Guys, I go on holidays to some remote place (let's hope it doesn't rain too much) so I won't be able to update for a week or so. But I will (hopefully) be busy writing. I'll also try and update my new DBZ fic. Anyway - read the story.
Among Other Things
The road to the next village was loaded with bandits, they had been told. Neal tried to keep a hand on his sword, but his arm had pins and needles and eyes drooped..just..a little...more...
"Neal!" He jerked up, looking around frantically. Kel laughed at him as he gave a clueless look back.
"Just checking." He groaned and moved his horse in front of Pechblossom, so she wouldn't bother him again.
Jump rode in his 'cup' attatched to Peachblossom's saddle, and Kel spent time checking him over as they rode. It had been a while since he was injured by some raiders, and the scab that had run down his side had long disappeared, and there had been no infection. The sparrows, all five that had decided to hang around, seemed perfectly healthy as they twittered about.
Suddenly, Neal's eyes flashed wide open.
"Kel..." Jump jumped ahead, then stalled. He whimpered and scampered back to Kel. 'What? It takes more than a smell in the grass to scare Jump off like that'.
A sparrow volunteered itself and ventured forward. They watched her fly for a few metres, but then she disappeared.
Kel quickly dismounted and pulled out her glaive. Neal concentrated with his Gift, and his sword ready. They waited a few moments in silence. Kel's leg felt itchy. Neal reached out his hand in the air, trying to feel for-
Suddenly the sparrow sqwarked back, plummeting towards the safety of Kel's shoulders. A magical barrier lifted.
There were seven men with full Scanran armour. They charged. Kel raised her glaive. Neal had already spotted the mage at the back who had conjured the invisible wall. He focused his energy on a shield around his Tortallan friends.
Peachblossom, riderless, could still do a lot of damage. he reared and stamped on a man charging straight at him. Kel swung her glaive in the 'watch-the-time' pattern. It worked. The swordsmen was down, knocked out with severe blows on his arms and a decently nasty hole in his foot.
Neal, meanwhile, was trying to fight two Scanrans and take the mage at the back. It wasn't working. An enemy Scanran saw an opening and used it. Neal fell to the ground and only just rolled away in time, but the breaking of his concentration lifted the magical shield he had placed around them.
The sparrows flew in now, pecking at the warriors' eyes. It wasn't pretty. One man was blind but he swung his pike all the same, ending up 'dropping' it on a fellow Scanran. A third man fell, dead.
Kel found another swordsman. 'I'm just glad there're no archers' He was taller than her, and with a large build. The man smirked and brought the hilt of his sword on her head. Hard.
"Argh!" she cried in pain, and, with countless thanks to Yamani trainers ('never drop the weapon') she managed to run the man through with the point of her glaive before he could attack again.
Now there were three men left. One with a pike, the other with a sword and that mage.
Neal took out the swordsman as Kel ran over and defended his back against the blind man with the pike. Their enemies looked fearful, and she understood why. The animals, plus Kel and Neal overpowered the two men easily. The mage, and they couldn't see any weapons on him, tried to do the smart thing and run. Run really fast. Too bad Neal got in the way. Just that pikeman left. Kel faced the last man, and he swung blindly at her. She should end his misery, as he wasn't really a danger to her; he was practically defensless, and he was probably in a great deal of pain. But she found herself hesitating.
"Kel!" Neal took away her thoughts. Just do it.
Do it.
Kel brought the glaive down on his head. The group of Scanrans had been defeated.
.
"So, what do you think Scanrans are doing out near here? They shouldn't be this far away from the border."
"Well," Kel replied, wiping some blood off her arm. Neal frowned, but wasn't looking at her. "Let's just hope there isn't an enemy camp around here somewhere" she restrapped Peachblossom's saddle while Neal was still sunk in thought.
"Come on. I want a nice bath tonight. The next town shouldn't be far away now" he nodded and steered his mare to follow her.
They went on a little farther, Neal checking the animals and his own body for injuries. As though his actions triggered something in her subconscious self, Kel gasped and felt her forehead. There was a dull emanating pain, and her fingers touched blood. It seemed like her own. 'Must be from the Scanran's blow wih his hilt. How couldn't I have seen it? And shouldn't Neal have...'
"urgh..."
...
Kel awoke some time later, finding herself riding with someone else's hands in front of her, holding the reins.
"Wha-?" she murmered, and turned around. Neal smiled warmly at her. Kel felt her forehead; it was mostly healed.
"Go back to sleep Kel," Neal assured gently and it was only afterwards that Kel realised the reason why she felt so comfortable was because his arms were around her waist. She leant, now asleep, against his chest and they rode on.
.
Kel opened her eyes. She found herself on a rather comfortable bed, with someone sitting on the other end of it. Familiar green eyes twinkled.
"Where...?"
"At an inn at the 'next town' we were aiming for. I had to heal your...head wound, but luckily it wasn't too bad. You know I haven't studied them enough. " Kel felt the side of her forehead.
"There's still a bruise."
