Author's Note: Hello Darlings… May I apologize? Or grovel? Or beg? … For your forgiveness! I feel so bad! Uh... okay, enough punctuation marks, eh? Anyways… here is chapter nine… of this ever-growing saga. It's been what? Six months? Sorry. Completely my fault. But, I hope that this chapter will make up for it. It's a new type of chapter I guess, the same plot, the same story I was going for, but in the beginning, I had to display King Shima in the way… he is. The rating on this story is PG-13, and that still holds true, but I'm apologizing in advance if this new type of beginning offends anyone… If it does, please tell me so, so that I am able to change it in upcoming chapters… Thanks again for staying with me in the long hiatus, and if you review, I will consider myself lucky to have such loyal reviewers. Thanks!

Chapter 9:

Thoughts In Motion

King Shima crept along his bed, his hand moving in the silk sheets, as he stared, memorized at the sheen that reflected from the glowing lamp on his bedside. His eyes drifted upwards to the woman who lay on his bed, dressed in a revealing dress, reserved for those who walked the streets. Her long, dark brown hair curled around her hips, tantalized along her waist and rested along the curve of her breast. King Shima looked at her as if she was a jewel, as shining diamond surrounded by dull stones.

Her hand traced up his leg, moving like the touch of a butterfly against the fabric of his embroidered leggings. "Sire." She breathed. A cat like grin appeared on Shima's face as he stared down at her.

"Yes, my dear Katherine?" His voice was soft and thrilling. He moved alongside her, his hands moving with hers, exploring each other.

"For someone so strong," Her hands moved up his chest, "So vibrant," she moved a pampered hand up to curl in his dark hair, "So passionate." She placed a full kiss on his lips. "How is it you posses such a cunning mind as well?"

King Shima laughed, a low chuckle, which made the hairs of Katherine's neck stand on end. "Mithros has finally decided that King Jonathon and Tortall needed to be taken down a few notches, so He made me King, instead of Jonah."

Katherine curled herself around Shima and purred softly in his ear. "Rightfully so."

King Shima looked towards the door, where his guards stood, at attention. Katherine continued to rub her hands along his chest and arms, whispering softly in his ear. Shima held up a hand, and flicked it upright. "Stop." Katherine stopped immediately, and moved back away from Shima, waiting for further instruction.

King Shima pointed to his guards. "Come here." Both guards looked at each other, leaned their pikes against the wall and moved towards their King. "Entertain me."

Both guards looked at each other again, not sure how to entertain their King, for they went to their training masters, not the school of Bards. Shima gazed at them with sleepy eyes, his eyes belying the attentiveness in his thoughts. "Well?"

"Sire, with all due respect, we are not educated in the entertainment arts, we could summon you a jester, or a Royal fool, but as to have us entertain you, it's very unlikely." The guard from the left of the door said, bowing his head at the same time, trying to reproach his master with respect.

The King of Tyra gave a hearty laugh. "Oh, but everyone can be an entertainer." Shima reached for a jewel that dangled from his cloak. He held it to the light and tilted his head as if the admire the gleaming lines made from the crystal. "It's simple really. I'll show you." The crystal seemed to glow and in the hand that didn't grasp the jewel, a spiral of black energy formed, starting as a mist in the palm of his hand, and reaching a fine whirl that became darker nearing the end of his fingertips.

With a drunken smile, he flicked his wrist towards the guard that had spoken out against him. The black magic churned around the guard's body and moved upwards, tightening around his knees, constricting him around his waist until finally choking him. His face swelled and became purple from lack of air. He grasped at the invisible tendrils and finally fell over, dead, from the throttling spell.

Shima sighed, almost with a pleasurable note to it. "Now, as clichéd as that was, I enjoyed it immensely." He smiled at Katherine. "Didn't you, my darling?" Katherine smiled at her sire, eager to please him, moving her dress up her leg.

"Now." Shima continued, looking at the remaining guard. "Either you will entertain me as a manservant should do for his King, or I will entertain myself. At your expense."

. . .

Kel stared at the perch where the Stormwing had flown from. The sounds of the forest came to her, echoing in her ears. Normally, when a cryptic message came to her, as it did with The Nothing Man, she swept into action, sparring no time. But with the Stormwing, it seemed so confidently cocky that she just stared at the spot in which it had departed. The only other thing she had ever seen be so confident within itself was Neal, and he was only joking… usually.

So the disbelief was a natural reaction, before the thought process kicked in.

"Why would he warn us?" She repeated. It didn't seem natural. Normally Stormwings just enjoyed the bloody aftermath of battle, and didn't care for the human scheming and interaction beforehand. In fact, the only battle they actively had taken part in was the Immortal's War, which, as immortals, they had been a part of. This is why Kel was so rattled by the announcement of the Stormwing.

Nobody answered Kel, in fact, they all kind of stood as she had, in a daze. The reek of the Stormwing still lingered and Kel's dinner threatened to leave her stomach, to some rather unpleasant venues.

