HELLO!!! I am sooooooooo sorry about my very very long absence! A bit
overloaded at school!
But I am back (yay!) with another chapter.mainly because I don't have as much homework.and also because StarFire and Drowning Rooster wouldn't shut up about it at school!
Lol
So you have them to thank!
Sorry if its awful! But hopefully it won't be! * R+R *
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people! They all belong to TP.though if she hadn't thought of them I might have (after about 1,000,000,000,000 years!)
Chapter 4
I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth
Merric and Kel were staff fighting in an indoor practice rink (A/N: is it a rink? Or ring? Sorry!!!) when Faleron shuffled in, looking nervously at Kel.
Neither of the squires paused for a moment, even as Kel spoke.
'What's happened then?' she asked, without moving her eyes from Merric's staff.
Faleron took a deep breath.
'You aren't going to like this Kel.' He said slowly.
'Spit it out!' Kel blocked Merric's under-thrust. (A/N: that is such a bad na,e for a staff move!)
'Ermelian's here.' Faleron continued to look hesitant'
'So?,' Kel asked, aiming a blow at Merric's kneecap, which he blocked neatly. 'Isn't she the one Cleon is betrothed to?' (A/N: sorry, I'll stop the notes soon!! I just had to say sorry if Ermelian is someone's character, but I didn't know whether she was the real betrothed or not!)
Faleron shut his eyes briefly.
'Ye-es,' he continued, 'but she is refusing to actually see Cleon.'
'What?' Kel gasped, parrying Merric's blows, 'Why?'
'Because,' Faleron drew a breath, 'he told her he couldn't marry her because you were the only girl for him and he was still waiting for you to realise that you love him.'
'WHAT???' Kel yelled. Merric wasn't prepared for her lapse in concentration, and his staff came down, hard, on her left shoulder.
Kel bit her lip in pain.
'Kel, are you ok?' Merric had gone white, and all his freckles seemed to jump off his face.
'Yea, 'Kel gasped, 'the ache is fading pretty fast actually.'
Faleron looked very uncomfortable.
'What?' Kel asked him suspiciously.
Faleron glanced at the spot to her left, just behind her. She twisted round, and saw.
'NEAL!!!' Kel leapt up, away from the green haze that was flowing from Neal's fingertips and settling around her arm.
Her shoulder burnt like fire as she scrambled away from Neal, but she did not let it show through her Yamani mask.
'Why won't you just leave me be? You AND Cleon.' Kel fought against the lump on her throat.
She turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving her staff beside her shocked friends.
Faleron lingered for a moment. Neal looked stricken. Kel had just rejected him for a second time, but when he saw Merric was already talking to him, he slipped out after Kel.
He found her in the stables, saddling Peachblossom with a few stray tears drying on her face.
He approached her softly, then tapped her shoulder.
'Kel..'
'No Fal.' Kel shook her head, 'I can't take this. Next month I am going to get through the Ordeal, and I am going to leave. Nothing you can say is going to stop me.'
Faleron looked at her imploringly.
'Kel, Neal loves you. He doesn't expect you to jump as soon as he snaps his fingers. He expects you to be his equal. Why won't you listen to him?'
Kel sighed. 'No one seems to be on Cleon's side.'
Faleron spread his arms in a gesture of despair.
'I don't think he loves you. I think he likes you a lot, but hasn't realised that his feelings aren't as strong as he assumes.' He watched her face, closed and expressionless.
Kel did not reply, so he went on, 'Kel, you don't have to hide behind a mask. You can tell Neal you love him.'
Kel opened her mouth furiously to speak.
'Faleron, I do not love him, I.'
Her voice trailed off.
'You see?' Faleron told her gently. 'You aren't sure you don't love him back.'
Kel's Yamani mask melted away, and for a moment, she looked as vulnerable as a child.
But then she straightened up, and swung into the saddle.
'Fal, I'm still going away as soon as I have my shield.'
With that, she wheeled Peachblossom round, and signalled for him to trot in the direction of the quintain fields.
Faleron watched her retreating back sadly.
When the Ordeal arrived, Faleron had still been unsuccessful in his attempts to persuade Kel to stay. When he found that his Ordeal was nearly upon him, he decided he had better worry about that first.
The night before he was due to enter the chapel and chamber, Kel sat with him.
