The Mirthos and Goddess priests arrived before the end of the week. By then, Kel had already rehearsed the ceremony with Neal, Yuki and the Yamani guests—twice. She'd checked and triple checked the seating arrangements, she'd received her own dress on special order from Lalasa AND she'd managed to avoid having any private conversations with Dom. The last task was far from easy; Dom seemed to be doing his utmost to find a moment alone with her. Each time, she narrowly escaped. "I'm not being a coward," she told herself firmly, "I just don't have time for distractions right now." coward a wicked little voice inside her whispered. Kel tamped down that voice and shoved it away.
Buri and Raoul's wedding was scheduled for the next day, and Neal and Yuki's would be the following Sunday. Kel awoke the morning of the first ceremony with a groan. She'd fallen asleep at a desk, this time it was a supply list for New Hope that had put her to sleep. Someone knocked on the door, then entered at the sound of her groan.
"Breakfast?"
Kel jumped. Of course Dom would find her half awake, hair tangled and matted with sleep, tunic rumpled…when did I start to care about my clothes? a cool part of her mind wondered. She tried subtly to smooth the fabric of her tunic.
Dom sat down across from the desk and offered her an apple and toast. "Sit, if you stand that fast after being asleep, you'll get dizzy."
Kel nodded, already feeling lightheaded. She doubted it had anything to do with standing up.
"Ready for today?" He asked, trying not to spook her.
Kel gulped. "I thought the Chamber was an ordeal." She muttered. "But at least then, it was only MY dignity on the line."
Dom grinned; he opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly a horn sounded. "Raiders!" Kel and Dom said together. All their senses jumped to high alert.
"Scanra must be reverting back to its old way; every tribe for itself." Kel panted as they ran for the armory. "Make sure Buri hasn't dressed yet, we don't want her pulling a Thayet."
Dom shook his head ruefully at the memory of Thayet's expensive—and ruined—dress.
Ten minutes later, Kel and Dom were dressed and armed, Kel had Griffin, her glaive, and a fully saddled Hoshi (the last was Tobe's doing). Dom was staring openly at the five battle dressed Yamani men and Yuki. Everything from the make of their swords to armor was alien to him, but fascinating nonetheless.
Raoul and Buri stomped in, neither in wedding attire. Kel breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
The group was given the basics of the attack. An estimated four dozen humans and at least a pack of centaurs had come down from the mountains, looking and raiding for food. The village under attack was a few miles northeast of the fort.
Alanna, George and Neal arrived at the last minute, ready to go. Neal took one look at Yuki, opened his mouth, and then closed it. Kel and the Lioness had taught him well. Beware of the women of the warrior class.
Dom was given a full squad on horseback; Kel was his second, Neal his third. Raoul and Buri each took another group, while George and Alanna disappeared once again. The couple of Pirate's swoop had their own unique ways of fighting.
Within Dom's group, one lone, wild looking Yamani joined, jerking his bear-like pony behind the rest of the men. Dom sized the man up as Kel leaned over to explain, "That's Yuki's brother, he's a ronin, a wanderer, worse than a Scanran berserker when it comes to fighting. Once we find the bandits, give him plenty of room." Dom nodded.
They cantered away from the fort, toward the pillar of smoke that rose from the village under attack. Kel gritted her teeth. She hated raiders. Hated, hated…she only hoped they didn't have any mages. As they came over the last hill, she let out a battle yell and spurred Hoshi into a charge.
Her first opponent was a centaur. She didn't bother getting close. Instead, she shot him with an arrow. It hit him in the chest, and she used her glaive to cut his throat as she charged by. The ronin shot past Kel, even fiercer than she. He leapt from the saddle and onto the back of another centaur, killing the male in one smooth motion. The ronin's mount was undeterred by the loss of his rider. The horse moved on to harass two of their human enemies. Kel watched as the Yamani warrior rushed further into the fray.
The Protector of the Small heard a woman scream, and that was all the invitation she needed. Following the ronin, she galloped in the direction of the cry. A human raider was holding a middle-aged woman by the hair. Kel let her Yamani mask drop so the raider could see the full strength of her fury. It was the last thing he ever saw. She offered her hand to the woman, and pulled the villager up on Hoshi's back. Unfortunately, the passenger was going to weigh them down.
Kel kept to the edges of the battle. She saw a flash of George Cooper, but then he was gone again. Yuki stayed close to Neal, defending him with her glaive each time he stopped to treat a fallen man. The Lioness let out a roar somewhere across the village, purple fire flew up and fought a reddish fire—the raiders had a mage.
In all, the fighting lasted for nearly an hour. Alanna killed the mage, and the remaining human raiders surrendered once the centaurs were gone. Still, the damage to the village was done. All major structures were ruined. Kel knew what that meant. More refugees.
The surviving villagers were brought back to the camp. Buri cancelled her wedding feast so the extra could be shared with newly homeless families. Yuki too, decided she would go for something simpler. Kel needed to get the villagers to New Hope before they became too comfortable at Steadfast. Tomorrow, they would need to salvage anything and everything they could. They would then pack it up and leave. Kel's brain groaned at the stress an estimated fifty new refugees would put on the camp.
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Mirthos's priest gave a special service for the dead. Tomorrow would bring burial detail as well. Raoul anxiously watched an exhausted Buri. He kept her close throughout the ceremony.
Neal would be up all night in the med tents, and Yuki offered to be his nurse. "I want to make sure he doesn't overexert himself." Yuki murmured to Kel. "You should stay and talk with someone, even if it's only for a short while. Today was difficult for all of us. Don't try and handle it on your own."
