Chapter Five

     "...sleep it out."

     "Will she be alright?"

     "Yes, now get some rest yourself."

     Kel blinked her eyes open as the voices faded away.  She was tucked into a soft, warm bed inside a plain looking room.  Her muscles were stiff; she had to focus to make them move.  She sat up against her pillow and rubbed her eyes.  Someone slumped in a chair beside her snored softly.  Kel burned with affection when she recognised Dom.  She watched his chest rise and fall, lost in her emotions for him.  She wanted to wake him up, but didn't want to disturb him, either.  'He's so wonderful,' she decided.

     Dom's snoring abruptly turned into snorts, and he awoke with an almighty sneeze.  Kel grimaced against the spray.  Dom groaned and pressed the heels' of his palms into his eyes.  He seemed a little perplexed, but when he looked up to Kel looking at him, his face reflected her own fondness.

     "Kel, you're awake."

     "Dom..."

     He stood, and bent to kiss her.  Kel melted.  Her heart pounded when he finally relinquished her.  He cupped her face into his hands. 

     "My dear, you had us so worried."

      She touched his wrist.  "Worried?  What happened?"

     "Bendon brought you to the healers' last night.  He said you had collapsed at his door.  The healer found you had been drugged, but she's not sure by what.  We searched your room after that.  There was blood on the floor and blood on your glaive.  But nobody else was there, and you're not cut.  Then we found the parchment...Kel, what's wrong?" 

     Kel had gone rigid.  Last night came back to her memory like an unwanted visitor.  She stared at Dom.  "You said nobody was there?"  She asked at length.

     "No, nobody.  What happened to you?"

     "But that doesn't make sense.  I got her right through the heart.  There must be two!  Niss!"

     "Kel, you're not making any sense.  Who did you get?  Two what?  Who's Niss?"

     Kel threw off her bed covers, and gasped as her bare feet pressed down on cold stone.  "You remember Niss.  The lady at the party, before Seaver was...was..." she choked back the word.  It brought too much pain.

     Doms' eyes widened.  "Niss of Riveredge?  Did she do this?"

     "No.  Her friend did.  But Niss has something to do with it, I sure of it."

     "You know who attacked you? I- what are you doing.  You're sick."

     Kel dressed into her proper clothes that had been left folded on the bedside table.  "I'm fine.  Now come; I'll explain on the way."

     Kel lead the way to Niss's room, and told Dom about the attack.  Kel opened Niss's door, but only a servant was there, sweeping the floor.  The servant told them Lady Niss had left a time ago, and she believed the lady had gone to Kels' chambers.  Kel thanked the servant and ran to her chambers.

     "It's nice to see you're feeling better." Dom mentioned along the way.  Kel smiled.

     They halted at Kel's open door.  Inside there was Niss and Neal.  Neal had an empty glass vial in his hand and a forefinger in his mouth.  Niss sat ungracefully on the floor, her back to them.  She was sobbing.

     Kel hesitated, and approached Neal first.

     Neal spoke before Kel could.  "We just found this on the floor," he told her, indicating the vial.  He looked thoughtfully at his wet finger.  "Interesting..." he muttered.

     Kel frowned; she had forgotten what she'd been meaning to ask.  So instead she nodded at the vial.  "What about it?"

     "This vial held one of the most potent healing potions I've ever come across," he said.  "It's stronger than anything the King would have."

     Kel's stomach twisted.  "Just how strong, exactly?"

     Neal shook his head.  He almost seemed awed.  "I don't know its limits.  I don't even know if it has limits."

     Kel bit her lip, and began to go through last night.  She had stabbed Assa- through the heart- and Assa had fallen.  Kel had removed the helmet.  By that time Assa should have been dead.  Then Kel had crawled away.  That's the first time she had her eyes off Assa.  If Assa had used the potion, it would have been then.  But how? How?  Assa was dead.  Her heart had been skewered.  It was impossible.  No potion could bring someone back from the dead, no matter how strong Neal said it was.  Even if someone else had come in to put the potion on Assa...she had still been dead.

     Kels' eyes focused on Niss.  Niss twisted around to look at Kel.  Her eyes were bloodshot and her face and chest drenched.  It was a gut-wrenching sight.

     "Kel," Niss whimpered.  "I never knew...never knew what she was."

     Her voice was so sincere that it swayed the way Kel thought about her.   She couldn't bare to look at the lady.  She exchanged glances with Dom and Neal.  "I need to talk to her," she told them.

