Disclaimer: The characters belong to Tamora Pierce but the Takri, Chen and Nokomis are mine.
AN: I hope this is okay. I've had some new ideas but I'll just have to see if you like them.
First I want to jump to the assassin Nokomis to reveal a little about the Twelve Knives before we get to Kel. Everything in this chapter is happening at the same time. I mean in the Yamani Isles and in Tortall.
Kel's Summer; Nokomis, part3
The warm summer breeze stirred the humid air. The leader of the Fourth Knife stood waiting in the darkening jungle with a sweat - glazed face. He was late. The leader was flanked by three of the Takri, their faces hidden beneath black hoods.
No one broke the silence. A nearby willow rustled gently. The birds sang and flapped in its branches. Like a ghost a solitary figure glided from beneath the willow, bowing in greeting "Nokomis."
Nokomis bowed "Chen."
"Right and left," Chen remarked, flatly. A calm warning.
In one smooth movement, Nokomis removed two knives from their hiding places and stabbed the two attacking Takri. The third man gave a croak of terror and fled into the undergrowth, his hood falling back to reveal his face.
"He will die soon," Chen said coolly, his face dark beneath the hood "You should not have brought them, Fourth Knife." His voice was so emotionless that anyone who didn't know him would miss the rebuke. He was a perfect Yamani.
Nokomis bowed again "I am in your debt, First Knife."
The two assassins paused to check their surroundings.
"I have an assignment for you Fourth Knife."
"Oh?" Nokomis was an inexperienced assassin, to be entrusted an individual assignment was a great honour, it was hard to hide excitement.
"You are to travel to Tortall, young one. Your assignment is there." He held out some encoded scrolls "Learn these and destroy them, Nokomis, work according to our code."
"As ever."
Nodding in silent agreement, they parted. There was nothing more to be said.
Nokomis recalled the streets of Corus and smiled; it would be good to visit the country again.
The two Takri bodies were thrown into the swamp and Nokomis hid all evidence of them. It paid to be careful.
AN; Back to Kel.
Kel had trouble staying awake, the day's riding had tired her and she had stomach cramps. It was hard to change her linen bandages without attracting the attention of the boys. She yawned and gave herself a mental shake, she had to stay awake.
Neal fell out of his tent "Couldn't sleep." He murmered, "Cleon kicked me and I thought his sleeptalking was bad enough."
"What does he say?"
"Hmm?"
"What does he say when he's sleeptalking?"
Neal looked shifty "Oh, nothing much."
"Neal!"
He smirked "I promised not to tell anyone." Neal could be as stubborn as her when he wanted to be.
"Neal, could I … ask you something?" It was the perfect time to tell him how she felt, they were alone because Faleron had gone to get a pan from the supply tent.
"Ask away."
Kel blushed "Well I, err - I mean - No - I think-"
Faleron returned holding a pan "Soup anyone?"
"No," Kel said Faleron, "Neal, forget what I said."
"I need to go," Faleron said suddenly.
"I'm going too," Neal added.
AN; Neal and Faleron are NOT gay - just afraid of what might be lurking in the dark.
Kel suddenly felt very alone sitting by the fire, she put more wood on it and sat uneasily.
A heavy thudding noise caught her attention.
"Who's there?" She challenged.
Peachblossom plodded towards her. Kel was astonished as she had left Peachblossom tied to a nearby tree. The horse snorted, shaking his head. Kel noticed the leadrope in his mouth.
"Did you eat through this?" She asked, looking at the rope, examining the end. It was a clean cut, it wasn't cut by Peachblossom's teeth. Kel stared at it suspiciously "What the-"
Then she heard a yell.
She drew her sword and tried to see where the noise had come from. Arms flung around her waist from her left and she was knocked to the ground.
Her attacker was a boy of about nine, but he was armed with a knife.
"Wake up! We're being attacked!" Kel shouted, seizing the boy's knife hand. He broke free and darted back. More men appeared, bandits, sturdy and well-built. She guessed that they'd planned to kill herself and her friends and take their possessions.
One man screamed as Peachblossom bit him and Jump locked his jaws on the man's ankle. He desperately tried to pry their mouths open.
Neal and Faleron attacked from the other side of the group. Kel found Cleon, Esmond, Seaver and Merric beside her, in various disheveled states. All of them looked confused.
"Charge!" Kel ordered and they plunged into the fight.
The fight was worse than any of the practice fights Kel had ever been in. Movements were hard to see in the dark and Kel was lost in the midst of the struggling crowd. She lost her sword and fell back on her yamani training, hurling her attackers through the air.
A hush fell and Kel realised that they were alone again. She cleared her throat "Is anyone hurt?" She rasped.
Seaver revealed a gash on his shoulder and went to Neal.
Neal swayed on his feet as he tried to heal it "Trying to heal Joren drained me of a lot of power. I can only heal it partially."
"Don't overreach yourself," Kel reminded him.
"What's happening? Who are you?!"
They all turned at Joren's outburst. He was awake and bedraggled with an expression of fearful confusion.
"Mithros! He's lost his memory!" Neal exclaimed.
