A/N: This was an idea I got one night while falling asleep. I hope you like it. I won't update unless I get reviews, because I have a lot of homework most days, and won't have as good an excuse to procrastinate and write this unless I do get reviews.
Healing Heart: the life and tragedy of Desdemona of Queenscove
Chapter 1: The Patrol
Dom was standing on the wall of Fort Steadfast when he heard horn calls from the patrol that said they had found someone. Reaching for his sword, he heard more calls identifying the stranger as a friend. Dom signalled his squad to mount up to find out what was going on and to escort the stranger back to the fort.
As they rode out, Dom wondered if it was Kel and Neal, due any day to report to Raoul of the success of their refugee camp and the possibility of moving the inhabitants south since the border had calmed down. Smiling to himself at the prospect of seeing Kel and Sir Meathead, Dom led his men in the direction of the patrol's horn calls.
"Who do you think it is?" asked Wolset, one of Dom's corporals.
"Dunno, that's why we're going to find out," he replied with a hint of playful sarcasm.
"Lady Kel is supposed to be coming sometime this week, isn't she?" inquired Giles. He had known Kel since she was squire to Raoul, and looked forward to seeing her again.
"If it was the group from New Hope, why didn't they just ride on to the fort?" wondered Dom.
"Well, let's find out, here's the patrol" said Symric, bringing the rest of the group back from their reverie.
The men looked down to see two of the men from the patrol off their horses, trying to comfort a sobbing young woman, obviously afraid these were enemies. She was babbling to herself in Gallan, and clutching what appeared to be a bundle of rags to her chest.
"Who is this?" asked Dom of the two men as he got of his own horse to approach them. They looked at him, clearly unsure of how to treat the upset girl. When he reached the three, he addressed the girl. "My name is Domitan of Masbolle. I'm from the Tortallan Fort Steadfast just west of here."
Upon hearing this statement, the young woman stopped crying and responded to him in unaccented Common "Dom? It's really you. Thank the Gods! Do you know where Neal is? I need to talk to him. I sent him a letter through father, but I don't think he ever got it. I couldn't take another moment. We were at the capital with the Tortallan ambassadors, and I slipped out one night. Dom, you have to help me!"
All the men's jaws dropped. They had thought she was a refugee from the Gallan border where it met both Tortall and Scanra. Now they realized they were all wrong, and stood gazing from Dom to the girl, wondering what to do.
This speech had shocked Dom as much as anyone else, but something about her facial features and the way she spoke reminded him very strongly of someone. Her reference to Neal made him think of his cousin, Neal's younger sister. Last her heard she was to be married to some Gallan count for political reasons.
"Dessie? Desdemona? Is that you? What are you doing here?"
Suddenly everyone started asking question at once.
"You know this girl? Who is she? What is she doing here? What are we going to do with her?"
When Dom began to address the men "This is..." she stopped him with a hand over his mouth.
"They will catch me and drag me back if he finds me," she hissed in his ear. "I'll talk to you later, in private, about what happened. Right now i need to talk to Neal as soon as possible."
The mysterious young woman now turned to the men at large and addressed them, still with her hand over Dom's mouth. "My name is Dessie. I was living in Galla, but because of recent events which you do not need to know about, I am looking for my brother. All I know is he is posted at one of the forts on this border. I have traveled through Scanran territory to get this far, because I have contacts in Scanra that told me that this was the best place to go to find my brother."
Looking around at the stupefied men, Dessie turned to Dom and finished, "Now if you would be so kind, I would like to see whomever is in charge of this fort of yours."
Wolset broke from his trance first. "Of course miss. Will you ride double with one of the men? Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak will be very interested in hearing your story, I'm sure."
Smiling graciously, Dessie swung herself into the saddle in front of Wolset while the rest of the squad and patrol gathered their wits and regrouped for the ride back to Steadfast.