     Dom nodded; Neal frowned.  Dom pulled his cousin away, no doubt planning to explain to him what Kel had told him about her attack.

     "They took her body," Niss rasped as the door clicked shut.

     Kel folded her arms.  "How do you know Assa was the one?"

     Niss' shoulders slumped.  "She's been acting strangely since we came.  I just figured she was nervous.  But last night she was all tense.  She left my rooms, and when she didn't come back I went looking for her.  Then I saw people carrying her body out of your window."  She started to cry again.  "Then...then I heard talk...t-t-that you were almost killed.  And they found the parchment in your roooooooooooms."  She buried her face in her hands.  "And, and I realised: she was the only one who could've planted that ring in my, my pocket.  Oh, it's so horrible!"

     Kel sat near Niss, but not too close.  "You didn't know she was a killer?"

     "No.  We grew up together.  I don't know where she got it from."

     "And you never knew her to have any ties to Scanra?  Any reason why she'd want to kill the 'Invaders of Scanra?'"

     Niss shook her head and blew on a handkerchief.  "Nothing that I can think of, my lady."

     "Is there any reason why she'd do this at all, then?"

     Niss seemed to think about.  "No," she concluded.

     Kel wondered what else to ask, but Niss cut in.

     "I don't understand assassins," she said.   "Not really.  I can understand that people need to make a living, but killing for gold is despicable."

     Kel kept her comments to herself.  It was better to let Niss talk.

     Niss hugged her knees.  "Perhaps they just do it for the rush," she said.  "For the love of it.  But I don't see how killing could be someone's passion.  I guess...I guess their hearts are just on the wrong side."  She looked at Kel and a slow smile stretched across her face.

     Kel swallowed.  "I guess so," she said carefully, and stood up.  She didn't see this going anywhere, and she wanted to consult Neal and Dom.  Maybe they'd have something to say.   Kel said goodbye, and Niss followed her out of the room.  Then they parted ways.

    Kel found that she seemed to keep changing her mind about Niss.  She's the killer, then she's not.  She's the killer, then she's the accomplice, then she's innocent.

     Who is she?

     A lady who really liked her, it seems.

     Kel squirmed just thinking of the way Niss kissed her.  It was something she'd never want to repeat: not with Niss, anyway.  Kissing Dom was very different.  She felt like kissing him now.  She looked down the hall.  Someone was standing there.  Unfortunately it wasn't Dom, but it was still a close friend...

     Yukimi caught sight of Kel, and she rushed towards her.  "Kel!" she breathed, her eyes sparkling.  She grasped Kel's arms, her face filled with happiness and relief.

     'Very un-Yamani like,' Kel thought as Yukimi hugged her.  But she was overjoyed to have such a good friend as this.

     "Oh, Kel, you scared us so," Yukimi said, putting Kel at arm's length.

     Kel smiled.  "I'll always be fine, Yukimi.  You know me."

     Yukimis' eyes danced.  "So I do."

     Kels' eyes dropped as Seaver and Owen came to mind.  They had not been so lucky.

     Yukimi sensed something was wrong, and hugged Kel again.  "Kel, Dom just told me how you stopped the assassin last night.  You've saved your friends.  Owen and Seaver...we can't do anything about what happened to them.  But we can still keep them alive in our hearts.  Be strong."

     Kel felt her throat clench, and she began to weep into Yukimi's shoulder.  The Yamani held her tighter. 

     "The funeral will commence soon.  Come.  Lets get you dressed."

     Kel nodded and let herself be lead away.  She wiped her eyes, wondering what had gotten into her.  'Two of your friends were just murdered,' she reminded herself.  'This is normal.'  Kel shuddered.  And she had almost been killed herself.  If she hadn't turned around last night, after she had read the parchment...well, she didn't want to contemplate.

 **********

The Funeral helped.  She was able to say goodbye to Owen and Seaver properly with all the other people that loved them.  And there was quite a lot.  She caught a glimpse of Lord Wyldon: tears rolled down his cheeks. 

     The sunset stretched behind Kel as she and Dom walked to his quarters.  Halfway there, she noticed a familiar small figure riding a familiar large horse.

     "Tobe," she laughed, grateful for the unexpected distraction.  Dom looked up and let his arm drop off Kels' shoulders.  Kel walked forward to greet her faithful companion.  Jump was also in the saddle.  Several sparrows flew over and perched onto Kel, cheeping.

     "Lady Kel! You're alright!"  Tobe cried as he jumped off Peachblossom.

     "Yes, Tobe, I'm fine."  Jump and Peachblossom came to sniff her.  Dom kept a respectful distance away from the horse.

