4. Strays
He couldn't help it; his heart skipped a beat as he saw the ragged dog marching purposely across the room towards him. Kel could have sent Jump to get him for any number of reasons, none of which necessarily involved mortal peril. Or angry immortals. Or duels to the death with conservatives, though that would be interesting to watch and he could use a little excitement after ten long days on the road. Or…but no, his imagination was getting away from him again, and they hadn't even reached the border yet.
If he got this worked up now, how was he going to be able to watch her ride out into the real fighting? He had no doubt that Kel would be in the middle of the battle if left to her own devices, fighting for everyone else with little regard for her own safety.
As much as Neal hated to admit it, he almost hoped that the Stump would continue to underestimate her as he always had and give her a safe assignment. She would hate it, he knew, but she would still accept her duty without complaint; it was one of the things that had always amazed him about her, her ability to take on the worst task without complaint, then complete it like it was what she had always dreamed of doing.
He knew he was being selfish, wanting to keep her out of the fighting when she was so desperate to prove herself. She was his best friend, the only reason he had made it through his training, the one who would help him make it through the war. He couldn't survive without her.
So even before he felt Jump's jaw close lightly on his leg, seeking his attention in the most expedient manner he could think of, Neal was already making his excuses and taking his leave. Sure, he would complain about having to leave the card game when he saw her; he had a reputation to maintain. But it was all talk. And Kel knew it of course; she could always see through his cynical façade.
He hurried after Jump without a second glance, wondering what stupid, selfless act had gotten his best friend into trouble this time around.
Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't a boy. He was used to Kel and her strays; a new kitten wouldn't have surprised him, or an injured bird. Even a baby hurrok wouldn't have been all that surprising; she had raised the griffin after all, and what an ungrateful little beast it had been.
But this was different- this was a human child. Kel clearly had no notion of how to raise a young boy, that much was clear from the fact that she was speaking calmly to him as he sat between Peachblossom's legs.
If there was one place in the world Neal would have not wanted to find himself, it would be where the boy was now sitting. Come to think of it, he wondered why the Chamber had not seized on that one; maybe it was not as all-powerful as everyone supposed.
And now Kel expected him to heal the boy- he was happy to do it, the kid looked like he needed it, but he refused to get any closer to the temperamental gelding. Neal didn't like the look in Peachblossom's eye; he looked rather like Kel when she fought to protect one of her friends or charges, the same look of determined concern mixed with protective wrath. It was clear he was outnumbered here.
Neal sighed in exasperation- it was just what she needed, another stray to look after. They were on the way to war, and he doubted that wherever she was assigned she would even have the time to look after herself. Sometimes he wished she could just let these things pass like everyone else.
No, that wasn't true; he knew it was only fear and exhaustion that made him think that way. This was pure, classic Kel, standing up for those who couldn't speak for themselves. It was one of the many things that made her extraordinary, and he wouldn't change it for all the world.
He would, however, like to get the boy away from Peachblossom. He was a good healer, but he wasn't a miracle worker, and crushed skulls required more concentration than he could summon at the present juncture.