Chapter 7
Notes~ Dewdrop, thank you soooo much! And Avelon Emerin, and ladyxlax, too! Thanks for all the reviews….maybe I won't delete "Let it Go" after all. Hmmm…nothing is mine, all Tamora Pierce's. By the way…if Kel seems a bit weepy lately, try not to mention it too much. She's very sensitive in this story! =)
Kel was packing in her room. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to go to Mindelan. It's not like I have a choice, now, anyway. She thought, shaking her head. I don't know if I'm ready to see my parents again, and answer all their questions about Cleon. Packing her sack with her Own uniform, she briskly walked over to her weapon's shelf, gathering her glaive, bow and arrow, among other weapons. I guess this is the perfect time to find out about the Scanran metal machines, though, Kel said to herself. She realized with a start that she hadn't thought of her vision in the Chamber, or what it meant, for ages.
"Kel!" came a shout from outside. "You in there?" It was Raoul. He opened the door, not waiting for an answer, and stalked into her room.
"Just coming in here like you own the place, Commander," Kel said good-humoredly. He shot her a look. " You should know by now, Keladry," Raoul said, grinning wickedly, "That I own everything." She laughed. "Now," he continued more gravely, "I'm sure you're wondering why I chose you to go defend Mindelan with us."
"Not really," Kel tossed over her shoulder, still packing miscellaneous items in her bag. She was killing him, and he knew it.
He scowled at her. "Always bursting my bubble, aren't you, Mindelan? Never give me any fun. You're lucky I took you into the Own as a knight."
"You're lucky I gave you the honor of taking me!" Kel retorted, her eyes dancing. She watched as her Knight Commander sighed, once again admitting defeat in the skill of arguing with his former Squire. Kel knew that he didn't mean anything he said. "So, why did you choose me for Mindelan?" she asked, to cheer him up. It worked. "Welll…" he said slowly, as if thinking about it for the first time, "I figured that you would like to see your parents, after what happened with – you know, Cleon, and all." He paused awkwardly for a second, then cleared his throat and went on. " And I wanted to give you the chance to fight some more. You haven't gotten the chance to do anything all year. It would be even nicer if you got to protect your own Fief." Yeah, that would be nice, all right. What if we lost? Would it also be nice to watch my own family die thanks to me? Kel thought bitterly. But she only nodded her head. She watched her old Knight Master pat her hand. "I know it's hard. But you're tough." He left, saying, " Get ready faster…we're leaving tomorrow at dawn."
Kel barely ate anything that night. It was getting chillier by the day. She realized, for the first time, that she might actually be excited to be one of five going on to the first battle the Third Company had had all year. As Dom flashed her a long grin, her heart sank. She forgot…he was coming too. The last thing she wanted to do was fall in love with Dom right after Cleon died. She didn't smile back.
Dom came up to her room that night. "Kel?" he asked timidly, opening the door a notch. "Is it okay if I come in?"
"Uh, yeah," she said. Kel felt her hands clam up. She hid them behind her plain breeches and shirt nervously, wishing that she'd changed into something more feminine. What am I thinking? She said to herself crossly. I don't need to be feminine for Dom! Because there's nothing between us but friendship…right? "Kel, I wanted to know if, well, maybe you could give me a second chance. Give us a second chance." Dom said, his nose twitching uneasily. Kel felt her breath tighten up in her chest as she waited for him to continue. "I just feel that I rushed in too fast last time, and I'm not making that mistake again. I'm…attracted to you. A lot," he finished, looking at her. Kel blinked, and waited for the news to sink in. Dom leaned in, hesitantly. She felt a shiver go down her spine as his lips touched hers softly. Her knees felt weak. She felt Dom take control of the situation, pushing her gently back on the bed and starting to un-button her shirt. With a jerk, she bolted upright again. Dom stood back, startled.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?!" Kel yelled angrily. She was more scared than angry, but she didn't want him to know that. Goddess…what if he found out that…? What if they all found out? I'd better keep on my charm to ward off pregnancy before it happens again, she thought. "Don't you have any consideration for the dead?" she shouted at him again.
This time, he was the one who got livid. "KEL! Get over yourself! By the Gods, he's dead! I have plenty of respect for Cleon, and I miss him, but I am not going to forget about love and life just because of it!" Dom said, heatedly. He's got a point, said a nagging voice in the back of Kel's head. She shoved it away, trying to keep her face Yamani-straight and not show her pain. Her eyes became blurry with tears anyway. Dom straightened up, taking a deep breath.
"Look, I know, I did it again. I jumped in too fast. But you've got to give me a chance! If you don't want to, then fine! Just remember, you have to get on with your life sometime…so why not now?"
***I know, you're
probably mad that I'm not finishing it in the same chapter. I'd have to change
the rating though, and that's too much trouble. Maybe later….(hint hint). But
first…I want to know…do you think Kel should say yes or no to Dom? Yes, I'll
allow myself to fall in love with you, or no, I'm staying true to Cleon? I
already have my mind made up, but I'm not posting the next chapter until I get
10 reviews overall from my 3 fanfics. If you write something…like say…what
you think in the little blue box below, the next chapter will come up very
quickly! What is Kel hiding? Read the third-to-last paragraph of Chapter
7 very carefully. Keep checking back! R/r!***