Disclaimer: The characters and setting do not belong to me.

Chapter 12: The Battle

~~~~~~KEL'S POV~~~~~~

It had been days since Sir Paxton had called her into the office. She could remember the fear that he was going to take her away from the refugees. That didn't happen. When she went in, Sir Paxton had very calmly tried to explain that the army was not far off and they would appreciate it if she could lend some griffin feathers to the guards. Neal had told him, and Sir Paxton been upset for not having remembered that they were facing an illusion.

The army was now nearly beating down the gates. The camp wasn't under attack just yet, but the army was right there, an arrow could take out the men. The camp dared not do so until the men from Steadfast were closer, however. Steadfast's men were due to be in a noon. They would signal when they were close enough to be of use. Their leader carried a pendant that he could use to speak with Sir Paxton when he needed to, like the pendant Kel had seen the own use in her first year as a page.

Kel was as anxious as the next person. The army would be fighting, and the civilians, Kel decided, would help care for the wounded, and the camp afterwards. She was upset at not being able to help, so she was trying to make herself and her people as useful as possible.

Sir Paxton suddenly rushed out of headquarters, signaling for the archers to shoot the mages Neal had pointed out hours before. Within the minute, chaos could be heard coming from the Scanran's camp as the men rushed to arms. The military New Hope had been provided was now shooting freely at the Scanrans, who soon began to attack the gates of the fort. Hoof beats could be heard as horses charged towards the Scanrans; they had been stationed around the side of the camp, waiting to charge. Arrows began to fly back; the enemy archers had finally prepared their weapons.

Some of New Hope's men fell, refugees instantly tended to them, bringing them back away from the line of fire and bandaging the lesser wounds. The more seriously injured were brought to the infirmary. Kel watched, helping when she could. She came upon a lone woman, trying to bandage the shoulder of a man - he was struggling. Kel went over to help. She pinned the man down as the woman took care of the wound. Kel looked at the man, it was Sir Paxton.

Seeing he was unable to join in the battle, Kel removed the pendant from around his neck. She went to take it to his second in command. She climbed up to the top of the wall and searched desperately. As she looked, the pendant began to speak, well, the man with the brother of the pendant did. "Paxton, are you ready for us?"

"Sir Paxton had been injured." Kel informed the man on the other side, "This is Lady Knight Keladry, we are ready for the charge."

"Okay. Good luck." The man said. Kel surveyed the battle scene. She looked at the archers. They were firing at random men. On the field, horsemen needed assistance. "Cover the horsemen!" She shouted the men stared at her as if she were out of her mind, telling her they thought little of her. "Just do it!" She commanded, the men were skeptical, but followed her orders.

Kel watched as the reinforcements joined the fray. She picked up a bow left behind by an injured man and began to shoot. It wasn't the bow she was used to. She shot the first arrow, it seemed it was going to hit one the Tortallan men. She gasped, and sighed with relief as it hit the man just in front of the Tortallan, a Scanran. She understood why the archers were skeptical, in the confusion; they could hit Tortallans as easily as they could hit Scanrans. Kel continued to shoot, being more careful of her targets. She longed to be helping the men on the field, but if the gates were opened to let her out, there was a chance the Scanrans would get in.

When the arrows began to run low, Kel signaled for a refugee. A tall man Kel knew by sight alone came forth. "We need more arrows," she told him, "take some people and get some. As many as you can." There were plenty arrows, but not enough room on the wall for freedom and movement and an abundance of ammunition. Everyone had decided it best to bring the arrows as needed so that movement wasn't limited.

Kel shot arrow after arrow until her arms grew sore. She continued regardless. Slowly the Scanran numbers dwindled, Tortallans were falling also, but at a slower rate. The Tortallans were generally better trained and had more experience.

As the number of Scanrans lessened, the enemy finally realized their hopelessness and surrendered. For a moment, Kel feared the Tortallan soldiers were going to kill the men. They didn't. The men rounded up the Scanrans and brought them into New Hope.

The men were forced into one of the bunkhouses the refugees slept in. They were large windowless buildings with the only exit being the door. Kel places three of the more rested refugee men on guard duty. The soldiers that had marched in the surrendered men were now out on the field looking for any Tortallan men who were still alive.



