Disclaimer:
Once again, we go through this. I don't own any of the characters Tamora Pierce
does. Rachel and the plot are mine. So are Spook and Shadow. I wish they were
mine, but they aren't. If the characters are out of character please e-mail me
and tell me at magelet_03@hotmail.com
Magelet_03
Part
8: The Duel
"Go away, Neal. We're
talking." Kel snapped.
"Fine, but let me tell you something,
each and every boy is going to come over here until we've bugged you so much
that you'll let us sit with you." With that he walked away.
They kept coming until Kel saw them push
Roald towards the table. Roald came over and instead of being totally annoying
he said, " Can I sit down?"
Kel glanced at the other
three. Rachel gave the slightest of nods, Daine the same and so did Alanna. Kel
looked up at Roald. "Sit. You'll always be able to sit with us." She looked
over at her friends as Roald sat down and smirked at them. They all had
surprised looks on their faces.
"Does anybody have any paper?" Roald
handed her a piece along with a writing tool. She scribbled down a quick note,
handed it to Rachel and whispered in her ear.
When Rachel nodded Kel said, "Watch this
Roald." Rachel looked at the boys' table, pointed and the note streaked through
the air, dodging people's heads, to run straight into Neal's forehead.
They all started laughing so hard, even
Roald, that tears were running down their faces. Neal stalked over and looked
very angry.
"Did you write this?" Kel looked up.
"Write what?" She asked innocently,
trying to keep a straight face.
"Did you write this?" He repeated and
shoved the note into her face. Kel's face lit up when she recognized the note.
(This, of course, was a ruse.)
"Why, I believe I did. What are you
going to do about?" She asked this question a little too innocently, because
she could tell that Neal only got angrier.
"I bet I could beat you in fencing!"
"Ah, is that a challenge?" By this time
Kel was standing and looking rather angry. She hadn't even bothered to put her
Yamani mask up. "I accept!" She turned and left with Daine, Alanna, Roald and
Rachel following her.
Neal was worried. He hadn't actually
ever challenged Kel before and she was good, better than him in fact. He knew
that Kel could beat him and wondered why he had challenged her in the first
place. The he remembered and his anger came flooding back. He knew he could
beat her! He knew!
In Kel's room, Kel had just changed and
they sat around talking when somebody knocked on the door. Kel opened it and in
the hall, Princess Kalasin of Conte stood there.
"Kally, what are you doing here?" Roald
seemed quite surprised that she was standing there.
"I came to wish Keladry luck. Is that
okay?" Kel let her in and closed the door. "I decided to come and meet her
since we haven't actually met before. I also wanted to say hi to Alanna and
Daine and meet Rachel." Kalasin did all that and they sat around Kel's room
talking.
They were talking about magic mostly and Daine saw
that Rachel had a large amount of wild magic, but she said it wasn't just
copper magic that she saw, there was also blue, green and orange.
"It isn't the gift because I can't see
that. Numair said to me once that there are different kinds of wild magic.
Maybe you have 3 different kinds other than with animals." Rachel thought that
Daine might be right and decided to change the subject.
At the same time, in Neal's room, Cleon,
Faleron, Owen, Esmond, Seaver and Prosper were sitting around worrying for
Neal.
"I don't get it. Why would she write
that note anyway?"
"Neal, why did you challenge her? That's
just plain foolish!"
"I know. I don't know what I was
thinking. Come on guys. Help me think of a way out of this!" So they racked
their brains trying to come up with something, but couldn't and then it was
time to get ready for the duel that he was in.
Neal got ready and nervously walked
outside and saw Daine, Alanna, Rachel, Roald, Kalasin and Kel already waiting
for him. Kel was already stretching
with the others talking to her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I
hope I can get the next part up soon. Cliffhangers, you got to love them!! Who
do you thinks gonna win? I can just see you pleading with the computer to give
you the next part. I hope I can get it written soon. Magelet_03