-a/n- Ha! So last chapter lots of you picked up on the fact that I don't play chess! I apologise, I'm now a lot wiser -it should've been checkmate!
Oh dear -sighs- I'm really so, so sorry about not writing anything for months. Well, not writing anything un-scientific at any rate. It would be impossible for me to keep up with work and write during term time. I hope you guys understand and bear with a stressed student trying to complete a very, very long fanfiction. (Over 3 years I've been writing Fallen...)
Much love and peace at Christmas,
Confusedknight xxx
The next morning Raoul kept the discussion about the previous night mercifully short.
'I'm not your father Kel, but as your knight-master I have a certain amount of,' he paused, 'responsibility for you. I don't expect you to give up your private life just because you're a squire. Mithros knows most squires are notorious for...ah...well,' Raoul flushed beet red. 'You're quite capable of making your own decisions and as long as you're careful not to get pregnant and it doesn't affect your working relationship with Sergeant Domitan, then I will, shall we say, turn a blind eye.'
Fighting her own blush, Kel nodded, 'I'm sorry my Lord if this-'
Raoul wouldn't hear it. 'Personally I like seeing you this happy, and Dom is a good man who's going to make a fine commander one day.' Raoul shooed Kel off to breakfast.
After she had eaten a light meal, Kel made her way into the indoor practice courts where she found several of her other year mates sparring against each other. Neal was sat in the corner wrapped up warmly, with his nose buried in a book. Kel went over to her friend, 'I'm fairly sure that these courts are for training and not reading,' Kel teased, removing her outer coat and beginning to stretch out her legs.
'I am enjoying a respite from my barbarian of a knight-mistress.' He sniffed haughtily, 'Just because some of you enjoy thumping other people with swords all day long doesn't mean that I should miss out upon acquainting myself with some of the greatest literary works of the last decade. You should try reading some time, in fact I think you'll like one I read the other day, written by Fennell of Tasride who was a general to King Roald in his day, going quite barmy now according to Seaver and spends most of his time-' But Kel wasn't listening to Neal's monologue, she had paused from her stretching and was watching trouble approach.
'Cold last night wasn't it,' called over a Knight whose fine clothes and disapproving scowl marked him as one of the conservative. 'Fancy warming my bed this evening Mindelan? There's word about the Palace that your services are on offer '
Merric and Esmond stopped their duel and took a threatening step towards the man.
'Leave it,' said Kel, struggling to keep her voice even. Of course the Stone Mountain's would have spread it about that she hadn't been alone last night.
'Oh sorry,' sneered the Knight, looking at the angry faces of Kel's friends, 'I didn't realise that there was a queue.'
Merric and Esmond strode forward and Kel and Neal only just made it over in time to stop them from attacking the ugly Knight.
'Leave -it' hissed Kel. 'He's not worth the bother.'
'Go spread your lies elsewhere Groten,' said Neal disdainfully.
'Oh lies are they?' He smirked at Kel and stalked away.
Once he'd left the practice arena, Kel and Neal felt it safe to release the others.
'How can you stay so calm?' asked Merric in outrage.
'Practice,' said Kel, thinking that at least for the first time the basis of the rumour was true. She turned away, retreated to her corner and began to warm up her arms.
'As much as you can do your Yamani calm face all day long, it might be wise to sometimes challenge them. The Lioness finds that beating conservatives with a sword shuts them up for a while.'
'Neal drop it,' Kel replied flatly, drawing her sword and swinging it experimentally.
'Well I'm just warning you that it could just keep getting worse. They're furious that their golden boy Joren didn't pass the Ordeal. You ought to be careful, some have it in their thick skulls that you're linked to the failures, which is complete nonsense of course. It is interesting though, two failures in one year when statistically Bruin of Disart calculated over six decades that the estimated rate of failure was one per-'
Kel groaned inwardly and began her routines; some days Neal could be insufferable.
Kel sparred against Esmond and Merric before fighting them both at the same time. She even bullied Neal into fighting two brief rounds. Wiping her brow, Kel noted the arrival of the Yamani ladies and bowed to her Squire friends before hurrying over to greet them.
Lady Ilane hugged her youngest daughter, 'Kel, will you join us?'
'Yes Mama, but I will need to go and fetch my naginata.'
Kel set off for her room at a run whilst the other ladies began to warm themselves up. With any luck she'd be back by the time they'd finished. She skidded to a halt in front of her door and pushed it open. Kel was about to go over and pick out her glaive from her weapons rack when she heard a voice that made her stop in her tracks.