Kel grabbed a strong looking refugee and a cot then went out into the mess of dead and dying men. Kel helped tote those still alive into the relative safety of the walls. The others, those already dead, were piled up and burned, there were too many to give proper burials. Burning was more human than leaving them for the stormwings. Had the battlefield been further from the walls, Kel would have left the Scanrans for the stormwings. There were simply too many of them to collect. However, considering the dead bodies were sprawled across the lands of New Hope, Kel had them piled and burned also. Those still alive were taken to the bunkroom with the surrendered men. Kel figured there had to be at least one healer amongst the Scanran men. As it so happened there were about five minor healers, as well as one slightly more skilled.

There were plenty of injured men on the Tortallan side. The men with minor wounds, those that needed no care from the healers, were sent out of the refugee camp to the camp made by the Steadfast soldiers. Those needing to see a healer, but not immediately, were stationed in the tents inside the camp. The men whose lives depended on the healer's touch were in the infirmary, already being attended to. The refugees stayed in their bunkhouses and cottages, some more cramped from the loss of the one bunkhouse to the Scanran prisoners.

Kel stayed in New Hope, despite her lack of wounds. She was the commander and the refugees were her people. She spent most of her time cleaning and bandaging wounds of those waiting for magical healing. At meal times, Kel delivered food to those men she tended. At night she made sure her men were well and comfortable before returning to her tent.

The battle, thought shorter than some battles, had its repercussions. It had most undoubtedly done a huge amount for the ending of the war, but it had cost Tortall lives. More than a quarter of the men that charged into battle had been killed. Even more were injured. Everyone spent days trying to clean up after the mess. It took almost a week for the healers to see everyone who needed attending. While that week passed Kel had little time to let her mind wander.

After the healers saw to the last patient, Kel made sure they rested, giving them orders to stay abed as long as they needed. Kel saw Neal last, she was happy he was doing well, he was tired but no more. "I can't believe you left Steadfast." She told him, shaking her head in mild amusement.

"I'm beginning to regret it," Neal said with a yawn.

"I'll leave you to sleep then," Kel said, walking out of the tent. It was then that it hit her. She couldn't remember seeing Dom all week. He was not in their tent at night, and he wasn't among the injured men Kel had tended to. Hoping Dom was well Kel left the protection of New Hope's walls and headed towards the camp across the field.

She was ushered to the commander's tent. Raoul was sitting across from a certain dark haired man, wearing a sergeant's uniform. Kel let out a sigh of relief, and hugged the man. "What are you doing?" He asked confused, pulling away. Kel looked at him. He wasn't Dom.

"I. . .I. . .I thought you were someone. . .someone else." She said, looking at her boots, her face felt like it were on fire. I can't believe I just did that, she mentally slapped herself.

Raoul was laughing . Kel glared at him. "Just who did you think I was?" The sergeant asked.

"Dom. . .I saw your hair and sergeant's bands and assumed. . ."

"Ah. . .People get us confused all the time." The sergeant said.

"Really?" Kel asked hopefully.

"No, but I was trying to make you feel better."

Kel blushed again. Raoul interrupted before she could say anything. "Did you need something Kel?"

"No Sir. I mean, yes Sir." Kel answered.

"Well. . ." Raoul prompted when she said nothing.

"Well what? Oh! Is Dom here, I haven't seen him this past week."

Raoul stared at Kel in disbelief. "No, Kel I'm sorry he isn't."

Kel didn't want to believe what she had just heard. "Did you send him back to Steadfast?" She asked with anticipation.

"No, all my men are right here, or there." He said, gesturing towards New Hope, his mouth was left hanging open.

Kel couldn't take this in, her knees collapsed and she fell to the floor. "But. . .he can't be. . .gone," Kel said. She couldn't bring herself to say 'dead'. She knew that Raoul and the unknown sergeant were staring, but she found she didn't really care. She felt tears building up. She fought hard not to cry, but despite her struggle they spilled out. The only thing that Kel could think of at the moment was that Dom, her Dom, was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

A/N: Ta da! Yet another chapter, very sorry it has been a busy weekend. Please review, what do you think?