I'm back!!! I can't believe it!! I got so many nice reviews, I feel so loved!! And this chapter is dedicated to my friend Samantha, otherwise known as insane horse lover. For being one of my most faithful reviewers, and for being there when I was bursting to tell a fellow Tamora Pierce fan what Kieta's secret was.
Chapter 7
Kel woke up, and sat up in bed, yawning. She glanced at Joren, who was lying sprawled under the covers, snoring. Kel wrinkled her nose in amusement. The great Joren of Stonemountain, snoring. This was good blackmail material.
Gingerly, she placed a bare foot on the stone floor, and winced. She pulled the rest of herself out of bed, and scampered across the room to the place where she had dumped her bags last night. She searched amongst them for a while, before pulling out her beautiful practise glaive. Kel took up position in the middle of the room, and began the pattern dance.
She put all thoughts from her mind whilst she practised, letting the anger and frustration that she had been feeling flow away. But there was one feeling she couldn't get rid off. One small nagging feeling which caused her stomach to jerk every time she felt Joren's gaze on her.
She groaned mentally as she swept the glaive above her head. *Why, why, why?* she thought.
*Why me? Why now? Why Joren? Even having a crush on Neal was better than this. This...not knowing what I'm feeling.*
Suddenly Joren turned over in his sleep and moaned. Kel glanced at him, but he was lying still and quiet again. She went back to her exercise. Suddenly he started to thrash and moan again, getting louder and louder, entangling his body with the bed sheets. Kel stopped her exercise and looked at him.
Then, as suddenly as he had started, he stopped. His feet pushed against the wooden bottom of the bed, and his hands gripped the covers so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, whilst his body strained.
Then he screamed. Kel rushed over to him, and shook him, calling his name. He shuddered and his eyes jerked open. Their gazes locked, and Kel felt for a moment as if he was staring right through her. As if he could see everything. She could feel his breath floating in short pants past her neck, making her shiver slightly.
Without realising it, she inched her face closer to his. He raised his head so that their noses were brushing. Slowly, Joren raised his mouth and-
The door slammed open. Kel sprang back as if she had been burned. Rat stood framed in the doorway. He walked in, and Kieta appeared behind him.
"What's going on?" Rat asked, gazing around the room wildly, as if expecting to see assassins, or robbers fleeing from somewhere.
Joren sat up and glared at them. "I just had a nightmare", he said indignantly. It's nothing, so leave."
Rat raised his eyebrows in disbelief, and slumped down into a chair. "A nightmare!" he exclaimed, "You woke the whole inn up for a nightmare! I'm going back to bed."
He got up and stormed out of the room. Kieta looked directly at Kel, ignoring Joren.
"We're off to the dressmakers in half an hour. I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast in twenty minutes." Then she too walked out, closing the door behind her. There was an awkward silence.
"Erm, I'm going to take a bath." Kel muttered, and dashed into the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, and leaned against it, cradling her head in one hand.
"Why, why, why, why, why?!" She muttered.
On the other side of the door, Joren had flopped back into bed, and was fuming quietly. He didn't know how long he could fool Kel for, making her think his dreams were nightmares. Certainly not much longer. She had nearly guessed what he was really dreaming about that time when they were travelling, when he'd accidentally moaned her name out loud.
He buried his face in the covers, and sighed. Getting the sheets changed would be embarrassing. He knew from experience that innkeepers didn't take kindly to people having wet dreams in their beds. He wished for the hundredth time that these dreams, and strange feelings would go away.
*****
Kieta pushed open the door to the shop, under the huge sign that said 'Dressmakers', in flourishing letters. The bell tinkled. She and Kel were talking easily about random things. They were both wearing the usual dull dresses and cloaks, and had their hair done up in subtle, simple buns.
A woman came scurrying out of the darkness at the back of the shop towards them. Once they told her what they wanted, she ushered Kel into the back room, and stood her on a short stool. She and Kieta looked critically over various patterns and materials whilst Kel stood there feeling very foolish. Eventually they agreed on eight dresses, four fairly plain ones that would be suitable for a court lady, and four for balls.
It took eight hours with only a twenty-minute break for lunch, for all the pins to be fitted. The dressmaker told them to come back in a day or two to collect the finished dresses, and to discuss the fee.