'I understand, Sir.' It was Dom.
Thinking that it would be very embarrassing indeed if she was caught eavesdropping, Kel noisily shut the door behind her and selected her glaive.
'Kel?' It was Raoul.
'Do you need me my lord? I've been asked to join the women for glaive practice.'
'No, go ahead,' he called, 'I need to go and visit Gary, er Gary the Younger that is. It promises to be a boring meeting from which I'll return with a lot of paperwork.'
'I will see you later,' called Kel.
Kel's first partner was the peppery Yukimi noh Daiomuro. Having trained with the naginata almost every day for the last twelve years of her live, Yuki was more than proficient with the weapon. Kel relied more on her quick reflexes and brute strength, but they were well-matched for practice fighting.
Though usually only sparse comments punctuated the clash of weapons, this morning there was a topic on everyone's lips; Joren's death.
'I think it is good that there is an impartial judge for such matters,' Yuki had declared. 'It ensures that no one receives the honour on lineage alone.'
They rotated, changing partners so that Kel paired off with the Queen.
'You knew Squires Joren and Vinson,' commented the Queen with a graceful sweep of her glaive. 'Would you have let them enter the Chamber?'
'I didn't know that they could be prevented from doing so,' said Kel, politely evading the question.
'According to Jon, there are ways that they can be discouraged,' replied Thayet darkly. 'Would you have done so?' she pressed.
'Joren was a bully, and never acted with any chivalry towards me,' said Kel slowly, 'but there are plenty of knights who behave similarly, so I had no reason to suspect that the Chamber would...well...'
'It sees to the heart of a man, or woman,' Lady Ilane had stopped duelling Lady Haname and nodded to Kel. 'It is why Tortallan Knights are respected across realms,' she explained to the Yamani ladies.
'It saw to the heart of that disgraceful Squire,' commented Lady Haname.
Kel's next swing of her glaive had slightly more power behind it than she intended and Queen Thayet had to take a step back to regain her balance.
'Sorry,' muttered Kel, continuing on with the exercise.
'And now it will deal out a more effective punishment than the courts ever could,' Yuki agreed.
'It doesn't help the women though,' Kel spoke out, surprising herself, 'the ones he hurt. They'll still have to live with what he did to them.'
'That is true,' said Ilane sadly, 'but there is little that we can do for them now.'
'Jon and I have been recruiting more guards for the city in an effort to prevent this sort of thing,' said the Queen, sweeping her glaive in a graceful arc.
'With all due respect, your Majesty,' Kel said carefully, 'Even the most diligent of guards cannot cover every alleyway of the city.'
'So what would you suggest?' asked Thayet equally politely, her beautiful eyes fixed on the Lady Squire.
'Self-defence lessons,' said Kel and with a final flourish of her glaive she relinquished Thayet of hers. 'Starting perhaps in the schools with the young girls so that they grow up knowing basic ways to discourage unwanted attention. Set up classes in the temples and then those that learn can pass it on to their family and friends. Streets in the Lower City are close things, it'll get around.'
The Queen gave Kel an unreadable look, but Kel held her ground. Queen of Tortall or not, Kel had a point to get across.
'I will propose it at the next council meeting, perhaps using Vinson's example to gain support. I know the Priestess's will agree with changes to safeguard women.' She mused. 'I should warn you that it may take a while before anything can be implemented.'
Kel blinked, startled that she didn't have to argue her cause further. She was just opening her mouth to respond when Buri appeared, a welcome distraction.
'Thayet you're needed in the Throne Room, the Lord of Stone Mountain is insisting upon a royal hearing.' Buri reported curtly.
Sighing, the lovely Queen picked up her fallen glaive. Kel bowed dutifully and Thayet inclined her head. 'You'll have to excuse me Squire Keladry,' and she hurried across the arena, her movements willowy and graceful.
'Kel,' the Rider Commander smiled, acknowledging her presence. Kel grinned shyly back, thinking of the secrets they both shared.
As Buri left, Kel excused herself also; Raoul would be returning soon and she should go and help him complete his paperwork.
The other seven ordeals passed without incident and with the nine new Knights in tow, the Progress set out across the Kingdom once more. Third Company rode ahead, scouting through hostile, uninhabited sections of the realm to root out any who might prey upon the riches of the Progress.
All around Kel saw signs of people struggling to make an existence. Whilst the visiting monarchs could do little to improve the livelihoods of everyone, it bolstered spirits to see the pomp of the Progress, and all the entertaining involved brought business to small, struggling shops.
