Alright, here's the second part of the alternate ending! Hope you like it!

It was slow going and they had to make a lot of stops on the way, but Raoul finally did get Kel back to the fort. Supporting her frame through the whole journey, he managed to help her regain some strength as well. Once they reached the main gates, Raoul turned her over to a very confused captain of the guard and said, "Take Kel to Queen Thayet, I need Drum, and I have to go."

Without waiting for a response Raoul ran to the stables and grabbed his warhorse. Although Drum was bare of all tack, the Commander didn't stop to saddle him up; he just grabbed a spare length of rope and left Fort Steadfast at a full gallop, headed for Dom's body.

Upon reaching the clearing that held his fallen comrade, Raoul brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. Leading the animal behind him, Raoul went the rest of the way on foot as a small sign of respect, one of the few things he could offer Dom now.

Reaching down, Raoul gripped Dom's shoulders and the crook of his knees, then gently lifted him up off the ground. Carrying the body almost bridal-style, Raoul took Dom's shell back to Drum and sat him on the animal, then slowly let Dom's torso fall forward until it was resting along the horse's mane.

With the rope, he bound Dom's body to the horse so it wouldn't fall, and then bowed his head. "May the Gods be with you, and may your soul rest in peace." With that, he started walking back toward Fort Steadfast, Drum, with his very sad load, following obediently behind.

It was dark when Raoul reached the fort with Dom's body in tow. The guards manning the battlements around it had seen him coming, so Raoul didn't have to stop and wait for the gates to open. When people began to notice the burden carried by Drum they came forward and tried to question Raoul about it, but he ignored them and just kept walking.

Reaching Fort Steadfast's headquarters, Raoul placed a hand between Drum's ears, "Don't let anyone touch him, boy." Taking a deep breath the commander straightened his shoulders and then entered building to talk to Queen Thayet and see how Kel was doing.

Raoul hadn't gotten ten feet into the building before an irate Thayet almost ran smack into him as she came out of a nearby room. "There you are," she said in a quiet voice, "we were waiting for you." Thayet led Raoul back into the room she had just left and gestured for him to have a chair.

He shook his head at her invitation before surveying the room. Raoul had expected to see Kel but he did not expect to see Neal, and see the green-eyed healer he did. Not only that, but he saw Neal with his arms around Kel, holding her to him as she cried into his shoulder.

Raoul was distracted from his survey of the area when Thayet spoke, "We have more news," she said, her voice grave. "Found among the dead was," here the queen stopped in a visible effort to hold back tears, "was the Lady Yuki."

Those words stunned Raoul. For a moment he couldn't even be sure he had heard them properly, but he knew there was no way he made a mistake. Two of the people in this room have lost the person most dear to them, and it was all because of some stupid, senseless fight. For a moment Raoul couldn't think of anything to say, but when he finally gathered his wits he walked over and put a hand on Neal's shoulder without a word.

Neal looked up at Raoul and nodded his head in thanks, and then pulled Kel closer to him. Burying his face in her hair, Neal tried to stop his tears so he could speak. "Thank you, Lord Raoul," the healer's voice was rough, as his throat was raw from crying, "for bringing Kel back."

The words startled Raoul, but he bowed to Neal all the same and then faced his queen, "Thayet, I ask for your leave to return to the forest." The knight swept his arm out in the direction of the gates, "There is someone I have to track down."

Thayet opened her mouth with the intention to argue, but then she saw the look on Raoul's face. "Alright," she told him, "but first I want you to lay Dom's body to rest." Thayet drew in a deep breath, "When Kel told us what happened, we had a grave dug for him." Whirling around and grabbing her cloak, Thayet said, "I'll show you where."

Gently, Raoul lifted Dom from his warhorse's back and lowered him into the grave. Standing across from Raoul, Thayet reached down and grabbed a handful of dirt, "Domitan of Masbolle, courageous, brave, and unflinching in the face of danger. He served long and well, and will be missed."

Just a Thayet reached her hand out to throw the dirt into the grave, she heard Kel's weak voice, "Your Majesty, may we?" Thayet looked up to see Kel and Neal, hand in hand, standing slightly behind Raoul.

She smiled at them, "Of course."

Accompanied by many tears, two handfuls of dirt fell into Dom's grave, thrown by his love and his cousin. As Thayet escorted them back to headquarters, Raoul mounted Drum with a whispered, "Sorry boy, but I need you again." Heading for the forest at a gallop, he thundered through the gates with a vow to himself.

One more person was going to die tonight, Solan would pay.

Raoul entered the trees with only one torch for light. As he led Drum through the undergrowth, the big knight kept all senses in tune; he was looking for one of the strongest Mithran Initiates with the intention to kill him, it wouldn't do if Solan managed to cast some sort of magic at him.

All the sudden, Drum stopped short and no matter what he did, Raoul could not get his horse to start moving again. Dismounting, Raoul grabbed Drum's muzzle lightly, "Alright, boy. You've never done this before, something must be wrong." Raoul's voice drifted off and he grabbed his sword and shield, "Stay here, I'll be back."

Holding his weapons in the "ready" position, Raoul made his way forward. Pushing aside some ivy with one gauntleted hand, the knight found himself in a small clearing facing a very grotesque sight.

Only his years of training stopped Raoul from crying out. Clenching his sword fist tight enough for his veins to show, he stood there for an interminable moment before walking over to the body.

With a look of disgust, he spat on the ground near Solan's feet. Looking up, Raoul saw what had killed the man; a rope led off into the foliage of a large tree and one end could not be seen, but the other was firmly wrapped around Solan's neck.

"You took the coward's way out," Raoul snapped, "suicide."

With that, he turned away from the sight and headed back to Drum. It was time to go back to Kel and Neal and see what he could do for them; Solan could rot out here for the rest of time.

I know it's a lot darker than the rest of the story, but remember, it isn'tthe real story! Dom and Kel end up together in that one, happy ending for all. -nods- So please, don't be mad at me for this. I just thought maybe it would be a good thing to have a different, alternate,ending.
So, review please?

Sull