Chapter 18. The third day of Midwinter.
Kel walked down the corridor in deep thought and rammed into another person
who was walking the other way. "Oh I'm sorry!" they both apologised at the
same time before looking up and seeing who it was. Kel's heart pounded, it
was Neal! Neal looked up and glared when he saw her. Kel had such a hurt
expression that Neal's face softened, just a small bit and just for an
instant but then he shook himself and walked off down the corridor without
a word. Kel watched his retreating back sadly. 'Gods I hope he accepts my
apology when I give him the present tomorrow. As tradition held, all
midwinter gifts were exchanged on the fourth day of midwinter. Kel picked
up her pace and set off for a different destination; the stable. When she
started brooding about Neal it was always best to go for a ride.
As she entered Hoshi's stall and started to rub him down and tack him up, she heard a low, soothing voice coming out of a different stall. It was a voice that Kel knew well. "Dom?" she called out. A head poked up out of the stall adjoining Hoshi's. Dom grinned at Kel and her heart jumped. Well why shouldn't she like Dom? He was Neal's cousin, Neal wasn't talking to her and Dom was so nice and so like Neal used to be back when they were still talking; absolutely wonderful and completely perfect. "Hi Kel! I heard you and my cousin Meathead have a really bad war going on between you!" Dom joked. He must have noticed Kel's expression because his face suddenly filled with concern and he asked her if she was okay. "I'm fine," Kel lied, "I just felt like a ride that's all." "Me too! Mind if I join you?" Dom asked her. "Not at all! I'd love you to come!" Kel replied honestly.
Five minutes later their horses were saddled and they were galloping in the fields leading into the royal forest. Kel felt so happy and her heart felt so much lighter when she didn't have to talk or think about Neal. She could just have fun and enjoy spending quality time with Dom. They were away for about two hours just talking and laughing and messing around and most of all, having fun! They were riding through the forest. There was a little brook in the forest and the two friends stopped to let the horses drink and to let themselves have a little paddle. Well.it was a little paddle until they started splashing each other a bit and until Dom finally threw Kel into the water fully clothed and she pulled him in after her. They returned to the palace dripping, absolutely soaking and on wet horses. They left the horses stabled comfortably and started off to the servant's door. On their way Dom slipped his hand around Kel's and she thought she would burst. It seemed as if it was only in a friendly way but still - He Was Holding Her Hand!!!
As they were walking down the corridor they bumped into the person Kel least wanted to see: Lord Wyldon. He eyed them with distaste and too late Kel dropped Dom's hand. When he spoke there was controlled rage in his voice. "What may I ask have you been doing?" he said as he eyed them coldly. Kel quailed under his stare and tried to mumble something unsuccessfully but Dom came to her rescue and answered for her. "We were by the brook in the forest Sir and I slipped on a wet rock and grabbed onto Kel.Keladry to steady myself but by accident I pulled her down with me. "Mmm" Wyldon turned the story over in his mind and grunted an o.k. Kel wondered whether he was actually being nice or he just didn't remember that there were no rocks down by the brook! "Well what are you waiting for?! Go and get dried and changed! I thought you'd have the sense to do that without someone telling you!" Wyldon said; cold fury in his every word. "Yes Sir" Kel and Dom both said hurriedly and ran off past the Training Master and down the corridor.
When they reached the parting of the corridors where Dom had to go left and Kel right, Dom gave Kel a quick hug and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Meathead will come 'round, he was just as upset about the fight as you were!" and then he ran off down the way to his room. Kel stared after him for a long moment then suddenly realised she was standing in a puddle of water where she had been dripping and was looking off down an empty corridor and must look absolutely potty! So she ran the rest of the way to her rooms and was welcomed by a concerned Lalasa who was anxious to know what had happened to her friend. When she heard the story she threw her head back and laughed hysterically and only came to her senses when Kel asked if she could get a bath ready for her!
As Kel was relaxing in a tub full of hot, soapy water Lalasa talked to her. "Well I've never had the pleasure of meeting Domitan but he sounds like a lovely person, and very much like his cousin!" she was saying right now. Kel was too happy to get upset at hearing about Neal. She finally had to pull herself out of the tub of water to get dressed and go to the indoor practice courts. She pulled on a light shirt and breeches and went down to the biggest court where she started some warm-up exercises. The court was quite crowded and as she was doing some leg muscle exercises she heard two familiar voices. The first was a cold drawl that sounded extremely like Joren. And the second was a high, excited voice that belonged to Yochi, Chis's brother. They were talking together about Yochi's archery and about the shot that he was about to take. Kel got up and walked over to the direction in which the voices were coming from.
