Dom had heard screaming from the woods the night before. If it was
spidrens or trolls he should probably warn the sorceress, Alanna. He hadn't
seen Neal all morning, and the Company was packing up to leave. Dom made
his way to Neal' bedroll and stopped, shocked, then a sly grin spread
across his face. The rest of the Own would love to hear this. He shoved the
pillow that their heads were on with a booted foot, "Time to get up,
lovebirds. Company's moving out." Slowly Kel and Neal opened their eyes.
Kel groaned and slept again as Neal sat up, rubbing his eyes. Dom leaned
down to Kel's level and said, "Nuh-uh, Lady Lover. Time to get up." Kel
opened her eyes and touched the scar on her head.
"What..?" She asked and remembered. "Taurus." She whispered. "Oh, gods.
I've had a healing." Neal pulled on his boots and saddled Magewhisper as
Dom left, leaving Kel to sleep until the last possible moment.
He shook her shoulder gently. "The Own is leaving, Kel." She groaned again and pulled on her boots. Fully dressed, Kel began her search of Peachblossom. Neal had other ideas, however. He grabbed her hand and dragged her back. "Oh no, Kel." He whispered. "You can't ride after your healing." Kel began her protests, but Neal ignored them, and lifted her up into Magewhisper's saddle. Then he swung up behind her and they made their way to the front of the line with Alanna and Raoul. Kel was asleep instantly, and Neal chose to ignore the stares, grins, and whistles they received. Dom winked as they rode by, and Neal knew he had to be the Own's source of information about them. Kel spent the day's ride resting in front of Neal, her head laying on his chest.
When Kel awoke, the Company was camped at the Scanran border's defense place, and she was laying on her bedroll. She got up and walked to the afternoon fire. Upon seeing her, the Own made room for her beside Neal, whistling and yelling, "Lady Lover!" Kel blushed and sat down. Someone passed her a hot bowl of rabbit stew which she ate hungrily.
Kel sat on her bedroll, (she seems to like her bedroll a lot!) wiping a polishing cloth over the blade of her glaive. She looked up and saw Alanna watching her. "Walk with me?" She asked. "I think we need to talk." Kel was confused, but nodded. Why would the Lioness need to talk to her? When they were away from camp, Alanna began to speak. "When I was your age, I was a lot like you, except in size." She smiled. "Young, wanting to work, denying love. Just like you." Kel was really confused now. "I don't need love, Alanna. I'm getting my shield in a week, hopefully. I need to be working and concentrating on important things." "Ah." Alanna said knowingly. " I thought the same exact thing as a squire. I had love coming at me from all directions. Jonathan, my Knight Master and friend. Myles, my teacher and adoptive father. George, my best friend the King of Theives and now my husband. You probably have heard of my connection of the Goddess. I am one of her Chosen ones. One night, as a squire, she came to me and told me my three main fears. Would you like to know them?" Kel thought and nodded. The Lioness was afraid of things? "My first was the Ordeal. Like most, I was afraid I would enter and never come out alive. My second was Duke Roger, the sorcerer-duke that plotted against the throne. You have heard of him from your friends, I assume?" Kel nodded. "My third fear was love. I didn't want to get close to anyone. I denied love anyone gave me. And then the Mother told me something very true that I will remember forever: Love will ease a hard path to walk. My path, and yours, was difficult. I had to disguise myself. I fought Roger twice. A little love made fulfilling my path easier. It will for yours too," Kel didn't know what to say. "But, Alanna. I'm not. I don't. There isn't anybody who loves me like that." Alanna looked skeptical. "Keladry, you are doing just what I did. You are denying it. Look around you; don't you see him?" Kel looked confused, and Alanna said gently, "My squire." Kel raised her eyebrows and croaked, "Neal?" "Think of the times you've spent with him, Kel." Alanna said encouragingly. Kel did think. She remembered him carrying her home, healing her, holding her close while they slept as if he didn't want to lose her, comforting her when Cleon made her cry. She remembered the pillow fight and swimming with him, and when he held her on his horse all the way to the border. He took care of her when she had outside and inside wounds, treating her with trust, friendship, and hugs. "I know he loves you, Kel. Do you love him back?" Alanna asked. Kel thought again. Alanna spoke. "I heard about what happened with your ex-sweetheart, Cleon, and I'm sorry. Although he talks bout philosophy constantly, Neal will never hurt you, Kel. Not like Cleon did." Kel wondered how she knew so much. Probably because she's been where I am. "Yes, I love him." She said, and meant it. Up until then, Kel refused to think it, telling herself she was being fickle and acting like a court lady, fluttering at everyone. But the Lioness made her think, and she knew she had loved Neal from the beginning. "Good. You've admitted it to yourself. It took me years to do that; I didn't want you to make the same mistake. She smiled fondly at Kel. "Take my word for it, Lady Squire, love will ease a hard path to walk." "Thank you, Lioness. I'll take your words to heart." Alanna gave her a quick hug. "I can't wait until you are knighted. It's too bad you weren't a midgit like me, though." Kel laughed. "I would have been if I could, Alanna."
