Well, here I am. I'm gonna be quick, just get to the fic.
Reviewers rock my world. Monkeys too.
Keita- Thanks!!
6-a-opal- Well, they do meet in the next chapter, but after that they have an adventure together too. And like I said earlier- Kalea's a "mixed" Bazhir. Half Bazhir, half Tortallian. Check chapter 2.
Ana- Was that good or bad??
Lady Katherine Heartspark- *bashes head on computer* Sorry!!! I hate it when people get my name wrong, especially since my real name is a bit confusing. And for the beta- my sister betaed (??) my last fic, but she quit on this one. If there's anyone reading this, and who wants to beta, please contact me. Thanks for the suggestion.
Like I said above, if anyone wants to beta this fic for me, I would love it. Thanks.
No disclaimer today, since I'm feeling lazy. Sorry.
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Kalea half remembered crying herself to sleep on the horse's back, with an arm slung around her waist to keep her up. She was now awake, but was no longer on any horse's back.
She bolted up, eyes wide and taking in the scene around her. She was definitely in a wagon, judging from the rocking and shape of the space around her. Another thing she noticed immediately was that she was surrounded by bodies. Filling up the small space in the wagon were about 15 children, all around the ages of 5-15, excluding a small baby held by a girl of 13 or so. Some of the children looked at her tiredly, then closed their eyes again. Kalea looked around again, then noticed a red-haired man sitting on a stool in a corner. He smiled slightly, put a finger over his lips, motioning to the piles of sleeping children.
Where am I? Kalea mouthed.
Later, he mouthed back. He flapped a hand at her, obviously meaning to settle down and sleep.
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Tallys had made it to the town by midday. The attack had been at night, then she had woken in the morning. Tear marks stained her face. She looked exhausted.
As soon as she reached the village, she ignored the stares she drew, and broke for her Aunt's house. When she reached it, she pounded twice on the oak door.
"Come in," said the cracked voice of Auntie. Tallys wasn't related to her, but everyone in the small village of Forest Town called her Aunt.
Tallys burst in. "Auntie!!"
Aunt's worn down face crinkled merrily when she saw Tallys. Then her tattered eyebrows pulled together in a frown as she saw the tears. "What's wrong, dearest??" She pulled off a few old shawls to let Tallys into her lap.
"They're gone. All of them. Dead," she sobbed into Aunt's shoulder.
"Your family?"
Tallys slowly nodded.
"Oh dear….It's the rebels that were passing through yesterday…"
Tallys just sniffed.
Auntie slowly stood up and eased Tallys to another comfy chair. "I'll be back soon."
And with that, she walked slowly out the door, her old body bent from the effort.
Tallys buried her head under a pillow and cried.
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Nerina was found by two fishermen on the banks of the deadly river Drell the early the next morning.
"Whut shou' we do wi' 'er?" asked one to the other.
"Duh, block 'ead!!"
"Well, wha'?"
"Th' rich ol' merchant family, up th' rivah. They whas killed, an' their likkle girl, she's'a missin'. This is 'er."
"Oi, you're a smar' one. So whaddah we do whi' 'er?"
"Doy, idiut. We bring'er to the town, they's taken a buncha refugee childs to tha' camp up north."
"Loike I says, you's a smar' one."
(A/N- my spell checker went nuts on this section…)
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Tallys sat on her horse, called Paulette by the knight riding on "Georgette" beside her. Ugh. Calling a horse Paulette, let alone Georgette, was cruelty to animals ….
The man, recruited by a more-than-stern Auntie, was taking her to a so called "refugee camp" a day's ride southeast of Forest Town.
A tear rolled down Tallys' face. Was that what she was? A refugee?
The knight looked over. He was not a particularly smart man, having gotten hit several times on the head while training for knighthood. Even in that case, the knight had enough since to not ask Tallys about her family.
"So, what's your favorite kind of food?"
Tallys winced. This was going to be a long ride.
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Kalea was woken by the red haired man from earlier at somewhere around twilight.
"Everyone awake!! We'll make camp here!!"
Kalea rolled out of the wagon, like all the other children. As the red haired man go out, she noticed that 2 other men were there- all wore the badges of knights. Kalea's eyes widened. These were real knights.
"All right, kids to the side, men set up camp. Merric, take kid duty again, Owen, you're cooking, and I'll set up the tents," one of the knights said.
As the children settled down on the dirt to one side of the small clearing, Kalea strode up the sulking Merric.
"Where are we, who are you, who are they, and where are we going?" Kalea demanded.
The tall knight gave her a mock grin. "We're just south of the Great Road East, I'm Merric of Hollyrose, 'they' are other refugee children, unless you are talking about my less than considerate knight buddies over there, Owen of Jesslaw and Faleron of King's Reach."
"And WHERE the hell are we going?"
"Duh. The refugee camp."
Kalea gritted her teeth. No one said 'duh' to Kalea of the Bloody Hawk. She thought about dealing Sir Merric of Hollyrose a kick in the you-know-where, but then just turned around to sit down.
"I'll get him later."
The rest of the evening was less than enjoyable, except for Owen, a very funny man who did his best to keep the children in order with his comical clumsiness. The dinner was all right, Kalea's part wasn't burned, which was more than half the others could say. The tent was crowded, and in the morning everyone piled back in the wagon, and, to Kalea's horrible dislike, headed north.
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There you are. Next chappie up next weekend or the one after that. Maybe with more reviews, it'll be up next weekend…In other words, please review.
:0)
~ladyknight
