The Silver Dagger
Kassi of Stone Mountain
Disclaimer: Honestly, anyone who spends their time going around and suing teenagers over their writing has no life whatsoever.
A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers... I'm getting so much positive feedback that my ego managed to inflate some more, which my friends claimed was not possible. I really appreciate it, guys, especially those of you who are always reviewing with a suggestion for improvement.
PsychoLioness13 – Awww, thanks! I knew that that part wouldn't be IC for Joren, but you have no control over what you do when sleeping, right? Or at least I don't... I always start talking in my sleep on our bus ride. It's quite annoying, actually... ahem. Enough random nonsense about me. Thanks for the great review!
Imperfectionist ;D – Good point... but did you know that Tamora Pierce was originally going to write Kel and Joren together? Yep, that's what she said... but then she decided that 'he couldn't bend, so he had to break'. Interesting, no? Oh, yes... I am always happy for a chance to annoy Nolee... grins evilly I'll add it to her note. Thanks!
oceanspike – Muahahaha... no, you aren't supposed to know who Karline is yet. And thanks! I was hoping that you guys wouldn't think Joren was way OOC...
Nolee of Stone Mountain – Humph. Excuses, excuses... LOL, I hate it when someone updates and I don't have a chance to read it for a while. I WILL update soon, because I really like this fic (I'm thinking of taking off In the King's Own off – whadaya think?). Impulsive? More like twisted, dirty, high-on-sugar-and-caffeine insanity... Imperfectionist ;D, who is obviously a wonderful person with excellent taste, told me to bug you to update soon... Kudos to her and dung to you for not updating! Why haven't we seen ED for a few weeks??? Hmmm??? You better watch out, Nolee, you never know when the Evil Furry Fluffy Hot Pink Plot Bunnies of Complete and Utter Doom may show up... Oh, and I managed to fit you into the story now. You're going to be a main character, okay? Good, I'm so glad you don't mind... grins wickedly She won't be a lot like you at first, but she definitely will later, 'kay?
Turwen – Thanks!
MysticMoonEmpress – That's really ironic, I know... thanks!
dizzydragon – Yay, another fan! LOL, I'm so glad you like it. I know it's a major cliché to have them be engaged, but my fic, my rules, right? I'm trying to update this as quickly as possible... thanks!
dracorium – Thanks a lot!
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The next two weeks were passed in utter silence, other than strictly necessary speech. Joren had sunk into a depressed, angry mood, and Kel was still wondering what had happened that night.
Joren continued to murmur and toss fretfully at night, but he was much quieter and as a result Kel never woke him up. She would lay there in the dark on the floor, listening to his cries for help and soft moans. Every night she heard 'Father' and 'Karline' repeated over and over.
They finally arrived at their destination late in the afternoon on the fourteenth day. It was a small but rowdy town, with pubs littering the streets. As per Myles' instructions, the two knights made their way to the Silver Dagger, a large, bustling tavern.
Inside, Kel and Joren could make out busty wenches leaning over men who were obviously drunk and filling their ales again. There was a slight haze of smoke, and Kel chose not to investigate the busy couples in the corners of the room.
She leaned closer to Joren. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"Of course," he snapped. "I don't make mistakes." He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her towards the man at the bar. "Where can we rent a room?"
The man leaned over the counter. "How long does you wants to be stayin'?"
The unlikely pair glanced at each other. "Several months or so," Kel replied meekly. "We were told you would rent rooms for long stays."
"That I do," grunted the bartender. "Follow me." He strode over to a door and yanked it open. "Nolee, get in here," he yelled.
A young maid Keladry's age stepped through the doorway, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Can't it wait? I'm not quite finished."
Ignoring her remarks, he yanked her forwards. "Me, I'm Bill, and this be my daughter, Nolee. Show them to their rooms, girl, theys'll be here fer a long stays. She'll give y'all them prices and so on," he informed them. After a moment, he shoved the girl forward. "Hurry up, wench, I don't gots all day!" he barked.
Joren automatically caught the girl from her fall. "Thank you," she said sweetly. Kel could see that she had been examining Joren underneath her eyelashes and that she liked what she saw.
The girl Nolee smiled at them. "Welcome to the Silver Dagger. Please follow me, I'll show you to your rooms." Unlike her father, her speech was immaculate. Judging by the low cut, revealing dress and her jaunty attitude, Kel suspected she worked the tavern by day and the upstairs rooms by night. Then again, didn't most tavern maids?
Nolee led the two of them to a set of rooms on the second floor. "Here's a key for each of you," she said as she opened the door. "There's a washroom on the left side. Have you horses?" Kel and Joren nodded simultaneously. "We've our own stables outside. Shall we return downstairs and fetch your bags?"
Once their travel packs were stored away, Nolee proceeded to show them the stables. The knights groomed and washed their horses as Nolee leaned against the wooden doorframe. "Where are you from?"
Kel met Joren's eyes and gave him a questioning look. "Tortall," he finally answered. "Corus, to be more precise." There was no reason to lie about that.
