AN: Hello again! I have two things to say. First, thank you to all the
people who review my story. Your comments are greatly appreciated. Please
keep reviewing! Secondly, I have a plea for help. Chapter four is giving me
some grief, and I've been postponing this chapter for fear of having to
write the next one. I need to write Joren's Ordeal, and while I know what
the ending will be, I haven't filled in the beginning. If anyone has ideas,
please either write them in your review or e-mail me at:
goddess_of_strawberries@hotmail.com
Thanks a bunch!
~Mandi
Chapter 3: "Off to a rough start"
Joren spent the beginning of the day in a daze. He could not get his mind off his upcoming Ordeal. And even though he shouldn't care, he found himself wondering about Vinson. Kel had offered to take him to some Midwinter fairs, but he kindly refused. Now they were sitting in their usual spot in the palace gardens, for the storm had cleared up earlier, leaving a perfect winter day. The snow looked like blanket of white that fell over the ground, and the sun was even out. The temperatures were still low, so the snow would stick around for a few more days. Joren and Kel remained silent until she stood and, hands on her hips, demanded that he stop sulking.
"You can't sit here until they call you to the Chapel tomorrow night. If you do you'll go insane with anticipation. Let's go into town, I already told you there were some great fairs starting today."
Joren looked up, eyebrows raised. "Why don't we go tomorrow? Today… I just don't feel like doing anything."
Kel grabbed his hands and pulled him up. "Because I have a plan for tomorrow. I have to keep you from worrying too much before tomorrow night." Joren still refused to go, giving excuse after excuse. Kel continued to disagree with him and give an excuse why he should go with her. "Okay, if you want to be so anxious that you doom yourself before entering the Chamber, that's up to you." She said bluntly. With that, he finally surrendered.
"Okay, okay. I'll go with you. You always have a way of changing my mind, don't you?" Joren teased, remembering his crush on her. Kel just smiled and nodded.
"Come on, you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The day finally ended, much to Kel and Joren's disappointment. She was successful in clearing Joren's mind about the next two days as together they watched jugglers and listened to minstrels. One minstrel in particular caught Kel's attention; he was singing well-known songs about Alanna and her adventures as a knight. The sun began setting, and the two took it as a sign they should be leaving.
"Some day they'll be singing about you." Joren said as they left the fair.
"Oh, I hope not. Can't you tell they over exaggerate everything? I don't want to be immortalized in song as a ten foot warrior." They laughed, just as they had been the entire day, wholeheartedly.
Everything was fine until they reached the palace walls. Joren stopped walking, leaving Kel a good ten feet ahead of him. She turned and looked back at him, realizing that the clear mind had suddenly become blurry again. "Joren?"
"I wonder what Vinson's going through right now. Mithros, he must be worried." Joren shivered inside himself, and tucked his hands in his coat pockets. Kel walked slowly to him and fiddled with his coat, dusting it off.
"You don't need to worry about him, and I certainly have no intention of thinking of Vinson, let alone uttering his name." She looked into his eyes. "He doesn't deserve to be a knight, Joren. You know that more than I do. The Chamber knows that, too. If anyone should be worried for Vinson, it's himself."
Joren adverted his eyes and nodded gravely. "You're right, Kel. It's just… if he doesn't deserve to be a knight, then what right do I have to say I deserve to be one? I've done worse things than he did. Hell, I've done worse things to you in the past. Things I regret with all my heart now." He would have continued had Kel not put a hand over his mouth.
"But don't you see? That's precisely why you deserve to be a knight. You may have done things worse than Vinson did, but you've regretted them. How many times do I have to tell you that you've changed? It's getting tiresome."
This time Joren didn't advert his eyes. He looked straight into Kel's. "It was getting tiresome, but this time I listened." Joren placed his lips on Kel's, and suddenly it wasn't as cold. "Come along, my wise one," He said as he ran a hand through her hair. "It's getting dark."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later, after dropping Kel off at her room, Joren returned to his. He had every intention to stay awake that night, wanting to make an appearance in the Chapel at dawn. Joren was very interested to see if Kel's prediction came true. Someone else had other ideas, however.
