Ten Gold Nobles

Neal emptied his coin purse out on his hand as Merric started a fire. He stared at the coins that added up to only one silver noble and groaned. "Merric," he looked at the man. He was struggling with a piece of damp wood on damp earth. Neal murmured the campfire spell everyone with Gift could cast and the fire sprang to life. Merric toppled over in his surprise. "Merric," Neal said again.

"What?" he answered irritably, examining his hands for burn marks.

"I didn't burn you," Neal told him. He emptied his hand of the coins into Merric's hand. "How much money do you have left?"

Merric whistled lowly. "We need money. I have two copper nobles. I didn't say anything because I assumed you still had money. We have two copper nobles and a silver noble...this won't even buy us more dried fruit or meat."

Neal rolled his eyes. "Don't exaggerate. We can eat maybe one or two more meals between the two of us on that before we go flat out broke."

Two weeks had passed since Neal and Merric last saw Kel and her two kidnappers. They were on their way to Pirate's Swoop from the shore of the Great Inland Sea. They hadn't received any messages from Roald since the one pointing them in the direction of Carthak. In all reality, if the kidnappers were heading to Carthak, they would have gotten there by now. However, Merric and Neal couldn't afford anything but free passage on a ship at that point.

"Well," Neal stroked the fur on Mace's head, the black and white speckled cat purring loudly. "We'll just have to raise the money, Merric."

"Doing what?" Merric wanted to know. Cane flittered over to his shoulder and nestled herself there as he prepared their supper.

"Someone's bound to have to go somewhere. A noble or something. We'll charge a gold noble for every day we have to ride," Neal said.

"That's the most cockeyed idea I've heard come out of your mouth yet, Neal," Merric informed him. He set the stew to cook over the fire. "And you ought to cook supper while we're on the road like this once in a while."

"But you cook so well, Merric," Neal told him. "Besides, as a healer I tend to put healthy things in a stew. I pay for our meals when we stay at the wayhouses and inns anyway. I think it's a fair trade off."

"We don't have any money, Neal," Merric rubbed his temples. He saw a spark of emerald out of the corner of his eye and the pressure in his skull immediately lessened. "Since we don't have any money, you have to cook supper or breakfast every now and then."

"I have an idea," Neal said as soon as Merric stopped talking.

"Another one?" Merric groaned. "As a side note, I feel extremely dirty. There must be a river or stream or pond around here somewhere..."

"I'll make breakfast and you can make supper. Fair enough, right?" Neal suggested.

"Right," Merric agreed skeptically. He stirred the stew and tested it with his finger. "Stew's up."

Neal handed Merric his plate and waited to fill his own plate up. He laid a smaller plate on the ground next to Mace, who promptly woke up and began to eat. Rather than eating, Neal simply pushed the pieces of rabbit meat around in its thick broth.

Merric had gotten halfway through his meal by the time he noticed Neal's unnatural quietness and shook his head. He knew Neal sorely missed Kel, more than Yuki. He never spoke of Yuki, but every conversation they had that didn't concern the journey's supplies revolved around Kel. He took another spoonful of the stew and watched Neal push things around on his plate. "Neal?"

That shook Neal from his stupor. "Hm?"

"Aren't you hungry?" Merric asked skeptically.

"Not particularly, to tell the truth," Neal sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't eat, can't sleep, can't function properly at all..."

Merric rolled his eyes. "Eat up. You need your strength, and quite frankly we don't have the money to spare to cover your current bout of lovers' blues."

"I'm not in love with Kel!" Neal snapped.

Merric leaned back, his eyebrows raised. "I didn't say a word about Kel. Maybe you need to get your ears examined, Neal."

"You didn't say it but I know you were thinking it," Neal grumbled. He angrily shoved a piece of meat into his mouth and chewed, trying to calm his temper. "You didn't say it this time but back at the inn before Clorr's Hill you said it. When I called you sweet on the lady you accused me of being sweet on Kel."

"But you are," Merric murmured, watching Neal eat the rest of his meal in a hurry.