'You know, I will keep in touch.' Kel told him with a small smile.
Faleron grinned weakly.
Kel looked at him, and she ached to tell him that she would stay, but she couldn't.
So they spent the night in companionable silence.
And suddenly, Faleron found himself at the end of the next day, sitting in the chapel, and meditating like Kel had taught him.
The day had melted away faster than he had imagined. And now here he was, sitting cross-legged on the cold stone flagged floor of the chapel.
He let his thoughts wash over him for the rest of the night.
And then, there was a hand in the small of his back, pushing him towards the iron door to the Chamber.
Faleron took a deep breath, braced himself and entered.
At first he could see nothing but black, and hear nothing but the roaring in his ears and the loud banging of his heart.
But then, faintly, came the sounds of battle, growing steadily louder. And Faleron found himself standing amidst the thick of the battle. He recognised many of the soldiers in Tortallan armour. There was Kel, locked, sword to sword with a Scanran.
And there was Raoul, ducking and weaving, frantically trying to gu tdown a huge giant.
Faleron looked down, and saw that he wore no armour. He had no weapon. His heart came to rest in his throat, and it lurched in terror as he caught sight of the Scanran advancing on him. But it charged straight past him, brandishing a sharp dagger.
Faleron turned as Raoul gave a rough yell, and saw him fall to the ground, the giant's huge fists covered in his blood.
He turned back to the Scanran, and saw him aim his dagger straight at Kel's heart.
'NO!' he screamed, but no one seemed to hear him. No one could see him.
He tried to attack the Scanran, but moving was difficult, like wading through thick treacle.
He saw Neal rush toward Kel, and many others, but the Scanran's dagger was already spinning through the air, straight towards Kel.
Suddenly, the battle seemed to flicker out of focus, and Faleron found himself in the middle of a funeral. He was right at the front. He could see each person that was thrown onto the funeral pyre. There was Cleon, followed by Raoul, and then Lerant, who Kel had told him about. And then Domitan, Neal's cousin. And then, Kel.
Faleron drew a shuddering breath. 'Kel?'
He wavered, and then found himself falling.
He was back at the bandit hunt, yelling at Kel to help.
And then it changed again. It was still him and his friends, but they were knights, and the bandits had become Scanrans. And his mind was blank. Kel began to scream orders, but the Scanrans had a mage. She rasped, and then stepped backwards, gasping. followed by Neal. Spears sprouted out of Merric's and Owen's chests, and he didn't know what to do..
And then he was stumbling out of the chapel, and being wrapped in a towel by his knight master.
In the evening, he was dubbed.
He was full of pride, but underneath it, worry coursed through him, like a deadly current under thin ice. Kel was to take her Ordeal soon, and then she would leave.
When Kel did take her Ordeal, Faleron left his friends to sit up through the night, and instead wandered aimlessly to find himself in the stables.
Subconsciously, he leant over into Peachblossom's door, a carrot in his outstretched palm. Peachblossom was so shocked to see a human offer him a treat without a second thought, that he lipped it up, and listened to Faleron's murmurs all through the night.
After Kel was dubbed, there was lots of celebrating. Kel was even nice to Cleon and Neal.
But the next night, Faleron woke feeling uneasy. The sun had not yet risen, and the castle was dark, but he could have sworn he'd heard.
He rolled out of bed and dressed, then made his way swiftly to the stables. He shrank into the shadows as a horse was led out, and then mounted by a tall cloaked figure. Faleron grinned wryly. He knew who it was.
He slipped into the stable and saddled his own horse, Ash, and muffled the geldings shoes with cloth.
Quiet as a shadow, a second knight slipped out of the palace, as the sun's rays began to spread over the courtyard.
What do you think? A bit long and boring, but I kept going back to Kel and Faleron arguing, so I rushed it. Sorry!
It's all turning into a bit of a Faleron POV, but o well!!
Review and tell me what you think.
72 reviews and I'll go on!!!
Though more then 72 reviews would be real nice!!!
And I WILL update more regularly now.
If you are looking for other good authors, check out:
StarFire, Lady WildRose, RoseFyre, Karly Ann and Drowning Rooster. (Tamora Pierce)
Or if you watch Buffy, check out MIAKODA, Burning Toast and Kyoki the Space Pirate vampire.
These people write excellent fics!!!
