Chapter Three

Setting Out

Her hands clenched, and crescent moons appeared in her palms.

"How is the King?" George asked Alanna who shook her head in response. She looked around before she began in a low voice.

"Not well." But everything seemed far away to Kel. She was so wrapped up in her anger she barely heard Alanna calling her name. When she awoke from the rage she couldn't believe she had lost control of her emotions so easily, "Kel?" Alanna looked distressed; a look she was gaining quite frequently nowadays.

"Alanna," Kel's voice was breathy, "sorry."

"Kel are you okay?" Dom inquired.

"Yeah, fine," she smiled and truly the dizziness was fading. "Just a little dizzy. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure, do you want to lie down or…" she stopped Alanna with the shake of a head.

"The sooner we get on the road the better," Kel said instead, and Alanna nodded.

"If you get sick though…" she started.

"Don't worry, I'll bring her back," Dom stopped Alanna who glared but agreed, knowing that he would do whatever he thought best for Kel.

"Which way should I go?" Kel asked, changing the subject.

"We don't know, if we did we might have caught him by now," Alanna responded. "Do you know what direction the tracks lead?" she turned to George who shook his head.

"They go both ways, and they both lead to rivers somewhere along the line. They could easily have circled and gone either way. We sent riders both ways, but…" he stopped, "they didn't come back."

Kel looked down, "We'll go north then," she didn't know why she felt that's where they were headed, but she had a hunch. She didn't know that the hunch she had wasn't from experience.

"Since we have a plan then, come along," Dom ushered her away, and she quickly hugged Alanna and Raoul and told them goodbye and good luck. They answered the same, and as Dom and Kel were walking back toward the horses, Raoul called.

"Goddess bless Lady Knight!"

*

Once they were tacked up, they assembled themselves in lines, and Kel gave the order to move out. She wished she would have been able to see Queen Thayet one more time, to thank her before she left. She wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to keep her promise to Alanna. She knew she wouldn't be able to give up; she wasn't one to quit.

She didn't even have time to look over the men before a few were around her, chatting with one another and talking about upcoming battles and ones past.

Dom pulled his horse beside hers and for awhile they were riding peacefully, then they came upon one of the villages that had been raided a few nights before. There was nothing left, and the people came to them quickly.

"The King has sent his men!" one shouted, and a roar went up among the people.

"The King is going to save us!"

"He's sent the Lady Knight!" a woman cried out, and Kel smiled.

Cries went up all around them, "Milady! Milady!"

Then it struck Kel hard; she couldn't stop for these people. She had to push forward. She didn't have the right supplies to help them even if she could stop. She held up a hand and the squad stopped. They heeded her word but wondered what she was doing.

"Kel, we've got to go, time is of the essence," Dom said by her ear.

"I know," she responded, "but they think we've come to help. We can't just come through and out without even an explanation."

Dom looked at the starving, desperate faces and understood.

Kel was one to pay attention to everything; she was famous for it. He admired her for it.

"We haven't come to aid you, but are on our way to find and destroy the villain who has crippled you. There will be other aid provided soon," Kel called in a voice for all to hear.

"That's what they've all said!" someone in the crowd shouted.

"You'll give aid, send word for it, but then you're killed before you do," someone else mocked. "Our children are starving today!"

Before she lost control and there was a riot, Kel gave it one more try, "As you all know the King is very ill." With these words everyone hushed. No one had heard that confirmed by a Knight of the palace before.

"Kel…" Dom was on edge, "The Lioness will murder you if she hears this."

"Dom…" Kel responded playfully, "They will murder us if they don't," she turned and looked back to the villagers.

"But even in his sickness King Jonathan fears for his people and wishes to help them. He has sent us to find these villains and bring them to justice. As for you, I have a Mage with me who can speak with the Lady Alanna. Tonight, I will send word through him. This, the King and I offer to you, as toll to pass through your village."

The people were silent, and then slowly, they all began to move out of her way. Partly because they knew they had no other choice with twenty-five armed and mounted men staring them in the face, but mostly because they heard truth in Kel's words. Maybe not all truth, but enough, to keep them safe, to feed their children. For this, they would know Kel always as honest and merciful.

"That was amazing," Dom commented as they rode through, and people bowed to the Lady Knight. "They would have attacked without you."

"Desperate people are dangerous, that's why you have me with you. When people are near-death they have nothing to lose, so they will try anything. Now, to keep them loyal to the King, when we stop for the night I have to find that Mage and contact Lady Alanna. Hopefully he heard what I said and finds me."

Dom laughed, "I'm anxious to meet him too, a mystery that one."

She grinned and nodded. After awhile Dom fell back in with a few others, and Kel was left to her own devices. Then, her mind wandered, and wandering minds are dangerous and not alert.

An arrow shot from the forest and a man fell from his horse. Kel was stunned, but soon the shock was over, and she was calling out orders. "Shields!" she called, and the men held their shields. "Stay together!"

She looked at Dom who rode over to her as arrows whizzed by, "Two Mages!"

