"Neal, please sit down, you're making me dizzy." br

Neal sighed and sat at his knight-master's request. The letter that he had just received from his mother was rumpled in his hands. He uncrumbled it again and reread it, still in shock. br

"Are you sure?" br

Imrah sighed. br

"Yes, I'm afraid it is true." br

Neal put his head in his hands and clenched his teeth. Not now, he thought, surely not now. br

Imrah sat and watched his squire deal with the news. He hated to see him like this, just when he had been so happy. It was two days after Mid-winter. br

~^~br

Xlelon woke up to a soft knock on the door. Her first thought was that one of the servants needed her for something, and she groaned. The knock sounded again. Xlelon got up and threw on something that she was sure didn't match, then opened the door. Her eyebrows shot up, because it was Neal at the door. Then she frowned. br

"Neal, what's wrong?" br

He sighed and handed her a letter. She thought it was to her until she realized that it was crumpled and folded many times. Carefully, she unfolded it, and read silently. br

INealen, br

I am sorry that I have to give you this news like this, but I must help. You know that we were staying at Kennan fief for Mid-winter, your uncle insisted. After the party, a pack of spindrens invaded and tried to kill everyone. Your father and uncle wouldn't let them, and kept them from us while we ran. But their webs are like acid, and one strangled your father before it died. The same one burned your uncle, he is still alive, but just. I am sending this with our messenger; he is going to get a healer as well. I am so sorry./I br

Xlelon didn't hesitate, just let the letter drop and threw her arms around Neal. He had been silent until now, but as he hugged her, she could feel him cry. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she just shushed him quietly. They stood like that for almost ten minutes, until Neal could cry no more. Then he gasped quietly into her shoulder.brFinally, he brought his head up and looked at her. He smiled bittersweetly. br

"I got you shirt all wet." br

She looked at her shoulder, surprised, and smiled. br

"Yes, but there's always another shirt." br

"You have no idea how glad I am you're speaking to me." br

She looked down. br

"Don't be silly." br

She found herself unable to say anything else, though her mind yelled at her to say Isomething/I. At the moment, she was ignoring it in favor of silence. Of course, she thought, silence certainly isn't favorable. br

"Katrina, please look at me." br

She gasped, that was her given name, she hadn't heard it used for well over six months! br

"How did you…but…" she spluttered, looking at him in surprise. br

He smiled again. br

"You don't remember? The day we met, and the bird?" br

She closed her eyes. Now she remembered, it was how they had found her magic. br

"You were listening with that sparrow. Now I remember." br

He took a breath. br

"Do you know what I remember most about that day?" br

"Besides one of the biggest battles in Tortallen history?" br

He smiled. br

"No, it was the girl that told me that everyone deserved someone with them at death." br

He brought a hand to her chin, "You." br

She couldn't breath, but forced herself to, though she had no answer to give. The hand that she had had on his shoulder was now in his, her other still on his other shoulder. It occurred to her that this was sounding rather to good to be true, but she dismissed the thought in favor of finding that he was kissing her. Suddenly, she was aware of everything, not only him, but Satina, the horses, the birds that ate the seed in the window, even the bats that hibernated in the stables. Oh my, she thought, this is new. Now she saw what people meant about the knees going a bit slack. She broke the kiss and took a breath. br

"Neal…"br

"Yes?" br

She took her hands and planted them firmly on his shoulders. br

"I'm afraid you can't kiss me like that anymore…" she smiled as his face fell, "unless you hold me up." br

He smirked. br

"I think I can manage that…"br

and they continued for a few minutes more, tasting tears on eachothers lips, and never knowing who's were who's.br

~^~br

Imrah was worried about Neal. He had gotten up and left abruptly, hands in his pockets. He had no idea where he had gone, and did not trust his judgment fully. Deciding to enlist help, he began to walk to Xlelon's rooms. He was turning the corner to her rooms, when he heard voices. br

"Katrina, please look at me." br

He stiffened and stopped. It was Neal for sure, but who was Katrina? He was sure that Neal loved Xlelon, he had never even heard of Katrina. Another voice. br

"How did you…but…"br

"You don't remember? The day we met, and the sparrow?" br

Imrah gaped, and then smiled. Obviously, this was Xlelon, and now he too remembered that her given name was Katrina, she had changed it. He still had the eyebright powder from that day. Quietly, he tiptoed away, she would beable to handle him, she always had been. br

~^~br

Ah. Yes. You'll have to excuse me, that was a bit soppy, but at least it wasn't filler, and it explains stuff. For all of you that are semi-confused: Kennan, the fief that Neal's parents were visting is usually inhabited by Neal's uncle, and who do we all know who's name has Kennan in it? (Hint, his father is dead, and it's a major problem.) br

For all of you that are amazingly lost, CLEON! br

{P.S. I don't know if that's how he died, but I seem to remember something about spindrens, so if I have it wrong, sorry.} br

Oh yes, and once again, There are two Nealen s in this story, The older and the younger variety. Older is of Green Mountain, younger of Queenscove. Does that clear everything up Zuri? br

~I hope so.~ br

AHHHH! I KEEP FINDING SO MANY LITTLE MISTAKES!!! ARGH!! ::hits self::

Ok. To clear things up…Neal (of Green Mountain) Is a third year squire at Xlelon's first Mid-winter. I said that he was a first year squire in some chapter or another, but I correct that now! YAY! Yeah. That's one heck of an authors note. br