Two glinting weapons of indescribable value flashed before her eyes. Their blades entwined, crossed. The golden daggers after mother had rescued them, the emperor told her to keep them where she wished, where no one would possibly find them…
flashback
"Kel, sweetheart, you playing around again?"
I ran to Mother who stood outside the door, calling. Bowing my head in shame of disobedience, I waited for the lecture to start. When nothing happened for a few minutes, I chanced a look up.
Mother was…smiling?
"Keladry, mommy has a big favor to ask you…listen closely, okay?"
Like most young children, I loved this "secretive" mood. Quickly, I smoothed my dirty kimono and sat down in front of mother. She took out an enormous package. Well. It looked enormous to me since I was so little then… She placed it in my hands.
"Okay, darling, let's play a game of hide and seek. Hide the package in the deepest area of the cave. The darkest, gloomiest, scariest, etc. of the cave. Understand?"
I nodded.
"When I turn around, run in and start searching for the perfect hiding place!"
I raced off as she turned.
end flashback
"Joren, where did you get this map?"
"Father did. Don't ask me from who…I have no clue."
Keladry thought hard for a moment. Then suddenly, she said.
"Okay, let's go."
The blonde, hesitant at her pause, shrugged and was soon behind her.
"Let's stop."
"What? It's the fifth time already!"
"Be patient."
Keladry drank a few gulps of water, slowly. The blonde paced furiously in front of her. He coughed, paused, and swirled around from his position, to glare at her.
"You're stalling, aren't you?"
Kel placed on her "stone" face.
"Mithros, you know how much I hate that expression."
"Well, stand it you big, tough knight."
Defeated, Joren climbed onto his horse and sighed.
Kel looked up just in time to see Joren's shocked expression as an arrow skimmed across his hair, thudding into a nearby tree. He slid rashly off his horse, catching himself before he fell, and drew his sword. She went over to where the arrow had landed and gently plucked it off. Rolling it open expertly between her index and thumb, she revealed a hidden message. Joren stared on.
"Hmm…Raves?"
Joren twitched.
"A friend of yours?" Keladry asked, raising an eyebrow, looking at him.
"Oh yes, I'm so happy that I'm not even smiling. Seriously Mindelan, you are the worst guesser ever."
"…you never smile…"
Even with his face turned away from her, she could tell he had mustered up a very nasty glare just for her.
"Mindelan, get on the horse."
"No."
"I'll hoist you…"
"Try me."
He raked back the blonde bangs hanging distractedly before his eyes, and scowled. Kel sat on the ground, immobile, as her horse grazed peacefully beside her. Closing his eyes for a moment, trying to get rid of a slight headache, he stretched and strolled forward. Lifting her easily, as if she were as light as a feather, he propped her onto the saddle of Pearl Hoax. She sat, a bit shocked at what had just happened, and tried to clamber off. Joren quickly slid on and placed his arms around her to hold the reins.
"There."
"Why you ba-"
"No need for foul language. You said I could try."
She wanted to scrape the cheeky smile off with a chisel, particularly one with an edge as sharp as Lightning's blade.
"Now, dear girl, you have no reason for rests, since it is as easy to take a gulp of water upon the saddle, which I am leading, and of which you will be nothing whatsoever at all."
"May Mithros strike you dead," she mumbled.
A few moments later of peculiar silence, they reached a clearing. Kel stifled a gasp as her eyes widened with recognition. Joren looked down at what she was doing; she had accidentally jabbed his ribs with her elbows with her sudden movement. Suddenly, he lost hold and slipped off Pearl Hoax as she turned, curious at what the place had turned out to be like.
"Oops…"
Joren gasped as pain filled his side and as he tried to sit up, his arm bent in the opposite way and he collapsed. His eye then caught a print in the dirt and he scrutinized it closely, crawling a bit nearer. It was a footprint. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Meanwhile, Kel had jumped off the white stallion and landed beside him. Looking him over for any signs of bleeding, she sighed with relief. Nothing was red. Good. She was shamefully incapable of healing. Neal would have to be called or such a thing. Not that he would touch the blonde anyway. She was about to stand up when a slight discoloring at the back of Joren's neck began to appear, she scowled slightly and leaned closer to examine it.
Joren felt her fingers brush his nape and he froze. Then, getting back into the sense of things, he growled and asked harshly.
"Mindelan, what are you-"
The blonde turned suddenly, not giving her time to back off.
And their lips met.
Erm…does this qualify for a cliff? ._. :x
A.N.: **claps** woo, I haven't died after all, I know, I suck at updating…quickly. Neway, that was quite early for such a thing ((aka ::kiss::)) to happen…didn't really plan that at all, it was a ting! And yeah…blame Kaiye :/.