A/N I don't own anything….it all belongs to Tamora Pierce….yada yada yada.
You probably know it better than I do, anyway! So…I know this is pretty
short, and I apologise. I will update soon, I hope, but I hope you like
this anyway. Well, I'll say what I always say….R/R! Just in case anyone
is interested… this is longer than my English essay!!! (and no, I don't
usually fail English.) Enough. I'll shut up now.
Chapter Seven
The reason for going north was dangerous, and the King's Own rode swiftly. It was still a long journey, though, and it would take over a week, even at the speed they were riding at. On the first night, Raoul reluctantly told them of the sleeping arrangements.
It seemed that whoever had packed the supplies for the trip had been informed only that four squires were going, not that one was a girl. There were two double tents, and therefore Kel wouldn't be able to have one to herself. Normally, that would be no problem, as Kel preferred to sleep outside, but this was spidren country, and there were dark clouds overhead.
Reluctantly, they drew straws, and Kel breathed a sigh of relief to find that she wouldn't be with Joren, but with Roald. Raoul privately drew Kel aside to speak with her.
"I know I can trust Roald, as the crown prince of Tortall, and I also know that I can trust you. Lord Wyldon may not have done, but I chose you for my squire, and I believe you are trustworthy. Please don't disappoint me." Kel didn't need to ask what he was talking about, it was the same reason Wyldon had told her to keep her door open at the palace. Still, she felt hurt that Raoul had thought he needed to speak to her about it. Raoul seemed to have guessed her thoughts, and he grinned.
"Neither I nor Inness thought that we ought to bother even telling you that, but both Sir Paxton and Lord Imrah insisted. I do apologise, though, for not checking up on the sleeping arrangements in the first place."
Kel smiled up at him. There weren't very many people she had to look up at to smile to. "It's okay, my lord." Raoul rolled his eyes.
"Don't 'my lord' me, girl, unless you want calling you 'squire Keladry.'" Kel grinned at him again.
"I'm sorry, sir. I won't do it again." Raoul grinned to.
"I will tolerate 'sir,' Kel. Good night." Kel nodded, and went to help Roald finish setting up the tent.
"Sorry. Lord Raoul wanted to talk to me."
"That's ok. But Cleon and I need to talk to you, as soon we're done." Kel nodded, and they finished putting their tent up. As they put the last peg in place, Cleon wandered over, frowning slightly.
"Gods! What is Joren's problem!" He spat out, as soon as he got within hearing distance to Roald and Kel. "That squire is the biggest…" Cleon took a deep breath, and calmed himself down. Roald and Kel smiled sympathetically at him, and he rolled his eyes. "I cannot wait until Joren becomes a knight and gets away from us! I hope one of those killer unicorns finishes him off!" Cleon said.
"We can dream. But Roald said you two wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah. Let's go inside." Cleon indicated to the tent. There was only enough room for two to sleep, but there was enough for the three of them to sit in.
"Look," Roald began, "I don't think it's a good idea if you and Joren ever share a tent. I don't like him, and I think he'd try something to get you kicked out."
Kel pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows.
"Look, Kel, we've talked about it." Cleon told her. "You know we drew straws to decide who sleeps where this evening? Well, when we do it again tomorrow, Roald's going to spell them so you don't end up with Joren."
"But then you two have to put up with him!" Kel protested. "That's hardly fair!"
"We'll survive. But I don't think that it's a very good idea to let you alone with him." Roald told her. Kel opened her mouth to protest again.
"C'mon, dewdrop. D'you really want to sleep with him? I would've credited you with much more sense that that! We'll take it in turns to share tents with the blond-haired wyvern." Cleon told her decidedly. Kel grinned, and dropped the subject. She wouldn't win, anyway, not with the prince of the realm as an opponent. Besides which, she really didn't want to sleep with Joren.
So it was decided, and after dinner that night Kel went back to the tent she shared with Roald, just as it started to rain. Roald was already there.
"I suggest you either don't undress, or give me plenty of warning so I can close my eyes," Roald told her, grinning. He was searching through his pack for a blanket, a magical fire from his left hand providing light. Kel agreed, and spread out her own bedroll. By that time, Roald was in his own, but still had his hand alight.
"I'll get changed now. You can put out the light." Kel told Roald. She was uncomfortable, but it would surely be much worse with Joren. If there was one person Kel knew she could trust, it was Roald. Unlike his father, Roald was perfectly honest and trustworthy. When he was king, he wouldn't go putting people on probation.
Roald put out the light, and Kel changed into a night-shirt in the pitch darkness. Kel lay down in her bedroll.
"'Night, Roald."
