Disclaimer: I guess it's this time again. I don't own any of Tammy's creations, however I do own: Ked, Jhedy, Tait, Salin, Jamil, Lord Parrton, Feran, the little girl with the gift at Mindelan, Judge Tremont (who gets no more than a brief mention), the black haired man that is a friend of Piers and Ilane, Farant, Saul, Ana, Naomi, Lora, Jacey, Essa, Jak, Ortun (a place, not a person), the street urchin, the merchant, Gavan and the captain (Mysh).

Chapter Eighteen: Boats

Everyone working in the docks looked up as ten horses clattered into the roughest area. It was there that fights broke out frequently and drug smugglers traded their wares. The men who were at the docks were naturally suspicious of the law keepers. Cold glares followed the ten riders as they made their way nervously through the damp streets and towards a boat. Only one person seemed totally at home there and that was Ana.

"I thought you said her parents were merchants, not sea faring thugs!" Dom whispered quietly to Jak.

"I did. I just neglected to mention that her parents and she have some very dubious contacts. It has become very useful at times though."

"Gavan!" Ana yelled, her voice becoming less cultured and more that of a street fighter than one of the Queen's Riders.

"Ana!" a young man yelled as he turned to see her. "Great to see you again!"

Ana dismounted and hugged him tightly.

"Something tells me you didn't come to help us get drunk," the man addressed as Gavan said as he gestured to the tankard in his hand.

Ana shook her head. "No. I'm here on business. I've reason to believe that a woman left the docks under an hour ago. Did you see her?"

"I've seen plenty of women in the last hour, but I've an idea you're not talking about them."

Dom was about to move forwards and demand an answer when Jak held him back.

"Let Ana handle this."

Dom sighed and stayed mounted.

"You're right. I'm looking for the Lady Knight. She would have been fairly conspicuous."

Gavan laughed, his bright blue eyes dancing. "You were right there. She walked down here with her shield and weapons and asked for a ship. The first man she asked tried to attack her, he paid for it though. He's over there, nursing his wounds." Gavan gestured to a man slumped against the wall, long curved cuts were scattered over his body and Dom could see that Kel had used her glaive. "The second man she asked sent her to Mysh and he took her out. They left maybe half and hour ago."

Ana gritted her teeth and marched towards the nearest boat. "I am requisitioning this for the use of the Crown. I'll return it as soon as I can." She turned to the Riders, Conal and Dom. "Are you coming? Or do I have to take the famed second Lady Knight on on my own?"

Dom shook his head. "You must be joking. Of course I'm coming." He dismounted and led his horse onto the boat and was followed by Conal and the rest of the Riders.

- - -

"My Lady! My Lady!" Mysh whispered as he shook Kel awake. "There's another boat pulling alongside us. They're wanting to board."

Kel pushed away memories of the last time she had sailed and the Yamani Warriors had boarded. The havoc they had wreaked was something she preferred not to think about. Although these boarders would be Tortallan and her family wasn't there for them to kill, she still didn't want to be caught.

"Speed up. I need to get to the Isles. If anyone asks you about it later, just say I ordered you at sword point to do it. I don't care. It won't matter. I won't be around."

Mysh stared at the strange woman. "What are you running from?"

"No one!" Kel snapped. "Speed up!"

"But my Lady, there's a Rider group there and a knight!"

Kel swallowed. "Let me onto the deck."

Mysh stood aside and Kel ascended the ladder. The boat that Mysh had been talking about was sailing parallel with them only fifty or so metres away. Kel turned away as she saw a man on deck wave to her. That was why she had left in the night, she hadn't wanted to have to say goodbye to those that she loved, something she knew she wouldn't be able to do and then she would end up staying and letting hundreds of men die in her place.

"Speed up!" she snapped harshly to Mysh. "We need to escape them."

"What have you done lady?" he asked as he ran to follow her orders.

"Nothing illegal yet. Just get us out of Tortallan waters and if they insist on boarding, get under deck and stay there."

Mysh stepped back away from the strange woman who reached down into the cabin below and pulled out the long pole weapon he had seen her using at the docks to bring a tough grown man to the floor weeping like a baby. "Who are you really?"

"Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan," Kel replied, her eyes fixed on the boat as it fell behind because of the sudden acceleration of the boat that Kel was on. She saw no reason to lie any further; she didn't think that Mysh was going to turn her over, not after the money she had bribed him with.

"You really shouldn't be going over to the Isles not after that w…" Mysh paused and looked at Kel in horror. "It's you that was attacked!"

Kel nodded. "Yes. It was me."

"So why are you going back?" Mysh demanded as he deftly turned the boat to the left.

"Because I've got to back to face justice so that Tortall doesn't have to go to war. If you don't get me away, we'll be at war." Kel gave her glaive an experimental swing and made sure that the man on deck could clearly see her. It was a signal that she was perfectly willing to fight her way out of Tortallan waters to the relative safety of the six mile strip of international waters between Tortallan waters and Yamani waters.

"But if you're going to stop the war, why do they want to stop you?" Mysh asked in amazement.