"There's a fief along the coast here somewhere. We can hit the ports and offer our escort services to the first noble who requests it," Neal continued, changing the subject. "Which means we're due south now."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to yet another of your skewed plans," Merric told his companion. "Our price is one gold noble per day's ride?"

"Exactly," Neal nodded, having finished his meal. He picked up Mace's plate, his plate, and Merric's plate. "Get some cherries out of my bags for Cane, will you?"

"Surely," Merric grabbed the bag as Neal hurried off to the stream not too far off. He dug through the bag, grabbing the bag of dried cherries, not noticing he also grabbed another sheet of paper. He dug out two cherries from the bag, knowing that it was probably too much for the small creature, and found the paper falling to the ground.

Merric raised an eyebrow and picked up the paper. The runes from the sword Sacord had made the mage stared back at him. Merric had no idea whatsoever what they meant, or where they were from, until his eye caught the writing in the corner: Abscador Scroll Runes.

It looked as if Neal had tried to translate the runes into phonetics and had succeeded only slightly. He had had no other reference, to Merric's knowledge, until he dropped Neal's bag on his foot after putting the cherries away. He found that a book on magic runes had been ribbon-marked for the page with the runes from a portion of the Abscador Scroll.

"What are you doing?" Neal asked, eyes narrowed. "I asked you to get my sparrow her cherries, not to look through my personal project."

Merric looked guiltily up at Neal, who had already put the dishes back where they came from. "Sorry," he said quietly. "But the paper...it had just fallen out..."

Neal snatched the book and the paper away from Merric. He had come so close to translating the runes, he didn't want anything to get in his way. Then Neal realized he overreacted. "...No, I'm the one who should apologize, Merric. I know you would never riffle through my bags just for the hell of it."

"What are you doing with the Abscador Scroll? Neal, do you know where it is?" Merric inquired.

Neal shook his head. "I'm trying to translate these runes. One of Kel's kidnappers had this inscribed on a sword in Clorr's Hill. I figured that even if it's only the kidnapper's name, at least we can report it to the Lord Provost in Corus, Tyra, and the other capitals. Or perhaps it's a spell. It would explain why and how they all disappeared in the forest in Tusaine."

"It would," Merric agreed. "Do you know who has the Scroll?"

"Think, Merric," Neal told him.

"Oh," Merric sighed. "Kel's kidnappers."

"I wonder where she is," he murmured worriedly. Lines creased on his handsome face.

They cleaned up after that, storing things in their proper places, and taking their shifts guarding the camp. Neal had the sunrise watch, studying the pale golden rays illuminating the trees around them, and remembering the time he last spoke with Kel.

--"Neal!" Kel cried, running up to him and hugging him. "Hey! Good to see you again."

Neal grinned and hugged her back. "Good to see you too. How goes it?"

"Boring," Kel answered. She never failed to speak her mind around him. "But at least I have the chance to help people. How about here? How have things gone since I left?"

"Owen came for a visit a little while ago. He'll take the Ordeal soon...will you be there to watch?" Neal had asked, taking her hands in his as he always did when he discussed important things with her.

"Of course," Kel smiled. Neal felt his heart thump a time or two but dismissed as excitement. "I wouldn't miss Owen's Ordeal for anything."

"Good," Neal hugged her.--

He had just seen her four months ago. Wyldon had dimissed them all just a couple months beforehand, placing them back in the disposal of King Jonathan and Queen Thayet. Owen's Ordeal, Neal thought, would be in just a couple of months. It was summer now, August, the high point of the season. That meant Owen's Ordeal would be in four months.

Merric stirred and woke, Mace scrambling away once the light blanket moved. Neal looked at him and stoked the fire back to life, preparing breakfast for them out of last night's leftovers. Neal didn't go for much in the way of cooking, however, he could get them off to a wonderful start with his healer's materials.

Merric mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over, smashing his nose into the log he had used as a pillow. "Ow," he commented. "This feels rather painful."

"Then move, you dolt," Neal told him, taking a page out of Merric's book in the way of insults.

