Here you go...be patient with me...I know it seems off topic..but Kel needs a lot of work if she is going to do all of things she needs too...


There are times in life when it feels like all of the cosmos are crashing down. Kel knew these times intimately and as fate would have it…this was one of those times. She'd endured a long and arduous meeting with the government officials of Icabod. She had learned nothing about the people who'd killed Lillith, who she had only known a short time, but was considered a dear friend of her heart. How had things gone so wrong? How had she ended up fighting someone else's war? Was this was the Hag had needed changed in Carthak or was the more to be done after she'd finished here?

She sat in the dark of her temporary home…waiting. Waiting…for what…she didn't know…but still she sat in silence with the burden of thousands like a mantle across her shoulders. A sudden and depressing thought broke through her confusion.

'What if I die here? I'll never see my family again, or Neal, or Yuki…or Dom.'

The thought forced all of the air from her lungs. She needed to get out. Throwing the light blanket from her body, she ran from the Inn where she was staying in the city. She ran until she could run no further, until she was deep in the bowls of the rock. She found herself at the edge of the lake watching the vendors set up their wares and prepare for the day. She had observed them in their silent dance for about thirty minuets when a small cart rumbled by blocking her view and drawing her attention. A little boy drove the cart and two small girls sat in the back. They moved carefully toward a small empty space at the end of the shops, and began to unload a large vendor's stand. They struggled, barely managing to get it from the back of the wagon, let alone set it up. Kel stood and walked over toward them. In the most sincere tone she had ever managed, she spoke.

"Friends, may I be of any assistance this great day?" She tried to say it with out making it seem like she was asking out of pity.

"We're not friends. We don't even know you!" it was little boy who spoke first. Kel nodded and smiled.

"My name is Kel and I am new to the city. I just moved here. I was looking at everything and I realized that I knew nothing of being a goods vendor. Everyone else turned me down, when I asked if I could help, I just hoped that you might let me learn from you." They all looked contemplative before one of the girl spoke.

"You look like you could eat us for breakfast…" her voice was very little and soft, like the wind through the trees. Her comment made Kel laugh heartily and reminded her a time before the war had started. They all looked at her sharply as if expecting some other reaction on her part, when she did nothing but laugh, they too smiled.

Soon Kel found herself the subject of a frenzy of activity. The girls showed her all of the vegetables they grew in their garden at home, and the boy showed her the tools that his father had made for them to sell. They spoke little of their father and when they did their eyes filled with sadness…making Kel wonder what had happened. She learned their names, and how to sell things, and trade, and soon the day faded into the magic induced night. So went everyday. She would attend her duties with the government officials, which mostly consisted of attempting to prove that she was being honest, she would see Zoser for a few hours every day to train and then she was off to the stand with the children. It went like this for almost a month before a change occurred. It was one night was they were packing up the stand, Adrianna, interrupted their normally silent routine.

"Would you like to come and see our house? Don't worry Mom won't be home so you won't get in trouble." The girl added the last part hastily. Kel smiled tightly and nodded. They all smiled and she sat with them in the back of the cart as, Theo, drove them home.

It was the girl's last statement that haunted her. 'Don't worry mom won't be home so you won't get in trouble.' Why would she feel the need to add that? She laughed with girls halfheartedly until the littlest, Bethany, the one who had said that Kel was big enough to eat them for breakfast, shift closer to her and placed her grubby hands on either side of her face.

"You're empty here." Her fingers touched Kel's eyelids. Kel didn't know how to respond, but Bethany continued to speak. "I know that you are sad for us, but as long as I have my sister and my brother I am happy. We'll stay with you and make you happy." She nodded resolutely. Kel spoke now.

"What about you mother?" Kel voice was gentle as she looked at each of the children.

"Momma doesn't want us, so we can stay with you." There was a hint of pleading in her tone but otherwise she sounded cheery.

"If you don't mind…" Her voice barely reached Kel, but Bethany responded instantly. Her hands came away from Kel's face and she drew back to assess her.

Kel smiled at them.

"Of course you can. I want to speak to your mother, but after that I would love for you to stay with me. My Mom and Dad will love you, and so will all of my friends." There was a painful hope in their eyes, so Kel opened her arms and embraced them in a hug.

When she had released the girls she climbed up to sit with Theo as he drove. Theo was the oldest and the only boy so he had taken the responsibility for his sisters. He needed to feel like this was his decision too.

"Theo…I…." Kel started to say something but was interrupted by him.

"You do need our help more than mom. You didn't even know how to sell stuff when we meet you, how will you support yourself if you don't have our help." Theo sounded serious but there was a tinge of true joy in his voice. Looked ahead of them, they were headed into the business district, confused she stated as much, but Theo simply nodded and drove the cart steadily. With a deep sigh she looked at the boy and then back at the girls.

'More strays…Neal is going to love this.' She thought with a sad smile. Kel slid into the back and gathered the girls close to her.

"If your going to stay with me there is something you need to know." The girls looked at her with rapt attention; she could see Theo glancing back at her every so often as he drove.

"My name is Kel, but my full name is Keladry. I am a knight. Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan. I came here to escape a mean man who made me his slave, and I came to this city because some bad men killed my good friend, and I was told that people in this city could help me." Adrianna looked excited, but Bethany looked confused.

"Who killed your friend?" Kel turned to look directly at her.

"I don't know who they are. They were dressed as Mithran priests. My friend saved a little boy from them, but she died while she was doing it..." Kel trailed off as the girls eyes filled with sadness. Bethany explained.

"Our Dad was killed by those same people. They call themselves the Red Dawn. They don't like people who aren't rich or powerful like them. They killed our Dad because he was a farmer, and he spoke to people about equality and being treated fairly by those who thought themselves about of us. My Mom moved us here, so that we'd be safe, but she was so sad when our Dad died that she stopped loving us. We wanted to know what had happened, so we asked everyone we meet, about who these people were and why they had killed Dad. They are bad people, Kel, you can fight…you can stop them…we'll help you!"

Kel felt the gloom of Lilith's death lift from her heart. She had just found new friends and she finally knew who her enemy was.


Fixed...thanks!!!