A/N: Well here it is, the next chapter. You know the drill anything recognizable belongs to the genius that is Tamora Pierce.
After addressing her people at, Kel got to work on the reports that lay stacked on her desk. She still didn't have her full energy level back, so sitting at the table reading report after report seemed like a very taxing job.
About half an hour after she had begun going over the reports Neal and Merric had left for her, Yuki walked into Kel's office. She came bearing a tray with green tea, a drink Kel had learned to love during her time in the Yamani Isles.
"I thought you might want a little something to help keep you awake while going through those reports." Yuki said, knowing how tedious Kel found that task.
"Thank you." Kel smiled up at her. "Come, stay with me for a little while, I need to get my mind off of these dull reports or I'll go insane."
"Of course." Yuki said, happy to be of service to her dear friend. "I suppose you realized now that Dom and the Third Company are hear. I did see you talking with him earlier."
Kel blushed furiously, "Yes, we talked for a little while. But it wasn't about anything important." Kel responded, trying to keep emotion out of her face, but because she was blushing was highly unsuccessful. "Yuki, just because I told you how I feel for him doesn't mean you get to use it every time we speak of him!"
"I didn't say anything on the subject, you came up with that all on your own," Yuki countered. Her eyes danced with mirth as she regarded Kel's obvious discomfort with the way the conversation was going.
"Speaking of him, you were mumbling his name a lot in your sleep last night when I came back after dinner. Dreaming of the Sergeant were you?"
If possible Kel's face turned even redder. "Um, perhaps." Was all Kel responded could think to say. "If you must know, I did have a dream about him that I remember, but if was very odd."
Yuki looked at Kel expectantly until she continued to explain the dream. "Well, he and I were standing in the woods outside of New Hope and, well, he started saying weird things. It was one of the oddest dreams I have ever had."
"Kel," Yuki said impatiently. "It was just a dream."
"But it was so odd!" Kel blurted. "In my dream he was saying the strangest things, Yuki. I know dreams don't usually make much sense, but this one didn't make any sense. It was down right weird.'
"Kel, I wouldn't think much of it, after all it was just a dream." Yuki responded attempting to talk some reason into her friend. "But Dom was saying things that didn't make sense, such as the fact that I'm not as guarded in my sleep!" Kel said quite loudly. "Oh never mind. I guess you are right. It is just a dream after all. I just didn't want to believe it. You know me, always in love with the man I can never have." She sighed, smiling sadly to herself. She rested her chin on her
hands staring dejectedly of into space.
Yuki stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Kel-"
"No, no. I will not wallow in self-pity. It is not me." Kel said stubbornly. Shaking her head at herself. "I should get back to these papers."
"It's almost lunchtime!" Yuki protested, not wanting to leave Kel alone.
"I'll grab a bite later, remember I just ate an hour or so ago."
"If you say so," Yuki looked doubtful. In the end she had no choice but to leave Kel alone to the pile of reports.
XXXXXXXX
Dom rode briskly through the gate. The only weapon he had on his person was a small dagger he carried everywhere. It had been a present from Kel last year during Midwinter. It was quite plain except for three small blue crystals in the hilt. Crystals the same color as his eyes.
He trotted along a game trail, not really paying attention to where he was going. He let his mind wander to what he had overheard from Kel and Yuki's conversation. Soon enough, he was in completely unfamiliar territory. The trees were becoming increasingly close together. Confused, he stopped and glanced at his surroundings.
The pine trees were very still, not a breath of wind disturbed the branches. Dom felt that there was something wrong but he couldn't quite identify it. As he prepared to turn around and go back to New Hope he realized what he found odd. It was the utter silence that enveloped him. There wasn't even the sound of birds flitting through the trees.
Freezing where he stood, he scanned his surroundings, waiting for those who were hiding in the woods to show themselves. He gripped his dagger mentally cursing himself for not arming himself with anything more substantial.
