Just then they heard a horn call: the signal that Scanrans had come. Kel
picked up her glaive, Alanna her sword. The border had a half built fort
called Steadfast and a large mound of rock and dirt at its left. The Lady
warriors ran to the mound. Scanrans would attack the fort first. Spotting a
nearing Scanran, Kel left out from behind the rocks, giving a clean swipe
to his leg. He spun and chopped, which she blocked. He feigned a thrust at
her shoulder, and while she blocked him, he cut a long shallow cut down her
thigh. She rammed the butt of her glaive onto his head and finised him off.
Seeing Alanna battle three at a time, she went to help the lady knight.
The basketful of raiders had been small and were easily defeated. Kel reported to Raoul that she had seen no one seriously hurt. He led her to the infirmary where they would count the wounded. To Kel and Raoul's dismay, only two had been injured and were now fully healed, asleep, by Alanna. Kel herself sported various bruises and shallow cuts, but nothing serious. Raoul, being an experienced knight, left the fight without a scratch. Kel walked tiredly to sit on her bedroll. After the healing she had had the night before, her small amounts of fighting seemed like five times as much. Neal sat down beside her minutes later. Cool green fire spread over Kel's tired body. "Neal, I'm fine. It's just some little cuts and bruises." She protested. "Of course you're fine, Kel. You are always fine. Now hush and let me finish." He healed every last bump and bruise, curing her headache along the way. She smiled at him gratefully, and got up to leave when Raoul called her over.
"Kel. Nice work out there earlier. You improve all the time." Raoul complimented. Kel blushed. "Thank you milord." "Now you know we must leave tomorrow, correct?" Kel nodded. Her long- dreaded Ordear would now take place. "You may go."
Kel waited until the Own was asleep before leaving to soak herself in a nearby lake. With her she took her glaive, a lesson learnt from her last nighttime escapade. She reached the lake and stripped off her clothes, placing her glaive in some reeds nearby. The water was warm as she waded in, from the hot sun that began in early morning and ended late in the afternoon. She was glad the darkness hid that she had left camp. As Kel splashed and scrubbed herself, she thought. Her words replayed in her head over and over. 'Yes, I love Neal. I love Neal. I love Neal. I love Neal' And she thought of Alanna's words. "Now all you have to do is tell each other." Kel wished she could be sure he loved her back.
"Kel." She whirled around, and saw Neal on the bank. She was glad the dark hid her. "Neal." He waded in, unclothed, and held her by the shoulders. "Couldn't you have told me you were leaving? I thought you went into another forest." Kel shuddered. She would never do that again. "I didn't want to ruin your rest." She said. "I'd rather have my rest ruined than lose you, Kel. You scared me." He whispered. With those words Kel knew he loved her and she loved him back, and that they were meant to be together. She wrapped her arms around his neck despite her nakedness and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Neal. You know I never got a chance to thank you for saving me from the taurus. Thank you." "I love you, Kel. Do you know that?" He asked quietly. "I'm hoping I know, because I love you too." And with that he kissed her long and passionately, and Kel found herself kissing him back.
They stopped, gasping for breath, and Neal led her out of the lake. They donned their clothes and walked back to camp hand-in-hand. Kel joined Neal in his bedroll that night, only for the sake of the reassuring comfort she felt when she was near him.
The basketful of raiders had been small and were easily defeated. Kel reported to Raoul that she had seen no one seriously hurt. He led her to the infirmary where they would count the wounded. To Kel and Raoul's dismay, only two had been injured and were now fully healed, asleep, by Alanna. Kel herself sported various bruises and shallow cuts, but nothing serious. Raoul, being an experienced knight, left the fight without a scratch. Kel walked tiredly to sit on her bedroll. After the healing she had had the night before, her small amounts of fighting seemed like five times as much. Neal sat down beside her minutes later. Cool green fire spread over Kel's tired body. "Neal, I'm fine. It's just some little cuts and bruises." She protested. "Of course you're fine, Kel. You are always fine. Now hush and let me finish." He healed every last bump and bruise, curing her headache along the way. She smiled at him gratefully, and got up to leave when Raoul called her over.
"Kel. Nice work out there earlier. You improve all the time." Raoul complimented. Kel blushed. "Thank you milord." "Now you know we must leave tomorrow, correct?" Kel nodded. Her long- dreaded Ordear would now take place. "You may go."
Kel waited until the Own was asleep before leaving to soak herself in a nearby lake. With her she took her glaive, a lesson learnt from her last nighttime escapade. She reached the lake and stripped off her clothes, placing her glaive in some reeds nearby. The water was warm as she waded in, from the hot sun that began in early morning and ended late in the afternoon. She was glad the darkness hid that she had left camp. As Kel splashed and scrubbed herself, she thought. Her words replayed in her head over and over. 'Yes, I love Neal. I love Neal. I love Neal. I love Neal' And she thought of Alanna's words. "Now all you have to do is tell each other." Kel wished she could be sure he loved her back.
"Kel." She whirled around, and saw Neal on the bank. She was glad the dark hid her. "Neal." He waded in, unclothed, and held her by the shoulders. "Couldn't you have told me you were leaving? I thought you went into another forest." Kel shuddered. She would never do that again. "I didn't want to ruin your rest." She said. "I'd rather have my rest ruined than lose you, Kel. You scared me." He whispered. With those words Kel knew he loved her and she loved him back, and that they were meant to be together. She wrapped her arms around his neck despite her nakedness and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Neal. You know I never got a chance to thank you for saving me from the taurus. Thank you." "I love you, Kel. Do you know that?" He asked quietly. "I'm hoping I know, because I love you too." And with that he kissed her long and passionately, and Kel found herself kissing him back.
They stopped, gasping for breath, and Neal led her out of the lake. They donned their clothes and walked back to camp hand-in-hand. Kel joined Neal in his bedroll that night, only for the sake of the reassuring comfort she felt when she was near him.