"Ooh, really? I've always wanted to visit," Nolee continued wistfully. "What is it you do?"
"Merchants, both of us," Kel replied smoothly, smiling. There was something about Nolee that made her more relaxed, less tense. Kel finished brushing Hoshi and moved to put her horse's things away.
Joren stood up, finished grooming his mount. "Are you nearly done, Mi – Keladry?" he asked lazily, nearly forgetting that they were supposedly on first-name terms.
"Quite nearly, Joren." Keladry carefully put her horse's grooming supplies away and slipped her arm around Joren's waist. He flinched, but didn't say anything.
Nolee eyed them, obviously interested. "Are you married, then?"
"Engaged." Kel held out her hand. A small silver band was slipped onto her ring finger.
Nolee smiled. "Gods bless you both. Do you wish to return for some food and drink?"
Back in the tavern, Kel and Joren sat at one of the small tables. "Don't get drunk," Joren told her in a low tone.
"I don't drink spirits," Kel replied softly. "Lord Raoul detests them, as do I."
A maid sauntered over. "Here's your food," she said huskily. Kel noticed, amused, that she leaned much farther over to serve Joren than she did Kel, exposing quite a lot of cleavage.
Once she was gone, Kel smiled wickedly at Joren. "No conquests, remember? You're engaged. And you are not taking any of these wenches up to our room – I'm staying there too, remember."
Joren scowled back, but didn't argue. "According to Myles, we're at this particular tavern because the band of thieves likes to meet here frequently. It's a kind of headquarters, I suppose. Like the Dancing Dove in Corus."
Kel leaned forward, interested. "You mean this is the Gallan Rouge we're after?"
The blond shrugged. "It seems so. Only a particular few, though."
The knights continued to discuss the matter quietly for the remainder of the meal. When Kel was finished, she began to stand up. "Sit down," Joren hissed impatiently.
Kel obeyed. "Why?"
He rolled his eyes. "No one goes into a tavern like this one, then retires to their room just after the meal," Joren informed her. "They'll have musicians and dancing later. You can't just disappear, because then I have to go as well."
Keladry raised an eyebrow. "What did you think of Nolee?"
"What?"
"I mean, she seemed to sense that something was wrong between us."
Joren snorted. "What's not to notice? Maybe that we can't even stand to touch each other? Honestly, she seemed like a nice woman. Very pretty, quite enticing – " He caught the look Kel was sending him. "What?"
"You're engaged, Stone Mountain," she said, exasperated. "You can't just sleep with any woman anymore, at least for the remainder of this – this mission!"
"Gods all damn you," Joren muttered sullenly.
Kel smiled at him condescendingly. "I know it's going to be hard, not getting any for a whole 6 months, S – Joren."
"What about you?" he drawled, his smirk playing around the corners of his mouth.
Kel sighed. "Look, Sto – Joren, damn it, I'm not some slut or whore you can have your way with. I'm not going to keep arguing this point with you."
Joren didn't answer, just shrugged. "You're right, we might as well go to our room." He dropped some coins on the table. "Let's go."
In their room, Joren laid his bags on the bed. "Oh, no," Kel said firmly. "I've been sleeping on the floor for the past two weeks. You'll survive for one night."
Joren didn't even look up. "I honestly couldn't care less what you want, Mindelan," he drawled. "I'm sleeping on the bed."
"No, you're not!"
He abandoned his bags and stalked over to her. "Listen, I get the bed because I'm older, male, and I can beat you up."
Kel smiled icily back. "Prove it."
Joren took a step back. "What the hell do you mean?"
"I mean that if you actually think you can beat me, I'm challenging you, Stone Mountain. Unless you're too afraid of losing to a female progressive?"
"Fine," he spat. "The stables should be clear, it's rather late for anyone to come tonight."
"Our swords are still in Corus," Kel pointed out. "Shall we wrestle or use daggers?"
Joren considered it briefly. "If someone does walk in on us, daggers are more suspicious. Wrestle."
In the stables, Kel barred the door tightly. When she turned around, Joren had already stripped off his shirt and boots and was stretching out.
Removing her own boots, Kel examined her opponent. Joren was stronger than her, that much was obvious. His upper body was knotted with muscle, and he was limber and in top condition for a fight.
"Y'know, Mindelan, if you hate me, why are you staring at my body?" came Joren's smooth voice.
Kel straightened and stared at him coldly. "Because I'm smart enough to know to study an opponent before I fight them. Are you ready?"
Joren nodded, and they began to circle each other. Joren suddenly feinted the right, then pulled back and attacked from the left. Kel was prepared and helped him fall. Rolling back up, Joren repeated the maneuver a second time. This time, he grabbed her arm and twisted, yanking her down to the ground with him.
Keladry felt a searing pain in her left arm as Joren pulled it. She fell flat, as she had always been instructed, and heard the air fly out of her lungs. Rapidly standing again, this time it was she who attacked. Joren had to defend himself quickly, and Kel felt some pride when she heard him gasp with pain.