How's that? What should happen next? I may not be able to update this for a while as I'm going to be quite busy.
AN: I hope this is okay. I've had some new ideas but I'll just have to see if you like them.
First I want to jump to the assassin Nokomis to reveal a little about the Twelve Knives before we get to Kel. Everything in this chapter is happening at the same time. I mean in the Yamani Isles and in Tortall.
Kel's Summer; Nokomis, part3
The warm summer breeze stirred the humid air. The leader of the Fourth Knife stood waiting in the darkening jungle with a sweat - glazed face. He was late. The leader was flanked by three of the Takri, their faces hidden beneath black hoods.
No one broke the silence. A nearby willow rustled gently. The birds sang and flapped in its branches. Like a ghost a solitary figure glided from beneath the willow, bowing in greeting "Nokomis."
Nokomis bowed "Chen."
"Right and left," Chen remarked, flatly. A calm warning.
In one smooth movement, Nokomis removed two knives from their hiding places and stabbed the two attacking Takri. The third man gave a croak of terror and fled into the undergrowth, his hood falling back to reveal his face.
"He will die soon," Chen said coolly, his face dark beneath the hood "You should not have brought them, Fourth Knife." His voice was so emotionless that anyone who didn't know him would miss the rebuke. He was a perfect Yamani.
Nokomis bowed again "I am in your debt, First Knife."
The two assassins paused to check their surroundings.
"I have an assignment for you Fourth Knife."
"Oh?" Nokomis was an inexperienced assassin, to be entrusted an individual assignment was a great honour, it was hard to hide excitement.
"You are to travel to Tortall, young one. Your assignment is there." He held out some encoded scrolls "Learn these and destroy them, Nokomis, work according to our code."
"As ever."
Nodding in silent agreement, they parted. There was nothing more to be said.
Nokomis recalled the streets of Corus and smiled; it would be good to visit the country again.
The two Takri bodies were thrown into the swamp and Nokomis hid all evidence of them. It paid to be careful.
AN; Back to Kel.
Kel had trouble staying awake, the day's riding had tired her and she had stomach cramps. It was hard to change her linen bandages without attracting the attention of the boys. She yawned and gave herself a mental shake, she had to stay awake.
Neal fell out of his tent "Couldn't sleep." He murmered, "Cleon kicked me and I thought his sleeptalking was bad enough."
"What does he say?"
"Hmm?"
"What does he say when he's sleeptalking?"
Neal looked shifty "Oh, nothing much."
"Neal!"
He smirked "I promised not to tell anyone." Neal could be as stubborn as her when he wanted to be.
"Neal, could I … ask you something?" It was the perfect time to tell him how she felt, they were alone because Faleron had gone to get a pan from the supply tent.
"Ask away."
Kel blushed "Well I, err - I mean - No - I think-"
Faleron returned holding a pan "Soup anyone?"
"No," Kel said Faleron, "Neal, forget what I said."
"I need to go," Faleron said suddenly.
"I'm going too," Neal added.
AN; Neal and Faleron are NOT gay - just afraid of what might be lurking in the dark.
Kel suddenly felt very alone sitting by the fire, she put more wood on it and sat uneasily.
A heavy thudding noise caught her attention.
"Who's there?" She challenged.
Peachblossom plodded towards her. Kel was astonished as she had left Peachblossom tied to a nearby tree. The horse snorted, shaking his head. Kel noticed the leadrope in his mouth.
"Did you eat through this?" She asked, looking at the rope, examining the end. It was a clean cut, it wasn't cut by Peachblossom's teeth. Kel stared at it suspiciously "What the-"
Then she heard a yell.
She drew her sword and tried to see where the noise had come from. Arms flung around her waist from her left and she was knocked to the ground.
Her attacker was a boy of about nine, but he was armed with a knife.
"Wake up! We're being attacked!" Kel shouted, seizing the boy's knife hand. He broke free and darted back. More men appeared, bandits, sturdy and well-built. She guessed that they'd planned to kill herself and her friends and take their possessions.
One man screamed as Peachblossom bit him and Jump locked his jaws on the man's ankle. He desperately tried to pry their mouths open.
Neal and Faleron attacked from the other side of the group. Kel found Cleon, Esmond, Seaver and Merric beside her, in various disheveled states. All of them looked confused.
"Charge!" Kel ordered and they plunged into the fight.
The fight was worse than any of the practice fights Kel had ever been in. Movements were hard to see in the dark and Kel was lost in the midst of the struggling crowd. She lost her sword and fell back on her yamani training, hurling her attackers through the air.
A hush fell and Kel realised that they were alone again. She cleared her throat "Is anyone hurt?" She rasped.
Seaver revealed a gash on his shoulder and went to Neal.
Neal swayed on his feet as he tried to heal it "Trying to heal Joren drained me of a lot of power. I can only heal it partially."
"Don't overreach yourself," Kel reminded him.
"What's happening? Who are you?!"
They all turned at Joren's outburst. He was awake and bedraggled with an expression of fearful confusion.
"Mithros! He's lost his memory!" Neal exclaimed.
How's that? What should happen next? I may not be able to update this for a while as I'm going to be quite busy.