-a/n- Howdy! Sorry this is a week (or two) later than I'd planned. -faints- WE'VE REACHED CHAPTER 50!! I hope it's worth it :D
I've got three things I wanted to mention:
Firstly, I'm taking part in NaNoWriMo (with Fallen so hopefully updates will be quicker). For those of you who don't know what this is, its national novel writing month! Check out the website and get scribbling!
Secondly, for the hundreds of you that mentioned your love for Dom, I've been asked to "advertise" a facebook group 'Who wants Edward Cullen when you can have Domitan of Masbolle.' :P
And finally, but most importantly THANK YOU to every lovely person who reviewed or PM-ed me. I wouldn't be anywhere without you guys :P
Confusedknight xxx
---
Kel was running late, very late. Dom was due here any minute and she still hadn't been down to check on Prince. Kel strapped her sword to her waist without hesitation, cinching the buckle tight. She hurrying across the room Kel stubbed her toe in haste, swore and had to hop the rest of the way to the pile of clothes resting on the window seat. Her watery eyes obscured her vision as she hunted through the garments searching for something clean to wear. Her search was fruitless and she swore again.
Kel reached for the wooden drawer, wrenching it open. She spotted a clean looking shirt and pulled it on over her breastband, hurriedly lacing it to cover her ugly scar. Her still damp hair was a mess of loose, wavy curls and Kel wrapped a band of green material to keep the locks from falling across her face.
Snatching up her key and stuffing her feet into her boots, Kel raced out of her room and hurtled down the small staircase. Practically tripping off of the last step, she took the back door out into the stable yard.
Prince whickered and raised his head in recognition of his small mistress making her way haphazardly towards him. Kel reached up to pat his magnificent head and became acutely aware that the old shirt was far tighter that she would've liked it to be, especially across her chest. Muttering a dozen scanran curses, Kel unlatched Prince's stable door and slipped inside, intent upon checking that he had fresh water and hay for the night.
'Lia?' called a voice that Kel recognised instantly.
'Just coming,' she replied and giving Prince a final affectionate rub on his muzzle, Kel left the stall.
Dom whistled, 'That's some pony you've got.'
Kel smiled, thinking that Dom was probably the first person to describe Prince as a "pony". 'He's gorgeous isn't he,' she said.
'Careful,' warned Dom, his tone easy-going, 'I'll get jealous.'
Kel made a face, still slightly unsure of how to deal with Dom's constant flirting.
'Fair lady may I have the honour of escorting you to our destination?' he asked with a theatrical bow.
'I'm not sure about the fair lady part,' snorted Kel, accepting Dom's arm anyway.
'You are as fine a maiden as any in Corus,' he replied without missing a beat. 'Especially, if I may say so in that rather ravishing shirt.'
Kel blushed and elbowed Dom gently.
She still couldn't put her finger on what it was about Dom that was so familiar. It felt like she'd known him for far longer than a day. He was exactly the sort of friend that she needed right now. With Alex and Tor so far away, and with her old Tortallan friends so inaccessible Kel needed someone who could make her relax, someone who could draw her from her anxious thoughts.
As they walked down the cobbled streets of Corus, the noise of the city a gentle lullaby around them, Dom's hand shifted almost shyly to find Kel's. Kel tensed, unused to such physical contact, but after a moment relaxed, and they carried on their conversation.
It had been almost two years since her relationship with Idan. Mithros, it had been about ten months since she'd last seen Alex. For once Kel pushed her worries to the back of her mind and just enjoyed the pleasure of someone who she seemed to trust innately.
Dom had chosen to take Kel to a medium sized restaurant that served exotic foods from the western isles. It had been a long time since Kel had had the opportunity to eat Yamani food and she did so with gusto, the spicy food warming her mouth nicely.
'So how long have you had the beastie?'
It took Kel a moment to realise that Dom was referring to Prince.
'Only a year or so,' replied Kel. 'We've travelled a long way together.'
'What brings you to Corus?'
'I've been away for a long time,' Kel replied evasively. 'It was time to come back.' Kel changed the subject soon afterwards and if Dom noticed her reluctance to give a straight answer he did not press the issue.
Just like the previous evening Dom was adamant about escorting her back through the darkened streets to the Jugged Hare. Tonight however, they walked with their hands entwined, large and small, holding on to the tentative beginnings of their new relationship.
