Hey look! Chapter four! I'm actually posting! The fifth chapter might take a while longer because I'm in the process of moving. The house is on the market, and my parents won't let me stay behind..(I wonder why?)

I really don't want to move again, but I really don't have much of a choice. For a while I'll be without a computer, so.

I so DO NOT want to leave wonderful Nevada, but that's not up to me. Sadsad. They're also making me leave my beloved rabbit behind. I've had her for just over 2 and a half years now, and her and my sewer rat (miniature dachshund, which is a really small dog) have become really good friends. They chase each other around the house, which is rather amusing.

But you don't need to read about the things I have to complain about right now, so onto chapter four! I think I might be able to introduce a new and important character this chapter, but only if I can come up with a name with him, as he is not one of Tamora Pierce's originals.

If you really want a disclaimer, go see another chapter. There will be one there.

Chapter 4

Kel watched as Neal ran off, following Jump. It was now dark, and it would be easier to get lost. The idiot who had been chasing him stopped where the trees got thick, then turned on Kel.

"You wench!" he yelled at her. She backed up, but she couldn't go far, as she was still inside her small prison. She was still chained, thought the chains were fairly long. Even if he knew how to get in, when he was in this state of drunkenness, it would be impossible for him.

He would probably be in trouble if he hurt her anyway. She guessed that if this were not true, she would have been beaten badly already, or worse. Instead she had been ignored, until recently at least.

"Y- you keep away fr-from p-people." His speech was slurred, and his wording wasn't much better. Kel still acted the part of the scared prisoner she was supposed to be, though she wasn't frightened in the least. There was no reason for her to be, and Neal's visit had calmed her considerably. This guy wasn't in his right mind, though that was most likely not a very good state of mind anyhow. He couldn't even reach her.

"I'm sorry sir," she said, still assured that even if her acting were terrible, he wouldn't be able to tell.

"Yeh sh-shou-ould be," he slurred out and then stumbled away. He must have had a lot to drink. Did they have no sense?

Kel curled up in the corner of her prison, and tried to sleep, but couldn't. She knew that there was something that Neal hadn't told her, that maybe he should have. How she was sure of this, she didn't know. But she had known that he was a healer when she met him, though she couldn't remember anything else. She would have to bug him about it when next she saw him.

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Neal ran back to camp, following Jump. As soon as they were back inside the barrier that he had set up earlier, he saw that Tobe had stayed up and had food waiting for him, exactly as Neal had told him not to do, but he was grateful all the same.

"I know ye told me not to wait up, so I figured that was reason enough to wait."

Neal rolled his eyes and took the food silently.

"So?"

"So what?"

"What'd ye think?"

"What to you mean, what do I think?"

"Ye know exactly what I mean."

"Do I really?"

Tobe rolled his eyes and said, "How'd it go?"

"How did what go?" Neal asked, not wanting to talk about it for some reason he couldn't quite place.

"Yer impossible! How'd the venture go? Y'know, the one to go and find Kel? Did ye find 'er? Is she hurt? Is there somethin' she knows tha' we need to? Is she comin' back soon?"

The suggestion that she knew something they didn't cut deep. How could she know something when she didn't even know who she was, hadn't known her own name, let alone her best friend's?

"No," was all he said.

"There's definitely somethin' wrong with ya. Is Kel all right? 'Afore ye couldn't stop talkin' of 'er, now yer hardly sayin' a word."

"Maybe I'm just tired right now."

"Never stopped ye 'afore," he muttered, then "Ye came back at a dead run. Howcome?"

"Oh, some drunk tried to chase me off. No big deal. We lost him right off."

"If ye say so," Tobe muttered, knowing how terrible it would be if they had been followed.

"We need to get some sleep. There's going to be plenty of planning tomorrow if we're to get her out."

"Out of what?" Tobe asked, suddenly more worried, for he knew that Neal meant more than just out the Scanran's grip.

"Nothing. She's fine," Neal said hurriedly, really not wanting to get deeper into the subject they were on at the moment.

"I find that hard to believe!" he said, his voice getting louder as he went, getting more frustrated with the lack of information. "Yer not the only person who cares about 'er, and yer not the only one who has tha right to know what's happened to 'er."

