"Hellfires" Keladry, Knight of Tortall, of Mindalen muttered. Peachblossom, her ever faithful Horse whinnied in agreement. "How am I ever going to be presentable at court?" she thought, as the rain poured down her cheekbones, just like the mud. Her hair, past shoulder legnth, but tied back into a tail was soaking, and the plain tunic she wore stuck to her skin.
"Court" she thought, her hopes rising a bit, "No, not Court, HOME. Back to the warmth of her friends, good old Merric, Owen, and yes even Joren, and Cleon. Cleon, that brought up a whole 'nother subject" and she sighed just thinking about it. Last she had seen of him was 6 months ago, right before she had left to go riding off, just like her hero the Lioness. Defending the Small villages of Tortall, and spreading justice. But she still remembered the night before she departed, like it was a mere 6 minutes, or 6 seconds ago, not months. She and Cleon had come back to his room, laughing, and happy from a small going away get together for her. He wasn't technically her "lover", but other men knew that they were "together" in some way. She did like to go strolling with him, and they exchanged gifts at midwinter, but that night had changed it. She didn't know if it was the wine, or just the fact that she would be leaving the comfort of this home in a couple of hours, but Cleon had bedded her, and she had liked it. But in the morning she felt confused, so confused, and it didn't help when Cleon, still laying down on the bed, wrapped his arm around her sitting waist, pulled her back down, and whispered, "I love you Keladry of Mindalen, I love you, come back safe my darling".
She remembered the shock as the words tumbled out of his mouth, into her ear. She remembered getting up, and the blur of confusion, good-byes, and then the clear vision of the open road. But that blur, along with the warmth and comfort, was coming back to her now, as she saw the top of the acropolis, all of the stones of the street and buildings glistening in the rain.
"KEL!! KEL!!" the voice was accompanied by pounding, but she knew that voice all too well, it was Owen, so she quickly jumped out of bed.
"Owen!" she screamed as she wrapped him in a tight hug.
"I can't believe you're here, tell me EVERYTHING that happened! When did you get in? We were expecting you days ago!"
"I came in last night, and Lalasa and I just settled back into the room, I didn't see the need to go announcing my arrival to the world! And there was a horrible storm for the past week or so, it slowed us down. Tell me what happened at court!"
They sat on the bed talking long enough for the lunch bell to ring, and then proceeded to the mess hall, still talking. In the halls she saw many of her friends, she hadn't known she had missed them all THIS much, for each time she saw any one of them, she felt like she had a million questions to ask, a million of stories to tell, and the incredible urge just to hug that person.
After telling what seemed like a million stories, Kel excused herself from the table, with the intention to go back to her room, and help Lalasa unpack. Once in the hall, she felt her wrist being grabbed, and her body flung against the wall. She tried countering with the Yamani moves, and some Shang, but the force held her there, and before she knew it, she felt lips on her lips, and hands in her hair. Before she could respond, the figure pulled away, to reveal the red-haired Cleon, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Welcome home Knight Kel" he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her to his room. Once there, he said, "Why didn't you come to me last night?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you were here last night, why didn't you come to me"
"You don't own me Cleon"
"I'm sorry Kel, I guess i just missed you." His voice had become softer, with concern, and mixed in there was real love.
"It's all right, we just came in real late, I didn't want to disturb you." she said, meaning it, but still with some detachment. She loved Cleon, she was certain of that now, but something felt wrong, and she couldn't pin-point it. "And i thought you might have gotten another lover..."she quickly added, her voice trailing off at the end.
"I would never do that Kel"he whispered, and what they did after that very much proved his point.
Walking back from Cleon's room was not easy, she wanted to stay, she wanted to talk, but she had other things to do. The sun was beginning to set, and the shadows on the wall were angled at weird places, parts totally dark, and others still bright. Suddenly a tall man stepped out of the shadows and looked at her. He had golden blonde, and eyes, oh his eyes, something was so familiar about those eyes, but Kel couldn't tell what. He looked at her, like he had known her forever, and she looked back, trying to figure out what he wanted, and why, why she was instantly attracted to him.
Peachblossom's hoofbeats pounded the mud, splattering her legs, as well as Kel's uniform. After just a month being back, she was already into her old routine of excercising and working out. Throughout the past month her relationship with Cleon had grown, and she was more sure than anything now that she was in love. But something still bothered her, and it was the light haired man. She didn't see him frequently, but everytime she did, her heart jumped. And everytime, she chided herself for it happening. She loved Cleon, loved him. So she didn't know why this total stranger was making her feel like some type of love-sick puppy.
