A Wistful Love
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this story. They all belong to Tamora Pierce.
Chapter 10
Sparrow's Cove
Kel traveled mindlessly for hours. She let Hoshi have her head and then let her thoughts wander where they may. Without the weight of her mask, she felt so much freer. The strain of keeping a smile on her face was gone and with it, some of her pain. She knew that she would never have Dom's love, just as she also knew that he hadn't meant the harsh words he'd spoken to her at their last meeting. Kel used one of the many lessons taught by the Yamani's; she let her feelings of love and pain roll off of her like water. The pain would become a dull ache eventually, though she was sure it would never pass completely. She would take this precious time to reflect and renew her inner reserves.
By evening, Hoshi had led them to a small stream off the main path in search of water. They had traveled far enough away from Corus that they were entering the wilder parts of Tortall. Kel knew she was in riding distance of several small towns, but she wasn't seeking any human contact on this night. She preferred the solitude that nature offered, a bed under the stars, and the music of the breeze through the leaves. Finding a nice, even spot to bed down and starting a fire didn't take long. Soon, the soothing flames cast a warm glow to the surrounding area. The heat from the fire chased away the slight chill to the night and provided a comfortable atmosphere for Kel to cook her meal.
She used one of her cloth balls filled with vegetables and bits of meat to make soup. Hoshi had already been ground tied not far from the fire, just outside the glow of the flames. As her meal finished heating up, Kel took out her map of Tortall and tried to figure out where she wanted to go. She knew that wandering aimlessly around the countryside, while relaxing, was not her ultimate purpose. She wanted to find a place to heal, a place to repair her broken mask and soothe the jagged edges of her heart. Staring at the detailed map in front of her, she let her eyes travel from her present position to a place only a few days ride away. It was a small town, one she hadn't visited before, but the name made her smile. It was called Sparrow's Cove and it was perfect.
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The mess hall table was depressingly quiet the day after Kel's disappearance. Neal, along with Owen, Merric, and Faleron were picking at their meals. Neal's vegetables were very conspicuously piled at the edge of his plate while the rest of his food had become an indiscernible entity in the middle. Dom was absent as before. After receiving his gift from Kel, he'd become an automaton. He went through the motions of eating, sleeping and living, but he wasn't really interacting with anyone. Neal knew that Dom's strange behavior was a result of Kel. He had also guessed that Dom had come to care for his best friend in a more than friendly manner, but when asked, Dom refused to answer. After several tries with no luck, he'd left Dom alone. His cousin had already been deeply affected by Kel's disappearance and Neal's unending questions were not helping matters any.
News of Kel's wordless departure had also reached the ears of Lord Raoul, who was confused and frustrated at the non-answers he'd received as to why she'd left. The explanation in her letter had not convinced him in the least. Lalasa, Yuki, and Shinko were at a loss as well. Though Kel had many friends, she'd confided in no one, leaving everyone in the dark.
Neal finally gave up on his meal after realizing the entire mess was unrecognizable as food anymore. Standing up from the table, he half-turned to leave, but was stopped by Owen's surprisingly strong grip.
"Wait! We have to figure this out. This isn't like Kel at all. Something must be wrong. We need to find her, go after her, something! Sitting here doing nothing is driving me crazy!"
Neal sighed and gently shook Owen's hand off his sleeve. "There's just one flaw to your plan, my dear Owen. She doesn't want to be found."
"That hasn't stopped us before! Remember that time during the Scanran war when she took after the refugees? We all went after her then!" Owen's expression was almost desperately earnest and his normally calm hair had become a crazy tangle of curls from the numerous times he'd gripped it with his hands.
Neal gave another tired sigh. "That time was different. Her life was in danger and she was committing treason. It's a completely different situation."
"But—"
"Neal's right, Owen. Kel isn't in any danger. She just wants some time to herself. She specifically stated in her letter to not go after her and that she was fine. There's nothing we can or should do about it." Finished with his meal, Merric left the mess hall, followed closely by Faleron
"See. There's nothing to be done. We just have to wait." Then Neal was gone too, leaving a bewildered and frustrated Owen behind.
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The stables were unusually quiet. Looking for the answers to questions he couldn't find, Dom had come in search of them in the stables. Though he'd had no conscious intention of visiting Peachblossom, he found himself standing in front of the old war horse's stall not long after entering the building. The gelding was not his usual self. Instead of the wild-eyed trouble-making horse that usually presented itself, Peachblossom was listless and seemed unaware of Dom's presence outside of his stall. The strawberry roan had his head down and his eyes half-closed. Even when Dom approached the stall door, he didn't get the reaction he'd been wary of. The horse merely flicked an ear in his general direction, but did not move.
"What's the matter, old boy? Usually by now you'd have half my arm in your mouth. Now my presence doesn't even warrant a nip."
Peachblossom's response was a single stomp of the hoof.
"Hey, don't take your anger out on me. We're both in the same situation here. Well, not exactly. I'm pretty sure you're the not reason she left the palace in such a hurry. You're also probably not a hurtful, mean and insulting man who takes his unrequited love out on the object of his affections."
The snort of disbelief that followed warranted a correction to Dom's words.
"You're right, you can be a mean old horse. But I don't think you ever hurt Kel as much as I have recently. And the worst part is that she forgave me. She forgave me for calling her emotionless and uncaring of others. Her unfailing and selfless nature makes my accusations about her all the more pathetic. I don't know what's wrong with me. I acted as if she wasn't allowed to be happy not loving me. It's ridiculous really, probably just as ridiculous as carrying on a conversation with you. What do you know anyway? It's not as if you can answer."