Kel nodded absently, her thoughts on numbers and calculations. Pounds of food, seed for the spring, housing …Kel thought briefly of the girl she'd rescued. Acacia (the woman) had no surviving family, but would stay with her former neighbors for the night.
Dom approached her, and Kel felt vaguely ashamed. Dom wouldn't worry about numbers. He'd find a way to make everyone fit, just as he'd helped her adjust to the King's Own. The Lady knight felt cold inside.
Kel's hazel eyes were troubled, focused on some distant problem. Dom could guess that she was worrying about the refugees. New Hope was already filling up, between the adopted Scarans and the expected Tortallian peasants from other areas around the border; New Hope simply wasn't big enough. But they could make it bigger, and Dom knew how. He wasn't just a carpenter; he knew HOW buildings were made. He'd designed most of the original buildings in Haven. He understood the angles, the tools, the materials. He preferred woodwork to killing any day. As the refugees continued to rebuild New Hope, Dom could show the residents how to make the most of the space. All he needed was Raoul's permission.
Dom filed a mental note to ask later, but Kel needed some support now.
He opened his arms and Kel hugged him tightly for a moment. She still wasn't 'all there' mentally. She hugged him back absently, politely, without enthusiasm. "Wanna talk?" He asked, searching her face for some clue as to what was going on behind the mask.
Kel pursed her lips. Of course she wanted to talk, but how could she say what she felt? She felt heartless, desensitized. No wonder she was having such a hard time finding love. All she wanted was to make sure everything was controlled, accounted for. She knew the villagers would be coming home with her, and she kept adding, subtracting, and dividing the cold, hard facts. She knew that among the villagers there were Loesias, Tobes and Fanches, but could she handle any more? "What are we going to do?" She asked, not expecting an answer. Dom's eyes were heavy, sad.
"You can't prevent every disaster. You also can't clean up everyone's mess—not by yourself. The Crown will send more resources, you'll find a way."
Her smile was weak, but genuine. "If only I had such faith in my abilities." She murmered.
Dom ruffled her hair. "If you did, no one would be able to stand your ego." He gave her hands a gentle squeeze and walked away to find Raoul. Kel watched him as he left, and the tiny voice in the back of her head whispered, he really DOES like you. Kel wasn't in the mood to shove that voice away.
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Kel was fast asleep—in her bed, this time—when Tobe shook her awake. "It's nearly time for exercise and Yuki wants to see you before you start."
Kel groaned, rose, and pulled on a new vest and hose.
Yuki and Neal were up in the mess. Neal paced and muttered to himself, while Yuki sat stiffly, hovering over a cup of tea. Neal's eyes were feverish with frustration. "Tell her it's a bad idea." He ordered Kel as she walked in and sat next to Yuki.
"If Neal says it's a bad idea, it's probably something I'd do." Kel told her Yamani friend.
Yuki smiled gently, in an attempt to act Tortallan. Kel was shocked at the difference it made.
The Lady Knight added, "So, what has me up at this hour? Are we following the sunrises of the Yamani isles?"
"My betrothed thinks she should come back with us and have the wedding there, once we've settled everyone in." Neal informed his year-mate curtly.
Kel stared at Yuki. "Are you insane? You're a lady, a refugee camp is no place—
"You're a lady, Keladry, and you run the place." Yuki injected midly.
Kel spluttered. "I'm also a knight and half mad to boot. Go back to Corus, you'll be happier there with Cricket."
"Stop it Kel. Cricket doesn't like court anymore than you—or I. We went through the same training you did when we were younger. Do you think so much has changed?"
"Yuki…you look…look, fighting is one thing, but that's not what usually happens at a refugee camp. You'll be living in the wilderness, plowing fields, on latrine duty…" Kel trailed off as she saw the look in Yuki's eyes. She'd seen it often enough in the mirror. "She's coming with us Neal, whether you like it or not. Now, I'm going back to sleep." She looked outside at the horizon and grunted, "Never mind."
Kel grumpily made her way through morning exercises, planning her next speech to the people of New Hope. She didn't notice Yuki's brother (the ronin from the battle) until after she'd completed her pattern dance. She wiped the sweat from her eyes and muttered a thank-you as he offered her a flask of water. After taking a long drink, she bowed and said, "I'm sorry we never had a chance to properly meet. I'm Keladry of Mindelan."
The warrior bowed in return. "I am Daisuke."
Kel translated. His name roughly meant "great help" in Yamani. Daisuke was in his late twenties, thickly built, yet he seemed light-footed. He was tall for a Yamani, eye level with Kel. His hair was long and tied back in typical ronin style. He wore his Katana casually, as if it never left his side. "Are you through sizing me up?" He asked. One eyebrow quirked knowingly.
"No."
"Then you are wise for someone so young."
Kel tried to stop her annoyance from showing. Male warriors were so predictable. Patronizing and all-knowing.
He frowned. "I didn't say that to insult you. I came to ask if I might accompany you on the trip back to New Hope. Yuki will need a chaperone anyway, until she's married, and most of the family is anxious to reach the capital."
Kel glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "And you would prefer not to go to Corus?"
The ronin grinned, very un-Yamani like. "The city is well ordered and—forgive me—boring. I'm hoping the trek across Northern wilderness will be more interesting." He had a savage, hungry glint in his eye.
"Not while Kel's in charge."
Kel jumped at the sound of Dom's voice; it was much colder than usual. How long had he been listening?
