-a/n- Bonjour mes petits pois! It's been too long, non? So much has happened since I've last updated! If you didn't see the note I left on my profile page, the delay was due to exams. Fortunately I've now been offered a place at uni, so that's one less thing to worry about.
Thank you so much for the constant stream of PM's and reviews, encouragement and patience for a student with many demands on her time.
As always, I hope you like this one,
Confusedknight xxx
"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."
-T.S. Elliot
Kel eased into consciousness feeling from head to toe the results of her vigorous training regime. Her limbs felt heavier than lead and her muscles throbbed as they pressed down onto the hard chair table. Kel was too tired to even lift her head off of the page of the book acting as her pillow and instead tried to focus her mind on something that wasn't the deep, settled ache in her joints.
Thoughts slid lazily in and out of her mind, Kel discovering that it required too much energy to focus on one thing.
The night had raced past in a blink of an eye, and although it was still dark, Kel could begin to see the first beginnings of the sunrise through the gaps in the drapes at the window.
The mussed hair that had escaped from her plait was itching her neck, but Kel simply couldn't bring herself to lift a hand to brush it away. She closed her eyes, this was folly. The pace of her training alone would kill her, let alone anything that came at her with a lance.
Although it was hard to believe with the constant aching that Kel now suffered, her body condition was improving, adapting to the routine. She could now string larger bows without a problem and shoot for longer periods of time without her arm shaking. She could complete all of her exercises with several discs of lead in her harness and heft a heavier lance than she could have done before.
This morn marked the halfway point of her training. In four weeks time she would be assessed for her prowess in all areas of the curriculum. Kel knew that at these tests she would have to more than prove herself if Lord Wyldon's plan was to work.
The light that fell in a beam across the floor grew stronger, and Kel flicked her eyes down to the page of the open book. She could blurrily make out words. What had she been writing about? Kel cast her mind back and grasped hold of the memory; the structure of Carthaki court. It was little wonder that she had fallen asleep!
Kel thought about what the day held in store for her. She was already missing her morning run, and if she didn't get up soon then she'd miss her training with Eda and Fassin who between them, were teaching Kel everything and anything they could about close combat. Despite the fact that if they fought only with swords Kel could best either of them, there were still a lot of skills that they could teach her. Some of these skills transferred over to staff work, knife work and unarmed combat. It was in Kel's opinion, the most useful lesson, the one most likely to keep her alive in a fight.
Lord Wyldon still coached Kel's jousting sessions, something which she was grateful for. According to Owen of Jesslaw, Lord Wyldon was the Realm's finest jouster and having one-on-one tuition with a man who knew the lance as Alex knew the sword, Kel was progressing at a far greater speed than a group-taught page would do.
Today Kel had at least one thing to look forward to; meeting up with Lucie. The small girl that had kept her sane at the convent had blossomed into a small woman with a bubbly character, whose infectious smile often found its way onto Kel's cheeks.
When she had first arrived, nearly three weeks previously, the reunion between protector and the protected had been awkward. Several hours of talking, hugs and crying later something had been done to re-forge the link between both women. It took a while for Kel to assure Lucie that the Tauros attack was all in the past. This was, for the most part truthful. Whilst it would be an event that stayed with Kel for the rest of her life, her nightmares were so infrequent now that she could deal with them. Besides, there were more urgent, pressing matters to trouble Kel now.
The thought of Alex was what finally made Kel stagger to her feet, wincing at her stiff body. She splashed water onto her face and didn't bother trying to untangle her hair, simply using a long leather thong to tie the straggly bits off her face. Courage was still on her hip from the previous day and all Kel had to do was to pull on her boots and leave the room.
If the Shang warriors, Yamani ladies or Lord Wyldon, noticed Kel's dishevelled appearance, along with the fact that she still wore yesterday's clothes, none of them mentioned it. She made her way quietly through all of her exercises, perhaps letting a few more blows past her defence than normal, but only a couple.
Kel said nothing, not even voicing a complaint at her tiredness. She knew from first hand experience that a soldier needed to be able to fight even after days of battle and little sleep.
