Chapter 2: The Agitated Raoul

They stopped just before dark, to put up camp. Neal, Merric and Dom were in charge of getting firewood and Kel and Owen were assigned to cook the night meal. But because of Kel's reputation of disasters with food Owen was the one doing most of the cooking, to everyone's relief.

"You know Kel? I've been thinking…" began Neal before

"Have you really? Don't tell me my cousin meathead was thinking!" replied Dom with a smirk, he walked to Neal.

"Ha Ha very funny Dommy!" said Neal, Dom gave an annoyed smile with an arched eyebrow. He went up to Neal, and began taping on his head while saying

"So meathead does it hurt you to think for once in your life…or do you just have problems doing it?"

Neal shook his cousin's hand away. Kel and the others started to chuckle out of the two of them fighting like family as always. Do those two ever stop thought Kel.

Neal punched Dom in the head then Dom punched Neal to the ground. 'Guess not' then with a sigh Kel went to go pull her friend away before he got in real trouble.

"What did ya do that for? You know he disserves it!" yelled Neal.

"Neal, would you stop acting like a child." voiced Kel, but all she got from her friend was a snort. He walked away to cool off, still pissed at Dom.

She went to sit back down beside the fire, next to Raoul and Derek. "Where did Neal go?" asked Derek. "He went to cool off a little" informed Kel "he went that way." She pointed the way Neal took. Derek got up and took off after Neal. "Does Dom ever stop messing with him?" questioned Kel to no one in particular, while starring into the fire.

Raoul sighed in defeat, not really knowing if she wanted an answer or not…so "ya know what Kel, I don't think he has ever stopped messing with him, not even for a moment…" Kel looked in confusion then realized what he meant.

"Is that a way Dom shows that he missed Neal?" she said then smiled at her words 'that's too cute' thought Kel.

"Of course Kel, Dom just really misses him so to catch up on old times he jokes…" Raoul didn't get to finish because he was interrupted by a certain someone.

"What is all this talk about me and missing that Can't-take-a-joke-so-I'll-hit-my-cousin-and-run-off-and-tell-my-mommy!" He took a seat next to Kel. Raoul and Kel smiled at him.

"Yes, that's exactly…" said Kel, with a smile still plastered on her face. " By the way where's Owen and Merric?"

Raoul shot up from his seat. "CRAP!" and took off at a jog to the edge of the forest.

Kel looked to Dom and Dom looked to Kel. At the same time "what was that about?" they looked at each other again then at the same time surged and began to get their bedrolls out.

After Raoul came back with the now, soaked and trembling Owen and Merric. And Neal and Derek came back from Gods-know-what! They all went to sleep except for the first watch, which started with Dom.

Kel wok to a loud tump! Then a loud slap! It just so happens to be Dom and Neal at it again. Not really caring what the hell those two did to get so mad at each other again, went to the campfire for breakfast.

After breaking up the little quarrel (or more like "family affair") and a fast breakfast they were back on the rode again…

As they rode, they had to break up two family disputes, and an argument between Derek and Owen. "It seems today everyone's a little testy' thought Kel, turning to see Raoul riding up, after situating everyone away from each other.(to avoid any more trouble between the death clowns)She sighed ' Oh well'

Raoul rode beside her, they rode in silence. With only the bird songs and the occasional snapping of a twig from a wild animal, it was peaceful. Kel started to get uncomfortable, with the way Raoul stirred at the rode. 'He looks pissed at something or either very confused so now he pissed' Kel's mind wondered…until she got fed up with not knowing a thing about her lords discomfort…so she broke the silence.

"What is wrong my lord?" Thinking fast she added.

"Are those Flukier Clowns still joking around?" Raoul sparred a quick glance to his now smirking squire. He smiled at her. And gave her an awkward look, before he decided to answer.

" Oh no they've stopped…" Raoul took a backward glance to Dom and the other mischievous younger fools beside him now. He turned back to his saddle horn and sighed.

"What can you do?" looking to the road again. Kel, seeing him glance back to the others and the sighed in annoyance. ' It looks like Dom and the Clowns have succeeded in Annoying the mind out of my lord' Kel thought with a grin. She then decided that that wasn't just about the goofs, but something more important, so being Kel…curiosity got the best of her. Seeing that Raoul wasn't going to just spill it, she had to make him forget his boundaries of telling the truth.