"Your bath has been prepared, sir, as requested." Kendra said as Joren closed the door.
"As who requested, Kendra?" He asked, completely perplexed. He hadn't requested a bath, not tonight. A bath at night sometimes had very tranquilizing effects on him.
Kendra smiled, "Why, yes you did, sir. See?" She showed him a letter, one that was defiantly not written by him. "I was surprised with your penmanship, sir. Very nice."
Kel, Joren thought. I can tell her handwriting anywhere. Obviously, Kel had already guessed his plans for the night. I should have never told her about my weakness, he thought to himself. However, Joren knew very well that bath water was not to be wasted, so he shrugged. "Oh, right. I had forgotten, Kendra. Thank you." She nodded slightly and retreated to her quarters.
Joren sighed as he undressed and stepped into the hot water. Thinking ahead, he didn't allow himself to close his eyes. All he did was wash his hair and face, and didn't even soak for very long. He was in, out and done wit the bath. Kel would have to try better than that!
As Joren changed into a soft linen shirt and comfortable pants, Kendra came in again. This time she had a teakettle and cup with her. "Your little girl friend sent this up. She said to tell you it was tour favorite." Joren smiled. "His favorite" was some tea imported from the Yamani Islands. Kel was the only one in the palace he knew that brewed it. Kendra poured some in the cup and gave it to Joren. He sipped it contentedly, savoring the aroma.
After one cup, Joren yawned. He shook his head, telling himself not to do that again. Apparently, his body didn't want to listen because he yawned again five times in a few minutes. Kendra appeared once again, this time with a note. "Your girl friend also said to give this to you when you had finished a cup." She placed the note in his hand and stood in the corner as Joren opened it:
"Joren, you know I can't have you staying up all night worrying your head off. So I added a little something Neal gave me once. I used to have trouble sleeping, but this usually does the trick. I hope you can forgive me, but truly, it's in you best interest. Good night."
"She drugged it!" Joren exclaimed, completely ignoring Kendra's giggles in the background. "You! You knew about this, didn't you?"
Kendra placed her hands in the air. "I must admit it, sir. But she's right. You need your rest." With that Kendra left the room, and Joren all but fell into his bed. He pulled the sheets over himself and blew out the candle next to his bed. Now that he let the drug take over, it didn't take long for him to be pulled into a deep sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Joren was so deep into his sleep that the fierce knocking at his door didn't reach him for a while. By the time the realization hit him, Kendra was already awake and at the door. Joren sat up in bed, stretching.
"Joren? Joren wake up. Something's happened." Kel's voice penetrated his half-asleep mind. He adjusted his eyes to the sunlight and thought a moment. Sunlight? That meant it was midmorning! Something happened… with what?
"Kel, what do you mean 'something happened'? I don't…" Then it hit him. Something had happened - with Vinson.
"I think you know. Hurry and get washed up. Then I'll tell you all about it." She had a very serious face this morning, and Joren could only guess at what the cause of it was as he dressed. Had Vinson passed the Ordeal? No, surely not! He finished dressing, washed his face with one splash of water, and met Kel outside in the hall.
"Tell me, Kel. Did he pass?"
Kel walked down the hallway, obviously wanting privacy. Once they were around the corner, she faced him. "Vinson - he came out of the Chamber this morning screaming at… at something. No one knows what. Joren, he's gone mad. He started having convulsions and yelling at someone to leave him alone."
Joren allowed the words to sink in. "Gods… what's going to happen to him?"
"They don't know, the healer present said he was beyond even the strongest healing. His mind was too disturbed. I figure the best they can do is to lock him away so he can't hurt someone, or himself." Kel watched Joren as he took the news, hoping the confidence she had worked so hard to build inside him hadn't shattered in two seconds.
"He wasn't cut out to be a knight of the realm. The Chamber spared his life, he was lucky." Joren sighed and leaned against a cold stone wall. He shifted his eyes to the ceiling for a moment, saying a prayer to Mithros, then settled them back on Kel, who looked very concerned.