"I thought you said they stopped using the word 'dolt' when my father was a squire?" Merric inquired.

"Maybe I lied," Neal shrugged. "You forget I'm older than you are."

"Not as old as my father," Merric answered. He rose and stretched, gingerly touching his nose. He peered at Neal's version of breakfast and grimaced. "Leftovers, Neal?"

"You said so last night: we're low on funds," Neal shrugged. "We'll be making our way to ports today, won't we?"

"Yes, yes, we are," Merric sat upon the log he had used for his. "This is another of your harebrained schemes isn't it, Queenscove?"

"Only if you think it's harebrained, Hollyrose," Neal replied. "Owen and Kel would go for it."

"Well they're both mad," Merric scoffed. "Just as you are."

"Aw, Merric," Neal said as he divied up the rest of the leftovers among them. "If I didn't know better I'd say you didn't want to come with me on this trip."

"Well, someone ought to have come along with you on this trip to keep you from getting into too much trouble. Mithros knows Kel's done it often enough," Merric explained as he began to eat. "Who better to accompany the former healer of New Hope in the quest to find Our Fearless Leader than me, the former sergeant-at-arms of New Hope?"

Neal laughed. "Good point," he grinned. He quickly finished off the meal and stacked his dishes next to the fire. "I do the dishes at supper, you should do the dishes at breakfast."

"Fair enough," Merric yawned. He gave his uneaten portions to Mace and quickly washed the dishes.

"I think we should go now if we want to get to a port at a reasonable time," Neal said.

"I think so too," Merric agreed.

***

Port Seadawn bustled noisily, as all ports do, and Neal, Merric, and their cargo struggled to push through the streets.

"This traffic is worse than Corus," Merric griped.

"You just never liked crowds, Hollyrose!" Neal replied, laughing. Merric grumbled and kept pace with his companion. "Look, up there! They've probably just docked...look at the people coming off the ship!"

Neal rushed over and looked through the crowds. "Escorts! Escorts for nobles in need! Only one gold noble a day!"

Merric just mounted his horse and took Neal's own Seiryn by the reins. He shook his head as Neal waved his arms like a madman and yelled that they were escorts with the cheap price of one gold noble a day. However, Merric simply didn't believe his eyes when a noble actually approached them.

"Escorts for a gold noble, you say? Who are you?" she asked. She looked rich and noble, finely dressed with an accent the upper crust of nobility sometimes attained.

"I'm Sir Neal of Queenscove and this is Sir Merric of Hollyrose. We're both knights of His Majesty, King Jonathan," Neal grinned. "You need an escort?"

"Yes," she tipped her nose up in the air, her golden blond curls tumbling over her silk dress. "I need escorts to Fief Magistra in Tortall."

"Merric, the map please," Neal requested, holding his hand out to his friend. While he waited for Merric to dig it out of the saddlebags, he asked her what her name was.

"Duchess Jeraldine of Fief Magistra," she replied curtly. "My father expects me in ten days at the most."

Neal took the map from Merric's hands and traced the trail from Port Seadawn to Fief Magistra. "Hm. Ten days is pushing it, Your Grace."

"Make it work," she huffed. "And where is your carriage?"

"Er, Merric?" Neal looked to Merric.

"I'm off to get one," he sighed and took off in search of a carriage.

"A heh," Neal grinned embarrassedly.

Duchess Jeraldine rolled her eyes and tugged at her small dog's leash. Unfortunately, the small fluffball caught sight of Mace the same time the cat caught sight of the dog. The ball of curly white fur began to growl and bark as Mace growled and hissed.

"Hey!" Neal grabbed Mace and set the yowling cat into the sack hanging off of his saddle horn. He looked apologetically to Duchess Jeraldine and just hoped she would stay escorted by them.

***

Merric had somehow gotten ahold of a carriage, though he wouldn't say exactly how, which made Neal wonder if his usually law-upholding friend had bent some rules to get it. He would ask Merric later, when they didn't have Duchess Jeraldine to transport to Fief Magistra.

