A Meeting of Houses
Act IX - Scouting Mission Gone Awry

Jaelawyn Noble [ Jaelawyn@attbi.com ]

Disclaimer: Love 'em, dun own 'em.
Warnings:
Rating: R
Pairing: Lerant/Keladry, Roald/Shinkokami, Buri/Raoul
Summary: Kel is in an arranged marriage. Only, it's at the brink of the war with Scanra. Kel is a Knight - and has to follow the king's orders. Will she learn to love her future husband, as they fight together? Or is everything just doomed to forever be something you cannot fight?
Archive:
Feedback: 'm a whore for it.
Notation: Originally a lemon. You can find that version here.

~

"All right. How much supplies has Raoul requested?" Alanna asked Gary. She had come back when Neal had been injured, and had therefore been ordered to attend meetings. She wasn't too pleased with sitting in on this "planning" meeting. But, as a part of war council, she had to do this. Jonathan was with Kalasin, arguing over her marriage and all that good shit. A new prince or king - or some type of royalty - was coming and Kalasin was not in the mood. Alanna almost pitied Jonathan.

Of course, after that kiss, she tried to avoid being alone with him. She just didn't know what to make of the kiss. It wasn't just a friendly kiss... Alanna's mind was trying to analyze every detail of the kiss. Why had Jonathan kissed her? Did she enjoy it, after her first reaction of shock and panic? Why couldn't he have just left things as they were? Did he still love her? Had he forgotten about Thayet? about his children?

"Alanna?" Gary asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Hunh?" she asked, a note of panic in her voice. Her violet eyes were wide.

Myles, Duke Gareth, and the Lord Provost were sitting at the table. A few moments ago they hadn't been there. They all had piles of maps, plans, letters, and lists. Obviously they were there to help her and Gary. Jonathan was still with his daughter, probably. Kalasin was very stubborn. The afore mentioned three were watching her, eyes shadowed with worried.

"Are you all right, my dear?" asked Duke Gareth softly.

"I'm fine, your Grace," Alanna said, ducking her head as she answered. "Just... Wondering what's going to happen come the next few months. The war hasn't even started, and already we seem to be in trouble."

"We shall get through it," the Provost said in his blunt way. "We'll show those... Bastards that they can't mess with Tortall and come away unscathed!" He slammed his fist down on the table, making some of the cups jingle.

Alanna smiled, eyes crinkling with mirth. Trust the Provost - named the Old Demon by many thieves, and for a good reason - to be that energetic. He was at least over sixty-years of age, but he was still as energetic as anyone in their twenties. Her smile slowly faded as she thought about a letter she had gotten from Raoul.

"Myles... What do we know about these metal things? George says the thie--" she looked at the Provost who only grinned and nodded. Alanna was surprised. So he knew George was a less than honest noble? That he still was the King of the Thieves. Well, that would be something to ponder when she had the time. "George says the Scanran thieves aren't stealing anything. It seems their Council of Ten is setting those metal monsters all over their country and ours."

"Maggur is very smart," Myles said softly. He sighed, "We have the metal contraption, but haven't a clue as to how it works. If we could get one that was working... Or even the full story about the one we have..." He looked very thoughtful, "Has Keladry left for the North yet?"

Alanna shook her head. "She leaves with the supplies and replacements in a few weeks. Once we can gather what Raoul has asked for, that is..."

"Good," Myles said, bridging his fingers. He got up abruptly and left to go find a servant. He returned a few minutes later, a confused Kel behind him. "Please, have a seat, Keladry." So, sat she did.

"Do not worry, my dear," said Duke Gareth kindly. "You are not in trouble. We only wish to ask you about that... Metal contraption you and Third Company brought down."

Keladry visibly relaxed. Alanna sighed, looking away and sitting back in her chair. She wouldn't be needed to question Keladry. Let the others worry about that. She, herself, had far too many other things on her mind. Specifically a dark-haired man who had kissed her not to long ago. Why had he done it? Alanna could have cried in vexation and fear. For, yes, she was afraid.

Afraid of him.

~

Lerant read the letter he had just received from Kel. He smiled softly and then went to go find Dom and Raoul. He found the two in the mess hall. Dom had a bowl of black bean soup all over him, and the bowl on his head. Raoul looked at the Sergeant with obvious amusement. Flyndon was sitting down, head in his hands, muttering darkly to himself.

Lerant frowned at the two. "What happened?" he asked with suspicion.

Dom pointed at Raoul, his blue eyes sulky and angry. "He did."

