[Disclaimer: Tamora Pierce has the great joy of owning these characters not me!}
[A/N: Its the box chapter....maybe. Review for more.]
"Oh my goodness! Mithros defend us!" Ilane of Mindelan cried, callling her husband in from a conversation with Anders.
"What is it sweet?" Baron Piers of Mindelan asked.
"Mother?" Anders questioned. Since they'd come back from the Yamani Islands, Ilane and Piers had kept their feelings under their mask. Until now.
"Look," said Ilane, wiping tears from her eyes, "And he was such a nice boy. And Kel. We must go fetch her. She needs us."
"I'll go right away," Piers said, having read the letter.
"No," Ilane said between sobs, "Let me. In knew about her and him and, well, I want to."
"Okay. I'll escort you. With all those immortals loose who knows what could jump out at you?"
"Fine," Ilane agreed, saddling her horse. Her husband mirrored her, saddling his own Shadow.
"Lets go," Piers said when they were both mounted.
"Lets," replied Ilane, finally stopping crying. Anders waved them off.
***
Back in Corus Lalasa was out in the market place, searching for something. You see, the next week it was Kels birthday.
And Cleon, well, passing away couldn't have come at a worse time. But, since he had, Lalasa was planning something special.
Glancing around the market she saw many stalls, clothes, weapons, furniture, everything!
But not what she wanted. Then, glancing at a jewellery stall sidelong she saw it.
It was perfect.
Now she just had to get it before someone else, they were rare and quite pricey.
It was a locket, shaped in a heart that, on request, could have a person's name carved into it. Once that was done, tiny black opals were pressed into it, speckling it.
It was beautiful.
And Lalasa had to get it. It was important. For her. For Kel. For Cleon. A last memory. A tribute.
"Excuse me," the once shy dreesmaker called, hurrying towards the stall, "Excuse me!"
"Hmm?" queried the edgy looking man on the stall. There were thieves about he knew it!
"I want to purchase the opal carved locket.
That got his attention.
"It will cost a lot, a few gold pieces!"
That was a lot. A very lot. But she could afford it. Several people could.
"I would like the word 'Cleon' inscribed in it, and black opals dotted around it. Please."
"Very well. Return here in 2 hours to collect it," the man replied, gaze reverting back to the crowds passing his stall.
"Thank you," Lalasa replied, and decided to wander around the market for a couple of hours - until the locket was ready.
***
After a few days ride, in which the messenger had been able to magically swallow, the main couple of Mindelan arrived at the palace.
"Where is Sir Keladry of Mindelan?" Ilane demanded of the first servant she saw, "Now if you please!"
"I'm not sure," the servant replied calmly, used to people talking to her like this.
"Lets try Raouls rooms, she said she might be near him," Piers advised his wife.
"Good idea," Ilane said, already running into the palace, in breeches and shirt.
"Hello Ilane, Piers," Duke Baird greeted them, on his way to his rooms to collect a book of some description.
"Keladry. Where are here rooms, your grace?"
"No need for such formalness. This way," Baird replied, setting off through the palace at a brisk pace.
A short while later, he paused in front of a door.
"There you go," Baird informed them, "You just need someone who knows their way around. See you later."
"Yes," Piers said vaguely, rapping on the shiny wooden door.
The door opened, to reveal Raouls large, round face peering out. At the sight of them he smiled and nodded.
Opening the door wide, he stepped back to allow the guests in. Neal saw them, and he too, smiled. Neither smiles were great, but they were still smiles.
"Kel! You poor, poor girl!" Ilane cried, sweeping Kel up in her arms to hug her.
Piers stood, looking slightly awkward. He wasn't a terribly emotional man.
"I'm sorry, Kel," Piers said softly.
Kel wept into her mothers shoulder, feeling Piers hug her too. She was finally with family.
Quite a while later when Kel finally managed to control her tears.
"Mama. I'd like to go home. You know, family, hom-"
"Its OK sweet. You can go. When do you want to leave?" Ilane replied, melodic voice soft.
"Tomorrow. I-I need to pack and tell people - that sort of thing."
"Bye Kel," Neal said, hugging her ferociously.
"Bye Neal, I'll see you soon," Kel said, tears starting again.
"I'm not so sure. Tonight I leave with Alanna to the Scanran border."
"The border," Piers said sharply, "Haven't they already got 1nd company?"
"1st company are there already, but they're advancing. Raoul stayed a little while to find lone knights to help - you know. Well they're getting better, and may start taking hostages. They need all the knights they can so I'm going with Alanna. I leave in 15 minutes, I'm all packed," Neal replied, voice grim.
"Come on, Neal," Raoul said, "W have to get the horses saddled."
"Bye," Kel said miserably, voice cracking.
"Yes. We will meet again," Neal replied, then, with a wave, left the room.
"Sorry Kel. Try to get over him, and carry on. We all love you - you know that right?"
"Yes," Kel whispered, tears silently gushing down her cheeks.
With a final goodbye, Raoul followed Neal, to meet with any other lone knights and the Lioness outside the stables.
"Well then, we'd best find some guest quarters," Piers remarked.
"No!" Kel suddenly bolted out.
"Kel?" Ilane queried.
"Please - I want you here. We can set up camp beds for the night," Kel replied quickly.
"Sure honey," Ilane replied, nodding to Piers.
And so that night they all stayed in Kels room, each one thinking of tomorrows journey and each others feelings.
The box, Kel thought as she swiftly fell into a deep sleep, I have to find the box. I must see what Cleon wanted me to know. I must.
__
\/
/\
\/
/\
\/
/\
\/
Review for more or I'll just leave it here!
