It was drawing near midday, and Keladry and Neal needed to return to the palace. They said goodbye to Alanna and crawled up the bushes. Back in her room, Kel said hello to Lalasa, who was on her way out. She then sat down on her mattress and began to ponder the events of the day. Jump hopped up onto her lap, and Kel was nearly asleep when someone knocked at the door.
Jump barked. Kel yawned, putting her hand over Jump's mouth to shush him. "Who is it?" she asked, sleepily.
"Kel, it's me. May I come in?" It was the voice of Cleon, her red-haired friend.
Kel got up to open the door. Cleon stood on the other side of the door, grinning. "I brought you something," he said. "Or, well, I brought Jump something." He removed his arm from behind his back. In his hand was a stick, not something off a tree but a carved stick, in a snake-like pattern with several running dogs carved into it. The door remained ajar.
"Wow! I'd hate to give it to him, though, he's going to make quite a mess of it with his teeth," said Kel.
"No he wont. Feel it! The coating over it makes it hard. I made it myself."
"Wow!" Kel exclaimed again. She handed it to Jump, who clenched it in his teeth and didn't leave a mark.
"I think he likes it!" Kel said. She sat back down on her mattress. Cleon sat next to her.
"So, I was talking to Neal a couple of minutes ago, and he tells me that you two went out and met the Lioness! Of course, I didn't believe him, and he told me it was true, and that I was supposed to ask you, my wingless angel, about it," said Cleon.
Kel sighed. "Shhh. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone. And now that you know, you had better not tell anyone." She put her fingers over her lips to reinstate the fact that he was to be quiet.
Cleon laughed. "How come I can't tell anyone?"
Kel replied, "Because Alanna told me that she wasn't supposed to be talking to me, King Jon's orders. So of Lord Wydlon or King Jon finds out, she's going to be in heaps of trouble, and I probably will end up in trouble, too. And if you knew about it, you could also end up in trouble. So don't tell. Anyone."
"Okay, then fine. What else did you talk about? Neal said that there was some secret that you two wouldn't tell him, what was that?"
"If we couldn't tell Neal, what makes you think I can tell you?"
"Well, Alanna isn't here, and I happen to be smarter, cuter, stronger, and all around better than Neal anyway."
"Sorry, I can't tell you. The Lioness wouldn't be happy."
Cleon leaned over and whispered into Kel's ear, "Shhhhe will never know. It will be our sssssecret. I'm good at keeping ssssssecrets., my delicate rose." Kel felt somewhat uncomfortable. But it was a good kind of uncomfortable. Cleon turned to her and smiled. He put his hand on her neck. He turned his eyes to hers. They moved their faces together closer, until their lips touched. He kissed her again and again and she kissed him back. He moved his fingers through his hair and she grabbed his neck. Kel was confused. "I'm falling in love with Cleon, but I thought I liked Neil!" She thought to herself, and continued kissing Cleon.