As soon as they got back, Kel groaned and flopped down in an armchair. Kieta sat down near her, looking amused at Kel.
"It wasn't that bad" She said, "You make it sound like it was torture."
"That's because it was!" Kel replied snappishly
"What, worse than having to share a bed with, what was it? The 'rabid albino bear'?" Kieta replied with easy good humour, as she kicked her shoes off, and settled her feet comfortably in front of the fire.
Kel rolled her eyes, and leaned back, yawning.
"Okay, maybe not as bad as that." She said, remembering that morning, and trying to push the incident out of her mind. "All I want to do now is have a nice hot mug of green tea and sleep"
"Well, that's not gonna happen anytime soon" Came a voice from the doorway. Rat was standing there, looking amused
"You have to go and practise dancing with Joren, if you're both to be introduced to the court in three days." Kel glared at Rat.
"For the last time!" she exclaimed, "I know-"
"How to dance, yeah, yeah." Rat finished. "But do you know how to dance, Scanran style?"
Kel was about to answer, but hesitated. "Thought not." Rat said breezily. "Now, if you'll just follow me, the innkeeper's given us a private room downstairs to practise in."
He turned on his heel, and started down the stairs. Kel looked pleadingly at Kieta.
"Off you go." Kieta said, grinning. "I'll have some tea waiting for you when you get back."
Kel sighed, and set off after Rat, down the stairs. She followed Rat through a few corridors to a private room. Joren was standing in the middle, looking disgruntled.
"Right now boys and girls." He said, rubbing his hands together briskly. "You are here today to learn how to dance"
"Don't you mean boy and girl?" Joren said dryly.
Rat shook his head. "It doesn't have the same...catchiness. You have to use the plurals. Anyway, I've managed to get hold of one of those new pianos that play themselves, so that when Uncle Rat gets bored, he can wander off and flirt with the pretty women whilst Kel and Joren exercise their face muscles by glaring at each other, and dance."
Kel and Joren shared a look of disbelief as Rat strode over to the piano and murmured something. They then remembered who they were sharing the look with, and hurriedly turned their backs on each other and scowled.
A tune began to tinkle out of the piano. Rat walked back over to them, and glanced from one to the other eagerly.
"So." He said. He grabbed Kel's right arm, and Joren's left, and turned them around, pushing them together with surprising strength. He placed Joren's left arm delicately on Kel's waist, and draped Kel's right hand over Joren's shoulder. Then he stood back and surveyed them.
"Awwwww." He said, grinning. "Don't you two make such a cute couple." He lunged out of the way just in time as both Kel and Joren attacked him at once. Once everyone was back in position, he waved a hand nonchalantly at the piano, and it started to play from the beginning again. Rat slowly talked them through the steps.
He grinned at the persistent scowls on Kel and Joren's faces, as the dance came to an end.
"Well done." He said, as the music petered out, and Kel and Joren sprang away from each other. "But that was the simplest of dances. There's a new set of dances that have just come over to Scanra, which will probably be played the most. They all follow the same sort of pattern, so you're gonna have to learn it."
Rat placed them in the middle of the floor, with both of their left arms held up straight in front of them, so that the back of their left palms were at eye level, but a little to the left of their faces. The placed their left palms against each other, and waved a hand at the piano. A different type of music came out this time. It had a slightly faster beat.
"Now." Rat said, stepping back to give them room. " You take two steps back, and drop your arms gracefully...I said gracefully Joren! Yes, that's better, now, twirl so that you're facing left, no, not her left, your left, yes, that's right, now two steps forward..."
It went on like this for hours. The sun slowly began to dip down in the sky, and out of sight behind the horizon. Rat lit the lamps placed in brackets around the room, and sighed as he leant against the wall.
"I think you've just about got it." Rat said, a hint of hidden pride in his voice. "You certainly don't need me any more. Practise on you're own a few more times whilst I go and find a nice lady to converse with." He winked at them and walked out, waving at the piano as he went.
Slowly, Kel and Joren resumed their positions, and began to dance again. On and on it went. Joren found himself staring at Kel's face as she bit her lip and concentrated on the complicated steps.
