After washing more than she ever had before, Kel threw on some breeches and
a blouse and went to the mess hall for dinner. She was very excited about
having a real meal. The last time she had eaten fresh food was before she
left, in November, almost five months ago.
She walked quietly into the mess hall and sat down at a table. It was early, and not very many people were there yet, but Kel didn't mind. Most of her friends were away at camps and forts, mostly Steadfast and New Hope. She hoped New Hope was doing well without her. It had been such a long time since she had been there. She wondered if everyone was well. Had there been battle deaths? There were two pregnant women when she left, had they given birth yet? What about the elderly, did they all survive the winter?
She comforted herself, knowing that the war would end soon and her friends would come home. While she was waiting for the actual meal to be announced, Dom walked in and sat beside her.
"Well, this is fun." He said. "How long do you think it will take to get everyone home?"
Kel frowned. "I'm not sure. It's not like they are going to come home right away. Maggur was a powerful warlord. He held almost ten tribes together for years, when no one had ever held together more than three. (A/N: I'm pretty sure that's what she said in the book...if I'm wrong, please don't tell me, because I know I probably am...she did say it in Squire, but I'm really too lazy to check. Please don't berate me!) Without him, it's only a matter of time before the clans fall. But that's what it will take."
Dom looked confused. "What's what it will take?"
Kel smiled. "Time. Give it time. A few months, maybe. It will happen." She nodded.
Dom shook his head, laughing. "I would bet against it, if I didn't agree."
Kel leaned over and kissed him. She normally didn't agree with public displays of affection. But there was no one there yet, so she didn't mind.
"Dom," she said, grinning, "I think having the palace to ourselves will be fun. We can get plenty of practice in on our horses and at the archery range, and we can go into the city when ever we want."
He frowned. "I just wish I hadn't missed Midwinter."
Kel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like celebration?"
He shrugged. "I don't mind it that much, it could be so much worse- besides," he said, "it's not like there were any big celebrations this year. It just would have been nice to be with our friends. It's supposed to be so happy, and there I was, trying to convince you that you weren't going to your death."
Kel blushed. "I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble." She mumbled.
Dom realized what he had said. "Kel, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." He said, placing his hand on hers.
She didn't meet his eye. "Don't worry about it."
She was distant through the entire meal.
* * * * *
Kel bade Dom farewell and quickly walked back to her room immediately after supper. Dom let her go. He realized he had insulted her, but he knew she needed space.
Inside, Kel was praying to the gods that he would come and talk to her. She took out her book and sat on her bed, ready for when he knocked on the door. He didn't come. Jump seemed to sense her sadness, and he came to sit in her lap, jumping up and licking her face. She played with him for a while, forgetting about Dom. She was so engrossed that she didn't hear the first knock on her door.
"Kel?" Dom's voice came through the wood. Kel looked up. She quickly jumped up and opened the door. "I'm sorry," said Dom, looking her in the eye, catching her gaze before she could look away. "I really didn't mean to insult you."
Kel smiled. "That's all right. I'm just not in such a great mood right now, that's all. Girl troubles."
Dom shuddered. "Please, don't tell me."
Kel laughed and sat back down on her bed. "You know, I can't wait for our friends to come back."
Dom sat down beside her. "We should have a party." He grinned. "Not a ball, nothing like that. We would never get Raoul to come. But your rooms are fairly large, and they're not even the biggest. We could even do it outside!"
Kel looked him in the eye. "Dom, what kind of party are you implying?" She felt her face getting hotter, but she forced the feeling down.
He smiled sheepishly. "I don't know, I was just thinking, with everyone coming home, and everything going so well, and it being summer soon..."
Kel kissed him before he could finish, taking him by surprise. She pulled back and put a finger to her lips. "Dom," she whispered, "I would love to."
She grinned. She didn't feel it was the right expression for the situation, but she couldn't help herself.
Dom almost leapt on her, kissing her face and neck. "I love you so much, Protector of the Small." He said.
Kel hit him, laughing. "Stop it, that tickles!" She was so busy with that that she didn't hear him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I realize that was the shortest chapter I have ever written, and I'm sorry, but it is leading up to something, and I really wanted to go to the next chapter starting fresh. If this is too subtle for you (which I truly hope it isn't) than that's too bloody bad. Figure it out.