"Goodnight, Kel."
Kel was sore and tired from riding all day, and she had no trouble drifting off to sleep. Cleon was awake a long time after Kel fell asleep. He wasn't happy.
Chapter Seven
The reason for going north was dangerous, and the King's Own rode swiftly. It was still a long journey, though, and it would take over a week, even at the speed they were riding at. On the first night, Raoul reluctantly told them of the sleeping arrangements.
It seemed that whoever had packed the supplies for the trip had been informed only that four squires were going, not that one was a girl. There were two double tents, and therefore Kel wouldn't be able to have one to herself. Normally, that would be no problem, as Kel preferred to sleep outside, but this was spidren country, and there were dark clouds overhead.
Reluctantly, they drew straws, and Kel breathed a sigh of relief to find that she wouldn't be with Joren, but with Roald. Raoul privately drew Kel aside to speak with her.
"I know I can trust Roald, as the crown prince of Tortall, and I also know that I can trust you. Lord Wyldon may not have done, but I chose you for my squire, and I believe you are trustworthy. Please don't disappoint me." Kel didn't need to ask what he was talking about, it was the same reason Wyldon had told her to keep her door open at the palace. Still, she felt hurt that Raoul had thought he needed to speak to her about it. Raoul seemed to have guessed her thoughts, and he grinned.
"Neither I nor Inness thought that we ought to bother even telling you that, but both Sir Paxton and Lord Imrah insisted. I do apologise, though, for not checking up on the sleeping arrangements in the first place."
Kel smiled up at him. There weren't very many people she had to look up at to smile to. "It's okay, my lord." Raoul rolled his eyes.
"Don't 'my lord' me, girl, unless you want calling you 'squire Keladry.'" Kel grinned at him again.
"I'm sorry, sir. I won't do it again." Raoul grinned to.
"I will tolerate 'sir,' Kel. Good night." Kel nodded, and went to help Roald finish setting up the tent.
"Sorry. Lord Raoul wanted to talk to me."
"That's ok. But Cleon and I need to talk to you, as soon we're done." Kel nodded, and they finished putting their tent up. As they put the last peg in place, Cleon wandered over, frowning slightly.
"Gods! What is Joren's problem!" He spat out, as soon as he got within hearing distance to Roald and Kel. "That squire is the biggest…" Cleon took a deep breath, and calmed himself down. Roald and Kel smiled sympathetically at him, and he rolled his eyes. "I cannot wait until Joren becomes a knight and gets away from us! I hope one of those killer unicorns finishes him off!" Cleon said.
"We can dream. But Roald said you two wanted to talk to me?"
"Yeah. Let's go inside." Cleon indicated to the tent. There was only enough room for two to sleep, but there was enough for the three of them to sit in.
"Look," Roald began, "I don't think it's a good idea if you and Joren ever share a tent. I don't like him, and I think he'd try something to get you kicked out."
Kel pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows.
"Look, Kel, we've talked about it." Cleon told her. "You know we drew straws to decide who sleeps where this evening? Well, when we do it again tomorrow, Roald's going to spell them so you don't end up with Joren."
"But then you two have to put up with him!" Kel protested. "That's hardly fair!"
"We'll survive. But I don't think that it's a very good idea to let you alone with him." Roald told her. Kel opened her mouth to protest again.
"C'mon, dewdrop. D'you really want to sleep with him? I would've credited you with much more sense that that! We'll take it in turns to share tents with the blond-haired wyvern." Cleon told her decidedly. Kel grinned, and dropped the subject. She wouldn't win, anyway, not with the prince of the realm as an opponent. Besides which, she really didn't want to sleep with Joren.
So it was decided, and after dinner that night Kel went back to the tent she shared with Roald, just as it started to rain. Roald was already there.
"I suggest you either don't undress, or give me plenty of warning so I can close my eyes," Roald told her, grinning. He was searching through his pack for a blanket, a magical fire from his left hand providing light. Kel agreed, and spread out her own bedroll. By that time, Roald was in his own, but still had his hand alight.
"I'll get changed now. You can put out the light." Kel told Roald. She was uncomfortable, but it would surely be much worse with Joren. If there was one person Kel knew she could trust, it was Roald. Unlike his father, Roald was perfectly honest and trustworthy. When he was king, he wouldn't go putting people on probation.
Roald put out the light, and Kel changed into a night-shirt in the pitch darkness. Kel lay down in her bedroll.
"'Night, Roald."
"Goodnight, Kel."
Kel was sore and tired from riding all day, and she had no trouble drifting off to sleep. Cleon was awake a long time after Kel fell asleep. He wasn't happy.
