"If you're afraid, why do this?" he asked, at his most reasonable. "They won't test you on it at the big or little exams."
"My lord will, the next time he gives me punishment work," Kel informed him. "Or the gods will, the next time I'm supposed to help someone in trouble and they're on a height, or we have to climb to escape danger."
For a while he said nothing, but she knew he was still there, watching her. "Why do any of this?" he wanted to know. "It isn't at all needful. Did someone tell you that you have no chance to marry?"
Kel's hand jerked, smearing charcoal over her notes. She made a face and rubbed it out.
Joren went on, "It's not true. You'd be a pretty thing, in the right clothes and after you'd lost some weight. After you stopped working so your arms are like a blacksmith's. You'd make a fine wife for one of those big fellows—Cleon for instance. He seems fond of you."
Joren was cut off from a punch. Kel had had enough. 'Joren's gone too far this time, insulting me is one thing, but he won't get away with insulting my friends!' Joren fought back until they were exchanging a flurry of rapid blows and kicks, both pouring hatred that had been built up over the years into their movements.
Joren had been provoking her for years, but he struck a nerve this time. Slowly he moved, making her turn to keep up. He kept moving until her back was to the wall of the palace.
Kel noticed that she was being trapped and tried to break away. She had no such luck, however, it had taken her too long to notice and now Joren was less than a foot away from her.
She was lifting both hands to push him away and run but he caught them in his own and forced her arms above her head. He moved in quickly, anchoring her legs down so that she had no possibility of escape.
"What a position I've got you in, Mindelan." He said with a smirk.
Kel was afraid; she had never been this vulnerable since Conal had held her off the balcony at Mindelan when she was little. Joren pushed his body against hers, crushing her against the rough stones, "Get off of me, Stone Mountain." She hissed, not giving her fear a chance to paralyze her.
"No, Mindelan. When will you learn that your place is at home, not with the men?" he switched his hands so he could hold both of her arms in one fist.
"Never, I have the right to be here, Joren I can't say that you do, though." Kel was radiating anger, but all of her movement was restricted as her forced himself against her. He put a soft hand to her cheek.
Joren sneered at her, "What is it, Mindelan? Afraid of a man's touch, or of me?" and, before he could check himself, smothered her lips in a bruising kiss. Kel struggled, screaming her fury through closed lips. He was touching her, his free hand ranged all over her body, touching her through her clothes. It was hopeless, she was a victim, pinned against the wall by her enemy.
Kel started to black out from lack of air, she couldn't break free of him, Joren was too strong. Her form crumpled as she fainted and Joren blinked, coming back to his senses. He back away from her unconscious body and she dropped to the ground. He looked at her figure and walked off, slightly content that he had beaten the Lump at something.
Neal was worried, Kel had not shown up for dinner, and she wasn't in her room or on the practice courts. Peachblossom was still in his stall and she didn't have permission to go to the city. He looked over the study group; they were all worried, too. He ran a hand through his hair again, trying to think of places she could be.
Sick of sitting still Neal stood up, "I'm going to see if she's back yet." He excused himself and wandered off down the hallway towards her room.
He knocked on the door. Lalasa opened it a minute later, still nervous and timid as a mouse. "Is Keladry here?" he asked, though already knowing the answer. Lalasa shook her head, keeping her eyes down. "Do you know where she was going when she left this morning?"
Lalasa took in a breath, "She said she was going to work on her fear of heights, sir."
Neal gasped his thanks before leaving Lalasa standing in the doorway and running back to the library. "Guys," he breathed loudly, trying to gain his wind again, "-Kel, Lalasa said that she went to work on her heights thing."
It was suddenly a rush, all the boys exited the library, splitting up to search for Kel. None of the boys wanted to think of what could've happened to her if she froze up or fell.
Neal ran his way up to the curtain wall, remembering the runs the Stump made them do along there. He tripped over a pad of paper that was covered in Kel's handwriting.
"Kel?" he called, anxiously looking around. He spotted her dark figure, still crumpled and unconscious, in a heap against the wall. "Kel!" He ran over to her and put her head in his lap while spreading his Gift into her.
She had a few bruises on her back and one on her head, but most speckled her arms as though she had gotten in a fight with someone. 'Nothing serious,' he thought and focused his Gift on waking her.
Her eyelids fluttered open moments later to find Neal's gaze on her. She sat up and looked around, "Kel! I'm so glad you're alright." He hugged her close.
But Kel didn't want to be close to any boy just then, not even Neal. She pushed away and sat against the wall, pulling her knees up. He was taken aback by her behavior, especially after being so worried. "What happened? Where's Joren, Neal?" Neal could hear her voice trembling.
"Did he do this to you Kel?" His voice was firm, demanding an answer.
She nodded, "I was up here sketching and he started talking about me getting married. Saying things like I should quit and marry, just give up on my dreams. But then he went too far, he insulted Cleon. I can handle it when he insults me, but not my friends." Kel looked up at Neal, "I fought him."
Neal was enraged, how long had Joren been insulting her? He shook with anger, "What happened next, Kel? What did he do to you?"
"We fought and he pushed me into the wall, he-" he voice choked and tears filled her eyes, "he forced my hands above my head and pinned my legs down. He asked why I wouldn't give up and leave. I told him I had just as much right to be here."
Neal moved to sit next to her, just as the tears poured themselves down her cheeks. He comforted her with soothing noises.
"H-he touched me, Neal. He kissed me and was touching me." She waved a hand up and down her body, "He wouldn't stop, nothing I could do would get him off me. I've never felt so helpless."
Neal was livid, "That bastard." He thought, 'how dare he hurt Kel!' Neal put his arms around her and this time she buried her head in his chest to cry. He kept hugging her closer, wondering what new feelings inside him kept urging him to do so. Neal quieted her down as best he could, murmuring meaningless phrases in her ear and rocking her slowly back and forth.
Finally she stopped shaking; he gave her a last hug before pulling her up. "Come on, you need to sleep. I'll walk you back to your room." Kel's eyes were weighted with sleep and she nodded. Neal helped support her and got her back in Lalasa's care before setting out to find their friends.
He found and gathered them before explaining, "I found Kel, she's ok." All breathed easier at this news.
Cleon was the first to ask, "What happened to her?" most knew of his crush on Kel, but all were frightened when she went missing.
"You don't want to know. But don't ask her about it tomorrow." He looked at each, locking eyes with them all, "I mean it, she was really scared."
This frightened them once more, "Kel? Scared?" Kel was never afraid of anything. But they nodded and broke off to go to sleep.
