Ok once again I do not own these characters except for the ones I make up. Thank you for everyone who is reviewing! I love getting reviews! I find them very helpful! Anyway enough of my rambling here's the next chapter…

Kel awoke finding herself in her room. She looked up at the ceiling trying to remember what had happened. She had been holding on to Peachblossom and then someone took his lead rope and she started walking back to her rooms when she felt firm hands grip her arms and then…and then…what happened? The only other thing she remembered was someone kissing her…wait who would kiss me? Probably just a dream…probably just a dream, Kel thought.

Kel's thought then turned back to Peachblossom how was he where was he? Kel started to get out of bed trying to get up as fast as she could without pulling her muscles remembering that Peachblossom had colic. She was able to put her feet firmly on the cold floor when she heard her door open a bit. She looked up curious to see who it was. Standing in the door was Dom. Dom looked at her, surprised to see her awake.

"Oh…Kel, sorry I thou…I thought you were still asleep." Dom stammered. " I'll wait for you outside"

"What?" Kel asked confused. Why would he wait for me outside? "Why wait for me outside, if you needed to talk to me you can say it now." Kel said.

" Ah…Kel…well…you're…you're…in your night clothes" Dom said with a blush creeping into his face.

Kel looked down and realized that in fact she was still in her nightclothes. She felt her cheeks also turn red as Dom left her room. She slowly stood up gripping her bedpost helping herself balance. She went over to her dresser and opened the drawers while still leaning on the dresser trying to balance herself. She took out a clean pair of breaches and a clean top and slowly put them on. Once dressed she looked at herself in the mirror and started fixing her hair, wait why am I doing this it's just Dom, it's just Dom he doesn't like me and doesn't care about how I look…I don't like him, I don't like him, I don't like him! Feelings go away! Kel pushed the thoughts away from her head and went to go meet Dom downstairs.

Dom sat in a chair as he waited for Kel. It seemed to him that each time he saw her his feelings for her grow. He had had crushes on other woman before but Kel, there was something different about her, and he couldn't stop thinking about her either. Dom heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up, he saw Kel and went to go meet her. He was about to put out his arm for her but stopped himself before she noticed. You are not going to court Kel like you have done with other woman. She probably isn't interested in you or any other men! She probably doesn't even want to marry…but Alanna the Lioness married…Dom blocked those thoughts surprised marriage had came into his mind. To distract his mind and to get a conversation started in a joking voice he said to Kel

"Hello Lady Knight I'm surprised you didn't sleep longer."

"Why? How long did I sleep?" Kel asked looking at Dom with a smile on her face. It seemed that every time Kel smiled at him his tongue became tied in a knot and his stomach had butterflies in them.

"Two…two days milady." Dom said recovering from her smile. Continuing on with a pleading look in his eyes and his smile that he seemed to save for Kel. "Now I was wondering maybe you want to go for a ride?"

"Sergeant Domitan stop giving me that look!" Kel said as she felt butterflies in her stomach when Dom smiled at her like that. "I'll go for a ride with you"

"Grea-"

"Wait! Peachblossom! How is he? Is he ok? Was Diane able to save him?" Kel burst into a thousand questions remembering Peachblossom's colic.

"KEL calm down." Dom said slowly. "He's fine. Diane was able to cure him. He's been resting in the stable, all he's done is eat and sleep while he's been stuck in there. He's becoming a spoiled little pony."

Kel let out a sigh and realized that a whole bunch of knots in her stomach unwound themselves. She looked at Dom and smiled at him.

" Can we go to the stables now? Sorry to have made you the one to answer all my questions…but Peachblossom just means so much to me."

Dom nodded his head and Kel started to walk towards the stable. At the stables they saddled up their horses Kel on Hoshi and Dom on his mare Safire. They headed out through the gates bringing a horn with them just in case of any enemy attacks. The war was coming to a close so the fighting had decreased which was a relief to everyone. There were however still enemies lurking in the woods watching them waiting to make another attack hoping victory would be theirs. Kel concluded whatever happened they did not want to fight anybody with just two people.

Dom and Kel followed a trail that circled Steadfast; the trees blocked out some of the hot sun making the ride enjoyable.

Come on Dom think of something to say to her. You always know what to say! Not right now though another part of his mind replied. He looked over at Kel she didn't seem to mind the lack of conversation. Dom decided that he would wait for her to speak unless he thought of something brilliant to say.

They rode on in silence each to their own thoughts. Kel was about to ask Dom if he wanted to race to the other end of the field that was up ahead when she heard something in the woods. She looked at Dom and questioned him with her eyes on whether or not he heard the sound coming from the woods too. He nodded his head. Silently Dom and Kel agreed that they would start using hand signals from the Kings Own to communicate until they knew what was following them. Kel signaled to her sparrows to go and search the area to see if anyone was around and where they were in the woods and how many men they had with them. Dom and Kel halted their mounts and started to get their weapons out. Kel unsheathed her sword while Dom did the same; Kel also took her bow out just in case her sword failed her.

The sparrows came back signaling enemies. Kel put out her palm and let the sparrow tap her hand telling her about how many men they had. Kel used her hands to tell Dom how many men they had with them in the forest. Dom signaled to Kel to turn around and see if they could escape from the raiders and make there way back to Steadfast without having to fight Kel nodded in return and urged Hoshi back towards Steadfast. Kel took the rear between her and Dom. They silently walked their mounts back along the trail they came, they saw the walls of Steadfast in view when all of a sudden a branch snapped in the woods beside them. Hoshi pricked her ears up and became alert as Safire did too. Both horses stood on guard sensing battle, Dom and Kel looked at each other and with their eyes they argued whether they should continue on or stay put for a few seconds. They agreed to move on.

After Safire took her first step an arrow ran by Kel's face inches from her nose. Kel kept herself from screaming but a whimper escaped her. Dom heard her whimper and turned around to see why that sound escaped her. He saw the arrow on the ground near Hoshi's hooves. He put the horn to his lips and blew it telling Steadfast that they were in trouble and needed help. Hoping the horn would scare the raiders away Dom signaled to keep trotting towards Steadfast however unfortunately Dom was wrong.

As they urged their horses into a trot a war cry some bands of raiders used echoed through the woods and onto the trail. It made Kel's blood run cold. She turned around and faced the woods sword unsheathed. There galloping out of the woods were about twenty men just as the sparrows guessed heading straight toward them, their swords and daggers out ready for battle. What made Kel for the first time freeze in her saddle was the sight of their swords; they were caked with blood. Kel raised her sword and headed toward them yelling

"For the people of Tortall!"

That is when the battle began.

Sorry for taking so long to update but I've been really busy these last couple of days and as the month goes on I might on be able to update very fast because near the end of the month because I have a horse show so I'll be spending a lot of days up at the barn preparing and memorizing the test. So please bear with me and I'm sorry I'm so slow! Anyway thanks for the reviews again I love them! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon(probably in the next couple of days!)