Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, places etc. They all belong to Tamora Pierce. I own the plot though! Anything you might find familiar is probably a quote from TP's books. Hang on, I own: Ked, Salin, Jamil and Ked's Warrior Lord, Lord Parrton.

A/N: Right. This is a corrected version of the chapter. I've been going through correcting the chapters, so if you find any mistakes, let me know! I've tried to sort out everything, but I'm no where near perfect so I'm sure you'll be able to find some mistakes. I've completely changed Kel's reactions because everyone was saying that she was completely OCC, and quite frankly, I agreed. On with the story…

Chapter four : Birthday

Months passed, and Kel was still in Tortall. Most of the army had been sent back the previous day, including Ked and his Warrior Lord. Kel was the only calawabi left in Tortall as all the other Yamani warriors left did not have calawabis. She had already decided that it was very boring being the only younger Yamani, it made it even harder to avoid Neal and all her old friends. But that didn't matter, they seemed to be ignoring her anyway. Kel suspected that Dom had had something to do with it, but he always denied it. She was glad that they were leaving her alone, it made her life easier.

- - -

"Jhedy?" a voice asked from outside her door, it was Dom.

"Come in Dom," Kel called.

Dom came in and flopped into a chair with his feet resting on the arm. "Hi Kel."

Kel grinned. He insisted on calling her that when no one else could hear. She didn't mind that much really, she just hoped that no one ever heard him. "What are you after Dom? You're looking too innocent just to be popping around to see me."

Dom laughed. "You know me too well Kel." He shifted so he could see her face. "It's my birthday coming up, and me and some of the men from the Own are going down to one of the inns for a meal and something to drink, I was wondering if you wanted to come. Do you?"

Kel laughed. "Are you sure it's not just something, or rather, a lot of something's to drink?"

"Very funny Kel," Dom replied dryly.

Kel was about to say that she would when she thought of something. "Is Neal going?"

Dom looked at the floor. "We-ll, yes."

Kel sighed. "Well then you know I can't come," she said softly. "I don't exactly get on with him."

"Please Kel," Dom pleaded.

"No Dom, I can't." Kel looked into his disappointed face. "I'm sorry, but..."

"It's okay," Dom said wearily, it sounded like he had half-expected her to refuse anyway. "I understand, the offers still open if you want to come though." He got up and started to walk away.

"Would you really like me to come?" Kel asked.

Dom turned around. "Yes," he said simply.

Kel thought about it. "I'll come then."

Dom started grinning madly, ran to her and spun her around. He came to his senses and put her down. "Sorry Kel. Thanks."

"It's okay." She started to clean her sword as Dom left. "Now I've got to figure out what to give him," she said to herself.

- - -

"Hi Cleon," Neal greeted the boy who had just arrived back at the palace.

"Hi, where have to Yamani's gone? None of their horses are there," Cleon asked curiously.

"Gone home," Neal replied. "They went yesterday. Well, all but the Captain and his squire along with a few other men."

"So, Jhedy's still here?" Cleon asked.

"Yeah. And as puzzling as ever."

"You still can't remember where you've seen her?" Cleon asked.

"No, can you?"

Cleon shook his head. "I get the feeling I should know her really well. But I can't place her!"

"And she's still hanging around with Dom. He won't tell me a single thing about her." He recounted his meeting with Dom.

"Strange," Cleon commented.

"Tell me about it." Neal changed the subject. "It's Dom's birthday tomorrow, and a group of us are going out. Want to come? He said to invite some friends."

"Sure," Cleon agreed. "Oh, hang on. I think Inness and I were meant to be leaving for the Scanran borders tomorrow."

Inness was Cleon's knight-master, and Kel's brother.

"You could both come, eat on the way out," Neal suggested.

"Yeah, cool idea. I'll go and run it by him now." Cleon continued walking thought the winding palace corridors.

- - -

Kel stood in the stable yard waiting for Dom and his friends. She already had his present, and she hoped he would like it. It was a belt knife from the Raven Armoury. She had even managed to get it the colour of the King's Own, blue and silver.

Kel heard talking and laughing, and turned around to see Dom and three other men coming out of the stables, with horses at their sides.

"Jhedy!" Dom cried out when he saw her. "So you didn't chicken out!"

Kel huffed in disgust. "You make it sound like I would!" She hit him in the chest.

