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centbSquire Keladry; Mother?/cent/b/u
iuDedication:/u This chapter is dedicated to the five people who put me on their favorites
list...^_^ thanks to: The Lady Maharet of Raleigh, mandy, slowbum360, Willow 371 -aka
WillowLea, and Kikibee you all make me feel so special Thank you ever so much. Alright enough
sweetness /i
*CHAPTER EIGHTEEN*
iuOne Little White Lie/i/u
"So Dom, how come you chose not to answer my question earlier? Do you have something to hide?" Kel asked. It was mid evening, and the conversation so far had been flowing fairly well.
"I have nothing to hide," the Sargent admitted with a slight grin. "What question was that anyway?"
"You know what question." Kel teased.
"No." Dom laughed seriously. "I really don't."
Kel sighed wondering if she should continue, but the doubt only lasted a moment. "You never answered, or chose not to really, wether or not you were a virgin."
Dom chuckled and shook his head wondering why he suddenly had a tight feeling in the pit of his stomach. "And if I remember correctly," Dom defended, "neither did you."
"Neither did I what?" She asked innocently.
"Answer that particular, private, intrusive, question."
"Umm- " Kel mumbled. She quickly recovered. "I believe I asked you first."
"I believe you are correct on that one. Yes," Dom confirmed. "I believe you did too." Then Dom was silent for a moment. All was still and the placidness of the night was a little unnerving.
Kel cleared her throat apprehensively. "You don't have to answer if you really don't want to." Kel took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I asked, that's just too personal of a question. Forgive me." She put her head down and all was silent again, but only for a moment.
"We're good friends right?" Dom asked needing confirmation. His voice and the suddenness of his odd, inquiry startled Kel.
"Yeah I guess..." Came the response.
"Hmm- let's see..." Dom paused thinking aloud. "How old are you?" He inquired.
Kel was confused, but the question wasn't unreasonable. "My birthday was just last month. I turned seventeen."
Dom's face fell realizing how young she was, he'd known all along, but suddenly it seemed more vital to their... friendship. He realized at that moment that it would more likely than not remain that way. He blew out the breath he was holding and resumed. "Well, I'm the same age as Meathead, I'm actually ten months older, my birthday is quickly approaching, just a couple of months," Dom rambled on. "But we're both twenty-one at the present." Kel was quiet not knowing where this was leading.
"And..." Kel persisted.
"Well, if I'm that old... what do you think?"
Kel sighed in exasperation. "What do I think about what?" She was confused and somewhat ashamed of her question that was causing so much stress on this once pleasant unstrained night.
"Of my virginity..." Dom stated quietly.
"I'm sick of thinking!" Kel snapped. "My head hurts."
"You brought it up," Dom reminded.
"Grr..." Kel snarled uncharacteristically. "If you're going to tell me, say it straight. If not then please change the subject."
"No." Dom said plainly. He didn't elaborate.
"No what?" Kel snapped. "You refuse to change the subject?" She demanded fiercely.
"Not that... No. I'm not a virgin."
"Is Neal then?"
"What?" Dom asked confused.
"Well," Kel reasoned. "As a way of explanation, you brought up your age, and how close it was to Nealan's, does that mean he's not a virgin either?" Kel smiled seeing Dom's uncomfortableness with the topic at hand.
"Uhh...yea...humm... I don't know- "
Kel cut him off. "Oh you mean you guys don't talk about things like that?"
Dom went on as if Kel hadn't spoken. "You'll have to ask him that yourself."
"Oh, I will." Kel assured. "I'll tell him how ibad/i `you` wanted to know."
"Me?" Dom asked worriedly, then he saw Kel's smile. "You..." He let it trail.
"All right then." Kel said still sorry that she had brought the subject up, but glad she had lightened the atmosphere a little by bringing Neal up.
i*Well,*/i Dom reasoned inside his head. i*If Kel and I are going to be 'friends' and nothing more*/i he reminded sternly. i*Then I should be able to ask her anything... almost anything...*/i he took a breath and then went for it. "Are you? A virgin I mean," he clarified so he wouldn't waste more time with simple back and forth banter.
"Yes." Kel lied. iWhat harm could a little white lie do?/i Kel didn't want to drag this uncomfortable conversation on longer than it already was for two reasons. One: she had brought it up and so it was her fault. And two: they were now talking about her, and that could never go well. So Kel supplied a smile lie, and hoped Dom questioned her no further.
