I'm sorry that it took so long for me to get this posted. I meant to get it up over the weekend but I caught a very nasty cold virus and I was too busy blowing my nose to get much typing done. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. It cheered me up immensely despite my cold.
These are Tamora Pierce's characters I'm playing with; neither they nor their adorable offspring belong to me.
Late Winter (New Hope)
Kel bit back her protest and stared numbly at the speaking spell before her. This was it. The time had come. She was going to have to choose between her duty to the crown and to Tortall and her responsibility for her daughter. No one was listening to her requests to be allowed to remain in her post at New Hope. Never mind the fact that no other knight—except maybe the Lioness and Kel didn't think it likely—had ever had to make this kind of decision. There was no way to take Kefira with her and, with the possibility of an attack on the shrinking camp, no way to leave her behind.
"Mindelan, you are to lead the attack while Queenscove sets up an emergency infirmary tent to care for the workers who were wounded this morning. Merric is to stay at New Hope. Those are the orders. Don't make me repeat them again." The Steadfast commander vanished as he finished speaking.
"Neal, I'm convinced the gods are toying with me for their amusement," Kel said as soon as he had ended the speaking spell.
"They have been known to do that occasionally," Neal told her. He didn't bother to mention that the 'they' he was referring to happened to be Raoul and Alanna; gods was a close enough description as far as he was concerned. "But you might just be having a string of bad luck."
"What kind of bad luck makes a gang of bandits ally with a Spidren nest?" Kel demanded.
Neal shrugged. This particular allegiance was shocking and unfortunate and had not been part of the Lioness's plan.
"While Raoul is refusing to leave Goldenlake?"
"Kel, Buri might go into labor at any time," Neal said reasonably. "The healers are expecting it to be a difficult delivery and he wants to be there with her."
Kel sighed her acceptance of this explanation. It was unfair that Raoul got to stay with his family while she was being sent to fight but Kel wasn't going to begrudge Raoul the break.
"But why have Merric stay at New Hope instead of me?"
"You're the more experienced commander," Neal offered. He didn't mention the discussions Raoul had had with the Steadfast commander or Alanna's husband's blackmailing efforts. "I'll take Tobe with me," he assured her. "He shouldn't be in any danger and he can fetch and carry for the healers and maybe see to the wounded horses."
"But what about Kefira? I have no idea what to do with her. I just wish Yuki hadn't gone off to help Buri at Goldenlake. Why couldn't you—"
"Are you implying that I actually have any control over her actions?" Neal asked. Kel merely raised her eyebrows at him in response. "What about Dom?" Neal said quickly. "His squad has suffered a number of wounds—" this wasn't strictly true, as far as he knew, the Lioness hadn't actually gone through with any of her threats as the men had eagerly agreed to pretend to be injured when she requested it—"and they're camping a few mile from here under magical shielding for a few days of rest so they can recover. With any luck, you could leave Kefira with him while you tackled the Spidren and be back to get her before his squad was reassigned."
Kel blinked at Neal. "That's impossible. I can't just march over there on the way to the Spidren nest and drop Kefira in his lap."
"Why not? She's his daughter too. You have work to do and he doesn't."
Kel blinked again and scooped Kefira up as she began to whine. "But she's teething…"
"Ah, yes, that complicates matters doesn't it. If her teeth weren't coming in there'd be no question that Dom could manage."
Kel sighed. "You're right," she said finally. "I'm being stubborn and foolish. I'll leave her with Dom." She smiled at Neal. "Hopefully, I'll be a bit more cheerful once I've beheaded a few monsters. I'll go get her things together."
Neal grinned at Kel, clapped her on the back, and held the door open for her as she carried Kefira out. He let out a sigh of relief as soon as he'd shut the door behind her. He walked over to his desk and lifted a small mirror off of it.
"Alanna," he called into it. There was a glimmer of purple fire and she appeared. "Everything's arranged," he told her. "I hope this works."
"It will" she said.
"Lass," a voice shouted in the distance. Neal guessed it was George—George and Coram were the only individuals who could call the Lioness "lass" and live to tell the tale. "You'd best come quickly. Buri says it's time."
