Disclaimer: All characters but Dirpan, Shalam, Deylnar and the guards are Tamora Pierce's!!
Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapter!! Hope you like this one!!
Through the Dust
Dom and Kel were sneaking slowly towards Lord Shalam. They finally heard him, singing a drinking ballad with his drunken guards. Kel and Dom stormed into the room where the noise emitted. Once they entered, they found that the song had only been an illusion, made so that they would be overconfident and run in as they did. Standing in front of them were 5 armed guards and at the back, overseeing everything, was Lord Shalam.
One second later, before they could attack, Alanna, Raoul, Quasim, and Dirpan came running into the room, apparently having fallen for the same illusion. When they entered, their eyes opened in shock, but Alanna charged one of the Scanran soldiers. Lord Shalam quickly saw that they were outnumbered and briskly stepped forward. Before Kel could spring to action, Dom, Quasim, Raoul, and Dirpan charged the remaining guards, leaving Kel to face Lord Shalam.
She parried his first blow and struck at his ribs. Shalam blocked and attacked with a butterfly sweep, Kel ducked and brought her sword up to slice him in half, but Shalam saw her intention and hastily moved aside. Kel stood up and Shalam charged again. She blocked his attack with east, but moments later; she realized she was body to body with him. Lord Shalam let one hand go and reached for something at his waist. He grabbed his dagger and aimed for Kel's heart. Suddenly, Kel's Yamani training came back to her. She grabbed his wrist with one hand, avoiding the edge of the dagger, and flipped him over her shoulder. Lord Shalam lay on the ground, the wind knocked out of him. Kel walked over to him, and without second thoughts, ran him through. All of a sudden, Kel felt her shoulder seize up, her vision flashing with pain, and she noticed that there was a large gash there.
Holding her arm, she looked around, watching her companions. They were all slowly beating their opponents. Alanna, Raoul, Quasim and Dirpan had all just killed their opponents and were looking behind her in shock. As she was gleaming with pride for her friends, and watching Dom finish his fight, someone came behind her a put a dagger to her neck. "Don't move one step closer." Her captor said as Dom lopped of his victim's head and started running towards Kel. He stopped in mid-step and joined Raoul, Alanna, Quasim, and Dirpan.
"Traitor!" Alanna snarled, almost wolf-like.
"You can call me what you want, but you will remain still if you care for Kel's life." Deylnar replied with anger. The Tortallians backed up slowly, as Deylnar's dagger drew a little blood from Kel.
"But you said.." Dom started
"I am not taking her life, just draining her of strength." Deylnar replied with an evil gleam to his eyes. Deylnar suddenly gasped and fell forward as Kel jumped out of the way. In the doorway stood Daine, looking fierce with her bow in hand.
"Thank you, Daine" Kel said, just before she fell to the floor her vision going black.
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" Dom shouted. "Alanna, do SOMETHING!!"
Surprised by his sudden outburst, all Alanna could do was run forward to Kel and heal her bleeding wounds. "She will be fine." Alanna said after a few minutes of silence. Everyone let their breath out in relief, not knowing they were holding it. After a quick search of the palace, they found that anyone not loyal to Lord Shalam had fled, hearing of the jailbreak. Dom looked at Kel as they loaded her onto the wagon, to bring back to Corus. Because he had to go back to the Third Company with Raoul, Quasim, and Dirpan, Alanna would be the one taking Kel back to Corus with an escort of Numair, who had come in form of the black hawk chasing the sparrows (so as not to raise suspicion), Daine, Jump, Nari, and Peachblossom. Much to everyone's amusement, Peachblossom had been the one pulling the cart with the weapons in it.
Dom bent over and kissed Kel gently on the lips, his own silent goodbye. Kel came to briefly and threw her good arm around his neck and kissed him with such fierceness, Dom thought he was going to fall over. As they finished, everybody clapped and Dom and Kel blushed. Kel waved goodbye to Dom as she rode away, until they couldn't see each other through the dust.
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