Authors Note: Thanks again for all of the wonderful feedback every one!
I've tried making this chapter a little longer as asked. I hope you enjoy!
Suzanne of Dragon's Breath
Chapter 3
A few days later Kel watched enviously as Dom shimmied down the tree that the group used to watch the Scanrans from. He handed her the spyglass.
"Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle reporting as ordered milady." He whispered jokingly.
Kel rolled her eyes. "What did you see?"
"It is a war party alright. About ninety men, four mages and 10 servants. I think they're planning something Kel. Why else would they be here?"
She pursed her lips slightly. "When do you think they are moving out Dom?"
"Could be tomorrow, could be next week. Hard to tell." Dom handed her the griffin feather band that he had borrowed while he spied.
Kel put it back with her things and caught Corporal Wolset's eye and hand signaled him to approach. "Corporal, return to Steadfast and report to my lord. Ask him how he wishes us to proceed from here."
"Yes milady." Wolset grabbed his mounts reins and kicked him into a gallop.
A newer man to the Own stepped forward. "Milady, why do we not attack? We would have the element of surprise and could take out most of them."
Kel sighed looking to Dom, rolling her eyes slightly. "Master Byron we are under orders from the Knight Commander of the Kings Own. If you have a problem with the way we precede then you can lodge your complaint with him when we return to Steadfast."
The man muttered under his breath as he walked away.
"Don't let him bother you Kel. He comes from a conservative family. Probably feels that serving under you is an insult." Dom said, trying to reassure her.
Kel sighed. It wasn't the first time that Byron had questioned her leadership. Frankly she felt that it lowered moral and made the men that she had worked with before angry at his treatment of her.
As if sensing her increasing annoyance with the man Dom pulled her away, farther into the woods away from the group so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "Kel you're a good fighter and a damned good commander. My lord Raoul wouldn't have taken you on as his squire otherwise. The most frightened children at New Hope look up to you, I've seen it with my own eyes. Mithros Kel, it seems like in every fief that 3rd Company rides through more and more girls are wanting to follow in your footsteps and become warriors. Yes there are men like Byron out there that no matter what you do, no matter how many you save will still say females don't belong in combat!" Dom paused to take a breath.
"I know that." Kel said. "I try not to let them get to me. But Dom, you don't know what I had to go through to get this far. Probation for a year. Older pages urinating on my door or actually getting into my room and destroying it. Getting into fights at night. The list goes on Dom!"
Dom sighed and pursed his lips. "Don't you see? Because you put up with it is why so many respect you. Your perseverance is one of the things I lov.like most about you."
Kel wondered at his slight slip of the tongue. Did he love her? He certainly was handsome. She sighed, catching herself getting lost in her thoughts. She offered Dom a small smile. "Thanks for the pep talk Dom."
Dom relaxed slightly. It appeared she hadn't noticed the slight slip he had made, or at least she wasn't going to bring it up if she had. "Any time your morale needs boosting just seek me out!" He struck a pose, causing Kel to chuckle at his antics.
~3 Days Later~
A messenger had entered the Scanran war camp the previous day but other than that not much had changed at the camp. As Kel climbed down from the spying tree a man on horseback galloped into camp, only slowing when he reached the center of the camp. Tobe- who much to Kel's dismay and chagrin had tagged along, catching up to them the first night- took his gelding's reins and began calming the excited animal.
"Corporal Wolset, report." Kel ordered.
"I have a message for you from my lord Knight Commander." He said, handing a sealed parchment to Kel. "The rest of the squad's 'bout three miles back milady."
Carefully she broke the familiar wax seal and unrolled the parchment as the men watched, waiting to hear what their orders were. Kel read carefully before she looked up. "Aiden's squad will be joining us this evening. Lord Raoul wishes us to attack tomorrow, at dawn, before they are too awake. That means tonight, we do what we did to Stenmun in Scanra."
Those with the squad then grinned slightly, knowing exactly what she meant.
Byron sighed rather pointedly. "Well, for those of us not with the Own then would you care to enlighten us and share the plan of yours?"
Dom and several others stood and angrily approached the man. Kel raised a hand, halting them. "You are so close to insubordination it isn't even funny Byron." She moved closer, intimidating the man who stood a few scant inches above her. The others moved behind her, backing her up. "If it weren't for the fact that we'll need every able-bodied person tomorrow I would tie you up until we returned to Steadfast, at which point I would have you up on charges. If you don't watch your step I'll put you up anyways. Is that understood?" Kel asked lowly as the man backed into a tree.
"Ye-yes milady." He somehow managed to both stammer and sneer.
"Good! Now, the plan I was referring to is this." Kel continued.
End 3/?
