"They WHAT?" Neal yelled in shock, eyes wide.
"They removed her Knighthood." Raoul replied in a bitter voice. "For something that happened months ago."
Neal sat down on his bed, his head in his hands. "How could they do this? No one deserves this, least of all her. After all she's done..." he trailed off, voice shaking in rage.
"That's not all, Neal. The servants found her room empty this morning, and Peachblossom is gone." The impact of his words slowly registered on Neal's face.
"She defied a Royal command?" he groaned. "How could she be so stupid? The Kel I knew was sensible, she never would have done that. They must be mistaken," he said desperately. "She's probably gone for an early morning ride or -"
Raoul shook his head. "She's gone, Neal. Someone has to bring her back. If we can get her back quickly enough we can say she was in shock, she didn't know what she was doing. Just pray to Mithros it'll be enough."
"Me." Neal said quietly. "It should be me. I can make her see sense, I'm her best friend."
"No. It can't be you. Can't you see the risk this person would be taking? I'm not about to ask anyone to go who would risk losing the same thing she did. It must be someone who is her friend, who she trusts, but doesn't have the same amount to lose."
"But then who - oh. Will he go?"
"I believe it would be hard to hold him back."
Kel rode hard all that day, taking advantage of the large roads that led out of Corus. By tomorrow the option of using the roads would be gone - by then, people would know that she was effectively "on the run". It was best to go as far as she could on the first day, when she could risk being seen. Tomorrow she would have to go cross-country, which would be slower, but hopefully safer. She prayed to the Goddess that it would be enough. To be caught now would be terrible. Not only would her Knighthood never be regained, a fact that she had dully begun to realise, but she would probably find herself on Traitor's Hill. She shivered and urged Peachblossom to go faster.
Dom saddled his horse carefully, listening to his ex-commander as he did so.
"She will be using this first day to go fast - you won't catch her today, or even tomorrow. Be patient. You're a good tracker, one of the best. Don't fail me. Don't fail her."
Finished with his tack, Dom looked up at him. "I won't. I promise, Raoul. When I come back, whenever that is, she will be with me."
Raoul clasped his shoulder lightly and let go. "I trust you. Be careful, don't take unnecessary risks. I don't want to lose you too." He looked up at his ex-officer as he mounted his horse. "Don't worry about what happens to you when you get back. I can protect you. Just - bring her home. She belongs here, as her Knighthood belongs to her. We'll prove that, but we can't do it without her." He nodded once and Dom rode off, dust rising in a cloud behind him. "Mithros be with you." he whispered.
(AN - apologies for a short chapter, next one will be longer and hopefully more interesting. For any who are interested, or who haven't worked it out yet, this story is Kel/Dom. Sorry of people don't agree with that - I just think it's what Tamora Pierce wanted, and I like Dom. Hehe.)
"They removed her Knighthood." Raoul replied in a bitter voice. "For something that happened months ago."
Neal sat down on his bed, his head in his hands. "How could they do this? No one deserves this, least of all her. After all she's done..." he trailed off, voice shaking in rage.
"That's not all, Neal. The servants found her room empty this morning, and Peachblossom is gone." The impact of his words slowly registered on Neal's face.
"She defied a Royal command?" he groaned. "How could she be so stupid? The Kel I knew was sensible, she never would have done that. They must be mistaken," he said desperately. "She's probably gone for an early morning ride or -"
Raoul shook his head. "She's gone, Neal. Someone has to bring her back. If we can get her back quickly enough we can say she was in shock, she didn't know what she was doing. Just pray to Mithros it'll be enough."
"Me." Neal said quietly. "It should be me. I can make her see sense, I'm her best friend."
"No. It can't be you. Can't you see the risk this person would be taking? I'm not about to ask anyone to go who would risk losing the same thing she did. It must be someone who is her friend, who she trusts, but doesn't have the same amount to lose."
"But then who - oh. Will he go?"
"I believe it would be hard to hold him back."
Kel rode hard all that day, taking advantage of the large roads that led out of Corus. By tomorrow the option of using the roads would be gone - by then, people would know that she was effectively "on the run". It was best to go as far as she could on the first day, when she could risk being seen. Tomorrow she would have to go cross-country, which would be slower, but hopefully safer. She prayed to the Goddess that it would be enough. To be caught now would be terrible. Not only would her Knighthood never be regained, a fact that she had dully begun to realise, but she would probably find herself on Traitor's Hill. She shivered and urged Peachblossom to go faster.
Dom saddled his horse carefully, listening to his ex-commander as he did so.
"She will be using this first day to go fast - you won't catch her today, or even tomorrow. Be patient. You're a good tracker, one of the best. Don't fail me. Don't fail her."
Finished with his tack, Dom looked up at him. "I won't. I promise, Raoul. When I come back, whenever that is, she will be with me."
Raoul clasped his shoulder lightly and let go. "I trust you. Be careful, don't take unnecessary risks. I don't want to lose you too." He looked up at his ex-officer as he mounted his horse. "Don't worry about what happens to you when you get back. I can protect you. Just - bring her home. She belongs here, as her Knighthood belongs to her. We'll prove that, but we can't do it without her." He nodded once and Dom rode off, dust rising in a cloud behind him. "Mithros be with you." he whispered.
(AN - apologies for a short chapter, next one will be longer and hopefully more interesting. For any who are interested, or who haven't worked it out yet, this story is Kel/Dom. Sorry of people don't agree with that - I just think it's what Tamora Pierce wanted, and I like Dom. Hehe.)