Kel shrugged. "Court politics apparently." She pointed to the man on the desk. "I think that may be my brother. He wants me back so he can shout at me and tell me how stupid and inconsiderate I've been by running off and trying to save the lives of hundreds of men and women."

"He would do that?" Mysh asked in astonishment. "I thought nobles were meant to be courteous!"

Kel grinned. "He worries about me a lot. After all, my two brothers and I are his only close family and we all fight, even though Anders is only in the Mindelan Guard. We all worry about each other. So be warned, if Conal gets aboard he'll resort to hitting me over the head to get me home."

Mysh chuckled. "Then we'll have to make sure that he doesn't get aboard, won't we?"

Kel nodded. "Thank the Goddess that I've found someone who'll help me."

- - -

"Three miles until international waters!" Saul called from below deck.

Ana cursed and turned to sails slightly, catching that extra bit of wind. "This is one of those times when I wish I had a mage in the group. We've a mage wind captured in the sails, but no mage to use it!"

"What do you mean?" Essa demanded as she fell into Jak's arms. "I've the Gift!"

"You do?" Ana asked in surprise.

Essa nodded. "Yes, I just don't use it because it tires me so much I can hardly fight. Besides, it feels like cheating!"

"Can you activate the mage wind?" Ana asked, cursing herself for not reading Essa's background thoroughly.

"Should she even attempt it if it tires her out so much she can't fight?" Jak asked, his arms tightening around Essa protectively.

Ana and Farant nodded. "Of course," the latter replied. "It shouldn't cost her much more than a few days strength. We can cope with seven fighters for a few days."

Jak growled, but knew better than to defy both his commander and the second-in-command.

Essa turned slightly so she could see the sails and for a few brief seconds, the air around her turned static and glowed a deep blue. Jak was horrified to see the colour fade rapidly from her face and her hands start to shake. He walked forwards, about to pick her up and take her below when Ana placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Wait," she commanded. "She's not quite finished."

It was only when the boat suddenly increased in speed that Ana allowed Jak to put Essa to bed to get the rest that she badly needed by that time.

- - -

Kel stared in dismay as the boat found some speed and she saw that the sails glowed a deep blue common of a mage-captured wind. She watched as nine figures gathered on the deck, equipped with weapons and ready to fight. As the boat drew nearer, she could see that seven wore the white shirts, brown tunics and trousers as well as riding boots. They bore the emblem of the Queen's Riders on their tunics, a crimson horse rearing on a bronze background circled by a ring. The other two wore different uniforms. She spotted her brother in the grey and blue of the Mindelan colours and saw the all-too-familiar uniform of the King's Own.

"That's low!" she hissed as guessed who inhabited the uniform. "Really low!"

"What's low, my Lady?" Mysh asked cautiously.

 "They sent one of the King's Own sergeants," Kel said unwilling to say much more.

"And this sergeant means a lot to you?" Mysh hazarded.

Kel smiled slightly. "You could say that."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

Kel wore a pained expression on her face. She took a deep breath and Mysh thought he saw tears in the corner of her dreamer's hazel eyes. "Keep going."

Mysh nodded and walked away. He glanced back and saw the woman wiping tears off of her cheeks as she readied her glaive for the inevitable fight.

- - -

Dom looked on in horror as he watched Kel preparing to fight. She really was serious about getting to the Isles. They had a little less than two miles to catch her and get her off of the boat.

"Right, Ana, whilst we keep Lady Kel distracted, you and Saul can take the wheel of the boat, by force if necessary and turn the boat back towards land. Jak, you stay here and keep this boat running alongside the other," Farant instructed. "Whatever you do, try not to kill the Lady Knight!"

Dom grimaced at the thought and Naomi clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry sergeant, we'll get your girl back, by whatever means it takes."

Dom smiled at her and leant on the rails as an under-hand method of securing Kel's safety came to mind.

- - -

As the boat drew alongside, Kel could see Dom leaning against the rails, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The look on his face suggested he was deep in thought. "You're a bloody idiot!" Conal shouted as soon as they were in hearing range.

Kel shrugged. "I guess it's one of my failings." She turned to Dom who was studying her intently. "What can I say? I'm sorry."

Dom's gaze flicked to her face and met her in the eyes. "I hope you wrote a letter to Meathead, apologising for getting both of us killed."

"What?" Kel demanded her voice low. The boats were close enough now for her to lean over and she did so, grabbing Dom's hand.

"Well, I'm not going to let you go to your death alone, am I? Do you think I would really do that?"

"You'd better!" Kel hissed. Her Yamani face hid all sign of worry that coursed through her at the thought of Dom's death. "You wouldn't dare!"

Conal appeared behind Dom. "I hate to say it, but I think he would. But it won't matter, he won't be alone, I'll join the two of you and then the rest of the Rider group will probably come. All eleven of us can die together!"

Kel fought the urge to punch her brother. She made the mistake of looking into Dom's sapphire eyes. Where there was usually a glint of mischief, his eyes were all serious and filled with worry. As she looked away she felt the tears flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't have any more of her friends dying.

"My Lady?" Mysh asked from the wheel.

"Stop the boat."

- - -

A/N: I'll apologise for the length, but that seemed like a good place to stop it. What did you think?

Hannah