Her cheeks were flushed from dancing, and her hair was askew, and tangled. Her eyebrows drew into themselves occasionally, and her forehead furrowed, when she missed a step, or a made as mistake. Joren on the other hand covered up his mistakes expertly, making them seem part of the dance.
He found himself gazing at her lips, then suddenly she twirled away from him, as the dance dictated. Then she was back, and he lowered his head towards her, but she span away again, never looking directly at him.
Then she took a step back, towards him, and Joren remembered that he was supposed to put his hand on her waist , to start the pattern from the beginning again. He stepped towards her, head still lowered, when she suddenly looked up, and without knowing what he was doing, he pushed his head down the last scant half inch, and pressed his lips against hers.
There was no noise except for the piano playing that annoying tune in the background. Slowly, Joren pulled back and gazed at Kel's surprised face.
*It's all right* He thought with surprise, *She doesn't hate me*
Suddenly Kel's face contorted, her expression changed. She looked very, very, angry.
"What the hell was that?" She cried. Joren took a step back and glared at her.
"I don't know! You tell me!" Joren said, taking another step back.
"I didn't do anything!!" Kel said, pointing an accusing finger at Joren. "You...you...kissed me!!"
"I didn't kiss you!" Joren yelled, waving his arms around.
"Well what the hell happened then!!??" Kel yelled louder.
"I...my...my head slipped. Yeah, that's right, my head slipped." Joren said, folding his arms.
"Your head slipped." Kel repeated in a monotone. She looked down at the floor. Then, she suddenly regained her composure.
"Fine!" she yelled.
"Fine!" Joren yelled back in return.
"Well that's just great! Your stupid big head slipped! That's just fine by me!"
"Well good!"
"Great!"
"Brilliant!"
"I'll just go then so you're stupid head doesn't slip again!"
"Fi-" Joren began to yell after her as she stormed out of the room. Then he realised what she had said. "Hey! My head is not big! Or stupid!" he yelled instead.
She was gone, and Joren was left standing there in the middle of the room feeling like an idiot. He stood there for a while before whirling around to glare at the piano.
"Can't you shut up!" He yelled at it. The piano gave a few unhappy notes and then trailed to an end. There was a pause, before it gave one last defiant note, and fell silent.
*****
Hello!!!! Me again. Well, most of you were complaining of lack of action between Kel and Joren, so I decided to give you some action. I also wanted to have one of those typical scenes when two characters are yelling at each other like that.
I'll probably have a few more typical scenes in the future. Like the one where the heroine is crying onto the hero's shoulder, and then she stops, and sniffs, and says "I got your shirt all wet" and then the hero says something funny, and tender, and then they gaze into each others eyes. But I'll try to twist them a bit.
I just want to check that I really did write about Joren having a wet dream. Whoa, I've been corrupted, very, very badly. I blame it on my friends.
Mandas: Yay!! I luv u!! ahem...sorry, I got a bit carried away cos a friend of mine was yelling that she'd have my babies. Ahem...yeah, London's a weird place. Anyway, GCSE's are these evil exams which I have to take. Thatnk u for the lovely review!!
Lemon Parade: Sorry, I can't tell u if u'r right or wrong!! But if u give me permission to email u, I cud tell u whether u'r right or wrong like dat!
Sharitb: It's true that in the actual series, Kel would probably end up with Dom. After that oh-so-subtle hint Tamora Pierce gave us at the end. But wouldn't it be boring if everyone wrote Kel/Dom stories! And as for the name thing, well, when I was writing her characterm Allison just seemed to be the right name for her. But she's definitely an Allison with 2 l's, not 1 l.
Insane horse lover: Look!! Happiness!! I dedicated the chapter 2 u!! anyway your cousin does look like you! And stop rubbing it into the other poor reviewers that you know the secret and they don't. (hee hee, only I can do that)
CrystalLili: yup, sheer evilness. I had serious misgivings about that line, so it's nice to know that I was right to keep it in!
Stee Parker: Again, If you want to confirm that you know, then please feel free to email me with what you think it is.
Also thank you to: britni, Angel Street, Fugitive , Dragonlass11, dracorium, Pinpoint , Princess Sanidaylene, Crowdove, Imperfectionist ;D, an anonymous geek, Midnight Maiden, Larzdinn, Lady Lorene and Shinigami Clara. As well as any other people who reviewed whom I've missed.