"Joren, are you going to be all right?" She asked. Joren smiled and nodded. He would be all right, all he had to do was get through tonight. Yes, he'd be okay.
"Of course I'll be all right. I may not have been if you hadn't lectured me yesterday." Joren kissed Kel on the cheek. He took her hand, and together they walked outside. He had no idea where they were going, but Kel seemed to.
Once they arrived to the palace gates, Kel turned to face him. "I still can't have you worrying, no matter what you say. I am going through with my plan for today. Joren, you won't even remember you have an Ordeal tonight once we get started." She smiled and lead Joren into the streets of Corus once again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And once again, Kel was right. Despite everything that had occurred that morning, Joren had managed to completely forget everything but Kel and ice-skating, for that was her plan for today. She took him to a tiny inn for breakfast, the best he'd ever had, and then to a frozen pond for skating. Her friends met up with them mid afternoon for a light lunch.
"I still can't believe what happened to Vinson." Merric said as they ate. Kel and Joren looked around, a bit confused. Each of the squires had a seriousness about them that Kel had never seen.
Roald stopped eating. "That's right, you guys left before it all happened."
She raised her eyebrow at them, "Before what happened, exactly?"
Faleron took the liberty of answering this question. "Vinson got away from the healers around noon. They tried to stop him… but they were too late." The table grew silent as Kel and Joren took in the recent news. "He was mad, Kel. We all figured it'd happen eventually, we just didn't know it was going to be so soon."
"I'm sure the Chamber was haunting his mind." Roald said gravely. "It's happened before, or so father says. I haven't heard a case that didn't end this way."
"Get to the point." Kel said, sick of her friends' attempts to avoid the subject. "What happened?"
"Vinson killed himself." Roald said. There was deadly silence at the table for what seemed like an eternity. It wasn't the enemy who had killed himself today, it was the fellow squire, and everyone at the table realized that.
"He's better off." Joren said, much to everyone's surprise. He didn't say any more, neither did anyone else. They didn't need words to know they all agreed. Kel knew when her plans had been interrupted, and decided it was best to go back to the palace.
"Let's go back you guys. I think we've all had just about enough for today." They all agreed and left for the palace together. On the walk back, Joren had an arm tight around Kel, as if he was afraid to lose her. And maybe he was, for his Ordeal was only hours away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Joren, it's time." Sir Paxen of Nond said through a closed door. Inside Joren's room he and Kel sat in front of the fire together. Joren was still holding her closely, kissing her almost every five minutes. Now he stood and helped Kel up from the floor.
"I'll walk with you, if you want." Kel offered, but Joren shook his head.
"No, that's all right. I'll be fine." He kissed her fully, and Kel felt faint. Joren made her look into his eyes. "The next time I kiss you, I'll be a knight." He said. "Your knight; yours forever," He paused, then added, "I promise." Joren brushed his hand on her cheek, and exited the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Joren, are you prepared to be instructed?" Sir Paxen asked gravely.
Joren sat in the sacramental bath, scrubbing his back with a rough washcloth. "Yes, sir. I am ready." He answered. Joren finished washing his back, splashed water on his face, and stepped out of the bath. He began to dress, pulling the colorless cotton shirt over his head.
Sir Gareth came out of the shadow of the corner and began speaking. "If you survive the Ordeal, you will be a Knight of the Realm." He stepped forward until he was directly in front of Joren. "You will be sworn to protect those weaker than you, to obey your overlord, to live in a way that honors your kingdom and your gods."
Paxen, arms crossed over his chest, continued. "To wear the shield of a knight is an important thing. You cannot ignore a cry for help." Joren listened to every word, taking each to heart. "It means that rich and poor, young and old, male and female may look to you for rescue, and you cannot deny them."
