(A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it took so long; I've been way busy. Also, I had this whole chapter written up, and then I lost the notebook it was written in. ::angry at stupidity:: Okay, so enjoy!)
(Disclaimer: Everything but the plot is Tammy's, the lucky woman.)
Neal stood at the edge of the wood, gazing out at the battlefield. Scanran troops still battled fiercely with New Hope's squads, blocking the path to the fort — and help for Kel. He sighed, brows knit. If they stayed here, they'd be discovered for sure by scouts, but if they made a dash across to New Hope, it would be easy for enemy archers to pick them off. He growled in frustration and shook his head. Better to surprise the Scanrans with a moving target than stay here like sitting ducks.
He maneuvered Kel around so that she sat in front of him, leaning against his chest. It was harder to work the reins this way, but at least she would be protected from shots from behind. In a sudden stroke of intelligence, he draped his cloak over the both of them — perhaps the Scanrans, slow-witted as they were, wouldn't immediately recognize them as Tortallan. Taking a deep breath to ready himself, he kicked Magewhisper into a sprint.
The fighters on the field looked up, astonished, at the sound of thundering hooves and at the sight of Neal's wide-eyed green gaze. Neal momentarily witnessed their faces, slightly blurred, before galloping past them. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed over his head – the Scanran archers had apparently woken up from their reverie and decided that he was, indeed, a target. He swore and sped Magewhisper up, until the quick mare was sprinting over the rocky turf.
They were halfway to New Hope now; the air was dense with arrows. One grazed his thigh painfully, sending a white-hot streak of pain through his nerves. Neal gripped the reins tighter and ignored it – it was just a graze. He would heal; Kel might not. They rode on, blood dripping from the scratch in his leg. He could hear the sounds of metal clanging behind him: the Scanrans had given pursuit.
Finally, they rode across the bridge to New Hope, and Neal sighed with relief, drawing it up so that only their own soldiers, who knew the mechanism, could get in after him. He slowed the heavily breathing Magewhisper down to a trot as they rode through the gate that was always left inconspicuously open for animals. He dismounted, gently bringing Kel down after him. He cradled her in his arms as he stood there, surprised at how light she felt.
She suddenly cuddled her head against his chest, and Neal's heart lurched, releasing a tumult of emotions he didn't even know he possessed. He was angry, he realized: the thought that anyone could bring down Kel--his Kel, the one person that he'd been convinced would outlast everyone-the thought that anyone could make her helpless as a kitten sent tremors of rage through his core. He clenched his hands and forced himself to calm down; she would make it. She would live.
Or so he hoped.
(A/N: I was tempted, oh so tempted, to leave a cliffhanger here, but since I love you all, I won't. Also because I didn't want to be skinned and dragged from an 18-wheeler. Teehee. Sorry for the interruption. Please continue reading.)
He was jolted into the present by a yell. "Sir Neal!" Tobe yelled, dashing toward Neal. He stopped just short of running into the lanky, green-eyed knight, eyes widening in fear when he saw Kel. "Lady!" he exclaimed, voice cracking in fear. "Gods, Neal! Is she hurt? Wha'-wha' happened?"
Neal suddenly realized that pandemonium would reign, should word get out that the famed commander of New Hope was balancing on the thin thread between this life and the next. "She'll be fine," he said softly, lying for his own benefit as well as Tobe's. "But Tobe, you have to listen to me. I need to get Kel to the infirmary without all manner of folk seeing her. They'd panic if they knew she was hurt," he said in response to the boy's questioning look. "I need you to create a distraction so that I can smuggle her in there."
Tobe nodded, his chin thrust out determinedly. "Gimme five minutes." He rushed off to find Loey; he'd need her help for his plan of distraction. He was sure she'd agree, once he'd told her about Kel.
After four, Neal heard yelling from near the mess. He took it as his cue, and began to walk purposely towards the infirmary, his cloak draped over Kel in his arms. As he passed the distant mess, he heard snippets of shouting:
"Loey, I've always loved you!"
"Tobe, I told you, we're just too young—" A startled gasp followed.
Neal glanced over to the crowd surrounding the area; with his height, he easily saw the scene that drew the onlookers: Tobe and Loesia kissing passionately. He paused for a second, wondering how a twelve-year-old had learned to kiss quite so well (and whether Tobe would give him some pointers when all this was over), but then shook himself out of his reverie: Tobe had done his part of the deal, and it was time to get Kel to the infirmary.