He shook her shoulder gently. "The Own is leaving, Kel." She groaned again and pulled on her boots. Fully dressed, Kel began her search of Peachblossom. Neal had other ideas, however. He grabbed her hand and dragged her back. "Oh no, Kel." He whispered. "You can't ride after your healing." Kel began her protests, but Neal ignored them, and lifted her up into Magewhisper's saddle. Then he swung up behind her and they made their way to the front of the line with Alanna and Raoul. Kel was asleep instantly, and Neal chose to ignore the stares, grins, and whistles they received. Dom winked as they rode by, and Neal knew he had to be the Own's source of information about them. Kel spent the day's ride resting in front of Neal, her head laying on his chest.
When Kel awoke, the Company was camped at the Scanran border's defense place, and she was laying on her bedroll. She got up and walked to the afternoon fire. Upon seeing her, the Own made room for her beside Neal, whistling and yelling, "Lady Lover!" Kel blushed and sat down. Someone passed her a hot bowl of rabbit stew which she ate hungrily.
Kel sat on her bedroll, (she seems to like her bedroll a lot!) wiping a polishing cloth over the blade of her glaive. She looked up and saw Alanna watching her. "Walk with me?" She asked. "I think we need to talk." Kel was confused, but nodded. Why would the Lioness need to talk to her? When they were away from camp, Alanna began to speak. "When I was your age, I was a lot like you, except in size." She smiled. "Young, wanting to work, denying love. Just like you." Kel was really confused now. "I don't need love, Alanna. I'm getting my shield in a week, hopefully. I need to be working and concentrating on important things." "Ah." Alanna said knowingly. " I thought the same exact thing as a squire. I had love coming at me from all directions. Jonathan, my Knight Master and friend. Myles, my teacher and adoptive father. George, my best friend the King of Theives and now my husband. You probably have heard of my connection of the Goddess. I am one of her Chosen ones. One night, as a squire, she came to me and told me my three main fears. Would you like to know them?" Kel thought and nodded. The Lioness was afraid of things? "My first was the Ordeal. Like most, I was afraid I would enter and never come out alive. My second was Duke Roger, the sorcerer-duke that plotted against the throne. You have heard of him from your friends, I assume?" Kel nodded. "My third fear was love. I didn't want to get close to anyone. I denied love anyone gave me. And then the Mother told me something very true that I will remember forever: Love will ease a hard path to walk. My path, and yours, was difficult. I had to disguise myself. I fought Roger twice. A little love made fulfilling my path easier. It will for yours too," Kel didn't know what to say. "But, Alanna. I'm not. I don't. There isn't anybody who loves me like that." Alanna looked skeptical. "Keladry, you are doing just what I did. You are denying it. Look around you; don't you see him?" Kel looked confused, and Alanna said gently, "My squire." Kel raised her eyebrows and croaked, "Neal?" "Think of the times you've spent with him, Kel." Alanna said encouragingly. Kel did think. She remembered him carrying her home, healing her, holding her close while they slept as if he didn't want to lose her, comforting her when Cleon made her cry. She remembered the pillow fight and swimming with him, and when he held her on his horse all the way to the border. He took care of her when she had outside and inside wounds, treating her with trust, friendship, and hugs. "I know he loves you, Kel. Do you love him back?" Alanna asked. Kel thought again. Alanna spoke. "I heard about what happened with your ex-sweetheart, Cleon, and I'm sorry. Although he talks bout philosophy constantly, Neal will never hurt you, Kel. Not like Cleon did." Kel wondered how she knew so much. Probably because she's been where I am. "Yes, I love him." She said, and meant it. Up until then, Kel refused to think it, telling herself she was being fickle and acting like a court lady, fluttering at everyone. But the Lioness made her think, and she knew she had loved Neal from the beginning. "Good. You've admitted it to yourself. It took me years to do that; I didn't want you to make the same mistake. She smiled fondly at Kel. "Take my word for it, Lady Squire, love will ease a hard path to walk." "Thank you, Lioness. I'll take your words to heart." Alanna gave her a quick hug. "I can't wait until you are knighted. It's too bad you weren't a midgit like me, though." Kel laughed. "I would have been if I could, Alanna."