After breakfast, she felt a little more energised and took strength from her intrinsic knowledge that she could get through this.
Her tilting was as demanding as ever, and Lord Wyldon was no longer content to simply let Kel aim to pass without a buffet from the sandbag. She was now required to aim for a small black dot on the quintain's shield, a small dot that she couldn't even see from halfway down the tilting lane.
'Come on Prince,' muttered Kel wearily, turning him back to the start of the lane. 'Maybe we'll get it next time.'
'You will always have the strength and courage.' Kel repeated the inscription from her sword, over and over, her lips forming the scanran syllables quietly.
They charged at the quintain once more.
'So where are we going?' asked Lucie, tucking a strand of fair hair behind her ear.
'To meet some friends of mine,' replied Kel.
She had been meaning to introduce Lalasa and Tian to Lucie for weeks, but simply hadn't gotten round to it.
They stepped into the welcome shade of the seamstresses' shop and Lucie folded up her parasol delicately.
'Is Lalasa here?'
'Out back,' mumbled one of the assistants through a mouthful of pins. Kel and Lucie ascended the stairs to the first floor.
'Lady Kel,' Lalasa rose to her feet, Tian following close behind.
Kel glared and Lalasa amended weakly, 'Kel.'
'This is my friend Lucie –Lalasa what happened?' Kel caught sight of the red, hand-shaped mark on the left side of Lalasa's face.
'Nothing miss,' said Lalasa in such a docile manner that Kel's temper was riled even more. She turned to Tian, looking for answers.
'Mistress Selwyn found out that Lalasa had taken a commission from you, she was angry and said that Lalasa shouldn't be using her business to get customers of her own. She took some of the money that you paid Lalasa.'
Without saying a word Kel strode out of the room and springing lightly down the stairs two at a time, she drew herself up to all of her one hundred and seventy centimetres.
'Mistress Selwyn, I'd like a word,' Kel's voice rang out across the relative quiet of the shop. A lady who was having measurements taken scowled openly at Kel.
The shop owner looked up from her design sketching and rose elegantly, gliding over to where Kel stood. She looked Kel up and down.
'I demand that you repay Lalasa the money that I gave her,' Kel stated simply, not beating about the bush, her forming headache making her irritable. 'I am not a customer of yours; it was a private commission between friends, one which you have no right of gaining profit from.'
'Actually, my lady,' said the shop keeper all too graciously. 'I think you'll find that as Miss Isran's employer, I have a right to a percentage of whatever she may earn.'
'You forfeited any right you had the moment you laid a hand upon her,' said Kel, her voice dangerously quiet. 'I demand that you repay her the money you took.'
'My Lady with all due respect, whatever Lalasa Isran has been telling you, I don't see how it is any of your business what goes on in my shop.'
'I will make it my business to know when someone hurts a friend,' said Kel, not taking her burning hazel eyes off of Mistress Selwyn's. 'I am Lady Keladry of Mindelan, I have four sisters and many Yamani contacts. If I make it known to them that this shop is of poor quality and they make it known to their friends…'
'And I am Lady Lucie of Cavall,' piped up a demur voice behind Kel. 'My family too has many contacts at court, and I with the young ladies at court. Were I to insinuate certain things about this shop, your business could suffer greatly.'
Mistress Selwyn looked as though she'd just been forced to eat something terribly unpleasant.
'Very well, I will pay Lalasa Isran the money that you so desperately believe is hers.'
She stalked off and when she returned it was to slam three silver coins into Kel's out-stretched palm.
Kel looked up the stairs to where Lalasa and Tian clutched each other fearfully. Kel knew that after her little scene they would be out of jobs.
'Come on,' Kel beckoned to them. 'We're leaving, all of us.'
It took less than five minutes for the two women to gather up all of their possessions and join Kel on the street.
'Here,' Lalasa thrust Kel a sack. 'It's your dress.'
'Thank you,' said Kel, peering into the gloom of the bag towards the item that had caused all of this havoc in the first place.
