(A/N Hey guysI'm sooooooooo sorry for not updating for the longest time ever! You see, our server was having problems with wires and stuff so yeah. And I had a serious case of writer's block I have no idea what to do for this chapter so I'm just writing as it goes... Today is Feb. 10 I think... :D Enjoy review and pls!!!!! send title ideas with comments! shireen)PS Uhhhhhhhhhh New characters... just giving you a heads up :D R&R!!!!!! ps this is set a few days after the fight that was supposed to happen but i can't write fight scenes!!!!! a few days to her ordeal...)
"Kel?"
"Hmmmm?" Kel answered too preoccupied by her work to even look at Neal.
"Letter."
"From?" she was still bent over the needle and the thread she was trying to put through the small eye of the needle.
"Matthew of Jewel Creek? Not anyone I know." she was now facing him..
"Really, Neal? Do you swear that it is?"
"It's what?"
"From Matt."
"That's what it says." he said blankly.
"Oh, Neal I'm sorry. He's just- Just a-" her eyes no longer contained the excitement they had a while ago when he uttered the name.
"Do I want to know?"
"I suppose you don't but Neal, he's just an old friend."
"I trust you Kel." he embraced his fiancee.
"Thank you." she smiled warmly.
"I have to go."
"Where? Bachelor's party."
"It was Owen's idea." Neal said holding up his hands..
"Take care." Kel said kissing him lightly.
Neal deepened the kiss."I love you. Rest." he didn't dare say the word ordeal.
"And Kel?"
"What?"
"Stop the sewing." sparkling green threads of gift made their way to the pricks on Kel's hands.
"Gladly. I don't not how Oranie did it so well." she sighed.
"You have the upper hand on your sister. (is that the correct preposition?) You can fight. " he grinned.
"Good night." she closed the door.
Eagerly she tried ripping the paper envelope. It didn't give in, it was now glowing with blue-green Gift.
Kel walked to Alanna's rooms.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Oh, hello Kel, come in." George welcomed her.
"Thank you. Is the lady knight about?"
"In the sitting room."
Kel walked silently.
"Lioness,"
"Yes Kel?"
"May I ask a favor?"
"Yes, of course." Alanna said putting down a big volume.
"This, letter is shielded by Gift I have to read it, can you undo the spell?"
"Let's have Aly take a look. Aly?" Alanna called her daughter. "Could you please check what kind of spell this has?"
"It's blinding me." Aly covered her eyes. "Wait. give me a few seconds." She blinked trying to clear her vision.
Alianne examined the letter carefully.
"Ma, you aren't going to get through this one. It has a stated date of opening. The writer of this letter protected it until..." she squinted.
"Tomorrow." she finally said." Matt is quite thorough. There has to be about 15 overlapped spells in a layer and there are 10 layers."
"He drained himself to protect this letter?"
"No, it was done in...ten days.1 day 1 layer."
"Aly, it's from Matthew?"
"Yes, Ma."
"I'm proud, I trained him myself." she said satisfied with her work.
Alianne rolled her eyes. "You taught him too well. Kel here is dying of excitement and it's all your fault."
"Kel,where is Nealan?" Alanna's eyebrow cocked upward.
"Bachelor's party." her shoulders shot up. "Owen's idea."
"Would you like to stay for dinner.? I think he won't be home till past midnight." Alanna invited.
"Uncle Raoul is coming anyway."Aly put in.
"Of course I'd love to." Kel bowed deeply in her kimono.
"You have to dress for the occation first!" Alianne said towing her away to Kel's tiny squire's room.
"So, do you own any good dresses?" Alianne was practically speaking to herself. Alianne pulled out a beautiful Emerald green dress.
"How much did this cost?"
"Lalasa used to be my maid she keeps sending me prototypes for dresses of other people." Kel reasoned taking the dress away from Alianne. "I'd rather not need to wear a corset.Another kimono should suffice." Kel brought out a silk kimono. It was scarlet with gold embroidered flowers. The obi was gold and a brown ribbon was sewn on it.
Alianne admired it with wide eyes. "Wow." was all she had to say.
Kel went behind her dressing screenandstated tskingoff herkimono.
"So,Kel does Neal come here often?"
"Yes, I guess he does." she struggled with a complicated bow Lalasa tied on.
"How did you meet Matt?"
"It was years ago..."
Eight year old Kel explored her new-old home.