At that moment, Peachblossom struck out, his teeth narrowly missing Dom's arm as the Sergeant leaped back just in time. "So you do still have some of that mean old horse in you. I take it back okay? I really enjoyed our conversation. It was very meaningful and you were a great listener. Is that better?"
Bobbing his head vigorously, the war horse blew out a breath and whinnied in response.
"I'm guessing that's a yes." Taking a few steps forward, Dom cautiously held out a hand containing two horse treats as a peace offering. "Here, take these without biting my hand off and we'll call it even."
After eying Dom dubiously for several long seconds, the gelding stretched out his neck and gently took the treats from his hand, leaving him unharmed. Releasing a sigh of relief, Dom was about to step back again only to be stopped by Peachblossom himself. The horse had thrust his nose into Dom's palm and snuffled it gently before beginning to gently nibble on his hair. Holding his breath, Dom didn't move for the longest time. When he realized that Peachblossom was going to behave, he relaxed and began stroking the gelding's velvety nose. An hour later, he was in Peachblossom's stall, leaning his back against the wall, fast asleep under the watchful eye of Peachblossom himself.
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Kel nudged Hoshi forward at the entrance to the town. Sparrow's Cove had turned out to be about two and half days ride away. Now that they had arrived, Kel wasn't sure what she wanted to do, only that she would find out once she made her way into the town. As Hoshi walked slowly forward, Kel took in the appearance of the town. It was a small farming village by the looks of it, which relied mostly on its crops for profit. On her way in, Kel had noticed some of the fields of wheat that had blanketed the surrounding land.
As she continued into the main part of the town, she gained notice from the natives. They eyed her suspiciously, but averted their faces whenever she tried to make eye-contact. Used to the response from her many years of travel as a knight, Kel continued on until she reached what looked to be central marketplace. Here there was a flurry of activity as street hawkers sold their goods, which ranged from fresh fruit and vegetables to small trinkets and handmade crafts. Though population of the town couldn't have been much over a few hundred, its people seemed to be thriving and well.
As more and more people caught sight of her on Hoshi, the activity around her began to cease until finally Kel found all eyes on her. Someone pushed their way through the crowd to stand in front of her with an authoritative air about him. He was surprisingly young, Kel guessed only a few years older than herself. Tall and broad at the shoulder, he stood only a few spare inches above Kel's own height. His brown-eyed gaze was clear as he inquired about her appearance in their town.
"I am Roderick of Sparrow's Cove and I represent the people of this town. Your arrival has caused many questions. Who are you and what is your business here stranger?"
Kel dismounted from Hoshi smoothly before approaching Roderick and bowing once respectfully before answering his question. "I am Keladry of Mindelan, Lady Knight of Tortall and I come here peacefully. I only seek a place to stay for an uncertain length of time and to offer my services as a knight to this town."
At the mention of her name and title whispers began to circulate through the townspeople. Roderick himself seemed taken aback at first, but he recovered quickly. "Lady Keladry? I've heard of you. Your story has made its way to even this small farming town, but what is your purpose here? Did the Crown send you? We never asked for help. We're doing perfectly fine without the aid of a knight, and we certainly don't need a knight's services. What services could you possible offer to us?"
Kel shook her head. "The crown did not send me and I am not here for any other reason than to work as one of you. I can work for my food and board. There is no job that I won't do. All I ask for in return is a chance to live quietly here for a while. I am seeking peace and contentment from simple hard work. That's all. I don't expect you to treat me as a noble or for you to bow and scrape at my feet. I only ask for the same respect you give any other person you know. "
Her words seemed to only agitate the crowd as their voices became louder and confused. Roderick himself seemed doubtful of her words. At a signal from him, the whispers and voices were quiet once more.
"I don't understand. Why would a knight lower him or herself to work as a commoner does? Why did you choose Sparrow's Cove? Do not take this as any disrespect, but I find your request both odd and unbelievable. I can't see you or any knight bending to the small tasks that regulate our daily lives."
Kel smiled at his words. "I understand your doubt, but give me a chance to prove myself to you. I will do anything you ask of me. As I said before, I don't expect you or anyone in this village to treat me as a noble. As for the reason I chose Sparrow's Cove, it's very simple really. The name of your town reminded me of my own friends, the sparrows. Nothing more."
Roderick eyed her silently for a moment before nodding. "All right. I will choose a task for you and if you complete it well, then we will allow you stay. Though I know that we don't need your permission, as a knight of the Crown you could demand what you wanted from us."
Kel's eyes met a Roderick's eyes squarely. "I would never ask you to feed me and my horse on mere whim or by decree. I will work for my food and shelter like everyone else here does. I accept whatever task you give me."
Roderick smiled and held out a hand. "Then we agree."
Kel smiled back and gripped his hand firmly before releasing it. "We agree."
Roderick turned to one of the women at his side. "Renie here will show you to your task. I believe it's time for us to dig new latrines."
Kel's face gave nothing away at the mention of such hard and sweaty work. Instead she merely nodded her acknowledgment and followed Renie. Roderick's surprise and the town's people's whispers at her unblinking acceptance did not go unnoticed by Kel. By the end of the day, Kel knew she had earned the right to stay and the will to begin the healing process.
A/N: Hi again to all my readers. I know it's been a very long time since my last update and I can only hope that you're all still with me and haven't gotten tired of waiting. I just finished my first semester of college and I hadn't found any time to write until now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and if you find any obvious mistakes feel free to point them out to me. I always try to edit my chapters well before I post, but I never fail to miss something. Don't forget to review! :D