Disclaimer: I don't own Protector of the Small. That series belongs to Tamora Pierce. Any original characters and cities I do own however.

Protector of the Small: The Power Within Us All

Chapter Two

Keladry drifted in and out of consciousness as she laid in the snow, her body almost completely covered by the white powder. Her skin was a sickly pale color, and her full lips were deathly blue. Her nightmares were fueled by the fever she had developed as the bitter cold entered her body. When she was able to wake up, Kel tried to get on her feet and walk, but her muscles just wouldn't move. Violent coughs racked her body; her throat felt like one raw lump. She felt the darkness wash over her, and she resigned herself to the Black God's embrace.

"Is she alive?" a gruff voice asked, a hand lifting away part of the cloak concealing the young girl's face. The sound somehow broke into the fever induced haze that had clouded her mind, and she regained consiousness just long enough to crack open an eyelid, an action that did not go unnoticed by the group of people around her.

"By Aurorius she is alive! Soran, grab that pigsticker she has on her back, Garrath you grab her backpack. I'll take her myself," the man said, and Kel felt herself being lifted into a pair of strong arms, and a blanket was wrapped around her shivering body. Her vision cleared slightly, and she could see a group of soldiers surrounding the man who held her in his arms. They were dressed in heavy cloaks and thick woollen tunics with mail shirts over the fabric. All the men wore wool lined helmets to protect thier ears from frostbite , and all wore gloves of some sort, and were armed with longswords. Two of the men had bows, and one was armed with a halberd. Kel snuggled into the man's tunic, trying to conserve what little body heat she had left, earning her a concerned smile from the soldier.

"Back amongst the living are we? What are ye doing all the way out here in this icy hell?" Kel's savior asked. He looked to be in his early thirties, and had brown eyes and a trimmed brown beard with no hint of grey. The golden medallion he wore suggested his postion as leader.

"I...uuuugghhhh...ahhhhhh," Kel muttered weakly, the pain in her entire body making impossible for her to talk. Her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she passed out again.

"Come on lads, she's in a bad way! We need to get her back to base as fast as we can or she won't survive! Now move it!" the squad leader shouted, and turned to head back up the path the squad had marked as they went on thier daily patrol through the mountains. The other patrolmen followed behind on foot; horses wouldn't be able to tread on the rocky mountain paths. Luckily they were all wearing magiked footwear that protected thier feet against frostbite.

One of the soldiers was a healer, and she stood by her commander's side and laid a gentle hand on Kel's forehead, letting the power of the goddess Gwenelan flow into the sickly young woman, healing some of the damage caused by the frostbite that had begun to set in her fingers and toes. The spell also prevented more injury from occuring. It broke the healer's heart seeing the condition Kel was in. What could have happened to force a girl this young to try and cross the Kyran pass all by herself, and in this weather?! The healer simply shook her head and concentrated on doing her duty, the answers would come later.

Hours passed by as the squad tredged through the snow in silent misery, moving slowly to make sure no one got lost in the near white-out blizzard. The group was always on alert , watching for ambushes from any snow monsters that might be laying in wait. Two Igaboons; large white furred ape immortals similar to yetis, tried their luck and attacked them, but were quickly delt with by the archers. Blood from the immortal's arrow wounds stained the snow red, and four of the soldiers carried the carcasses with them; Igaboon furs and claws were prized by wizards and sorcerors for thier magical value.

Kel remained unconsious for the entire trip, a fact that worried the healer. Her breathing was becoming more and more shallow, and in her unconsiousness figited in sergeant Blaine's arms. The healer, Serenity, used all of her prepared spells on the sick girl, but thier effects were diminishing every time she cast them. That meant that this girl either had some innate magic resistance, or all this cold was interfering with the magical aura of this entire area, which had been know to happen from time to time.

Finally the patrol reached its desination, a keep built inbetween the rock cliffs of the pass, effectivly cutting it off from the rest of the world...well...not many people can make it through the Kyran Pass, so it was kind of a moot issue. There were no open windows, and the wooden gate was shut tight, although there were a number of watchmen on duty walking the crennelations.

"Alpha squad, why have you returned from patrol early? Expain yourselves," the head watchman shouted down from the battlements.

