Disclaimer: Com'on! Do you really think I own this? BUT guess what I just did! I skipped math and went to the beach and swam! It was fun and I advise it (just kidding)!

To the Dancing Dove

For the fiftieth time that night Keladry of Mindelan checked her appearance in her full length mirror, for the twentieth time she undid her hair and redid it, and for the hundredth time she worried of the night to come.

She had tried to dress casually as Neal had suggested, but she had no idea WHAT was casual to girls her age. She looked at herself in the mirrior and carefully studied her apperance: She had on a floor lengh brown skirt, stiched around the hem in thick white thread, a flowing white shirt that was designed to cling to show of a woman's figure. Her hair hung straight to her shoulders with a slight inwards curl. She had fastened a Yamani choker around her neck letting the pearl drop draw attention to her exposed milky white chest. She could do nothing about the Griffin scars on her hands although her mysterious benafactor's balm had hid the worst of the scars.

A quick knock at the door brought an alarmed yelp and Yamani curse of pain as Kel stubbed her toe in order to get to the door.

She opened the door,

You see you've broken my toes before the evenings even begun!"

Neal grinned and steeped into her room, "you look nice" he commented

Kel blushed, "So do you" she returned.

Neal grinned and rubbed his goatee. He has wearing plain brown pants, a crisp white shirt showing off his masculine chest, and dark leather boots. "Ready to go?"

Kel rummaged around her room and grabbed a pair or soft hide boots. Pulling them on she stood up and brushed herself of.

"Ready." She looked up face Yamani smooth, Neal rasied an eyebrow and she coulden't help smiling.

Neal straightened himself up with false dignity and offered his arm.

"My lady"

Kel smiled with mock politness and placed her hand on his arm.

"Off we trot then" said Neal breaking the game. He cuffed Kel on the back of the head and raced down the halls leaving Kel to try and run in a skirt.

Kel tried to keep her face calm as Neal pulled her in to the noisy depths of the Dancing Dove. Shouting and Singing filled the room accompanied by a skilled fiddler. "Alanna and Rauol used to come here when the where pages and squires" Neal shouted over the noise "It's where she met her husband George Cooper"

Kel nodded and kept close to Neal. She did NOT want to be caught in this part of town without an escourt.

"Neal!"

A man sitting at a table dumped a flower girl on her rump to clasp hands with the young man.

"Good to see you Nick" shouted Neal

"and who's your friend ya' brought" inquired the man. He was small but Kel could tell he was stronger then he looked. He had black-brown hair and beard with brown eyes that twinkled with intelligence and mischief.

Neal pulled her forward in to a one armed hug,

"This hear is Kel, she's a friend of mine"

The man called Nick winked at Neal, "a pretty one, she is"

Kel blushed at the man's misunderstanding of her and Neal's relationship. Neal didn't seem fazed.

"We're going to get ourselves a drink care to join us?"

The man shook them away "Nah I'm drunk enough" he pulled the flower girl back into his lap and continued to chat with his companions.

Neal shook his head as the made their way to the bar, "That's Nick for you"

He stopped at the high counter, "To cups of ale please"

He thunked his coins on the counter and turned to Kel passing her a cup of froth liquid.

"Neal!" she hissed as she took the cup "We're squires and underage!"

"Neal took a long sip from his cup "I'm not, I'm twenty! And besides it's only ale Kel!"

Kel stared into Neal's green eyes. She'd heard stories of what people had done when their bodies where to full of alcohol, but Neal was here...he's never let anything happen to her.

Kel took a sip of her ale and came out with a froth moustache. Neal laughed and wiped her mouth with his sleeve.

"I can see you're not a casual drinker?"

Kel blushed as she took another sip "No I'm not!"

Neal laughed and found them a table where some one was offering Neal a game of dice.

To be continued...

A/N: I AM SO SORRY! I know this took to long but I've had BEARLY anytime to write this term and I don't think I'll have much time this summer as I am working at a military camp. Anyway's I'm sorry it's late and I'm sorry it's short but I will try to update once before I leave but don't hold me to that because I leave in NINE days (I'm not even finished SCHOOL!)! So this might have to wait but I promise I'll update more when I find the time!