Suddenly, six ragged men materialized surrounding him. Their clothes were torn and coated in grime. They all had scraggly beards that were filled with snarls. All of the bandits looked as if they hadn't had a proper meal in months.
One of them, who appeared to be the ringleader, stepped forward with a cruel smirk on his face as he stepped in front of his comrades.
XXXXXXXX
Kel attempted to finish reading the reports she had left to look over, but found that she couldn't concentrate. She tried to keep at it for thirty minutes before she became completely fed up with it.
Frustrated, she stood up and marched out of the building, not stopping until she reached the stable. Once at the stable she went to Hoshi's stall and saddled her. She found her bow and quiver full of arrows hanging on the corner of one of the stalls. On an impulse she grabbed it, it was still dangerous to go outside of New Hope without any weapons.
As Kel started to lead Hoshi out of the stable, she stopped abruptly at the doorway. In the middle of the doorway was Neal, standing there with his hands on his hips.
"There is no way in any realm, mortal, divine or dead, I am letting you go out there on your own," Neal told her. "I just patched you up! I don't want to have to do it again!"
"It's just a quick ride! What can happen?"
"I don't care what you say, I am going with you." He said stubbornly with his arms crossed over his chest and a fierce glare.
"Alright, alright," Kel sighed, not wanting to get into an argument with Neal that she knew she would lose. It took only a few minutes for Neal to saddle his horse, he had already sent Tobe to get his sword and Kel's glaive. It wasn't long before they were armed and ready to go for a ride outside of New Hope.
Passing through the gate, Kel glanced around at the faint trails that led through the woods surrounding New Hope. Noticing hoof-prints in the dirt of one of the less travelled trails she paused before the gate closed. Turning to one of the men closing it she asked, "Who was the last person to leave?" That soldier had a crescent shaped scar just behind his left ear. Kel noticed it as he turned to look at her, just barely visible underneath his brown curls.
"T' wasn't more'n fifteen minutes, Lady Knight." The soldier replied steadily, "Twas the sergeant, oh what's 'is name, ya know him. " He jerked his head at Neal who was waiting impatiently only a few feet away. "Yer friend over there, his cousin I heard."
"Dom?" She asked wondering why on earth he would have gone out for a ride completely on his own.
"That's the one, him." He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun blazing overhead.
"Thank you, soldier." Neal said, eager to end this conversation. Turning to Kel he pressed her into leaving. "Shall we go? Maybe we will be able to find my dear cousin and whatever mischief he has gotten himself into."
Kel shook her head at his insolence, but agreed to follow the tracks that Dom had made. She knew as well as anyone that it was dangerous to leave camp alone. Even though she had hoped to be able to have some time alone riding, thinking back on it she knew that it was a terrible idea. What could make both of them do something so unbelievably stupid?
Leaving her personal thoughts aside she followed Neal down the faint trail left by Dom. They rode in silence for a few minutes before Neal spoke up.
"So, Kel," he said abruptly. "Any special reason you wanted to go for a ride all by yourself like my dearest cousin seems to have done?"
Kel's face was expressionless as she responded to his prying nature. "Not particularly Neal. I just thought it would be nice. Maybe to clear my head." She turned and shifted the topic of conversation to something else. "Never mind why I wanted to go for a ride. What about you Neal? Anything interesting happen lately in your life?"
"Oh, not too much. Same old stuff, heal one man's broken toe, keep my best friend from dying, that sort of thing." Neal remarked flippantly.
"Weren't you supposed to do something about your insolence whilst we were in page training Sir Nealan." Kel said glancing at her riding companion with one eyebrow raised before turning her focus back to the path ahead of them.
"Mother, you of all people should know that not even the Stump could bre-"
Kel cut him off abruptly, motioning for him to be quiet. "Shh, I think I heard something." Cautiously moving forward she heard voices ahead. She gripped her glaive and signaled for Neal to follow her towards the sound.
A/N: Sorry about taking so long, I could bore yo with a list of excuses but that would just be pointless. Hope you liked it. Same old spiel, read and review.