Disclaimer: yeah you know. Neither the characters nor the plot(at least not completely) are mine.
I just like to play with them. What more can I say?
CHAPTER FOUR
The Talk
The next days were uneventful and passed slowly. Kel spent time with Lalasa and all her
friends, the ones that would come closer to her than ten feet anyway. Both Neal and Cleon began
to curiously avoid her and act rather awkward. Kel spent her evenings studying with Raoul.
Kel and the riders that were going with them left early that next morning. They had
business, though Kel wasn't sure what it was about, with Scanara. They were all quiet as they set
out. As far as Kel knew it wasn't a somber trip, and the silence bothered her. Kel just assumed
that everyone was tired, or thinking about family.
By mid-day the group was more lively, everyone was chatting casually and telling funny
stories. Kel and Hoshi were just moving silently; Kel deep in thought. Dom rode up next to Kel
looking curiously at her. She seemed to take no notice of him so he cleared his throat. "So, Kel,
how's my meathead of a cousin?" Dom asked. Startled Kel looked up.
"Oh. I really don't know. He's been acting really strange." Kel admitted glad to have a
distraction from her thoughts.
"Strange how?" He asked.
"Well," Kel blushed. *I might as well tell him. It's better than bottling things up.* She
rationalized. "He kissed me." She finished.
"Kissed you? How?"
Kel laughed. "What do you mean 'how'? It was a kiss."
Dom scowled. "Why?" He was completely shocked.
"I don't know," Kel sighed.
Dom shook his head disgusted with Neal. *What could he be thinking?* Dom pondered.
"How was your birthday?" Dom asked wanting to change the subject.
Kel got the hint. "Good. I suppose."
"Just good?" Dom persisted.
"Yeah. Just good."
Dom realized how staringly he felt when Kel told him about her and Neal's kiss and this
puzzled him. *Why should I care if they kissed?* Dom wondered. *What's wrong with me?* so he
decided to play it off as if he didn't mind. "So if meathead gets a kiss, do you think I could get
one someday?"
Thinking Dom was kidding, Kel smiled. "Maybe someday." Kel laughed. "What's with
everyone lately? Minthros, everyone either wants to kiss me or bed me recently."
"Someone wants to bed you?" Dom demanded.
"Forget it," Kel murmured. This was one thing she definitely wasn't about to discuss
with him. Dom looked seriously at her.
He smiled. "Hey. I just want to get to know you and be your friend." He said trying
to sound nonchalant. "That kiss stuff was just to make fun of Neal."
"Oh yes, and we all know how much fun that is," Kel replied with a smile.
Dom laughed heartily. "And I thought I was the only one."
"No. You should join the club."
"Is there one?" Dom asked hopefully.
"No," Kel laughed. "We should start one though."
"I agree." Dom nodded as though the matter was settled.
Kel chuckled. "See, Dom, we're already fairly good friends." She smiled at him and his
stomach churned slightly.
He bit his lip. "Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I guess we are." There seemed to be a hint
of regret in his deep musical voice.
***
They traveled at a steady pace the rest of the day and finally made it to a small inn just
outside the city. Kel had just slide her aching bones into a tub of warm water when there was a
knock on her door. Kel growled under her breath. "Who is it?" Kel called.
"Your Lord knight master. Who else?" Came the reply.
"Oh good. I've got to talk to you." Kel saw the door knob turn and jumped. "No! Don't
come in!" The door was open a crack. "I've got to bathe, then I'll come see you in your rooms."
"Uh... right. Sorry about that. See you in awhile." Raoul was red from his almost
mistake . *Why?* He wondered. *Didn't she lock the door?*
Kel quickly finished washing and pulled her soar bones from the comfort of the water.
She dried off and slipped on some loose breeches and a shirt. She walked down the hall, hair still
dripping, and pounded on Raoul's door. He opened it to see a shivering Kel.
"Get in here," he commanded placing her before the fireplace. "Before you catch a chill."
Kel sat before the fire. "So what did you need?" She asked.
"You're the one that needed to talk. You go first." Raoul offered.
Kel shook her head. "No. Trust me, mine is more complicated and will take more time.
I think it's best you start."
"If you insist." Raoul said with a sigh. Raoul sat across from her. "Do you know where
we're headed?" He asked. Kel shook her head no. "Well, there was a Scanara attack." He
answered. Kel shook her head not understanding.
"An attack where?"
"A fief by the border." Raoul replied. Kel could tell that Raoul was purposely being
vague about the subject.
"What fief?" She demanded getting impatient.
Raoul sighed. "Mindelan."
Kel scowled at her knight master. "What?"
"We're going to Mindelan to help repair the damage. Then we're going on for peace
discussions with Scanara."
"Was anyone hurt?" Kel asked astounded.
"No. Not as far as we know. One of your brothers was there at the time so the
damage isn't as bad at it could have been. Plus I thought you could use a family visit with your
ordeal only a year away and all." Raoul smiled hopefully. "It's not bad. Don't worry." Kel
nodded letting it all sink in. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Raoul asked.