"We came across this young girl passed out near the crossroads. She needs immediate healing if she's going to survive. Let us enter!" the sergeant Blaine yelled back, and lifted the blanketed Kel up slightly to give the watchman a better look. He grinned slightly when he saw the watchman's eyes almost bug out under his helmet when he saw Kel.

"By the gods...open the gate!" he ordered to the men standing guard next to the large wooden door, who unbarred it and pulled it open allowing the members of squad Alpha to enter. Awaiting them as they came in were two priests of Aurorius, who took Kel from Blaine and rushed her to their shrine to treat her injuries and frostbite.

Of all the nightmares Kel had experienced in her life, the one where her brother Conal held her by her legs out of one of the tower windows of Fief Mindelan frightened her the most. Only in this dream, Conal actually drops her, and she could hear herself screaming as she plummeted to the ground below. But just as she hits the ground, the surroundings of her subconsiousness turned to black, and Kel felt herself waking up. In her half awake state, Kel felt herself lying in something soft, probably bed sheets by the feel. She tried to move her fingers, but hissed in pain as a burning sensation shot up her arms. Not wanting to experience that again, she decided to open her eyes, which she immediatley regreted doing as the bright light from the outside invaded her retina, causing the headache she had to get worse. She winced and clamped her eyes shut, then felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder.

"You're awake, that's good. I have never seen anyone sleep for so long," a brunette woman in priestess robes said, "Welcome back to the land of the living. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Light...too bright...," Kel croaked, her throat was as parch as a desert. She realized that her earlier observation was true. She was lying in bed, the down comforter pulled up to her neck for warmth. It felt like her hands and feet were bandaged, and Kel guessed that she had suffered frostbite trying to make her way through the Pass. The priestess gave a small gasp of surprise, and got up to blow out a few of the candles in the healing room, reducing the illumination by a great deal. Kel tried to open her eyes again, and she was glad to find that her vision had cleared a bit; instead of a white blur she viewed her surroundings as if thier was a veil of smoke in the room. She could see where everything was, but it was all distorted.

"You really had me worried you know," the priestess mentioned as she poured a glass of water from a pitcher set on the nightstand, and lifted to the young woman's lips so she could drink. Kel sipped the water thankfully, not wanting to moistion her sore throat too fast, "My name is Saria of Naruun, and my apprentices and I had a good deal of trouble putting you back together young lady."

"You...have my...thanks," Kel croaked, though she felt her voice returning to her as the water moistened her throat, "Where am I?"

"Kyran Keep, in one of our healing chambers. Been out for three days, you have," Saria replied, gathering up the cup and a few of her instruments.

Kel blanched, "Three whole days..."

"You're lucky to be alive, that you are. Sergeant Camosille wants to talk with you later, if you wish," the priestess said, and with a wave left Kel so she could get some rest. She readily obliged, falling into a deep slumber, her chest rising and falling with every breath she took. She slept peacefully, no nightmares haunting her in her dreams.

She woke up several hours later, and as she opened her eyes, she saw someone sitting by her bedside, keeping watch over her as she slept. He looked about thirty, tall and powerfully built. Dark brown hair topped his head, and his beard was cut in a neat goatee. He was dressed in a tan tunic with gold embrodering, breaches, and was armed with an elegant longsword sheathed at his side. His brown eyes analyzed the young woman he had saved, trying to decide if she was a fool or just incredibaly brave. He figured it was a bit of both.

"Good morning," he said cheerfuly, "I am glad you are okay. You gave us all a scare that ye did. My name is Sir Blaine Camosille, Holy Knight of Aurorius. May I ask your name, young lady?"

Kel was hesitant at first. For all she knew these people held her prisoner, and this was the beginning of an interigation. But the kind treatment she had recieved from Saria the priestess, and the honest look in Sir Camosille's eyes told her otherwise. She could trust these people, and especially the man sitting by her side. Even though she had been delerious with fever, she somehow knew that he was the one who cradled her in his arms as she was taken for healing. This man had protected her when she was unable to do so on her own, and that meant everything to Kel.

"Keladry of..." she began to say, but then remembered she wasn't a noble anymore, "...my name is Keladry. Thank you for saving me Sir knight."