Please review! I know you said you wanted longer chapters so I hope this is good!
Suzanne of Dragon's Breath
Chapter 3
A few days later Kel watched enviously as Dom shimmied down the tree that the group used to watch the Scanrans from. He handed her the spyglass.
"Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle reporting as ordered milady." He whispered jokingly.
Kel rolled her eyes. "What did you see?"
"It is a war party alright. About ninety men, four mages and 10 servants. I think they're planning something Kel. Why else would they be here?"
She pursed her lips slightly. "When do you think they are moving out Dom?"
"Could be tomorrow, could be next week. Hard to tell." Dom handed her the griffin feather band that he had borrowed while he spied.
Kel put it back with her things and caught Corporal Wolset's eye and hand signaled him to approach. "Corporal, return to Steadfast and report to my lord. Ask him how he wishes us to proceed from here."
"Yes milady." Wolset grabbed his mounts reins and kicked him into a gallop.
A newer man to the Own stepped forward. "Milady, why do we not attack? We would have the element of surprise and could take out most of them."
Kel sighed looking to Dom, rolling her eyes slightly. "Master Byron we are under orders from the Knight Commander of the Kings Own. If you have a problem with the way we precede then you can lodge your complaint with him when we return to Steadfast."
The man muttered under his breath as he walked away.
"Don't let him bother you Kel. He comes from a conservative family. Probably feels that serving under you is an insult." Dom said, trying to reassure her.
Kel sighed. It wasn't the first time that Byron had questioned her leadership. Frankly she felt that it lowered moral and made the men that she had worked with before angry at his treatment of her.
As if sensing her increasing annoyance with the man Dom pulled her away, farther into the woods away from the group so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "Kel you're a good fighter and a damned good commander. My lord Raoul wouldn't have taken you on as his squire otherwise. The most frightened children at New Hope look up to you, I've seen it with my own eyes. Mithros Kel, it seems like in every fief that 3rd Company rides through more and more girls are wanting to follow in your footsteps and become warriors. Yes there are men like Byron out there that no matter what you do, no matter how many you save will still say females don't belong in combat!" Dom paused to take a breath.
"I know that." Kel said. "I try not to let them get to me. But Dom, you don't know what I had to go through to get this far. Probation for a year. Older pages urinating on my door or actually getting into my room and destroying it. Getting into fights at night. The list goes on Dom!"
Dom sighed and pursed his lips. "Don't you see? Because you put up with it is why so many respect you. Your perseverance is one of the things I lov.like most about you."
Kel wondered at his slight slip of the tongue. Did he love her? He certainly was handsome. She sighed, catching herself getting lost in her thoughts. She offered Dom a small smile. "Thanks for the pep talk Dom."
Dom relaxed slightly. It appeared she hadn't noticed the slight slip he had made, or at least she wasn't going to bring it up if she had. "Any time your morale needs boosting just seek me out!" He struck a pose, causing Kel to chuckle at his antics.
~3 Days Later~
A messenger had entered the Scanran war camp the previous day but other than that not much had changed at the camp. As Kel climbed down from the spying tree a man on horseback galloped into camp, only slowing when he reached the center of the camp. Tobe- who much to Kel's dismay and chagrin had tagged along, catching up to them the first night- took his gelding's reins and began calming the excited animal.
"Corporal Wolset, report." Kel ordered.
"I have a message for you from my lord Knight Commander." He said, handing a sealed parchment to Kel. "The rest of the squad's 'bout three miles back milady."
Carefully she broke the familiar wax seal and unrolled the parchment as the men watched, waiting to hear what their orders were. Kel read carefully before she looked up. "Aiden's squad will be joining us this evening. Lord Raoul wishes us to attack tomorrow, at dawn, before they are too awake. That means tonight, we do what we did to Stenmun in Scanra."
Those with the squad then grinned slightly, knowing exactly what she meant.
Byron sighed rather pointedly. "Well, for those of us not with the Own then would you care to enlighten us and share the plan of yours?"
Dom and several others stood and angrily approached the man. Kel raised a hand, halting them. "You are so close to insubordination it isn't even funny Byron." She moved closer, intimidating the man who stood a few scant inches above her. The others moved behind her, backing her up. "If it weren't for the fact that we'll need every able-bodied person tomorrow I would tie you up until we returned to Steadfast, at which point I would have you up on charges. If you don't watch your step I'll put you up anyways. Is that understood?" Kel asked lowly as the man backed into a tree.
"Ye-yes milady." He somehow managed to both stammer and sneer.
"Good! Now, the plan I was referring to is this." Kel continued.
End 3/?
Please review! I know you said you wanted longer chapters so I hope this is good!