At this point he seriously considered pointing out that he didn't seem in the least worried about his fiancé, but only his best friend, and perhaps Kel should be the one he should marry, but thought better of it. It would point the direction of the conversation elsewhere, and he didn't want it to go anywhere until else until he got the desired information. Besides, he could use that suggestion against him later. He decided this very quickly, never faltering in his scolding of Neal, and finished it with " Tell me what's goin' on, or I'll set Peachblossom on you!"

Neal was surprised at Tobe for raising his voice, something he hadn't heard before. He knew Tobe was right, and the threat of setting Kel's horse on him was a bit of a deciding factor. He didn't need Peachblossom biting him right now, so he began to tell Tobe what had happened just before he had shown up at a dead run, conveniently leaving out the bits that might further suggest what Tobe had almost mentioned earlier, not realizing that Tobe (and Alanna) was already onto him.

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Yuki lay awake that night, thinking, though her thoughts were no longer on Neal. She and Dom had supposedly gone hunting, but none really got done. In fact, it was just an excuse to get Yuki away from the camp so that Dom could get her thoughts somewhere else. It worked, too.

They had galloped out, heading in no particular direction. Then they slowed to a trot, and then they were wandering aimlessly. It had been such a beautiful day, too. The sun was out, and there were puffy white clouds that soon turned into a beautiful red sunset, which, sadly, signified time to go back to the fort. It was a perfect day to forget the war, even if only for a few short hours. They had gone by so fast, but it was worth every last second, even with the glares they had received at returning late, and the odd looks from those who knew them.

It was so nice to have someone listen to her so willingly, and soon got her mind off the things worrying her. Shortly they were talking and laughing together, and all former feelings of impatience, anger, contempt, and such were gone. It was now just a time to laugh with a friend, and forget everything for a while.

Then she realized what she was thinking. She was about to be married for crying out loud! She shouldn't be off flirting and laughing with her fiancé's cousin while he was in trouble and their best friend was even worse off! What even happened to all her training? What was up with her now?

She was flustered, and thinking too hard on the subject right now wasn't helping her any. She would just have to make it a point to stay away from Dom for a while, at least when there was no one else around. This would soon pass, and things would go back to normal. She hoped.

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Dom lay awake that night thinking, the "hunt" had been wonderfully perfect, but then, it was all wrong at the same time. His cousin was in trouble, and knowing him, because Neal's best friend as in worse trouble, he would try to do something to help that would only hurt, and here he was, flirting with Yuki, like there was nothing better to be doing. What was wrong with him? It had originally to get her mind off of it, Oh well, he thought. He would have to make it a point to talk to her alone so that he could apologize.

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Kammal left the area he was hiding in, heading back toward the camp of drunken Scanrans he had left earlier. He had information that would be of use to him. They could use their prisoner in more ways than they had originally planned. There was a man willing to go to extreme lengths to get her back, and it would be all too easy to get him to do something irrational.

He would, however have to be careful about how he went about giving out the information. No, Kammal would keep it to himself for a while. He was the only person smart enough not to get drunk tonight. They finally had their hostage, and it would be all too easy for her to get away if no one was sober.

This information would get him food when there was little, or a small amount of riches when there was plenty. He would use it to his advantage. But now it was time to get back and get some sleep. There would be a large number of men wanting hangover remedies in the morning, and it would not go over well if he was too tired to do anything with his small healing gift.

All of this could benefit him personally, and that was what Kammal cared about. Himself. After all, he was still young, only 23 at the time.

There would be some serious planning to start thinking of tomorrow.

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Okay, I lied. I introduced one new character, but he's not the terribly important character I mentioned earlier. It's short, I know, but I'm stuck. I know what is going to happen in the next part of the chapter, but I've been having trouble writing it. So it will be up later.

And maybe sometime I'll get around to writing "Good heavens, woman, this is war, not a garden party!" a phrase I was supposed to write in a while ago. But I have not forgotten about it! I just haven't gotten around to it. Even though they have the Divine Realms and the Realm of the Dead, not heaven, and wouldn't know what heaven is exactly, but oh well.

May be I'll be able to post again before I have to leave. looks thoughtful

Now I have homework to finish. (A couple of math problems and an essay on Japan including 3 recipes and a map, which I already have. Now the writing part.)