When she was around three, she had lived here but coming back to Tortall, she decided to rediscover the area.
Carrying a heavy junior sized glaive, she ventured.She figured she'd be safe enough considering she had both a glaive and shukusen on hand.
She came across a long river. She wished she hadn't chosen to wear a kimono that morning so she could swim but she had.
Thinking of a way to cross the river she paced.
"Ah!"An idea came to her. She threw stones -the ones she could carry-(don't think she's weak she's from the Isles!) making stepping stones.
Little did she know that some one was watching her.
"You shouldn't be doing that." he called.
"And why is that?"
"Father does not appreciate trespassers."
Kel of course had spent two days before learning from maps of their area
"Are you of Jewel Creek or Maiden's Bay?"
"I am Matthew of Jewel Creek, eldest son of the Lord of Jewel Creek."
"You couldn't have possibly just said 'I'm Matthew', could you?"
Matthew ignored the rhetorrical question."And you are?"
"Keladry of Mindelan."
"You can't possibly think to lift that weapon! Or can you little one?"
"Who are you to say I can't?"
"I just told you I am Matthew or do you want my history?"
"Yes please," She replied sarcastically.
"I am training for Shang."
"Shang does not accept nobles."
"My father is a shang.Although he did become a noble after."
"I rest my case."
"My father is my teacher."
"And you aren't with the Shangs?"
"I am going to take my Shang Ordeal at the place my father's was held"
"And I suppose being a Shang you have the right to judge me by physical appearance? Just because I'm a-"
The boy at least 2 years older than Kel took two steps closer (using the stones she had thrown)
"A girl? No, I am not sexist, and that is why I want to challenge you."
"Oh really?"
"Yes I do."
"You've no weapon."
"I've a glaive as well."
"I don't know you."
"Then, all the more motivation to protect yourself." He pressed on.
"And where do you think you're getting a glaive?"
"At your castle."
"What makes you so sure papa likes trespassers?"
"Oh. I'm no trespasser." He assured the young girl.
"Matthew! My dear you've grown!"Ilane exclaimed.
"Hello Aunt Ilane."
"Mama you know him?"
"Yes Of course, Kel. Come along Matthew you're family is comming for dinner. You're clothes are at your room."
"If he lives at Jewel Creek why does he have a room here?"
"He will be spending a year with us while they are remodeling their fief.Matthew, Kel, Come now. Kel, we haven't trained yet."
"I was hopping to train with Kelly, Auntie."
"Of course Matthew, Kel get into your practice kimono. I've no idea why you insist on running around in your ladies' Kimono.Go get glaives for Matthew and me from the armory"
"Yes mama." she obeyed running as fast as she could in her long flowing kimono.
Soon she arrived, carrying two additional galives.
"I'm sorry Kel, but Mama has to go and check up on the dinner for the night. Will you practice with Matthew for a while?"
"Yes mama." she said sadly.She was hoping to train with her mama; they haven't done any glaive patterns together since they had left the isles.
"Don't worry Aunt Ilane; I'll make sure Kelly here won't hurt herself and that we'll be back in time." Matthew assured her with a wink.
"Matthew, you do that but remember to stay with in the area; your mama will throw fits if you go missing again." she said shaking her head from the memmory.
As soon as Ilane was out of their vision Kel walked away.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"As far as possible from you." She said blankly.
"We haven't even started yet. Are you scared already?"
"No. I just don't like you."
"Prove it."
Kel had an urge to lunge at him with her glaive but composed her self instead. Only dirty players and barbarians attacked a person out of the blue.
She put down her shukusen and brought out her glaive.
"Free style or clean through?" she asked.
"Clean through." He replied.
He must want to measure out my glaive lore, not my whole technique. It would be fair. If we were to use kicks and blows, he wouldn't be able to distinguish if I was good at this… she thought as she did a few simple streching routines. She hadn't noticed Matthew too had done the same; only, he had stripped off his shirt.
She watched him doing the same excersises as herself.He had a very toned body for a ten year old. The body he had would surely ignite some envy on the part of some of the ymani youths she had spent time with. He was quite handsome. He had coal black hair and blue-green eyes. He was very tall for his age with toned muscles but lean muscles.
"Ready?" he asked.
An annoyed hmph was all he got.
They settled in the middle of the grassy meadow and circled each other.