For several minutes they continued, neither gaining an advantage. Kel mostly blocked Joren, but threw in a few attacks of her own. Although she hated to admit it, he was an excellent fighter, strong and very capable of creating new techniques to surprise her.
They began to circle again, both breathing harshly. Joren began the same move he had used before, and Kel automatically moved to block him. This time, however, instead of feinting to the left, he attacked the left side immediately. He hit her left hip, throwing her to the ground. In a swift movement, Joren had pinned her down, straddling her so she couldn't move.
They lay there for a moment, panting from exhaustion. "You're never going to be one of us," he whispered, his face inches from hers. "And you need to learn that your opponents aren't usually predictable."
"I'm a knight, aren't I?" she asked bitterly.
"Oh, yes, the Protector of the Small," he sneered. "In case you hadn't noticed, Mindelan, I'm older than you. I've seen more of war and battle than you have, and I'm not afraid to fight."
Kel opened her mouth to respond, furious at his words, when a door creaked open. Both knights quickly turned their heads to see Nolee standing in the doorway, a hand clapped over her mouth. "I am so sorry," she gasped. "I had no idea..."
Remembering that she had barred the front door, Kel noticed another smaller door near the back of the stables. It was a moment before she realized what Nolee saw – a half-naked Joren straddling her. "Oh, no, it's not like that," Kel protested quickly. "We were just – "
Regaining her composure, Nolee shook her head. "Sorry to have come in at a... a bad time," she said mischievously. "I'll be going, then."
Kel glared up at Joren. "Why didn't you correct her?"
He smirked again. Gods, that was annoying. "We're engaged, remember?"
"Get off me," spat Kel. "I need to go find her." Joren didn't move. "I said, get up!" Kel growled.
Joren leaned closer. "What if I don't want to?"
Kel smiled sweetly at him as she hooked her leg around his and yanked. Joren went flying across the floor, skidding to a halt haphazardly. "Then I'll make you move," Kel informed him. She began to lace up her shoes. "I'm going to go talk to Nolee."
"Damn slut," Joren muttered as he pulled his shirt and tunic over his head once more. "Why?"
Kel opened the door. "To see how much she heared."
Inside the tavern, Kel looked around for Nolee for a moment before she remembered hearing someone say she had been exiled to the kitchens to wash dishes. Swinging open the door to the servant's hall, she spotted Nolee scrubbing some pots glumly.
When Nolee saw Kel, she brightened. "Oh, hello. Did you need something?"
Kel didn't answer the question. "How long were you standing there?"
Nolee retuned her gaze to the dishes. "I heard Master Joren saying something about a war and fighting, but nothing else."
Kel studied Nolee. She had wavy auburn hair and piercing green eyes that reminded her of Neal's. Nolee was tall for her age, and unnaturally slim. Kel suspected that it was from beatings or starvation.
Feeling the other girl's eyes still on her, Nolee turned around again. "Look, miss, what was happening in there isn't any of my business. Are you angry?"
Kel hesitated, wanting to explain what had really been going on but knowing that it would arouse questions. Nolee took her silence for confirmation. Glancing at the door, she looked desperately at Kel. "Please don't tell my father. I can pay you, I've some money..."
The knight stared at the other girl. "No, no, I'm not angry. Why are you so afraid of your father?"
Nolee flinched and returned to her work.
Keladry sighed. She obviously wasn't going to get an answer. "Goodnight, then."
Wandering out of the kitchens and into the main tavern, Kel was thinking about what Nolee had said when she ran into someone. "I'm sorry – " she began.
A strong hand gripped her arm. "C'mere, girlie," the drunk slurred, yanking clumsily on her arm. "Come upstairs."
Kel was about to hit him when she realized that one, she couldn't draw attention to herself at all, and two, doing bodily harm to this man would definitely constitute drawing attention to herself – although she wasn't sure anyone would notice, as the same thing was happening all over the room.
She fluttered her eyelashes demurely. "Oh, I – I will... wait for me, and I'll be there soon," she lied smoothly.
He glared blearily at her. "No, now." The man shoved her against the wall and yanked on the bodice of her dress, untying it. Before Kel could react, her skirt was around her hips and her dress hung open.
Forgetting that she was to keep up the pretense that she was harmless, Kel kneed him between the legs. The drunk stumbled away from her, cursing heavily in pain.
Keladry took this opportunity to race to her room. Halfway up the stairs, she knocked into someone. A familiar voice exclaimed sourly, "What's your problem, Mindelan?"
She pushed herself away from Joren. "Nothin – " she began.
Joren glanced down at her chest. "Then why are you running away with your dress untied and open?"
Kel colored and fumbled with the ties. "I said it's nothing." She turned even redder when she realized that Joren was getting quite a good view of her exposed chest.
Joren knew that Kel was incapable of fixing her dress at this point, but he ignored it. "I was looking for you," he commented mildly. "I was rather hoping you had gone and fallen in the well, actually."
Keladry rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you were," she muttered, pushing past Joren to their room.
He followed her. "What did Nolee say?"