"Kel! Wake up now! There's an attack on the Western Border, It's from the Copper Isles, and what seems like some Carthakians. I have to go, King's Orders, you're to stay on guard here. Kel, if anything happens you know I love you, i'll come back, and you be careful here." Cleon said, as the sound of a million hoof-beats taking off sounded in the background.br
"What?"
"No time for explaining loverling, I've got to go. We don't know how bad it is, or if we're being attacked on any more sides. King told me himself, and he also told me you're to stay here, and help the defenses."
She nodded, still in a daze, only concious enough for a quick kiss to Cleon, and then he was off. An attack? Cleon gone for the god's know how long..... This was not starting out to be a good week.
It had been a week and a half since Cleon and the rest of her friends had left, and she felt lonely. The attack wasn't so bad that it needed her there. In fact it needed just a small army, and unfortunately, all her friends were in that one army.
"Lalasa I'll be back, if any messages come back from the fields just put them on my desk."
Lalasa nodded, and Kel took off into the halls, and then into the gardens. The aroma of each of the plants reminded her of each one of her friends, and the flower she had pinned on them on the day they had become a knight. A Chysanthemum for Merric, A tulip for Owen, a fire plant for Cleon, and a rose for Neal. She remembered those days, just a couple of years ago, and then now. They had come so far. Merric was a teacher, Owen and Cleon were duty Knights like her, and Neal, Neal had left the day after his knighting, and hadn't come back since. No-one had heard from him, but somehow they all knew he was OK, Neal was just that kind of person. Picking a Fire Plant off from a bush, she strolled even further into the garden, only to hear footsteps behind her. Slowly, ready to attack whoever it was, she turned around, and jumped. Well, not her, but her heart. It was the stranger.
"Hullo" he said, his melodic voice drifting, and hanging there, "Nice day isn't it"
"Certainly is" she replied
He approached her, at first cocking his head to one side, and then a smile formed on his lips. "You really don't know do you?"
"Know what?" she stammered. He moved closer and then with a passion she never felt before, he kissed her, and she kissed back. Like everything else about him it seemed familiar, all too familiar. He smiled as he pulled away from her, and she looked up at his face, then at the rose he was giving her, and then back up at his face. When she did she saw something that almost made her faint. His hair, the roots were a jet black, deeply contrasting the honey color. The widow's peak suddenly showed, as did the scene where he former sponsor had taken her in as his sponsoree.
"Neal?" she whispered, and the Fire Plant she held crashed to the ground.
He didn't have time to answer, suddenly a flash of light burst in the air, and people's screams filled their ears.
To Be Continued...
"Court" she thought, her hopes rising a bit, "No, not Court, HOME. Back to the warmth of her friends, good old Merric, Owen, and yes even Joren, and Cleon. Cleon, that brought up a whole 'nother subject" and she sighed just thinking about it. Last she had seen of him was 6 months ago, right before she had left to go riding off, just like her hero the Lioness. Defending the Small villages of Tortall, and spreading justice. But she still remembered the night before she departed, like it was a mere 6 minutes, or 6 seconds ago, not months. She and Cleon had come back to his room, laughing, and happy from a small going away get together for her. He wasn't technically her "lover", but other men knew that they were "together" in some way. She did like to go strolling with him, and they exchanged gifts at midwinter, but that night had changed it. She didn't know if it was the wine, or just the fact that she would be leaving the comfort of this home in a couple of hours, but Cleon had bedded her, and she had liked it. But in the morning she felt confused, so confused, and it didn't help when Cleon, still laying down on the bed, wrapped his arm around her sitting waist, pulled her back down, and whispered, "I love you Keladry of Mindalen, I love you, come back safe my darling".
She remembered the shock as the words tumbled out of his mouth, into her ear. She remembered getting up, and the blur of confusion, good-byes, and then the clear vision of the open road. But that blur, along with the warmth and comfort, was coming back to her now, as she saw the top of the acropolis, all of the stones of the street and buildings glistening in the rain.
"KEL!! KEL!!" the voice was accompanied by pounding, but she knew that voice all too well, it was Owen, so she quickly jumped out of bed.
"Owen!" she screamed as she wrapped him in a tight hug.
"I can't believe you're here, tell me EVERYTHING that happened! When did you get in? We were expecting you days ago!"
"I came in last night, and Lalasa and I just settled back into the room, I didn't see the need to go announcing my arrival to the world! And there was a horrible storm for the past week or so, it slowed us down. Tell me what happened at court!"
They sat on the bed talking long enough for the lunch bell to ring, and then proceeded to the mess hall, still talking. In the halls she saw many of her friends, she hadn't known she had missed them all THIS much, for each time she saw any one of them, she felt like she had a million questions to ask, a million of stories to tell, and the incredible urge just to hug that person.