Chapter 7
Kel woke up, and sat up in bed, yawning. She glanced at Joren, who was lying sprawled under the covers, snoring. Kel wrinkled her nose in amusement. The great Joren of Stonemountain, snoring. This was good blackmail material.
Gingerly, she placed a bare foot on the stone floor, and winced. She pulled the rest of herself out of bed, and scampered across the room to the place where she had dumped her bags last night. She searched amongst them for a while, before pulling out her beautiful practise glaive. Kel took up position in the middle of the room, and began the pattern dance.
She put all thoughts from her mind whilst she practised, letting the anger and frustration that she had been feeling flow away. But there was one feeling she couldn't get rid off. One small nagging feeling which caused her stomach to jerk every time she felt Joren's gaze on her.
She groaned mentally as she swept the glaive above her head. *Why, why, why?* she thought.
*Why me? Why now? Why Joren? Even having a crush on Neal was better than this. This...not knowing what I'm feeling.*
Suddenly Joren turned over in his sleep and moaned. Kel glanced at him, but he was lying still and quiet again. She went back to her exercise. Suddenly he started to thrash and moan again, getting louder and louder, entangling his body with the bed sheets. Kel stopped her exercise and looked at him.
Then, as suddenly as he had started, he stopped. His feet pushed against the wooden bottom of the bed, and his hands gripped the covers so tightly that his knuckles were turning white, whilst his body strained.
Then he screamed. Kel rushed over to him, and shook him, calling his name. He shuddered and his eyes jerked open. Their gazes locked, and Kel felt for a moment as if he was staring right through her. As if he could see everything. She could feel his breath floating in short pants past her neck, making her shiver slightly.
Without realising it, she inched her face closer to his. He raised his head so that their noses were brushing. Slowly, Joren raised his mouth and-
The door slammed open. Kel sprang back as if she had been burned. Rat stood framed in the doorway. He walked in, and Kieta appeared behind him.
"What's going on?" Rat asked, gazing around the room wildly, as if expecting to see assassins, or robbers fleeing from somewhere.
Joren sat up and glared at them. "I just had a nightmare", he said indignantly. It's nothing, so leave."
Rat raised his eyebrows in disbelief, and slumped down into a chair. "A nightmare!" he exclaimed, "You woke the whole inn up for a nightmare! I'm going back to bed."
He got up and stormed out of the room. Kieta looked directly at Kel, ignoring Joren.
"We're off to the dressmakers in half an hour. I'll meet you downstairs for breakfast in twenty minutes." Then she too walked out, closing the door behind her. There was an awkward silence.
"Erm, I'm going to take a bath." Kel muttered, and dashed into the bathroom. She locked the door behind her, and leaned against it, cradling her head in one hand.
"Why, why, why, why, why?!" She muttered.
On the other side of the door, Joren had flopped back into bed, and was fuming quietly. He didn't know how long he could fool Kel for, making her think his dreams were nightmares. Certainly not much longer. She had nearly guessed what he was really dreaming about that time when they were travelling, when he'd accidentally moaned her name out loud.
He buried his face in the covers, and sighed. Getting the sheets changed would be embarrassing. He knew from experience that innkeepers didn't take kindly to people having wet dreams in their beds. He wished for the hundredth time that these dreams, and strange feelings would go away.
*****
Kieta pushed open the door to the shop, under the huge sign that said 'Dressmakers', in flourishing letters. The bell tinkled. She and Kel were talking easily about random things. They were both wearing the usual dull dresses and cloaks, and had their hair done up in subtle, simple buns.
A woman came scurrying out of the darkness at the back of the shop towards them. Once they told her what they wanted, she ushered Kel into the back room, and stood her on a short stool. She and Kieta looked critically over various patterns and materials whilst Kel stood there feeling very foolish. Eventually they agreed on eight dresses, four fairly plain ones that would be suitable for a court lady, and four for balls.
It took eight hours with only a twenty-minute break for lunch, for all the pins to be fitted. The dressmaker told them to come back in a day or two to collect the finished dresses, and to discuss the fee.
