I just want you to know: unless I think of something really good, I'm not
going to explain how Kel got pregnant. I already know who it was, but I
don't want to bring in the 'why' factor. So sit tight, and maybe, someday,
you'll find out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An hour later, Hoshi was saddled, Peachblossom was loaded with packs, and Dom was waiting at the gate. "Is Tobe staying here?" Dom asked.
Kel nodded. "He is helpful here, I have no work for him now." It hurt her to say it.
They walked quietly out of the fort, not wanting to attract attention.
They stayed silent until they couldn't see the fort anymore.
"I'm sorry, Kel. You were going to get hurt."
Kel didn't say anything for a moment. A tar rolled down her cheek, and she felt a horrible pain, but not from the baby. The pain was in her heart, and it had been there for a long time. It was just starting to lift.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Dom blinked. "Pardon?" He had been expecting her to yell at him, and he had been ready for it.
"Thank you, Dom." She straightened herself up. "I wasn't strong enough to do that myself, and I should have been. Thank you for helping me."
They spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.
As soon as it got dark, Kel started to set up her tent while Dom collected firewood. When she was done, she asked him where his was, so she could put it up for him.
"I didn't. I'm going to sleep under the stars. "Though," He looked up at the bleak, grey sky. "It looks like it won't be stars, but it's only one night, if it rains!"
Kel smiled and lit a fire. Three hours later, they were full, the fire was out, and it was raining. Hard.
"Goodnight, Kel!" Dom said, preparing to unroll his bedroll.
"Domitan! Don't be ridiculous! You can't sleep in this! You can stay in my tent, and I won't take no for an answer." She yelled over the rain.
"I'm fine, Kel-" He started, but rethought it when he saw the glare Kel was giving him. He shrugged, and sat down in the tent.
"Kel, there really isn't much room in here."
Kel sighed, but otherwise, ignored his comment. "Goodnight, Dom." She lay down. "And no attacking me in the night."
Dom laughed, but Kel was asleep before he could answer.
"Goddess bless, Lady Knight." He whispered.
The next morning, when Kel woke up, Dom was outside, cooking breakfast.
"Finally! I couldn't pack the tent up while you were in it!" He said, making her laugh.
Half an hour later, they had eaten, packed, and were ready to go.
They were much happier than they had been the day before, and they laughed all the way to Mindelan.
As they crested over the hill to Mindelan, though, Kel went silent. "I have to explain it to them." She said after a minute.
Dom got off his horse and walked to Kel. "They'll love you anyway." He said.
Kel shook her head. "That's not it. When I started, people said I shouldn't have been allowed to become a knight because I would get myself pregnant. They said I would be worthless."
Dom was shocked. "Kel! It's not like you to talk like that. If anyone dares to say that, you just tell them: You were the knight who killed Blayce, the worst Scanran after Maggur. You have won more battles than anyone could think possible for any knight. You were an amazing commander at Haven and New Hope. And you are a wonderful friend for everyone. That's why we love you."
He blushed as he said it, and his eyes flickered downwards for a second.
They walked their horses the rest of the way, through the fief of Mindelan.
Kel pushed open the great hall doors. "Mother? Father? Anders? Conal? (A/N I think that's her other brothers name. . .) Anyone here?"
There was the sound of soft flapping footsteps, and a tall, brown haired woman in Yamani dress came through a door.
"Goodness, Kel! What are you doing here?" Ilane asked.
"Hello Mother."
* * * * *
After explaining everything to her mother, and shedding a few tears with her, Kel retired to her rooms. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed.
The next morning, Kel was awoken by a knock on the door. She opened it, still in her dressing gown.
"Err, hello, Kel. Did I wake you up?" Dom blushed.
Kel smiled. "Dom, I'm perfectly decent. Come in."
He walked in and sat in a small wood chair. He didn't look comfortable.
"Kel, I'm going back to the fort today. Raoul said he had neither the men nor the time to let me stay."
Kel sighed. "I assumed as much." She was going to be alone for a long time. She gave Dom a hug and didn't let go.
"Thank you for everything, Dom. You've been the best friend I could have." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her griffin feather band. "Here, you can use this more than I can."
Dom nodded. "Goodbye, Kel. Thank you."
He left, and Kel was alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lady Fencer: I've already written the rest of the story. Well, most of it, but I was thinking of maybe doing a sequel about the kid, but maybe not. I don't really know.