They rode in a still, uneasy hush for what seemed like hours, but was barely over three minutes. Then as if nothing had happened, and there had been no troubled tension, the easy flowing, non-concerning dialogue resumed without struggle.
ibcent*~* ^o^ *~*/i/b/cent
Night fall and with that darkness swiftly approached.
"Uh...Kel?" Dom started. "I was thinking, if you don't mind... maybe we should set up camp and settle down- "
"Sargent Domitan," said Kel stuffily as if he hadn't spoken. "If you have no protests or reservations for our safety, I believe we should continue on through the night, if at all possible."
"And why is that Squire Keladry? Are you afraid of being alone with me in the dark?" Even in the increasing darkness, Kel saw Dom's distinct pearly grin.
"The question, my Dear, Darling Domitan is not if i`I`/i am afraid of you. But more appropriately, if i`you`/i are afraid to be alone, in the dark," she added. "With me."
"Should I be?" He asked playfully?
"Absolutely." Kel affirmed.
"We-ell" Dom pretended to be offended.
"Oh dear, sweet, understanding, beautiful, blue-eyed, serious, Sargent," Kel exaggerated. "I merely, if at all possible, wanted to catch up with the remainder of our group."
"As do I. I agree whole heartedly. I could go all night- "
Kel looked at him startled, taking what he said wrong. i"What?/i I hope you were talking about travel and not insinuating other things..."
"I wasn't." Dom said calmly. "Now will you kindly let me finish saying what I was going to?" He asked slowing his pace; Kel slowed Peachblossom to match the idle pace of Dom's lovely mare.
"I guess," Kel laughed under her breath. "If I have to."
"You do." Dom confirmed. "While you and I may be fine traveling the rest of the night, I am afraid our loyal mounts might frighten easily in the forthcoming darkness. We would risk an unknown and unnecessary ambush. It will be hard for them to see, and I must say that I firmly believe that they, the horses, could use a rest." Dom smiled beautifully, the sunset adding brilliant color to the already attractive picture before her. "Besides," Dom finished, "I don't want either you or I to be embarrassed, if we fall asleep atop our horses and lose our balance. I've had it happen, and being dropped to the ground is not a pleasant way to be waken." Dom gave Kel a sly half mischievous grin.
Kel's face fell. Did she really want to spend a night alone, in the dark, outside, in the cold with Dom? YES! Part of her yelled. NO! She said firmly. It's hard enough being the only girl Squire going for her shield, and having to deal with feelings like this she scolded. In the time that Kel sat thinking, Dom had dismounted and was setting up camp before it got too dark to see.
Kel herself, climbed down and tethered Peachblossom near by. and began of get her saddle bags down and set up her bed roll.
"This really is a great place to camp," Dom said startling her; Kel jumped.
"Yeah," she nodded. Dom had just gotten a small fire started.
"I'm going to go look for fire wood and scout the area," Dom proclaimed as he headed off into the trees. Kel took the opportunity to change clothes and relieve herself.
Minutes later Dom emerged from the trees, whistling. "All clear."
Kel scowled at him. "What are you so happy about?"
"Well," Dom chuckled. "I 'was' hoping to spend more time alone with you. It does wonders for an old weathered Sargent's self-esteem to be in such incredible, unbelievably attractive company." Dom sighed wistfully. "Oh lovely Keladry you're being here does astonishing things to me and my heart."
"What about your heart?" Kel asked amused.
"My heart...is struck whenever you are near." He responded.
"Your heart's not all I want to strike..." Kel muttered in a suggestive playful tone.
"What? Really?" Dom recovered. "I mean...what was that you said my sweet Keladry?"
"Uh huh." Kel laughed. "Are you sure you're not just playing with me?"
"I'd like to."
i"What?!"/i
"I'd like to iplay/i with you."
"Dom..." Kel didn't know how to go on. She was thankful for the darkness and weak glow from the fire thinking, however wrong she may be that Dom couldn't see her blush. "Stop it." Kel commanded. "You're just playing with my heart."
"Only if you'll let me."
"Well I wont. Are you flirting with me?" Kel asked. As soon as the words left her mouth, Kel regretted them remembering what came from her last couple of questions.
"Not so's you would notice." Dom replied.
