~I can't do italics, so I'm gonna use * to signify them.~
Chapter 10:
Kel was in turmoil. She had an obligation to the people back at New Hope, and to Lord Wyldon, at the same time, she longed to go find this "boss" and give him a piece of her mind. With a heavy heart, she returned to New Hope.
It had been a month since Kel had returned, and she had been busy the whole time. It seems that Merric got drunk one night and gotten a little wild. He had crashed through both livestock pens with his horse. Needless to say, there was quite a mess.
"Hey Kel!" Neal shouted from across the yard, "You just got a letter, man says it's very important, it's from your parents!"
Kel ran over and snatched the letter from his hands and read it.
*Dear Kel,
I thought you should be told, though it saddens me to do so, that Buri has been kidnapped. Raoul says that four men barged into their bedroom and grabbed her before she realized what was going on. To make things worse, someone has attempted to kidnap the Lioness and Her Majesty several times.
I fear that you may be next, for their pattern of kidnappings suggests they are after the more powerful women in the Kingdom.
-Ilane*
Kel carefully folded the letter up with shaking hands.
"Kel, are you alright? What's the letter say?" Neal asked her.
She cleared her throat, "Uh, it's Buri."
"Is she ok?"
"Not exactly. She's been kidnapped, and someone tried to kidnap Alanna and Thayet."
"What? Kel, if this is some type of joke. I mean, this is really not a good way to try and get some type of sense of humor."
"Does it look like I'm kidding?!" She was close to tears now. "I'm sorry Kel, I didn't mean to," he pulled her into his arms, and she cried.
She pulled away, "I have to go."
"Kel, are you crazy? They'll probably come after you soon."
"Don't you get it? If I don't stop them, then they will come after me. Besides, I know some things about these people that no one else does."
"What are you talking about?"
"Grant worked for them, he, he told me right before he killed himself. He said that his boss 'collected' female warriors." She took a deep breath, "So then I went back to Corus and the Chamber of the Ordeal told me that it was a group called the 'Kirizo' and they were stationed in Scanra."
"Why on earth didn't you tell me any of this before Kel? You used to tell me everything!"
"What are you two yelling about?" Yuki asked them. She had moved into New Hope a week ago.
"Nothing," Kel murmured, then she ran off to go pack her things.
"What's up with her?"
"I dunno," Neal sighed and went back into the infirmary.
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Peachblossom trotted through the gates at Steadfast. Kel had decided to stop here before going on her quest, she knew that Lord Wyldon wasn't going to be pleased with her, but he would just have to deal with this, because there was no way that she was going to back down.
"Kel, what are you doing here?" Wyldon raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Sir, I have something that I have to do, and I wanted to inform you that I wouldn't be back for awhile."
"You can't just pick up and leave. You have to take care of New Hope."
"I know that, but I must go, I truly don't have much of a choice."
"Oh? And what, may I ask, is so damn important that you are willing to shirk your duties?
"I have to go save Buri, and kill the man responsible."
Wyldon laughed, "You are aware that you are probably the next target don't you?"
"Yes sir, I'm aware, but I can't just sit and twiddle my thumbs and wait for them to attack me."
He sighed, "Kel, you are one heck of a young woman. Alright, you may go, but be careful."
"Yes sir." She bowed and left the room.
She went to the stables and was mounting Peachblossom when someone entered the stable. "Kel, is that you?"
Kel's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Suddenly she was nervous and shaky, "Yes."
Dom took a deep breath, "Why are you here?"
"Just letting Lord Wyldon know that I was leaving."
"Leaving? Where are you going?"
"To Scanra, I'm going to go kill a few of Grant's friends."
He stiffened when she said Grant's name. He shifted his feet some, and finally said, "Why? I mean, what good will that do?"
"It's him and his group that are responsible for the kidnappings."
His head snapped up, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm afraid that's why Grant was here, to kidnap me."
"Oh yes, and but first he intended to go to bed with you." His voice dripped with sarcasm and hate.
Kel blushed, she could no longer look him in the eye. "Dom, I'm- I'm sorry, I know I hurt you, but I didn't mean to, I don't know why I--"
"Kissed him? In our place?" He finished for her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, then steered Peachblossom out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She had been traveling for several days when she got to the port. She boarded the barge that would take her over the Vassa River, and went and took a long nap in her room. The ship wouldn't be leaving until the next day, but she didn't want to go to an Inn.
