Dislcaimer: I do not own any of the character or places.
"King Maggur had figured it out, someone informed him about the protector of the small" said Daine "he is now looking to bring Kel down"
"Are you sure?" replied Lord Raoul
"Very sure, I flew there myself and listened. He's out to destroy her, he constructed her into this fierce commander who need to be defeated for them to win the war" replied the Wildmage. "All his effort are put into destroying her"
"She'll need more men" said Lady Alanna
"I'll send Third company to her" said Lord Raoul "Unless they are required somewhere else?" he inquired to Lord Wyldon
"No give her the Third. I'll lend her more help too. I was thinking once Owen is knighted he could be under her command, as well as a few other knights, such as Sir Esmond, Sir Faleron, Sir Quinden and Sir Seaver" he replied
"Not Sir Quinden, he does not respect her rank" replied Alanna
"Very well then, we'll get her those three knights, also I will send her Numair and Daine for a while so you can evaluate the situation and have a decent mean of communication" added Lord Wyldon
"Are we going to inform her?" asked Daine
"She had the right to know that everyone in Scaran is trying to kill her" added Buri, who had kept quiet during the whole meeting.
Lord Wyldon looked around all their faces which all agreed that the Lady Knight had the right to know. "Very well" he said "Jesslaw!" he yelled louder. The door opened slowly "Yes milord"
"Please inform the lady knight that her presence is requested"
"Right away milord" he replied has he left to fetch Kel.
"I'm surprised he hasn't informed anyone of what he had overheard last time we talk abou.t this. Kel is one of his closest friends" said Lord Raoul
Lord Wyldon raised his eyebrow.
"Kel, Kel, Kel" screamed Owen.
"Here comes the jolly little bugger" replied Neal
Yuki whacked him on the head with her fan. "Be polite" she scolded.
Dom hid his laugh had a cough. "Got a cold there cousin? Want me to fix it?" said Neal while glaring at his cousin.
"Oh no, I just got something stuck in my throat. Nothing to worry over, however maybe you should heal your head that whack is going to bruise your perfect skin"
Kel, who was sitting down beside Dom in Neal's rooms, hid her smile behind her Yamani mask as she turned toward Owen. "Hi Owen"
"Lady Knight, Lord Wyldon would like to talk to you in his study" He said. "If you would please follow me"
"Wow, the stump really broke him! Hurray" said Neal
Owen then smiled at Neal "However Lady Alanna didn't manage to curb your tongue" he replied
"I am misunderstood" said Neal with a huff.
Kel walked in Lord Wyldon's study to see Daine, Lord Raoul, Lady Alanna, Buri and Lord Wyldon all seated. "Please take a seat lady knight" said Lord Wyldon
Kel took the offered chair. "We received some very important information from Daine and her spies." He continued
"I went over to the royal court as an eagle and learnt that they know about your scaran rescue mission, they also know you are the reason behind the downfall of the killing devices. " continued Daine.
"Vanget also noticed an increase in the raids around New Hope, Mastiff, Steadfast and Giantkiller" said Lady Alanna
"King Maggur has promoted you has the reason they have failed to win the war so far and announced that the moment you no longer live, they will win" finished Lord Wyldon
"They are out to kill me?" replied a disbelieving Kel
All of them nodded. "Due to this New Hope need to have more defences, therefore Third company will be posted at New hope" said Lord Raoul
"I get a whole company?" replied Kel
"Yes, and several new knights, Sir Esmond, Sir Seaver and Sir Faleron. Also Daine and Numair will be travelling between Mastiff, Giantkiller, Mastiff and New Hope" said Lord Wyldon
Kel nodded absently running this information through her head. "Right"
"Be careful" warned Lord Raoul "I spent too much time training you to have it all wasted"
"Yes milord" she replied has she rose "May I have more supplies to bring back?"
"Of course you can go visit the quartermaster and take what you need, within reason of course" said Lord Wyldon.