Joren sighed to himself, trying to calm his anxieties. The two knights continued the instruction, until finally Paxen opened the door to the Chapel. Gareth would go in with him and stay for the night vigil. "You must remain silent between now and the time you leave the Chamber of the Ordeal." Gareth said. Before Joren went into the Chapel, Paxen of Nond placed a hand on Joren's head. "Mithros bless, Joren." With that Sir Gareth sent Joren into the Chapel to begin his night of prayer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kel sat in a large armchair in front of the fire. In her hand was a book Neal had lent her. She was supposed to be reading it, but she hadn't gotten past the first page. With Joren running through her mind, she couldn't concentrate on anything else. In frustration, Kel shut the book and threw it on her bed. She bent her head back, eyes set on the ceiling. She closed them for a few seconds, trying to clear her mind. Then someone knocked on the door, interrupting her brief moment without worry. "Who is it?" She called out.
"Kel? It's Portia, can I come in?" Kel was so happy to hear her friend's voice. If anyone could relax her, it was Portia.
"Hold on a moment." Kel opened the door and faced her old friend. "Hello! What are you doing here?" Kel asked, still shocked to see her.
"Well, I heard from credible sources that Joren's Ordeal was tonight, and I thought you could use a friend since Neal's away."
Kel hugged her tight. "Thank you for coming. I did need a friend." Kel chuckled to herself. "You know, I talked Joren into being confident about tonight, but I forgot to talk myself into not worrying."
"Well," Portia began, "That's what I'm here to do. Keep your mind off his Ordeal."
The two friends talked into the night. Around midnight, however, sleep finally caught up with them, and without knowing they fell asleep on two armchairs. Lalassa took it upon herself to extinguish the fire and cover the two girls with warm blankets. Kel stirred as Lalassa draped a blanket over her.
"Lalassa…" Kel groaned.
"Ssh… sleep Kel. I'll wake you at dawn, promise." Kel nodded, and went to sleep. Lalassa tiptoed out of the room, leaving Portia and Kel to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Joren's knees were killing him. He had been kneeling for what seemed like ages. How was he expected to stand in the Chamber if his legs couldn't function? Joren's mind was drifting in and out of nowhere, and he had no clue what time it was. Joren swayed back and forth without anything to lean forward on. Finally he decided that it wouldn't be a sin to sit down, and just as he did, the priests came in. Joren stood, knowing what would come next.
The priests came to the iron doors of the Chamber and opened them. They nodded to Joren, who slowly crept forward. Joren gripped the edge of the doorway, looking into the pitch back Chamber that would soon decide his fate. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, opening his eyes, Joren stepped into the endless darkness.
Thanks a bunch!
~Mandi
Chapter 3: "Off to a rough start"
Joren spent the beginning of the day in a daze. He could not get his mind off his upcoming Ordeal. And even though he shouldn't care, he found himself wondering about Vinson. Kel had offered to take him to some Midwinter fairs, but he kindly refused. Now they were sitting in their usual spot in the palace gardens, for the storm had cleared up earlier, leaving a perfect winter day. The snow looked like blanket of white that fell over the ground, and the sun was even out. The temperatures were still low, so the snow would stick around for a few more days. Joren and Kel remained silent until she stood and, hands on her hips, demanded that he stop sulking.
"You can't sit here until they call you to the Chapel tomorrow night. If you do you'll go insane with anticipation. Let's go into town, I already told you there were some great fairs starting today."
Joren looked up, eyebrows raised. "Why don't we go tomorrow? Today… I just don't feel like doing anything."
Kel grabbed his hands and pulled him up. "Because I have a plan for tomorrow. I have to keep you from worrying too much before tomorrow night." Joren still refused to go, giving excuse after excuse. Kel continued to disagree with him and give an excuse why he should go with her. "Okay, if you want to be so anxious that you doom yourself before entering the Chamber, that's up to you." She said bluntly. With that, he finally surrendered.
"Okay, okay. I'll go with you. You always have a way of changing my mind, don't you?" Joren teased, remembering his crush on her. Kel just smiled and nodded.
"Come on, you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The day finally ended, much to Kel and Joren's disappointment. She was successful in clearing Joren's mind about the next two days as together they watched jugglers and listened to minstrels. One minstrel in particular caught Kel's attention; he was singing well-known songs about Alanna and her adventures as a knight. The sun began setting, and the two took it as a sign they should be leaving.
"Some day they'll be singing about you." Joren said as they left the fair.
