Chapter 4
Kel yawned and stretched as she felt a ray of sunlight fall over her eyes. She felt warm and comfortable, and she wriggled in the blankets, seeking to remain in the warmth for as long as possible.
Suddenly, her foot collided with something, and she stopped. Her eyes flew open, and she jerked her head around, to come face to face with a pair of cold blue eyes.
Joren glared, before clambering out of bed, and stumbling into the bathroom, doing his utmost to ignore her.
Kel groaned and turned over, pulling the blankets closer to her. Before, they had planned to take turns at sleeping on the floor, but when a servant had barged in without knocking, they had decided (rather bitterly) that they would both have to occupy the bed, in case someone else decided to barge in.
They had spent the night trying to stay as far away as possible from each other, and had discovered that this could be difficult when you were occupying one bed.
Kel curled up and sighed, expecting at least five minutes more rest before Joren finished his bath and left the bathroom to her. She had just settled into a doze, when the door flew open.
Kel groaned, and tucked her head under her pillow.
*Not again!* she thought, waiting for the person to speak.
She heard the sound of the curtains being drawn back firmly, then her pillow was swiftly pulled from her grip, and flung to the floor, as sunlight flooded her vision.
"Time to wake up" Kieta sang, her face filling Kel's vision.
Kel moaned, and cringed, hiding her face from the sun. "It hurts." She groaned, her voice muffled by her hands.
Kieta smirked. "Don't be such a baby!" she chided, pulling Kel up. "I got a surprise for you."
Kel looked blearily at her. "What?" she asked, "And why are you so chirpy today?"
"Maybe I had too much of Rats coffee." Kieta said thoughtfully, as she plopped herself down in a large armchair, and threw a sealed packet at Kel, who missed, and had to scrabble on the bed to retrieve it.
Kieta snickered as Kel glared at her. "My coordination is not at its best first thing in the morning, ok?"
Kieta waved her off and gestured towards the packet. Kel it open packet, and gazed at its contents. She looked up at Kieta.
"Kieta," she said, patiently, "There's nothing but brown powder in here." Kieta gave her a scathing look. "That's the point you dolt." She said. "I thought that since you changed your hair colour, it might be nice if you went the whole way and grew your hair, so this is a type of powder which you use like the dye, which will make your hair grow really fast.
Kel looked from the powder, to Kieta, and back again, then sighed.
"Kieta, when am I going to get the time to use this?" she asked, standing up and walking over to her.
Suddenly the bathroom door was flung open, and a cloud of steam rose up. Joren walked out of the bathroom, fully clothed, towelling his damp hair.
Kieta jumped up, grabbed the towel which was draped over a stiff wooden chair in the corner, and pushed Kel into the bathroom.
"How about now!" she said, throwing some clothes in after her, and slamming the door shut.
"And don't come out until it's grown at least 6 inches!" she bawled at the closed door.
Kel muttered something about her glaive and evil bullying women, and started to draw her bath.
Joren stood in the middle of the room and looked at Kieta, his eyebrows raised. She glared back at him, and sat defiantly back in her armchair to wait.
"I have some stuff to take care of, we leave at midday." He informed her, reaching for his purse, and walking to the door. He paused, his hand resting casually on the doorframe, and glanced back at her.
"Make sure you're ready, I don't want you all holding me up." He said lazily, before strolling out of the room.
Kieta raised her eyebrows at his retreating back, and dismissed him as a worthless idiot, before settling down to wait for Kel to finish.
*****
The bathroom door flew open, and Kieta jerked her head up from the map she'd been studying.
Kel walked out from the small cloud of steam, and flopped down on the bed, her hair moving with her in thick, dripping red strands which hung to just above the middle of her back. She lay back and raised her head to look at Kieta.
Kieta raised her eyebrows. "Nice." She said, eyeing the hair. Kel sighed and slumped her head back.
"Don't do that." Kieta reprimanded, "You'll get the nice fluffy pillows wet, come on, get up."
Kel moaned as she pulled herself up half-heartedly, and began to towel her hair. Kieta sighed and walked over.
"At this rate, it'll be midwinter by the time your hair is dry. Here, bend over."
Without waiting for an answer, she snatched the towel out of Kel's hands, pulled her head down, and began to towel her hair.
Kel yelped at the force, but remained still until her hair bore some semblance of dryness. She tried to yank out of Kieta's grip, but was held firm. Kieta pulled out a leather thong, and swivelled Kel round firmly by her shoulders, then she began to twist the hair into a thick braid, and secured it at the end.
She turned Kel round again and surveyed her, head cocked. Finally she said, "It suits you."
