Disclaimer: Ok, you ALL know that I don't have 1/100 of the talent that Tamora Pierce has, so therefore, I am NOT her!
"Lord Wyldon?" she asked into her cell phone.
"Mindelan," his voice acknowledged her. "What can I do for you?"
"Um, sir, we would just like to report that the mission is completed, sir," Kel said nervously.
"Already? Wow, congratulations. Report back to Tortall immediately," he ordered.
"Um, sir? I request permission to go after my friends," said, uncertain.
"Absolutely not. We can't afford to lose a good agent out in the field doing the army's job," he snapped.
"But sir-"
"No buts. Return to Tortall immediately. You are dismissed," he said, and abruptly hung up. Kel stared at the cell phone in wonder. She stubbornly stuck out her chin.
"He told you no." It wasn't a question, simply a statement. Kel glared at Joren.
"I don't care what he told me. They're my friends, and I can't stand around while they are going to be murdered!" she snapped.
"Our orders were to report back. I recommend that you follow those orders," he said. Joren could feel the heat radiating from her.
"I don't give a damn what our orders are!" she screamed. Joren raised an eyebrow. This was a first. Kel never disobeyed orders. "My friends are out there, about to be murdered for some stupid God-blest machine, and I'm told to go back! Uh-unh. Sorry, Stonemountain, but I am not gonna let that happen!" She continued to rant. Joren merely raised his other eyebrow.
"What do you plan on doing," he asked. Kel stopped ranting for a second to think.
"I plan on breaking my friends out of there!" she shouted. Joren bit back a laugh.
"Yes, you've already established that. But how?"
"I don't know, I'll think of that later…. Do you wanna go with me?" Joren looked surprised. He hadn't planned on her asking if he wanted to come. He thought about it. If he didn't go, then he would be forced to go back to Tortall, and have Wyldon yell at him for letting Kel go alone. If he went, then there was a more than likely chance that he would fail. Failing meant dieing. He figured that dieing was better than being yelled at be Wyldon.
"Okay, then. I'll go," he said. " Someone there has to have the ability to think," he added as an afterthought. Kel rolled her eyes, secretly happy that someone else was going with her.
"Well, then. Lets go," she said, and started packing her things.
----------------Somewhere in Tyrestion----------------
"I can't believe this," Neal mumbled again.
"Shut it, Meathead," Dom snapped. Being stuck in the same cell with Neal for 2 days with nothing but bread and water to eat made him at his wit's end. Neal made a face.
"I told you not to call me that!" he said. Dom snorted.
"Well, when the boot fits," he mumbled.
"What did you just say?!" Neal barked. Dom looked at Neal's emerald eyes with his very cyan ones.
"You heard me!" he said.
"Hey! Quiet in there!" a guard snapped. Dom and Neal glared at each other. Finally, Neal sighed, breaking eye contact.
"Dude, this really sucks," Neal mumbled. Dom nodded, before he grinned.
"I'm sorry I called you Meathead," he said. Neal drew himself up indignantly.
"Humph. I know when I'm not wanted," he said. "I'll go somewhere else where my company is appreciated." With that, he walked to the other side of the cell and began socializing with a man in the next cell.
"Neal, the poor man's deaf. Leave him alone," Dom said. Neal turned and made a rude gesture before continuing to chat with the man who looked at him as if he was crazy. Dom sighed and thought of the past few days.
FLASHBACK: 5 days ago
"Lets go Neal! If you don't hurry, we're leaving without you!" Dom yelled. Neal kissed his betrothed, Yuki, before running to catch up with Dom. They were assigned to go scouting the border. They were located in Steadfast, a three days walk to Scanra. They couldn't risk being heard in cars, and horses were too expensive, so they forced to walk. Wyldon knew that Neal wasn't cautious enough to go by himself, so he assigned Dom and three others from the Own to protect him. Dom would never let him live down the fact that he needed a keeper to help him with simple scouting duty.
The second day from when they had left, Neal walked down the path, silent for once. He kept glancing around him.
"Neal?" Dom asked, walking next to him. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know. Something just doesn't feel right. I feel liked I'm being watched," he said, glancing to the left. Dom looked around, not seeing anything.
"It's probably a bird or something, trying to figure out what species you belong in," he laughed. When Neal didn't laugh back, or even acknowledge him, Dom frowned.
"Cheer up, Neal," he said, nudging him. "I'm sure it's nothing," Neal shook off the feeling before smiling at his cousin.
"You're probably right," he said.
"Name one time where I wasn't," Dom challenged.
"Well, there was this one time at our family reunion, where you-" He couldn't finish his sentence because Dom had clapped his hand over his mouth.
"I told you not to ever mention that," he whispered furiously. Neal smiled innocently as best he could behind Dom's hand.
"You told me to," he said wickedly.
"Fine, name one other than that." Neal thought for a moment. Dom's eyes rolled back before he collapsed.
"Now!" Neal yelled, grabbing Dom and throwing him over his shoulder. Dom's neck had a dart stuck in it. Neal and the rest of the Own ran as fast as they could, towards Steadfast. Neal winced as a dart lodged in his neck. He swore. Tranquilizer, was his last conscious thought before he passed out.
Neal woke up to find a Scanran looking down at him with disgust.
"What were you doing?" He asked in Scanran.
"I was on my way to my brother's house," Neal lied. The Scanran snorted.
"I highly doubt that. There are no Tortallian houses in a 60 mile radius, due to the war," he spat. Neal rolled his eyes.
"Believe what you want to, Bubba," he said. The Scanran kicked him. Neal found out that his hands and feet were bound.
"You will address me as 'Master' from now on," he hissed. Neal snorted. He had a lot of dignity still, despite the fact that he was a prisoner.