"We were having a simple debate on which food was the sloppiest. He said his chicken was sloppier than my soup. So, I proved him wrong." Raoul grinned wickedly and stuck his thumbs in his breeches pockets.

Lerant shook his head. "I'm quoting Kel on this, my lord. 'You are a very bad man.'"

"Oh, I do know it!" Raoul said happily.

"What brings you here, Lerant?" Flyn asked, glaring at the one covered in food and the one grinning like a psychopath.

Lerant held up the letter. "Kel's coming back up with supplies and reinforcements. From what she says here, 'Two Rider squads, a squad or so of knights and - if they have any - their squire... And also a thirty-man replacement from the Fifth Company. We should be there a few days to Midsummer.'"

"How much in the way of supplies?" Flyn asked.

Lerant scanned the letter quickly. "She says around four or ten."

"That's Kel for you," Raoul said, grinning. "Anything else she says?"

"Yea, she told me to tell Dom she's bringing a 'shukusen' with her. I think it's a warning to be good, Dom."

"What's a she-ken-sun?" Dom asked, taking the bowl off his head, and getting the towel someone had fetched him.

"Shoe-coo-seyn," Lerant corrected. "It's a lady's fan. Yamani. It's that steel contraption Neal got from Yukimi."

"Oh!" Dom said, eyes showing knowledge of the spoken object. "Those are those pretty fans that slice poles like sausage, right? All the Yamani ladies have them, or so I believe."

Lerant nodded. "They're about as deadly as a glaive. If not even more so."

Raoul smiled cheerfully. "Yes, and it's catching on in Tortall as well. Her Majesty and Princess Kalasin both want one. Buri and Alanna just want those glaives."

"Of course," Buri said, popping up behind them all. "Glaives are a good all-purpose weapon. Alanna just wants it instead of those wooden pikes... Which makes a lot more sense. The enemy won't see it coming."

"True... Very true," Raoul said, stroking his chin. He had a far away look in his eyes that meant he had suddenly gotten hit with a brilliant idea.

Buri stared at Dom, her face confused, her eyes slightly slit. "What?" he asked, looking at her.

"Why are you covered with soup and beans?"

~

When Kel arrived, about four days till Midsummer, most of Third Company was tending to their recent wounds. The Scanrans had just attacked Northwatch only a matter of minutes before Kel and the others had arrived. It was a good thing that they had come with the supplies when they did. They were welcomed with shout of relief.

Kel walked into the Healers' section of Northwatch, whacking her slender - and regular! - Yamani lady fan into her palm. She saw Dom and automatically walked over to him. The fan was open now, and she whacked it closed on the top of his head.

"Ow!" he cried out in pain. Pain from the fan cracking on the crown of his head and the pain he got when the healer poked him in the side. "What was that for?" he cried out.

"That," Kel said, once again whacking the fan into the palm of her hand, "was for getting hurt. Didn't I tell you to behave?"

"Yea - Lerant passed it on... I'm just very glad that wasn't one of those steel thingies the Lilies use."

Kel looked amused. "I have one of those, too. You'll get a dose of that one, only later. When you're out of the Healers and nicely healed. That way I can send you back to them," she said too cheerfully for Dom's taste.

"Yea, yea, yea..." Dom muttered, wincing as the healer once again probed the wound. "Go find Lover-boy..." She glared at him and once again whacked him with the fan. She turned on her heel and left. The next person she ran into was Buri.

She grinned. "Well met, Kel! Come with me; Raoul will be wanting the news of Corus."

Kel smiled. "That'll be easy. Lady Alanna gave me a letter to give to my lord."

Buri chuckled. "Is Jon still driving her out of her mind?"

"I believe so," Kel said, laughter lighting her hazel eyes up.

Buri steered her into a large room. It was like the Council room in Corus, only it was much brighter and it looked more inviting. The long, large, and wide oak table was strewn with maps, lists, names, tokens, diagrams, and other various instruments. The various squad leaders and officers of rank sat or stood around the table. On a smaller table, set against the wall, fruit, water and wine had been set out. The windows were wide open, but no breeze came through. it was hot, but not as hot as it could be.

Flyn, Raoul, and other squad leaders greeted the two women with welcome. Lerant, tipping back in his chair, grinned at Kel. It was quite obvious that the men of Third Company had missed their personal lady squire. Many of them knew what Kel could do and valued her for it; others liked her just for her being female. Kel would divulge that it was rather sexist of them men, but Buri said they behaved better for it if they saw a woman.