Feeling annoyed, Kel replied, "She says she thinks you're an ugly, egotistical idiot who's such a chauvinistic prat that she wants you to go die and have your body desecrated by Stormwings." Joren shot her a dirty look. "All she heard was what you said about wars and fighting, okay?"
Joren fell onto the bed. "Gods, we've only been here for half a day and we've already managed to endanger the mission."
"At least I don't flinch whenever someone touches me," Kel snapped. As soon as she uttered the last words, Joren's face twisted slightly before he managed to regain his neutral expression. Curious, Kel asked, "Why are you afraid of a woman touching you?"
"I'm not," he said harshly. "You're the one who's so hopeless that you're throwing yourself at me."
"I am not starting another argument with you, Stone Mountain," she said calmly. "Turn around."
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to change, and don't you dare watch."
"Why would I want to?"
Making sure that his back was turned, Kel yanked out an old tunic and removed her other clothes. How was it that he could infuriate her like this? Keladry almost never lost her temper with her other friends, but Joren just caused her to be irate. "I'm done." Kel self-consciously yanked at the hem of the tunic. It was longer than most, but in front of Joren's penetrating gaze it seemed to shrink several inches.
Joren didn't bother to say anything, only began to remove his shirt. Kel lay down on the bed, burrowing under the covers. The summer nights were still chilly, especially here in Galla.
"Get out of my bed."
Kel half-turned to glare at him. "No."
Joren voice rose slightly. "I beat you fairly in the stables. Now move."
Kel flopped over to face him. "You never clarified that the winner would be awarded the bed," she informed him. "I am not going to sleep on the floor for the next six months." She had to concentrate on keeping her eyes on his face instead of the low-riding breeches he wore and his bare chest.
Joren stiffly sat on the opposite side of the bad, then stood again. "Gods, Mindelan, I am not sleeping with you!"
"You're certainly right about that," she said coolly. Joren rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean! I am not sleeping in the same bed!"
Kel shifted to find a more comfortable spot. "Then don't. I'm not moving."
Swearing and cursing, Joren reluctantly lay down and blew out the candle. Kel had nearly fallen asleep when his voice floated through the darkness. "What happened earlier? When you so rudely ran into me on the stairs?"
Even in the darkness she knew he was smirking. Kel sighed. "I was about to return to the room when a drunkard grabbed me and shoved me against the wall."
"You're a pretty poor excuse for a knight if you can't fight off an old man filled with ale."
"For your information, Stone Mountain, it might have looked slightly suspicious if I attacked him."
Joren paused for a moment. "Did he actually hurt you?"
"No, he just opened my dress and pushed my skirt to my waist. I finally kicked him and left." Why would he care, anyway? Kel wondered.
An uncomfortable silence ensued. Finally Kel rolled over so she was facing Joren. "Who's Karline?" she asked softly.
Joren jerked. "What?"
"Who's Karline?" Kel repeated.
He met her eyes. "How do you know her?"
"You scream her name at night," she whispered. "And you plead with your father – "
Joren grabbed her roughly. "Don't ever say her name again," he ordered fiercely. "Never, understand?" He searched her eyes for a moment, then twisted so that he faced away once more.
Kel shook her head. She hadn't expected him to tell her, but she had wanted to see his reaction.
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In the middle of the night, Kel woke again. It had become routine these past few weeks, being woken by Joren's nightmares.
She sighed and listened for a moment. He tossed and turned, finally resting with his face to hers.
Kel noticed his puffy eyes and the wet streaks marring his otherwise beautiful face. Straining to hear his mumblings, Kel caught her breath when she heard what he said.
"No... don't hurt her... she's only a girl, what can she offer you? There are others who would be happy to please... Father, no! She's too young, too young for you to do this to her..." Joren convulsed suddenly. "Leave her alone!" he screamed. "She's just a girl, leave her alone..."
Kel quickly shook his shoulder. "Joren, wake up," she hissed. "Gods, wake up, stop screaming..." Kel leaned over him, about to slap him, when his eyes flew open. "Karline?"
Kel sighed. This happened frequently when she woke him up, as if she resembled the other girl or something. "It's me, Joren. Keladry. She's not here, Joren."
The dazed look faded from his eyes. "I was screaming again, wasn't I?" he murmured.
"Yes."
Joren buried his face in his hands. "Gods, it's too real, it's just too real..." He had seemingly forgotten Kel.
Keladry waited patiently for a moment before asking, "What is it you're dreaming about, Joren? I can see why it frightens you this much, if it's what you say..."
He glanced wildly up at her. "What? I'm speaking? Not just screaming?" Kel nodded mutely. "Oh, shit," he whispered. "Shit, shit, shit..."
"Joren, I've been sleeping in the same room as you for several weeks now, and you always start screaming her name in the middle of the night. Don't you think I have a right to know who she is?"
"No," he said harshly. "You don't. You know nothing. Go back to sleep."
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A/N: Wow, another really long one. I came up with an idea for why Joren hates Kel that I've never seen before anywhere. It's really quite original, if I do say so myself. Yes, I am vain and egotistical and proud of it. So boost my ego a bit more and review!
Oh, and Nolee? Please don't kill me...
