Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character or places.

Lunch was an eventful event, in which Neal tried once again to impress people with his poetry while having bread loaves thrown at his head. Jump, her faithful and battered dog, had been chased around the kitchen for stealing a meaty steak and had come to hide under her feet. Dom had pulled a prank on Wolset which ended with a wet and enraged corporal. Keladry had then made her escape with Lady Alanna has porridge was sent flying across the table in what turned out to be a food fight.

"So, Kel, when will you show me how to use that glaive?" asked the red-headed girl

"Whenever you wish, my lady" replied Kel. She was amazed that her heroine wanted her, her Keladry of Mindelan, to teach the Lioness how to use a weapon.

"Well are you free this afternoon?" replied the famous Lioness.

"Oh- I'm going riding with Dom this afternoon, maybe later in the evening?" replied Kel.

"Sound great to me! Meet in the practice court after the fifth bell of the afternoon?" asked Alanna.

"I'll be there my lady" exclaimed Kel..

While she got Hoshi ready for a ride, Dom creeped up behind her and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Missed me?"

She jumped at the sound of his voice, she hadn't heard him come. Then she carefully looked at him and her heart started to beat faster. "Why of course," she replied.

He grinned at her. "All ready to go my dear?"

She smiled has she mounted Hoshi. He swiftly mounted his own horse. They set out towards the forest. They rode in a companionable silence for a while, each deep in thought. They had stayed fairly close to the fort due to the war. Kel was thinking of the upcoming marriage of her Knight-Master. She had never seen Lord Raoul so happy. Whenever Buri stood close or reached up to whisper in his ear he would smile broadly..

Dom was also deep in thought thinking about Kel, about how glorious she looked on horseback and how beautiful she was, when they finally reached their destination. A small meadow that looked beautiful with flowers and a small river running through it. It was the perfect place for some time to relax. They both dismounted and tethered their horses. While the horses happily nibbled at the grass Kel and Dom laid down looking up at the sky. They then started to talk about what had happen since the last time they had seen each other. Kel was telling Dom about the day the refugees had decided to hold the "Meathead Day," which was a celebration to their favourite healer when her sparrow zoomed into their view shrieking. Standing up with her glaive in her hand and Dom at her back with his sword unsheathed they scanned the meadow with their eyes. Her eyes fell on the scaran riders.

The odds weren't looking good. The first rider went in for Kel's left side. She raised her glaive to block him. At her back she felt Dom shift has he parried a strike from a scaran. She brought her glaive down to neatly cut the bicep of the rider who had attacked her while twisting so she could avoid the next attack. Dom followed her movement and also cut down his enemy. Never letting so much an inch from each other they parried and attacked.

"You killed our country wench! If it wasn't for you the war would be over!" She neatly cut him down while processing that thought. She noticed that her sparrows were hitting the riders in their eyes. Jump was growling at a rider who was trying to cut him down. She had thought that the fall of the killing device had not been announced. She had thought that the story they had leaked was that there was a very powerful mage who had stopped them. Pushing those thought aside for later, she turned and faced yet another men. She heard Dom yelp behind her. He had dropped to his knee. She moved so that she could protect him while he recovered. Just as she turned to face another man Lord Raoul came charging down with Aiden's squad form the King's Own.

As the squad took care of the remaining riders Kel bent over Dom to see what was wrong. He had a cut on his right forearm. It was noting big nor deadly, but it had forced him to let go of his weapon.

"Are you ok?" she asked him.

"Do not tell me you were worried?" he joked.

She slapped him gently on the left shoulder.. "Of course I was worried!" She replied. He grinned into her eyes.

"Everyone mount up and let's report this," commanded Lord Raoul. "You OK, Dom?"

"Never been better."

She then counted her sparrows, they had all survived. Jump was looking at her with glee in his eyes. He had taken down two Scanran. She was going to have to reward him with a big treat.

As they trotted back to Steadfast, Lord Raoul got the details of what happen. He was extremely unhappy about what the Scanran man had said about Kel. "I thought that what we leaked was believed."

"Maybe I'm wrong and I misheard," said Kel shrugging.

"No, I heard it too," said Dom.

They entered the fort, where they were enveloped in a crowd.

"Tell me that the two of you did not almost get yourself killed?" said a very upset Neal.

"Meathead? Is that tears in your eyes?" asked Dom.

"No," replied Neal while rubbing his cheek. "I was just worried."

Kel smiled and went over to hug him. "It was noting really big just a skirmish," she told him.

He threw his hand up and left to go see Yuki. Kel rolled her eyes and went, as ordered by Lord Raoul, to the infirmary.. Dom had told on her and had said she had gotten a small scratch. So Dom and Kel sat in the infirmary had Duke Baird was looking them over.

Meanwhile Lord Raoul and Lord Wyldon, who had arrived while Kel and Dom were in the meadow were discussing what had happen. "How could you let her go out alone with just a sergeant?" asked the old training master.

"She wasn't alone contrary to your belief. We had guard posted around her and Dom. They wanted some time alone to catch up so we gave them privacy while still being safe. What bothers me is how they got past those guards? And how did they know she was the one who brought Blayce down?"

"They knew about her scaran adventure?" asked Wyldon, disbelief clear on his face.

"Yes they knew! And the attack was very specific. It was aimed at her," said Raoul.

"We'll have to have her more heavily guarded."

"I know, I will most likely send Third Company to New Hope. Here are Sir Nealan's and Kel's report. They both mentioned raids on New Hope and they both mentioned that the raids increased. What Kel failed to report or notice but that Neal did is that all the raids happen when she was in the forest. He noticed patterns in which Kel is the target."

"We should ask Daine to come here and see what her birds told her," replied Wyldon.

"We will see to that," said Raoul as the door opened to let Lady Alanna in.

"Tell me everything" she ordered. They explained everything to her. She nodded absently. "Of course we need to give her more soldiers! Even Vanget noticed that Mastiff, Giantkiller and Steadfast are getting more targeted. Apparently to get to New Hope."

"We'll give her Third Company. They all know her because she was my squire and she will not have to deal with people thinking less of her," said Raoul.

"Well everything is settled?" asked Alanna. "Because Buri wants to see you about tomorrow, she mentioned something about your wedding, which is in two days."

"Do not tell Keladry, nor Neal, nor anyone else of what you have heard until everything is verified, she will be then noticed, am I clear?" asked Wyldon of Cavall to his squire Owen of Jesslaw.

"Of course sir."

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