A/N: I am sooooo sorry for the long update! You have no idea how many papers I have due for my classes in these two weeks- it's insane! It's been so crazy that this is the first time I've even gotten back on to fanfiction since the last update! Yikes!

But enough of that, this chapter takes place a few months after the last. Dom is gone and Haven has been flourishing- adding new refugees, learning how to fight. They've also survived a few raids. It's now the beginning of June (Dom left in early April). In this chapter, Haven falls.

Here you go!

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Long Ride

"She finished the climb to the ramparts. The sparrows met her there, perching on the sharpened logs. Dead soldiers and civilians littered the walkway…She and Jump walked the entire circuit of the camp on the walkway they'd fixed after Numair had dropped logs on it. She recognized everyone she saw…

She had promised to keep them safe. She had failed at that, but she must not fail to bring them home…"

-Tamora Pierce, Lady Knight

Two months after Dom's departure, Kel found herself riding to Fort Mastiff to deliver to Lord Wyldon her personal reports. She wished she didn't have to go. She didn't want to leave her people to fend for themselves. What if Scanrans attacked and she wasn't there? Would they be alright? Shaking her head, Kel was reassured of her thoughts. She had been training them for combat for over two months. The people of Haven knew how to defend themselves. She was just being a silly, overprotective, worrisome Mother, as the people were beginning to refer to her as. The nickname didn't bother her, at least it reassured Kel that the people knew she cared for them. But although she knew they could fight, and had done so numerous times with Scanran attacks here and there on the fort, she still couldn't help but worry about their safety.

Neal, who was riding with her to Mastiff, noticed her thoughtful silence, and from the expression on her face, he knew she was worrying about leaving the people behind again. She had been worrying even before they had left Haven. It took him, Merric, and the rest of the people of the fort, including Tobe, to assure her that they would be alright. The people had to know that she trusted them, and being able to leave them in charge for a few days would do just that, and that's what Neal and Merric had told her. Finally, Kel gave in to go.

However, as Neal thought of where they were headed, or more precisely who they would be seeing when they got to Mastiff, he almost wished that they would've remained at Haven. In a way it was funny that he had had to persuade Kel to go to Mastiff instead of the other way around. The Stump was not his favorite person to say the least.

He was about to share this thought aloud until he looked over at Kel. She was biting her lower lip, plainly still worried. Neal sighed, "If you chew on that lip anymore, you'll have no lip left to chew on."

Kel stopped and looked over at her best friend. "What?"

Neal let out a laugh, "If you don't stop worrying about them, Mother, that brown hair of yours if going to turn gray by Midwinter. Then we'll have to call you Grandmother."

She sighed. When she didn't respond, Neal told her gently, "They know how to fight, Kel. They have you to thank for that."

"I know that," she replied, "but I still hate leaving. I'm their commander and they're my responsibility. Couldn't we just have sent our reports by messenger?"

"Now you're talking," joked Neal, "just say the word, and we'll be heading back to Haven. I'll send the Stump my best wishes by letter."

Kel finally cracked a smile. "I can only imagine what your best wishes would entail."

At that moment, Fort Mastiff came in to view. Though Kel had seen it before, she was always in awe of the fort. It always made Haven seem so small. She wished Haven could look like Mastiff, but then again Haven was a refugee camp, not a military fort. Still, she wished it could have its high sturdy walls and squads of soldiers at her disposal.

Neal interrupted her envious thoughts when they made it through Mastiff's gates. "Looks like we have a welcoming party, Lady Knight."

Sure enough, Kel took her eyes away from the fort's walls and looked ahead. Owen of Jesslaw, upon hearing their arrival, came bounding toward them in delight. A smile broke out on Kel's face as she watched her friend come toward them. All thoughts of Haven for the moment vacated her mind.

Through the northern woods of Tortall, sparrows flew through the trees. A horse's hooves thundered behind them, following their lead. The thick forest impeded their haste, but they dared not take the swifter path of the roads. Scanrans could be anywhere and on the roads, one could be ambushed easily. They couldn't afford to be caught. They had to make it to Mastiff and to Lady Kel as quickly as possible.

The young boy on the back of the horse was frightened, not so much about being caught, but about what he had left behind. It was chaos. Tobe had been in the stables, tending to the mount he now rode, when the Scanrans and their killing machines had attacked. There had been little warning before the things topped the fort's walls, attacking from three sides. Tobe had been getting ready to assist in the fight when Zamiel, the head clerk, had pulled him aside. He wanted him to go to Lady Kel. That was the reason that Tobe was racing through the woods now, being led by the sparrows, on their way to Mastiff.

The sooner he got to Mastiff, the sooner the people of Haven would receive help- and help they needed if the chaos he had left the fort in was any indication. There had been Scanrans everywhere and, even worse, those killing machines that his Lady hated so much. As he raced through the woods, he prayed that the people would be okay. It was going to be a long ride to Mastiff. A long ride to help…

Kel was standing in the middle of Haven while people bustled by her. Her people were running for their weapons, shouting out orders and yelling replies. Kel tried, but she couldn't move. It felt like her feet were glued to the ground. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't budge. She felt anxious and frustrated. Worst of all, she felt useless. She was useless. Suddenly she heard the sound of horses getting closer. Instinctively, Kel reached for her glaive, only to find she was defenseless. She could hear the horses getting closer, and closer…

Waking with a start, Kel realized it was just a dream. It had felt so real. In fact, it felt like she was still dreaming. She could still hear the sound of horses echoing in her mind…No, wait. That pounding was a real sound, coming from her door. Kel immediately leapt up to get it.

Watching the boy sob into Kel's shirt, Neal met Kel's eyes. They both knew what had happened. Haven had been attacked. They had yet to get the details from Tobe, but they knew all the same. The boy wouldn't have ridden all day long to get to Mastiff in the middle of the night just to see Kel. He wouldn't be shaking and crying with fear if something hadn't happened. They could only expect the worse from the boy's appearance.

A short while later, after Tobe had told Kel a few details, Lord Wyldon ordered them to get ready to mount up. They were going back to Haven.

A/N: Okay, not the happiest chapter, but it had to be done. In the next one, we'll hear from Raoul and Dom, after Kel renegades of course! I'll update soon!