Neal bent down and ran his cool green magical fingers over her bruise, fully healing it. Kel smiled. He looked straight at her', and his fingers trailed gently down her cheek. She breathed loudly in her mind.
'Oh, Kel.' he thought. She felt strange as he looked at her.
Neal bent down, his hand not leaving her face. His lips met hers. Kel, still lying down, brought her arms up around his neck, deepening the kiss.
At the feel of her skin on his neck, Neal suddenly pulled away and jumped far from the bed, horrified. He held his fingers near his lips and stood still, mouth wide open. He was about to run and, Kel knew it. He did.
"Neal, Wait!" she cried, sitting up in bed, pushing her elbows into the linen. Neal had gone. Kel sat thinking for a moment, surprised herself.
'Neal kissed me. Neal just kissed me. And Goddess, I kissed him back.' She had the smallest of smiles wavering on her lips as she searched for a clean tunic and breeches.
.
Kel had flashed downstairs, trying to convince the innkeeper that she was certainly 'okay' before she was able to dash out of the inn to try and find Neal. A sparrow flew over to her and twittered in the direction of the muddy path ahead. "Thanks"
After walking for a bit, Kel found Neal pacing around in the drying mud, muttering to himself. Kel made her presence known and he looked up at her, still bewieldered. (A/N do you reckon he'd be disgusted with himself?) Kel started to say something, but Neal spoke over her.
"Look, Kel. I'm really sorry. That was..I was totally out of line." She tilted her head, confused. Neal wrung his hands. 'She may never understand' he thought and continued. "It's not fair on you. I'm just taking advantage of you. With, er, Cleon not here and uh, well. It takes a lot more than a couple of weks to get over someone's death, Kel." She was stunned by his words. She kept thinking while he spoke.
"At least a few months. I don't want to have this bothering me, as much as I might want it to happen." Kel gave a look, more confused than ever.
"And then it would be that we're just together because you still a loss for Cleon. That's not going to be good for me either, when you..get over him. Its not right, Kel. It's just not right." And he walked away, probably back to the inn, before she could respond.
But she wanted this as well, didn't she? She had always liked him, she had had a crush on him a while ago. And now he had his own feelings for her, but he was stepping back? As much as she didn't really like it, she almost understood, and she respected him more than she ever had. But she was over Cleon already, wasn't she? She could try and convince him. Kel sighed, full of many thoughts & confused feelings as she headed for the inn.
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Review, tell me what I can improve here people. I am actually going to rewrite stuff if you think it will make it better (and I'm just about to change the Ma&Pa it)
Epitaph Munku-JGSPTV ^_^
Do a nice thing and click on my name - CHECK OUT MY OTHER STUFF!!!
Among Other Things
The road to the next village was loaded with bandits, they had been told. Neal tried to keep a hand on his sword, but his arm had pins and needles and eyes drooped..just..a little...more...
"Neal!" He jerked up, looking around frantically. Kel laughed at him as he gave a clueless look back.
"Just checking." He groaned and moved his horse in front of Pechblossom, so she wouldn't bother him again.
Jump rode in his 'cup' attatched to Peachblossom's saddle, and Kel spent time checking him over as they rode. It had been a while since he was injured by some raiders, and the scab that had run down his side had long disappeared, and there had been no infection. The sparrows, all five that had decided to hang around, seemed perfectly healthy as they twittered about.
Suddenly, Neal's eyes flashed wide open.
"Kel..." Jump jumped ahead, then stalled. He whimpered and scampered back to Kel. 'What? It takes more than a smell in the grass to scare Jump off like that'.
A sparrow volunteered itself and ventured forward. They watched her fly for a few metres, but then she disappeared.
Kel quickly dismounted and pulled out her glaive. Neal concentrated with his Gift, and his sword ready. They waited a few moments in silence. Kel's leg felt itchy. Neal reached out his hand in the air, trying to feel for-
Suddenly the sparrow sqwarked back, plummeting towards the safety of Kel's shoulders. A magical barrier lifted.
There were seven men with full Scanran armour. They charged. Kel raised her glaive. Neal had already spotted the mage at the back who had conjured the invisible wall. He focused his energy on a shield around his Tortallan friends.
Peachblossom, riderless, could still do a lot of damage. he reared and stamped on a man charging straight at him. Kel swung her glaive in the 'watch-the-time' pattern. It worked. The swordsmen was down, knocked out with severe blows on his arms and a decently nasty hole in his foot.
Neal, meanwhile, was trying to fight two Scanrans and take the mage at the back. It wasn't working. An enemy Scanran saw an opening and used it. Neal fell to the ground and only just rolled away in time, but the breaking of his concentration lifted the magical shield he had placed around them.
The sparrows flew in now, pecking at the warriors' eyes. It wasn't pretty. One man was blind but he swung his pike all the same, ending up 'dropping' it on a fellow Scanran. A third man fell, dead.
Kel found another swordsman. 'I'm just glad there're no archers' He was taller than her, and with a large build. The man smirked and brought the hilt of his sword on her head. Hard.