Kassi of Stone Mountain
Disclaimer: Honestly, anyone who spends their time going around and suing teenagers over their writing has no life whatsoever.
A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers... I'm getting so much positive feedback that my ego managed to inflate some more, which my friends claimed was not possible. I really appreciate it, guys, especially those of you who are always reviewing with a suggestion for improvement.
PsychoLioness13 – Awww, thanks! I knew that that part wouldn't be IC for Joren, but you have no control over what you do when sleeping, right? Or at least I don't... I always start talking in my sleep on our bus ride. It's quite annoying, actually... ahem. Enough random nonsense about me. Thanks for the great review!
Imperfectionist ;D – Good point... but did you know that Tamora Pierce was originally going to write Kel and Joren together? Yep, that's what she said... but then she decided that 'he couldn't bend, so he had to break'. Interesting, no? Oh, yes... I am always happy for a chance to annoy Nolee... grins evilly I'll add it to her note. Thanks!
oceanspike – Muahahaha... no, you aren't supposed to know who Karline is yet. And thanks! I was hoping that you guys wouldn't think Joren was way OOC...
Nolee of Stone Mountain – Humph. Excuses, excuses... LOL, I hate it when someone updates and I don't have a chance to read it for a while. I WILL update soon, because I really like this fic (I'm thinking of taking off In the King's Own off – whadaya think?). Impulsive? More like twisted, dirty, high-on-sugar-and-caffeine insanity... Imperfectionist ;D, who is obviously a wonderful person with excellent taste, told me to bug you to update soon... Kudos to her and dung to you for not updating! Why haven't we seen ED for a few weeks??? Hmmm??? You better watch out, Nolee, you never know when the Evil Furry Fluffy Hot Pink Plot Bunnies of Complete and Utter Doom may show up... Oh, and I managed to fit you into the story now. You're going to be a main character, okay? Good, I'm so glad you don't mind... grins wickedly She won't be a lot like you at first, but she definitely will later, 'kay?
Turwen – Thanks!
MysticMoonEmpress – That's really ironic, I know... thanks!
dizzydragon – Yay, another fan! LOL, I'm so glad you like it. I know it's a major cliché to have them be engaged, but my fic, my rules, right? I'm trying to update this as quickly as possible... thanks!
dracorium – Thanks a lot!
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The next two weeks were passed in utter silence, other than strictly necessary speech. Joren had sunk into a depressed, angry mood, and Kel was still wondering what had happened that night.
Joren continued to murmur and toss fretfully at night, but he was much quieter and as a result Kel never woke him up. She would lay there in the dark on the floor, listening to his cries for help and soft moans. Every night she heard 'Father' and 'Karline' repeated over and over.
They finally arrived at their destination late in the afternoon on the fourteenth day. It was a small but rowdy town, with pubs littering the streets. As per Myles' instructions, the two knights made their way to the Silver Dagger, a large, bustling tavern.
Inside, Kel and Joren could make out busty wenches leaning over men who were obviously drunk and filling their ales again. There was a slight haze of smoke, and Kel chose not to investigate the busy couples in the corners of the room.
She leaned closer to Joren. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
"Of course," he snapped. "I don't make mistakes." He grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her towards the man at the bar. "Where can we rent a room?"
The man leaned over the counter. "How long does you wants to be stayin'?"
The unlikely pair glanced at each other. "Several months or so," Kel replied meekly. "We were told you would rent rooms for long stays."
"That I do," grunted the bartender. "Follow me." He strode over to a door and yanked it open. "Nolee, get in here," he yelled.
A young maid Keladry's age stepped through the doorway, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Can't it wait? I'm not quite finished."
Ignoring her remarks, he yanked her forwards. "Me, I'm Bill, and this be my daughter, Nolee. Show them to their rooms, girl, theys'll be here fer a long stays. She'll give y'all them prices and so on," he informed them. After a moment, he shoved the girl forward. "Hurry up, wench, I don't gots all day!" he barked.
Joren automatically caught the girl from her fall. "Thank you," she said sweetly. Kel could see that she had been examining Joren underneath her eyelashes and that she liked what she saw.
The girl Nolee smiled at them. "Welcome to the Silver Dagger. Please follow me, I'll show you to your rooms." Unlike her father, her speech was immaculate. Judging by the low cut, revealing dress and her jaunty attitude, Kel suspected she worked the tavern by day and the upstairs rooms by night. Then again, didn't most tavern maids?
Nolee led the two of them to a set of rooms on the second floor. "Here's a key for each of you," she said as she opened the door. "There's a washroom on the left side. Have you horses?" Kel and Joren nodded simultaneously. "We've our own stables outside. Shall we return downstairs and fetch your bags?"
Once their travel packs were stored away, Nolee proceeded to show them the stables. The knights groomed and washed their horses as Nolee leaned against the wooden doorframe. "Where are you from?"
Kel met Joren's eyes and gave him a questioning look. "Tortall," he finally answered. "Corus, to be more precise." There was no reason to lie about that.
"Ooh, really? I've always wanted to visit," Nolee continued wistfully. "What is it you do?"