Kel walked past her to the large mirror that was propped on a chest of drawers. She blinked when she saw her reflection. Her hair looked good, it made her shoulders seem smaller, and her features more refined in some way. There was just one problem, it didn't look like her.
Kieta came up behind her and clasped her shoulder. She looked uncertainly at Kel's reflection, meeting her eyes in the mirror.
"Erm, there's something I've been meaning to ask you-" She began timidly, when she was cut off by the door bursting open. Rat strode in.
"His Lordship's waiting outside for us." He said idly, looking around. "He says you're late. Personally I'd-"
He was stopped suddenly when he looked at Kel. "Blimey, what happened to you?"
Kel looked at him hesitantly. "You don't think it looks good?"
"Did I say that? No, it's just. It's just a change. A good one!"
"Isn't it?" Kieta said smugly, coming to stand next to him.
The door crashed open again, and Joren strode in, red faced. "What the hell is taking you so long! I've been waiting for half an hour now-"
He saw Kel's hair and stopped, his expression turned blank. There was silence as he gazed at her, taking it all in, and finally looking up to meet her eyes. She gazed at him squarely back, and his face twisted in scorn.
"How the hell do you expect to fight with your hair like that Mindelan? I thought even the lump would have more sense than that."
Kel stiffened, but continued to meet his eyes. He shook his head in disgust, and turned on his heel, walking out of the room.
Kel sighed, breaking the silence and the tension that Joren had brought. She tried to push it out of her mind, but she couldn't help thinking that he hadn't actually said that she couldn't fight, or that she was bad at fighting. Come to think of it, he hadn't bothered her for a while. Not since.the Chamber. She pushed this thought out her mind, wondering angrily why she was defending him.
"We'd better get going then." She said, following him out of the room. Rat shrugged and followed her, and Kieta was left for a moment, feeling uneasy, and slightly annoyed at Rat for not giving her a chance to tell Kel what she needed to.
*****
The ride up to the southern border of Galla passed uneventfully for a day or two. When they couldn't find inns, they slept under the open sky. They made the discovery that at this time of the year, insects which liked to bite were especially attracted to human flesh, and passed the time in their own ways, with Joren remaining stubbornly separate from the others.
The peace reigned, until the day when Rat decided to follow up on his comment, and leave some itching powder in Jorens bed. The yells, which could be heard miles away, sent birds scattering from their trees in shock.
Kel was sitting fishing when Joren discovered the prank. She had dozed off in the late afternoon sunshine against a large gnarled tree, with the wide brimmed , Yamani style hat she had fashioned for herself casting a soft shadow over her face, as the flies buzzed around her.
She was jerked awake by a raw yell followed by what she could have sworn were the sounds of someone being strangled and pleading for mercy at the same time. She heard the crunching sounds behind her of footsteps getting closer, which announced that someone was coming. She sat up straighter, and moved over a bit to give Kieta some room as she walked up and plopped down beside her.
"What in Mithros's name was that?" She asked Kieta in alarm.
"Rat." Kieta said, as if that explained it all. She pulled off her own similar hat, and began to fan herself with it.
Kel rolled her eyes and settled back again, pulling her hat a little lower over her face, and wriggling down comfortably. "What did he do this time?" she sighed.
Kieta laid her hat back on her head and sat back too. "He put itching powder in Stone Mountains bedroll." She said, as she scanned the cloudless sky.
Kel chuckled. "I wish I could've seen that."
Kieta smiled softly and turned to look at Kel. "You know, I've seen you fight before." She blurted out suddenly.
Kel looked at her, puzzled. "You have? Where? When?"
"At tournaments and things. Just times when I've been passing by." She hesitated. "I've also seen you a few times when I was staying in the palace. My room overlooked the practise courts, I saw you practising your glaive a lot."
Kel raised her eyebrows. "And.what did you think?"
Kieta answered her promptly. "I thought that you were good with most things, more than good, great. But there was room for improvement. You're good with a glaive, I know, I learnt to use one in the three years when I stayed in Yaman. But it would help if you learned some more ways to use your body. If you want, I could teach you some tumbling."
For a moment Kel just sat there. Then, it sunk in. Here was the Shang Unicorn, offering to teach her something. "All right then." She said, attempting to appear casual.
The Shang Unicorn grinned. "Good, just remember that you owe me." She said, clapping Kel on the shoulder. Then she cleared her throat and looked Kel apprehensively in the eye, ignoring the crashing sounds that were coming closer and closer behind them.