The men around Dom laughed.

As they mounted up, one of the men said, "come on Dom. Introduce us to the lady."

Dom laughed. "Guys, this is Jhedy of the Yamani Islands, she came with he army, she's the Captain's squire."

"Calawabi," Kel corrected. "Honestly Dom, can't you get anything right?"

Dom hit her playfully. "Jhedy, these men are Osbern, Raoul and Flyn"

Kel nodded. "Hi," she said briefly. "Are we waiting for anyone else?"

"No," Dom replied, "We're meeting them at the Jugged Hare. Come on, let's go."

- - -

Kel tethered Hoshi next to Raoul's mount, Drum and followed Dom inside. The room was smoky and very rowdy, with fights breaking out regularly. The patrons seemed to know Dom and his friends well, and they were popular. As they walked in, people shouted comments and questions at them. Dom replied to them with the same joviality that they were asked with.

"Your friends are over there!" the bartender shouted, gesturing to a far corner.

Dom led the way, and when Kel got there, she recognised Neal and Cleon. Then to her horror, she recognised a figure she hadn't seen in a while, her brother Inness.

Kel yanked Dom back. "Dom! Why didn't you say he was going to be here?"

"Who?" Dom asked puzzled.

"My brother!" Kel hissed.

"Which one's your brother?" Dom asked, staring at the three at the table. "Obviously not Neal, but is it Cleon or his knight-master?" Dom wondered out loud.

"His knight-master!" Kel snapped. "He's my brother Inness, and he doesn't know what name I'm using! He'll call me Kel!" Kel said, nearly yanking her hair out.

"Will he recognise you?" Dom asked hurriedly.

"Probably," Kel admitted. "I saw him about a month before the army came here."

"Stay," Dom said, as if to a dog. He ran over to Inness, and pulled him over to Kel.

"You're Sir Inness, aren't you?" Dom asked.

"Yes," Inness replied.

"So you're Kel's sister?" Dom said.

"Yes," Inness said warily. "But what's this got to do with her?"

Kel decided it was time to take part in the conversation. "Because Inness, I'm here  and no one but Dom knows it. So you won't tell anyone, will you, please?"

"Um...okay." Inness sounded reluctant to agree, but he did anyway.

"Good, my name's Jhedy."

"Jhedy?" Inness asked. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Picked it out of the air," Kel said, looking shifty and her eyes and face flashed with emotions before she got them under control. Dom decided to ask her about it later. "Come on, let's go join the party."

"Hey," Cleon called. "My Lord Inness, when are we leaving for Scanra?"

"Once I've eaten," Inness growled.

"You're going to Scanra?" Kel asked.

"Well," Cleon said, "Almost. We're on border patrol."

"Wow," Kel breathed. "What's border patrol like? I've never been on one, what with the Yamani Islands being islands, they don't have borders."

"It's okay," Cleon said without much enthusiasm. "But you see a lot of fighting and such."

"But that's what you're trained for," Kel reminded him.

"I know. But it's not just the raiders and us that get killed, it's innocent people. It's hard when you look at a dead person, and realise that they shouldn't have died."

Kel bit her lip at a painful memory, and Cleon noticed.

"Jhedy, are you okay?" he asked, loudly enough so that Dom could hear.

Dom spun around immediately. "Jhedy, what's the matter?"

"N-nothing," she said replied, although her voice was completely level, Dom wasn't convinced.

Dom knew something was wrong, but knew better to pursue it there and then, Cleon didn't.

"Jhedy! What's the matter?" Cleon asked again.

"Nothing!" Kel said firmly, anger flashing quickly in her eyes before she reined her emotions in, leaving flat eyes devoid of emotion. "Nothing what so ever."

"Leave it Cleon," Dom advised. He stood up, "Who wants a drink?"

The rest of the evening was spent skirting subjects that Dom thought would upset Kel.

When they were riding home, after wishing Inness and Cleon good luck, Dom motioned to the others, using signals from the Own, to go on ahead. The men dragged Neal with them and Kel and Dom were left alone.

They rode along slowly in silence until Kel said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" a puzzled Dom asked.

"For ruining you're evening." Kel said. "I was being…well...not quite me. I'm sorry."

Dom looked at her carefully. "Something's bothering you."