---
Kel stepped through the doorway and blinked, trying to discern images in the comparative gloom of the tavern.
'There's a message for you,' Yvenne informed Kel, looking up from polishing the bar. 'From that handsome sergeant, says he'll meet you at midday for your ride.'
Thanking Yvenne for passing on the message Kel ran up the stairs two at a time and entered her room, kicking the door shut behind her. Kel threw her parcel onto the bed and sipped at a mug of water from her nightstand.
After completing her customary training session, Kel had strolled down to the Daymarket and had treated herself to two new shirts, one un-dyed and another green.
Kel washed quickly and changed into the new forest-green shirt, discarding the tight, smelling shirt with relief. She checked her reflection once and tucked errant strands of hair back into her horsetail. The woman in the mirror was becoming less of a stranger with every passing day, though in some ways the marked changes in her appearance offered the comfort of anonymity in a city that was so familiar.
Three days had passed since her last meal with Dom and although the sergeant had been busy for the past few nights, he had managed to take an afternoon off. They had agreed to go for a ride, something which Kel had been looking forward to immensely; it would be nice to have some company whilst she rode and exercised Prince.
It was hard to keep track of time in the lower city, but Kel reckoned that she had about thirty minutes before Dom would arrive. Locking the door behind her, Kel sped down to the stable yard, tucking the key into her belt purse as she did so. Prince was eager to get going and moved restlessly on the spot whilst Kel tacked him up. No sooner had she finished when Dom appeared leading a dapple-grey horse into the courtyard.
Unlike their previous meetings, today Dom wore a blue tunic over his white shirt and Kel could make out the blade-and-crown insignia of the King's own. Around his bulging biceps was a crimson band decorated with a dark circle and black dot, the mark of a sergeant.
'Ready to go?' he asked, his face a picture of boyish eagerness.
Kel nodded, but didn't mount up. 'Would you mind if we walked through the city?' she asked.
A puzzled look flitted across his face, but he shook his head all the same.
Kel made a soft "clicking" noise under her tongue and Prince began to slowly follow her out onto Palace Way.
'I don't like riding through the streets if I don't have to,' she explained. 'People assume that you think you're better than they are.'
'There's no argument from me,' said Dom, 'I'm always open to a new perspective, and besides,' he grinned cheekily, 'If we were riding I couldn't do this.'
He reached out for Kel's hand and enclosed it firmly in his own. Trying to ignore her thoughts that holding hands with Dom was quite pleasant, Kel rolled her eyes and feigned exasperation.
As soon as they were clear of the bustling Prettybone district, Kel hopped lightly into her saddle, Dom following suit.
Prince trotted enthusiastically down the road, his hooves clacking an upbeat rhythm against the paving stones. Kel rose and fell instinctively, her quadriceps barely noticing the action that she had performed over and over, for hundreds of miles.
'Do you ride a lot?' asked Dom as approached the city gates.
'I try to take Prince out everyday; he needs exercise to stay in shape.'
Dom waved to one of the watch guards as they left the confines of the city, and the man saluted back.
'That's Gavyn,' he explained, 'he occasionally guards up at the Palace.'
The two horses and riders followed the road that gradually wound its way through ramshackle housing into sparsely populated farmland. After veering off to the right they found themselves on an empty dirt track.
'Let's stretch your legs, eh boy?' Kel asked Prince, leaning forward to pat his neck.
The next moment Prince's gait lengthened into a broad-stepped canter. The wind whistled past, teasing strands of hair from Kel's horsetail and cooling her damp forehead.
Dom urged his mount faster to keep up with the new pace. As he drew level with Kel she turned and offered him a genuine smile, one that was not curbed by shyness or anxiety. It lit up her face from her pretty hazel eyes down to her full lips. Dom did the thing that came naturally to him and grinned back, sharing her pleasure.
It was a good ten minutes or so before their speed slackened off and when it did, he was impressed to notice how little the exercise seemed to have fazed the massive beast on which Kel rode. Sweat had darkened his flanks and there was a little foam at his mouth but he was not out of breath.
It didn't need an expert in horsemanship to see that the pair were well-suited to each other. Although it could be argued that he was big for a rider of Kel's stature, she seemed to fit him well and they communicated effortlessly, a result of what Dom presumed was a long partnership.
