Ok, you guys were awesome. I luv your comments and stuff. I feel so loved (a friend of mine's quote). Now messages to each and every one of you (which is not that many but good for 3 chapters):
Zerrin of the Wind: I know it's sad, but well, that's what makes the world go 'round! As for the weapon, coming up soon, but not now, hee-hee…
Veleda: Critiques don't have to be well rounded! At least I don't think so… anyway, thank you so very much.
PhyscoLioness: Thanks a lot, Hannah! I don't know a thing for dialogue or non-dialogue…if any of you guys reading this does, say it on your ext review!
Ok now that's done. Please keep reviewing! It shows me that you're still reading! You guys rock! This next chapter splits into two characters, but only for this chapter. The other person I'm writing from is Pierce's not mine. Now for your favorite part:
The next few days were hard riding and camping but Cami didn't mind, because it most definetly wasn't as bad a camping with the soldiers. She remarked on it often when Kel or Alanna complained.
"A few more hours and we'll be at my home: Mindelan," puffed Kel wearily. "Dom's there."
"Your husband?" asked Cami, curious.
"Did I say husband? I meant lover."
"I don't think I'll ever be dry again," said Alanna spontaneously, and she meant it.
"Well I don't mind because-" began Cami, but Alanna cut her off.
"We know, we know," grumbled Alanna. " 'It isn't as bad as riding with the soldiers. For one thing, they smell, the were mean, and we had no decent baths.' Curse those damn soldiers."
At Cami's shocked look, Kel grinned wryly and said, "Don't worry. She's just grumpy. When we get to Mindelan, she'll be better. I promise."
"I turn into my mascot in the right conditi-"
"We know," chorused Cami and Kel, and even Alanna had to grin at that.
…
Tobeis Boon paced back and forth anxiously. His lady-that is to say, his mistress lady-was due home tomorrow. He shot looks at the big doors at the front of the Mindelan castle where he lived with Kel (his mistress) and her family.
A hand laid gently on his shoulder and he whirled around. "Oh, it's just you Dom." Dom, or Domitan, was Kel's lover. At six foot two, he was only taller than Kel by a couple of inches. Dark brown hair flopped into his mischievous green eyes. He was strongly built, being a member of the King's Own, an army-like group of young single men that fought for the Crown. Tobe, as he was called by his friends, knew that Dom would have to drop out of the organization if he married Kel, but Dom was hoping that Lord Raoul, the commander, would make a small exception, seeing as Kel used to be his squire.
Tobe sighed in frustration; it wasn't fair that the mistress took off with Lady Alanna for two weeks, leaving him here. He was almost ten when Kel took him in and now he had just turned fourteen. In those four years, Kel had frequently mentioned how she couldn't have managed without him. And now, she left!
Dom heard his sigh, and he nodded in agreement. "I know how you feel," he said, staring longingly at the great double doors. "Sometimes I just wish that she would ride in here on that wicked horse of hers and stop us from worrying. I know I shouldn't, seeing as the wars over and all, but I can't help it. I miss her terribly."
Tobe briefly smiled at the man's words of comfort; he missed Kel too. Not because he loved her or anything like that, but she had taken him in, was kind, and cared for him when he thought that there was not enough happiness in the world to accommodate Tobeis Boon.
As for girls, well, he was friends with a lot. Irnai, the seer-child from Scanra, was nice, but truthfully, she scared him a little with her constant predictions, and she was too young anyway. He and Loesia had a thing going before, but now he really just thought of her as a friend, though he dare not tell that to Loey herself.
"Me too," whispered Tobe. "Me too."
…
Meanwhile, the lady in question, along with Alanna and Cami, was a while away, pushing their horses to the limit. Even though Alanna's husband, George, wasn't there, she knew how much Kel missed Dom, and truth be told, she did want a hot bath.
"We're almost there," panted Kel to Cami as they sped forward. "My boy-my servant boy, I mean-is there. Tobe. He's your age; maybe you'll be friends."
Cami wasn't listening. She was just concentrating on hanging on. Tis was her first time galloping on a horse, and frankly, she decided that she didn't want to repeat the experience.
After fifteen more minute of nerve-racking riding-at least it was nerve-racking for Cami-, the wrought iron gates with the Mindelan emblem on them came into view.
"Home!" cried Kel with an expression of ecstasy on her face. Alanna sniggered behind one hand a bit-it was too much. "Race you to the stables!"
The horses toke off, racing with all their might. Cami felt herself screaming the entire ride; if she did, they were going so fast that the wind snatched the sound away before it reached her ears. Alanna and Kel sure heard it.
"Why'd you scream so?" asked Alanna, dismounting (Kel had won). "My ears are smarting."