"What news have you brought us, Lady Knight?" Raoul said, grinning.

"The official start of the war," Kel said, smile leaving her face. Those six little words cleared away any joy or - really - any happy emotion anyone had been feeling. Raoul, who had been standing, sat down.

"So Jon declared war?" Raoul asked softly.

Kel nodded and handed Raoul an envelope that dripped wax and ribbons. The seals of the King, the Council, King's Champion, Naxen as advisors, and various other seals. Then, on another piece of parchment was, mage signatures dripped all over the page. "They declared it the day we left," she said softly. "His Majesty is pulling all of the troops that aren't needed in the south, east, and west to the north. He's assigning various groups of the Guard here and near the other forts."

Flyndon hissed softly. "So it's official now? The war has begun?"

Kel nodded, eyes shadowed. "We can do whatever we want to the Scanrans. If we take prisoners, we can kill them. Use any means to get information," she said softly.

Raoul looked at Kel. "We have full reign to do whatever we want to the scum, hm?" He exchanged glances with Flyn. "Wonder who gave that 'go ahead.'"

"Most likely Naxen," Aiden said.

"Yea, but which one?" Volorin asked.

"His Grace, most likely," Raoul said while Kel took a seat next to Lerant. "Gary is more interested in his papers than in junta."

"That is actually very true," Buri murmured, pouring herself some wine. "Gary is the philosophical type, not the warrior type. Duke Gareth is the warrior of the Naxen clan."

Raoul nodded. The mood in the room had gone from light and cheerful to dark and heavy. A new weight had settled over them all. Many of the men that were fighting were going to want revenge to the fullest extent. Once they heard that the military had full rule over what happened, they'd be in rapture. No one loved the Scanrans - not in the least.

~

Later that night, Raoul was passing the length of his room. Buri sat on the bed, watching him.

"Stop it, you're giving me a headache," said Buri softly. "No one thought we'd have the choice on whether someone lived or died outside the battlefield."

"It's not that Buri," Raoul said, sitting down, scrubbing his face with his hands. "This is more than just some moral dilemma. True, we have the choice to choose whether this man or that man gets to live. Even if they are Scanrans - no one deservers to have the choice of torture."

Buri kissed him. "Hush, love. Things will work out in the end. We just won't take any prisoners. Or, if we do, send them straight to Myles and Corus."

Raoul looked at her, his eyes looking haunted. Buri knew he'd seen things that would scare her cold. Alanna and various other hard core warriors had the same haunted look every now and then. She sighed, taking his face in her hands. "Lover, look at me." He raised his eyes to hers, the darkness still there. She kissed him softly. "What can I do to stop this melancholy of yours?"

Raoul held her closely. She knew that inside he was shaking like a terrified little boy. She knew she should play mother to him, but she couldn't. Her plans for the night melted away to nothing except staying with her love and trying to comfort him. She scooted up the bed. Raoul did the same, his strong arms wrapping around her and holding her close. They didn't need to speak; they needed just to be near someone in silence.

They would talk when they needed too. Maybe it was the fact that Raoul had been through so much, was so carefree... But he stood on a support of three things:

Job
Love
Friends

~

"A scouting mission?" Lerant asked.

Raoul nodded. "Both you and Kel are perfect for this. Both of you know how to be invisible in the woods. You both know stealth, have wits, and can work together."

Kel nodded. "Works for me," she said. "And it makes a lot of sense."

"Now... Wait a moment, Raoul," Flyn said. "The two are betrothed. What makes you think they won't be doing something else while suppose to be doing their job?"

"Ah, Flyn! You worry too much!" Dom said, grinning. "Kel and Lerant would never do a thing like that! Sometimes they may be sorely tempted to strangle each other, but it makes no difference." Lerant and Kel tipped back in their chairs while Raoul, Buri, Dom, and Flyn all argued.

"Hm... Sounds like Flyn thinks we might forget the task and get a little 'randy' and have some fun," Lerant said, smirking. "Not a bad idea, I tell you."

Kel choked. "What?" she asked, trying to stop laughter before it even stared.

He looked at her innocently. "What?" he asked, blinking his eyes and looking so innocent that Kel burst out laughing. After a few moments, Lerant joined her in laughter. The four adults looks at them, shook their heads and went back to yelling at each other. After around twenty or so minutes of arguing, Raoul and Dom had won - Kel and Lerant would scout out the border. So, a few hours later they sat in a tree on a branch that could fit at least one wagon full of supplies comfortably. It was one of those old oak tree that were wide, fat, thick, and rather comfortable to sleep in.