Lord Raoul was the first to come to his senses. "Spread out." He commanded, his voice strong. "We'll make our way back to camp and figure this out then." In the shine of the moon, Kel nodded along with all the others on scout duty. "Groups of two," Raoul added. "I don't want any harm to come to anyone."

Everyone paired off silently, and Kel found herself walking quietly alongside Dom. He nudged her softly with his elbow. "You okay?" His voice was soft, and his breath was warm on her neck as he leaned in to speak quietly into her ear.

"Yes." Kel replied. "Just troubled." She stopped walking and look up at Dom, just barely making out the outline of his face. "Why would he give us some cryptic message? Doesn't it seem weird that immortals are involving themselves in a – disagreement between Tyra and Tortall?" She whispered this urgently. "Stormwings don't care for human matters. They only care of the gore that could come from it."

Dom sighed. "I know. We all found it weird as well." He raised a hand to Kel face. "Calm down. You know we can deal with this." He gave a soft chuckle. "You have always been able to deal with obstacles. You are the queen of obstacles." He paused and looked her, meeting her eyes. "The queen of overcoming obstacles, that it."

Kel gave him a smile and nodded. "Sorry, just the events of the past few days have gotten to me. You know I don't like immortals who are only after their own pleasure."

"I know." He moved his hand down and gently squeezed Kel's shoulder. "Let's get back to camp."

Kel nodded again, and they continued their walk in the base camp. The signaled the guards on duty and were let in though the gates. As they were let in, a messenger came up to them, gave them long pieces of cloth to wipe their mud make-up off, nodded and said; "Lord Commander Raoul told me to tell you to go to the conference tent as soon as you arrived." The messenger bowed to them, and hurried off.

Kel sighed in relief, to be back inside the stronghold. For some reason, the open feeling of the forest was not as comforting as it normally was. Despite herself she shivered.

"Cold?" Dom asked? Turning towards her. Kel looked up at him, in the dim lighting of the fort.

"A little," She replied. "But I think it's mostly nerves."

Dom sighed and took off his woolen jerkin, wrapping it around Kel's shoulders. Before Kel could protest or make any noise to stop him he had buttoned it up under her chin and smoothed it down her shoulders. Feeling suddenly warmer, and despite herself, thinking it wasn't from the jerkin, she smiled up at him. "Uh… thank-you." She blushed softly, and was thankful that he couldn't see.

He gave her a crooked grin. "You still have mud on your face."

Kel looked up at him again and smiled. "So do you."

"Here." He took his piece of cloth and rubbed it gently on her cheek, the same way as he had earlier, to help her apply the scouting make-up. He began to trace along the bridge of her nose, and rubbed her jaw softly with the pad of his thumb. Kel just stood there, transfixed. She feared what might happen if she moved, or even, if she helped him get rid of his make-up. She wasn't ready to deal with those thoughts just yet.

At a more stubborn smudge of mud, Dom brought the tip of the cloth to it and pressed lightly, removing it. Through the thin material Kel could've sworn that he felt the heat warming her face. She closed her eyes, and leaned into his touch, it was as if her brain had shut off and her body was off on it's own.

Kel felt his sweet warm breath on her face, and despite herself, she raised her chin, waiting for the soft brush of his lips. Kel felt him coming closer, and then, when expecting his lips to brush hers, his soft full lips gently grazed Kel's cheek.

"We should get going… Lord Raoul is waiting." He whispered. The sudden noise, even his soft whisper was enough to bring Kel back to reality. She opened her eyes and looked into Dom's. For that brief second, her mask was off, she felt naked, raw. Kel saw the same look in Dom's eyes and felt scared, she wasn't ready to receive a look like that yet. Especially when she didn't know how to explain how she felt about Dom.

"Yes… we should get going." Kel mumbled quickly. She pulled Dom's jerkin more tightly around her, as if to compose herself and make a move towards the conference tent.

"Kel…" Dom started.

Kel put her hand over Dom's mouth, gently. She then moved it so that her finger was covering his mouth. "Not yet." She looked down and back up again. "Please. I need to think about this… later when I have time to."

Dom nodded. "Of course."

With one last long look Kel continued to walk to conference tent, which Dom at her heels. Kel had millions of thoughts going though her mind, none of them having to do with the mission, or the Stormwing, or anything that her mind should be on. Instead she concentrated on the sound of him behind her, and the soft scent he had left in his jerkin.

She knew how to joust. She knew how to ride. She could even make dinner arrangements after her years as a page and a squire.

But Kel didn't know how to deal with this.

To Be Continued…

Another Author's Note: Thank you to all who reviewed chapter 8… it's the new reviews of late that has made me start writing again. As good news, I have another short fluffy Kel/Dom fic in the works, and the title is probably going to be " A Fair Afternoon", and I hope to have it out this weekend. Thanks again.