"Impeccable timing," Neal remarked, but Alanna had vanished before he finished speaking.
Afternoon (Dom's Squad's Encampment )
Kel ordered Neal and Tobe and her squad to wait outside the magical barrier that protected Dom's squad. Then, with the aid of her griffin feathers, she rode Peachblossom through the barrier. Dismounting, she pulled a bag of baby supplies from her saddlebag.
"Where's Dom?' she demanded of one of his men, who appeared uninjured and was sitting on a tree stump, whittling.
He lifted an arm and pointed to one of the tent. Kel nodded, glanced down at Kefira and saw that her daughter had woken, and then marched to the tent and pulled the flap open.
"Mithros!" Dom gasped. "Kel what are you doing here? How did you find us?" He asked as he hurried over to kiss her.
Kel gestured to her griffin feather band and then looked down at Kefira. Dom froze when he was the miserable tightness in her face.
"You have to take her, Dom," she said quickly, thrusting Kefira into his arms and ignoring the bewildered expression on his face. "Just take care of her for a few days. I've been called in to deal with a nasty bunch of Spidren and I can't leave her at New Hope. " She set the bag of baby supplies at his feet. "I'm really sorry about this; I hate to do this to both of you, but I think you'll manage."
"Kel…" Dom smiled as Kefira reached up and grabbed his ear and his apprehensive expression melted away. "Don't worry. Just take care and be sure you come back to us."
"I will," Kel murmured. "I promise." Doing her best to ignore the fact that a tentful of men were watching them, she leaned over and kissed his cheek and then Kefira's. "Be good for your Da," she whispered. Kefira cooed in response. "I've got to go," she said more loudly.
Dom followed her from the tent and watched her mount Peachblossom and ride through the protective barrier. Oblivious to the stares of his men, he smiled down at his daughter. She reached up and tugged at his nose. "You've grown," he told her.
"Babies do that milord," remarked the soldier who had pointed Kel towards his tent. "Afore you know it she'll be ridin' around knockin' big strapping lads off their warhorses jes' like her mother." Kefira chortled and the man grinned. "Of course," he continued as Kefira's giggles dissolved into tears and Dom stared down at her fretfully, "ye'll have to feed her up first."
Two Days Later
Kel smiled when they reached the barrier that protected Dom's camp. She was exhausted from a day and a half of Spidren slaying. (There had been no bandits to slay as the Spidren had betrayed and eaten their bandit allies.) But she was also satisfied; there were no casualties aside from the bandits—who would have been hanged anyway. Neal had managed to save all of the seriously wounded men. She'd worried about Kefira most of the time, but it had been pleasant to go such a long time without changing a diaper or being soaked in spit-up.
She allowed Neal to pass through the barrier with her this time while Tobe waited outside with their horses and the other men. Neal did this with some trepidation. He was fairly certain his cousin had managed two days of baby care without crisis but he had seen what happened to a Spidren that had threatened Peachblossom and he imagined there would be an even worse fate in store for him if there had been any harm to Kel's baby.
The entire encampment was silent. Even the horses were grazing quietly. The same soldier as before pointed Kel towards Dom's tent. "I thought we was to git a few days of quiet and rest," he whispered reproachfully. "Our sergeant's fair exhausted now."
At his words, Kel hurried to the tent and pulled aside a flap. "Goddess," she breathed. She stood staring into the tent as though transfixed.
Neal approached cautiously, wondering why she hadn't attempted to disembowel anyone yet. He'd seen the Lioness when young Alan had been knocked unconscious and he still had nightmares about it.
Kel turned her face towards Neal and held a finger to her lips. Her eyes were glistening. She ducked into the tent and Neal followed her.
Dom was asleep on a pile of pillows. His limbs were limp with utter exhaustion. Kefira was napping peacefully upon his chest. She had left a tiny spot of drool on his tunic. A few other soldiers were sprawled out on bedrolls, looking both tired and amused as they watched Kel.
She walked over to Dom and knelt down to kiss him. This woke him and he attempted to sit up, waking Kefira. Kefira cooed happily and turned her head so that he other cheek rested on Dom's chest before falling back asleep. Dom gathered her in his arms and sat up.