Matthew took a chance and lunged first Kel blocked and their blades met with a strong pang.They continued their fight their glaive's meeting every time at the very last momment one would block a possibly fatal blow or would slide away at the exact time.
Once each had tired down the other, their glaives met again, hard. Matthew, surprisingly, didn't use height or weight advantage. So Kel did what would show him how well she was trained, she wouldn't fall for his hidden trap.She released her glaive and struck blindly.(to show him she could fight even with her eyes closed further explanation is in bold italics…:
There had once been a tale of a great blind Yamani warrior. Kel had progressed quickly and was already training with adults more than twice her age. She had taken the Yamani warrior ordeal, a blind folded weapon fight with your instructor, and had passed.)She is known as the "blind foreign predator" in the Isles.
Matthew knew she wouldn't fall for his trap; this one isn't as bad as the other at least.She's bright too.Maybe summer won't be so bad. I hope she won't hold a grudge it'll be hard to live in a castle with an angry little girl.
They bowed to eah other as trdition stated, and Matthew walked at a leisurely pace to retreive his glaive that had pierced the ground.
He found that it was stuck. "Kelly!"
She groaned. "It's Kel."
"But that's what everyone calls you."
"That's the point."
"I want to be special."
"Yes you are special." She said sourly.
"Kel, what else do you want? You beat me, you have insulted me what's next on your list?"
"Public embarrassment is all."
Suddenly it started to rain, hard.They desperately searched for shelter. Kel tried to remember if a cave or any shelter was near. She wraked her brain trying to remember.
"Over there, your brothers and I used to hide there." He pointed to a small cave only a short distance away.
She shrugged feeling angry at herself for not remembering.
He started to run for the cave. Then he noticed she was still out in the rain. He turned back.
"Stop kicking yourself. Come on; the river will flood soon. You better come or I will drag you." He said playfully, as if nothing had happened only minutes before.
Kel picked up her shukusen and hid it in her obi. She grunted and walked to the cave in a deliberatley slow manner.
Staying true to his word, he ran back to where she was standing and pulled her by her wrist. He heard her wince but said nothing. It would only make it worse if he pointed out a show of pain.
Her feet remained solidly planted on the wet ground.Two can play at this game. He made his way back to the glaive still stuck in the ground.
He sighed. Maybe she isn't different from all the other girls. Maybe she's just another one of them trying to marry him to get closer to the palace. Maybe the only difference she had from the other girls that chased him was that she could handle a weapon.
Kel walked over to him and saw his dilema.
"Mama wouldn't like it if one of our weapons wasn't in the armory." She explained as she took the hilt and pulled, hard. He took her hands and looked at them carefully.They were bruised all over and full of small wounds.
"You're tough little girl, you've proven it. Believe me. Tough, but not very strong." He said vaguely as he wondered the root of her injuries.
"What do you suggest?"She said pulling her hands away.
He ignored her question.
"Follow me." He pulled her toward his destination.
As soon as they were deep inside enough to be protected from the rain, he sat her down on the ground.
"Roll up your sleeves."
"Why?" she answered disgustedly. This was one perverted ten-year-old.
"Do as I say." He had an angry look on his face.
She obeyed reluctantly. Her arms were covered in various bruises some fresh some old. She had cuts some were clotted and some unclotted.A few were nearly healed and others were left unattened.
His face went grim. "Who has been beating you?
"No one, just harsh training." She lied, face Yamani smooth. She pulled her shukusen from her obi and played with it.
"I know all fighting techniques so don't even try to lie again. I'm asking you, 'Who has been beating you?'"
She looked down at her feet.She murmered her answer.
He put a cool hand on her shin and tilted her face so that he could see her.
"Your persistence not to answer properly is testing my patience."
"Conal." She whispered, had anyone else been there, they'd never understand. Matthew had learned to read lips.
"Since when?"
She looked away.
"Since when?" he pressed on.
She still did not answer.
"I swear by the goddess Kel, if you don't tell me, there will be rampage. I'm wose than the Lioness when I am angered."
"Since I was old enough to walk on my own alright? Can you leave me alone?"
"I can but I won't. Where is he?"
"I can take him on my self."
"Stow it Kel. No matter how much you train today, you can't beat him by tomorrow. That is something I learned the hard way. Trust me you don't want to learn it like I did." He said in an obvious effort to make her feel better. He shook his head. This girl is hard as a rock.