Lol
Review Luv Bluebell @~~
But I am back (yay!) with another chapter.mainly because I don't have as much homework.and also because StarFire and Drowning Rooster wouldn't shut up about it at school!
Lol
So you have them to thank!
Sorry if its awful! But hopefully it won't be! * R+R *
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people! They all belong to TP.though if she hadn't thought of them I might have (after about 1,000,000,000,000 years!)
Chapter 4
I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth
Merric and Kel were staff fighting in an indoor practice rink (A/N: is it a rink? Or ring? Sorry!!!) when Faleron shuffled in, looking nervously at Kel.
Neither of the squires paused for a moment, even as Kel spoke.
'What's happened then?' she asked, without moving her eyes from Merric's staff.
Faleron took a deep breath.
'You aren't going to like this Kel.' He said slowly.
'Spit it out!' Kel blocked Merric's under-thrust. (A/N: that is such a bad na,e for a staff move!)
'Ermelian's here.' Faleron continued to look hesitant'
'So?,' Kel asked, aiming a blow at Merric's kneecap, which he blocked neatly. 'Isn't she the one Cleon is betrothed to?' (A/N: sorry, I'll stop the notes soon!! I just had to say sorry if Ermelian is someone's character, but I didn't know whether she was the real betrothed or not!)
Faleron shut his eyes briefly.
'Ye-es,' he continued, 'but she is refusing to actually see Cleon.'
'What?' Kel gasped, parrying Merric's blows, 'Why?'
'Because,' Faleron drew a breath, 'he told her he couldn't marry her because you were the only girl for him and he was still waiting for you to realise that you love him.'
'WHAT???' Kel yelled. Merric wasn't prepared for her lapse in concentration, and his staff came down, hard, on her left shoulder.
Kel bit her lip in pain.
'Kel, are you ok?' Merric had gone white, and all his freckles seemed to jump off his face.
'Yea, 'Kel gasped, 'the ache is fading pretty fast actually.'
Faleron looked very uncomfortable.
'What?' Kel asked him suspiciously.
Faleron glanced at the spot to her left, just behind her. She twisted round, and saw.
'NEAL!!!' Kel leapt up, away from the green haze that was flowing from Neal's fingertips and settling around her arm.
Her shoulder burnt like fire as she scrambled away from Neal, but she did not let it show through her Yamani mask.
'Why won't you just leave me be? You AND Cleon.' Kel fought against the lump on her throat.
She turned on her heel and stormed out, leaving her staff beside her shocked friends.
Faleron lingered for a moment. Neal looked stricken. Kel had just rejected him for a second time, but when he saw Merric was already talking to him, he slipped out after Kel.
He found her in the stables, saddling Peachblossom with a few stray tears drying on her face.
He approached her softly, then tapped her shoulder.
'Kel..'
'No Fal.' Kel shook her head, 'I can't take this. Next month I am going to get through the Ordeal, and I am going to leave. Nothing you can say is going to stop me.'
Faleron looked at her imploringly.
'Kel, Neal loves you. He doesn't expect you to jump as soon as he snaps his fingers. He expects you to be his equal. Why won't you listen to him?'
Kel sighed. 'No one seems to be on Cleon's side.'
Faleron spread his arms in a gesture of despair.
'I don't think he loves you. I think he likes you a lot, but hasn't realised that his feelings aren't as strong as he assumes.' He watched her face, closed and expressionless.
Kel did not reply, so he went on, 'Kel, you don't have to hide behind a mask. You can tell Neal you love him.'
Kel opened her mouth furiously to speak.
'Faleron, I do not love him, I.'
Her voice trailed off.
'You see?' Faleron told her gently. 'You aren't sure you don't love him back.'
Kel's Yamani mask melted away, and for a moment, she looked as vulnerable as a child.
But then she straightened up, and swung into the saddle.
'Fal, I'm still going away as soon as I have my shield.'
With that, she wheeled Peachblossom round, and signalled for him to trot in the direction of the quintain fields.
Faleron watched her retreating back sadly.
When the Ordeal arrived, Faleron had still been unsuccessful in his attempts to persuade Kel to stay. When he found that his Ordeal was nearly upon him, he decided he had better worry about that first.
The night before he was due to enter the chapel and chamber, Kel sat with him.
'You know, I will keep in touch.' Kel told him with a small smile.