Two Mages rode forward; one was wearing a brown cloak that covered his face, exposing only his hands. Kel looked at him curiously and guessed this was the Mage Alanna had spoken of. She summoned them closer and whispered instructions to them. They galloped off, and the men followed in a feint. Quickly though, they circled back around, and fire fell from the two Mage's fingers. There was no one spared, and Kel would regret that later. For now though, the men had picked off ten Night Raiders, with only one down. It was a victory in any standard, and it brightened their spirits. As for the man who had fallen, the shot was messy, and struck in the side. It didn't look like it had hit any organs, and he would be okay with a good healing.

Kel decided though, for his sake, that they make camp there. There were a few complaints, because they had just set out, but they were stifled with the prospect of food.

When they had everything under control, and Kel had done her share of setting up tents and digging holes she set out to find that Mage. She wanted to call for aid as soon as possible. When she couldn't find him in the camp she got Peachblossom and set out for the forest.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dom demanded, chancing coming close to Peachblossom, who stuck out his head to bite, but refrained with a harsh word from Kel.

"Out for a ride," she made her answer as vague as possible, knowing Alanna had had words beforehand with Dom. Whether it was mentioned or not, it had happened, and she knew it.

"Where?" he almost laughed; she didn't honestly think she was getting off that easily did she?

"The woods."

"Alone?" he questioned fiercely.

"With Peachblossom, he's as good-better at fighting than any man," she stroked his neck, and he let a small whicker escape with the compliment.

"I don't think so," he began, but she stopped him.

"That Mage is out there; I've got to find him. Neither you nor the Lioness will stop me either," she gave the word for Peachblossom to trot, and he did.

Once in the forest, they slowed, and Kel listened for the smallest sound. It wasn't long before she heard it; it was a dog barking. "Jump?" she inquired to herself. She had had to leave him in Corus when she left; she didn't even have time to wonder about him on her return.

She got Peachblossom into a canter and headed toward the sound. She arrived in a clearing near a stream and looked around, wary. Jump was in the middle of the field; his tail hit the ground heavily. The Mage was nowhere in sight.

"Jump, come," she urged from the edge of the forest, not daring to go into the clearing.

He whined but didn't move.

"Jump come on," she was almost begging by this time. Still, he would not come.

"You know what the best thing about knowing the Lioness is?" a low voice said behind her, and she turned in the saddle before turning Peachblossom around entirely. There was the Mage, cloak hiding his face. "It's the fact that you can convince her not to come."

Kel began to get jumpy, but she put on her Yamani expression and stayed calm, "Lower your cloak."

Eyes flashed in mischief under that cloak, "Someone had to protect you."

She got nervous; her pulse was quickening.

"I was just the one; you see…" he stopped. "I know you, and she knows I know you. She sent me to protect you."

She drew her sword, "Lower your hood," she ordered.

'Okay,' he thought to himself. 'I've freaked her out well enough.' "So now you know the dangers of being alone with the Night Raiders out there?"

She looked twice at that figure then because it was a voice she knew. 'Neal? What devilry is this? Mage's and their mind games!'

"Kel!" his voice was urgent as she dismounted and came near, sword still in hand. "Kel, it's me, Neal," he pulled down the cloak. "I was just trying to scare some sense into you. It's okay, I'm not going to murder you."

"Neal?" her expression changed to excited, and then the same Yamani calm he was getting so used to. "Prove it."

"Jump, come here," Neal called, and Jump bounded toward him and licked his fingers, whining as he did. Then the dog looked at Kel and jumped into her arms, washing her face. She laughed and held him away as Neal stood. She set Jump down and looked him over.

"It really is you," she smiled and sheathed her sword. She embraced him quickly and pulled back to look at him. He had gotten taller, but other than that he was the same.

"Yes," he laughed and looked at her; she had grown into herself marvelously. "You must be a heart breaker Lady Knight."

She blushed and shook her head, "Not really, but tell me, what are you doing here?"

"Oh the Lioness had Numair call me and send me back," he glared at the thought of his old master. "Said she didn't want me to forget my fighting skills. She had a special assignment for me," he muttered dryly.

"I'm sorry," Kel looked down; she saw a deep sadness in his eyes, and she had three guesses as to why.

"It's okay, I was on my way back."

This wasn't her Neal, the one who would fight and argue and be stubborn. "Your way back?"

He nodded, and his eyes clouded over, "But it's really not important, as I said before, someone had to be here to take care of you. Because Goddess knows you wouldn't have."

"That's what your cousin is here for, I suppose he's in on this too then?" Kel shook her head at the devices of the Lioness.

"Not a bit," Neal answered. "This was all Lady Alanna and I, about the only time we've ever cooperated with one another."

Kel shook her head at this as well.

"Oh, by the way, Jump and I are your last gifts from Lady Alanna and Queen Thayet."

She grinned, "Couldn't have been better. You riding back with me?"

He looked at Peachblossom who dared him to try and mount, "No, that's okay, I'll walk."

She laughed and took Peachblossom's reins. They walked back, side by side, Neal out of the range of Peachblossom's hooves and teeth.

A/N: I think I'm going to end up making this Kel and Dom? But I can do anything you guys want, whatever the popular vote is I'll do. The only other story I've written is for an anime called Magic Knight Rayearth, and looking at this section compared to the Rayearth section I'm shocked! There's so many more reviews for stories in this neck of the woods. I was pretty amazed at it really. As for Neal, I'm working out the personality, for right now it's a little out of character, but I'll try and make it better, as soon as I finish rereading Lady Knight. Other than that please read and review!