Yes! A new chapter! Many thanks to all of the fabulous reviewers. Finding out what readers think is my favorite part of writing, it really motivates to do more. So with that said, onward, to another (hopefully) great chapter!
Disclaimer: Nope, nothing's mine, case y'all were wondering. No, I'm not a southerner, but my cousins are, and y'all is a pretty nifty word that they use all the time down there.
At dinner, Kel was rather subdued. Her friends thought it had something to do with her outburst at breakfast, but in truth she was thinking. Sir Leighmont was a good man. Yet he was so different from what she had been surrounded by all her life. He spoke freely, and never hid what he thought or felt. It seemed like he had wanted Kel to tell someone about how Joren was treating her. But she couldn't tell. If she did, Lord Wyldon would think she couldn't handle being a page, and not let her stay past this year! Whatever she did, she would lose.
Neal watched her troubled face, and worried that she had hardly touched her food. There was definitely something huge going on, and he needed to know what it was. He cared so much about Kel, despite how much they teased each other. She was his best friend he'd ever had, and he loved her. Neal resolved to be Kel's shadow, because it seemed to him like whenever Kel went out alone, she always came back hurt. When she quietly excused herself early to do her stable duty for Wyldon, Neal got up without a word and followed her out to the stables.
He kept to the shadows, making sure she wouldn't know he was there. For about 10 minutes, Neal leaned against the outside of the stable wall, every so often peeking in to look at Kel. He scowled. This wasn't working. Kel was doing fine, and his back was getting sore. Just as he was about to head back to the castle, he became aware of a small group of people coming down the hill in his direction. The people entered the stables without even looking in Neal's direction. Through the dark, he caught a glimpse of blonde, and a few large forms.
"Well, looks like we found the girl, wallowing around in dung where she belongs!" Joren drawled. Neal ducked inside the stables and crouched inside an empty stall. He looked around the edge to see Vinson and Garvey shove Kel into a large pile of dung. Neal's face contorted with rage. She didn't even react, just kept her face blank and carefully picked herself up. "What's wrong with the 'lump'? Too stupid to do anything, the damned Yamani lump!" With that comment, he took a swing at Kel's face. She quickly blocked it and with her other hand, hit Joren squarely in the stomach. As soon as they saw that their leader was hurt, Vinson and Garvey rushed forward and ganged up on Kel. She could've held her own in a one-on-one fight, but certainly not when she was outnumbered by two particularly large fellows.
Neal was frantic. He couldn't just rush in to save her, as much as he would like to. He was a terrible fighter, and Kel would be angry. He couldn't get Lord Wyldon to punish the boys, because Kel would get in just as much trouble. He looked outside. Stefan the old hostler was out in the yard, re-shoeing a horse. Neal ran out to him in a panic. "There's a fight in the stables, help!" He followed the hostler inside to see him brandishing a whip at the mass of bodies pummeling each other. Stefan managed to break up the fight, and chased Joren and his cronies halfway back to the castle.
Neal crouched down beside Kel, who was struggling to sit up. He pulled her up into his arms and began trying to heal her. "Gods Kel… is this what happens every time you're alone? Why didn't you tell us?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes slowly slipped closed as she fell asleep. Neal gazed down at her. She was his friend, his sister, and even his mother at times. His stomach twisted up as a new thought came to him. He was in love with her. He had known before that he loved her as all those things, but now he realized that he was actually in love with Kel. A confused Neal shook his head and thought, Now this is a mess. I can't fall in love with her…It'd be weird. She's not like the other girls: dainty, delicate, giggly, pretty… No, Kel's not pretty. She's beautiful. He sighed as he gently woke her and they stumbled up to the castle together.
Aww, Neal loves Kel! But why are my chapters always so short?! This is so frustrating to me. I've gotta work on it. But while I do that, pleeease send me a review, or two, or three… Every time I get a review, I do a little dance. That's how happy they make me. Don't you want me to be happy?