"Oh, I hope not. Can't you tell they over exaggerate everything? I don't want to be immortalized in song as a ten foot warrior." They laughed, just as they had been the entire day, wholeheartedly.
Everything was fine until they reached the palace walls. Joren stopped walking, leaving Kel a good ten feet ahead of him. She turned and looked back at him, realizing that the clear mind had suddenly become blurry again. "Joren?"
"I wonder what Vinson's going through right now. Mithros, he must be worried." Joren shivered inside himself, and tucked his hands in his coat pockets. Kel walked slowly to him and fiddled with his coat, dusting it off.
"You don't need to worry about him, and I certainly have no intention of thinking of Vinson, let alone uttering his name." She looked into his eyes. "He doesn't deserve to be a knight, Joren. You know that more than I do. The Chamber knows that, too. If anyone should be worried for Vinson, it's himself."
Joren adverted his eyes and nodded gravely. "You're right, Kel. It's just… if he doesn't deserve to be a knight, then what right do I have to say I deserve to be one? I've done worse things than he did. Hell, I've done worse things to you in the past. Things I regret with all my heart now." He would have continued had Kel not put a hand over his mouth.
"But don't you see? That's precisely why you deserve to be a knight. You may have done things worse than Vinson did, but you've regretted them. How many times do I have to tell you that you've changed? It's getting tiresome."
This time Joren didn't advert his eyes. He looked straight into Kel's. "It was getting tiresome, but this time I listened." Joren placed his lips on Kel's, and suddenly it wasn't as cold. "Come along, my wise one," He said as he ran a hand through her hair. "It's getting dark."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later, after dropping Kel off at her room, Joren returned to his. He had every intention to stay awake that night, wanting to make an appearance in the Chapel at dawn. Joren was very interested to see if Kel's prediction came true. Someone else had other ideas, however.
"Your bath has been prepared, sir, as requested." Kendra said as Joren closed the door.
"As who requested, Kendra?" He asked, completely perplexed. He hadn't requested a bath, not tonight. A bath at night sometimes had very tranquilizing effects on him.
Kendra smiled, "Why, yes you did, sir. See?" She showed him a letter, one that was defiantly not written by him. "I was surprised with your penmanship, sir. Very nice."
Kel, Joren thought. I can tell her handwriting anywhere. Obviously, Kel had already guessed his plans for the night. I should have never told her about my weakness, he thought to himself. However, Joren knew very well that bath water was not to be wasted, so he shrugged. "Oh, right. I had forgotten, Kendra. Thank you." She nodded slightly and retreated to her quarters.
Joren sighed as he undressed and stepped into the hot water. Thinking ahead, he didn't allow himself to close his eyes. All he did was wash his hair and face, and didn't even soak for very long. He was in, out and done wit the bath. Kel would have to try better than that!
As Joren changed into a soft linen shirt and comfortable pants, Kendra came in again. This time she had a teakettle and cup with her. "Your little girl friend sent this up. She said to tell you it was tour favorite." Joren smiled. "His favorite" was some tea imported from the Yamani Islands. Kel was the only one in the palace he knew that brewed it. Kendra poured some in the cup and gave it to Joren. He sipped it contentedly, savoring the aroma.
After one cup, Joren yawned. He shook his head, telling himself not to do that again. Apparently, his body didn't want to listen because he yawned again five times in a few minutes. Kendra appeared once again, this time with a note. "Your girl friend also said to give this to you when you had finished a cup." She placed the note in his hand and stood in the corner as Joren opened it:
"Joren, you know I can't have you staying up all night worrying your head off. So I added a little something Neal gave me once. I used to have trouble sleeping, but this usually does the trick. I hope you can forgive me, but truly, it's in you best interest. Good night."
"She drugged it!" Joren exclaimed, completely ignoring Kendra's giggles in the background. "You! You knew about this, didn't you?"