As soon as they got back, Kel groaned and flopped down in an armchair. Kieta sat down near her, looking amused at Kel.
"It wasn't that bad" She said, "You make it sound like it was torture."
"That's because it was!" Kel replied snappishly
"What, worse than having to share a bed with, what was it? The 'rabid albino bear'?" Kieta replied with easy good humour, as she kicked her shoes off, and settled her feet comfortably in front of the fire.
Kel rolled her eyes, and leaned back, yawning.
"Okay, maybe not as bad as that." She said, remembering that morning, and trying to push the incident out of her mind. "All I want to do now is have a nice hot mug of green tea and sleep"
"Well, that's not gonna happen anytime soon" Came a voice from the doorway. Rat was standing there, looking amused
"You have to go and practise dancing with Joren, if you're both to be introduced to the court in three days." Kel glared at Rat.
"For the last time!" she exclaimed, "I know-"
"How to dance, yeah, yeah." Rat finished. "But do you know how to dance, Scanran style?"
Kel was about to answer, but hesitated. "Thought not." Rat said breezily. "Now, if you'll just follow me, the innkeeper's given us a private room downstairs to practise in."
He turned on his heel, and started down the stairs. Kel looked pleadingly at Kieta.
"Off you go." Kieta said, grinning. "I'll have some tea waiting for you when you get back."
Kel sighed, and set off after Rat, down the stairs. She followed Rat through a few corridors to a private room. Joren was standing in the middle, looking disgruntled.
"Right now boys and girls." He said, rubbing his hands together briskly. "You are here today to learn how to dance"
"Don't you mean boy and girl?" Joren said dryly.
Rat shook his head. "It doesn't have the same...catchiness. You have to use the plurals. Anyway, I've managed to get hold of one of those new pianos that play themselves, so that when Uncle Rat gets bored, he can wander off and flirt with the pretty women whilst Kel and Joren exercise their face muscles by glaring at each other, and dance."
Kel and Joren shared a look of disbelief as Rat strode over to the piano and murmured something. They then remembered who they were sharing the look with, and hurriedly turned their backs on each other and scowled.
A tune began to tinkle out of the piano. Rat walked back over to them, and glanced from one to the other eagerly.
"So." He said. He grabbed Kel's right arm, and Joren's left, and turned them around, pushing them together with surprising strength. He placed Joren's left arm delicately on Kel's waist, and draped Kel's right hand over Joren's shoulder. Then he stood back and surveyed them.
"Awwwww." He said, grinning. "Don't you two make such a cute couple." He lunged out of the way just in time as both Kel and Joren attacked him at once. Once everyone was back in position, he waved a hand nonchalantly at the piano, and it started to play from the beginning again. Rat slowly talked them through the steps.
He grinned at the persistent scowls on Kel and Joren's faces, as the dance came to an end.
"Well done." He said, as the music petered out, and Kel and Joren sprang away from each other. "But that was the simplest of dances. There's a new set of dances that have just come over to Scanra, which will probably be played the most. They all follow the same sort of pattern, so you're gonna have to learn it."
Rat placed them in the middle of the floor, with both of their left arms held up straight in front of them, so that the back of their left palms were at eye level, but a little to the left of their faces. The placed their left palms against each other, and waved a hand at the piano. A different type of music came out this time. It had a slightly faster beat.
"Now." Rat said, stepping back to give them room. " You take two steps back, and drop your arms gracefully...I said gracefully Joren! Yes, that's better, now, twirl so that you're facing left, no, not her left, your left, yes, that's right, now two steps forward..."
It went on like this for hours. The sun slowly began to dip down in the sky, and out of sight behind the horizon. Rat lit the lamps placed in brackets around the room, and sighed as he leant against the wall.
"I think you've just about got it." Rat said, a hint of hidden pride in his voice. "You certainly don't need me any more. Practise on you're own a few more times whilst I go and find a nice lady to converse with." He winked at them and walked out, waving at the piano as he went.
Slowly, Kel and Joren resumed their positions, and began to dance again. On and on it went. Joren found himself staring at Kel's face as she bit her lip and concentrated on the complicated steps.
Her cheeks were flushed from dancing, and her hair was askew, and tangled. Her eyebrows drew into themselves occasionally, and her forehead furrowed, when she missed a step, or a made as mistake. Joren on the other hand covered up his mistakes expertly, making them seem part of the dance.