"I need to relieve myself," Jeraldine told Neal, who rode next to the carriage on Seiryn. Merric drove the coach.

"Merric," Neal called. "Stop the carriage, Jeraldine needs to 'relieve' herself."

Jeraldine gasped. "Not out in the woods, you fool! Great Mother Goddess, do you know how dirty I would get if I were to--to--"

"Sorry," he answered. "There should be a wayhouse up ahead, we can probably use their privy."

"They had better," she threatened. "If they don't, it will be your head!"

Neal cringed. "Yes, Your Grace."

"How far ahead is this wayhouse?!" Jeraldine thrust her head out of the window, scowling disparagingly at everything. "I don't see it!"

Neal's eye twitched in annoyance. Her voice had begun to grate his nerves now. "Do you see the smoke rising down the road?"

Jeraldine huffed impatiently. "No."

"Look harder, Your Grace, it's there," Neal insisted. Finally, Jeraldine conceded that she did, indeed, see the smoke rising from the wayhouse down the road. "There lies your privy. If you can hold it for just a little while longer..."

"My father is paying you good money to take me to Fief Magistra! You had better get me there and get me there fast!" she pulled back into the carriage, drawing the curtains over the windows.

Neal nudged Seiryn forward, muttering to Merric, "Can you believe this girl? How did I let you talk me into this?"

Merric looked at him, astounded by Neal's twisted outlook on the whole sordid situtation. "I talked you into this ludicrous conspiracy? Mithros, Neal--do you remember the planning of this that way?"

Neal didn't bother to listen to his companion though. "Let's get the horse working double-time, eh, Merric? I want those gold nobles."

The horse drawing the carriage whinnied in protest as Merric urged him faster. He grumbled to himself as Neal turned Seiryn back to his position by Jeraldine's window, should the duke's daughter need anything.

They had hardly covered half of the distance to the wayhouse when Jeraldine screeched that she couldn't hold it any longer. "Get me to the wayhouse--NOW!"

Neal, thinking quickly, opened the carriage door and dismounted. "If you'll come with me, Your Grace, I can get you to the wayhouse faster than the carriage can."

"Get me there NOW, you insolent, foolish little man!" she demanded.

Neal helped the dissenting Jeraldine into Seiryn's saddle, following suit as she once more began complaining. "Hold onto my waist, Your Grace."

She had just begun to protest when Neal grabbed her wrists and flexed her hands together, holding them around his waist as he nudged Seiryn into a canter. He released her hands, feeling them tighten around his waist of their own accord, and hurried them to the wayhouse, Merric trailing behind.

When they reached the wayhouse, Jeraldine tried to dismount by herself and nearly fell off of the mare before Neal stopped her. He alighted from Seiryn and removed Jeraldine as soon as his feet hit the ground. He led her inside the wayhouse, requested use of the privy for Her Grace Lady Jeraldine, and was promptly shown the way.

Neal stood ten feet from the privy as Jeraldine relieved herself, watching Merric and the carriage come to a rest in front of the inn minutes after they had arrived. Jeraldine came puffing out of the privy and stormed over to Neal, a spark of fury in her eyes. His own eyes went wide, not recalling what he did to upset the woman and desperately racking his mind for the incident. "Y-Your Grace?" he stammered.

"Carriage. Now. Next wayhouse we see, we sleep. Understand?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

***

Merric and Neal shared a room next to Jeraldine, who had demanded her own room.

"This was a terrible idea," Merric grumbled to Neal as he changed into his night clothes. "We're knights for the love of Mithros, Neal! We don't have to *cart* foolish, intolerable duke's daughters around!"

"But we need money," Neal argued. Cane chirped her agreement, having hid in the saddlebags for most of the trip due to Jeraldine's reprimanding.

Mace curled up on Merric's bed, purring as the bed's inhabitant crawled inside. "I know we need the money. But why couldn't we have just slayed a monster for some town in need and reaped the benefits? I hate dealing with nobility like this!"