"Merchants, both of us," Kel replied smoothly, smiling. There was something about Nolee that made her more relaxed, less tense. Kel finished brushing Hoshi and moved to put her horse's things away.
Joren stood up, finished grooming his mount. "Are you nearly done, Mi – Keladry?" he asked lazily, nearly forgetting that they were supposedly on first-name terms.
"Quite nearly, Joren." Keladry carefully put her horse's grooming supplies away and slipped her arm around Joren's waist. He flinched, but didn't say anything.
Nolee eyed them, obviously interested. "Are you married, then?"
"Engaged." Kel held out her hand. A small silver band was slipped onto her ring finger.
Nolee smiled. "Gods bless you both. Do you wish to return for some food and drink?"
Back in the tavern, Kel and Joren sat at one of the small tables. "Don't get drunk," Joren told her in a low tone.
"I don't drink spirits," Kel replied softly. "Lord Raoul detests them, as do I."
A maid sauntered over. "Here's your food," she said huskily. Kel noticed, amused, that she leaned much farther over to serve Joren than she did Kel, exposing quite a lot of cleavage.
Once she was gone, Kel smiled wickedly at Joren. "No conquests, remember? You're engaged. And you are not taking any of these wenches up to our room – I'm staying there too, remember."
Joren scowled back, but didn't argue. "According to Myles, we're at this particular tavern because the band of thieves likes to meet here frequently. It's a kind of headquarters, I suppose. Like the Dancing Dove in Corus."
Kel leaned forward, interested. "You mean this is the Gallan Rouge we're after?"
The blond shrugged. "It seems so. Only a particular few, though."
The knights continued to discuss the matter quietly for the remainder of the meal. When Kel was finished, she began to stand up. "Sit down," Joren hissed impatiently.
Kel obeyed. "Why?"
He rolled his eyes. "No one goes into a tavern like this one, then retires to their room just after the meal," Joren informed her. "They'll have musicians and dancing later. You can't just disappear, because then I have to go as well."
Keladry raised an eyebrow. "What did you think of Nolee?"
"What?"
"I mean, she seemed to sense that something was wrong between us."
Joren snorted. "What's not to notice? Maybe that we can't even stand to touch each other? Honestly, she seemed like a nice woman. Very pretty, quite enticing – " He caught the look Kel was sending him. "What?"
"You're engaged, Stone Mountain," she said, exasperated. "You can't just sleep with any woman anymore, at least for the remainder of this – this mission!"
"Gods all damn you," Joren muttered sullenly.
Kel smiled at him condescendingly. "I know it's going to be hard, not getting any for a whole 6 months, S – Joren."
"What about you?" he drawled, his smirk playing around the corners of his mouth.
Kel sighed. "Look, Sto – Joren, damn it, I'm not some slut or whore you can have your way with. I'm not going to keep arguing this point with you."
Joren didn't answer, just shrugged. "You're right, we might as well go to our room." He dropped some coins on the table. "Let's go."
In their room, Joren laid his bags on the bed. "Oh, no," Kel said firmly. "I've been sleeping on the floor for the past two weeks. You'll survive for one night."
Joren didn't even look up. "I honestly couldn't care less what you want, Mindelan," he drawled. "I'm sleeping on the bed."
"No, you're not!"
He abandoned his bags and stalked over to her. "Listen, I get the bed because I'm older, male, and I can beat you up."
Kel smiled icily back. "Prove it."
Joren took a step back. "What the hell do you mean?"
"I mean that if you actually think you can beat me, I'm challenging you, Stone Mountain. Unless you're too afraid of losing to a female progressive?"
"Fine," he spat. "The stables should be clear, it's rather late for anyone to come tonight."
"Our swords are still in Corus," Kel pointed out. "Shall we wrestle or use daggers?"
Joren considered it briefly. "If someone does walk in on us, daggers are more suspicious. Wrestle."
In the stables, Kel barred the door tightly. When she turned around, Joren had already stripped off his shirt and boots and was stretching out.
Removing her own boots, Kel examined her opponent. Joren was stronger than her, that much was obvious. His upper body was knotted with muscle, and he was limber and in top condition for a fight.
"Y'know, Mindelan, if you hate me, why are you staring at my body?" came Joren's smooth voice.
Kel straightened and stared at him coldly. "Because I'm smart enough to know to study an opponent before I fight them. Are you ready?"
Joren nodded, and they began to circle each other. Joren suddenly feinted the right, then pulled back and attacked from the left. Kel was prepared and helped him fall. Rolling back up, Joren repeated the maneuver a second time. This time, he grabbed her arm and twisted, yanking her down to the ground with him.
Keladry felt a searing pain in her left arm as Joren pulled it. She fell flat, as she had always been instructed, and heard the air fly out of her lungs. Rapidly standing again, this time it was she who attacked. Joren had to defend himself quickly, and Kel felt some pride when she heard him gasp with pain.
For several minutes they continued, neither gaining an advantage. Kel mostly blocked Joren, but threw in a few attacks of her own. Although she hated to admit it, he was an excellent fighter, strong and very capable of creating new techniques to surprise her.