"Actually, I just wanted to ask-"
Rat came up from behind them and ran past them, tripping over their outstretched legs, and knocking Kel's hat off.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" He screamed, scrambling up and sprinting off again. "TERE'S A DEMENTED ALBINO BEAR AFTER ME!"
Kel and Kieta watched him go. "Can you get Albino Bears?" Kel asked, setting her hat back on her head.
Kieta chuckled. "He still manages to run like a horse in heat like this, and come up with the worst insults I've ever heard." She cleared her throat again. "Anyway, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted- "
Joren ran up from behind them, and vaulted over their legs. "COME BACK HERE YOU TWISTED LITTLE TWERP!" he yelled, running off after Rat, trying to keep his hands from madly itching any place they could find. To a stranger it would have looked as if he had a very bad case of fleas. Kel could practically see him frothing at the mouth.
Kieta looked at his rapidly retreating back with interest. "He may be a jerk but he's fit you know, when he's not scratching like mad." She said, glancing at Kel. "And men can change. Many women would be glad to have him. I was surprised to find that you two weren't together."
Kel gagged. "Me. And him." She stared speechlessly at Kieta, who stared defensively back.
"It was just a thought." She said.
Kel laughed and got to her feet. "Come on, "she said, "Enough lazing. Lets go hold Joren back before he rips Rats head off or something."
Kieta grinned wryly and allowed Kel to pull her to her feet. Together they ran after Joren.
*****
Back to me. Pretty boring chapter, I know, but hey. I kinda got stuck half way. *sigh* oh well. I can't wait until you all find out what Kieta wants to ask Kel, but that'll have to wait. Not much Kel/Joren action yet, but that should be starting in the next chapter. I'm thinking of doing some bits from other characters points of view, just for some variety.
Oh wait, can you hear that. There's something speaking. It's the little button in corner of the screen. It's saying
"Press me, go on, you know you want to review. Give into my lure and tell the charming, beautiful, talented *ahem* authoress what you think of her work."
That little button is just so smart! Oh yeah, I'm not sure whether I've been doing disclaimers, so this one counts for the rest of the story.
OI!! I OWN THIS STORY AS MUCH AS I OWN A BUNCH OF PURPLE BANANAS. WHICH I DON'T. SO THERE.
There, now, heed the little button, and press it, or I may just decide not to continue. *humph*. So all of you review right now! Ciao!
~Rowana~
Kel yawned and stretched as she felt a ray of sunlight fall over her eyes. She felt warm and comfortable, and she wriggled in the blankets, seeking to remain in the warmth for as long as possible.
Suddenly, her foot collided with something, and she stopped. Her eyes flew open, and she jerked her head around, to come face to face with a pair of cold blue eyes.
Joren glared, before clambering out of bed, and stumbling into the bathroom, doing his utmost to ignore her.
Kel groaned and turned over, pulling the blankets closer to her. Before, they had planned to take turns at sleeping on the floor, but when a servant had barged in without knocking, they had decided (rather bitterly) that they would both have to occupy the bed, in case someone else decided to barge in.
They had spent the night trying to stay as far away as possible from each other, and had discovered that this could be difficult when you were occupying one bed.
Kel curled up and sighed, expecting at least five minutes more rest before Joren finished his bath and left the bathroom to her. She had just settled into a doze, when the door flew open.
Kel groaned, and tucked her head under her pillow.
*Not again!* she thought, waiting for the person to speak.
She heard the sound of the curtains being drawn back firmly, then her pillow was swiftly pulled from her grip, and flung to the floor, as sunlight flooded her vision.
"Time to wake up" Kieta sang, her face filling Kel's vision.
Kel moaned, and cringed, hiding her face from the sun. "It hurts." She groaned, her voice muffled by her hands.
Kieta smirked. "Don't be such a baby!" she chided, pulling Kel up. "I got a surprise for you."
Kel looked blearily at her. "What?" she asked, "And why are you so chirpy today?"
"Maybe I had too much of Rats coffee." Kieta said thoughtfully, as she plopped herself down in a large armchair, and threw a sealed packet at Kel, who missed, and had to scrabble on the bed to retrieve it.
Kieta snickered as Kel glared at her. "My coordination is not at its best first thing in the morning, ok?"
Kieta waved her off and gestured towards the packet. Kel it open packet, and gazed at its contents. She looked up at Kieta.
"Kieta," she said, patiently, "There's nothing but brown powder in here." Kieta gave her a scathing look. "That's the point you dolt." She said. "I thought that since you changed your hair colour, it might be nice if you went the whole way and grew your hair, so this is a type of powder which you use like the dye, which will make your hair grow really fast.