There, as predicted were Yochi and Joren. Yochi was looking up at Joren in admiration and they turned to look at Kel as she approached. Kel took in the scene and Yochi's target and was absolutely dumbfounded. "What the.?" she said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Howzat? Sorry it's so short but I'll write more soon. Bye!!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
As she entered Hoshi's stall and started to rub him down and tack him up, she heard a low, soothing voice coming out of a different stall. It was a voice that Kel knew well. "Dom?" she called out. A head poked up out of the stall adjoining Hoshi's. Dom grinned at Kel and her heart jumped. Well why shouldn't she like Dom? He was Neal's cousin, Neal wasn't talking to her and Dom was so nice and so like Neal used to be back when they were still talking; absolutely wonderful and completely perfect. "Hi Kel! I heard you and my cousin Meathead have a really bad war going on between you!" Dom joked. He must have noticed Kel's expression because his face suddenly filled with concern and he asked her if she was okay. "I'm fine," Kel lied, "I just felt like a ride that's all." "Me too! Mind if I join you?" Dom asked her. "Not at all! I'd love you to come!" Kel replied honestly.
Five minutes later their horses were saddled and they were galloping in the fields leading into the royal forest. Kel felt so happy and her heart felt so much lighter when she didn't have to talk or think about Neal. She could just have fun and enjoy spending quality time with Dom. They were away for about two hours just talking and laughing and messing around and most of all, having fun! They were riding through the forest. There was a little brook in the forest and the two friends stopped to let the horses drink and to let themselves have a little paddle. Well.it was a little paddle until they started splashing each other a bit and until Dom finally threw Kel into the water fully clothed and she pulled him in after her. They returned to the palace dripping, absolutely soaking and on wet horses. They left the horses stabled comfortably and started off to the servant's door. On their way Dom slipped his hand around Kel's and she thought she would burst. It seemed as if it was only in a friendly way but still - He Was Holding Her Hand!!!
As they were walking down the corridor they bumped into the person Kel least wanted to see: Lord Wyldon. He eyed them with distaste and too late Kel dropped Dom's hand. When he spoke there was controlled rage in his voice. "What may I ask have you been doing?" he said as he eyed them coldly. Kel quailed under his stare and tried to mumble something unsuccessfully but Dom came to her rescue and answered for her. "We were by the brook in the forest Sir and I slipped on a wet rock and grabbed onto Kel.Keladry to steady myself but by accident I pulled her down with me. "Mmm" Wyldon turned the story over in his mind and grunted an o.k. Kel wondered whether he was actually being nice or he just didn't remember that there were no rocks down by the brook! "Well what are you waiting for?! Go and get dried and changed! I thought you'd have the sense to do that without someone telling you!" Wyldon said; cold fury in his every word. "Yes Sir" Kel and Dom both said hurriedly and ran off past the Training Master and down the corridor.
When they reached the parting of the corridors where Dom had to go left and Kel right, Dom gave Kel a quick hug and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Meathead will come 'round, he was just as upset about the fight as you were!" and then he ran off down the way to his room. Kel stared after him for a long moment then suddenly realised she was standing in a puddle of water where she had been dripping and was looking off down an empty corridor and must look absolutely potty! So she ran the rest of the way to her rooms and was welcomed by a concerned Lalasa who was anxious to know what had happened to her friend. When she heard the story she threw her head back and laughed hysterically and only came to her senses when Kel asked if she could get a bath ready for her!
As Kel was relaxing in a tub full of hot, soapy water Lalasa talked to her. "Well I've never had the pleasure of meeting Domitan but he sounds like a lovely person, and very much like his cousin!" she was saying right now. Kel was too happy to get upset at hearing about Neal. She finally had to pull herself out of the tub of water to get dressed and go to the indoor practice courts. She pulled on a light shirt and breeches and went down to the biggest court where she started some warm-up exercises. The court was quite crowded and as she was doing some leg muscle exercises she heard two familiar voices. The first was a cold drawl that sounded extremely like Joren. And the second was a high, excited voice that belonged to Yochi, Chis's brother. They were talking together about Yochi's archery and about the shot that he was about to take. Kel got up and walked over to the direction in which the voices were coming from.
There, as predicted were Yochi and Joren. Yochi was looking up at Joren in admiration and they turned to look at Kel as she approached. Kel took in the scene and Yochi's target and was absolutely dumbfounded. "What the.?" she said.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Howzat? Sorry it's so short but I'll write more soon. Bye!!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*