They walked up Palace way, Kel glancing into side streets until she found what she was looking for. She then led the three women into a wide, cobbled road full of small, neat shops. Her eyes scanned the storefronts, searching.
Kel ducked inside a plain shop and paused in front of a high desk behind which a balding man was standing.
'I would like to buy a shop,' she declared.
'Did you have anything in mind?' said the clerk, looking down his slightly crooked nose.
'A small place, with rooms above…something suitable for a dressmaker's.'
'I believe we may have several locations that may serve your needs. Would you like to view the properties?'
'Yes,' said Kel. 'I'm actually looking to buy this very day.'
'My lady no,' whispered Lalasa behind her. Kel ignored the plea and avoided Lucie's trouble gaze deliberately. The clerk returned with a portly man dressed in a smart tunic.
'If you ladies would care to follow me?'
And their search began.
The first shop that they viewed was far too large for their purpose. The second was sandwiched between two larger shops and had evidently been empty for quite some time. It needed too much work done before it could serve as a usable shop. The third property was perfect; situated on a clean street corner, with pretty bay windows and a small porch.
'What do you think?' asked Kel, turning her unreadable face to Lalasa and Tian.
'My lady, we can't possibly afford this,' said Tian, her voice trembling slightly.
'How much is this property?' Kel asked the man.
'To buy outright, forty gold nobles,' said the man, consulting his documents.
'I can afford it,' said Kel. 'I just lost you your jobs, and you're my friends. You deserve this shop.'
'My Lady,' breathed Lalasa, tears now forming in her eyes. 'You really mustn't. It's far too much.'
'We'll take it,' Kel said firmly. 'Here is a deposit of five nobles; I'll bring the rest along later.'
'Right,' bustled the man, pulling papers out of his bag. 'I'll need you to sign here…and here.'
It took Kel less than five minutes to complete the ownership deeds and as she signed her final 'Keladry of Mindelan' on the bottom of the last page, the man handed her the keys.
'We will expect the payment to be completed within the next five days.'
'You'll have your money,' Kel promised.
Kel handed the two crying women the keys.
'It's all yours,' she said simply. 'You'll need another ten nobles or so to stock up on supplies and then you can start taking commissions.'
'We can't ever repay you,' sniffed Tian.
'I don't need repaying in coin. What good is the money doing sitting up in my room? Repay me in deeds. You're my friends and I'm giving you the opportunity to use the talents you've been granted. When your business grows you can teach young city girls to sew and improve their lives. I know you won't treat them like Mistress Selwyn does.'
After several more weepy protestations and thanks, Kel and Lucie left the two ladies to settle in.
On their walk back to the Palace, Kel caught Lucie staring strangely at her. Kel massaged her aching head.
'I can't change the way that thousands of working girls are treated,' Kel said slowly. 'But if I have the opportunity to change just a few, then I will. Because it may not make a difference as a whole, but it made a difference to them.'
Lucie nodded. 'I know that,' she said confidently. 'I don't know why you surprise me anymore.'
Kel smiled shyly.
The sunny walk back to the Palace did nothing to help Kel's throbbing head. Every breath was an effort for her over-worked legs and once or twice she stumbled, her fatigued legs shaky.
She excused herself from Lucie and headed back up to her room; she had just under an hour until a lesson with Sir Myles. Now in the safety of her room Kel was able to uncover the dress that she had commissioned from Lalasa all those weeks ago.
Although she had expected work of a high quality, Kel couldn't help but let a gasp escape at the sight of dress before her. It was a deep forest green floor length gown. The finest embroidery in gold thread swirled along the bottom hem of the dress, curling up one side to meet the gold ribbon lacings that crossed down the either side of the bodice.
With fumbling fingers Kel pulled off her dirty shirt and breeches and stepped into the dress. It fit perfectly and Kel gaped at herself. The skirt was full, but not flouncy and the bodice could be tightened by the laces to show off her slim torso. The top of the sleeves was slightly rounded and from underneath stemmed long, tight sleeves that flared out slightly to encompass her hands. More delicate, decorative lacing ran the length of either sleeve and each cuff was embellished with designs so intricate that Kel could only examine in awe. Never during her time at the Convent had she been able to produce anything that was even one hundredth as skilled as what Lalasa had done.