Kel looked from the powder, to Kieta, and back again, then sighed.
"Kieta, when am I going to get the time to use this?" she asked, standing up and walking over to her.
Suddenly the bathroom door was flung open, and a cloud of steam rose up. Joren walked out of the bathroom, fully clothed, towelling his damp hair.
Kieta jumped up, grabbed the towel which was draped over a stiff wooden chair in the corner, and pushed Kel into the bathroom.
"How about now!" she said, throwing some clothes in after her, and slamming the door shut.
"And don't come out until it's grown at least 6 inches!" she bawled at the closed door.
Kel muttered something about her glaive and evil bullying women, and started to draw her bath.
Joren stood in the middle of the room and looked at Kieta, his eyebrows raised. She glared back at him, and sat defiantly back in her armchair to wait.
"I have some stuff to take care of, we leave at midday." He informed her, reaching for his purse, and walking to the door. He paused, his hand resting casually on the doorframe, and glanced back at her.
"Make sure you're ready, I don't want you all holding me up." He said lazily, before strolling out of the room.
Kieta raised her eyebrows at his retreating back, and dismissed him as a worthless idiot, before settling down to wait for Kel to finish.
*****
The bathroom door flew open, and Kieta jerked her head up from the map she'd been studying.
Kel walked out from the small cloud of steam, and flopped down on the bed, her hair moving with her in thick, dripping red strands which hung to just above the middle of her back. She lay back and raised her head to look at Kieta.
Kieta raised her eyebrows. "Nice." She said, eyeing the hair. Kel sighed and slumped her head back.
"Don't do that." Kieta reprimanded, "You'll get the nice fluffy pillows wet, come on, get up."
Kel moaned as she pulled herself up half-heartedly, and began to towel her hair. Kieta sighed and walked over.
"At this rate, it'll be midwinter by the time your hair is dry. Here, bend over."
Without waiting for an answer, she snatched the towel out of Kel's hands, pulled her head down, and began to towel her hair.
Kel yelped at the force, but remained still until her hair bore some semblance of dryness. She tried to yank out of Kieta's grip, but was held firm. Kieta pulled out a leather thong, and swivelled Kel round firmly by her shoulders, then she began to twist the hair into a thick braid, and secured it at the end.
She turned Kel round again and surveyed her, head cocked. Finally she said, "It suits you."
Kel walked past her to the large mirror that was propped on a chest of drawers. She blinked when she saw her reflection. Her hair looked good, it made her shoulders seem smaller, and her features more refined in some way. There was just one problem, it didn't look like her.
Kieta came up behind her and clasped her shoulder. She looked uncertainly at Kel's reflection, meeting her eyes in the mirror.
"Erm, there's something I've been meaning to ask you-" She began timidly, when she was cut off by the door bursting open. Rat strode in.
"His Lordship's waiting outside for us." He said idly, looking around. "He says you're late. Personally I'd-"
He was stopped suddenly when he looked at Kel. "Blimey, what happened to you?"
Kel looked at him hesitantly. "You don't think it looks good?"
"Did I say that? No, it's just. It's just a change. A good one!"
"Isn't it?" Kieta said smugly, coming to stand next to him.
The door crashed open again, and Joren strode in, red faced. "What the hell is taking you so long! I've been waiting for half an hour now-"
He saw Kel's hair and stopped, his expression turned blank. There was silence as he gazed at her, taking it all in, and finally looking up to meet her eyes. She gazed at him squarely back, and his face twisted in scorn.
"How the hell do you expect to fight with your hair like that Mindelan? I thought even the lump would have more sense than that."
Kel stiffened, but continued to meet his eyes. He shook his head in disgust, and turned on his heel, walking out of the room.
Kel sighed, breaking the silence and the tension that Joren had brought. She tried to push it out of her mind, but she couldn't help thinking that he hadn't actually said that she couldn't fight, or that she was bad at fighting. Come to think of it, he hadn't bothered her for a while. Not since.the Chamber. She pushed this thought out her mind, wondering angrily why she was defending him.
"We'd better get going then." She said, following him out of the room. Rat shrugged and followed her, and Kieta was left for a moment, feeling uneasy, and slightly annoyed at Rat for not giving her a chance to tell Kel what she needed to.
*****
The ride up to the southern border of Galla passed uneventfully for a day or two. When they couldn't find inns, they slept under the open sky. They made the discovery that at this time of the year, insects which liked to bite were especially attracted to human flesh, and passed the time in their own ways, with Joren remaining stubbornly separate from the others.