"Argh!" she cried in pain, and, with countless thanks to Yamani trainers ('never drop the weapon') she managed to run the man through with the point of her glaive before he could attack again.
Now there were three men left. One with a pike, the other with a sword and that mage.
Neal took out the swordsman as Kel ran over and defended his back against the blind man with the pike. Their enemies looked fearful, and she understood why. The animals, plus Kel and Neal overpowered the two men easily. The mage, and they couldn't see any weapons on him, tried to do the smart thing and run. Run really fast. Too bad Neal got in the way. Just that pikeman left. Kel faced the last man, and he swung blindly at her. She should end his misery, as he wasn't really a danger to her; he was practically defensless, and he was probably in a great deal of pain. But she found herself hesitating.
"Kel!" Neal took away her thoughts. Just do it.
Do it.
Kel brought the glaive down on his head. The group of Scanrans had been defeated.
.
"So, what do you think Scanrans are doing out near here? They shouldn't be this far away from the border."
"Well," Kel replied, wiping some blood off her arm. Neal frowned, but wasn't looking at her. "Let's just hope there isn't an enemy camp around here somewhere" she restrapped Peachblossom's saddle while Neal was still sunk in thought.
"Come on. I want a nice bath tonight. The next town shouldn't be far away now" he nodded and steered his mare to follow her.
They went on a little farther, Neal checking the animals and his own body for injuries. As though his actions triggered something in her subconscious self, Kel gasped and felt her forehead. There was a dull emanating pain, and her fingers touched blood. It seemed like her own. 'Must be from the Scanran's blow wih his hilt. How couldn't I have seen it? And shouldn't Neal have...'
"urgh..."
...
Kel awoke some time later, finding herself riding with someone else's hands in front of her, holding the reins.
"Wha-?" she murmered, and turned around. Neal smiled warmly at her. Kel felt her forehead; it was mostly healed.
"Go back to sleep Kel," Neal assured gently and it was only afterwards that Kel realised the reason why she felt so comfortable was because his arms were around her waist. She leant, now asleep, against his chest and they rode on.
.
Kel opened her eyes. She found herself on a rather comfortable bed, with someone sitting on the other end of it. Familiar green eyes twinkled.
"Where...?"
"At an inn at the 'next town' we were aiming for. I had to heal your...head wound, but luckily it wasn't too bad. You know I haven't studied them enough. " Kel felt the side of her forehead.
"There's still a bruise."
Neal bent down and ran his cool green magical fingers over her bruise, fully healing it. Kel smiled. He looked straight at her', and his fingers trailed gently down her cheek. She breathed loudly in her mind.
'Oh, Kel.' he thought. She felt strange as he looked at her.
Neal bent down, his hand not leaving her face. His lips met hers. Kel, still lying down, brought her arms up around his neck, deepening the kiss.
At the feel of her skin on his neck, Neal suddenly pulled away and jumped far from the bed, horrified. He held his fingers near his lips and stood still, mouth wide open. He was about to run and, Kel knew it. He did.
"Neal, Wait!" she cried, sitting up in bed, pushing her elbows into the linen. Neal had gone. Kel sat thinking for a moment, surprised herself.
'Neal kissed me. Neal just kissed me. And Goddess, I kissed him back.' She had the smallest of smiles wavering on her lips as she searched for a clean tunic and breeches.
.
Kel had flashed downstairs, trying to convince the innkeeper that she was certainly 'okay' before she was able to dash out of the inn to try and find Neal. A sparrow flew over to her and twittered in the direction of the muddy path ahead. "Thanks"
After walking for a bit, Kel found Neal pacing around in the drying mud, muttering to himself. Kel made her presence known and he looked up at her, still bewieldered. (A/N do you reckon he'd be disgusted with himself?) Kel started to say something, but Neal spoke over her.
"Look, Kel. I'm really sorry. That was..I was totally out of line." She tilted her head, confused. Neal wrung his hands. 'She may never understand' he thought and continued. "It's not fair on you. I'm just taking advantage of you. With, er, Cleon not here and uh, well. It takes a lot more than a couple of weks to get over someone's death, Kel." She was stunned by his words. She kept thinking while he spoke.
"At least a few months. I don't want to have this bothering me, as much as I might want it to happen." Kel gave a look, more confused than ever.
"And then it would be that we're just together because you still a loss for Cleon. That's not going to be good for me either, when you..get over him. Its not right, Kel. It's just not right." And he walked away, probably back to the inn, before she could respond.
But she wanted this as well, didn't she? She had always liked him, she had had a crush on him a while ago. And now he had his own feelings for her, but he was stepping back? As much as she didn't really like it, she almost understood, and she respected him more than she ever had. But she was over Cleon already, wasn't she? She could try and convince him. Kel sighed, full of many thoughts & confused feelings as she headed for the inn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review, tell me what I can improve here people. I am actually going to rewrite stuff if you think it will make it better (and I'm just about to change the Ma&Pa it)
Epitaph Munku-JGSPTV ^_^
Do a nice thing and click on my name - CHECK OUT MY OTHER STUFF!!!