Twice as long as eternity

AN: Okay people, this is where the prologue fits in. Between last chapter and this one. So if you're confused, go back, read the prologue.

)O(

The first thing she registered was pain. Intense pain, a constant throbbing within and all around her head. Her eyesight began to clear, the pain dulling slightly, becoming but a blanket of dizziness enveloping her head. She rubbed it absently, displeased but not very surprised at the fact that it was wet and thick with blood. By that time, she'd awoken enough to wonder where she was. The thought froze her.

Where am I?

She didn't know. As she tried to search her memory, it occurred to her...

Who am I?

She stumbled to her feet and fell again, her head spinning from what seemed an impossible task. The second time she stood, she was able to lean against a large tree. Noticing, a presence behind her, puffing warm, concerned air onto her neck. Turning, she saw a strawberry gelding, concern etched into its long, courageous face.

"Who are you?" she asked it, before shaking her head over her own silliness at talking to a horse. The motion made her head hurt, so she stopped. "Who am I?" she wanted to know.

The horse butted her gently and neighed, impatience etched over its face as if it understood the girl. Patting it absently, she wondered what she would do next.

There was a little clearing nearby, and in the clearing was a small pond. Leading the horse towards the water, she began to wash away the blood that was drying at her neck. Moving it slowly and diligently, she found it bruised, stiff, but not broken. The blood had come from a severe nosebleed, and a deep cut on her right shoulder. As she began moving about and cleaning up, she found herself wondering over and over again, who am I? but still not getting an answer.

She was oddly calm for someone who couldn't remember who she was, but she knew that panicking wasn't going to help anyone. How she knew that was another matter. After cleaning, she settled down near the lake and simply sat back, squinting from the afternoon sun and wondering what she was going to do next.

Her mind seemed to be functioning normally. Strange thoughts swam through it, slipping out of grip the instant she tried to catch them. Instincts screamed at her, telling her what to do, how to act, but she didn't know where they came from. Having discovered a sword hanging from her belt before, she did a few pattern dances with it. What a pattern dance was, she didn't know. Neither did she know where she had learnt it, or how she had come across the sword.

Her memories were there, but they slipped out of reach every time she tried grabbing for them, until disappearing entirely. Random thoughts and names slithered in and out of her mind, distant yet important.

She sighed with frustration, confused and not knowing what to do. If only she could remember. Then, maybe she could try to get home.

)O(

"How many casualties do we have?" Raoul's dark eyes were serious. He favoured a bandaged left arm, in a sling and about to bleed through its bandaging, having insisted that the healers save their strength for more serious injuries.

"Fifty-six seriously wounded," Captain Flyndan answered, equally grim. "And we lost twenty-one men." He seemed to be holding something back. Raoul cocked an eyebrow at him, a silent question as to what wasn't said.

"Twenty-one men," Flyn said quietly, "and one woman."

Raoul's heart dropped as his worst fear was confirmed. "Kel? She's...dead?" It didn't seem possible.

"Not confirmed dead," The captain hurried to say. "Missing, in fact."

The Knight Commander's expression was one of confusion and fear. "Missing? How could she be missing?"

"She hasn't returned with the other knights, and her body hasn't turned up either," Flyn explained.

Raoul rested his head in his hands, his thoughts travelling back to what he had seen of Kel's fate. "Who were the knights nearest Kel? Sir Neal? Alanna?"

"I've already asked. Sir Nealan said he saw her fall off her horse, but nothing more. The Lioness is still unconscious."

"Wait, slow down," he ordered. "Alanna's injured?"

"The Lioness took a heavy wound to her thigh near the end of the battle. It's nothing too serious, but the healers say she's suffering from blood loss and will be abed for a while."

"Let me guess," Raoul's mouth turned into a grim line. "She insisted that she was perfectly fine and fought until the end."

Flyndan nodded, knowing the King's Champion as well as Raoul did. Raoul sighed at his old friend's never-changing stubbornness, and turned back to the problem at hand. A flicker of a frown crossed his face. "Have you asked the Wildmage about Kel?"

"I don't know. Would you like me to get her?"

"That would be great, thank you." Flyndan left at a run, leaving Raoul alone with his thoughts.

It seemed impossible. Kel couldn't possibly be dead. Raoul's mind refused to accept that piece of information, throwing it back into his face again and again. He had been so close to her when she'd been hit, he could have helped her, without breaking formation. Could have repaid her for saving his life.

His thoughts then travelled to Dom, and the way he had almost left his spot to help Kel. Raoul could understand why he'd done it; he would be hard put not to try and save his friend. It didn't make the action any less irresponsible. Raoul gestured to a runner.

"Ask Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle to meet me in my office, please."

The runner bowed and hurried to carry the message. He almost collided with Flyn, walking into the room.

Flyn glared at the runner as he muttered apologies. The runner hurried from the room once more.

"The Wildmage says Keladry fell from her horse, sir," He told Raoul. "She also says that Keladry's foot was caught in the stirrups, and she told the horse to run away with the girl. Daine isn't sure where they'd gone, though."

Raoul nodded and began contemplating. "Thank you, Flyn."

A few minutes later, after Flyn had gone, Dom arrived in Raoul's office.

He saluted. "My Lord."

Raoul nodded, looking him directly in the eye. "Do you know why I called you here, Dom?"

Dom shifted uncomfortably. "Yes sir."

"The willingness to be indifferent and obey orders in a battle is what stops an army from becoming an armed mob," he chastised, not unkindly. "I'm not saying I don't understand why you tried to ride to Kel. It took all my self-restraint not to go after her myself. It doesn't make it more easily excusable, that's all."

Dom nodded again to show he understood, gratefully thinking that only Raoul could be understanding while he reprimanded. He had started apologising when Raoul interrupted him.

"I didn't call you here to criticize; Kel's missing and I need you to take a squad of your men to search for her," Raoul told Dom. "Do be careful. There might still be a few stray Scanrans out there willing to make one last kill before they die."

)O(