As they dismounted at a dew pond to let the horses drink Dom asked, 'So how long have you had Prince?'
'About a year,' Kel replied, her hands busy re-tying her horsetail.
This surprised Dom but he didn't say anything. 'How'd you come by him?'
Dom noticed a slight droop in Kel's smile before she replied, 'He was a gift from a very good friend. Well, not so much a gift. I'm merely looking after him for a while.'
'A very good friend,' said Dom, estimating Prince's value to be in the region of fifty gold nobles.
'A very generous friend,' Kel agreed. 'He bought me my sword too.'
'Can I see?'
Kel slid the blade easily from the scabbard and Dom's mouth fell open. The battered and worn leather covering was in stark contrast to the mastery within. The hilt was plain and sturdy but the blade was constructed from blue tempered metal, smooth and shiny. When Dom hefted it the balance was extraordinary. Something was inscribed near the hilt in a foreign language that looked like Scanran, but Dom wasn't sure.
Handing it back to Kel, he whistled. 'You're full of surprises.'
Kel smoothly sheathed the sword and smiled. 'It's the only precious thing I own.'
'How long have you been able to fight?'
Kel shrugged, not entirely comfortable with the conversation. 'I've been fighting for a long time, but with a sword, maybe four or five years.'
'Do you want a friendly duel?' he asked.
Part of Kel wanted to accept and impress Dom with her swordplay but she held back, declining the offer with a shake of her head. Her relationship with Alex, Fassin and Tor had been built on, or at least started out around swordplay. They were all training partners, competing and improving each other's technique. Although she was unsure why not, Kel wanted her connection with Dom to be different. Even with Idan, they had drawn together to survive the plantation, helping each other in little ways. Kel wanted hers and Dom's relationship to be comprised of dinners, rides in the sun, things that she could look back on and remember fondly.
Dom didn't seem to mind.
'It's alright,' he said cheerfully, 'I did enough this morning to make my commander happy.'
Gathering up Prince's reigns, Kel hopped back into the saddle.
'So how much time do you spend around Corus? I was under the impression that the King's Own are always off defending the realm.'
'We've come back to recruit,' said Dom, also mounting up. 'But my Lords are also involved with the King's tournament next month so they've sent the first company up north and the second company to man the eastern border. We've been very busy the last sixth months, mainly dealing with attacks from the Immortals.'
Kel suppressed a shudder. Fortunately, Scanra didn't have a problem with Immortals; they had all seemed to have spread south of the city of the Gods and not north of it. Kel could remember her last encounter with an Immortal all too vividly...
Rounding a bend in the twisty path, their gazes fell onto a magnificent sight. Corus in all it's glory, seeming to bask in the midday sun.
'You know I never get tired of this,' said Dom, an expression of mild rapture written across his handsome face. 'No matter where we go, this view always takes my breath away.'
'You call Corus home?' Kel wondered aloud.
'Yes,' said Dom. 'Five years ago I came here, finally free of my older brother's shadows. Masbolle will never belong to me, so why not make my own home somewhere else? I made it with the King's Own and I've never regretted it.'
'You never wanted to be a knight?' Kel asked innocently.
Dom shook his head, 'I have a cousin training to be a knight and they're mad, the whole lot of them. Well,' his voice took on a more serious tone than it usually did, 'Knights like my lord are great men. It's a serious job and a lot of is it about status. People respect knights.' He shrugged again. 'My older brothers are knights. I joined the King's Own to serve the crown in a different way. Besides, you wouldn't get me in that chamber if you paid me a hundred nobles.'
Riding on in a companionable silence the city loomed high in front of them; it's walls casting lengthening shadows on the dirty ground. Entering back through the gate Kel shifted in her saddle, feeling a small weight begin to press down on her. The city made her edgy.
The streets were quieter now then they had been and Kel had no qualms about riding instead of walking the distance to Kingsbridge. Dismounting, they walked the last few metres to the Jugged Hare.
Just about to say their goodbyes, Yvenne hurried out from inside the Inn.
'Sergeant there's been a message from the Palace. The third company are riding out at sunset. Sommat to do with a spidren attack near Whitehorn.'
Kel observed that something about Dom's demeanour changed. Though not tense or indeed outwardly anxious, he became more businesslike, asking details of when the message was left and by whom.
