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Chapter 13: The Call
~~~DOM'S POV~~~
"Twenty-three. Yes, twenty-three years to cut down all the aforementioned forests. Including breaks and holidays for all the workers. But what about bad weather? That must be taken into account. If only 275 days a year were workable, plus the days off and breaks. . ."
"Dom, what are you doing?" Neal asked as he walked into the room.
"Trying to calculate the amount of time it would take to cut down all the major forests in Tortall. Ten years, you know, working at a constant rate. Twenty if the men only work twelve bells a day. And twenty-three if the men are given holidays and such off. I'm currently working on weather." Dom informed Neal.
"You can not be that bored." Neal said with disbelief.
"About thirty-three years, I think. But then that isn't taking Leap Year into factor."
"Or maybe you can."
"You know, Neal, I've been here for a while, I've lost track of the time. . .how long has it been, three months, four. . .?"
"Two and a half weeks." Neal told him dryly.
"Right. But I haven't had anything to do, and no one has even come to say hello."
"You mean 'and Kel hasn't even come to say hello', don't you?" Neal asked, sitting at the foot of Dom's bed.
He was right. Kel hasn't even sent word to me! If it weren't for Neal I wouldn't even have known she was still alive, thought Dom, slightly angry with Kel. "Has she even asked about me?" Dom asked his cousin.
"No." Neal said. "She was busy with the patients who are less injured. Then she went to the camp. More than a week ago she left, she hasn't come back yet."
"Why did she go?" Dom asked. She can help everyone else, but hasn't a moment to spare for me? That isn't fair, Dom pouted silently.
"I don't know."
"Why isn't she back?" He continued worriedly.
"I don't know."
"Is she hurt?" He questioned frantically.
"I dunno."
"Is. . ."
"I. Do. Not. Know." Neal said slowly.
"Why?" Dom asked.
"Just. . .because." Neal said. "How old are you? Two?"
"Three." Dom said pertly. "Seriously now, what news have you gotten?"
"Just that Kel received some shocking news. I haven't heard what exactly, but some of the women are very acting very sympathetic. Well, they feel sorry for her, at least."
"Poor Kel." Dom said. "I. . ." He was interrupted as a messenger knocked and stride in without waiting for the invitation.
"Sir Nealan of Queenscove?" The messenger asked. Neal nodded. "I have a message from Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan." He presented a scroll to Neal. Dom saw the seal; it was further proof of the identity of the letter's sender. Neal opened the letter. His face showed confusion as he lifted another scroll from the center of the first and opened it. Neal's confusion turned to a look of horror.
Dom wanted to know what could make his cousin so frightened. "What is it Neal?"
"A letter it says, I have 'been called before the court so that it may investigate the legality of the charges of treason'. They're charging me with treason, for leaving Steadfast!"
Dom swallowed, he didn't want to see his cousin killed, nor did he wish him exiled. "The first letter, what did that one say? The one from Kel?"
"We've both been summoned to Corus, me for the trial, her for something else. Hold on. . ." He read the letter again, "They want her away from the border, so that another attack is not planned with the hopes of killing her."
"So, you're leaving?" Dom asked.
"Looks like it." Neal said, his voice was slightly higher than it should have been. Dom watched as Neal tried to calm himself. "Would you like me to deliver a message to Kel?"
"Yeah," Dom said, thinking. "Tell her I said goodbye, goodbye and good luck."
"That all? No poetry, kisses, 'I love you's?"
"Nah, I'll tell her that myself, when next I see her. Maybe not the next time, but sometime."
"Coward."
"Yup."
"Well, I had best get ready to go." Neal said. Dom watched as Neal left the room. He couldn't help thinking this might be the last time he would see his cousin. As the door shut, Dom lay back with a sigh and tried to get his mind off his cousin.
"Does Leap Year add a day or take away a day?"
~~~NEAL'S POV~~~
There's no denying it, he was scared. He'd done treason-like acts before, following Kel into Scanra for example. But then he had the confidence that he would get off, as would Kel. She was helping rid Tortall of a pest, and the Lioness would throw a fit if she were called a traitor. He knew that from the time they first saw Blayce's home. But now, he wasn't sure. He had done no heroic act, nothing great came of his leaving, he had nothing to fall back on. He was very scared.
In her letter Kel had asked him to meet her at the gates after the morning meal. She wanted to get to Corus as soon as possible, he wasn't sure why. It almost seemed she was eager to drive him towards his death. He sighed and looked at his bags, they were only half packed. Not like he would need much .
Stop thinking about it, he thought to himself., I don't care if I'll die within the month. "Argh!" Neal screamed and stormed out of the rooms, trying to run from the thoughts that pursued him.
It was getting dark, and cold. Neal walked around the camp in irritation. For a moment he considered running. The border wasn't far off, he could make it, and live. He spent time thinking on the subject. He finally returned to his room, deciding it was bad enough to be a traitor, but a cowardly traitor was even worse. Perhaps they would find him innocent. He was, after all, a Duke's son.
With this hopeful thought, Neal finished packing his things and crawled into bed, trying to think of ways in which he had helped New Hope during the battle.
~~~KEL'S POV~~~
Kel lay in bed, trying to sleep, she was leaving for Corus in the morning. She had been rather relieved at receiving the letter that called her back to Corus. She had been eager to leave, everything reminded her of Dom. She hoped the busy city would help her to accept his death, but she doubted it would. She doubted anything would. Dom wasn't just a lover, he was a friend, and she would miss him always.
A/N: It's late, and short. Very sorry people. Will you review anyways? Please?
