DISCLAIMER: Don't own it. Don't Like it? Don't read it.
Hey there! Not to make any of my reviewers jealous or anything, but I wanted to shout out to 'the ORIGINAL Meathead'. Sam there was my first ever reviewer, for my first story, 'Love Her For That'. She has always stuck with all of my other stories, but forgot to review the last nine chapters. I finally got an answer after threatening her in my review of her 'What a Lady NEVER' which you should all read.
Still looking for good stories.
Song of the Chapter: It's My Life, by Jon Bon Jovi, (what can I say, I've got a thing for classic rock.)
luv ya!
OoOoOoOoO
Kel woke up the next morning to an impatient pounding on her door. Looking out the window, she determined that there was at least an hour until dawn.
The knocking became rhythmic, as though the knocker was bored. Kel stumbled to the door, only to be knocked in the face by an eager Yuki. Kel let out a loose string of Yamani curses as she pulled herself off of the floor.
"Well, Keladry" Yuki's eyes were full of laughter. "Aren't we a little vicious so early in the morning?" She and Shinko contained their laughter as they closed the door behind them. Kel changed into the breeches handed to her, only after a slight hesitation on her part, and persuasion on Yuki's part.
The three ladies hurried along the corridor as a now fully awake Kel braided and coiled her hair to keep it from her face.
They entered one of the small indoor practice courts, only to come faced with two older women, one with midnight hair, and one with fiery. Kel hurried to curtsy to Queen Thayet, before realizing that she was wearing a short tunic as opposed to her long skirts. Alanna caught her before the taller girl fell to the ground.
Now, Keladry," Alanna started, "You've come a long way. Not exactly the way that any of us had planned, or had wanted, but we have two months to train you up."
"For what?" Kel asked suspiciously, eyes darting from face to face. Thayet slapped her short friend across the back of her head, and Alanna did not hesitate to retaliate.
"You will see soon." Shinko filled in for the older women, still bickering. Kel laughed at the forty year old women who still acted like ten year olds. "Now we should get started on stretches. Alanna, Thayet?"
Kel hesitated, "I'm not sure about this."
"Don't worry, Keladry," Thayet's voice was kind, but firm. "We wrote to your parents. This is what they wanted for you. The Daughters of the Convent are gone. you have every right to continue, should you wish. Do you want to continue?"
Kel thought for a moment. Then she smiled, one of her first true smiles in a long time. The Daughters had done their absolute best to crush any hope or spirit in her, but being a strong willed girl, Kel had held on to a small flickering flame that refused to gutter and die. That flame was beginning to be rekindled. "Let's do this."
The ladies all grinned. They started with slow stretches, to loosen Kel up. After six years of near total idleness at the convent, her muscles had softened, and stiffened. Kel herself was awed that the legendary Lioness, and Queen Thayet were taking time from their own training to help her.
Once they were sufficiently warmed up, Alanna handed Kel a light staff. "Let's see what you can still do" Kel had trouble swinging the cool wooded bar, not being used to it's shape.
As the pages bell rang, The four women sat down to cool off before breakfast.
"Now listen Kel," Alanna's voice cut her thoughts. "You know that this will be a lot of hard work, to keep up." Kel nodded.
Thayet continued calmly, "It is hard for one to train an older person, which is why the shang only take young children. This will be a hard task for you to do. Do you still want to continue?"
Kel nodded, this is what she was born to do. "Brilliant," Alanna smiled, "Now, You need to train every single day. You have the queen's permission to use any unused practice court. We will see you every morning, but whenever you have a spare moment, you should train. While you are sitting in the gardens, you should be stretching."
"I have extra practice weapons," Yuki cut in, "And the armory's are open, until you get your own gear. I will lend them to you, along with clothes." Kel nodded silently.
Thayet laughed. "Brilliant. Now let's go. Alanna is leaving today, but Yuki, Shinko and I will stay to help you. Tomorrow we start archery."
The women all walked together back to their rooms to change. Wearing a clean grey linen dress, Kel Followed Yuki and Alanna to the knight's, squire's and page's mess hall, while Shinko and Thayet left to eat with the royals.
The three women entered the hall, and Kel immediately spotted her friends in a corner. Alanna went to sit with some older knights, while Yuki followed Kel, her eyes fixed on a certain green-eyed heir.
"Hey there!" Kel was more cheerful than she had ever been. "Why so quiet?"
"How can you possibly be coherent this early?" Neal asked sleepily.
