Mission: Undercover

by an anonymous geek

Author's Note:

Geek: weak, guilty smile

Readers: glare

Okay, okay, I KNOW! weak attempt at laughter It's been a while. Yeah, a year, but so what? I'll make it up to you SOMEHOW! I swear. I have no good excuses; I've basically just been a lazy bum. I haven't read any Tamora Pierce books in ages, so this chapter might be just a BIT off. The way you can help me is by reviewing.

Recap: Kel and Neal were assigned a mission to the Copper Isles, where some spies have gone missing. They will pretend to be a married noble couple. They both went to a dance-thingy at the Dancing Dove, Kel got drunk, Neal brought her back to her room and kissed her on the forehead. I think that's it...

Disclaimer: I dont own nothin'.

Chapter Three

Pain. Immense pain. Shooting through my head. Basically... ouch. Can't think. Can't open my eyes. Too bright.

GONG GONG!

Damn those bells. Too loud and obnoxious. Someone should shut them up. Wait. Why is there pain? Why do I feel as if something large and spikey crawled up my nose, into my brain, and died? Relization...

Kel shot straight up in bed, immediately falling back down. Last night... oh, bad memories. Actually, there weren't any real memories. All she basically remembered was drinking, and then... the rest was a blur. If she hadn't been in so much pain, she would have slapped her head in shame. She knew that she must have made a complete fool of herself. Drunk. She had gotten drunk. Kel, the strict and uptight Yamani-raised Lady Knight, got drunk. It was an embarrassment not only to her, but to her family, who she hoped wouldn't find out about her little escapade. If the little gossip-mongers of the palace got hold of this information, they would be sure to tell everyone they knew, and then by the end of the day, everyone would know what an idiot Kel had been the night before.

A wave of nausea washed over her, and Kel found herself running desperately to the bathroom, where she proceded to throw up. Once her retching had subsided, she cleaned her teeth and washed her face. Then she looked in the mirror. Ugh. She looked awful. Under her eyes were large black circles, and her face was unnaturally pale. Looking down, she noticed that she was still wearing her dress from last night, so she hastily changed out of it into her regular breeches and shirt. The door opened abruptly, and a blurry figure walked through.

"Gooooood morning, Kel!! It's a BEAUTIFUL day, and what are you doing still here in your room?!"

Kel's mind shrieked in pain, and she fell back down on her bed, grabbing at her forehead. "Not... so... loud," she whispered. "And what did I tell you about barging into rooms unannounced?"

The green-eyed knight had the nerve to grin. Grinning, when she felt like this... like something the dog dragged in. "Suffering from a hangover, Kel? Tsk tsk. Did Perfect-Morals Keladry of Mindelan get drunk?" His voice was smothered with fake shock.

"No need to be such a drama queen," she said exasperatedly. "Just heal me, would you?"

Without warning, the pain in her head subsided, and she began to feel a bit better. Looking up at Neal, she gave him a small, warm smile of thanks.

"Any time," he told her, before exiting. Kel sighed and got ready for the big day ahead of her, for today was the day she and Neal left for the Copper Isles.
Neal grinned widely as he walked through the corridors of the palace. Talking to Kel always left him life this... feeling as if nothing could bring him down. Life was good, at least for now. Even after all these years, he didn't quite know what to make of his friend.

Kel was a unique and mysterious person, at least to Neal. He, like any other man, didn't quite understand the inner workings of the complex female mind. But Kel was a level beyond that. She didn't even act like a normal female. Reserving emotion for only rare moments, she was hard to read. He usually could not tell what she was thinking by just looking at her, as he could do with many of his peers. However, he could admit that she wasn't as bad with her emotions as he was when he first met her.

The day he first met her... he would remember it forever. There, in a group full of tough, intimidating guys, was a small girl, with a blank face. About to be stuck with the biggest jerk in the world, Joren of Stone Mountain, she had a fate that no person should have to face, especially not a girl. Therefore, he had taken it as his duty to watch over her, tell her all the tricks of the job. He soon found out that she really did not need his help. She could hold her own easily, and this he realized when she started beating up the big bullies, like Joren. He couldn't be more proud of her, yet he still felt a bit of brotherly protectiveness that he still held on to. Although she could take care of herself, he would always be there fore her, even if she didn't know it.

Reaching his room, Neal sighed, opened the door, and began to pack for the mission.
The wind blew Kel's short hair into her face, and she had to hold it back. She and Neal were on a ship heading to the Copper Isles, a land of mystery to Kel. Although she had taken history classes, she still didn't know much about the land, other than its capital was Rajmuat and it was full of thieves, smugglers, and convicts. They were at the moment heading toward Kypriang Island, in a city called Laujin, right outside of Rajmuat. Eventually, Kel knew, they would end up in the capital, but for the time being they would be staying with a Tortallan spy named Katerina Yuang, whom Kel had never met even though she had visited the palace a few times during the period when Kel had been a page.

Feeling a presense near her, Kel turned to the side to see Neal leaning against the railing of the ship right next to her. Their shoulders were touching, though Kel decided that Neal hadn't noticed it, and it sent a warm shock down her arm. She shivered. What was that? Must have been sea sickness, Kel decided.

"What's your pseudonym?" Neal asked abruptly.

"Yvonne. Yours?"

"Gestroth. And, according to the king, we're from a small fief called 'Pearlmouth.'"

They both looked out at the sea, and Kel caught a spark of something shiny... metal, maybe? But after a moment, it was gone. Meanwhile, Neal was talking to her.

"...Don't you think so?"

Rapidly, Kel tried to remember what he had been talking about, but nothing came to mind. "Um... sure."

Neal stared at her for a moment and then snorted in laughter. "I just asked you if you thought Owen would look good in a mini-skirt and heels, Kel!"

Her eyes widened, and then she scrunched up her nose. "Ew, Neal! Why did you have to bring unpleasant images to my head?"

Neal just laughed and looked back at the sea, and Kel did also. Now there was unmistakeably something there. She squinted and could make out the shape of a ship... a war ship, it looked like.

"Seems as if we've got company," Neal murmured.
Author's Note: There ya good. Goodness all around! Now all ya have to do is REVIEW and maybe I'll update more quickly!!!!!!!

GET TO IT!! REVIEW, YOU DUNG-COVERED MONKEYS!