"You're more than welcome young lady. Now that introductions are out of the way, may I ask what you were doing in that icy death trap by yourself, and without the proper protection I may add?" Blaine asked, a sarcastic smirk on his face. Kel took a deep breath. She hoped her story wasn't too far fetched, although...this man seemed to be a sensible fellow.

"Well...it's a long story..."

"I have plenty of time to spare. Now let's start at the beginning. I assume you were heading east in the pass, so that means ye call one of the lands to the west home. So where are you from? Maren, Tuisane, Tyra?" he inquired, helping Kel sit up.

"I'm from a kingdom called Tortall, a land farther west than even Tusaine," Kel explained, and Blaine's eyes widened in shock.

"By Aurorius, you've traveled a long way. Why did you risk such a long journey to leave your homeland?"

Kel sighed, "It started when I tried to become a knight...," Kel began, and Blaine cocked an eyebrow. She spent the next two hours or so retelling her tale from the beginning, with the knight interrupting her from time to time to ask a question or get an explaination of a unfamiliar term or word. When she was done, he rose out of his seat and walked over to the wash basin and wiped his face off with a towel. Kel could see a scowl on his face as he did so. He was angry. At her or someone else, she couldn't be sure, but Kel could sense a strong aura of power around this man. She decided that he wasn't someone you wanted mad at you. He stood at the other side of the room for a few seconds, trying to regain his composure, and returned to his seat by Kel's bed when he felt he could contain his emotions.

"Well, I know one thing for sure," he said, a faint hint of anger in his tone, "Your training master has no honor. To dismiss you from your training because of your gender is ludicris and absurd. I haven't known you for that long and I can already see the potential knight in you, Keladry."

Kel bowed her head in thanks...and partially to conceal blush that had crept into her cheeks.

"I thank you for your kind words, my lord," she said meekly.

Blaine chuckled as he patted Kel on the hand, "As I said, call me Blaine."

He got up and headed for the door, "I'll take my leave of you now. Get some rest, and I will see you in the morning. A servant will bring some soup later. Sleep well, Keladry."

She smiled as Blaine left, feeling content for the first time in months. She moved a strand of brown hair out of her face with a bandaged hand, and laid back down, her exahusted body soon surrenduring to sleep.

Out in the hall, Blaine softly shut the door behind him and leaned against the cold stone of the wall on the other side of the hallway, and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly. Never in his life had he seen such a resilient young woman. She was a bit reckless perhaps, but you would have to be to try and cross Kyran Pass in the beginning of autumn. But the dejected look in her eyes as she told her tale clutched at his heart. Never had he heard of something so dispicable as denying a person a chance to prove themselves because of thier gender. That practice went the way of race discrimination over two hundred years ago. He even had a niece that was studying to become an Order of the Bow Initiate with the Sylvian elves.

It was not uncommon for women to join the ranks of warriors, although most of the fighters in the country were men. There had to be a way for Keladry to realize her dream. In the short time he had known her, the girl with the vibrant hazel eyes had become like a daughter to him.

He had been thinking for quite some time when suddenly, and idea popped into his head. It would require a long talk with his wife, but he was hopeful that Janienne would like what he had in mind. Smiling at his own cleverness, he headed of to his quarters, the sound of his boots on stone the only noise in the otherwise deserted corridor.

"Now where did I leave the oregeno? I know its around here somewhere..." a woman asked herself as she searched her cubboards for the wayward jar of spice. In her thirties, she was beautiful with brunette hair, abalaster skin and emerald green eyes. She was currently in her kitchen inside her and her husband's spacious quarters, preparing tonight's dinner. His positon as leader of Alpha squad afforded them some good benefits, although they would be relocating to the capital city of Salivan soon.

"Ah, there it is! I wonder what it was doing up there...ahhh not again!" Janinne Camosille groaned as the jar slipped out of her fingers and burst open on her apron, the seasoning spreading all over the fabric. She sighed and went about cleaning up the mess using a brush and a floor pan, when the door opened and her husband walked inside, and by the look on his exhausted face he apparently had something important on his mind. But when he saw the state his wife was in he could only chuckle in amusement and kneeled down to help her clean up.

"You look exhausted husband. Is your state a result of your young charge, am I right?" she asked, amusement glistening in her eyes. "She kept you up all last night if I'm not mistaken."