     Tobe looked tired.  "How long have you been riding for?" Kel demanded.

     Tobe shrugged.  "Ever since I heard of that assassin going around."

     Kel felt very glad that he hadn't been here when Assa was still alive.  She'd've been worried about him.  "Well, you'd better wash up then, just follow Jump to my rooms."

     But Tobe didn't move.  He looked as though there was something he wanted to say, but didn't have the right words for it.  Then he just jumped forward and hugged Kel.  She smiled and ruffled his hair.  He pulled back and rushed away with the animals.

     Kel watched them go.  "What did I ever do without them?"  She asked Dom.

     Dom slid an arm around her waist.  "Plenty of things," he told her slyly.

     Kel blushed and gave him an affectionate whack.  "Indeed!"

     Dom chuckled and drew her into his arms.  They kissed, stopped for air, and kissed again.

     "And what did I ever do without you, Domitan of Masbolle?"

     Dom considered.  "Not much," he told her finally, straight-faced.

     They laughed together and continued down the path to his rooms.

     Kel had just locked Dom's door behind her, when a group of the sparrows fluttered outside his window, cheeping wildly.  Someone was in trouble!  She immediately thought of the Assa, and the group that had carried her off last night.  Who had the sparrows been near?  'Tobe!' she thought, and her stomach sank.

     "Dom," she said as she unlocked the door, "Tobe's in trouble!"

     "I'm right behind you."  He said, stopping to grab two swords from the rack.  He handed one to her as they ran out of the building, then they sprinted after the sparrows across the gardens, causing people to stare.  The sparrows lead them to Kels' chambers.

     Kel bashed her door open, ready to maim the fool who'd try to hurt Tobeis.  But only Tobe was inside, letting Jump lick his slashed arm.  Kel grimaced, and thanked the gods under her breath.  He was alive.  "Tobe, who did this?"

     Tobe looked up, and smiled sheepishly.  "A lady.  She was dressed up in black with a mask.  She was here when I came in.  Expecting you, I think she was.  Got a surprise when Jump sprang on her.  She fended him off with her sword and wanted to know where you were," he lifted his chin.  "I didn't tell her, though.  She tried to kill me; said something about me being an invader.  But Jump and the sparrows scared her off.  She jumped out the window."

     "How long ago?"  Kel demanded.

     "Only a minute or two.  Some sparrows are tracking her."

     Kel turned back to Dom.  "Would you take care of Tobe?"

     He nodded.  He started towards the boy, then stopped and grasped Kel's arm.  He gave her an intense look.  "Kel, take care of yourself, won't you?"

     Kel smiled and nodded.  "Of course."

     He let go, and she rushed to the open window.  She had one leg over the sill when Dom called.  "Wait! Kel."

     Kel looked up.   "Yes?" She asked, trying not to sound impatient.

     He took his sword off her and handed her her glaive.  He kissed her forehead and grinned down at her.  "Good hunting, Protector."

~ ~ ~ ~

Hey happy readers.

Thanks for reading- hope you're enjoying it.  Here's something I should've been doing from the start: responding to reviews.  Sorry if I seem ungrateful.

Thanks to chp One + Two reviewers. Are all of you guys still reading?  (Besides Cami, Kalle, Snow*flake, Lady Sandrilene, Lady Me and more who keep reviewing- thank you vewwy much.)

And now, Chapter 4 reviewers:

Kalle: No, Kel didn't realise.  But you did!  You're on the ball. Thanks.

Haydens Super Hobbit: its suspenseful? Really? Thank you. Maybe, one day, I might be able to do it all on purpose.

Cami: Cami, you're reviews are one in a million. Always very insightful and... amusing.  Heh heh. You've reviewed about every chapter, huh? Thank you!  I'm a big fan of you, so I'm flattered about you're praise.

Lady Wild Rose: Thanks for the encouragment.  I could never get enough of it.

Lady Sendrilene: *zips your mouth shut* sssh! J  (Thanks for all the reviews!)

Lady Me: It is a bit of a cliffhanger, yeah- I thought it was a good place to end the chapter. Thank you; you were the first reviewer for this and you're still reading. Cool!

Snow*flake: Here's your penny. Hope that assignment went well.  (I chose not to do media, luckily).  I'm glad you enjoyed it (the fic, not the assignment!) Hope you get time to keep writing yourself, I too have been struggling a bit with having homework.  Oh well! Carry on, carry on.

That was fun.  I'll do it more often.