[A/N: Its the box chapter....maybe. Review for more.]
"Oh my goodness! Mithros defend us!" Ilane of Mindelan cried, callling her husband in from a conversation with Anders.
"What is it sweet?" Baron Piers of Mindelan asked.
"Mother?" Anders questioned. Since they'd come back from the Yamani Islands, Ilane and Piers had kept their feelings under their mask. Until now.
"Look," said Ilane, wiping tears from her eyes, "And he was such a nice boy. And Kel. We must go fetch her. She needs us."
"I'll go right away," Piers said, having read the letter.
"No," Ilane said between sobs, "Let me. In knew about her and him and, well, I want to."
"Okay. I'll escort you. With all those immortals loose who knows what could jump out at you?"
"Fine," Ilane agreed, saddling her horse. Her husband mirrored her, saddling his own Shadow.
"Lets go," Piers said when they were both mounted.
"Lets," replied Ilane, finally stopping crying. Anders waved them off.
***
Back in Corus Lalasa was out in the market place, searching for something. You see, the next week it was Kels birthday.
And Cleon, well, passing away couldn't have come at a worse time. But, since he had, Lalasa was planning something special.
Glancing around the market she saw many stalls, clothes, weapons, furniture, everything!
But not what she wanted. Then, glancing at a jewellery stall sidelong she saw it.
It was perfect.
Now she just had to get it before someone else, they were rare and quite pricey.
It was a locket, shaped in a heart that, on request, could have a person's name carved into it. Once that was done, tiny black opals were pressed into it, speckling it.
It was beautiful.
And Lalasa had to get it. It was important. For her. For Kel. For Cleon. A last memory. A tribute.
"Excuse me," the once shy dreesmaker called, hurrying towards the stall, "Excuse me!"
"Hmm?" queried the edgy looking man on the stall. There were thieves about he knew it!
"I want to purchase the opal carved locket.
That got his attention.
"It will cost a lot, a few gold pieces!"
That was a lot. A very lot. But she could afford it. Several people could.
"I would like the word 'Cleon' inscribed in it, and black opals dotted around it. Please."
"Very well. Return here in 2 hours to collect it," the man replied, gaze reverting back to the crowds passing his stall.
"Thank you," Lalasa replied, and decided to wander around the market for a couple of hours - until the locket was ready.
***
After a few days ride, in which the messenger had been able to magically swallow, the main couple of Mindelan arrived at the palace.
"Where is Sir Keladry of Mindelan?" Ilane demanded of the first servant she saw, "Now if you please!"
"I'm not sure," the servant replied calmly, used to people talking to her like this.
"Lets try Raouls rooms, she said she might be near him," Piers advised his wife.
"Good idea," Ilane said, already running into the palace, in breeches and shirt.
"Hello Ilane, Piers," Duke Baird greeted them, on his way to his rooms to collect a book of some description.
"Keladry. Where are here rooms, your grace?"
"No need for such formalness. This way," Baird replied, setting off through the palace at a brisk pace.
A short while later, he paused in front of a door.
"There you go," Baird informed them, "You just need someone who knows their way around. See you later."
"Yes," Piers said vaguely, rapping on the shiny wooden door.
The door opened, to reveal Raouls large, round face peering out. At the sight of them he smiled and nodded.
Opening the door wide, he stepped back to allow the guests in. Neal saw them, and he too, smiled. Neither smiles were great, but they were still smiles.
"Kel! You poor, poor girl!" Ilane cried, sweeping Kel up in her arms to hug her.
Piers stood, looking slightly awkward. He wasn't a terribly emotional man.
"I'm sorry, Kel," Piers said softly.
Kel wept into her mothers shoulder, feeling Piers hug her too. She was finally with family.
Quite a while later when Kel finally managed to control her tears.
"Mama. I'd like to go home. You know, family, hom-"
"Its OK sweet. You can go. When do you want to leave?" Ilane replied, melodic voice soft.
"Tomorrow. I-I need to pack and tell people - that sort of thing."
"Bye Kel," Neal said, hugging her ferociously.
"Bye Neal, I'll see you soon," Kel said, tears starting again.
"I'm not so sure. Tonight I leave with Alanna to the Scanran border."
"The border," Piers said sharply, "Haven't they already got 1nd company?"
"1st company are there already, but they're advancing. Raoul stayed a little while to find lone knights to help - you know. Well they're getting better, and may start taking hostages. They need all the knights they can so I'm going with Alanna. I leave in 15 minutes, I'm all packed," Neal replied, voice grim.
"Come on, Neal," Raoul said, "W have to get the horses saddled."
"Bye," Kel said miserably, voice cracking.
"Yes. We will meet again," Neal replied, then, with a wave, left the room.
"Sorry Kel. Try to get over him, and carry on. We all love you - you know that right?"
"Yes," Kel whispered, tears silently gushing down her cheeks.
With a final goodbye, Raoul followed Neal, to meet with any other lone knights and the Lioness outside the stables.
"Well then, we'd best find some guest quarters," Piers remarked.
"No!" Kel suddenly bolted out.
"Kel?" Ilane queried.
"Please - I want you here. We can set up camp beds for the night," Kel replied quickly.
"Sure honey," Ilane replied, nodding to Piers.
And so that night they all stayed in Kels room, each one thinking of tomorrows journey and each others feelings.
The box, Kel thought as she swiftly fell into a deep sleep, I have to find the box. I must see what Cleon wanted me to know. I must.
__
\/
/\
\/
/\
\/
/\
\/
Review for more or I'll just leave it here!
