I'm irking some reviewers, aren't I? Don't you just hate it when you read a fanfic with a secret in it that you don't know? Maybe, if you're REALLY lucky, I'll reveal Kel's little secret in this chapter or the next. Or maybe I'll just torture you. Pray, dear reviewers. Pray.

Oh, and someone (I am too lazy to find out which reviewer) pointed out to me that Alanna was not sent to the Scanran border and that Daine and Kel would have been better for this story because the Lioness is not as familiar with our favorite lady knight as Daine is. So we'll just pretend that Al was sent to the Scanran border, met Kel, they became good friends, and then came back. Okay? Okay.

Chapter Three: Battle

All by herself, Kel sat at a table, hunched over her meal. Her friends—and enemies—observed her with confused and scrutinizing eyes. Alanna stood in a corner, shoulders slightly hunched, the picture of remorse and anguish.

Something's missing.

Whatever happened to Kel in Scanra obviously bugged Alanna relentlessly.

I am not cruel. I am normal as can be.

Her attitude disturbed everyone—but none so much as Neal, her friend, her confidante, her brother.

She knows what would happen if she ratted on me.

What would happen?

I would hurt her very, very bad.

Alanna was in on it. Or, at least, she knew the truth…whatever it was. With renewed conviction, Neal stood up, slammed his plate down, and marched up to her, oblivious of the many pairs of startled eyes following his every movement.

"What's wrong with you?" he said.

Slightly surprised, though not startled, Kel glanced up briefly from her stew. "Nothing."

"What's wrong with you?" he repeated.

"I told you, nothing."

"What's wrong with you?"

This is getting ridiculous, she thought. Sighing, she folded her napkin and threw it in her bowl.

"Here's the second clue: every single person in this room has what I'm missing. Every single one, no matter how much they try to deny it. Happy?"

"No."

"Tough cookies," she said.

Just then, a young boy clad in a servant's clothes stumbled in, his eyes wild. "Scanrans," he panted, "Scanrans are in the woods about a mile from here—hundreds of them!"

"An attack," King Jonathan muttered darkly. A split second later knights and their squires were shouting and making such a commotion that Kel, annoyed, got up and left. Those that noticed—like Neal, and Raoul—stored away a mental note to lecture her on the duty as a knight.

But Kel was not stupid. She went to her rooms, calmly donned her armor, and then left with Griffin grasped firmly in her gloved hand. Upon reaching the stables, she found that not a single horse remained—save her Peachblossom, the rowdy gelding who wanted nothing more that to right now beat some serious Scanran ass like all his stallion buddies were doing. Without bothering to saddle or even bridle him, Kel mounted the giddy roan and they took off toward the woods.

~*~

The boy was not kidding when he said there were hundreds of them—estimated, there were five Scanrans to every one Tortallan. Inexperienced, nervous squires wiped their sweaty brows with their hands. Hardened, ready knights tensed and put their steady hands on their swords.

In the five seconds that the knights and their squires were waiting two things happened at once: the Scanrans ambushed and Kel galloped through with a set face and a deadly sword.

Confused at both, some knights glanced behind at the woman, thinking they were being attacked from behind. Most of those knights were killed. Only two or three lived through that—Cleon being one.

Four Scanrans broke away from the attack to bear down on the young lady knight. Ten seconds later their bloodied bodies dropped to the ground, limbs severed and unrecognizable. Some Scanrans, seeing what happened, screamed and leaped for her; they were hacked away. Without an ounce of fear on her face Kel kicked Peachblossom into the heart of the Scanran mass, slashing at every body her sword could reach.

It became obvious to most of the more cool-headed Tortallans who were not losing their heads and killing every thing in sight that this girl could easily destroy the entire army of Scanrans and escape with only a scratch. Even conservatives, her greatest enemies, realized this.

Not even an hour passed when the Scanrans began to retreat, their fear no longer directed on all Tortallans, but on Kel, a dangerous non-maiden lethally skilled with weapons. In the last thirty minutes of the battle she had been the only one fighting; help was not needed. She was handling the fight fine.

Now, with only a scratch that may leave a scar over her eyes, Kel returned, her gelding prancing—exhaustedly, but prancing nonetheless—over towards the bulk of Tortallans.

"What the fuck was that?" Gareth the Younger squawked. "You completely pulverized almost the entire Scanran party into dust!"

Silently, Kel accepted an offer of bread and cheese and did not so much as glance at him.

"Answer me, you…you…" Apparently even Gary, normally sharp-witted, was at a loss for words.

Save Alanna, face blank though etched with sorrow, everyone was staring at the muscled brunette who nudged her horse into a canter and disappeared in the woods.

Raoul sighed. "Clue number one: something's missing. No, Neal, it's not a heart. Clue number two: what was it? Everyone has it, no matter how hard they deny it? Well, that does sound like a heart…After all, people don't think Wyldon has a heart, do they?"

"Finally!" Neal burst. "Someone finally sees that Kel is missing a heart!"

"It's not a heart," Alanna blurted, unable to stop herself. She hung her head. "What Kel is missing is a—"

"Al! Come on!"

Abruptly, the Lioness shut her mouth with an almost audible click and scurried after Kel obediently.