The occasional pearl studded the design, often at the centres of twirled flowers. A fine, delicate band of thicker golden threads woven into a dark background gathered the dress just above Kel's hips and the flowing material would prevent any accusations of her muscly frame, just as the ruffs at Kel's shoulders would mask her deltoids.
Gathering her hair back so that she could see the neckline Kel's heart fell. Displayed as clear as the day outside her window was the white, slightly jagged line left behind by the Tauros. Disappointment filled Kel and she hastily shrugged out of the dress and stowed it safely in her bare wardrobe.
She pulled on her breeches, wincing as she had to lift up her legs to put them on. Kel selected a clean shirt from the pile on the windowsill and without bothering to lace it all the way up, she fell onto her bed. Every part of her body seemed to be buzzing and Kel lay as still as if she were made of marble.
Her last thought before exhaustion dragged her down into its leaden embrace was that at least she was confident that Lalasa and Tian would have a thriving business. Ladies would pay a lot of money for the finery that now resided in Kel's creaky wardrobe.
Lord Wyldon guided his youngest and favourite daughter down from their suite towards the private dining rooms belonging to the nobles. It would not be long before she would be presented to court. Although Lucie hadn't remained at the Convent after the Tauros incident, Lord Wyldon had no doubt that, like her sisters before her Lucie would make him a proud father.
Whether it was because she was his last daughter, or whether he was just becoming more lenient with old age, Wyldon was not in a hurry to marry off his last daughter. She was vibrant, beautiful and would make a fine wife he had no doubt. It would be his last duty as a father to find a match that was not only respectable, but one in which she was happy.
Lucie was just describing how Kel had bought a dress shop for two seamstresses when Sir Myles approached them.
'Lady Lucie,' Myles ducked his shaggy head in acknowledgement and then turned to the Lord of Cavall. 'I just thought I should let you know that Keladry didn't turn up to my lesson this afternoon, nor did she visit Master Prithen.'
'Thank you Sir Myles,' replied Lord Wyldon.
The older knight left them alone. Lucie bit her lip worriedly. 'Maybe we should go and check that she's alright, she was acting quite strangely earlier.'
'Buying a shop for two commoners? That sounds exactly like the sort of thing Mindelan would do,' said Lord Wyldon dryly.
'No, not the actual purchasing of the shop, but she got angry at Mistress Selwyn and well, Kel's normally the most controlled person I've ever met.'
'Alright, I'll go and see if I can find her. You go and join your mother; she was complaining to me earlier that she never sees you anymore.' Lucie stood on tip toes to kiss her father's slightly prickly cheek and then hurried away.
Quite apart from being able to see Lucie everyday, his daughter's presence meant that his wife wasn't torn between the Palace and Cavall. Lord Wyldon would enjoy the company of his family until the autumn whilst he remained in Corus to train Mindelan.
Once September came, he hoped to ride north. Although Wyldon had enjoyed working with the Own, rumours of unrest were growing and he had put in an application to General Vanget for a post on the northern border.
With only one wrong turn, Wyldon found himself outside Kel's room. He knocked on the door and found that it swung open under his fist; it wasn't locked. Warily he poked his head inside the room.
On the bed, still captive to her fatigue Kel was curled up, fast asleep. Her face was smooth and untroubled, her chest rising and falling in a slow, repetitive rhythm. Lord Wyldon had half a mind to wake her and send her to supper, but even in her sleep she looked exhausted. The skin on her face was stretched a little too tightly over cheekbones and her hair was ratted and knotted.
Wyldon backed out of the room; he would send a servant up later with some food. For now, sleep was her most pressing need.