"Oh, but I i'did'/i notice."
"My apologies fair lady."
"Dom," Kel said warning him.
"Sorry." He repeated. The a cunning grin spread infectiously over his lips again. "Uh Kel? I forgot my bed roll, do you think I could share yours?"
Kel looked skeptically at him. "Oh you did, did you?"
Dom nodded innocently.
Kel walked quickly over to Dom's mare where his backs were still strapped tightly. Quickly, with trained fingers, Kel loosened the bags, put them all on the ground but one. She turned, and was showed to see a bootless and shirtless Dom in her bed roll. "What are you doing?" She asked accusingly.
"Getting comfortable." He said plainly. "Come on there's room for both of us."
Kel shook her head. "I thought you forgot your bed roll."
"I did." He said eyeing the bundle in Kel's hands.
"Then what's this?" She asked.
He shrugged. "I guess I forgot," he grinned.
"I'm sure," said Kel. "Well here it is...so move out." She demanded.
"But Kel," he wined. "I'm comfortable, and we could share...body heat." He suggested.
"Uh no. So you best get uncomfortable."
With a dejected look on his face, Dom crawled out of Kel's warm bed roll and began to lay out his own next to her. He climbed in. "It's cold in here." He complained.
"Really?" Kel asked. "Imagine that. It's surprisingly warm and snugly in here."
"Would you like to snuggle something a bit more solid?" Dom offered.
"Maybe isomeday."/i
Ibcent*~* ^o^ *~*/i/b/cent
For some odd reason Kel slept late, as did Dom. So because of their late start they were a little more behind than the had planned. The traveled all day without stopping again night was swiftly approaching, and somehow the conversation had once again turned to Dom and his flirting with her last night. He apologized again saying he didn't understand why he did it.
"It's okay," Kel persuaded. "It was all in good fun right?" Dom nodded self-consciously. "Don't apologize. I kind of liked it." Kel admitted reluctantly.
"You did?"
"Yeah, even if you were just making fun of me. No one's ever treated me so special before."
"I'm so sure," Dom scoffed. "I bed 50 gold nobles on the fact that the giant red head (for some reason, Dom couldn't being himself to say Cleon's name.) flirts with you every chance he gets. I'll even bet Neal's done it a time or two."
"He has not!" Kel defended.
More or less under his breath Dom stated. "I don't know why not... I would. And I wasn't making fun of you. I think I... I think...I meant every word of it." He said as if she couldn't hear.
Kel shook her head clearing her thoughts, thinking, no knowing, that she couldn't have heard correctly. Talk of Cleon brought forth uncomfortable, unpleasant, and somewhat sickening memories. She couldn't believe what she had done, and the interesting predicament she had gotten herself into. *I didn't do it alone.* She reminded. *Why should both of us have to pay?* Kel reasoned. *But...* she couldn't help her next thought. *How come it has to be me? Why must I pay? Why now?*
"Kel...?" Dom brought her back to reality. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah." Said Kel suppling another 'little white lie'. "I believe..." She started then stopped abruptly. She was about to suggest they stop, because it was now dark enough that Kel couldn't see her hand in front of her face. There was a bright light distantly on the hill directly before the pair. "I think we found the rest of our group." Kel concluded softly.
"I certainly hope so because- "
"Halt!" Came a harsh, but somewhat weak voice from right before them. Kel and Dom stopped their hoses, both squinting through the darkness trying to see the face of the person, male, before them. "Who approaches? Identify yourself." The unknown person commanded more fiercely and confidently this time.
iA/N: Yay! Guess what? Guess What? This is the ulongest/u chapter I have bever/b written, on any of my stories. It's over 2000 words awesome right? But you, my lovely readers and more importantly (cuz they make me feel so good) my reviews deserve it. A lot's going on. Do you have any idea how hard it is to balance writing, type, write, read, work, study (yeah, I have to study in summer, for my driving test oh no, I'm so nervous, maybe I don't want my drivers licence) and having a social life (ha that's a joke, that's near impossible) this story like taming the lioness is going to be cut off, so it's not so long and posted as a sequel, but I'm not sure when, and tips on pairing would be greatly appreciated as in TELL ME what ya want K/D, K/N, K/C (not my fave.) One last thing... my e-mail is still messed sorry REVIEW PLEASE
uLady Daffodil of Queenscove/u/I ^_^
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