"That is correct Janienne. By the gods I have never met a young woman so reslilent. From what she has told me I think she may have traveled over two thousand miles on her own! Any normal person would have either succomed to exposure or been eaten by a monster. It's a miracle she survived," Blaine said as he discarded the remains of the jar into a basket nearby. His wife put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Blaine, it seems to me that you've become fond of this young woman. She reminds you of Terari, doesn't she?" Janienne said, metioning her and Blaine's niece. He nodded and took off his sword belt and rested his blade on a corner of the nearby wall. Sitting down in a chair next to the table, he ran a hand through his now messed up chestnut hair, "Yes she does actually. Terari and Keladry have similar personalities: honorable but bullheaded...although Keladry knows when it's time to follow orders. I got that impression from when I talked with her eariler."

"Keladry, so that's her name. It's very beautiful. I just wish that there was something we could do to help her," Janienne said solemly as she set the table, but then she noticed the mischevious grin on her husband's face. She placed her hands on her hips and gave him her best glare. "I know that smirk. What are you thinking?"

Blaine chuckled, "I can't keep anything from you my darling wife. I do have an idea, but I'm not sure if you would agree with it. It would change our lives drastically, but for the better I would think."

Janienne's eyes widened in realization, and her full lips thinned into a gentle smile.

"You want us to adopt Keladry, don't you..."

"Not only adopt her Janienne, make her a knight apprentice. Think about it. She deserves much more in life than what she's gotten, although I do realize problems might occur, especially since she hasn't been claimed by an elemental spirit," Blaine said, rubbing his chin with his left hand. Suddenly he felt slender hands massage his shoulders and he sighed in contentment as the day's stress was dispelled. Janienne knew just which spot to rub to make him melt.

"Doesn't she have a mother and father already? Don't get me wrong, I would love to bring her into our home, but I would not want to intrude on the responsibilities that her real parents have." Janienne asked as she removed her hands from her husband's shoulders and went back to the stove to grab a dish that had finished cooking.

"I already thought of that. We wouldn't take in Keladry as mother and father, but as aunt and uncle," Blaine explained, and his mouth started to water as the smell of his wife's cooking entered his nostrils. She held out a spoonfull of the stuff right next to his mouth, but pulled it away teasingly when he tried to take a bite.

"You're a horrible, evil woman, you know that? I swear Janienne, you are the only person capable of making a complete bitch out of me."

Janienne's laughter filled the entire room, "I thought that was the reason you married me!"

Her husband's eyes widened in indignation and his lips started to move as if to say something, but then he thought better of it and shook his head.

"So I'm assuming that we're in agreement then? We'll take Keladry in?" he asked, and Janienne nodded yes. Inwardly she was estatic. She and her husband had been trying to have a child for years without success, and now, if the young woman agrees of course, they would be responsible for her care and upbringing. She always wanted to be a parent, and in her mind this was the next best thing.

"Excellent! I'll visit her tommorrow morning and hopefully she will agree to us taking her in. Now, I'm starved, so let's eat!" Blaine exclaimed, and his wife laughed into her hand. Men, always thinking about thier stomachs. She served supper, and the rest of the evening was spent discussing the finer details as they ate, and the hours passed by quickly. As the last bell of the night tolled, they changed into their night clothes and went to bed, falling asleep in each others arms.

Kel relaxed as she petted an orange tabby cat that had somehow made its way into her room, and sighed as she glanced at the wrappings on her hands. She hoped that they would heal completely, and not affect her ability to wield a sword properly. She had woken up an hour or so ago, feeling more refreshed than she had in days. The aching in her joints had almost faded completely, and her extremities didn't sting as much, which was a good sign.

The cat meowed and curled into Keladry's chest, and she giggled as she scratched it behind the ears. Suddenly there was a knock at her door, and Kel perked up as it opened, revealing the priestess she met yesterday. Saria held the door open and Blaine walked in right behind her, carrying a bowl of soup in his hands. With a smile and a wave the blonde haired woman left, closing the door behind her so the knight and the young woman could have some privacy.

"Good morning," Blaine said cheerfully. He had obviously slept well the night before. His clothes were clean and immaculate, and his hair was neatly combed back. The knight had to have trimmed his beard when he shaved. He set the bowl on a tray that someone had put on the nightstand while Kel had slept, and shooed the cat out of the way as he helped her sit up in the bed.