They began to circle again, both breathing harshly. Joren began the same move he had used before, and Kel automatically moved to block him. This time, however, instead of feinting to the left, he attacked the left side immediately. He hit her left hip, throwing her to the ground. In a swift movement, Joren had pinned her down, straddling her so she couldn't move.
They lay there for a moment, panting from exhaustion. "You're never going to be one of us," he whispered, his face inches from hers. "And you need to learn that your opponents aren't usually predictable."
"I'm a knight, aren't I?" she asked bitterly.
"Oh, yes, the Protector of the Small," he sneered. "In case you hadn't noticed, Mindelan, I'm older than you. I've seen more of war and battle than you have, and I'm not afraid to fight."
Kel opened her mouth to respond, furious at his words, when a door creaked open. Both knights quickly turned their heads to see Nolee standing in the doorway, a hand clapped over her mouth. "I am so sorry," she gasped. "I had no idea..."
Remembering that she had barred the front door, Kel noticed another smaller door near the back of the stables. It was a moment before she realized what Nolee saw – a half-naked Joren straddling her. "Oh, no, it's not like that," Kel protested quickly. "We were just – "
Regaining her composure, Nolee shook her head. "Sorry to have come in at a... a bad time," she said mischievously. "I'll be going, then."
Kel glared up at Joren. "Why didn't you correct her?"
He smirked again. Gods, that was annoying. "We're engaged, remember?"
"Get off me," spat Kel. "I need to go find her." Joren didn't move. "I said, get up!" Kel growled.
Joren leaned closer. "What if I don't want to?"
Kel smiled sweetly at him as she hooked her leg around his and yanked. Joren went flying across the floor, skidding to a halt haphazardly. "Then I'll make you move," Kel informed him. She began to lace up her shoes. "I'm going to go talk to Nolee."
"Damn slut," Joren muttered as he pulled his shirt and tunic over his head once more. "Why?"
Kel opened the door. "To see how much she heared."
Inside the tavern, Kel looked around for Nolee for a moment before she remembered hearing someone say she had been exiled to the kitchens to wash dishes. Swinging open the door to the servant's hall, she spotted Nolee scrubbing some pots glumly.
When Nolee saw Kel, she brightened. "Oh, hello. Did you need something?"
Kel didn't answer the question. "How long were you standing there?"
Nolee retuned her gaze to the dishes. "I heard Master Joren saying something about a war and fighting, but nothing else."
Kel studied Nolee. She had wavy auburn hair and piercing green eyes that reminded her of Neal's. Nolee was tall for her age, and unnaturally slim. Kel suspected that it was from beatings or starvation.
Feeling the other girl's eyes still on her, Nolee turned around again. "Look, miss, what was happening in there isn't any of my business. Are you angry?"
Kel hesitated, wanting to explain what had really been going on but knowing that it would arouse questions. Nolee took her silence for confirmation. Glancing at the door, she looked desperately at Kel. "Please don't tell my father. I can pay you, I've some money..."
The knight stared at the other girl. "No, no, I'm not angry. Why are you so afraid of your father?"
Nolee flinched and returned to her work.
Keladry sighed. She obviously wasn't going to get an answer. "Goodnight, then."
Wandering out of the kitchens and into the main tavern, Kel was thinking about what Nolee had said when she ran into someone. "I'm sorry – " she began.
A strong hand gripped her arm. "C'mere, girlie," the drunk slurred, yanking clumsily on her arm. "Come upstairs."
Kel was about to hit him when she realized that one, she couldn't draw attention to herself at all, and two, doing bodily harm to this man would definitely constitute drawing attention to herself – although she wasn't sure anyone would notice, as the same thing was happening all over the room.
She fluttered her eyelashes demurely. "Oh, I – I will... wait for me, and I'll be there soon," she lied smoothly.
He glared blearily at her. "No, now." The man shoved her against the wall and yanked on the bodice of her dress, untying it. Before Kel could react, her skirt was around her hips and her dress hung open.
Forgetting that she was to keep up the pretense that she was harmless, Kel kneed him between the legs. The drunk stumbled away from her, cursing heavily in pain.
Keladry took this opportunity to race to her room. Halfway up the stairs, she knocked into someone. A familiar voice exclaimed sourly, "What's your problem, Mindelan?"
She pushed herself away from Joren. "Nothin – " she began.
Joren glanced down at her chest. "Then why are you running away with your dress untied and open?"
Kel colored and fumbled with the ties. "I said it's nothing." She turned even redder when she realized that Joren was getting quite a good view of her exposed chest.
Joren knew that Kel was incapable of fixing her dress at this point, but he ignored it. "I was looking for you," he commented mildly. "I was rather hoping you had gone and fallen in the well, actually."
Keladry rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you were," she muttered, pushing past Joren to their room.
He followed her. "What did Nolee say?"
Feeling annoyed, Kel replied, "She says she thinks you're an ugly, egotistical idiot who's such a chauvinistic prat that she wants you to go die and have your body desecrated by Stormwings." Joren shot her a dirty look. "All she heard was what you said about wars and fighting, okay?"