Early the next morning there was a knock on her door. "Who is it?"
"There's a man out on the deck who'd like you to come speak with him. Says his name is Dom." The person on the other side of the door called out.
"Alright, I'll be out in a moment, and thank you."
She quickly pulled on a pair of breeches and a shirt, then shoved her feet into her boots. When she was ready she jerked open the door and quickly went out on the deck.
From where she was standing she could see a man by the rail. He looked as if he was talking to someone on the dock.
"Dom?" she asked the man. He turned around. It was definitely not Dom. He had a long nose and squinty eyes, and a scar that ran across his cheek. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
She was turning around when the man grabbed her shoulder, "There ye' are Kel, been lookin for ya." He grinned, and Kel was disgusted to see his crooked, rotted teeth.
"Yes, I am Sir Kel. Though who is inquiring?"
"Don't you worry yer pretty little head bout that. All I'm sayin is I'm doin something fer the boss."
"Look, I'm supposed to meet someone, so if you'll excuse me."
"Who're ya meetin? That Dom feller? He ain't out here, I'm the one who called ye out here. I jus told ya he was here."
"Why sir, would you do that?" Her hand went to rest on her sword hilt when she remembered that she hadn't put it on, as she expected to see Dom.
"Jus so I could get you out here." He pulled out a dagger and put it up to her nose. "Worked well didn't it?"
Just then the ship lurched as it left the dock and the man stumbled. Kel took the advantage and shoved him against the rail. As he fell the ship jerked again and he toppled over the side of the boat with a splash.
Kel took a deep breath and returned to her room. This man had spoken of his boss too. She suspected that Grant's boss and this man's boss were one and the same.
Sighing, she took out her daggers and sword to polish. She had to do something during this boat ride.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day they landed on the other side of the river (a/n they didn't go straight across. they went upstream some. That's why it took all day) and Kel mounted Peachblossom. She was just about to take off when someone from the ship beside hers called her name.
It was Raoul.
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~Ta-da! My longest chapter ever. Please review, or I won't have the heart to continue.~
Chapter 10:
Kel was in turmoil. She had an obligation to the people back at New Hope, and to Lord Wyldon, at the same time, she longed to go find this "boss" and give him a piece of her mind. With a heavy heart, she returned to New Hope.
It had been a month since Kel had returned, and she had been busy the whole time. It seems that Merric got drunk one night and gotten a little wild. He had crashed through both livestock pens with his horse. Needless to say, there was quite a mess.
"Hey Kel!" Neal shouted from across the yard, "You just got a letter, man says it's very important, it's from your parents!"
Kel ran over and snatched the letter from his hands and read it.
*Dear Kel,
I thought you should be told, though it saddens me to do so, that Buri has been kidnapped. Raoul says that four men barged into their bedroom and grabbed her before she realized what was going on. To make things worse, someone has attempted to kidnap the Lioness and Her Majesty several times.
I fear that you may be next, for their pattern of kidnappings suggests they are after the more powerful women in the Kingdom.
-Ilane*
Kel carefully folded the letter up with shaking hands.
"Kel, are you alright? What's the letter say?" Neal asked her.
She cleared her throat, "Uh, it's Buri."
"Is she ok?"
"Not exactly. She's been kidnapped, and someone tried to kidnap Alanna and Thayet."
"What? Kel, if this is some type of joke. I mean, this is really not a good way to try and get some type of sense of humor."
"Does it look like I'm kidding?!" She was close to tears now. "I'm sorry Kel, I didn't mean to," he pulled her into his arms, and she cried.
She pulled away, "I have to go."
"Kel, are you crazy? They'll probably come after you soon."
"Don't you get it? If I don't stop them, then they will come after me. Besides, I know some things about these people that no one else does."
"What are you talking about?"
"Grant worked for them, he, he told me right before he killed himself. He said that his boss 'collected' female warriors." She took a deep breath, "So then I went back to Corus and the Chamber of the Ordeal told me that it was a group called the 'Kirizo' and they were stationed in Scanra."
"Why on earth didn't you tell me any of this before Kel? You used to tell me everything!"
"What are you two yelling about?" Yuki asked them. She had moved into New Hope a week ago.