"Well buck up, Merric. This is it." Neal turned his back to Merric as he climbed in bed. "Besides. Magistra isn't that far away."

"Do you even know where we are?"

"Vaguely."

Merric sighed and extinguished the candle sitting on the bedside table.

***

After two more days of Jeraldine's whining, Merric felt about ready to abandon Neal and all of his cockeyed ideas. However, he didn't have to search for his oppurtunity. They passed a gentleman on the road who stopped them to ask directions. In exchange for their directions, he gave them another map, saying it led to a valuable treasure. After that, they never saw him again. Merric had thought the man to be a little more than slightly mad, but had accepted the map, much preferring coins over it, but had accepted it nonetheless.

When Neal offered to switch Merric's horse for Seiryn and to drive the carriage, Merric welcomed the change. Although he thought he may have to put up with more of Jeraldine's whining closer to her window, he could at least have a change of pace from the bumpier ride of the carriage. After he and Neal made the switch, he pulled out the map from his saddle bag and noticed in the key the same runes from the piece of paper he had found in Neal's bags.

"The Abscador Scroll...incredible," he murmured. Somewhere near Trebond sat the Scroll's location. Merric grinned, the perfect excuse to distance himself from the insolent woman they escorted to Magistra. He nudged his mount up even with Neal and informed him, "This map says where the Abscador Scroll lies, Neal. I've been ordered by Prince Roald to retrieve the Abscador Scroll, so I'll have to break away as soon as we reach different paths."

Neal stared at Merric in bewilderment. "I beg your pardon, Merric?"

"Tomorrow I'll have to leave to get the Abscador Scroll," he reiterated. "I'm sorry Neal, but orders are orders, especially from Prince Roald."

Neal shook his head disbelievingly. "If you say so, Merric. But I thought you wanted to rescue Kel too?"

"I do, Neal, I really do--it's just..." he glanced behind him warily and said softly as he could, "I can't stand another day with that woman, and I figure that if I get the Abscador Scroll while you take her to Magistra we could meet back up at the same place and our funds will not only replenish themselves but we'll have one of our two objectives out of the way."

Neal considered Merric's logic. "All right. Where is the Abscador Scroll?"

"Up north by Trebond," he answered. "Magistra's about the same length away, fortunately."

"I see," Neal nodded. "Well, I guess we had better make the rest of today count then, eh Merric?"

"I suppose," Merric yawned. It was only three in the afternoon but Merric felt exhausted. Secretly, he felt he had done more work than Neal on this entire trip, but didn't say anything. He didn't have to, because Jeraldine yelled for one of them to come to her window. She had to use the privy again, and she didn't want to sit in the carriage anymore. "We can stop for a little rest at the inn when we get there," Merric answered her pleas. "I promise."

Jeraldine actually quieted, blushing at Merric's intense gaze. She nodded and said, "As you say, Sir Merric."

Neal didn't believe his ears as much as Merric didn't. A sense of pride swelled in Merric's chest at having tamed the beast momentarily, and he didn't feel so jaded anymore.

When they stopped at the inn, Jeraldine used the privy and then began to converse with Merric while Neal walked over to talk with some older knights on the other side of the room. "I know I've been a handful, Sir Merric," she said quietly. "I apologize."

Caught off-guard, Merric just nodded dumbly and said, "You haven't caused too much trouble."

"I heard you talking to Sir Neal earlier this afternoon," Jeraldine continued, heedless of Merric's response. "I hear you talk about how much you dislike me every night, and I know you don't particularly like me...but you see, Sir Merric, I have been taught never to just keep my mouth shut and accept things for face value. I have been taught to always try and obtain whatever I need and to never settle for second-best. So I apologize for causing you so much pain and so much annoyance. I try not to irritate you. You just seem to have more of a temper than Sir Neal."

Before Merric could stop himself, he replied, "No, Neal just doesn't understand half of the world. He's so blinded by his desire to find Kel that--" he suddenly realized what he said. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I meant no disrespect--"

Jeraldine waved it off, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "No reason to apologize, Sir Merric. I have caused trouble, not you."

