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FIVE: Aftermath
Kel looked up from brushing Peachblossom and frowned. It looked like a couple of squads were coming in – and, as usual, Peachblossom would probably be mean and snap at them. Warily, Kel put down her brush and put a firm hand on her gelding's back.
Peachblossom lurched for the first horse that passed, though luckily it went un-noticed by the man leading in the victim. Kel attempted to restrain her gelding over the passing of the next ten horses. Then, just as she felt Peachblossom was going to give up soon, Lerant walked in, leading an unfamiliar tan gelding. Completely losing grip on all her common sense, Kel let go of Peachblossom as the last time she'd seen Lerant's face flashed into memory; the moment after they'd kissed.
Peachblossom, though, didn't so much as bare his teeth at Lerant's mount. Instead he watched quite calmly as the tan gelding was led into the stall to the left of Peachblossom's. Kel didn't know what to be more worried about – Peachblossom's odd behaviour or the possibility that she'd always go blank whenever Lerant walked by. She picked up the brush and continued on her gelding's mane, trying to calm herself.
What should I do? she asked herself. I don't know where I stand, what to do next – I guess I should talk to Lerant about it. Even though I'll probably die of embarrassment before we stop insulting each other…
Gathering herself, Kel breathed deeply and pulled on her Yamani mask. Then she slipped out Peachblossom's stall and leaned against the edge of the one Lerant and the tan gelding were occupying.
"Is this your new horse?" she asked cheerfully, as she might to any one of her friends.
Lerant looked up and scowled at her. In one swift movement, he stepped forward, grabbed a fistful of her tunic and pushed her against the wall. "We aren't friends, so don't talk to me like we are," he hissed. "I was half-mad in the forest. You know I was. Whatever happened there doesn't change a thing, and it definitely—"
"—didn't mean anything. Right," Kel finished for him. Lerant let go of her tunic and continued brushing his new gelding, his eyes firmly locked on the rhythmic movement of the brush in his hand. Slightly dazed, Kel wandered back to Peachblossom's stall and tried to remember what she had been doing before. Her chestnut roan gelding snorted at her sympathetically.
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Kel stirred her porridge. As usual, it was thick and lumpy. And, as she had expected, it offered no answers to her raging thoughts. I guess he didn't feel anything, then. So why did I? I suppose it was just because I haven't been kissed in so long. Well… I'll just forget about it. I don't care… I'm not some court lady who's always after a man. I have other things to think about, like fighting.
"Hey, Kel. Enjoying your breakfast?"
Dom's voice startled her. "Ah, I'm not really hungry…" she explained, pushing her bowl away. There was no way she could eat; her stomach was still churning from the encounter with Lerant earlier that morning.
"Oh. How's your head?" he enquired, sitting down beside her. He wolfed down a huge spoonful of porridge.
Kel attempted a smile. "It's much better, thanks." She watched him gulp down another massive spoonful and remarked, "You'll get indigestion if you eat that fast."
"Sorry, mother," Dom replied sarcastically. "I'm on washing up duty today so I need to be quick."
Kel narrowed her eyes at him. "Tell me you didn't learn that off Neal."
"What, 'mother'?" He grinned broadly. "Of course not. I learnt it from Sir Merric!"
Kel rolled her eyes. "You're appalling, Domitan."
"I know, mother," he replied cheerfully. "If I do all the washing up now, can I go out and play afterwards?"
Restraining the urge to laugh, Kel tried to scowl at him. Dom stood and patted her shoulder. "I'll see you later." He nudged her full porridge bowl towards her hand. "And eat something, otherwise you'll pass out later."
Kel grimaced at her porridge. Faleron, sitting opposite her, caught her eye.
"You don't like him anymore," he said.
Kel stared at him. He had noticed, as well as Lerant? Maybe her Yamani mask was weakening. Kel turned and looked at Dom, scrubbing bowls with a rag. "No, I suppose I don't."
Just as she was about to return to her meal, the mess doors flew open, revealing Raoul standing in the doorway, struggling with his scabbard. He fixed it straight and strode into the hall. "Leave your food and fetch your mounts! A messenger just arrived. Winged monkeys are approaching Tawny village, so get a move on! We're going into battle! Sergeant Aiden—"
The entire room was engulfed in a swarm of men rising from their seats. Dom rushed by Kel's table, grabbing her arm. "You're with my squad today. Come on." As they jogged to the stables, he scrutinised her. "I hope you ate enough," he remarked seriously. "Meathead will kill me if you get hurt."
"I got hurt last time, and you're not dead," Kel replied with a straight face.
He grinned. "I didn't tell him about that, but he'll find out about all your injuries soon."
Kel didn't have the time to ask him why. Having reached the stables, they brought out their warhorses and began to lead them to the north wall where the other men were gathering. On their way they passed Raoul, being strapped into his armour by Lerant. Peachblossom eyed the standardbearer's tan gelding, but didn't react when it snorted at him. When Dom's horse got too close, though, he lunged.