'Just my luck,' he grinned at Kel. 'Back barely three weeks and we get called out. Still, my Lord'll be happy. Nothing like a spidren hunt to beat paper shuffling and social occasions.'
Kel smiled, 'When will you be back?' she asked, knowing as she did so that it would be an unanswerable question.
'It depends,' said Dom, mounting his gelding.
'Come and find me when you return,' said Kel shyly.
'That's a promise,' he replied with a cheeky smile. 'Until then my lady,' and, bowing from his saddle, Dom kicked his horse into a canter. Kel watched horse and rider until they were out of sight.
'Be careful,' she whispered.
'He's one for keeps,' said Yvenne, reappearing at Kel's elbows. 'He's got looks, manners and money.'
Smiling Kel shook her head, trying to convince herself that her relationship with Dom would never get that serious.
---
Something spattered the Kel's boots and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. The drunkard, still retching, staggered sideways into a wall and dropped to the ground, moaning and mumbling to himself.
The city streets were dim, the world poised on the fine precipice between light and darkness. Kel hadn't meant to stay at the courts for so long, but without the possibility of meeting up with Dom she hadn't anything better to do anyway.
She had spent the afternoon lifting weights, performing every agility and flexibility stretch that she knew. Only then did Kel pick up her sword and run through drill after drill. She carried out every pattern slow and then fast, switching her sword regularly between her hands.
Sweat had dripped down her face and soaked her shirt, but still Kel had kept on practising. She had less than four weeks to finish her preparations for the tournament that could change her life. She needed to win, she had to win. Her promise to Alex, Rhonda and the scanran people were resting on it.
Little butterflies had begun to awaken in Kel's stomach at the very thought of the King's Tournament and Kel hurriedly banished all thought of tournaments and her old friends from her mind.
Kel rubbed her aching wrist as she walked. Although the injury was almost a year old and fully healed, it had taken a long time to do so and Kel supposed that it would bother her for a long time yet. She wondered vaguely if it would ache before rain as veteran soldiers claimed their wounds to do…
She padded down the familiar streets, growing ever more invisible in the fading light. Only a few people walked as she did beneath the stars. The majority were hidden away, packed into the taverns from which loud noise and bright light was spilling.
Suddenly, Kel heard a faint cry, barely discernible over the hubbub of music and chatter seeping from the Provost's head pub.
The noise appeared to be coming from one of the streets that branched off from the one which Kel was travelling along. Peering through the darkness Kel could make out dark shapes moving in the alleyway.
Loosening her sword in its scabbard so that it was ready to be drawn at any moment Kel picked her way across rotting vegetables and animal muck.
'Please sir,' begged a hysterical voice, 'leave me be. I beg you leave me be.'
'Be quiet wench,' hissed a bulky man. There was the slap of skin on skin. Kel hurried forward, incensed.
The woman was sobbing pitifully as her arm was twisted behind her back by the stronger man.
'Unhand her,' cried Kel, starting to run. As she neared the pair, the man looked up. Although his face was hidden by shadows, the quality of his clothing and the grandeur of the sword at his waist screamed noble birth.
'Stay out of my business,' he sneered at Kel. 'This piece of filth was asking for it.'
'As I recall,' said Kel calmly, her eyes flashing, 'she was just asking you to leave her alone.'
'It's your word against mine and who will believe a whore from the slums over a noble?' he taunted.
By now the attacker had released the woman and she slumped to the floor, clutching herself and weeping.
Kel took a sideways glance at the terrified lady and acted on an impulse. She slammed a leg into the man's torso, winding him. Wheezing and sucking wildly at the air he staggered backwards into a sliver of light unobstructed by the buildings on either side of them.
Kel had to hold back a gasp as the older but recognisable face of Vinson of Genlith stared back at her, appalled, his mouth wide and eyes bulging.
Something within Kel snapped. This monster had been allowed to train as a page when she had been cast out. What sort of future knight preyed upon vulnerable girls of the lower city? In a rare display of anger, Kel punched Vinson square in the face, feeling the satisfying crunch as his nose broke.
Crying out like a wounded animal he doubled over again, his hands over his face, blood dripping through the cracks between his fingers. Kel punched him a second time, and then a third, hoping that in the morning he'd be sporting a pair of black eyes and a split lip. She landed a few more blows for good measure and finished her attack with a kick to the groin.