"Right," he nodded. "If you insist on saying that. Apology accepted, by the way."

"If you and Sir Neal wish to leave, I will go too. I miss my father, truth be told," Jeraldine admitted.

Merric nodded. "Your Grace--"

"Lady Jeraldine will do, Sir Merric," she corrected. "If it wouldn't shock everyone I would have you simply call me 'Jeraldine.'"

"Lady Jeraldine," he agreed. "I have to leave tomorrow. I won't come back for the rest of your journey to Magistra. Prince Roald has comandeered me for another purpose."

"I understand," Jeraldine said quietly, her voice betraying her disappointment in losing Merric from their journey.

"Neal!" Merric called.

"Present," Neal called back, trotting over after bidding the older knights a quick farewell.

"Let's go. Lady Jeraldine wishes to leave," Merric gave his companion and shove on the back and watched him stumble towards the door.

"Pushy pushy," Neal muttered, leading the way out to the carriage. Merric held the door open for Jeraldine on both accounts, attaining a new respect for the Duke of Magistra's daughter, only three years younger than him. "Everyone ready?"

"Yes," Merric and Jeraldine answered at the same time.

"Let's roll."

***

That evening, Merric stood in the back of the wayhouse they stayed at, sipping at a cup of brandy in his hand as he looked up to the stars and moon, the map leading him to the Abscador Scroll rolled up in his free hand that balanced on his hip.

"Sir Merric?" said a quiet voice.

He looked over his should and offered Jeraldine a small smile. "It's late, Lady. You should be sleeping."

She returned the smile sadly and shook her head. "I find myself unable to sleep."

"Something on your mind?" Merric asked her, taking a gulp of his brandy.

"Yes, actually," she confessed, joining him in his upward gaze, standing next to him, a whole head shorter.

"Want to talk about it?" he inquired, setting his cup on the ground and looking down at her.

"I don't want you to leave, Merric," she told him quietly, dropping his title.

Startled, he raised an eyebrow. "Why not, Lady?"

She finally dropped her gaze from the night sky and looked up at him, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Because I'm inexplicably drawn to you. I don't understand it much myself...that's part of why I'm so rude to you most of the time. I didn't want you to come to that revelation. But...now you're leaving...and...Merric, please don't go!" she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Muffled by tears, she repeated her plea, "Please don't go."

Merric felt totally stunned. He had no idea how to react to this. Think, Merric! he yelled at himself. What should you do? You need to do something. Oh, hells. She's looking at you with those wide, save-me eyes. Mithros. Goddess...what are you doing?!

Instead of saying something comforting, or gently telling Jeraldine that he didn't feel the same way, Merric kissed her.

Standing there in the moonlight, Jeraldine had looked beautiful and innocent. She had pinned back her golden curls so they tumbled, invitingly soft, over her shoulders and back, the stars and firelight illuminating her large eyes. He still didn't understand what had overcome him, only knowing that when his lips had met hers, he felt a spark of something. He had no idea what the spark was, he had never felt it before, but he felt desperate to hold onto it.

Somehow, Merric felt he had just signed his soul to the devil.

When he pulled away, both of them struggled to catch their breath. He found that he had wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and she had griped his shirt tightly. Jeraldine's lips had swelled from the intense pressure and she stared at him, surprised but not repulsed. She searched his eyes for something.

Merric had shocked himself by acting so rashly and hoped he hadn't done something horrible. For once though, he found himself not caring whether or not he had done the right thing. He smiled down at her, and she returned the smile, meeting his lips for a gentler kiss this time.

***

Neal woke in the morning to find Cane and Mace both on his bed and Merric's empty, as if he had never slept in it.

"Merric?" he asked groggily, rubbing his bleary eyes. "Cane, Mace--where's Merric?"

Cane cheeped at him in confusion and exasperation while Mace just purred.