"Y-yes," Kel admitted reluctantly, she'd learnt long ago that there was no use in lying to Dom, he could always tell.

"What?"

"I'd rather not say." She looked up at Dom and saw that he was going to protest and so she added, "Please don't make me Dom. I-I don't even want to think about it."

Dom sighed. "Okay."

Kel smiled up at her tall friend. "I got you a birthday present."

"You didn't have to!"

"I wanted to," Kel replied with a shrug "Here. Happy birthday." She handed him the belt knife.

Dom took it and examined it in silence.

"Kel, it's lovely. Thanks." He smiled at her and leaned over out of the saddle to give her a hug. Carefully placing it in his belt he clucked to his horse. "Let's go."

Kel kicked her horse into a gallop and yelled to Dom, "I'll race you back to the palace!"

With a wide grin on his face, Dom followed her.

- - -

Kel spent longer grooming her horse than the rest and was soon alone in the stables. With a loud sigh, she let her thoughts wander.

Jhedy had been her best friend while she lived in the Yamani Islands. Kel had first moved to the Islands when she was young and no one had accepted her because she was a barbarian who let her feelings show. Jhedy had been the first one who had had talked to Kel, and Kel appreciated that. Both of the girls were devastated when Kel left to pursue her knighthood in Tortall. They had vowed to stay in touch, but didn't.

The day Kel returned to the Islands to become a Warrior, there was a huge revolt against the Emperor. The capital of the Islands, where the Emperor lived, was the worst hit. It also happened to be where Jhedy lived.

As Kel rode into the city, she realised what was going on, and, armed with her glaive, ran to help the Emperor's men. The first opponent she came up against was a girl of her age. There was something familiar about her, and the girl seemed to think that there was something familiar about Kel. Kel hadn't stopped to worry about this though. She started to attack this girl, who put up an excellent defence.

Kel remembered every twist and sweep of her glaive like it was yesterday. The whole world appeared to be in slow motion, Kel was concentrated on her opponent only. The girl blinked, then faltered. Kel used a sweeping motion to slit the girl's throat. Stunned, the girl fell to the floor.

"K-Kel?" she muttered weakly.

With those words Kel suddenly recognised the girl. It was Jhedy, her old friend. She'd just killed her best friend. "Jhedy! Mithros, Jhedy! I'm so sorry!"

Weeping, Kel fell to the floor next to Jhedy. She had no idea how long she lay there, but soon a hand pulled lightly on her arm.

"C'mon. We'll get you to a healer," a calm voice said.

Kel had looked up to see a boy only a few months older than her wearing the Emperor's insignia with a small badge to signify that he was a narwabi. She let herself be pulled up.

Kel looked around her and saw that the battle was over. She looked at the boy. He was a typical Yamani. Peach golden skin, black slightly curly hair that went down to his shoulders, and hazel eyes.

"Are you Keladry of Mindelan?" he asked. "The new narwabi?"

"Yes," Kel had replied slowly. "Who are you?"

"Ked noh Firatumio." He extended his hand, and pulled Kel to her feet. "Come on, we'll go back to the palace where you can see a healer."

"I don't need one," Kel said stubbornly.

"Well why were you on the floor then?" Ked asked, studying her critically.

Kel took a deep breath, and pointed at Jhedy's lifeless body. "T-that was my best friend," she managed to croak before tears trickled down her cheeks, disgracing her.

Ked's eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Kel replied.

Ked yanked on her arm, and pulled her to the palace.

Kel touched her cheek and found that she had tears streaming down her face. It might have been four years ago, but she couldn't get rid of the memory, she couldn't forget. Jhedy might not have been innocent, she was one of the leaders of the revolt, but she didn't deserve to die.

"Mithros Jhedy! I'm so so sorry! Forgive me please!" Kel thumped her fist on the stable wall. "F-forgive me!

"For what?" a soft voice inquired from behind her.

Kel spun around and saw Dom. "It doesn't matter," she said calmly, getting her tears under control as she wiped them away. "What are you doing here?"

"Because I wanted to see where you were. Did you realise that the guards have already cried the midnight hour? You've been here for over three hours, what's the matter?"

Kel breathed deeply and ran through some breathing exercises to control her emotions. When she was sure that she was calm and her face could not betray her she looked him in the eye and said, "I don't want to talk about it." She dropped Hoshi's grooming brush on the floor and walked out.