Faleron grinned weakly.
Kel looked at him, and she ached to tell him that she would stay, but she couldn't.
So they spent the night in companionable silence.
And suddenly, Faleron found himself at the end of the next day, sitting in the chapel, and meditating like Kel had taught him.
The day had melted away faster than he had imagined. And now here he was, sitting cross-legged on the cold stone flagged floor of the chapel.
He let his thoughts wash over him for the rest of the night.
And then, there was a hand in the small of his back, pushing him towards the iron door to the Chamber.
Faleron took a deep breath, braced himself and entered.
At first he could see nothing but black, and hear nothing but the roaring in his ears and the loud banging of his heart.
But then, faintly, came the sounds of battle, growing steadily louder. And Faleron found himself standing amidst the thick of the battle. He recognised many of the soldiers in Tortallan armour. There was Kel, locked, sword to sword with a Scanran.
And there was Raoul, ducking and weaving, frantically trying to gu tdown a huge giant.
Faleron looked down, and saw that he wore no armour. He had no weapon. His heart came to rest in his throat, and it lurched in terror as he caught sight of the Scanran advancing on him. But it charged straight past him, brandishing a sharp dagger.
Faleron turned as Raoul gave a rough yell, and saw him fall to the ground, the giant's huge fists covered in his blood.
He turned back to the Scanran, and saw him aim his dagger straight at Kel's heart.
'NO!' he screamed, but no one seemed to hear him. No one could see him.
He tried to attack the Scanran, but moving was difficult, like wading through thick treacle.
He saw Neal rush toward Kel, and many others, but the Scanran's dagger was already spinning through the air, straight towards Kel.
Suddenly, the battle seemed to flicker out of focus, and Faleron found himself in the middle of a funeral. He was right at the front. He could see each person that was thrown onto the funeral pyre. There was Cleon, followed by Raoul, and then Lerant, who Kel had told him about. And then Domitan, Neal's cousin. And then, Kel.
Faleron drew a shuddering breath. 'Kel?'
He wavered, and then found himself falling.
He was back at the bandit hunt, yelling at Kel to help.
And then it changed again. It was still him and his friends, but they were knights, and the bandits had become Scanrans. And his mind was blank. Kel began to scream orders, but the Scanrans had a mage. She rasped, and then stepped backwards, gasping. followed by Neal. Spears sprouted out of Merric's and Owen's chests, and he didn't know what to do..
And then he was stumbling out of the chapel, and being wrapped in a towel by his knight master.
In the evening, he was dubbed.
He was full of pride, but underneath it, worry coursed through him, like a deadly current under thin ice. Kel was to take her Ordeal soon, and then she would leave.
When Kel did take her Ordeal, Faleron left his friends to sit up through the night, and instead wandered aimlessly to find himself in the stables.
Subconsciously, he leant over into Peachblossom's door, a carrot in his outstretched palm. Peachblossom was so shocked to see a human offer him a treat without a second thought, that he lipped it up, and listened to Faleron's murmurs all through the night.
After Kel was dubbed, there was lots of celebrating. Kel was even nice to Cleon and Neal.
But the next night, Faleron woke feeling uneasy. The sun had not yet risen, and the castle was dark, but he could have sworn he'd heard.
He rolled out of bed and dressed, then made his way swiftly to the stables. He shrank into the shadows as a horse was led out, and then mounted by a tall cloaked figure. Faleron grinned wryly. He knew who it was.
He slipped into the stable and saddled his own horse, Ash, and muffled the geldings shoes with cloth.
Quiet as a shadow, a second knight slipped out of the palace, as the sun's rays began to spread over the courtyard.
What do you think? A bit long and boring, but I kept going back to Kel and Faleron arguing, so I rushed it. Sorry!
It's all turning into a bit of a Faleron POV, but o well!!
Review and tell me what you think.
72 reviews and I'll go on!!!
Though more then 72 reviews would be real nice!!!
And I WILL update more regularly now.
If you are looking for other good authors, check out:
StarFire, Lady WildRose, RoseFyre, Karly Ann and Drowning Rooster. (Tamora Pierce)
Or if you watch Buffy, check out MIAKODA, Burning Toast and Kyoki the Space Pirate vampire.
These people write excellent fics!!!
Lol
Review Luv Bluebell @~~