Rubber Duck: Sweet, yeah non-drunkenness...
AJ 4EVA: glad you love it, and I would be happy to keep it up!
Wake-Robin: thanks...I thought the griffin was a nice touch too. So cool, and his name isn't horrible, or French! (please, French people, don't be insulted...just read my last few chapters and reviews, you will understand)
Lady-kitty: assassin, ay? Well... no. Don't think so. It's just not my kind of story arc. It's a good idea. It really is, but I would ruin it. it's just not my kind of thing.
Rootless Californian: he wasn't really an ass. He had to be in the public eye. Did you notice the very obvious wink? NOTE THE WINK!!!
Kerzikhan: Well, I just answered this. WINK WINK. He winks. He is doing it so not to arouse suspicion about why these two people came into Corus with a celebration bell, looking very dirty. He doesn't want people to know about it yet, so he's keeping it secret! (and please don't ask me how the dude on the wall knew)
Ossini: Bandits are funny. Especially since I used the name of the dude from Chocolat, and he is crazy cool. And Johnny Depp. And he is a pirate. So it all works out, you see? BECAUSE PIRATES ROCK!
Chizzychizchiz: thanks, and I will.
PsychoLioness13: Absolutely. That chapter did kick ass, didn't it? not to blow my own horn, or anything...
Almostlost4wordz: welcome to the occult. Or, cult. I'm not really sure which is more appropriate. Is this like the possum, opossum thing? Anyway, yes it is different, because it is incredibly difficult to copy someone's writing style, even for experts. Now, although Pierce's writing is amazing, it is not one of the greats, by a long shot, (by greats I mean Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Dickens, etc. etc. etc.) and is thus easier to copy her work. But alas, I am not an expert forger, and thus, my work will go un- Pierce like.
Ladyghost: Uhh, no. I don't like Tobe. He bugs the hell out of me. I don't really know why. And there is really no reason for him to come...and they already went back to the palace.
Well, that's all, and as I'm sure you can tell, I'm really, really hyper. So I must bid you all adieu, look forward to another chapter this weekend, once I have 175 reviews! That's only 14!
-unolimbo
She walked quietly into the mess hall and sat down at a table. It was early, and not very many people were there yet, but Kel didn't mind. Most of her friends were away at camps and forts, mostly Steadfast and New Hope. She hoped New Hope was doing well without her. It had been such a long time since she had been there. She wondered if everyone was well. Had there been battle deaths? There were two pregnant women when she left, had they given birth yet? What about the elderly, did they all survive the winter?
She comforted herself, knowing that the war would end soon and her friends would come home. While she was waiting for the actual meal to be announced, Dom walked in and sat beside her.
"Well, this is fun." He said. "How long do you think it will take to get everyone home?"
Kel frowned. "I'm not sure. It's not like they are going to come home right away. Maggur was a powerful warlord. He held almost ten tribes together for years, when no one had ever held together more than three. (A/N: I'm pretty sure that's what she said in the book...if I'm wrong, please don't tell me, because I know I probably am...she did say it in Squire, but I'm really too lazy to check. Please don't berate me!) Without him, it's only a matter of time before the clans fall. But that's what it will take."
Dom looked confused. "What's what it will take?"
Kel smiled. "Time. Give it time. A few months, maybe. It will happen." She nodded.
Dom shook his head, laughing. "I would bet against it, if I didn't agree."
Kel leaned over and kissed him. She normally didn't agree with public displays of affection. But there was no one there yet, so she didn't mind.
"Dom," she said, grinning, "I think having the palace to ourselves will be fun. We can get plenty of practice in on our horses and at the archery range, and we can go into the city when ever we want."
He frowned. "I just wish I hadn't missed Midwinter."
Kel raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like celebration?"
He shrugged. "I don't mind it that much, it could be so much worse- besides," he said, "it's not like there were any big celebrations this year. It just would have been nice to be with our friends. It's supposed to be so happy, and there I was, trying to convince you that you weren't going to your death."
Kel blushed. "I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble." She mumbled.
Dom realized what he had said. "Kel, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." He said, placing his hand on hers.
