"Alright everyone, take a seat", Kel told the group of eager children. "Tobe would you please pass out the slates and a piece of chalk to everyone".

Tobe got up and wandered through out the room, once his task was completed he sat down. Kel went to a larger slate on the wall usually used to draw battle strategies. "So how many of you were able to attend schools in your villages before the war?" Kel wasn't sure how much the children already knew and surely didn't want to offend any of them by starting at the beginning.

"Most of the villages in our area's didn't have schools yet", Lain pointed out. The rest of the children just nodded sighing. Kel knew that not all the villages on the boarder were as well taken care of and often over looked unintentionally.

"Right then, we will start at the beginning. This letter is A" Kel said drawing the first letter of many she would be teaching them that year. The lesson continued on as she finished teaching them how to pronounce and draw the first the letters of the alphabet. When one hour past, most of the group departed to their homes for a good nights sleep so that they would be ready for more practice the next morning.

"My lady, will we be having a math lesson tonight?" Tobe asked cleaning off his slate from some letter writing he had been doing. Kel had begun teaching him to read and write shortly after they had reached the original camp. Looking at the only other person present for math lessons Kel sighed.

"Of course Tobe, I said I would hold mathematics lessons after reading a writing for anyone who wished for them", Kel looked around exhausted.

"Well, what shall we start with then?" Lain asked simply looking forward to learning all she needed for the riders. Mentally sighing, Kel started on a basic lesson of numbers one to ten. "So, I want you all to practice drawing and saying the numbers aloud. Tomorrow I expect to see a fully written set of numbers", Kel said sending the two teenagers off to bed and walked off hoping to find her own bed waiting for her.

"Kel, could you spare a moment?" a certain blue eyed Sargent called from behind her just as she was about to open her door and go into her room.

"Why not, come in", she let out a long exasperated sigh. She was happy to see Dom, and more than happy to spend time with him but she was tired and looking at her soft blue quilt and the fluffy pillows made everything worse. "What do you need", she said sitting down on the bed and motioning for him to do the same.

"Oh, nothing really… well actually… no I guess its not that important… well really it is… I guess though that really depends on who you are talking to … but what I'm trying to get at… maybe I should let you go to sleep… no this is too important…and…" Dom rambled on like an idiot kicking himself for every minute that he wasted.

Watching him Kel could only focus on a lock of his brown hair that seemed too have fallen into his eyes. What would happen if I brushed it back for him, she wondered while cutting him off in mid sentence with a "just say it Dom!".

Giving up on words, Dom leaned in towards Kel and softly kissed her. Pulling away he was afraid to look at her face. "I don't think words would have said it as well", he muttered starting to get up. Suddenly he felt Kel grab him around the waist and pull him into her, looking deep into her hazel eyes. Kel moved in closer and closer till once again their lips met, but this time it was more passionate. However this sudden change in attitude had spooked Dom to the point at which he pulled away.

"Is something wrong?" Kel asked concerned, maybe he had changed his mind, maybe this was all a joke and he was just playing with her emotions. Wait what had she just done herself, had she finally accepted that strange feeling that had been nagging at her for months, maybe years? She was in love with her best friend's cousin, one of her most trusted friends. What on earth was she doing this was insane…

Seeing a sudden change of Kel's face he replied, "you just shocked me that's all, I never expected you to actually feel the same way about me". Wrapping his arms around her he held her tightly.

"Well I don't know when I finally figured it out, but I think I fell in love with you a long time ago", she said snuggling into the embrace.

"I love you too Kel" Dom said, assuming that what she had just said meant that he loved her.

Kel just sighed and with that let her eye lids close and her mind fall to the dream like state in which she saw it. A future, a happy future of her, and Dom, living life the way they were supposed to… together…

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Well I would like to thank my reviewers for the handy comments, I know I promised you KD fluff in the intro and finally it has arrived! But don't even start to think that this is the end of the story, happily ever after will have to first prove its truth in this world

Megster: well its great advice in fact for the last 6 months or so I have been working on an Alanna goes to the convent story that will blow your mind, but the entire thing is in hand writing and I wont put it into the computer till its almost finished, which should be soon so expect it in the future

Alie: well I hope your happy! I love getting reviews and they really do always help in the speed of my updates! I will try to add more kd stuff in the next chapter, but this is only a taste of what is to come!

SO THAT'S RIGHT, R & R AND SEE HOW MUCH FASTER I CAN GET THESE CHAPTERS UP, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE UP AND SOON TO HIT THE INTERNET ALANNA STORY!