Kendra placed her hands in the air. "I must admit it, sir. But she's right. You need your rest." With that Kendra left the room, and Joren all but fell into his bed. He pulled the sheets over himself and blew out the candle next to his bed. Now that he let the drug take over, it didn't take long for him to be pulled into a deep sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Joren was so deep into his sleep that the fierce knocking at his door didn't reach him for a while. By the time the realization hit him, Kendra was already awake and at the door. Joren sat up in bed, stretching.
"Joren? Joren wake up. Something's happened." Kel's voice penetrated his half-asleep mind. He adjusted his eyes to the sunlight and thought a moment. Sunlight? That meant it was midmorning! Something happened… with what?
"Kel, what do you mean 'something happened'? I don't…" Then it hit him. Something had happened - with Vinson.
"I think you know. Hurry and get washed up. Then I'll tell you all about it." She had a very serious face this morning, and Joren could only guess at what the cause of it was as he dressed. Had Vinson passed the Ordeal? No, surely not! He finished dressing, washed his face with one splash of water, and met Kel outside in the hall.
"Tell me, Kel. Did he pass?"
Kel walked down the hallway, obviously wanting privacy. Once they were around the corner, she faced him. "Vinson - he came out of the Chamber this morning screaming at… at something. No one knows what. Joren, he's gone mad. He started having convulsions and yelling at someone to leave him alone."
Joren allowed the words to sink in. "Gods… what's going to happen to him?"
"They don't know, the healer present said he was beyond even the strongest healing. His mind was too disturbed. I figure the best they can do is to lock him away so he can't hurt someone, or himself." Kel watched Joren as he took the news, hoping the confidence she had worked so hard to build inside him hadn't shattered in two seconds.
"He wasn't cut out to be a knight of the realm. The Chamber spared his life, he was lucky." Joren sighed and leaned against a cold stone wall. He shifted his eyes to the ceiling for a moment, saying a prayer to Mithros, then settled them back on Kel, who looked very concerned.
"Joren, are you going to be all right?" She asked. Joren smiled and nodded. He would be all right, all he had to do was get through tonight. Yes, he'd be okay.
"Of course I'll be all right. I may not have been if you hadn't lectured me yesterday." Joren kissed Kel on the cheek. He took her hand, and together they walked outside. He had no idea where they were going, but Kel seemed to.
Once they arrived to the palace gates, Kel turned to face him. "I still can't have you worrying, no matter what you say. I am going through with my plan for today. Joren, you won't even remember you have an Ordeal tonight once we get started." She smiled and lead Joren into the streets of Corus once again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
And once again, Kel was right. Despite everything that had occurred that morning, Joren had managed to completely forget everything but Kel and ice-skating, for that was her plan for today. She took him to a tiny inn for breakfast, the best he'd ever had, and then to a frozen pond for skating. Her friends met up with them mid afternoon for a light lunch.
"I still can't believe what happened to Vinson." Merric said as they ate. Kel and Joren looked around, a bit confused. Each of the squires had a seriousness about them that Kel had never seen.
Roald stopped eating. "That's right, you guys left before it all happened."
She raised her eyebrow at them, "Before what happened, exactly?"
Faleron took the liberty of answering this question. "Vinson got away from the healers around noon. They tried to stop him… but they were too late." The table grew silent as Kel and Joren took in the recent news. "He was mad, Kel. We all figured it'd happen eventually, we just didn't know it was going to be so soon."
"I'm sure the Chamber was haunting his mind." Roald said gravely. "It's happened before, or so father says. I haven't heard a case that didn't end this way."
"Get to the point." Kel said, sick of her friends' attempts to avoid the subject. "What happened?"
"Vinson killed himself." Roald said. There was deadly silence at the table for what seemed like an eternity. It wasn't the enemy who had killed himself today, it was the fellow squire, and everyone at the table realized that.
"He's better off." Joren said, much to everyone's surprise. He didn't say any more, neither did anyone else. They didn't need words to know they all agreed. Kel knew when her plans had been interrupted, and decided it was best to go back to the palace.