I just like to play with them. What more can I say?
CHAPTER FOUR
The Talk
The next days were uneventful and passed slowly. Kel spent time with Lalasa and all her
friends, the ones that would come closer to her than ten feet anyway. Both Neal and Cleon began
to curiously avoid her and act rather awkward. Kel spent her evenings studying with Raoul.
Kel and the riders that were going with them left early that next morning. They had
business, though Kel wasn't sure what it was about, with Scanara. They were all quiet as they set
out. As far as Kel knew it wasn't a somber trip, and the silence bothered her. Kel just assumed
that everyone was tired, or thinking about family.
By mid-day the group was more lively, everyone was chatting casually and telling funny
stories. Kel and Hoshi were just moving silently; Kel deep in thought. Dom rode up next to Kel
looking curiously at her. She seemed to take no notice of him so he cleared his throat. "So, Kel,
how's my meathead of a cousin?" Dom asked. Startled Kel looked up.
"Oh. I really don't know. He's been acting really strange." Kel admitted glad to have a
distraction from her thoughts.
"Strange how?" He asked.
"Well," Kel blushed. *I might as well tell him. It's better than bottling things up.* She
rationalized. "He kissed me." She finished.
"Kissed you? How?"
Kel laughed. "What do you mean 'how'? It was a kiss."
Dom scowled. "Why?" He was completely shocked.
"I don't know," Kel sighed.
Dom shook his head disgusted with Neal. *What could he be thinking?* Dom pondered.
"How was your birthday?" Dom asked wanting to change the subject.
Kel got the hint. "Good. I suppose."
"Just good?" Dom persisted.
"Yeah. Just good."
Dom realized how staringly he felt when Kel told him about her and Neal's kiss and this
puzzled him. *Why should I care if they kissed?* Dom wondered. *What's wrong with me?* so he
decided to play it off as if he didn't mind. "So if meathead gets a kiss, do you think I could get
one someday?"
Thinking Dom was kidding, Kel smiled. "Maybe someday." Kel laughed. "What's with
everyone lately? Minthros, everyone either wants to kiss me or bed me recently."
"Someone wants to bed you?" Dom demanded.
"Forget it," Kel murmured. This was one thing she definitely wasn't about to discuss
with him. Dom looked seriously at her.
He smiled. "Hey. I just want to get to know you and be your friend." He said trying
to sound nonchalant. "That kiss stuff was just to make fun of Neal."
"Oh yes, and we all know how much fun that is," Kel replied with a smile.
Dom laughed heartily. "And I thought I was the only one."
"No. You should join the club."
"Is there one?" Dom asked hopefully.
"No," Kel laughed. "We should start one though."
"I agree." Dom nodded as though the matter was settled.
Kel chuckled. "See, Dom, we're already fairly good friends." She smiled at him and his
stomach churned slightly.
He bit his lip. "Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I guess we are." There seemed to be a hint
of regret in his deep musical voice.
***
They traveled at a steady pace the rest of the day and finally made it to a small inn just
outside the city. Kel had just slide her aching bones into a tub of warm water when there was a
knock on her door. Kel growled under her breath. "Who is it?" Kel called.
"Your Lord knight master. Who else?" Came the reply.
"Oh good. I've got to talk to you." Kel saw the door knob turn and jumped. "No! Don't
come in!" The door was open a crack. "I've got to bathe, then I'll come see you in your rooms."
"Uh... right. Sorry about that. See you in awhile." Raoul was red from his almost
mistake . *Why?* He wondered. *Didn't she lock the door?*
Kel quickly finished washing and pulled her soar bones from the comfort of the water.
She dried off and slipped on some loose breeches and a shirt. She walked down the hall, hair still
dripping, and pounded on Raoul's door. He opened it to see a shivering Kel.
"Get in here," he commanded placing her before the fireplace. "Before you catch a chill."
Kel sat before the fire. "So what did you need?" She asked.
"You're the one that needed to talk. You go first." Raoul offered.
Kel shook her head. "No. Trust me, mine is more complicated and will take more time.
I think it's best you start."
"If you insist." Raoul said with a sigh. Raoul sat across from her. "Do you know where
we're headed?" He asked. Kel shook her head no. "Well, there was a Scanara attack." He
answered. Kel shook her head not understanding.
"An attack where?"
"A fief by the border." Raoul replied. Kel could tell that Raoul was purposely being
vague about the subject.
"What fief?" She demanded getting impatient.
Raoul sighed. "Mindelan."
Kel scowled at her knight master. "What?"
"We're going to Mindelan to help repair the damage. Then we're going on for peace
discussions with Scanara."
"Was anyone hurt?" Kel asked astounded.
"No. Not as far as we know. One of your brothers was there at the time so the
damage isn't as bad at it could have been. Plus I thought you could use a family visit with your
ordeal only a year away and all." Raoul smiled hopefully. "It's not bad. Don't worry." Kel
nodded letting it all sink in. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Raoul asked.