After telling what seemed like a million stories, Kel excused herself from the table, with the intention to go back to her room, and help Lalasa unpack. Once in the hall, she felt her wrist being grabbed, and her body flung against the wall. She tried countering with the Yamani moves, and some Shang, but the force held her there, and before she knew it, she felt lips on her lips, and hands in her hair. Before she could respond, the figure pulled away, to reveal the red-haired Cleon, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Welcome home Knight Kel" he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her to his room. Once there, he said, "Why didn't you come to me last night?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you were here last night, why didn't you come to me"
"You don't own me Cleon"
"I'm sorry Kel, I guess i just missed you." His voice had become softer, with concern, and mixed in there was real love.
"It's all right, we just came in real late, I didn't want to disturb you." she said, meaning it, but still with some detachment. She loved Cleon, she was certain of that now, but something felt wrong, and she couldn't pin-point it. "And i thought you might have gotten another lover..."she quickly added, her voice trailing off at the end.
"I would never do that Kel"he whispered, and what they did after that very much proved his point.
Walking back from Cleon's room was not easy, she wanted to stay, she wanted to talk, but she had other things to do. The sun was beginning to set, and the shadows on the wall were angled at weird places, parts totally dark, and others still bright. Suddenly a tall man stepped out of the shadows and looked at her. He had golden blonde, and eyes, oh his eyes, something was so familiar about those eyes, but Kel couldn't tell what. He looked at her, like he had known her forever, and she looked back, trying to figure out what he wanted, and why, why she was instantly attracted to him.
Peachblossom's hoofbeats pounded the mud, splattering her legs, as well as Kel's uniform. After just a month being back, she was already into her old routine of excercising and working out. Throughout the past month her relationship with Cleon had grown, and she was more sure than anything now that she was in love. But something still bothered her, and it was the light haired man. She didn't see him frequently, but everytime she did, her heart jumped. And everytime, she chided herself for it happening. She loved Cleon, loved him. So she didn't know why this total stranger was making her feel like some type of love-sick puppy.
"Kel! Wake up now! There's an attack on the Western Border, It's from the Copper Isles, and what seems like some Carthakians. I have to go, King's Orders, you're to stay on guard here. Kel, if anything happens you know I love you, i'll come back, and you be careful here." Cleon said, as the sound of a million hoof-beats taking off sounded in the background.br
"What?"
"No time for explaining loverling, I've got to go. We don't know how bad it is, or if we're being attacked on any more sides. King told me himself, and he also told me you're to stay here, and help the defenses."
She nodded, still in a daze, only concious enough for a quick kiss to Cleon, and then he was off. An attack? Cleon gone for the god's know how long..... This was not starting out to be a good week.
It had been a week and a half since Cleon and the rest of her friends had left, and she felt lonely. The attack wasn't so bad that it needed her there. In fact it needed just a small army, and unfortunately, all her friends were in that one army.
"Lalasa I'll be back, if any messages come back from the fields just put them on my desk."
Lalasa nodded, and Kel took off into the halls, and then into the gardens. The aroma of each of the plants reminded her of each one of her friends, and the flower she had pinned on them on the day they had become a knight. A Chysanthemum for Merric, A tulip for Owen, a fire plant for Cleon, and a rose for Neal. She remembered those days, just a couple of years ago, and then now. They had come so far. Merric was a teacher, Owen and Cleon were duty Knights like her, and Neal, Neal had left the day after his knighting, and hadn't come back since. No-one had heard from him, but somehow they all knew he was OK, Neal was just that kind of person. Picking a Fire Plant off from a bush, she strolled even further into the garden, only to hear footsteps behind her. Slowly, ready to attack whoever it was, she turned around, and jumped. Well, not her, but her heart. It was the stranger.
"Hullo" he said, his melodic voice drifting, and hanging there, "Nice day isn't it"
"Certainly is" she replied
He approached her, at first cocking his head to one side, and then a smile formed on his lips. "You really don't know do you?"
"Know what?" she stammered. He moved closer and then with a passion she never felt before, he kissed her, and she kissed back. Like everything else about him it seemed familiar, all too familiar. He smiled as he pulled away from her, and she looked up at his face, then at the rose he was giving her, and then back up at his face. When she did she saw something that almost made her faint. His hair, the roots were a jet black, deeply contrasting the honey color. The widow's peak suddenly showed, as did the scene where he former sponsor had taken her in as his sponsoree.
"Neal?" she whispered, and the Fire Plant she held crashed to the ground.
He didn't have time to answer, suddenly a flash of light burst in the air, and people's screams filled their ears.
To Be Continued...