Thanks a zillion times to my wonderful reviewers:
humanblackhole: Neal will find out this chapter...should be fun
jellybean839: Glad you like it!
Drop Your Oboe: Thanks heaps
Madame-S-Butterfly: If she did, Dom certainly didn't listen...
GunapitheSunrose: Thanks for that!
Silverlake: Thank you so much!
SarahE7191: Shall do
Jedijen: Glad to be interesting
tlake21: Glad you like it!
Elizabeth Theresa: Intriguing...wow, that sounds cool
Disclaimer: All characters, places and objects belong to Tamora Pierce. Everything else is mine!
StarryEmeraldNights
Chapter 2
'Didn't your mother teach you how to knock?' Kel asked, grinning as she turned to hook her glaive back up on her weapons rack.
Dom just stood there in the doorway, completely at a loss. He always had something to say! Always! But what were you supposed to say to that?
Kel helped him out. 'Is there, by any chance, a reason you're standing in my doorway at not yet six o'clock in the morning, or are you just going to stay there gaping like a goldfish all day?'
Dom shut his mouth so fast that his teeth gave an audible click. 'Um...Kel, you never wear your hair out, it looks really good.'
What? Kel thought as she silently thanked the Gods that she didn't colour easily. No, stop it. Don't be ridiculous, Dom flirts with everybody. I think. Well, technically, I wouldn't have a clue, that's just what everyone says because he's in the Own .Oh, just shut up!
Meanwhile, Dom's brain continued to work in overtime. You idiot, she's going to kill you...say something! Now! Hold on, why are you here anyway, you retard? Oh Mithros, I'm going to die...
'Lady Kel!' Dom's knees practically sagged in relief as he looked out of the doorway. It was a young girl's voice and she was running down the corridor. The girl was a teenager, dressed in a worn blouse and skirt, with her dirty-blonde hair plaited down her back. Across her waist hung a belt and sword.
'That's what I was here to say, Kel!' Dom began, the relief obvious in his voice. 'She's from New Hope and she wants to see you.'
Recovered now, Kel merely raised an eyebrow in reply.
Finally getting to Kel's doorway, the girl looked Dom up and down with the merest trace of a smirk on her face, and slid through the doorway sideways since apparently Dom wasn't able to move.
'Loesia' Kel greeted the girl 'I wasn't expecting you until the end of the holidays.'
Loey's face split into a grin. 'We made excellent time from New Hope; the snows aren't nearly as thick as last year.'
Suddenly the girl's expression darkened.
'But we set out early anyway, because I thought you'd like to know-' Swallowing hard, Loey continued '-Gydo ran away nearly four weeks ago, my lady. Fanche sent out so many search parties there was hardly anyone left in the town. They looked everywhere, even back at Goatstrack. She's missing, my lady, and girls like Gydo don't just go missing.'
Dom walked down the hallway, muttering about young girls who thought too highly of themselves. On Loey's appearance, he'd made some stupid excuse or other and left to go somewhere. That was twenty minutes ago, and he still hadn't figured out where he was trying to go.
'Dearest cousin, you look lost...'
Dom shuddered. There was only one person that annoying voice could belong too. Turning, Dom equaled his cousins light measure of sarcastic drawl: 'Meathead, how excellent to see you.'
The two were, by this time, face to face, each waiting for the other to deliver the next insult. Neal obliged happily. 'Were you, by any chance, aware that you're standing right outside my door? And consequentially, not only would it be entirely rude of you to not pay me a visit now...' Neal grabbed Dom by the elbow and shoved him through the door '...but would you care to explain that most interesting episode, say, oh, twenty minutes ago?'
Dom blanched. Why him, why? Not only was he totally caught out, but he was starting to act like Neal...and that wasn't a good thing by anyone's standards.
StarryEmeraldNights