Joren fell onto the bed. "Gods, we've only been here for half a day and we've already managed to endanger the mission."
"At least I don't flinch whenever someone touches me," Kel snapped. As soon as she uttered the last words, Joren's face twisted slightly before he managed to regain his neutral expression. Curious, Kel asked, "Why are you afraid of a woman touching you?"
"I'm not," he said harshly. "You're the one who's so hopeless that you're throwing yourself at me."
"I am not starting another argument with you, Stone Mountain," she said calmly. "Turn around."
"Why?"
"Because I'm going to change, and don't you dare watch."
"Why would I want to?"
Making sure that his back was turned, Kel yanked out an old tunic and removed her other clothes. How was it that he could infuriate her like this? Keladry almost never lost her temper with her other friends, but Joren just caused her to be irate. "I'm done." Kel self-consciously yanked at the hem of the tunic. It was longer than most, but in front of Joren's penetrating gaze it seemed to shrink several inches.
Joren didn't bother to say anything, only began to remove his shirt. Kel lay down on the bed, burrowing under the covers. The summer nights were still chilly, especially here in Galla.
"Get out of my bed."
Kel half-turned to glare at him. "No."
Joren voice rose slightly. "I beat you fairly in the stables. Now move."
Kel flopped over to face him. "You never clarified that the winner would be awarded the bed," she informed him. "I am not going to sleep on the floor for the next six months." She had to concentrate on keeping her eyes on his face instead of the low-riding breeches he wore and his bare chest.
Joren stiffly sat on the opposite side of the bad, then stood again. "Gods, Mindelan, I am not sleeping with you!"
"You're certainly right about that," she said coolly. Joren rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean! I am not sleeping in the same bed!"
Kel shifted to find a more comfortable spot. "Then don't. I'm not moving."
Swearing and cursing, Joren reluctantly lay down and blew out the candle. Kel had nearly fallen asleep when his voice floated through the darkness. "What happened earlier? When you so rudely ran into me on the stairs?"
Even in the darkness she knew he was smirking. Kel sighed. "I was about to return to the room when a drunkard grabbed me and shoved me against the wall."
"You're a pretty poor excuse for a knight if you can't fight off an old man filled with ale."
"For your information, Stone Mountain, it might have looked slightly suspicious if I attacked him."
Joren paused for a moment. "Did he actually hurt you?"
"No, he just opened my dress and pushed my skirt to my waist. I finally kicked him and left." Why would he care, anyway? Kel wondered.
An uncomfortable silence ensued. Finally Kel rolled over so she was facing Joren. "Who's Karline?" she asked softly.
Joren jerked. "What?"
"Who's Karline?" Kel repeated.
He met her eyes. "How do you know her?"
"You scream her name at night," she whispered. "And you plead with your father – "
Joren grabbed her roughly. "Don't ever say her name again," he ordered fiercely. "Never, understand?" He searched her eyes for a moment, then twisted so that he faced away once more.
Kel shook her head. She hadn't expected him to tell her, but she had wanted to see his reaction.
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In the middle of the night, Kel woke again. It had become routine these past few weeks, being woken by Joren's nightmares.
She sighed and listened for a moment. He tossed and turned, finally resting with his face to hers.
Kel noticed his puffy eyes and the wet streaks marring his otherwise beautiful face. Straining to hear his mumblings, Kel caught her breath when she heard what he said.
"No... don't hurt her... she's only a girl, what can she offer you? There are others who would be happy to please... Father, no! She's too young, too young for you to do this to her..." Joren convulsed suddenly. "Leave her alone!" he screamed. "She's just a girl, leave her alone..."
Kel quickly shook his shoulder. "Joren, wake up," she hissed. "Gods, wake up, stop screaming..." Kel leaned over him, about to slap him, when his eyes flew open. "Karline?"
Kel sighed. This happened frequently when she woke him up, as if she resembled the other girl or something. "It's me, Joren. Keladry. She's not here, Joren."
The dazed look faded from his eyes. "I was screaming again, wasn't I?" he murmured.
"Yes."
Joren buried his face in his hands. "Gods, it's too real, it's just too real..." He had seemingly forgotten Kel.
Keladry waited patiently for a moment before asking, "What is it you're dreaming about, Joren? I can see why it frightens you this much, if it's what you say..."
He glanced wildly up at her. "What? I'm speaking? Not just screaming?" Kel nodded mutely. "Oh, shit," he whispered. "Shit, shit, shit..."
"Joren, I've been sleeping in the same room as you for several weeks now, and you always start screaming her name in the middle of the night. Don't you think I have a right to know who she is?"
"No," he said harshly. "You don't. You know nothing. Go back to sleep."
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A/N: Wow, another really long one. I came up with an idea for why Joren hates Kel that I've never seen before anywhere. It's really quite original, if I do say so myself. Yes, I am vain and egotistical and proud of it. So boost my ego a bit more and review!
Oh, and Nolee? Please don't kill me...