Despite Shinkokami's worries, the public loved their new Yamani Princess and gazed on her with the same adoration that they normally reserved for Queen Thayet the Peerless.
As the crawling progress neared Irontown, Raoul took one half of Third Company in a north-easterly direction, riding hard for the river Olorun. Faces pink and chapped with cold they stormed through the snowy countryside, Raoul reminding them all that they were a fighting force and not just guards to over-dressed nobles.
Their destination was the wide valley where the river from Lake Naxen filtered into the Olorun. The area was known for flooding and at the request of the Mayor of the town, the King had agreed to send his men to erect some barriers against the flood that would come when the snows melted.
Master Numair, the black-robe mage had volunteered to go along and help with the work, lonely and bored without his lover the wildmage Daine. The mage, to Kel's astonishment had transformed himself into a hawk and now dove in and out of view far above them, impatiently waiting for his slower companions.
As they crossed the dazzlingly white landscape Kel was reminded of her sled ride with Alex across the great tundra of Scanra. As she shifted uncomfortably in the saddle and unclenched her frozen fingers from around the reins she thought longingly of the fur-lined sled.
Occasionally flurries of snow swirled down on top of them, fat flakes landing on Kel's eyelashes and clinging to her clothes. When they made camp in the evening the men built up several bonfires which Master Salmalin started with a great roar of flame.
They spent their evenings huddling as close to the fires as they could safely get, pressed shoulder to shoulder, weary but cheerful. This travelling was totally different to her time spent in Scanra. There it had just been the two of them, and often when cold and wet conversation had been sparse. In a group of fifty three there was always some noise, someone bantering and lifting spirits. When Kel laughed along, particularly at some of the men whom she'd got to know well, it felt nice to be part of such a big team.
The work at Riverscross was back-breaking. On the first day, to the utter awe of all who watched, Numair, playing a small recorder, summoned boulders as big as carriages and set them in to line the river bank which had been scraped clear by the townspeople. Swaying slightly as his tune came to an end Numair was helped back into the village by the headman, who was looking at the mage with an expression that mixed between reverence and downright terror.
It was then up to the Own to build upon these foundations. And build they did. Snow-laden trees were felled and chopped. Frozen earth was chiselled out of the ground and set around the rocks. The planks of wood were set on the side of the bank that faced the river. Hot tar sealed the cracks between the planks of wood.
Kel was disgusted to find that her hands blistered from the shovel that she was using to prise out the rock-hard terrain. What had happened to her calluses from her plantation days? She dug fiercely, rarely stopping to take a break. Mud-soaked from slushy snow her face took on a grim expression. No one dared to suggest that she wasn't prepared to shoulder the hard work anymore.
Despite the drudgery of her daily tasks Kel forced herself to strip off her sodden outer clothes and run through her sword exercises every evening before dinner. One night she was just sheathing Courage in the mud-encrusted scabbard when Numair strode out of the trees.
'Good evening,' Kel said, bowing politely.
The mage looked around, thoroughly startled. His slightly unnerving eyes turned from the heavens onto Kel.
'Ah Keladry,' he said, slowly as though his mind was only half on the task. 'I have a favour to ask of you.' Kel listened, shocked. 'Daine has just flown in,' he gestured above his head. Kel looked up and suddenly realised Numair's sudden fascination with the sky. About ten metres above his head, difficult to see in the dark grey sky, hovered some sort of bird that Kel took to be the wildmage. 'Daine would like me to ask you if it would be possible for her to borrow clothes for this evening.'
'Of course,' said Kel, slightly bemused.
The indeterminate bird of prey swooped down and landed on Numair's arm. The man stroked bird-Daine with a huge, gentle finger.
Kel hurried to her tent and fished out the cleanest clothes that she could find, including a shirt, breast band and breeches. Unlike the men who could often fish clean clothes from the supplies, Kel had to ensure that she packed all the clothing that she needed. The thought of asking the quartermaster to supply breastbands brought a smile of amusement to her face.
She handed the clothes to the mage who had been one of her teachers in the Palace, a lifetime ago.
Two days later as they departed from Riverscross the wildmage and lover flew ahead into the bright blue sky of the morning.
'Daine needs to report to the King,' Raoul commented to his squire as the pair of hawks disappeared from sight.
'Why?' asked Kel startled, 'Where had she been?'