"Nothing," Kel murmured, then she ran off to go pack her things.
"What's up with her?"
"I dunno," Neal sighed and went back into the infirmary.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Peachblossom trotted through the gates at Steadfast. Kel had decided to stop here before going on her quest, she knew that Lord Wyldon wasn't going to be pleased with her, but he would just have to deal with this, because there was no way that she was going to back down.
"Kel, what are you doing here?" Wyldon raised a quizzical eyebrow.
"Sir, I have something that I have to do, and I wanted to inform you that I wouldn't be back for awhile."
"You can't just pick up and leave. You have to take care of New Hope."
"I know that, but I must go, I truly don't have much of a choice."
"Oh? And what, may I ask, is so damn important that you are willing to shirk your duties?
"I have to go save Buri, and kill the man responsible."
Wyldon laughed, "You are aware that you are probably the next target don't you?"
"Yes sir, I'm aware, but I can't just sit and twiddle my thumbs and wait for them to attack me."
He sighed, "Kel, you are one heck of a young woman. Alright, you may go, but be careful."
"Yes sir." She bowed and left the room.
She went to the stables and was mounting Peachblossom when someone entered the stable. "Kel, is that you?"
Kel's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Suddenly she was nervous and shaky, "Yes."
Dom took a deep breath, "Why are you here?"
"Just letting Lord Wyldon know that I was leaving."
"Leaving? Where are you going?"
"To Scanra, I'm going to go kill a few of Grant's friends."
He stiffened when she said Grant's name. He shifted his feet some, and finally said, "Why? I mean, what good will that do?"
"It's him and his group that are responsible for the kidnappings."
His head snapped up, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm afraid that's why Grant was here, to kidnap me."
"Oh yes, and but first he intended to go to bed with you." His voice dripped with sarcasm and hate.
Kel blushed, she could no longer look him in the eye. "Dom, I'm- I'm sorry, I know I hurt you, but I didn't mean to, I don't know why I--"
"Kissed him? In our place?" He finished for her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, then steered Peachblossom out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She had been traveling for several days when she got to the port. She boarded the barge that would take her over the Vassa River, and went and took a long nap in her room. The ship wouldn't be leaving until the next day, but she didn't want to go to an Inn.
Early the next morning there was a knock on her door. "Who is it?"
"There's a man out on the deck who'd like you to come speak with him. Says his name is Dom." The person on the other side of the door called out.
"Alright, I'll be out in a moment, and thank you."
She quickly pulled on a pair of breeches and a shirt, then shoved her feet into her boots. When she was ready she jerked open the door and quickly went out on the deck.
From where she was standing she could see a man by the rail. He looked as if he was talking to someone on the dock.
"Dom?" she asked the man. He turned around. It was definitely not Dom. He had a long nose and squinty eyes, and a scar that ran across his cheek. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
She was turning around when the man grabbed her shoulder, "There ye' are Kel, been lookin for ya." He grinned, and Kel was disgusted to see his crooked, rotted teeth.
"Yes, I am Sir Kel. Though who is inquiring?"
"Don't you worry yer pretty little head bout that. All I'm sayin is I'm doin something fer the boss."
"Look, I'm supposed to meet someone, so if you'll excuse me."
"Who're ya meetin? That Dom feller? He ain't out here, I'm the one who called ye out here. I jus told ya he was here."
"Why sir, would you do that?" Her hand went to rest on her sword hilt when she remembered that she hadn't put it on, as she expected to see Dom.
"Jus so I could get you out here." He pulled out a dagger and put it up to her nose. "Worked well didn't it?"
Just then the ship lurched as it left the dock and the man stumbled. Kel took the advantage and shoved him against the rail. As he fell the ship jerked again and he toppled over the side of the boat with a splash.
Kel took a deep breath and returned to her room. This man had spoken of his boss too. She suspected that Grant's boss and this man's boss were one and the same.
Sighing, she took out her daggers and sword to polish. She had to do something during this boat ride.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day they landed on the other side of the river (a/n they didn't go straight across. they went upstream some. That's why it took all day) and Kel mounted Peachblossom. She was just about to take off when someone from the ship beside hers called her name.
It was Raoul.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Ta-da! My longest chapter ever. Please review, or I won't have the heart to continue.~