Thanks to all the people who disagreed with me, I was sure I was going to get huge numbers of flames and stuff for the start!
-unolimbo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An hour later, Hoshi was saddled, Peachblossom was loaded with packs, and Dom was waiting at the gate. "Is Tobe staying here?" Dom asked.
Kel nodded. "He is helpful here, I have no work for him now." It hurt her to say it.
They walked quietly out of the fort, not wanting to attract attention.
They stayed silent until they couldn't see the fort anymore.
"I'm sorry, Kel. You were going to get hurt."
Kel didn't say anything for a moment. A tar rolled down her cheek, and she felt a horrible pain, but not from the baby. The pain was in her heart, and it had been there for a long time. It was just starting to lift.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Dom blinked. "Pardon?" He had been expecting her to yell at him, and he had been ready for it.
"Thank you, Dom." She straightened herself up. "I wasn't strong enough to do that myself, and I should have been. Thank you for helping me."
They spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.
As soon as it got dark, Kel started to set up her tent while Dom collected firewood. When she was done, she asked him where his was, so she could put it up for him.
"I didn't. I'm going to sleep under the stars. "Though," He looked up at the bleak, grey sky. "It looks like it won't be stars, but it's only one night, if it rains!"
Kel smiled and lit a fire. Three hours later, they were full, the fire was out, and it was raining. Hard.
"Goodnight, Kel!" Dom said, preparing to unroll his bedroll.
"Domitan! Don't be ridiculous! You can't sleep in this! You can stay in my tent, and I won't take no for an answer." She yelled over the rain.
"I'm fine, Kel-" He started, but rethought it when he saw the glare Kel was giving him. He shrugged, and sat down in the tent.
"Kel, there really isn't much room in here."
Kel sighed, but otherwise, ignored his comment. "Goodnight, Dom." She lay down. "And no attacking me in the night."
Dom laughed, but Kel was asleep before he could answer.
"Goddess bless, Lady Knight." He whispered.
The next morning, when Kel woke up, Dom was outside, cooking breakfast.
"Finally! I couldn't pack the tent up while you were in it!" He said, making her laugh.
Half an hour later, they had eaten, packed, and were ready to go.
They were much happier than they had been the day before, and they laughed all the way to Mindelan.
As they crested over the hill to Mindelan, though, Kel went silent. "I have to explain it to them." She said after a minute.
Dom got off his horse and walked to Kel. "They'll love you anyway." He said.
Kel shook her head. "That's not it. When I started, people said I shouldn't have been allowed to become a knight because I would get myself pregnant. They said I would be worthless."
Dom was shocked. "Kel! It's not like you to talk like that. If anyone dares to say that, you just tell them: You were the knight who killed Blayce, the worst Scanran after Maggur. You have won more battles than anyone could think possible for any knight. You were an amazing commander at Haven and New Hope. And you are a wonderful friend for everyone. That's why we love you."
He blushed as he said it, and his eyes flickered downwards for a second.
They walked their horses the rest of the way, through the fief of Mindelan.
Kel pushed open the great hall doors. "Mother? Father? Anders? Conal? (A/N I think that's her other brothers name. . .) Anyone here?"
There was the sound of soft flapping footsteps, and a tall, brown haired woman in Yamani dress came through a door.
"Goodness, Kel! What are you doing here?" Ilane asked.
"Hello Mother."
* * * * *
After explaining everything to her mother, and shedding a few tears with her, Kel retired to her rooms. She fell asleep as soon as she hit the bed.
The next morning, Kel was awoken by a knock on the door. She opened it, still in her dressing gown.
"Err, hello, Kel. Did I wake you up?" Dom blushed.
Kel smiled. "Dom, I'm perfectly decent. Come in."
He walked in and sat in a small wood chair. He didn't look comfortable.
"Kel, I'm going back to the fort today. Raoul said he had neither the men nor the time to let me stay."
Kel sighed. "I assumed as much." She was going to be alone for a long time. She gave Dom a hug and didn't let go.
"Thank you for everything, Dom. You've been the best friend I could have." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out her griffin feather band. "Here, you can use this more than I can."
Dom nodded. "Goodbye, Kel. Thank you."
He left, and Kel was alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lady Fencer: I've already written the rest of the story. Well, most of it, but I was thinking of maybe doing a sequel about the kid, but maybe not. I don't really know.
Thanks to all the people who disagreed with me, I was sure I was going to get huge numbers of flames and stuff for the start!
-unolimbo