'There was a time,' Raoul began slowly, signalling for the Own to proceed with his right hand, 'when we'd have to wait until the snow cleared for news of goings on up north. Since the gods blessed us with Daine however, it's been possible to gather information all year round.'
A fleeting look of longing obviously must've passed across Kel's face for Raoul said gently, 'Maybe you could have a word with George and ask if he's heard anything from your friend. Alanna's rejoining the Progress at Persopolis and if I know them George'll be there too.'
Kel nodded tightly, shocked that Raoul could read her so well. She rode on lost in thought, half desperately hoping for any scrap of news and the other half of her terrified that the news would be bad.
Raoul's prediction turned out to be true. George did indeed join the Progress at Persopolis. It was the first time that Kel had seen him with his wife. She watched the spymaster as he observed his wife, calming her whenever she seemed poised to explode into one of her famed rants, love evident in his every gaze and Kel decided that love definitely worked in strange ways.
The Bazhir were excellent hosts and the squires were not required to serve at any of the lavish banquets held in the granite castle. Kel dined alongside Raoul and shared a table with a remarkable array of people. On the first night their table had been mainly composed of knights who all seemed to be battle-hardened and only Sir Geoffrey of Meron, a friend of Raoul's from his squire days, seemed to take any interest in her as Raoul's squire.
On the second night they joined the high table and whilst Raoul spoke at length with the King Kel found herself in the pleasurable company of the Yamani ladies. It was refreshing to share female company and the evening passed quickly.
On the third night she dined with Baron Cooper and Lady Alanna, whom Kel was shocked to see in a violet gown. Neal also shared their table and Kel was having a thoroughly enjoyable evening until the topic of Scanra arose.
Sir Gareth of Naxen voiced his concern about the "new" Scanran warlord, Maggur Rathhausak. Kel's hands clenched involuntarily under the table.
'He's only got a gaggle of clans to cooperate,' pointed out a large, grey-haired knight lounging back in his chair, hands crossed across his full stomach.
Kel thought in disbelief of the might of the army that had faced them at Somalkt, when Maggur only controlled five clans. Since then he'd acquired three more. Why couldn't these people see the threat that faced them?
'And the northern clans will never work together,' reasoned Sacherall of Wellam, helping himself to another date.
Didn't they not realise that the northern clans might not have any choice?
'They'll be killing and cursing each other come spring, mark my words,' said Sir Jeral of Nenan, 'That country's never had any structure.'
'Mayhap,' said Baron Cooper lightly, 'What do you think Squire?'
Kel started slightly at being addressed and looking into those hazel eyes she knew this was a test.
'I have little knowledge of how scanrans associate Baron,' Kel said seriously, 'but surely even if the northern clans dissent there is still nothing between us and the united southern clans.'
Kel wasn't sure why the Baron was trying to keep everyone uninformed about the gravity of the situation but for now she had little choice other than to play along.
'Tinei still stands though,' piped up Neal, 'And that covers a great deal of our border.'
'Exactly!' roared a red-faced knight, banging his fist down onto the table. 'And even if the little buggers are stupid enough to attack then we'll crush the swine.'
'Here, here,' murmurs of agreement came from around the table. After that the conversation fragmented and Kel was left pretending to listen to Raoul and Sacherell's discussion, fuming all the while.
"Defend your homeland well," Alex's words bounced around Kel's head, filling her with anxiety. How should she interpret that? The majority of the warriors at the dinner table needed to be made aware of the seriousness of the threat that Maggur posed, and yet George was here pretending that everything was going to be alright. He hasn't seen the destructive power of Maggur's amies first hand, thought Kel, angrily stabbing a peach with her desert fork.
'A copper for your thought's?' muttered Raoul, watching his apparently happy squire attack her pudding.
'I'm thinking that some drunkards should learn to control their mouths,' Kel replied in an undertone, watching the red-faced knight who was now loudly proclaiming that there wasn't a force in any kingdom that matched the might of the Tortallan army.
'Let Maggur come,' he hiccuped, 'we'd match all thirteen of his clans in battle.'
'Maybe,' Kel said quietly so that only Raoul could hear, 'but he'll have fourteen by the time he's through.
The Progress departed east into the hill country and then turned south. They trailed through fiefs, sat through meetings with ambassadors and watched various trade agreements being drawn up between Tortall, Tusaine and Tyra. Kel endured all of it with a grim determination, gauging the power of each of the politicians and nobles in turn, how much their opinion counted. In the evenings Raoul drilled the men hard and this allowed Kel to release her frustration constructively. Each day they crawled further and further away from Scanra, further away from Alex.