Disgusted, she looked down at the man on the floor who was crying like a baby.
'You'll pay for this bitch,' he panted.
'Going to tell everyone that you were beaten by a girl?' Kel taunted, hatred in her voice. 'You deserved this Vinson of Genlith.' The man's eyes widened, shocked that his attacker knew his name. 'If I ever hear of you preying on girls of the lower city again, Mithros help me I will take this to the courts. A truth spell should remove doubts cast on my reputation as a witness.'
Kel gently helped the sobbing lady off of the ground, handing her the bag that had fallen in the dirt. She guided the woman out of the alleyway, not looking back at the man lying in the muck on the floor.
'My name's Lia,' Kel said softly, 'Let's find you a healer.' She regarding the woman's bruised face and wrists with a concerned expression; they looked painful.
'No, I'll be fine,' argued the woman between hiccoughing sobs.
All the same she followed Kel, who wound her way in and out of the dark streets, heading for the temple district. As they entered the wealthier borough Kel observed marked changes. The cobbled streets here were clean and devoid of sewage, rotting food and rats. The walls of the stone buildings were freshly scrubbed and painted, and no tiles were missing from these roofs. The streets were light by the burning oil lamps hung at the entrance to every temple and no lecherous men lurked in the shadows.
It did not take them long to reach the temple of the Great Mother Goddess. Second in size only to the temple of Mithros, it was guarded by steel-shod women holding broad double-headed axes. It was the duty of these women to prevent men from ever stepping on the sacred ground of the temple. Many women could seek refuge in the temple, safe from the abusive hands of their husbands or employers.
'Please miss, I'm okay, really I'm fine,' mumbled the young woman, who now in the temple light didn't look that much older than Kel. She sniffed, and wiped her runny nose with a crumpled handkerchief.
'Look…sorry what's your name?'
'Lalasa,' the girl supplied, now wiping her eyes and attempting to draw herself together.
'Lalasa, you'll feel a lot better tomorrow if we get those bruises seen to,' Kel said, half dragging Lalasa up the steps.
A guard barred their way through the ornate, gilded doors of the temple. 'You may not take your weapons into the temple,' instructed the plain-faced woman, eying Kel's scabbard.
A spike of fear drove through Kel's heart. She was not keen to go anywhere without her sword, least of all the temple of the Great Mother. Gathering herself together mentally, her fingers fumbled with her belt buckle and after a moment she removed the leather strap upon which her sword and dagger hung.
They passed into the temple, Kel trying to derive comfort from the two remaining knives she had concealed beneath her loose shirt. Kel inclined her head towards the statue of the painfully beautiful woman that was carved in marble. Expensive gems the size of small plums were set into the stone and around the statue's great stone head was wreathed a crown of solid gold.
A priestess hurried over to them and exclaimed over the state of Lalasa's face. She bore the shy woman away to the healers and instructed Kel to wait. Kel walked up the great stone hall her hands clenching and unclenching in her pockets. The area around the altar was lit by at least one hundred candles that cast a twinkling glow over their surroundings.
Kel sat down to wait on the very first pew. She knelt forward so that her forearms were resting on her knees and exhaled one long breath. She struggled to release the remains of the anger that had gripped her in the alleyway. She chided herself over her loss of control. She had no doubt that Vinson had deserved the beating that she had given him but Kel was not normally one to let her emotions determine her actions.
She was restless and out of sorts, and had been ever since Dom had left. Living in Corus with only her training to pass the time, Kel was beginning to feel the pressure of the task which she had set herself. That stress combined with the insult that Vinson, a bully and criminal, was considered to make a better knight that she would have done, had led to one of Kel's momentary lapses in control.
Again Kel noted her uncanny ability to find those who needed saving. Kel's feet were too firmly planted on the ground for her to believe that fate had led her to the rescue of Lalasa that evening. Instead the more plausible reason was that crimes and injustices like this happened so frequently that anyone could've wandered into the situation. It was then dependent upon character if they did anything about it, or if they simply turned a blind eye.
Kel's thoughts turned to Ash, the little puppy that she had rescued under similar circumstances in Persepolis. Much to the young dog's displeasure Kel had decided to leave him with the Bloody Hawk tribe. Kel did not know what situations she might encounter in the future and having a dog, an extra mouth to feed and protect, might complicate things immensely.
Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Kel noted that her knuckles were bruised and sore, reminders of just how hard she had hit Vinson. Sighing, for she had no doubt that even as she sat there Vinson would be being tended to by some of the realm's finest healers, Kel settled back against the hard wooden seat to wait.
Time seemed to drip slowly by, the minutes stretching and distorting until Kel was unsure whether she had been waiting for minutes or hours. Priestesses moved silently in the background, their slipper-clad feet pattering against the flagstones. Some of the candles died, their wicks spent and with every one went a little portion of the light.
Kel stepped up, wincing as her legs protested and crossed the short distance to the sea of candles. Selecting a fresh one from the shelf she dipped its wick into the flame of another and set it down directly in front of the altar. Great Mother, she prayed, please keep Alex safe from harm and help him as he strives to create a better Scanra. She clasped her fist to her heart and then her head, saluting the mural of the Goddess above the altar with the sign of Alex's campaign.
She then turned around and wandered down through the gap in the pews to the back of the temple, just in time to see a cleaned-up Lalasa step through an ornately carved archway, still clutching her leather bag.
Lalasa fell into step beside Kel and together they left the temple, Kel collecting Courage on the way out. They climbed down the many broad steps to the street below. Kel sat on the bottom step and invited Lalasa to join her.
Kel toyed absent-mindedly with a small pebble next to her fingers. 'Do you want me to report him?' she asked quietly.
'No miss, no please don't. He already got me kicked out of the palace miss. I'm barely making enough with the job I have, and if I loose this one too…' the woman's face crumpled.
'What is it you do?' asked Kel interestedly.
'I like to sew,' said Lalasa, staring at Kel with big eyes. 'It's simple see.' She opened the leather bag and drew out a crumbled cloth. Wordlessly Kel accepted it and examined the cloth, running her fingers almost reverently over the tiny stitches and designs.
'This is incredible,' she breathed.
'Thank you,' smiled Lalasa, 'I'm working for a shop down in Patten district, just doing small things mind. One day I hope to have my own shop. Then I could sew what I want.'
'You could make a fortune,' breathed Kel.
'Oh no miss,' said Lalasa, tenderly folding her work back into its protective bag.
'No, seriously,' argued Kel. Having spent her formative years around noble women, Kel could appreciate the value of such intricate needlework.
The sensible looking girl stood up, placing the bag strap over her shoulder. 'I should be getting back.'
'Of course,' said Kel, wondering what time it was, her brain vaguely registering that she was hungry, having not eaten for many hours.
'I live with the other girls over the shop,' Lalasa explained as they stood up and began to return the way they had come, leaving the gleaming district of the temples into the more unsavoury districts of the common people. 'I used to live at the palace but…'
'But what?'
'I was thrown out,' said Lalasa, an edge of shame creeping into her voice. 'That man, Vinson of Genlith, he hurt me before. A page rescued me…but Genlith got me thrown out all the same.'
'We should report this,' Kel said worriedly. 'He's attacked you twice.'
'It was my fault,' protested Lalasa. 'It was stupid to be wandering the streets at this hour, but I hadn't noticed the time.'
'It's not your fault,' replied Kel vehemently. 'You should have the right to walk through the city whenever, without being preyed upon by some bastard of a noble man.'
Kel fought to quash the anger that sparked inside of her. She hated the treatment of women from lower classes, what gave Vinson the right to scare this gentle woman so? He had got Lalasa kicked out of the Palace, just like Kel had been. Having spent so long campaigning against Maggur and all of Scanra's wrongs, it riled Kel that she returned to Corus only to be faced with familiar incidents of injustice.
She bid Lalasa good night and waited until the woman was safely inside before striding away, trying to let the cool air sooth her thoughts and emotions. She couldn't afford to lose control or do something stupid, not when she was this close to the tournament.
----
Her teeth crunched down into the apple's flesh and sweet juices filled Kel's mouth. Next to her Prince chewed noisily on his own apple. Together they meandered up Palace Way, for once not hurrying anywhere. Kel had already completed hours of training but with few people to fight against Kel was running out of drills to practise.
A group of children ran up the street chattering loudly, excitedly, calling out to shopkeepers or traders that had set up stalls for their wares. Kel paid them little attention, daydreaming of places far away.
