A week passed by and Kel and Neal's love grew. Kel knew she would have to
see Alanna, soon. They were teased endlessly by the men of the Own for
their glances at each other and not-so-secret love.
She found Alanna in her tent, settled reading a book. "Hello, Kel. What brings you here?" Alanna asked cheerfully. Kel fumbled with her tunic and muttered, "I need to ask a favor." The Lioness was a healer, Kel knew she would have what she needed. "I'm listening. What do you need?" The lady knight asked. "Well..um. A charm." Kel blushed. Alanna raised an eyebrow. "What type of charm? Healing, protection, luck, preg-oh. OH!" The knowledge donned on her and Kel blushed a deeper shade of crimson. "Sorry, Kel. You don't have to spell it out for me; I just wasn't thinking. I had one made for you, I thought you might ask. Well don't look so embarrassed! It's natures way." The Lioness reached into a drawer and produced a round, stone charm on a gold chain. "Now make sure to keep it tucked in your shirt. There will be hell to pay if the men see it." Kel thanked Alanna and tucked it into her shirt, leaving.
Raoul had told them that Alanna would be taking them to the palace for their Ordeals. They left that evening. The ride from the border took one night, two days. On the evening of their ride, Kel skinned and gutted a large rabbit as Neal brought in firewood. The rabbit dinner went by smoothly; the three sat in comfortable silence. After the meal, Alanna told them she was going to bed, and they walked hand-in-hand to a grass patch where they could watch the stars. They sat down, and Neal pulled Kel into his lap. She listened as he pointed tout the constellations and how they came to be. Kel snuggled closer to Neal in her bedroll that night, content with reviewing her life.
They made it to the Palace the next afternoon. Alanna told them that she had to rejoin the Own and they were under Wyldon's eye once again.
It was nearly lunch time when Kel and Neal got some rooms. Kel bathed quickly, scrubbing off the dirt she was covered in. She heard a pounding on the door as Neal called her name. "I'll be out in a minute." She yelled, and quickly dressed herself. She ran a comb through her hair and opened the door. "We're going to be late for lunch, Kel. You know the Stump will assign punishment if we're late." "Alright, alright. Keep your shirt on." She said pulling on her boots. "Maybe I shouldn't." He said slyly. "Let's go, Neal." They walked down the hall and into the mess, Neal's arm around her waist. They filled their plates up and sat down by their waving friends. It had been a long time since they had all sat together, and had a lot of catching up to do. Kel ignored Cleon completely as Neal glared at him the entire meal. Wyldon stood up on the dais and cleared his throat. "There is a ball tonight in honor of our knights-to-be. All squires please be present." As he stepped down, the hall filled with the buzzing of talk.
She found Alanna in her tent, settled reading a book. "Hello, Kel. What brings you here?" Alanna asked cheerfully. Kel fumbled with her tunic and muttered, "I need to ask a favor." The Lioness was a healer, Kel knew she would have what she needed. "I'm listening. What do you need?" The lady knight asked. "Well..um. A charm." Kel blushed. Alanna raised an eyebrow. "What type of charm? Healing, protection, luck, preg-oh. OH!" The knowledge donned on her and Kel blushed a deeper shade of crimson. "Sorry, Kel. You don't have to spell it out for me; I just wasn't thinking. I had one made for you, I thought you might ask. Well don't look so embarrassed! It's natures way." The Lioness reached into a drawer and produced a round, stone charm on a gold chain. "Now make sure to keep it tucked in your shirt. There will be hell to pay if the men see it." Kel thanked Alanna and tucked it into her shirt, leaving.
Raoul had told them that Alanna would be taking them to the palace for their Ordeals. They left that evening. The ride from the border took one night, two days. On the evening of their ride, Kel skinned and gutted a large rabbit as Neal brought in firewood. The rabbit dinner went by smoothly; the three sat in comfortable silence. After the meal, Alanna told them she was going to bed, and they walked hand-in-hand to a grass patch where they could watch the stars. They sat down, and Neal pulled Kel into his lap. She listened as he pointed tout the constellations and how they came to be. Kel snuggled closer to Neal in her bedroll that night, content with reviewing her life.
They made it to the Palace the next afternoon. Alanna told them that she had to rejoin the Own and they were under Wyldon's eye once again.
It was nearly lunch time when Kel and Neal got some rooms. Kel bathed quickly, scrubbing off the dirt she was covered in. She heard a pounding on the door as Neal called her name. "I'll be out in a minute." She yelled, and quickly dressed herself. She ran a comb through her hair and opened the door. "We're going to be late for lunch, Kel. You know the Stump will assign punishment if we're late." "Alright, alright. Keep your shirt on." She said pulling on her boots. "Maybe I shouldn't." He said slyly. "Let's go, Neal." They walked down the hall and into the mess, Neal's arm around her waist. They filled their plates up and sat down by their waving friends. It had been a long time since they had all sat together, and had a lot of catching up to do. Kel ignored Cleon completely as Neal glared at him the entire meal. Wyldon stood up on the dais and cleared his throat. "There is a ball tonight in honor of our knights-to-be. All squires please be present." As he stepped down, the hall filled with the buzzing of talk.