Disclaimer: Please note that all the characters presented are not my own, those that are not original belong to Tamora Pierce.
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CHAPTER 2:
Keladry walked back to her room as quickly as possible, not wanting to run into her friends in case she did break down into tears. When she stepped into her room she looked around in surprise. Her bags were already packed and beside the door. "They really do want to get rid of me" she whispered to herself as she walked over to her mirror. She stood there looking at herself for a long moment, thinking about what Lord Wyldon had said about marriage.
Kel gently touched the freckles that sprayed her cheeks and nose. Kel had a small delicate nose and even brown eyes that could normally out stare anyone. "I thought I was stronger than this," she said to her reflection as she whipped at the tears that brimmed on her eyes, "I always knew that there was a chance that this could happen".
There was a soft knock on her door. Before Kel could tell the person to enter the door opened. Kel's mother, Lady Ilane and father Baron Piers of Mindelan entered Kel's room. Anyone who didn't know the Yamani ways would think that her mother was only a little sad and that her father was only a tiny bit angry. They had both been taught to hide their emotions and since Kel could see any emotion at all told her their true feelings.
"Kel, dear, we are so sorry," Ilane said to her daughter softly, giving her a tight hug.
"Don't worry Mama, it's like I said when I decided to become a page, I still know more now then I did before I came here"
"Is there anyone you would like to say goodbye to before we leave?" her father asked her picking up her bags.
Kel wanted to say good bye to all of her friends but she knew that seeing them at this time would only make leaving harder. "My horse...I mean my ex-horse"
"No, no love, we know how much Peachblossom means to you and leaving here is bad enough so we decided to buy him for you."
"Thank you" Kel said from the bottom of her heart.
Leaving the palace would be one thing but leaving Peachblossom would be something much worse. Kel walked over to her window and opened it one last time. Crown, the leader of the birds that lived in the Castle courtyard, flew down to Kel from a nearby tree. Kel whispered to the bird that she was leaving and that if the other birds wanted extra food they should either go to Daine, the Wildmage, or find one of her friends. The bird gave a sorrowful chip as a reply before flying back to her flock.
Kel made her way to the stables quickly and explained the situation to Peachblossom, who seemed to understand. Ever since the wild mage Daine arrived at Corus, all the animals behaved strangely. The horses in particular, seemed to understand humans very well often nodding or shaking their heads to respond to humans questions or show acknowledgment. Kel saddled Peachblossom and mounted him, they rode to the front gate at a quick trot.
A coach with Lady Ilane and Baron Piers was already there with Kel's belongings. There seemed to be more cases there than that which belonged to Kel, when she asked her father what they were, he replied, "These Tortallan's have dismissed you for unjustifiable reasons. I am no longer going to be an ambassador for them. Let us see how their treaty continues now shall we?" he said calmly. Kel knew that her father was as angry as a Spidren who had just lost his meal but that he would never openly show it.
"Papa, Lord Wyldon said it was the Gods doing!" Kel said still defending her beloved home.
"I don't care, it was wrong. You know it, I know it and your mother knows it" the short, stocky man replied.
"Calm yourself dear" Lady Ilane said to her husband, hushing his next words by touching him gentley on the arm and giving him a warning look.
Facing her daughter once more, Lady Ilane continued, "Looks like you do have some people to say goodbye to Keladry."
Merric of Hollyrose, Seaver of Tasride, Nealan of Queenscove and Cleon of Kennan stood at the gates, looking at her sadly.
Kel dismounted and walked over to them slowly.
"You weren't even going to say goodbye?" Neal, as friends knew him, asked hurt. Although Neal was 5 years older than most other first year pages, he was Kel's best friend and the only person who could make her smile when she felt glum.
"I'm not very good at good-byes" Kel admitted to her tall, fiery haired friend.
"Oh my sunshine of summer, promise you will write?" Cleon said to her sadly. Cleon, who was a 3rd year page, had never been mean to Kel but he had made her do stupid, time consuming duties for him. Once he had stopped that, they had actually become friends.
"I promise I will write if you all will" Kel replied, hugging them all briefly.
The others promised to write as well. With one final hug to Neal, Kel mounted Peachblossom and began the long journey back to Mindelan.