A horn blast disturbed her imaginings and Kel looked behind her to where people were being shuffled and herded to the side of the street. Squads of men, resplendent in polished mail and blue tunics, trotted forward, clearing the way for the carriages that followed.
Kel tried to spot Dom amongst the men of the King's Own. She could see the ruddy-faced, curly-haired commander chatting to his second in command, but there were too many men to be able to see Dom.
The envoy that the Own were accompanying seemed to be of great importance. There were soldiers and knights everywhere. As the first carriage passed, Kel caught a glimpse of an impassive face peering out from behind the delicate curtains. Dark slanting eyes set in a pale, emotionless face. The woman was evidently Yamani which suggested that the King's visitors were from the Isles.
Kel suspected that her parents would be riding in one of the many carriages that rattled up the cobbled streets.
She seemed so distanced from the entire spectacle, bunched in the crowd with barely space to move her arms. The people all around her had come to gain a rare glimpse of the foreigners and to watch the impressive scene of their majesties' many soldiers and guards. Kel, by birth could be riding with the Yamani nobles, conversing in their tongue, every inch an ambassador's daughter. She had wanted to be one of the knights in clinking armour, bearing her own shield. And now, now she was invisible, hidden in the crowd. How could she ever change anything observing from afar?
Kel couldn't have escaped the hordes of people with Prince even if she'd wanted to and had to stay until the entire parade had moved on up the road. Towards the back of the procession Kel had thought she'd seen a short lady with a shock of red of red hair riding in amongst the knights but it was only a glimpse and afterwards she wasn't sure if she'd imagined the whole thing.
Eventually Kel was able to back into an alleyway and wove her way back to the Jugged Hare following a quieter path.
'Quiet a commotion out there,' she remarked to Yvenne, as she entered.
'Lia!' called a young voice.
Kel looked about to see Yvenne's youngest daughter perched on one of the Inn's tables, swinging her legs happily.
'Did you see the carriages?' Kel asked.
'Yup,' Karlah confirmed, 'I was wonderin' who's in them. Must'a been someone special for tha' many soldiers.'
'Karlah try to speak properly,' sighed Yvenne not bothering to look up from her sweeping.
'Sorry ma,' replied the young girl, trying to look contrite.
'No one will want to employ someone who speaks like a cesspool rat. You've got a chance to change your life Karlah,' Yvenne sighed. 'Get a nice job as a lady's maid and get out of the lower city.'
'I don't wanna be some slave te some ducknob cuddy from th'upper class,' protested the young girl. 'I wanna help people from the lower city, no' leave it to rot like every other scut tha' leaves and don't come back.'
'Karlah!' exclaimed Yvenne, outraged at her offspring's grasp of Common.
Kel left Yvenne to argue some manners into her daughter and scuttled upstairs for a wash and a change of clothes.
Kel was sipping spiced fruit juice at the bar when the door to the tavern opened and in walked a group of muscular men, the warm summer's breeze swirling around them. The third man in the group cast his gaze about the occupants of the Jugged Hare. His sparkling blue eyes lit up when they landed on Kel.
She stood up and went to meet him. They stood awkwardly in the middle of the floor for a moment before both speaking at the same time. Dom quickly closed his mouth and gestured for Kel to continue.
'I see you came back in one piece,' she smiled.
'I do try,' admitted Dom. 'My mother would have serious words with me if I came back missing limbs.'
Kel gave him a gentle shove, aware of the questioning eyes of Dom's friends. 'Scared of your mother Masbolle?' she asked, her eyes twinkling.
'Oh you would be scared too if you ever had the misfortune to end up on her bad side,' Dom assured Kel in mock fright.
'I'll bear that in mind,' sniggered Kel, looking over Dom's shoulder pointedly.
'Let me introduce you,' said Dom, finally tearing his eyes from Kel's face.
'Lofren, Seth, Wolset and Lerant,' Dom pointed each one out in turn. 'This is Lia.'
Ignoring the amused looks of his fellow soldiers he drew up a chair for Kel and sat down in the adjacent seat.
Kel studied the men from under her long eyelashes. The youngest seemed to be Lerant, who had tidily cropped brown hair with eyes to match and a firm chin. He looked to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, whereas the oldest, Wolset was in his late thirties. It was impossible to tell if they were nobles or not just by looking at them; their weapons and boots had all seen hard work, yet their clothes were of good quality. However when they spoke Lofren and Wolset did so with a common accent. Lerant was definitely of noble birth and Seth, quiet and brooding remained a mystery to Kel.