She didn't meet his eye. "Don't worry about it."
She was distant through the entire meal.
* * * * *
Kel bade Dom farewell and quickly walked back to her room immediately after supper. Dom let her go. He realized he had insulted her, but he knew she needed space.
Inside, Kel was praying to the gods that he would come and talk to her. She took out her book and sat on her bed, ready for when he knocked on the door. He didn't come. Jump seemed to sense her sadness, and he came to sit in her lap, jumping up and licking her face. She played with him for a while, forgetting about Dom. She was so engrossed that she didn't hear the first knock on her door.
"Kel?" Dom's voice came through the wood. Kel looked up. She quickly jumped up and opened the door. "I'm sorry," said Dom, looking her in the eye, catching her gaze before she could look away. "I really didn't mean to insult you."
Kel smiled. "That's all right. I'm just not in such a great mood right now, that's all. Girl troubles."
Dom shuddered. "Please, don't tell me."
Kel laughed and sat back down on her bed. "You know, I can't wait for our friends to come back."
Dom sat down beside her. "We should have a party." He grinned. "Not a ball, nothing like that. We would never get Raoul to come. But your rooms are fairly large, and they're not even the biggest. We could even do it outside!"
Kel looked him in the eye. "Dom, what kind of party are you implying?" She felt her face getting hotter, but she forced the feeling down.
He smiled sheepishly. "I don't know, I was just thinking, with everyone coming home, and everything going so well, and it being summer soon..."
Kel kissed him before he could finish, taking him by surprise. She pulled back and put a finger to her lips. "Dom," she whispered, "I would love to."
She grinned. She didn't feel it was the right expression for the situation, but she couldn't help herself.
Dom almost leapt on her, kissing her face and neck. "I love you so much, Protector of the Small." He said.
Kel hit him, laughing. "Stop it, that tickles!" She was so busy with that that she didn't hear him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes, I realize that was the shortest chapter I have ever written, and I'm sorry, but it is leading up to something, and I really wanted to go to the next chapter starting fresh. If this is too subtle for you (which I truly hope it isn't) than that's too bloody bad. Figure it out.
Rubber Duck: Sweet, yeah non-drunkenness...
AJ 4EVA: glad you love it, and I would be happy to keep it up!
Wake-Robin: thanks...I thought the griffin was a nice touch too. So cool, and his name isn't horrible, or French! (please, French people, don't be insulted...just read my last few chapters and reviews, you will understand)
Lady-kitty: assassin, ay? Well... no. Don't think so. It's just not my kind of story arc. It's a good idea. It really is, but I would ruin it. it's just not my kind of thing.
Rootless Californian: he wasn't really an ass. He had to be in the public eye. Did you notice the very obvious wink? NOTE THE WINK!!!
Kerzikhan: Well, I just answered this. WINK WINK. He winks. He is doing it so not to arouse suspicion about why these two people came into Corus with a celebration bell, looking very dirty. He doesn't want people to know about it yet, so he's keeping it secret! (and please don't ask me how the dude on the wall knew)
Ossini: Bandits are funny. Especially since I used the name of the dude from Chocolat, and he is crazy cool. And Johnny Depp. And he is a pirate. So it all works out, you see? BECAUSE PIRATES ROCK!
Chizzychizchiz: thanks, and I will.
PsychoLioness13: Absolutely. That chapter did kick ass, didn't it? not to blow my own horn, or anything...
Almostlost4wordz: welcome to the occult. Or, cult. I'm not really sure which is more appropriate. Is this like the possum, opossum thing? Anyway, yes it is different, because it is incredibly difficult to copy someone's writing style, even for experts. Now, although Pierce's writing is amazing, it is not one of the greats, by a long shot, (by greats I mean Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf, Dickens, etc. etc. etc.) and is thus easier to copy her work. But alas, I am not an expert forger, and thus, my work will go un- Pierce like.
Ladyghost: Uhh, no. I don't like Tobe. He bugs the hell out of me. I don't really know why. And there is really no reason for him to come...and they already went back to the palace.
Well, that's all, and as I'm sure you can tell, I'm really, really hyper. So I must bid you all adieu, look forward to another chapter this weekend, once I have 175 reviews! That's only 14!
-unolimbo