"Well, I can tell that you're still not a morning person, Nealan. If you were, you would have noticed my guest." A few head turned up. Kel laughed. "Guys, this is Yukimi. She was my best friend in the islands. No offense Neal." Neal in particular seemed considerably more awake.
The boys all stood clumsily and bowed to Yuki, who curtsied, hiding her laughter. They ate mostly in silence, the boys all gazing at Yuki. Suddenly, Merric looked thoughtful.
"You know Kel, why didn't you tell us it was you during the bandit attack in second year?"
Kel's face fell blank. "You read the letters?" They all nodded, now fully awake, and listening eagerly. "I was ashamed of what you would think of me. Besides, I didn't recognize you all, until the end."
"Well, I can tell you one thing." Faleron's dark eyes looked her over, "You, Keladry, are one hell of a commander. We told Wyldon about the 'boy' who had saved us, and the tactics you had used. Even he was impressed, and he is a good enough commander himself." Kel blushed.
"Faleron's right," Neal added, "You kept a cool head, and figured out a quick plan. Most people would have frozen, faced with that. You knew what to do."
"And you tried to calm and comfort me when I was hit." Merric said softly. "When that happened, I was terrified. I was positive that I was going to die. You helped to calm me. That's a great asset in a commander, and leader."
Kel sighed, "It wasn't like that. I had made myself a promise to always help those in need. I was really just trying to keep you alive."
"Whatever you did, it worked." Neal finished. The boys directly tried to avoid mentioning the other contents of her letters, knowing that she would be trying to forget.
After breakfast, Kel followed her friends and their knight masters to the gates. Yuki left to find Lady Haname. They would be leaving that day for the border.
"Promise you'll come back alive." She started softly.
"We promise." They all responded, smiling slightly. One by one, they all hugged her tight, and mounted their horses. As they cantered down the Great Road, Kel ran up the outdoor stairs to the top of the high wall. Stepping onto the stone edge, she gazed northwards, even after they had vanished past the horizon.
The guards stared at her as she stood on the edge of the city walls. Still as stone, she seemed as if part of an ancient painting. She looked every part like a beautiful maiden from the past, watching her lover ride off to war. Her grey skirts, and deep blue and silver cloak billowed in the wind. Long straight brown tresses wove between the cloth, twisting with the morning breeze. Hazel eyes, set in a pale face, did not shed a tear, and yet held the sorrow of generations. Her hands clasped in front of her, hidden by long sleeves. She drew many gazes to the wall, standing still, beautiful as a fall lily.
Kel gazed sorrowfully as her friends left, then closed her eyes in pain. She had returned only recently, and already, more people were leaving her life. She could not bear to imagine what would happen if they did not return.
A tear ran down her cheek as she drifted down the stairs to the gates. A guard sent her a pitying look as she made her way back into the palace.
To take her mind off of her friends, she took her new staff, and went to go over her morning lessons.
ooooooooo
The next two months were more eventful for Kel than the previous seven years of her life combined. Every morning, she was woken up by Yuki and practiced with the Queen and the Yamanis.
From staff work, at which Kel excelled, they moved to very basic swordsmanship. Yuki began to re-teach Kel the uses of her glaive. After having practiced the glaive for nearly ten years, the training returned to her, even with softer muscles. They also continued with different forms of archery, hand to hand shang combat, and Thayet even taught Kel to fight with and throw daggers, something the queen had learned back in Sarain.
After breakfast, Kel often worked on her nearly finished embroidery, or talked with Yuki and Shinko. After midday, she would continue her training. After the first two weeks of hesitation, Kel became more confident, and dedicated herself wholly to her training. Often the queen and princess would have to drag her from the courts half asleep, late at night.
She wrote to all of her friends regularly, and received many letters back from them. She also became slightly more open, and smiled more. Her smile was still most often stretched, and her laugh short-lived, but that was to be expected after seven years of being punished at the convent.
Her friends admired her dedication to rebuilding her strength. In only two months, she had progressed more than most people would in a year. She could hold her own with a glaive, and with a sword. Her shot wasn't terrible, and her riding had improved. She had reached nearly the level of a third or fourth year page.
oooooooooo
In mid May, Kel, Yuki Shinko and Thayet had finished a training session of horseback archery. Kel sighed as she stabled Thayet's bay mare that she had been riding. She missed Peachblossom, her gelding from her page years. She had promised Stefan to come back for the horse, but hadn't found him again on her return.
When the women were finished, they left the stables slowly. Yuki stopped them outside.
"Shinko, Queen Thayet, I think it's time for our surprise." The others nodded. Thayet took on a regal tone.
