Kel trembled in Roald's arms. For some odd reason, she and Neal were connected. She had seen everything Neal had seen, felt everything Neal felt. She was terrified. Cleon had jumped in the way. Had he been killed? Was he hurt? She had to know.
" Come on Roald. We'd better go find them." She whispered. He nodded, his nose in her hair. She gently pulled away, and offered him her hand. He smiled, and took it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The beam hit Cleon squarely on the chest, knocking him backwards into Neal's arms. Neal yelled, as did the others through their bonds. Neal stared down disbelieving at Cleon's body. His face was peaceful; almost like he was sleeping.
Neal felt anger cascade over him. He held up his hands, and produced a ball of flame that halted the attacker, who screamed and fell to the ground with a thud. Neal did a double take. The remanents of the flame was sparkling black. Numair's magic. Numair's disembodied voice sounded in the room.
" Well done Neal. Kel and Roald will be here momentarily, be careful with Cleon's body. No matter what. It is VITAL to the crown. You leave day after tomorrow. We've learned all we need to know. Kaddar will tell you more tomorrow..."
' WAIT A SECOND! " Neal shouted. " WHY IS CLEON'S BODY VITAL? HE'S DEAD!!!" He was shocked at his words, the boys who here bound just stared at him. Kel and Roald burst through the door, looked around wildly, and ran to untie the others.
" NEAL! Why didn't you push Cleon away?" Merric wanted to know. The others echoed the question.
" I...I..I.." Neal stammered. Kel answered for him, eyes downcast.
" He couldn't have done it in time. He would've made them both get killed, then we'd all be in trouble. All of us. He died... honorably." Kel choked on the last word. Roald put an arm around her shoulders. She wiped her eyes." I'm ok. Now let's get some sleep so we can talk to Kaddar tomorrow and leave."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun shining through the window woke Alanna and Kel up. They were both suprised. They hadn't slept through dawn in a long time. Kel dressed, and went next door to get Neal up.
This wasn't an easy task to accomplish, as all the boys had bunked in Neal's room. She picked her way through a maze of sleeping bodies. Once, Owen mumbles something, and she thought she had awaken him. He turned over, and she could breathe again.
Finally, she found Neal. He was propped up against the wall, as that was the only space left after the others had their beds made up. He looked gorgeous asleep. His hair was shiny in the morning sun from being washed the day before. He didn't havehis shirt on, so she could see is muscles. She could feel her face growing warm. Stop that* She snapped in her mind. * You're being silly. Now just wake him up so you can go home!*
Gently, she touched Neal's shoulder, and shook. He didn't wake up. She shook him harder.
" Five more minutes, PLEASE." He mumbled, covering his face with his hand, momentarily shielding it from the sunlight that directly hit him now. Kel suddenly had an idea. She would hate herself for it, but she did it anyway. She knealt down, and barely touched his lips with her own. As Kel stood back up grinning, Neal's eyes popped open.
" Good. You're awake. Come on. We need to go see Kaddar so we can go home." With that, she spun around, and quietly exited the room, leaving Neal with his fingers over his lips, and his eyes as wide as saucers.
" Come on Roald. We'd better go find them." She whispered. He nodded, his nose in her hair. She gently pulled away, and offered him her hand. He smiled, and took it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The beam hit Cleon squarely on the chest, knocking him backwards into Neal's arms. Neal yelled, as did the others through their bonds. Neal stared down disbelieving at Cleon's body. His face was peaceful; almost like he was sleeping.
Neal felt anger cascade over him. He held up his hands, and produced a ball of flame that halted the attacker, who screamed and fell to the ground with a thud. Neal did a double take. The remanents of the flame was sparkling black. Numair's magic. Numair's disembodied voice sounded in the room.
" Well done Neal. Kel and Roald will be here momentarily, be careful with Cleon's body. No matter what. It is VITAL to the crown. You leave day after tomorrow. We've learned all we need to know. Kaddar will tell you more tomorrow..."
' WAIT A SECOND! " Neal shouted. " WHY IS CLEON'S BODY VITAL? HE'S DEAD!!!" He was shocked at his words, the boys who here bound just stared at him. Kel and Roald burst through the door, looked around wildly, and ran to untie the others.
" NEAL! Why didn't you push Cleon away?" Merric wanted to know. The others echoed the question.
" I...I..I.." Neal stammered. Kel answered for him, eyes downcast.
" He couldn't have done it in time. He would've made them both get killed, then we'd all be in trouble. All of us. He died... honorably." Kel choked on the last word. Roald put an arm around her shoulders. She wiped her eyes." I'm ok. Now let's get some sleep so we can talk to Kaddar tomorrow and leave."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun shining through the window woke Alanna and Kel up. They were both suprised. They hadn't slept through dawn in a long time. Kel dressed, and went next door to get Neal up.
This wasn't an easy task to accomplish, as all the boys had bunked in Neal's room. She picked her way through a maze of sleeping bodies. Once, Owen mumbles something, and she thought she had awaken him. He turned over, and she could breathe again.
Finally, she found Neal. He was propped up against the wall, as that was the only space left after the others had their beds made up. He looked gorgeous asleep. His hair was shiny in the morning sun from being washed the day before. He didn't havehis shirt on, so she could see is muscles. She could feel her face growing warm. Stop that* She snapped in her mind. * You're being silly. Now just wake him up so you can go home!*
Gently, she touched Neal's shoulder, and shook. He didn't wake up. She shook him harder.
" Five more minutes, PLEASE." He mumbled, covering his face with his hand, momentarily shielding it from the sunlight that directly hit him now. Kel suddenly had an idea. She would hate herself for it, but she did it anyway. She knealt down, and barely touched his lips with her own. As Kel stood back up grinning, Neal's eyes popped open.
" Good. You're awake. Come on. We need to go see Kaddar so we can go home." With that, she spun around, and quietly exited the room, leaving Neal with his fingers over his lips, and his eyes as wide as saucers.