In his mind, he still couldn't quite fathom Keladry of Mindelan out. Over the past four weeks she had trained harder than any warrior Lord Wyldon had ever met. The time she spent training was almost double the amount the pages did and she didn't stop for weekends. It had been Wyldon's opinion that she should only use her time to master the lance and the bow, for she was more than proficient in the sword and unarmed combat. Keladry however squashed not only her swordplay into her spare time, but also jogging, glaive work with the Yamani ladies and her own tilting practice. He shook his head.
She had never once opened her mouth to voice a complaint or even slackened off her schedule. However it seemed today that even an iron will and the determination that Kel had in spades couldn't over come the basal need for sleep.
When Kel awoke the next morning she found a platter of rolls stuffed with chicken and a small jug of spiced apple juice placed carefully on her desk amongst bits of paper with half completed mathematical equations scribbled hastily across them.
Feeling better than she had done in days, Kel had a proper wash and swapped all of her clothes for clean ones. She strapped on her harness and sword belt tightly before scraping her clean wet hair into a messy knot on the back of her head. She wrapped a strip of material around her hairline to keep the straggly pieces off of her forehead and out of her eyes.
Kel grabbed a roll and left her room with a smile. She hummed a Scanran song under her breath between mouthfuls as she trod the familiar path to the practice courts.
Eda and Fassin were already warmed up and ready to begin by the time Kel arrived.
'We've got something different for you to do today,' Eda explained as Kel began to stretch. 'We want you to fight both of us at the same time. We'll start with swords, but if we're disarmed then we will move onto unarmed combat.'
Kel nodded, her mind already thinking out strategies, searching for a way that she could possibly best two Shang warriors.
Once she finished a warm up with a proficient flip, landing squarely on two feet, Kel drew Courage and faced off. She shook out her legs, shifting her weight from side to side. If she remained static then she'd have no chance.
Fassin attacked first with a solid overhead strike. Kel's sword had barely reached the block when she was forced to twist to the side to avoid a jab from Eda. This was a dangerous duel. All three of them wielded live blades and one wrong move could leave her seriously injured or even dead. This knowledge pumped adrenalin into her veins and Kel was able to dart around and attack Eda. They exchanged blows for no more than two seconds before Kel was forced to move away and deal with Fassin.
Kel leapt backwards, twisting in the air to bat Eda's sword away. Throwing caution to the wind, she took two strides and physically leapt at Fassin, her blade aiming straight for his wrists. In an awkward move that Kel had anticipated, he moved his sword downwards to prevent his wrists from being severed. This was a weak position and as Kel landed the blow, the force of her bodyweight behind it sent it spinning away. Before she could even bring Courage's point to Fassin's neck, Kel saw Eda's shadow looming behind her.
Kel threw herself to the ground, aware of nothing but her innate instinct to survive. She rolled, as first year pages were taught and defended herself from the ground. In a desperate move Kel managed to sweep Eda's legs from underneath her. The lady toppled forward and Kel scrambled up. Barely three quarters of the way back into her stance it felt like Kel had just been rammed by a bull as Fassin's bulk slammed into her. Kel scrabbled in the dirt, kicking herself free of Fassin's grip.
She rose like a cat, springing up towards Eda. Combining a kick and a thrust with her sword, Kel set Eda off-balance and wove Courage in to rest at Eda's throat. One down, she thought savagely. But even as Kel turned she was smashed down into the floor. To avoid impaling herself on her own blade Kel had to sling Courage away, leaving her weapon less against Fassin.
The blows exchanged were fast and furious, neither softening nor faltering. Kel was being pummelled left right and centre. Limbs were blurs as they twisted and wove in a complex dance that baffled the crowd that was beginning to gather.
Fassin dived forward and together they tumbled to the floor, wrestling. Kel wiggled with all her might but couldn't break the iron grip on her arms. She kneed Fassin in the stomach and broke free, breathing hard. Both fighters surged to their feet once more.
When they met again, Kel dodged the first punch and retuned the attack with a kick that left her slightly off balance. She caught the blow awkwardly and catapulted backwards. Fassin leapt after her and Kel's struggling fingers caught his wrist. Fassin landed hard on top of Kel and it was all over. He had Kel pinned.