The peace reigned, until the day when Rat decided to follow up on his comment, and leave some itching powder in Jorens bed. The yells, which could be heard miles away, sent birds scattering from their trees in shock.
Kel was sitting fishing when Joren discovered the prank. She had dozed off in the late afternoon sunshine against a large gnarled tree, with the wide brimmed , Yamani style hat she had fashioned for herself casting a soft shadow over her face, as the flies buzzed around her.
She was jerked awake by a raw yell followed by what she could have sworn were the sounds of someone being strangled and pleading for mercy at the same time. She heard the crunching sounds behind her of footsteps getting closer, which announced that someone was coming. She sat up straighter, and moved over a bit to give Kieta some room as she walked up and plopped down beside her.
"What in Mithros's name was that?" She asked Kieta in alarm.
"Rat." Kieta said, as if that explained it all. She pulled off her own similar hat, and began to fan herself with it.
Kel rolled her eyes and settled back again, pulling her hat a little lower over her face, and wriggling down comfortably. "What did he do this time?" she sighed.
Kieta laid her hat back on her head and sat back too. "He put itching powder in Stone Mountains bedroll." She said, as she scanned the cloudless sky.
Kel chuckled. "I wish I could've seen that."
Kieta smiled softly and turned to look at Kel. "You know, I've seen you fight before." She blurted out suddenly.
Kel looked at her, puzzled. "You have? Where? When?"
"At tournaments and things. Just times when I've been passing by." She hesitated. "I've also seen you a few times when I was staying in the palace. My room overlooked the practise courts, I saw you practising your glaive a lot."
Kel raised her eyebrows. "And.what did you think?"
Kieta answered her promptly. "I thought that you were good with most things, more than good, great. But there was room for improvement. You're good with a glaive, I know, I learnt to use one in the three years when I stayed in Yaman. But it would help if you learned some more ways to use your body. If you want, I could teach you some tumbling."
For a moment Kel just sat there. Then, it sunk in. Here was the Shang Unicorn, offering to teach her something. "All right then." She said, attempting to appear casual.
The Shang Unicorn grinned. "Good, just remember that you owe me." She said, clapping Kel on the shoulder. Then she cleared her throat and looked Kel apprehensively in the eye, ignoring the crashing sounds that were coming closer and closer behind them.
"Actually, I just wanted to ask-"
Rat came up from behind them and ran past them, tripping over their outstretched legs, and knocking Kel's hat off.
"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" He screamed, scrambling up and sprinting off again. "TERE'S A DEMENTED ALBINO BEAR AFTER ME!"
Kel and Kieta watched him go. "Can you get Albino Bears?" Kel asked, setting her hat back on her head.
Kieta chuckled. "He still manages to run like a horse in heat like this, and come up with the worst insults I've ever heard." She cleared her throat again. "Anyway, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted- "
Joren ran up from behind them, and vaulted over their legs. "COME BACK HERE YOU TWISTED LITTLE TWERP!" he yelled, running off after Rat, trying to keep his hands from madly itching any place they could find. To a stranger it would have looked as if he had a very bad case of fleas. Kel could practically see him frothing at the mouth.
Kieta looked at his rapidly retreating back with interest. "He may be a jerk but he's fit you know, when he's not scratching like mad." She said, glancing at Kel. "And men can change. Many women would be glad to have him. I was surprised to find that you two weren't together."
Kel gagged. "Me. And him." She stared speechlessly at Kieta, who stared defensively back.
"It was just a thought." She said.
Kel laughed and got to her feet. "Come on, "she said, "Enough lazing. Lets go hold Joren back before he rips Rats head off or something."
Kieta grinned wryly and allowed Kel to pull her to her feet. Together they ran after Joren.
*****
Back to me. Pretty boring chapter, I know, but hey. I kinda got stuck half way. *sigh* oh well. I can't wait until you all find out what Kieta wants to ask Kel, but that'll have to wait. Not much Kel/Joren action yet, but that should be starting in the next chapter. I'm thinking of doing some bits from other characters points of view, just for some variety.
Oh wait, can you hear that. There's something speaking. It's the little button in corner of the screen. It's saying
"Press me, go on, you know you want to review. Give into my lure and tell the charming, beautiful, talented *ahem* authoress what you think of her work."
That little button is just so smart! Oh yeah, I'm not sure whether I've been doing disclaimers, so this one counts for the rest of the story.
OI!! I OWN THIS STORY AS MUCH AS I OWN A BUNCH OF PURPLE BANANAS. WHICH I DON'T. SO THERE.
There, now, heed the little button, and press it, or I may just decide not to continue. *humph*. So all of you review right now! Ciao!
~Rowana~