"Good morning to you too my lord. I trust you slept well?" Kel asked, and Blaine placed the tray over her lap and motioned for her to hold up her hand.

"Priestess Saria said that your hands should be fully healed by now, so why don't you give them a try young lady," he said, unwrapping the last bandage on her left hand. She watched with nervous anticipation as her newly fixed hands were revealed, and released the breath she was holding in relief when she saw the pink-tinted skin underneath. There was no evidence of the frostbite and no scars at all.

"Go ahead, give them a go," Blaine said as he finished taking off the bandages on Kel's other hand. She complied and besides a little stiffness her fingers worked just fine. She thanked whatever gods that protected this land for the skill of the healers in this fortress. Taking a spoon off the tray, she slowly began to eat the soup, letting the warm liquid moistion her throat. It was chciken broth, not one of her favorites, but as hungry as she was anything would taste good.

"I am glad you are feeling up to snuff. Now, I have a question to ask of you. If you are interested of course."

Kel put down the spoon and looked at the knight with a mixture of confusion and dissapointment. He probably going to ask what orphanage she would like to go to. All the miles and hardships she had to go through were for nothing!

"Y..ye..yes my lord?" she stuttered, and the tremor in her voice did not go unnoticed by the older man sitting next to her. He gave Kel a comforting smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"Relax. I was simply going to ask if you would like to travel to the Republic's capital of Salivan with my wife and me."

Kel's eyes widened in surprise and she tried to speak, but her words came out as garbled nonsense.

"Ha ha ha I see you're at a loss for words. I'll explain. About two months ago I recieved a message from the Supreme Knight Commander. He reassigned me back to the capital to take charge of the troops protecting the city. I sent my acceptance letter with the last message courier that left last month. But then you arrived on our door step so to speak. I can't in good conscience leave you here or place you in an orphanage. So what do you say?" he explained, and Kel seemed shellshocked for the moment as her mind processed the possibilities that had opened before her.

"Any place is better than this cold hell I guess," she said after a bit, earning her a chuckle from the older man, "But wouldn't I be a burden. I don't want to impose..."

Blaine raised a hand and cut Kel off, "Don't think anything of it. My wife Janienne and I...we are unable to have children of our own, and it does get lonely with just the two of us."

Kel broke out into an ear to ear smile, "I would be honored to live with you and your wife sir knight. I'll work hard to earn my keep, I promise! I have some training with a sword and several years with the glaive you found with me, and I have some ability to ride a horse..."

"I'm not asking you to enter my home as a servant. We have decided to adopt you as our niece, and I'm willing to make you my Knight Apprentice, but you'll have to work extra hard to make it into the ranks of the Holy Knights. Are you up for it?" Blaine asked Kel surprised him by leaning forward and hugging him around the shoulders.

"Of course...uncle!" she said with glee, almost spilling what remained of the soup on the floor. They made idle conversation until she was done eating, then the knight took the bowl and tray off her lap and left, promising to come back after his patrol to help her pick out some supplies for the trip to the capital. He also promised to give her a special present, and his last words to her almost brought tears to her eyes, which surpirsed her, considering that it was only a year ago that she was forced to wear her Yamani mask, the emotionless expression that helped her cope with the taunts and twisted practical jokes of the other pages in the Tortallian Royal Palace.

"Welcome to the family, Keladry Camosille."

She realized then that the emotionless mask she had been forced to wear for over five years was now broken beyond repair. It was kind of unnerving, but Kel decided that she would just have to get used to it. Besides, from what her new uncle had described, the kingdom she was in; The Republic of Salivan, was way more tolerant of female warriors than Tortall was. She wouldn't have to hide her emotions, although she would always conduct herself in the manner befitting a noble, even though she wasn't one any more.

Kel sighed as she laid back down and attempted to fall asleep again. Things had gotten more interesting, even more that what she had expected. But that was a good thing. She had gotten another chance to achieve her dream, and she would be damned if she wouldn't try her hardest to grasp it.

She groaned as she stretched her tired muscles, and pulled the sheets over her body. Feeling more content than she had in months, Keladry of Camosille drifted off into a restfull slumber, dreaming of the challenges and adventures that awaited her.

To be continued.....