'I yield,' said Kel between pants.
Fassin rolled to the side, wiping sweat from his dark skin. Kel sat up and dabbed at her eyebrow which seemed to have been split again.
Looking up, Kel noted for the first time that a large audience had accumulated. The majority of the men were wearing the blue and silver that identified them as members of the King's Own. Others were interspersed around the practice court; several riders, a couple of pages watching in awe and even the group of noble ladies who had arrived early for their glaive practice.
'Well fought,' said a familiar voice approvingly. Turning her head, Kel saw the ruddy cheeked Knight Commander of the Own.
Kel scrambled to her feet and bowed, accepting the compliment. 'Back already my Lord?'
The King's Own had left two weeks previously to ride to the aid of a village struck by a forest fire.
'Fortunately anti-fire charms managed to salvage most of the village,' said Raoul jovially, 'it didn't take us too long to repair the damage.'
Kel looked around Raoul's huge form to a figure that had separated from the crowd. Raoul followed her gaze. 'Checking that she's still in one piece?' Raoul asked as Dom came closer, his eyes dancing wickedly.
Kel wanted to leap into Dom's arms there and then, but she restrained herself. Talk would do neither of them any favours.
'Good day Keladry,' Raoul excused himself with a nod of his curly-haired head.
'My Lord.'
Kel was left staring at Dom, her eyes greedily roving over his tanned face.
'I leave you for two weeks,' he said dramatically, 'only to return from my endeavours to find you rolling around on the floor with another man!'
Kel would've elbowed him if her arms weren't aching from the plethora of bruises that she'd just obtained.
'Well next time you can roll around on the floor with two Shang warriors,' groaned Kel, flexing her bruises knuckles.
Dom shook his head violently. 'I have always retained the opinion that men, or women,' he added, 'that try for knighthood are completely and utterly mad. Hopefully you aren't as badly afflicted as Neal…'
'You think Lord Raoul is mad?' demanded Kel, an eyebrow raised.
'My lord is an excellent commander, strategist and is a brilliant judge of people. However he will attempt to avoid large social occasions at all costs and-'
'I don't blame him,' interrupted Kel. 'He's probably forced to dance with every unmarried girl in court.'
'Exactly,' said Dom, installing a faraway look in his eyes, 'every unmarried girl.'
This time Kel really did elbow Dom, who grinned madly.
'It's a good thing I'm not a war hero.'
'Dance with whoever you want,' said Kel, feigning indifference.
Dom made a gesture as though to reach for Kel's hand and then thought better of it, given their public surroundings.
'I only want to dance with one girl at the Queen's birthday ball,' Dom said quietly.
'Lucky her,' Kel smiled, 'and she won't even have me glaring at her, since I won't be going.'
'Don't worry you've got three weeks to pick a dress,' he smiled, ignoring her.
Kel's thoughts flashed back to the beautiful dress that sat in her cupboard. The one that she would never be able to wear.
'Kel are you coming?' asked Ilane of Mindelan, as she approached the couple.
'Yes,' Kel replied. 'Mama, this is Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle. Dom this is my mother, Ilane of Mindelan.'
'The pleasure is all mine,' said Dom bowing deeply and flashing Ilane his most dazzling smile.
'I'll find you later,' Kel told Dom.
'Alright. Is Neal around?'
'No he left with the Lioness about the same time that you did.'
'Shame,' said Dom, 'I had the most excellent prank…' he trailed off, looking at Ilane. 'I'll see you later,' he said hastily. Dom bowed to both women and then jogged back to his fellow soldiers.
Ilane looked her youngest daughter up and down. She was filthy from rolling around in the practice court dirt, but beneath the grime she was positively glowing.
'Are you alright Kel?' she asked concernedly, touching one long, delicate finger to the congealed blood above Kel's eyebrow.
'I'm fine,' Kel reassured her, 'just got a few bruises, that's all.'