"Now Keladry, Yuki, Shinkokami, Alanna, your parents, and your knight and squire friends have all pitched in to surprise you. Consider it a three week early birthday present." Thayet led them to an armory. "First of all, Yuki?"
Yuki strode forwards. In her hand was a new glaive, teak handle polished to shine, and steel blade reflecting Kel's surprised face. "This is from me, Kel. The inscription reads your name, mine, Shinko's, Thayet's and Alanna's. This will be a key element in your future. Use it well."
"This is from Alanna." Thayet spoke, breaking Kel's stunned gaze from the shining weapon. She handed the tall girl a long wrapped parcel. Opening it, Kel gasped to see a well made sword, complete with black leather scabbard and belt. Long golden feathers seemed to be imbedded in the hilt. They couldn't be.
"Griffin feathers. A present from Daine, the Widmage. No untruth can be told around you, so long as you wear this." Kel's eyes had become wide as saucers. In addition, from her friends, there was a bow and quiver of straight bolts, a fine dagger, and practice clothes.
"I can't accept all of this," Kel protested. "It's all too much."
"Of course you can accept, and you will. This is a small prize for the suffering you went through. Now it gets even better. Come with us." the queen led them back to the lower stables. "This was a gift, mostly from your family, but Alanna and I helped out. Even Duke Baird of Queenscove chipped in some. Said something about his son wanting it. Here you go."
Shinko walked towards them leading a tall strawberry roan gelding. He was slightly bigger than the ponies, but nowhere near as big as the warhorses from the King's Own. Kel dropped her previous gifts in shock. "Peachblossom! I came back." She rushed forwards to embrace her old horse, who playfully nudged her. A few tears fell down her cheeks from happiness.
"This is far too much. I'm not even a warrior proper."
"Now Kel, that's where the last part of our collective gifts comes into play." Reaching over to a table, she tugged at a rolled up cloth. Unravelling, it revealed to be a new tunic in the Queen''s Rider's coloured, with the Rider's horse embroidered on the front.
Kel opened her mouth several times, eyes wide. "I... I... I can't do this," she spoke quickly, "I mean, I'm too old for one thing, and I had to turn it down before. How could they ask me again?"
Thayet laughed, "Now Kel, have you forgotten what I told you about connections? My best friend is the commander of the Queen's Riders, and I'm the queen. That always has its benefits. Besides, Buri owed me a favor for setting her up with her betrothed, Raoul of Goldenlake."
"I...I... I don't know what to say."
Shinko nudged her, "Say 'Thank you Thayet, I'll work hard in the Riders.'"
Ignoring Shinko's advice, Kel threw her arms around the older woman, and began to laugh. "Thank you so much. This is more than I deserve."
Stepping back, Kel smiled with more tears in her eyes. That last part of her life had been miserable enough, and she was more than ready to start a new story for herself.
OoOoOoOoOoO
TO ALL MY REVIEWERS:
Don't fret, this is far from the end of my Kel trilogy. However, this is the end of this particular story, 'A Lady From Kel' I find that if a particular story gets too long, readers often lose interest. So I'm breaking it up into three big bits. Get it, Got it, Good.
I don't know how many of you guessed how I was going to end it, but this is why I couldn't tell you the title of my next story.
Now, to answer questions:
Not many people actually asked question. Most of you either said you liked it and continue, or you said to pick up the story line.
For a while, I was kind of in a creative valley there, but I promise that the sequel has more action. I also find that if too much happens, then it's not as good. You have to find the perfect balance between not enough story and to much story. You can't force stuff, trying to cram as much action and intrigue as you can into a short fic. Readers get confused. I personally think that I did well.
I would appreciate if I got some input on the overall story, not just this chapter.
I have a rough idea of how Kel will prove herself to Wyldon, but that may not be until the last installment. See the main conflict of the whole 'series' if you will, is her trying to be pulled back and prove herself. That conflict should be resolved in the last installment of a series. Every story will have its own sub conflict. In this one, it was Kel being taken from a broken lady to become the start of a warrior.
By the way, I actually painted the tableau of Kel on the city walls in the breeze. It's where I got the description. That particular paragraph is supposed to be coming from a camera point of view, as opposed to a subjective point of view, for those of you who have studied that stuff.
Now rest assured that fate and destiny will both play out properly, and that the Great Chain of Being will settle in the end. For those of you who want to hear my theory of fate and destiny, or who want to know what the Great Chain is, I would be happy to e-mail them to you.
In the meantime, the title of the next installment is... surprise surprise, 'A Rider From a Lady' Wach out for it.
luv ya!
Alanna