Disclaimer: Seriously, do you think I own the characters? Is my name Tamora Pierce? No.
I truly am sorry for the shortness of the first chapter. It was done in a very quick manner and was meant to be a teaser sort of chapter. Here is the first chapter revisited and edited and more of the story.
Enjoy.
Tortallian camp:
The war was going to be really hard. Everyone could feel that simple fact deep in their bones. The winter had charged in before the soldiers and made sure that the ground was frozen solid and the animals, the ones that the soldiers could hunt, nowhere to be seen.
This really annoyed Keladry of Mindelan. While riding on patrol the silence was enough to drown a soul. The random noises were enough to drive her mad. Within the silence, only filled with the sounds her and Hoshi made, were loud snaps from branches giving way under the weight of the snow. Each time it happened, woman and horse would jump. Enemies could be anywhere. They both knew this fact very well. Scanra, finally over the last war and picking the next one, had gotten better since they had last met the Tortallians. Their warfare had turned into a major annoyance for the brave subjects of King Jonathan.
Frozen to the core, Kel returned to point to give up her duty to the waiting soldier. He looked horribly disheartened by the prospect of riding in the snow with the wind beating his face and hands until they froze. Kel didn't think about the poor lad too much. She was too focused on getting to the warm fire she could she on the other side of the camp. First she stopped at her tent to take of the snow covered outer clothes to replace them with fresh clothing. It would not do for her to sit in front of the fire only to have the snow melt and make her cold all over again.
When she finally made it to the wonderful fire she was greeted by many half-hearted smiling faces.
"Hey Kel, how was patrol?"
"It was okay," Kel looked at the man who spoke, it was a new soldier. He was hardly old enough for women let alone a war. He was a kind soul though.
Kel looked into the fire. The warmth of it felt wonderful on her face. If she closed her eyes she could easily pretend it was the warm summer sun beating down on her face. She drowned out the sounds of the people chatting to each other and focused on her little fantasy.
She was snapped out when a hand clapped her on the shoulder.
"Wake up Kel, day's not over yet." Dom's face appeared in her view.
She smiled as she looked at him- he could brighten anyone's bad mood, "I'm sorry, I was pretending I was some place warm with the sun beating on my face."
A man across the fire groaned," Please spare us the thought." He laughed slightly, "We're all day-dreaming the same things."
"That's true," Dom sat on the log next to Kel, "This weather is just brutal. It only figures that the Scanrans would pick such terrible weather. I can only hope that they are much colder than we are." Several men chuckled. That was one day dream that all the cold men could give up dreams of warmth for.
Scanra camp:
"Sir, we have reports that the Tortall army is receiving reinforcements."
General Jahk sat in his chair, slouched and comfortable, twisting his mustache. He was a very formidable man, perfectly apt for the job at hand.
"So, the question is," the General drew out in a slow, soft voice, "What do we do about this most pesky situation?" Jahk rose slowly from his chair with a soft, bored sigh.
"Does anyone have any ideas?" He looked around the room, a smile played on his lips and his voice was eerily sweet. No one said a word.
"No one has even a single idea?" He frowned. "What a pity." He paced down to the end of the room and stood staring at the map. Without turning around, his hands clasped behind his back, he spoke, "We need a perfect plan, gentlemen. We have to hit them where it hurts."
He spun around, "Who is the leader for this army that comes knocking at our door?"
A small, dirty man with black beady eyes spoke up, "Lady Keladry of Mindelan, her right hand man is Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle."
Minutes rolled slowly away without the General saying a word. He stared out of a window were snow had begun to slowly fall.
"We shall kidnap them. The Lady Knight and the Sergeant."