He walked quickly, resisting the urge to break out into a sprint. After all, the point was to not attract attention. Finally, after agonizing minutes of worry, he reached the infirmary. All pretenses gone, he burst in the door. Luckily for Neal, no one was in the ward but a sleeping adolescent who had taken a bump on the head with a staff. He laid Kel down on the cot as gently as possible, trying as hard as he could not to jostle her wounds. He pulled the blanket up around her, took off his own cloak, and set to work on healing her further.
The wounds took much more energy than he had used in the forest–had the arrow been magicked? It must have been; there was no other reason that the cut was so dratted hard to heal. Trying to seal it felt like pushing back a boulder the size of Fort Steadfast – every time he attempted to, it gradually opened itself again. And the sword wound worried him – it had come incredibly close to one of Kel's major arteries. One slip-up and she would be a goner. He became so absorbed in his work that he didn't hear soft footsteps behind him until a voice spoke.
"Neal! Where have you been?" Neal jumped and turned to look at the speaker; Merric's eyes were wide. "We can't find Kel, I heard she spoke to you la-" Suddenly, he got a good look at the figure on the cot. He went dead white. "Kel – she can't be – is she-"
Neal sighed. "No. She's alive." He didn't add that there was a good chance that she could cease to be, and soon. Voicing his worries would make them real, more likely to happen. Better to let them acidly eat away his insides.
Merric looked distinctly relieved at this, but his freckles still stood out in his paler-than-normal skin. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a voice behind him.
"Sir Nealan! Who is that? Have y'been healin' 'im all this time?
Both Neal and Merric swiveled to look at Cathrina, the chief midwife from their refugees; in her arms she held a squalling child. Neal instinctively moved to shield Kel's face. "Just – a soldier. Yes. He was hurt badly in battle, so I'm trying to heal him as quickly as possible. He's an excellent fighter, so we need him back in the troops."
The midwife raised an eyebrow, looking doubtful at his stammering speech. "Have y'eaten then, lad? Tough healin' takes a lot out've ye."
Neal shook his head sheepishly.
"How long have y'been healin' 'im, anyhow?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "Erm…I'm not sure. Since the noon bell, I think."
Merric and Cathrina looked astonished. Merric was the first to speak. "Are you INSANE? You can't heal people for four hours straight! Honestly, Neal, I thought you were smarter than that! Don't be an idiot!"
Neal felt his fists clench. He didn't need this right now. He really didn't need this. "Cathrina," he said, barely choking the words out through his gritted teeth, "Could you please excuse us for a moment?" She quickly exited, leaving the two alone.
Merric continued to rant at him. "Neal, Kel's my friend too, but if you can't save her, don't sacrifice yourself! We need you too!"
Neal didn't feel himself stand, but he must have, for he was suddenly on his feet. "Look, Merric," he yelled, forgetting about the possibility of someone hearing. "Obviously I'm not the only idiot here, because if you think I'm going to leave my BEST FRIEND to DIE, you are SADLY MISTAKEN!" Merric looked at a loss for words, and Neal kept ranting. "I don't CARE how much of my precious energy this takes, I'm not going to stand by for the sake of my own health while SHE wastes away!" Neal stopped, panting. "Do you understand?!"
The red-haired knight opposite him nodded mutely. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead turned away. "Where are you going?" Neal shot after him.
"To go get you some food. There's no sense trying to save her on an empty stomach."
Neal ignored this and settled back down on his stool, pulse still racing furiously. The idea that anyone would ever consider even suggesting that he abandon his best friend, who had stood by him when he needed her most – it made his blood boil. As if he would ever do such a thing!
He took a deep breath, calming himself. Time to start working again on that arrow wound.
(A/N: I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter, especially the Tobe/Loey part. I think after I finish this, I might start exploring that relationship, because it's never been done. What do you all think?)
(P.S. I love my reviewers! basks in reviews Hehe. It feels so nice to be called uber cool. Shoutouts to all of you! I would name you all, but frankly, I'm way lazy. You love me anyway, right? ESPECIALLY because I didn't leave you on a cliffie this time!! I made an extra-special effort not to, just for you all. Okay, hope you liked it! Next chapter comin' soon.)