"You're no help," he grumbled, rising to his feet and cleaning off his face and hands. He ran his wet hands through his hair and quickly dressed himself. He calmly walked next door and rapped on the door, finding it opened by a naked Jeraldine covered only by a blanket. "Er...Your Grace...we seem to have lost Mer..." he stopped his sentence as he saw Merric's mussed head peer out from under the blankets on the bed. "...Right...I'll...go downstairs...and eat breakfast...if you don't...you don't mind."

Jeraldine shut the door wordlessly, leaving a stunned Neal to his thoughts.

***

Neal ate quickly and traipsed back up to his room. He quickly packed up his things, wondering when Merric would pull himself from the black widow grasp of Jeraldine of Magistra. He knew that Merric would have to move quickly if he didn't want to lose the Abscador Scroll, and a thought occured to him: maybe having lied with Jeraldine would make his friend stay for the rest of the journey?

Hmph, Neal thought defensively. *Sold himself out to a woman. The kingdom in exchange for a woman's embrace. Bah. He should search for Kel with me! Mithros, why can't he love Kel like I do? That thought made Neal stand up straight. "Like I do?" he whispered to himself. "What the hell?"

The door to their room opened and a sleepy, but giddy, Merric stepped through. "Good morning, Neal!"

"Good morning indeed," he murmured, slowly stooping down to cinch closed his saddlebag. He realized Merric had waltzed back in and had actually started whistling in merriment and narrowed his eyes, looking much like a distempered horse. "Gee, did you have a nice sleep?"

"Sleep? Slept like a baby," Merric answered, washing his face off in their basin. "How about you?"

Neal rolled his eyes and shoved Merric's saddlebag at him. "If you don't leave now you won't make it to the wayhouse by sundown."

"I think I'll wait until you a Jeri leave." He took the saddlebag for Neal and set it on the bed. He scratched Mace on the head and said hello to Cane.

"Whatever you say," Neal grabbed his saddlebags, patted his leg to signal Mace and Cane to come to him, and left the room with the two animals.

Merric just raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

***

Neal witnessed the tender farewell between Merric and Jeraldine as he separated from them for the road to Trebond. As he left, Jeraldine sniffed tearfully and turned away from the window. Neal, in his dark cloud of anger and longing for his Kel, didn't notice Kel's two kidnappers ride by until Kel shouted his name.

"Neal!"

Neal's head snapped up. "Kel!" he yelled as he launched himself from the seat of the carriage onto Seiryn's back, unhooking the carriage from his mare and riding her bareback after them. Jeraldine, frightened, hid under the seat of the carriage as he took off.

He closed in on the kidnappers, who had dismissed Kel's outburst as temporary madness. Neal drew his sword from its sheath and urged Seiryn faster.

He ran one of the kidnappers through.

The man fell from his horse.

"Neal!" Kel shouted again. "Neal, behind you!"

Neal whirled and cut off the second kidnapper's hand as he tried to bring it down on Neal's head.

In his confusion and pain, the last kidnapper took off on his horse without taking Kel. She looked at Neal gratefully and attempted to dismount but fell off, yelping as she hit the ground.

"Kel!" Neal scrambled from his horse and knelt next to her, gently helping her to her feet. "Kel..." he ripped his dagger from its hilt and cut the bindings from her hands and the gag around her neck. "Goddess, Kel...I thought I would never find you..."

Kel rubbed her wrists gingerly, smiling at him lacklusterly. "Thank you. You shouldn't have been so reckless though--honestly, Neal! Coming out here alone! You know better than that!"

"I...I wasn't alone for the majority of the trip, Kel," Neal protested, helping her to her feet. "In fact, Merric was with me until about ten minutes ago."

Kel almost collapsed the moment he took his arm away from her. In less than a second his arm was around her again, and his hand at her forehead, an emerald green light filtering into her and supplying her strength. "Mithros," he murmured. "Didn't they feed you?"

"No," Kel sighed.

"Well, come on. I'll take you back to the carriage."

"Carriage?"

"Long story. You can sit up front with me and I'll explain."

"All right."

And she fainted in his arms, despite the strength he had been filtering into her.