"What's this?!" Raoul asked, obviously shocked. "Peachblossom was actually nice to Lerant's mount! On the way to the village, you two ride next to each other. It'll save the other horses some energy."
Kel froze. Ride with Lerant? Please, someone tell me Sakuyo laughs… Why did it have to be Lerant's horse that Peachblossom didn't mind? It wasn't even his horse originally anyway. Before it had probably carried a nice man who minded his own business and didn't blow your brain to pieces if he accidentally kissed you, then say that it hadn't meant anything. Of course it hadn't meant anything, Kel tried to convince herself. Maybe she'd just been mistaken and it was really repulsion she had been feeling.
"Well, we'll see you at the gate," Dom said to Raoul and Lerant. "Be there soon."
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Kel wiped her hands on her breeches and took a deep breath. It was so tense that she half-expected someone to explode. Beside her rode Lerant, stonily glaring ahead as if she wasn't there. They rode at the very back of the others so Peachblossom wouldn't be distracted by horses behind him, and there was a good gap between them and the next horses. Kel wondered why she put up with Peachblossom sometimes. The number of situations and disturbances caused by his attitude towards other mounts seemed to grow by the day.
"Well," she said deliberately, "good weather for a battle, isn't it? No rain, so we'll be able to see—"
Lerant narrowed his eyes at her. Kel took this as a warning and decided not to finish her sentence.
A few moments later, Kel saw Dom veer his horse out of line and fall back. He levelled with Kel and Lerant.
"I hear Peachblossom's made a friend," he grinned, keeping his own distance from Kel's gelding.
Kel smiled weakly. "Well, not exactly…" She glanced across at Lerant; he was glaring at his horse's mane.
For a moment, silence smothered the three warriors.
"Well, at the least the weather's good for fighting airborne enemies," Dom said, too cheerful to be genuine. He looked at Kel unsurely. She shrugged back.
"Yeah, I hate having rain in my eyes."
Dom appeared to take courage from her agreement. He looked towards Lerant. "And no giants this time! Don't go running off after anything else, okay?"
Dom turned pale the moment Lerant's eyes locked with his.
"Yes, well… I should probably take position again. We'll arrive soon." Dom cast an extremely apologetic look at Kel and drove his horse back up the line.
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"Before you used to argue. Now…nothing. Just silence."
Kel frowned. "Well, things change."
"What kind of things?" Dom was lying on her bed, arms behind his head, and looking up at the ceiling.
Kel, sat on the floor applying ointment to her shallow wounds and grazes, shrugged. "I don't know," she said, slightly annoyed at how Lerant managed to worm his way into practically every moment of her life. "Lerant's like a mystery we'll never unravel. No-one knows what's going on inside his head." She couldn't keep the scorn from her voice.
Dom rolled over onto his side to watch her. "That's true, but this is pretty odd, even for him. It's like his attitude to you changed overnight. Did anything happen between you two?"
Kel channelled her impatience into furiously rubbing ointment into a scratch on her leg. "No, not really."
"What do you mean, 'not really'?" Dom shot back.
"Nothing out of the ordinary." This was probably the most outrageous lie Kel had ever told in her life.
"Are you sure?" Dom asked again. "I get the feeling you're not telling me something."
"Well, I haven't noticed anything odd, okay?"
Dom looked at her, unconvinced. "You can trust me, you know."
"I do trust you," she said, sighing. "I just honestly don't know why Lerant is acting this way." That, at least, was true.
"Oh well," Dom said, finally appearing satisfied with her words. "He gets a bit odd sometimes. He'll be right enough soon." He stood and stretched leisurely. "Anyway, I have reports to write so I'll be going. Sleep well, Kel." Dom let himself out.
Kel secured the lid of the healing ointment and put it away. It's odd not liking Dom anymore, she said to herself silently. After so long, it's funny being around him and not going all light-headed when he smiles.
Funny how I stopped liking Dom right after kissing Lerant, part of her brain said. Kel paused, then she laughed.
Don't be stupid, Kel. I stopped liking him because I avoided him. Because of the truths Lerant told me. Kissing Lerant had nothing to do with it. Relief washed over her. Somehow, she'd been worried that she might actually like Lerant the same way she used to like Dom.
When she clambered into bed, exhausted from the day's battles, Kel fell asleep instantly.
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Ah, I finally updated! (So quickly after my Alter Ego update, too.) Basically this week is gonna be a doss so no schoolwork to worry about. I did have some arrangements for this weekend but my friend has had to cancel, so I'm free to write this weekend. I've already written about 300 words of Chapter 6, it's starting off quite funny. Before Lerant steps in, of course. Anyhoo, sorry for not updating in so long. And thanks for reviews and stuff. Please continue to give me your support, it really helps. So now I'm off to carry on writing and watch the last two episodes of the Vision of Escaflowne, see you next update (soon, hopefully)...