Authors Note: If you have any better ideas for the title of the Fanfic, I would really appreciate any suggestions. I was originally going to call it 'Untitled' but it didn't have a very good ring to it. :)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
CHAPTER 2:
Keladry walked back to her room as quickly as possible, not wanting to run into her friends in case she did break down into tears. When she stepped into her room she looked around in surprise. Her bags were already packed and beside the door. "They really do want to get rid of me" she whispered to herself as she walked over to her mirror. She stood there looking at herself for a long moment, thinking about what Lord Wyldon had said about marriage.
Kel gently touched the freckles that sprayed her cheeks and nose. Kel had a small delicate nose and even brown eyes that could normally out stare anyone. "I thought I was stronger than this," she said to her reflection as she whipped at the tears that brimmed on her eyes, "I always knew that there was a chance that this could happen".
There was a soft knock on her door. Before Kel could tell the person to enter the door opened. Kel's mother, Lady Ilane and father Baron Piers of Mindelan entered Kel's room. Anyone who didn't know the Yamani ways would think that her mother was only a little sad and that her father was only a tiny bit angry. They had both been taught to hide their emotions and since Kel could see any emotion at all told her their true feelings.
"Kel, dear, we are so sorry," Ilane said to her daughter softly, giving her a tight hug.
"Don't worry Mama, it's like I said when I decided to become a page, I still know more now then I did before I came here"
"Is there anyone you would like to say goodbye to before we leave?" her father asked her picking up her bags.
Kel wanted to say good bye to all of her friends but she knew that seeing them at this time would only make leaving harder. "My horse...I mean my ex-horse"
"No, no love, we know how much Peachblossom means to you and leaving here is bad enough so we decided to buy him for you."
"Thank you" Kel said from the bottom of her heart.
Leaving the palace would be one thing but leaving Peachblossom would be something much worse. Kel walked over to her window and opened it one last time. Crown, the leader of the birds that lived in the Castle courtyard, flew down to Kel from a nearby tree. Kel whispered to the bird that she was leaving and that if the other birds wanted extra food they should either go to Daine, the Wildmage, or find one of her friends. The bird gave a sorrowful chip as a reply before flying back to her flock.
Kel made her way to the stables quickly and explained the situation to Peachblossom, who seemed to understand. Ever since the wild mage Daine arrived at Corus, all the animals behaved strangely. The horses in particular, seemed to understand humans very well often nodding or shaking their heads to respond to humans questions or show acknowledgment. Kel saddled Peachblossom and mounted him, they rode to the front gate at a quick trot.
A coach with Lady Ilane and Baron Piers was already there with Kel's belongings. There seemed to be more cases there than that which belonged to Kel, when she asked her father what they were, he replied, "These Tortallan's have dismissed you for unjustifiable reasons. I am no longer going to be an ambassador for them. Let us see how their treaty continues now shall we?" he said calmly. Kel knew that her father was as angry as a Spidren who had just lost his meal but that he would never openly show it.
"Papa, Lord Wyldon said it was the Gods doing!" Kel said still defending her beloved home.
"I don't care, it was wrong. You know it, I know it and your mother knows it" the short, stocky man replied.
"Calm yourself dear" Lady Ilane said to her husband, hushing his next words by touching him gentley on the arm and giving him a warning look.
Facing her daughter once more, Lady Ilane continued, "Looks like you do have some people to say goodbye to Keladry."
Merric of Hollyrose, Seaver of Tasride, Nealan of Queenscove and Cleon of Kennan stood at the gates, looking at her sadly.
Kel dismounted and walked over to them slowly.
"You weren't even going to say goodbye?" Neal, as friends knew him, asked hurt. Although Neal was 5 years older than most other first year pages, he was Kel's best friend and the only person who could make her smile when she felt glum.
"I'm not very good at good-byes" Kel admitted to her tall, fiery haired friend.
"Oh my sunshine of summer, promise you will write?" Cleon said to her sadly. Cleon, who was a 3rd year page, had never been mean to Kel but he had made her do stupid, time consuming duties for him. Once he had stopped that, they had actually become friends.
"I promise I will write if you all will" Kel replied, hugging them all briefly.
The others promised to write as well. With one final hug to Neal, Kel mounted Peachblossom and began the long journey back to Mindelan.
Authors Note: If you have any better ideas for the title of the Fanfic, I would really appreciate any suggestions. I was originally going to call it 'Untitled' but it didn't have a very good ring to it. :)