He found himself gazing at her lips, then suddenly she twirled away from him, as the dance dictated. Then she was back, and he lowered his head towards her, but she span away again, never looking directly at him.
Then she took a step back, towards him, and Joren remembered that he was supposed to put his hand on her waist , to start the pattern from the beginning again. He stepped towards her, head still lowered, when she suddenly looked up, and without knowing what he was doing, he pushed his head down the last scant half inch, and pressed his lips against hers.
There was no noise except for the piano playing that annoying tune in the background. Slowly, Joren pulled back and gazed at Kel's surprised face.
*It's all right* He thought with surprise, *She doesn't hate me*
Suddenly Kel's face contorted, her expression changed. She looked very, very, angry.
"What the hell was that?" She cried. Joren took a step back and glared at her.
"I don't know! You tell me!" Joren said, taking another step back.
"I didn't do anything!!" Kel said, pointing an accusing finger at Joren. "You...you...kissed me!!"
"I didn't kiss you!" Joren yelled, waving his arms around.
"Well what the hell happened then!!??" Kel yelled louder.
"I...my...my head slipped. Yeah, that's right, my head slipped." Joren said, folding his arms.
"Your head slipped." Kel repeated in a monotone. She looked down at the floor. Then, she suddenly regained her composure.
"Fine!" she yelled.
"Fine!" Joren yelled back in return.
"Well that's just great! Your stupid big head slipped! That's just fine by me!"
"Well good!"
"Great!"
"Brilliant!"
"I'll just go then so you're stupid head doesn't slip again!"
"Fi-" Joren began to yell after her as she stormed out of the room. Then he realised what she had said. "Hey! My head is not big! Or stupid!" he yelled instead.
She was gone, and Joren was left standing there in the middle of the room feeling like an idiot. He stood there for a while before whirling around to glare at the piano.
"Can't you shut up!" He yelled at it. The piano gave a few unhappy notes and then trailed to an end. There was a pause, before it gave one last defiant note, and fell silent.
*****
Hello!!!! Me again. Well, most of you were complaining of lack of action between Kel and Joren, so I decided to give you some action. I also wanted to have one of those typical scenes when two characters are yelling at each other like that.
I'll probably have a few more typical scenes in the future. Like the one where the heroine is crying onto the hero's shoulder, and then she stops, and sniffs, and says "I got your shirt all wet" and then the hero says something funny, and tender, and then they gaze into each others eyes. But I'll try to twist them a bit.
I just want to check that I really did write about Joren having a wet dream. Whoa, I've been corrupted, very, very badly. I blame it on my friends.
Mandas: Yay!! I luv u!! ahem...sorry, I got a bit carried away cos a friend of mine was yelling that she'd have my babies. Ahem...yeah, London's a weird place. Anyway, GCSE's are these evil exams which I have to take. Thatnk u for the lovely review!!
Lemon Parade: Sorry, I can't tell u if u'r right or wrong!! But if u give me permission to email u, I cud tell u whether u'r right or wrong like dat!
Sharitb: It's true that in the actual series, Kel would probably end up with Dom. After that oh-so-subtle hint Tamora Pierce gave us at the end. But wouldn't it be boring if everyone wrote Kel/Dom stories! And as for the name thing, well, when I was writing her characterm Allison just seemed to be the right name for her. But she's definitely an Allison with 2 l's, not 1 l.
Insane horse lover: Look!! Happiness!! I dedicated the chapter 2 u!! anyway your cousin does look like you! And stop rubbing it into the other poor reviewers that you know the secret and they don't. (hee hee, only I can do that)
CrystalLili: yup, sheer evilness. I had serious misgivings about that line, so it's nice to know that I was right to keep it in!
Stee Parker: Again, If you want to confirm that you know, then please feel free to email me with what you think it is.
Also thank you to: britni, Angel Street, Fugitive , Dragonlass11, dracorium, Pinpoint , Princess Sanidaylene, Crowdove, Imperfectionist ;D, an anonymous geek, Midnight Maiden, Larzdinn, Lady Lorene and Shinigami Clara. As well as any other people who reviewed whom I've missed.