Chapter 13: The Call
~~~DOM'S POV~~~
"Twenty-three. Yes, twenty-three years to cut down all the aforementioned forests. Including breaks and holidays for all the workers. But what about bad weather? That must be taken into account. If only 275 days a year were workable, plus the days off and breaks. . ."
"Dom, what are you doing?" Neal asked as he walked into the room.
"Trying to calculate the amount of time it would take to cut down all the major forests in Tortall. Ten years, you know, working at a constant rate. Twenty if the men only work twelve bells a day. And twenty-three if the men are given holidays and such off. I'm currently working on weather." Dom informed Neal.
"You can not be that bored." Neal said with disbelief.
"About thirty-three years, I think. But then that isn't taking Leap Year into factor."
"Or maybe you can."
"You know, Neal, I've been here for a while, I've lost track of the time. . .how long has it been, three months, four. . .?"
"Two and a half weeks." Neal told him dryly.
"Right. But I haven't had anything to do, and no one has even come to say hello."
"You mean 'and Kel hasn't even come to say hello', don't you?" Neal asked, sitting at the foot of Dom's bed.
He was right. Kel hasn't even sent word to me! If it weren't for Neal I wouldn't even have known she was still alive, thought Dom, slightly angry with Kel. "Has she even asked about me?" Dom asked his cousin.
"No." Neal said. "She was busy with the patients who are less injured. Then she went to the camp. More than a week ago she left, she hasn't come back yet."
"Why did she go?" Dom asked. She can help everyone else, but hasn't a moment to spare for me? That isn't fair, Dom pouted silently.
"I don't know."
"Why isn't she back?" He continued worriedly.
"I don't know."
"Is she hurt?" He questioned frantically.
"I dunno."
"Is. . ."
"I. Do. Not. Know." Neal said slowly.
"Why?" Dom asked.
"Just. . .because." Neal said. "How old are you? Two?"
"Three." Dom said pertly. "Seriously now, what news have you gotten?"
"Just that Kel received some shocking news. I haven't heard what exactly, but some of the women are very acting very sympathetic. Well, they feel sorry for her, at least."
"Poor Kel." Dom said. "I. . ." He was interrupted as a messenger knocked and stride in without waiting for the invitation.
"Sir Nealan of Queenscove?" The messenger asked. Neal nodded. "I have a message from Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan." He presented a scroll to Neal. Dom saw the seal; it was further proof of the identity of the letter's sender. Neal opened the letter. His face showed confusion as he lifted another scroll from the center of the first and opened it. Neal's confusion turned to a look of horror.
Dom wanted to know what could make his cousin so frightened. "What is it Neal?"
"A letter it says, I have 'been called before the court so that it may investigate the legality of the charges of treason'. They're charging me with treason, for leaving Steadfast!"
Dom swallowed, he didn't want to see his cousin killed, nor did he wish him exiled. "The first letter, what did that one say? The one from Kel?"
"We've both been summoned to Corus, me for the trial, her for something else. Hold on. . ." He read the letter again, "They want her away from the border, so that another attack is not planned with the hopes of killing her."
"So, you're leaving?" Dom asked.
"Looks like it." Neal said, his voice was slightly higher than it should have been. Dom watched as Neal tried to calm himself. "Would you like me to deliver a message to Kel?"
"Yeah," Dom said, thinking. "Tell her I said goodbye, goodbye and good luck."
"That all? No poetry, kisses, 'I love you's?"
"Nah, I'll tell her that myself, when next I see her. Maybe not the next time, but sometime."
"Coward."
"Yup."
"Well, I had best get ready to go." Neal said. Dom watched as Neal left the room. He couldn't help thinking this might be the last time he would see his cousin. As the door shut, Dom lay back with a sigh and tried to get his mind off his cousin.
"Does Leap Year add a day or take away a day?"
~~~NEAL'S POV~~~
There's no denying it, he was scared. He'd done treason-like acts before, following Kel into Scanra for example. But then he had the confidence that he would get off, as would Kel. She was helping rid Tortall of a pest, and the Lioness would throw a fit if she were called a traitor. He knew that from the time they first saw Blayce's home. But now, he wasn't sure. He had done no heroic act, nothing great came of his leaving, he had nothing to fall back on. He was very scared.
In her letter Kel had asked him to meet her at the gates after the morning meal. She wanted to get to Corus as soon as possible, he wasn't sure why. It almost seemed she was eager to drive him towards his death. He sighed and looked at his bags, they were only half packed. Not like he would need much .
Stop thinking about it, he thought to himself., I don't care if I'll die within the month. "Argh!" Neal screamed and stormed out of the rooms, trying to run from the thoughts that pursued him.
It was getting dark, and cold. Neal walked around the camp in irritation. For a moment he considered running. The border wasn't far off, he could make it, and live. He spent time thinking on the subject. He finally returned to his room, deciding it was bad enough to be a traitor, but a cowardly traitor was even worse. Perhaps they would find him innocent. He was, after all, a Duke's son.
With this hopeful thought, Neal finished packing his things and crawled into bed, trying to think of ways in which he had helped New Hope during the battle.
~~~KEL'S POV~~~
Kel lay in bed, trying to sleep, she was leaving for Corus in the morning. She had been rather relieved at receiving the letter that called her back to Corus. She had been eager to leave, everything reminded her of Dom. She hoped the busy city would help her to accept his death, but she doubted it would. She doubted anything would. Dom wasn't just a lover, he was a friend, and she would miss him always.
A/N: It's late, and short. Very sorry people. Will you review anyways? Please?