Ilane didn't look convinced. When they reached the other women, there were expressions of mild horror on their faces. Kel found this odd. They had no problem with women wielding weapons such as the glaive, bows, or even horse riding. But the idea of rolling around on the ground wrestling and punching seemed to shock them.
Sighing inwardly, Kel collected her glaive and paired off against Yuki.
That night, once she had dragged herself away from the mess hall, she prised up the floorboard from underneath her desk and pulled out her tournament winnings. A small fortune lay on the desk before her.
Kel counted out the remaining money that she owed for the dress shop. She also set aside ten gold nobles for Lalasa and Tian to purchase any materials or equipment that they might need for their business.
Rummaging in the drawers Kel drew out all of her possessions. Apart from shirts, breeches and underclothes, Kel only owned some chain mail and a breastplate. She eyed it critically. Although it could do with a clean, it was of a very good quality and did not need replacing. She would however need new wrist guards and a new helmet to replace the one that had been lost on the battlefield.
If she left a budget of ten nobles to spend on her new armour and any clothes that she might need to buy as the weather turned colder, this left Kel with forty gold nobles. A huge sum in itself.
Kel didn't need this kind of money. Having lived on the bare minimum for so long, Kel felt no need to spend lavishly on embroidered tunics or dresses. She had only commissioned one from Lalasa as an excuse to let Lalasa demonstrate her skills.
Sweeping the piles of money into various pouches, Kel gathered up the dress and left the room. She rode down into the humid city to save time and Prince welcomed any exercise that wasn't charging endlessly at a quintain.
Her first stop was the property sellers, where she completed payment for the shop. Her second one was at the armoury, where she selected tough-looking wrist guards and a helmet that was comfortable and sturdy. Like all of Kel's belongings they were chosen for their practicality over their aesthetic value; she wasn't about to spend seven silvers more just so that she could have the shiniest helm in the shop.
Then she moved onto Lalasa and Tian's shop. Kel knocked on the door and tethered Prince loosely to an iron ring set in the wall.
It was Tian who answered the door.
'Lady Kel,' she curtsied.
'Just Kel,' came the exasperated reminder that Kel wanted to be their equal and not their superior. 'I just came by to drop of the final deed for the shop, as well as some money to get you started.'
Lalasa's timid face appeared at the top of the stairs, her dark eyes wide.
'Why have you bought the dress back?'
'Well,' Kel fought to keep her face from flushing. 'Really Lalasa, it's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. It's just…well I can't wear it.'
Lalasa's face fell.
'Why ever not?' Tian enquired.
'I have a scar…' said Kel, fighting her embarrassment. She pulled her shirt down so that the two ladies caught a glimpse of the ugly mark below her collarbones.
'That may not have to be a problem,' said Lalasa thoughtfully. 'Would you mind if I could see you wearing it?' She asked so cautiously that Kel had no choice but to oblige.
Kel changed in the upstairs privy and hesitantly stepped out. 'It really is a beautiful dress Lalasa,' she said quietly, smoothing the soft material beneath her rough palms.
'You look beautiful,' declared Tian. It's harder to see when you're wearing men's clothes and all…' she stopped, as though worried she'd been too outspoken.
Kel smiled bashfully.
Meanwhile Lalasa had been looking thoughtfully at Kel. The ragged scar was only an inch or so above the neckline of the dress, but it extended almost the full width of Kel's body.
'If I made an undershirt of very fine chiffron and embroidered it, you could wear it underneath. It would hide your scar and yet not detract from the shape of the dress.'
'I like the idea,' said Tian excitedly, 'you could continue the gold embroidery up into a delicate collar.'
'Ok,' said Kel, sighing inwardly. 'If you can make that shirt, then I will wear this dress to the Queen's ball.'
'Really?' squeaked Lalasa.
Kel smiled at the hope that shone on either face. 'I will personally see to it that as many people as possible are directed your way when I speak to them.'
'Do you have shoes to go with it?' enquired Tian.
Kel shook her head. After a moment of thought, she asked 'Tian, whilst Lalasa is making the shirt, could you find me some shoes and jewellery to match the dress? Buy it from the smaller traders in the city.'