She bowed to the room "If you'll excuse me"
She trotted down the hall to get more supplies. She almost couldn't decide if she was happy or not about the news. She had more soldiers to guard her people, but that meant that New Hope was going to be attacked more than ever.
Esmond, Seaver and Faleron stood before Lord Wyldon. "You have been reassigned. You will be posted at New Hope under the command of Sir Merric, Sir Nealan and Lady Knight Keladry"
They coudln't contain their surprise. That was six knight for a refugee camp, and they were going to be under the command of Merric, Neal and Kel? Kel they could deal with, she had already led them several times. But Neal? He was going to gloat!
"You will be posted at New Hope, with Lady Knight Keladry" Lord Raoul announced to Third Company. As they filed out, excited to work with Lady Kel again Raoul called "Sergeant Domitan's squad please stay"
When only Dom, his squad and Lord Raoul remained Lord Raoule said "This is informal, but I want you guys to protect her and take care of her. She is one of a kind and we cannot lose her. They nodded carefully. "She is an icon, she is a pillar in this kingdom, she is one of the reason we survive this war, among the commoner you will never hear one wrong against her even if they hate nobles. She is needed, therefore protect her, and do not just guard New Hope"
"Yes sir" they replied
A week later they found themselves at the gates of New Hope. Kel announced her name and the gates open. Merric came down from the wall. "What is all this?" he asked
"I managed to get more men" Kel answered "Third company of the King's Own at our disposal, along with Sir Seaver, Sir Faleron and Sir Esmond."
"I am so glad to see you all" replied Merric "Soldiers of the Own please follow Seafas here to the barrack you will occupy, while you Esmond, Seaver and Faleron follow me."
"Kel, Kel, Kel! We missed you!" exclaimed several young children ranging from barely able to walk to 15 years old.
Kel dismounted and knelt down to hug them "It's good to be back"
"Lady Kel, we have some stuff to discuss" and with that Kel was whisked away by Fanche to discuss the schedule of the next day. Kel then spent the next few hours helping clear the ground for a new building, scrub dishes, help to make the new rooster to include the King's Own and finally work in the field.
"Where is Kel?" asked Faleron to all the fellow knights of New Hope.
"Probably in the field working" replied Merric without raising his head. "I want a knight with all the patrol from now on"
"Well I can't go on patrol often due to the work to be done in the infirmary" said Neal "And I don't think Kel should go on many patrol, she already works so much for this camp, and they are targeting her especially"
"She'll never agree to not go on patrol! These are her people" replied Merric
Just as he finished speaking horns sounded in the distance. All the knights rushed out of the headquarter with their sword out. They ran to the wall where Kel was already looking out with her spyglass. Her griffin feather band on her forehead and her animals around her giving her accounts of what they had seen. Tobe rushed to her side with her glaive and sword and chain mail. She grabbed all three and yelled "Neal take the wall, archers at the ready, do not shoot unless you'll hit, Esmond and Faleron stay here, don't argue Neal I'm not risking New Hope's healer. Merric take Connac squad and go around to the south side and hit their flank. Take Faleron and Seaver with you. I'll take Aiden and Dom's squad to meet them full on. Dom, Aiden, Connac saddle your squad up. NOW!"
She ran out has Tobe was taking a fully saddled Peachblossom out of the stable. Dom and Aiden were following close behind her as she set out, her sparrow looking like a scarf floating behind her. As she approached the enemy she saw that Fanche and Seafas were on the wall with Neal. They were shooting at the scaran. She hand signalled Aiden and Dom to form a line on either side of her. They started to gallop toward them sword raised, or in Kel's case glaive raised. They meet them full on. She swung her glaive left and right. Men that stood in her way fell. She was aware of the men behind her. As one men fell off his horse she yelled to rally the men closer and around the fallen rider so no one could pass through them. She noticed Merric coming from the side. She had Aiden's squad keep the position they held, while she took Dom and angled to the side so Merric's men and her men surrounded the scarans.
Dom and Merric had finally surrounded the remaining scaran. They quickly finished them up.