"Kel," he said, "the past few days have been incredibly enlightening."
"Have you changed your mind about marrying me then?"
"No, I—"
"Good." Kel leaned forwards and kissed him again.
"Does this mean?" Dom gasped as soon as he had caught his breath.
"Yes," Kel said as she helped him to his feet.
"Neal, will you hold Kefira for a moment?" Dom asked and then gently passed the baby into Neal's arms. He turned and embraced Kel, kissing her.
It was a very long moment. After twenty seconds or so, Neal pulled a mirror from the pouch on his belt with the hand that wasn't holding Kefira and began whispering into it. After thirty seconds, Dom's men could contain themselves no longer and began whooping. The whooping continued even after Dom and Kel had stepped apart.
"Stolten," Dom snapped. "Don't you have cracked ribs?"
Stolten looked at the ground and hissed a few choice curses. Then inspiration struck and he pointed at Neal. "Ask him. He's the healer."
Neal tried unsuccessfully to replace his grin with a suitably guilt expression. He held the mage mirror out to Kel and Dom. In it were Alanna, Raoul, Buri, and a baby. They all—with the exception of Raoul and Buri's baby, who was sleeping peacefully—had glee-filled expressions.
"Congratulations," Alanna said to Kel. And "I told you I knew what I was doing" she said to Raoul.
Kel gave the three of them a sheepish smile. "So, that's why I was the one sent to deal with all those Spidren…" she murmured. "I should have known I was being manipulated."
"Grateful though I am, I say we elope before they have another chance to interfere," Dom muttered.
Kel nodded. "There's a priestess at New Hope who has married several refugee couples already."
"Sergeant, you are ordered to take a week off from duty," Raoul said. "And you are forbidden to plan any kind of retaliation against Lady Alanna or myself."
Dom looked as though he was about to protest but Kel laid her fingers over his lips.
"He's forgotten that he can't order me around anymore," Kel said. Neal watched as an uncharacteristic gleam appeared in Kel's eyes. "And that Kefira doesn't haves godsparents yet. Though, that's about to change as he and Lady Alanna have just volunteered themselves for the duty."
"You're going to let Meathead get away without a scratch?" Dom asked.
"No," Kel said slowly, fixing Neal with a wolfish grin. " I think given how busy her parents are, Kefira ought to have two godsfathers."
Neal gave an audible sigh of relief and smiled at the baby in his arms.
Kel's husband accompanied her as she held weapons practice for the refugee children the morning after their wedding. He watched as Kel settled Kefira with the dancing replica of Kitten in one corner. And he planned to sit down next to his daughter and nap. Within minutes, however, he found himself moving among the children correcting grips and stances.
He was so absorbed in helping an eight-year-old girl to defeat her much larger opponent that he didn't see the messenger slip in and hand an envelope to Kel.
"Dom," she called. "Come here and have a look at this."
It was a letter from the king. She was asked to come and present herself in Corus. He wanted her to appear in person and apply for the position of training master before a group of counselors and advisors, including several strict conservatives.
"Will you?" Dom asked when he had read it.
Kel looked around at the children she'd been teaching. They weren't many left as most of those who had begun training with her had moved with their families to new homes. Those who had stayed with her practiced diligently and determinedly even when she was not there to lead practices.
"It won't be easy," she said, taking his hand. "That's probably why I want to do it."
"Meathead was right. You are incapable of ignoring a suggestion from Lord Wyldon."
Reasons to go to a women's college:
Madeleine Albright once said "There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other." No one at any women's college plans on going there.
Skinny-dipping opportunities abound.
Don't worry. It's not quite finished yet. There are a few more conservatives to shock and there is a fluffy epilog yet to come. I hope you've enjoyed reading and that you're planning to review. I can't hum right now—my nose is too stuffed up—but I'll clap my hands and grin.
(Sarah E7191: we will see Kefira at age five or so in the epilog.
NazgulGirl: Thanks. I am working on an original novel about a group of teenage spies with telepathic powers trying to save their kingdom from an evil magical being.