When Buri rode in with two rider groups requesting aid it was a blessing from the Gods. Even the men who claimed to love all the parties that the Progress brought had grown tired of the constant entertaining.
They rode with a renewed energy to help several flooded towns stretched out along the river
Drell. Unable to cope with the melting snows in the north, the Drell had overflown, the raw power of the river sweeping through fields destroying crops, sweeping away villagers and ravaging homes.
When they arrived at the first town it was still knee-deep in muddy brown water. Kel dismounted along with all the other men and winced as the freezing liquid seeped down into her boots.
So began ten days of hard work, always wet, always cold. They helped to drain away the water and patch up the ruined buildings. It was thankless work for the townspeople were an unsmiling lot.
On their final day of work the sun shone at last, drying the mud on their clothes into hard clods. The squads that had been sent off to help villages further upstream returned at intervals throughout the day. It was about lunchtime when Dom led his squad into the congregation. Kel's heart soared at the sight of him. With everyone out in the open like this there was little that she could do or say that wouldn't draw unwanted attention. Kel went over and greeted the whole squad, drawing a laugh from them all when she noted aloud that their commander's hair, usually so floppy was sticking out at all angles, styled by mud.
Raoul, as equally weary and dishevelled as the rest of his men, called over the squad leaders.
'I know we've orders to return to the progress with all due haste-' Flyn looked as though he were about to interrupt but Raoul waved a hand to stop him, 'After the work we've done here the very least the men deserve is a warm bath, a roof over their heads and a drink.'
The commanders all looked at him questioningly.
'We're not so far from Goldenlake...'
The air was rent with screams and Alex could hear the sound of heavy fighting outside. Sweat was freezing on his bloody forehead and his eyes were wild and desperate.
'You've got to do something.'
'I'm sorry young man,' the harassed healer shouted. 'I've no gift left, nothing to give your friend.'
'No, no there must be something that can stop the bleeding.'
She cast a hardened eye over the man twitching with pain who was falling into a sleep that he was unlikely to wake up from.
'If you remove the rest of the limb and cauterise the ends then he might have a chance, but I'm sorry there's nothing more I can do.' She bustled away.
Alex's eyes watched her go with a rising horror in his heart. He didn't think that he could do what she had suggested. Even as he observed the woman he saw her use a small dagger to end the suffering of a man whom she didn't think she could save, and Alex was reminded how everyone was being forced to do things that they wouldn't normally do; how good, kind people had been transformed, hardened.
You're going to live to see the end of this, he thought savagely, looking down at his long-time friend and second-in-command. Praying to all the gods he knew for strength he brought the sword up and severed what remained of the dangling forearm and wrist. What little blood the man had left began to leak sluggishly from the new injury. Knowing that he had little time, Alex grabbed one of the fire pokers from the hearth and thrust it into the flames. Waiting as long as he dared he steeled himself and pressed the hot metal to the stump. Flesh hissed and sizzled and the smell of burning made Alex retch, gagging for there was nothing in his stomach to expel.
A man burst into the room and Alex spun, a hand sticky with dried blood reaching automatically for his sword. He relaxed when he recognised a smoke blackened face. The newcomer drew patterns in the air that shimmered before disappearing, shielding their conversation from all ears.
'It is done, all three mines are unusable.'
'Casualties?' rasped Alex.
The mage bowed his head and Alex saluted the fallen quietly.
'Maggur's retribution will be swift. I fear Gelfunt will bear the brunt of his anger.'
'We need to disappear, quickly. When the fighting dies down take as many injured as can be moved safely and spread far and wide. Just as planned.'
As calm descended across the damaged village Alex's orders were relayed throughout the band of renegades. Men and women scattered, riding off into the night, radiating from the safe houses.
Alex's wounded comrade was strapped to his horse and together with the mage and the other ringleaders they slipped into the night, heading westwards. In the distance a fire could be seen burning. The evidence of the great task that they had achieved. It had been months in the making, but tonight was the critical moment for their strike at Maggur. Innocent men had been killed and Alex wasn't proud of that, but Maggur had lost the three mines which supplied his army with the iron to make steel armour and weapons. It would delay the growth of his army significantly, buy Tortall some more time.
-a/n- Wow! I finally got this chapter up! I've been writing half-pages of it for the last week :D
Please review -it'll be lovely to know that people still care for Fallen.
Confusedknight xxx
PS. Can I suggest putting this story on 'alert' -updates are likely to be sporadic...