When Kel took sent her bird to the wall to announce that it was safe. Several men from camp, and Jacut's squad in case of another attack, came out to bury the dead. There was no casualty on her side except a wounded Lofren and Fulcher.
"Are you ok Kel?" asked Dom with worried blue eyes
"Why wouldn't I be?" she replied confused
"You got hit" he replied carefully
"What? Me? No!" she replied with a smile "I'm a knight!"
Dom raised his eyebrow "And that makes you invisible?"
"Of course" she replied swaying in the saddle.
"Kel look at your thigh" she looked down to see a cut she hadn't felt and lot's of blood. "Woah" she said.
She leaned towards Dom "Are you ok?" he asked again alarmed
"No" she replied and slid ungracefully off her horse unconscious.
Dom took Kel in his arm slung her over his saddle and raced to New Hope infirmary. He carried her in his arm has all the refugee looked at his burden. He could hear prayer to Mithros and the goddess asked the gods to save their commander.
Dom had never been more worried. He had seen Kel get hurt, but this time it was different. Not that it was a bigger or more painful wound. Not at all. It just that this time, he was in love with her. "Neal, Kel's hurt"
Neal rushed to his side and checked her vital point. He motioned for Dom to carry her to a cot, where he neatly sealed off her leg. He bandaged it and left it to rest. "She'll be good as new tomorrow morning" he said
"You're sure?"
"Of course I'm sure, it's not a to extensive wound. She won't die from it." Seeing the worry in Dom's eye he asked "Why so worried?"
"No reason, she's just a good friend" he replied with a blush
Neal looked at him and gave him a look that clearly said 'you don't fool me'.
Neal was wrong, Kel was back to normal that night at supper. As she walked into the mess everyone cheered up. Gydo and Loey ran up to her to hug her around the waist. Fanche said "Thank god you survive, I didn't feel like training a new noble to care for us, nor could I deal with Sir Nealan as commander"
Neal shot her a glare. She sat between Faleron and Seaver. Both reached over to hug her around the shoulder. "You ok?"
"Of course I'm fine, Neal took care of me!" she said
After supper she went to the wall and sat in a little niche. She was looking out at the sunset when someone asked "May I join you?"
She looked up to see Dom. She squeezed her leg to her chest to give him room. He sat down so they were facing each other, both of hugging their legs. "It's beautiful" she whispered looking at the sunset again. Dom just nodded. They sat there in a comfortable silence for a while. When it was completely dark the campfire started and they heard Tobe beautiful soprano accompanied by the sparrow and Jump. "I was so worried about you" he whispered
She was grateful for the darkness that hid her blush "Thank you for bringing me to Neal"
He smiled "It was my pleasure" after a pause "do you want to join the festivities?"
"Of course she replied" they got up and went one of the fire camp where Wolset, Neal, Merric sat. They sat on a log together. Neal gave them a calculating look before shrugging.
"How are Lofren and Fulcher?" asked Dom
"They'll be fine" replied Neal.
For the next month or so a routine had developed for Kel. She would get up in the morning do a practice dance, then go to the mess for breakfast. She would then teach adults and children how to fight. Then would come the lunch. After that she would be working wherever she was assigned. Then supper came, always full of entertainment, whether from the Own's pranks, the refugee's prank (the Own had corrupted them) or Neal and Dom's bickering.
After that she would spend an hour or so on reports or trouble in the camp. Then came her favourite part of the day. The sunset. She would go up to her niche and sit there. Then Dom would come and they would sit together to look at the landscape. Afterwards she went into meeting with the knights. Once or twice a day scaran would attack New Hope. So she made a daily trip to the infirmary to see the wounded. Once the men of the King's Own saw that they started calling her 'mother', much like the refugee. That nickname she also earned by forcing people to eat vegetable. Daine and Numair came twice to report. It turned out only this proportion of the border was under siege, which alarmed everyone.
All in all, life at New Hope was enjoyable.