Kel and her squad hurried through New Hope's gates. Inside, everyone who could fight was atop the walls. Merric and ten soldiers were armed and holding on to their horse's reins.

"Don't be foolish," she scolded her year-mate. "You guys wouldn't last against them for five minutes outside of their walls. The best we can do is try and hold them off until reinforcements come."

"If reinforcements come," Merric reminded her bitterly. "This could be the big attack. The other forts most likely have their hands full."

"All the same," Dom had come up behind her, "you're better off behind the walls." He smiled reassuringly at Kel and gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Let's get a message to the other forts."

She nodded and they trotted to the empty headquarters. Once inside, Dom punched her into a chair.

"Kel, this is the big attack. I know it. It will be dangerous. If anything should happen to you…Lord Raoul will kill me."

She smiled at him shakily. "I've been out of action for too long," she told him. "We can manage this."

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, then more passionately. Kel pulled away reluctantly. "Messages," she managed to mutter.

Dom quickly found paper and quills. Kel summoned three sparrows to take the messages of New Hope's need for help. Kel and Dom both wrote a message to Wyldon and Raoul and attached them to the sparrow's legs.

By the time Kel went back up to the walls, the Scanrans were only about three miles off. She swallowed a lump of fear in her throat. Even without Killing Machines, the Scanrans were a formidable opponent.

A lone sparrow lit on her shoulder. She recognized Duck and absently began to stroke him. He flew into the air in front of her face and made the sign for "message" and "friend." It was clear that he wanted to carry a message. Chuckling at his eagerness, she wrote up another notice of New Hope's plight and tied it to Duck's leg. He took off into the fading sunlight.

Grimly Kel looked back at the marching Scanrans now. On a closer inspection, Kel found their numbers to be a little over 400 soldiers.

"Not a pretty sight," Fanche remarked beside her. Kel looked at her friend, who held a loaded crossbow in her hand with ease.

"No, it's not. I'm hoping for reinforcements. I'm really hoping."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was about midnight when Kel was shaken awake. She opened her eyes to see a grim Dom sitting next to her.

"Kel, they're here. And they're camped."

She sat bolt upright and hurried to get dressed as he rallied the soldiers. Neal had already awakened the refugees.

Duck came flying through her open window as she was pulling on hr shirt. A message was attached to his foot. He landed and let her take off the note.

Kel,

I have thirty knights with me, and we are camped on Giantkiller Road. By the time you get this we will most likely be almost to New Hope. I assume the Scanrans have already laid siege. My only problem is how my knights and I will get into New Hope. Is there a back way? Send word through Duck as soon as you can.

-Lachlan

Kel smiled as she pulled out another piece of paper. Thirty trained knights would certainly be appreciated. Plus, Lachlan was leading them. Kel desperately wanted to see Lac again. He was a very good friend.

She pulled on her boots and met all of the soldiers and civilians on the walls. Quickly she informed them of Lachlan, which was responded with cheers. She had already written to Lac of a secret way through the woods, and a secret entrance that opened the stables. With luck, he would arrive before dawn.