They were chatting softly about this and that. Their minds only half on the conversation. They slightly touched the topic of the wedding.

Lerant pulled out of his daze and grinned wickedly. Kel was sitting on the branch next to him, swinging her legs and looking bored. His fingers began to play with the pendant she had given him the morning he had left Corus; his mind lingered on the thought of the kiss she had given him. It seemed to him that it was time to pay her back for that kiss. He smirked and took a leaf off of a twig near his thigh. He flicked it under her ear and the base of her neck. She shivered and turned, to ask him to stop. He grinned sweetly, gabbed her face and kissed her deeply. When he let her go, she was gasping in shock.

"Lerant!" she squeaked.

He chuckled. "Payback," he said, smirking even more.

"For what?" she demanded.

[CENSORED]

Slowly they pulled away from each other. A light summer breeze drifted over them, making them shiver with their skin that still was warm. The air was what made the two hurry into their clothing. That, and the approaching sounds of people.

"Shit..." Lerant cursed, his hand still holding Kel's, fingers entwined.

Kel pulled out the spy glass from her belt and put it to her eye. "Scanrans," she confirmed.

Lerant held her closely. "Wait until their closer to us. We'll drop in on them."

She moved closer to Lerant. "There aren't that many of them," she murmured.

"Good," Lerant said, satisfied. "We can handle them then. No need to call for a squad to come."

Kel nodded, putting a finger to her lips in the signal to hush. Lerant looked at her, confused. She pointed down below them at the blond Scanrans who were creeping through the woods. The two of the simultaneously reached for their bows and arrows. They both took aim at the two archers in the front and shot.

Their arrows flew true.

They took aim again, and again. Each time, their arrows hitting their mark.

"That's only five," Kel murmured softly. "There were at least fifteen." Then the tree shook.

"And there would be the other four," Lerant said, grabbing hold of the old tree.

"Knock it down," came the sharp order of a man. "Get the spies down here."

"Yea..." Kel muttered. "But where are the other eleven?"

"Ready?" Lerant asked, putting his bow and quiver on his back. He check to make sure all his weapons and clothing were tightly tied on.

Kel nodded, doing the same check. "On the count of three."

"One..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

The two jumped down from the tree. Kel went into a high kick she had learned in the Islands, as Lerant landed in a roll. He drew his sword as Kel's foot hit her target straight in the throat, crushing his windpipe. Lerant sliced about him with his sword, wounding and killing as many Scanrans as he could get to. When Kel rolled to her feet, she reached to her glaive to have someone smack it out of her hand. Not having any weapons close to her body, she resorted to Shang.

Lerant counted in his head the number of Scanrans Keladry had seen: five archers, four pike-men, and eleven sword fighters. The archers were dead and the pike men had fled. So, this must be the eleven swordsmen. Lerant killed his opponent quickly and looked around. Kel had just smashed the nose of a man, sending bone shards into his brain, with the heel of her palm.

The man fell to the ground dead, and no one else made a move to attack them. Lerant looked around confused as Kel pushed her bangs out of her eyes. Lerant quickly totaled the rest, there were nine left.

"Where's the rest of them?" she gasped, grabbing her glaive.

"Right here!" a spidren hissed, dropping down on Kel. She yelled and beheaded the thing, it's acid-like blood spilling on her arm and burning through a few layers of her skin. She hissed in pain, her blood flowing down her arm in a river.

Lerant was ambushed by two Scanran swordsmen. One scored on him, their blade sinking into his calf muscle. There was immense pain as Lerant's leg collapsed under his weight. He swore violently. "It's a nest!" he called to Kel, who had just killed a redheaded Scanran in the back. Her glaive had sunk in and she had yanked, his spine was now showing through the skin.

"Great! Just what we needed!" she moaned. She rolled over to where Lerant was, killing a spidren who was on his way to hack Lerant's head off. "You guard my back, I'll guard yours," she whispered to him as they leaned against each other, back to back.

Lerant nodded. "Agreed."

"This should be easssssssy prey," a spidren hissed.

"Think again!" Kel snarled, beheading the monster while also getting a Scanran in the gut. The spidren's acid blood sprayed on her hand; she hissed, the pain overwhelming.

As Lerant got cut in his upper arm, he remarked, "You know... This is not going to be fun to get out of. We're out numbered."

Kel grinned wickedly, whipping her glaive around her, killing three enemies at once. "Bring it on."

Lerant smirked and finished the last Scanran off. "I couldn't have put it better myself..."