"You can always drown them, theirs a river coming up ahead, not too far from here."

Said Kel with the same smirk that she tried to hide behind her mask, but couldn't seem to do it.

Raoul looked to her strangely, now catching on that she really wanted to know what was bothering him. He decided to have fun with the all too curious girl, before he told…if he told.

"Yes I guess your right" looking back again at, Dom now talking to Merric and Neal and Owen playing a game of 'guess what'. He turned back to the road ahead.

"But drowning all of them would take a while, time we are running out of…" he said now remembering that they were indeed running out of time. They were only supposed to take three days there and back. But it seemed at thins pace it might take five extra.

"Umm…. My lo-" Kel got cut off by Raoul

"Move it people we don't have time to lolly gag around" said Raoul ignoring Kel and yelling at the rest. (Who have not to surprisingly got very far behind) After hearing the tone in the leaders voice every one speed up a bit. Kel, now forgotten to Raoul, went to ride by Neal hoping he might calm her nerves that she now noticed were there.

They all road till almost night to make camp, to Raoul's sake the last one before they reach the girl.

At the camp fire…

Kel, Neal, Dom, Merric, and Raoul sat at the campfire. While Owen and Derek were off to do some chores Raoul needed done. (Actually Owen and Derek got into some trouble and Raoul had to teach them a lesson and are now picking up sticks and digging holes for waste…and whatever else King of the Giants thinks of.)

"So have you little ones ever heard the story, when Rao-" Dom was cut short by Raoul.

"Do you ever stop?" asked Raoul looking dead serious at Dom. Dom gave him a wicked smile.

"No, Why my lord don't you like you're legendary stories?" asked a tring-to-be-innocent-Dom-but-can't-becaues-he's-totally-not! Raoul gave a snort and turned to the fire.

"Do you little youngsters what to hear a legendary story of Dom?" asked Raoul sarcastically. Dom starred in dismay.

"Please do!" said Neal with excitement and now leaning in on Raoul's every word. Dom, beside him, kicked him. "Ouch, what was that for?"

"Your an idiot," spat Dom to Neal "and I have no legendary stories…" he gave Raoul questioning look. Raoul looked back to him.

"Of coarse you do…remember Yorker Town?" Dom shook his head

"No I don't, Why?"

"Do you remember Charlotte?" he asked whit a dangerous smirk on his face. Dom went pale white. "Awe! So you do remember!"

"What! What! What!" asked an all too noisy Neal. Raoul looked to Neal, Merric, and Kel. He starred at the young ones for a while.

"You wouldn't tell that story in front of the young ones would ya?" said Dom knowing full well his lord wouldn't dream of telling that story. Raoul gave a sigh and looked to the ground to his feet.

" I guess not, you know how I hate explaining that sort of thing to little ones who are to young to think about it."

"Think about what?" asked Merric

"Is it something bad?" asked Neal

"Maybe you two should stop, and listen to what there saying…" said Kel. Raoul looked to her is question, so did everyone else. "What? It's common sense. So think about it, this so called 'story' involves a women named Charlotte and what is one of the things an adult does not like to explain to their child to early?" she looked to them all, all still wearing confusion written all on their faces. She rubbed her temples "why do I get the feeling I'm surrounded by-"

"God?" asked Neal

"Hot looking men?" suggested Dom, with a smirk and a arch in his brow which gave Kel that giddy feeling again

"IDIOTS!" said a now-blushing-dark-red-pissed-off-Kel

"Well of coarse we are, were out here with King of tha Giants as our Lord" said you know who (the smartass clown Dom) Smack, then their went Dom then…

"Everyone needs to get to bed." Said Raoul and seeing no one move quickly enough for his taste (also he was pissed off) he added an ear pirssing "NOW!" they moved a lot quicker to got away from his wrath.

They all went to there sleeping rolls

"Wonder whats up with him" said Dom getting settled into his roll "he never gets this agitated"

Kel thought about this morning and what had just happened. 'Does this overly bad mood have something to do about this retrieving mission?' Kel thought until she fell asleep out of too many thoughts…also out of exhaustion.

By: Shelby