"I'll call you whatever I wish, Bubba," he said, yawning. The Scanran was furious. He kicked Neal again.
"You will cooperate," he said, showing Dom and the rest of the Own, all bound and gagged. "Or these friends of yours will die," Dom looked at Neal with wide, frightened eyes.
"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Neal yelled. He could dimly see a video camera being turned on in his foresight. A solider tried to gag him, but Neal was too quick. He jumped out of the way as much as he could with his arms and legs bound. "YOU HEAR ME?! YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Neal continued to struggle until a soldier hit him on the back of his head with his gun. Neal dropped immediately, out cold. Dom witnessed this, choosing not to do anything, until Neal got unconscious. Something inside him snapped. No one hurts my cousin except me! He thought furiously, since a piece of cloth was still in his mouth.
Dom lunged foreword, only to be kicked hard in the stomach. Pain engulfed his entire body. He didn't believe that someone could have that sort of strength to affect him that much. Even being shot in the chest didn't hurt as much as this did. He felt as if his stomach had gone through his back. However, his pride saved him from crying out in pain. Instead, he glared long and hard at his captor, before becoming unconscious.
END FLASHBACK.
From that point onward, Dom and Neal were put in the same cell, sleeping, eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom in the same place. Over, and over again. Dom rubbed his head. I don't think I'll live through this, he thought. I just hope someone, ANYONE, gets here soon. His thoughts were interrupted when a big Scanran opened the door of their cell.
"Time, to talk, bitches," he said, smiling evilly at Dom and Neal. Dom masked his look of disgust on his face while Neal rolled his eyes.
"Pbbt!" He said, sticking out his tongue. "Try as much as you want, Bubba," he said, pretending to look uninterested. After the first encounter, he had started to call everyone 'Bubba' that had crossed his path. Well, every Scanran that wanted something out of him.
"We'll see if you can keep that tongue of yours, boy," the guard snapped. He grabbed Neal by the hair and dragged him up. Though Dom could plainly see Neal was hurting, but he refused to make a sound. Next, he grabbed Dom's hair and pulled him up, then dragged the cousins out the door to who-knows-where.
------------------------On the road----------------------
"Will you do the honor of being my wife?" Joren asked Kel, down on one knee. Kel smiled happily.
"Of course I will!" she exclaimed. Joren gave her a loving smile and slipped the ring on her finger. She pulled him off his knees, and they gave each other a passionate kiss. Gross, they both thought at the same time. They were finishing up part of their mission- to be engaged. Reluctantly, they pulled away, but Joren put his arm around her. Kel leaned into his embrace.
A sigh could be heard throughout the room from a group of ladies. "How romantic," they exclaimed. The whole bar clapped, though Kel could see that her "friend", Reid, did it hesitantly. She mentally smiled smugly to herself, before kissing Joren on the cheek.
His grip on her grew tighter, but no one noticed except Kel. They would do this all the time. Little things to hurt one another, but no one seemed to notice that they did. She wrapped her other arm around him and pinched him viciously. She saw Joren barely contain a grimace. He moved his other hand to grip hers, and squeezed hard. Kel could have sworn she heard her bones crack. She discreetly pinched him on the webbing of his thumb and forefinger, forcing him to loosen his death grip on her fingers. They smiled lovingly at each other, but only someone who would look closely could see the loath flashing through their eyes.
He steered her to their room, calling out good-byes. Kel smiled and followed suit. The whole bar congratulated them, except Reid, and they left. They continued to hold hands until they got to their rooms, and dropped each other's hands as if they were hot bricks. Kel glared at him and went to go pack. They were leaving right then and there. Their excuse was that they wanted to go tell their families about the new engagement. Kel raised her eyebrows when she saw the mustang.
"Wha-" she began before Joren cut her off.
"Saving your ass," he said smugly, and got in the car. Kel blushed with rage before getting in also. They glared at each other, before making their way towards Tyrestion.
A/N: I'm so sorry this is so short, but I have MAJOR writers block! This is my farewell gift to all of you! BTW, Nolee of Stone Mountain and I are writing a fic together, by the penname of "Jorenlovers"! So plz plz plz, read that fic also! First chappie will be out soon! Time to thank the LOVELY reviewers!
Nolee of Stone Mountain: okay, we'll drop it, but remember, Neal is MINE. Lol. Hmmm…let me see….oh shit! More dots! LMAO! Remember my self-conversation? Oh, that was so funny! Ok, I need u to finish the chapter and I need u to name it, etc. g2g.
Emikae: yes, they're going to rescue them! Yay!
Ladyknight08: I feel so loved! Someone put all my fics on a floppy! I love you!
Lady Page: I'm sorry this isn't as long as I wished…
Mepb: yes, when I wrote the part where Kel was seducing the president, I was laughing the whole time!
Dracorium: I know! We need more K/J fics out there! Come ON, people!
Turwen: thx, I'm happy you like it!
Pinky: Yessssss! Joren's IC! I was wondering if I was doing that or not…
River Never Ceasing: because I need to get myself in shape…I'm out right now…
Bb: Hey! I tried to make it "heat up", but I can't find the words to say!
Miamouse: I don't care, it's up to you…rescue or love first? You review and tell me.
Lynsi: more bowing! I NEED more!
Dreamerdoll: thx lots!
Eat Paper: it's lilac in MY book…and that's all that matters. Lilac is a shade of purple/blue, so HA! Its lilac!
A/N: Mkay, this chappie is done, and I won't be posting another until at least the 15th…but I'll make sure to write it all down, and I suppose next chappie will have to be 20 pages…lol. R & R!ghjghjghX s;arp;ome