"When you," gasped Cami, "are on a horse for one of the first times of your life, and you are going at break-neck speed, you see how you like it!" Alanna winced as the hostlers led the horses away.
There was a screech of un-oiled door hinges and the great double doors opened. First Kel, then Cami and Alanna stumbled inside, Cami swaying a bit from her "near-death" experience.
"Kel!" yelled a male voice.
"Dom!" yelled Kel back and the two ran towards each other and hugged fiercely.
"I missed you," said Dom, kissing Kel's lips softly.
"I missed you too," Kel replied, then pulled away after remembering that they had an audience. "Um, this is Dom everyone," Kel said unnecessarily.
"Hi," chorused Alanna and Cami together, and Alanna stepped forward.
"You can probably tell who I am at a glance," said Alanna wryly. "But in case you couldn't tell, I'm Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau."
"Domitan of Masbolle," the man said, and shook Alanna's outstretched hand. "But please, call me Dom."
"Sorry to interrupt, but who's that?" asked a new voice, and a boy stepped forward. He looked about Cami's age, and he had deep blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He was a few inches taller than her, about five foot eight.
Kel smiled at him. "Tobe, this is Camillianna, or Cami. She comes from Scanra, and," she said at Tobe's alarmed look, "a friend. She came to us in an odd way, but I'll explain it later. Meanwhile, how about you set her up in the guest room next to yours, and then show her around a bit?"
"Sure," he said, and gave a small half smile at Cami.
"Good." Then Kel, Dom, and Alanna left, chattering all the way, leaving Tobe and Cami standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.
"Well, I might as well introduce myself entirely," the boy said, searching for a way to break the silence. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stuck out a hand. "Hi, my name is Tobeis Boon, or Tobe. Nice to meet you."
Cami shook his hand. "Hi, my name is Camillianna, or Cami, of…um, I don't know…Scanra. Nice to meet you too."
Their handshake lasted a little longer than a handshake should, but then Tobe broke away and said, "Um, I should, uh, show you to your rooms then," and Cami picked up her pack and they trotted off.
"So how'd you get here?" yelled Tobe over his shoulder as they ran along the huge twists and turns of the Mindelan mansion.
"It's a long story," she called back as they turned another corner.
"Well, here you are," They stopped at a door and Cami opened it.
"Thanks," Cami said, and she beamed at him.
"Er, um, you're welcome," Tobe blushed and looked away as they entered the room.
It was small and homely with large windows that let in the sun, and it had white painted walls. A small bureau with a mirror stood at one end of the room, and a bed with white linen sheets at the other. Cami sat down on the bed after leaving her pack on the bureau, and Tobe sat next to her.
"So how did you get here?" he asked again curiously. Now it was Cami's turn to look away, and not because of a blush.
"I'll tell you later, all right?" she said, and then her face brightened. "What about you? How did you come across Kel?"
Tobe smiled. "Well, I was about nine, almost ten, on a usual day at the inn where I was kept. The innkeeper, Alvik, was beating me, for I had gone to see the horses before doing my chores. M'lady there, Kel, rescued me by buying me on the spot."
"Wow," said Cami, not really meaning it. "Well, I need to unpack, and, no, I don't need help. But thank you." She smiled at Tobe as he got up to leave.
"If you need me, I'll just be in the other room," Tobe said as he closed the door. Cami knew that, and nodded her head as she left.
…
Tobe sank down on his own bed, and rolled over on his back, smiling. Cami was beautiful, he thought to himself. Those golden locks, those light blue eyes that seemed to look into his soul…
Snap out of it, self! He told himself sternly. That's exactly how you felt about Loesia…
Loesia. He groaned. What was he going to do about her? Even before he met Cami, he still knew that he wanted to be friends with her and friends only. But he pushed that problem to the back of his mind as he thought about Cami. There was only one thing about her, he realized. She won't say how she got here. He was dying to find out. As he thought about her, he sank into his own past…
"Filthy little bastard!" snarled the innkeeper, and he wrenched the boy up. "Lazy, no-good, and an orphan to boot!"
He threw the boy down as he unmercifully kicked and hit the boy until he was nothing but a quivering pile of skin and bones.
"That should teach you!" The innkeeper turned away and left after giving the boy one last kick.
When the boy was sure that his master was gone, he began to cry. He had been caught seeing the horses after washing the dishes. He had forgotten one dish-one dish!-so the chore was branded as incomplete and he was beaten within an inch of his life.
The boy pulled himself up using a wooden stall for support as he stood on his one good leg; the other was broken.
He sobbed as he stroked a chestnut mare softly. "Why can't he understand? Why…"