'I would be honoured my- Kel,' Tian corrected herself.
'This should cover the costs,' said Kel, handing over a couple of coins.
When Kel finally left the shop, it was beginning to get dark. Swinging herself onto Prince she rode hurriedly to the nearest accountants. Here, she changed her remaining gold coins into silver, until she had a heavy, clinking bag stuffed full with shiny silver pieces.
As she stepped out once more, the sky rumbled and the faintest drops of rain fell on Kel's nose. Even as Kel looked up, water began to pour from the sky. The cool droplets were a respite from what had been an unbearably sticky, humid day.
Now that the rain was really pouring down, Kel turned Prince away from the city and began to canter through the downpour. Prince whickered happily; glad to be leaving the confines of the city. They galloped for at least an hour across the nearby countryside, freshly formed mud flying up from Prince's hooves.
'That feels better eh boy?' Kel reached forward to pat Prince's warm wet neck.
At a slower pace they made their way back into Corus and by the time they were walking through the flooded streets of the Lower City it was very late indeed. Kel knew that she would regret her late night in the morning, but at the moment she was set on a task.
Dismounting into the putrid water that had pooled in the middle of the street, Kel walked to the first door and slid two silver coins underneath. She then hurried to the next and the next, distributing coins into the poorest houses of the city.
Because the houses were squashed so close together, it didn't take Kel long to gift whole streets. She dropped coins into the laps of any beggars who hadn't made it out of the rain and into the small temples and shrines to the Goddess that she passed along the way.
Kel spent hours trawling the streets of Corus, occasionally having to teach a drunk that she wasn't a girl to be messed with. The downpour hadn't stopped and she was soaked to the skin, her clothes clinging tightly to her thin frame.
It was early the next morning by the time Kel rode back to the Palace, her money pouch considerably lighter. She hadn't been able to get rid of all of the coins, but she could always come back another night.
Leaving her wet clothes in soggy pile Kel pulled on a large shirt that stretched to halfway down her thighs. She wrung out her hair, cobbled down some answers to her mathematics homework and crawled into bed, tired to the bone, but feeling pleased that even though she would feel terrible there would be a lot of overjoyed families in Corus tomorrow.
Kel was woken the next morning by sharp raps on her door. Almost blindly she groped for some breeches and struggled into them. When she opened the door Fassin slipped quietly into the room.
Embarrassed that she had still been in bed when the sun was already beginning to rise, Kel hurried over and yanked the curtains apart. Fassin joined her next to the window.
'Kel I'm leaving today,' he said quietly, staring out across the peaceful city. 'I'm going back.'
'Back?' asked Kel tentatively.
'Back.' He replied, his voice laced with meaning. 'As a Shang we are bound to roam the realms, helping where we can until we find a cause which grips us by our very soul. Eda has found hers here, training the knights-to-be. I think my role found me in Scanra, and when I met you and Alex, I became a link in a bigger picture. You're safely on your way now, to being where he wants you to be. I can't help you anymore; our fight yesterday proved this, and whether my presence makes a difference or not up there, I have this feeling that it's where I should be.' He finished, turning his coal black eyes onto Kel.
A horrible mix of emotions flashed in Kel's eyes. How she longed to do what Fassin was planning to do.
'When you find him,' she said quietly, her voice full of longing and sadness, 'tell him…tell him…I'll be ready. I haven't forgotten the promises I've made. Scanra will see the rightful King on her throne.'
-a/n- These chapters do seem to run away with me and end up being far longer than planned! This one incorporates lots of little threads and hopefully moves the plot along a bit.
I'm hoping to get the next chapter up within the week, and by the end of that you'll know where the next stage of Kel's journey will take her ;D
A question: Do you think I should change the summary of Fallen? Because I was looking at it the other day and it doesn't really reflect the story that much as I wrote it so long ago. However there is a little piece of me that wants it to stay the same…Opinions anyone?
Please review and you'll get a faster update :P
Confusedknight xx