'So did you have fun chasing spidrens?' asked Kel, trying to ignore Dom's hand that had just taken hold of hers.
'You can't imagine,' drawled Dom in such a Neal-like fashion that Kel blinked.
'At least there was no mud,' pointed out Lofren. 'The last hunt we went on was up near Carmine's Tower and the ground was horrendous.'
'True,' replied Dom, picking up a tankard of beer with his free hand.
Dom's comrades seemed likeable enough and didn't seem to mind Kel joining in their dinner. She even drank some wine and felt herself relax into her chair, just happy holding Dom's hand.
Wolset was just in the middle of recounting the tale of a giantess who had fallen in love with Lord Raoul of Goldenlake, when a youth came in through the door to the tavern. He promptly tripped over a table and nearly went crashing to the floor. He managed to retain his balance and hurried on, stopping in front of their table.
Now that he was closer, Kel could see that he looked to be about fourteen. He had unruly hair and a sweet, jovial face that shone with excitement.
'Sergeant, my Lord of Goldenlake sent me. He said there's been a bandit attack.'
Without hesitation all five men rose to their feet, Dom still holding Kel's hand.
'He said that the company will be departing as soon as possible, supplies will follow. He also said,' at this the squire glanced sideways at Kel, 'that he's sorry for interrupting your evening.'
'Thank you squire,' said Dom.
He then turned to Kel who stood up, 'I'm sorry that I've been called away so soon.'
Kel shrugged, 'It's your duty, it can't be helped.'
Dom bent down and to Kel's surprise pressed his lips to hers in one sweet movement. A second later they parted and Dom left the tavern, glancing back and sending a smile her way.
Kel sat down, her legs feeling oddly shaky.
'He'll be fine,' the squire consoled Kel. 'It'll be a jolly hunt. The King's Own are the best.'
'I know,' sighed Kel. After a moment she asked, 'So whose squire are you?' She wondered why he wore the palace insignia.
The boy's face fell slightly.
'No one's as yet,' he said mournfully. 'But I'm told that when the knights arrive for the tournament I might get chosen. I'd know idea that most knights think that having a squire is a burden…'
'I'd have thought that it would be a help,' said Kel, thinking of the squire's that she had seen with her brothers over the years.
'I'm Owen of Jesslaw,' the boy said, sticking out his hand.
Kel shook it, 'Lia.'
'So do you live here?' asked Owen.
Kel shook her head, 'I'm here for the tournament.'
Owen's eyes dropped to Kel's waist where Courage hung as always in its plain leather scabbard.
'Oh,' he said. 'Well I wish you good luck. I've already entered, not that a first year squire would have any chance of beating a knight.'
'Where do you enter?' asked Kel, her interest piqued.
'I think that there's an office in the palace district,' he replied.
'Do you know which street it's on?' asked Kel.
The boy screwed up his chubby face in concentration. 'I can't remember the name…I can show you now if you want? It's on my way back.'
'Thanks,' said Kel, getting up.
Outside in the cool night, the wind played with Kel's hair, tickling her neck. She tied it back with a leather band and continued to follow the squire who chattered jovially.
Bidding her goodnight, Owen left Kel at the office. Fortunately a light was still burning in the window so Kel knocked on the door and entered.
'Where I can I sign up for the King's tournament?' she asked a clerk whose face was pale from spending too much time indoors.
'Over there, over there,' he replied in a tone that suggested he'd been asked the same question many times.
Kel picked up the stylus and on the paper labelled 'Swordplay' she wrote in her small, delicate script Lia Walker. She wasn't sure where the idea for her last name had come from but she felt it was fitting; she had travelled a long way to be here, further than she would ever have thought possible.
Tingling with excitement Kel left the office and disappeared into the shadows of the Tortallan city. Soon, she thought, soon it will be time to show them all.
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-a/n- Wow that was a long 'un!! Please review as always; your comments are loved, appreciated and help to encourage me to continue this mammoth project in whatever time I have spare.
Happy Bonfire night (for Wednesday)!!!
Confusedknight xxx
The page breaks don't seem to be working...I'll have to put them in later x