"Let's go back you guys. I think we've all had just about enough for today." They all agreed and left for the palace together. On the walk back, Joren had an arm tight around Kel, as if he was afraid to lose her. And maybe he was, for his Ordeal was only hours away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Joren, it's time." Sir Paxen of Nond said through a closed door. Inside Joren's room he and Kel sat in front of the fire together. Joren was still holding her closely, kissing her almost every five minutes. Now he stood and helped Kel up from the floor.
"I'll walk with you, if you want." Kel offered, but Joren shook his head.
"No, that's all right. I'll be fine." He kissed her fully, and Kel felt faint. Joren made her look into his eyes. "The next time I kiss you, I'll be a knight." He said. "Your knight; yours forever," He paused, then added, "I promise." Joren brushed his hand on her cheek, and exited the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Joren, are you prepared to be instructed?" Sir Paxen asked gravely.
Joren sat in the sacramental bath, scrubbing his back with a rough washcloth. "Yes, sir. I am ready." He answered. Joren finished washing his back, splashed water on his face, and stepped out of the bath. He began to dress, pulling the colorless cotton shirt over his head.
Sir Gareth came out of the shadow of the corner and began speaking. "If you survive the Ordeal, you will be a Knight of the Realm." He stepped forward until he was directly in front of Joren. "You will be sworn to protect those weaker than you, to obey your overlord, to live in a way that honors your kingdom and your gods."
Paxen, arms crossed over his chest, continued. "To wear the shield of a knight is an important thing. You cannot ignore a cry for help." Joren listened to every word, taking each to heart. "It means that rich and poor, young and old, male and female may look to you for rescue, and you cannot deny them."
Joren sighed to himself, trying to calm his anxieties. The two knights continued the instruction, until finally Paxen opened the door to the Chapel. Gareth would go in with him and stay for the night vigil. "You must remain silent between now and the time you leave the Chamber of the Ordeal." Gareth said. Before Joren went into the Chapel, Paxen of Nond placed a hand on Joren's head. "Mithros bless, Joren." With that Sir Gareth sent Joren into the Chapel to begin his night of prayer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kel sat in a large armchair in front of the fire. In her hand was a book Neal had lent her. She was supposed to be reading it, but she hadn't gotten past the first page. With Joren running through her mind, she couldn't concentrate on anything else. In frustration, Kel shut the book and threw it on her bed. She bent her head back, eyes set on the ceiling. She closed them for a few seconds, trying to clear her mind. Then someone knocked on the door, interrupting her brief moment without worry. "Who is it?" She called out.
"Kel? It's Portia, can I come in?" Kel was so happy to hear her friend's voice. If anyone could relax her, it was Portia.
"Hold on a moment." Kel opened the door and faced her old friend. "Hello! What are you doing here?" Kel asked, still shocked to see her.
"Well, I heard from credible sources that Joren's Ordeal was tonight, and I thought you could use a friend since Neal's away."
Kel hugged her tight. "Thank you for coming. I did need a friend." Kel chuckled to herself. "You know, I talked Joren into being confident about tonight, but I forgot to talk myself into not worrying."
"Well," Portia began, "That's what I'm here to do. Keep your mind off his Ordeal."
The two friends talked into the night. Around midnight, however, sleep finally caught up with them, and without knowing they fell asleep on two armchairs. Lalassa took it upon herself to extinguish the fire and cover the two girls with warm blankets. Kel stirred as Lalassa draped a blanket over her.
"Lalassa…" Kel groaned.
"Ssh… sleep Kel. I'll wake you at dawn, promise." Kel nodded, and went to sleep. Lalassa tiptoed out of the room, leaving Portia and Kel to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Joren's knees were killing him. He had been kneeling for what seemed like ages. How was he expected to stand in the Chamber if his legs couldn't function? Joren's mind was drifting in and out of nowhere, and he had no clue what time it was. Joren swayed back and forth without anything to lean forward on. Finally he decided that it wouldn't be a sin to sit down, and just as he did, the priests came in. Joren stood, knowing what would come next.
The priests came to the iron doors of the Chamber and opened them. They nodded to Joren, who slowly crept forward. Joren gripped the edge of the doorway, looking into the pitch back Chamber that would soon decide his fate. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, opening his eyes, Joren stepped into the endless darkness.