"He's older than you. I'll take care of him and make sure he won't even think of touching you ever again."
"It shows I'm weak. I will never get respect, and he'll hate me."
She has been to the Isles. That shows it right there. "Don't you hate him?"
"No. I hate my self for not being able to fight back."
"Don't. If you really want to beat him, train with me. We'll take him on together." He told her while little strands of Gift escaped his fingers. He thoroughly healed her wounds, her back, sides, arms, legs, and all.
"That is my last offer." He said trying to lighten the mood. He grinned.
All of Kel's hatred melted away, away into something friendly and open. She started to talk and he listened intently. She cried and he let her cry on his shoulder. (A/N: I know OOC but hey, you know, when you're a kid with lots of problems, you trust easily. Once a person has proven to you that he/she means no harm you just… take a leap of faith I guess)
Later that night…
M: Kelly, what do you want for dinner?
K: It doesn't really matter; it isn't like it's going to appear out of thin air.
M: I can conjure something to keep you warm. Soup maybe? A blanket is in order of course. I am not a fan of sleeping out in the cold.
K: I thought they didn't let gifted people into Shang?
M: We can talk about that later. I need food for energy. Tell me now or you'll get left-overs.
K: Nothing is wrong with left overs.
M: Tell me or you will get cold soup.
K: Alright, soup, and bread is enough.
M: What kind? while trying to meditate and talk at the same time
K: Chicken soup and garlic bread.
M: Anything else? Dessert?
K: Anything you can get.
M: Whatever you say.
K:falls asleep
M: Conjures food
After a while of preparation…
M: Kelly, get up. Food!
K: gets up and streches muscles
M: I got soup, chicken, vegetables, pudding-
K: embraces him in a weird un-Yamani like manner and blushes after remembering her manners
Thank you, Matthew.
M: You rhymed. smiles It's Matt by the way. I think you'll be thanking me many more times in the furture so, call me Matt. Thank you Matthew will eventually get old.
K: nods and helps herself to eaqual portions making sure not to take too much, or too little to offened her 'host'
M: eats as well minding his manners
So Kelly, what did you like about the Isles?
K: remembers that his shirt was still out side
It was very nice.
Did you conjure clothes?
looks up
M: Yes. I also got my sister's old coat for you; it may be a little too big.
hands her a beautiful carefully made and embroidered coat
K: This is a lady's coat, you know.
M: And?
K: I'm not considered a lady.
M: I heard in the Isles you were highly respected, training with Ymanis more than twice your age.
K: That doesn't prove me to be a lady.
M: For one, you have exceptional manners- when you aren't angry at me. Second, you are very pretty. Third, you are clever. Fourth, you are -and I have seen visions- helpful and polite. Fifth, you are talented with weapons. That is all the requirements for a Yamani lady.
K: You should stop it or I will call you Matthew for the rest of your life.
M: smiles
You've finally learned how to jest. Go back to sleep; I'll clean up.
K: I can-
M: Healer's orders.
K:freflects on whether she should pull out a weapon but shoves the thought at the farthest part of her mind and obeys instead
crawls into a soft area and falls slowly to sleep
M: magics everything back into order and places a blanket ontop of her shiverring form
K: Matt?
M: Y-y-e-e-ssss?
K: Come here. You can sleep next to me.
M: You need the warmth.
K: So do you. If we share body heat we'll both be warmer.
M: I'm fine.
K: I won't stop until you agree.
M: Fine.walks toward her G'night.
K: G'night.
K&M: fall asleep
M: actually lies awake trying to pretend he's sleeping but refects on his new 'friend'
No she's different and special.She is not like the others. She's unique and nice too.If she'd just let someone in, she'd be happier.
That night, Matt although she was hurting inside and vulnerable, Matt had learned how to get her to talk. His mother had always said that a lot of negative energy held in that long was never healthy, mentally and physically as well.
Matt and Kel became close friends; they spent all their time together. Unknowingly Kel was offending her sister Oranie.
One day Oranie decided to confront Kel or rather, lock her up while she, Oranie celebrated her birth day with Matt
"Kel! Kel! Kelly!!!"
"Yes, Oranie? What do you want now? Freshly picked Flowers? Hair Wreathes for you? Maybe you'd fancy a newly sown dress?" Kel snapped at her older sister. Very rarely Kel would lose her Yamani control.
(till next time...)
"No, nothing like that Kelly."