eleni….and George." She said her husbands name with a playful wink. Raoul smiled but Alanna saw the worry creep back into his eyes. She took one of his giant hands in her small ones and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "We'll get her back, Raoul. Trust me. I know we will."
……………………………………………..
"Sir Meathead!"
Neal grimaced. He thought he'd been able to sneak around Dom and head for the fire. "Yes Dom?" he asked.
"Care to take a stroll with me?"
"Sure," Neal replied uncertainly.
"Great," Dom said slinging an arm around Neal's shoulders. He led him towards the cave entrance. Dom sat on the stone floor and motioned for Neal to do the same.
They sat in silence, watching the swirling white snow dance outside. After a while Neal cleared his throat. "Dom, what if we get there too late?" he asked.
Dom looked down. He had played the scene out many times in his head. "I suppose we will fetch the body and conduct a proper burial," he said, sorrow present in his voice.
"I'm so worried. I'm also sorry about this morning," Neal admitted. "I should be more aware of others feelings."
"It's ok," Dom said. "Mithros knows we need the humor."
Neal smiled as Merric and Owen joined them at the cave entrance. Merric avoided looking at Dom and sat himself on the other side of Neal, who in turn noticed this. 'No use worrying about it now,' he thought to himself. 'I'll ask Dom later.'
"It's going to be jolly, us riding in and rescuing Kel," Owen said. The others smiled at Owen's endless optimism.
"Everything's 'jolly' to you," Neal said, his voice dripping with mock-disdain. "Even early mornings."
Owen punched Neal lightly on the arm. "Mornings are the best part of a day," he said before getting up and retreating farther into the cave.
Neal scowled in mock-disgust at Owen's disappearing back.
……………………………………………..
"That's it?" Numair cried. "That's all you have for me?"
"Keep your voice down," a hushed voice said. "Do you want to wake the whole camp? Look I told you this was farfetched to begin with and I said you probably wouldn't find out what you wanted to know."
"But Daine, you've done it before," Numair whispered.
"I know that but before I wasn't in the middle of an overcrowded cave, stuck in the middle of a blizzard and trying to reach animals in the middle of another country. Use your brain Numair."
"Sorry Daine," he ruffled her hair. "I was just thinking how much it would mean to Raoul and Alanna if we could actually get a precise location on Kel. Thanks for trying."
"No problem," she said and started to walk off.
"Daine," Numair called.
She turned around and faced him.
"I love you," he whispered, drawing her into a tight hug. "Thank you so much for trying to help. I didn't mean to sound so ungrateful before."
She kissed him and said, "I know silly. You're stressed and I understand that. We all care about Kel. Everyone knows she cares about animals as much as humans. At the palace she is one of the kindest people when it comes to looking after animals. I'm worried about Jump. He misses Kel. So does Peachblossom."
"Don't worry about things you can't control," Numair said before he swept her into a passionate kiss. He slowly let her go, taking her hand and entwining his fingers through hers.
"Oh you hypocrite!" Daine teased and allowed herself to be led to the bedroll they shared.
……………………………………………..
"So how's my ex-squire holding up?" Alanna asked Neal cheerfully.
"About as well as a Carthaki soldier facing a…" Neal began to reply.
"Stop," Alanna interrupted Neal. "Sometimes you are just too frank for even me. Seriously though," Alanna added. "She is your best friend."
Neal picked up on Alanna's use of the word 'is' instead of 'was' and smiled gratefully at her. "Yes. She is," he reflected. "I don't know why I'm not getting more worked up about this. I mean after all she has been captured and faces possibly death. I have this gut feeling though. It's like I know we will be able to get her back. As much as she and I cluck over each other, we really do have confidence in the others abilities. She can handle herself until we get there."
Alanna eyed Neal skeptically. "Do you really believe that?" she asked cautiously.
Neal actually paused a moment and reflected. "No," he finally admitted. "Not really. But I feel better saying it." He took a deep breath and became unusually serious. "Lady Alanna, I'm scared for her. She knows something important. Raoul didn't mention what she knew but it's no trivial matter. They won't stop at anything till she gives them the information. If I know Kel she won't ever give them the information if it will endanger Tortallans. I don't know what I will do if we get there too late. She's my best friend." He looked down, tears in his eyes.
"Neal," Alanna began softly. "We'll get her back."
……………………………………………..
Sorry I know nothing really happens in this chapter…just a delay and the sorting out of people's emotions. I promise there will be more action in the next chapter.
Again thanks for the reviews!!!
I don't think I made any typos in this chapter…..amazing…. :)
