Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me - they're all Tamora
Pierce's (unless you don't recognise them, in which case they're mine)
Dusk was falling as a green-eyed knight made his way to the practice courts. They were deserted but for one person who was performing complex unarmed combat moves with the ease of long practice.
"Kel?" he called as he approached her. "Kel. Kel! "
The girl finally slowed her pace and came to a stop, turning to glare at her fellow knight. "What?"
"You've been out here for hours. You need to come in and eat. Besides," he added as she opened her mouth to argue, "the light's almost gone. You won't be able to see yourself in a few minutes."
She glared again, but he could tell that she wasn't really angry. At least, not with him. As they walked back up to the palace an uncomfortable silence settled over them. It was not the kind of silence you get when people do not know what to say to each other, but the silence that comes when one person has something that they wish to say, but does not know how to say it. Finally the silence became unbearable and Kel stopped walking and just stood watching the last of the sun go down. Her friend, aware that she would speak when she was ready, stopped and stood beside her, waiting patiently.
"Why, Neal?" She finally whispered. "Why? What have I done? It's been three months now, and everyone has been assigned work but me. And don't tell me it's because their Majesties think I deserve a break. Our fighters are stretched so thin that even squires are riding patrols, but there's a knight sitting here all the time who hasn't done one damn thing since she returned home from Scanra and they still don't use her. The only orders I've been given since my return are to stay at the palace. The palace! What good am I here? I should be out there helping people, or fighting these damn immortals - Mithros know's there's enough of them! I-I-" she was shocked to find herself sobbing, and visciously wiped away her tears as she took a deep breath. "Something's not right, Neal. I can feel it. But the worst thing is - is that I can't do anything about it."
Neal sighed. He knew the agonies his best friend was in, and had been in since her return home. She was never happy unless she was busy, or helping people. And it must hurt her twice as much to know that the help is so much needed. Ever since the immortals had once again entered the mortal realm there had been trouble. But in the last few months the numbers, of the dangerous ones particularly, had risen dramatically. Not even the Wildmage could account for the sudden unwelcome surge in the immortals population. As it was, the realm was all ready weak from the war against Scanra, and even though they had won, it had been at a price. Many had lost their lives, and those that hadn't had come home weary, to be told that they must fight once more. It was shocking that the King and Queen had let it go this long. Whatever their reasons were, Neal wagered they were pretty good. He sighed again.
"I wish I could help, Kel. I really do. But I know as much as you. Probably even less. All I can say, and hope, is that it can't go on much longer. It simply can't. But Kel -" he hesitated, not sure how to continue. "You can't keep doing this. And don't look at me with those blank, innocent eyes. I know you too well, Kel. And I've been watching you. You wake early, skip meals, and throw yourself into your practice so hard that you fall asleep at night without having to dwell on your thoughts. It can't go on, Kel. I don't care how upset you are, if you keep on like this you'll die from exhaustion. Just - take it easy? Please?" And with that he left her alone to return to the palace.
Take it easy? Kel thought with a lump in her throat. Such a simple thing to say. But he has no idea how hard it is to do.
Dusk was falling as a green-eyed knight made his way to the practice courts. They were deserted but for one person who was performing complex unarmed combat moves with the ease of long practice.
"Kel?" he called as he approached her. "Kel. Kel! "
The girl finally slowed her pace and came to a stop, turning to glare at her fellow knight. "What?"
"You've been out here for hours. You need to come in and eat. Besides," he added as she opened her mouth to argue, "the light's almost gone. You won't be able to see yourself in a few minutes."
She glared again, but he could tell that she wasn't really angry. At least, not with him. As they walked back up to the palace an uncomfortable silence settled over them. It was not the kind of silence you get when people do not know what to say to each other, but the silence that comes when one person has something that they wish to say, but does not know how to say it. Finally the silence became unbearable and Kel stopped walking and just stood watching the last of the sun go down. Her friend, aware that she would speak when she was ready, stopped and stood beside her, waiting patiently.
"Why, Neal?" She finally whispered. "Why? What have I done? It's been three months now, and everyone has been assigned work but me. And don't tell me it's because their Majesties think I deserve a break. Our fighters are stretched so thin that even squires are riding patrols, but there's a knight sitting here all the time who hasn't done one damn thing since she returned home from Scanra and they still don't use her. The only orders I've been given since my return are to stay at the palace. The palace! What good am I here? I should be out there helping people, or fighting these damn immortals - Mithros know's there's enough of them! I-I-" she was shocked to find herself sobbing, and visciously wiped away her tears as she took a deep breath. "Something's not right, Neal. I can feel it. But the worst thing is - is that I can't do anything about it."
Neal sighed. He knew the agonies his best friend was in, and had been in since her return home. She was never happy unless she was busy, or helping people. And it must hurt her twice as much to know that the help is so much needed. Ever since the immortals had once again entered the mortal realm there had been trouble. But in the last few months the numbers, of the dangerous ones particularly, had risen dramatically. Not even the Wildmage could account for the sudden unwelcome surge in the immortals population. As it was, the realm was all ready weak from the war against Scanra, and even though they had won, it had been at a price. Many had lost their lives, and those that hadn't had come home weary, to be told that they must fight once more. It was shocking that the King and Queen had let it go this long. Whatever their reasons were, Neal wagered they were pretty good. He sighed again.
"I wish I could help, Kel. I really do. But I know as much as you. Probably even less. All I can say, and hope, is that it can't go on much longer. It simply can't. But Kel -" he hesitated, not sure how to continue. "You can't keep doing this. And don't look at me with those blank, innocent eyes. I know you too well, Kel. And I've been watching you. You wake early, skip meals, and throw yourself into your practice so hard that you fall asleep at night without having to dwell on your thoughts. It can't go on, Kel. I don't care how upset you are, if you keep on like this you'll die from exhaustion. Just - take it easy? Please?" And with that he left her alone to return to the palace.
Take it easy? Kel thought with a lump in her throat. Such a simple thing to say. But he has no idea how hard it is to do.