Hey all!

Not much to say today! Just more thanks for your lovely reviews, I wish I could answer/thank you all in person, but then I really would be the slowest updater ever. I've been chugging away slowly at this for a couple of weeks now, but just finished it whilst watching "Outnumbered" my favourite tv programme at the moment. Any other Outnumbered fans out there?

Hope you've all had a good start to September,

Confusedknight xxx

Kel didn't notice that the chapel was far fuller than it had been when Prosper had emerged. She didn't even notice the mingled looks of jubilation and concern on her friends faces. She simply moved slowly forwards, letting Raoul catch her before she stumbled and fell. People parted to let knight and squire through. Despite looking pale and tired, Raoul's grip on her was steady and strong, supporting her back to the living room that they shared. Kel sat gingerly down on a sofa.

'Do you need a healer?' he asked, his sloe black eyes concerned and yet understanding.

Kel shook her head, her throat felt too clammed up to speak. Raoul watched her for a moment longer and then set about making a pot of tea. He poured Kel a cup and set it in front of her on a low table.

Kel tried to pick the drink up, but her hands shook so badly that she slopped hot liquid everywhere. Without warning a surge of emotion overcame the dumb shock. Violent, racking sobs tore through her body, as Kel's misery burst forth.

'Oh gods,' she croaked, memories rearing their ugly heads in her mind. She wanted to be sick, but there was nothing left in her stomach. 'It...they...all,' Kel babbled incoherently.

Raoul seated himself next to Kel and let her sob onto his shoulder. Kel clung to her knight-master like he was the only rock in the storm of memories that assaulted her.

'Sorry,' Kel spluttered before dissolving back into a fresh wave of tears. Her throat was raw, her nose running horribly.

'You let it all out,' said Raoul tolerably, giving Kel's shoulders a supportive squeeze.

When Kel's sobbing had subsided, he poured a fresh cup of tea.

'Drink it, it'll help.'

Kel obeyed and let the hot liquid trickle down her throat. It did indeed have a calming sensation. Kel tried to wipe her nose on her dirty, bloody sleeve.

'You'll feel better once you're cleaned up and rested,' Raoul acknowledged. He rang the small bell that he rarely used and several minutes later a maid appeared.

'Could you draw up a bath for my squire?' He requested.

The woman acquiesced and Kel could hear her bustling around in the next room, heating water and rummaging for towels.

'All done, my Lord,' she reappeared five minutes later. 'And may I say congratulations Squire Kel, we, that is to say Salma and I always knew you'd do it.'

Kel managed a weak smile.

The bath was nice physically, the hot water soothing all her aches and pains. Kel sunk below the water, trying to block out memories, focussing on the heat and sloshing water. She dressed in clean, plain clothes; brown breeches and a white shirt, leaving her filthy ordeal clothes in a pile by the bathtub.

'I know there are people that want to see you,' Raoul spoke when Kel returned. 'If it's alright with you then I've told them to come back this afternoon; you need some sleep, trust me.'

A few tears escaped Kel's eyes, and she nodded in agreement.

'Are you sure you don't need a healer?' Raoul eyed her suspiciously.

'I feel like I've been trampled and stabbed all over, but there's not a scratch on me,' Kel said tiredly, bewildered by magic she didn't understand.

Kel climbed into bed and curled up on her side. Careful to make sure her thoughts didn't stray to memories of her Ordeal, Kel sought refuge in the lake of Yamani calm that she rarely accessed anymore. Emotionally and physically drained, she drifted into sleep.

Kel awoke disorientated some hours later. She could hear low voices in the next room and after a few moments it all came crashing back to her. Kel balled her hands into fists and fought the tide of emotion. Be like stone, be like stone.

'Can I come back later?' It was Owen's quavering voice.

'If she's awake,' replied Raoul.

Kel hauled her sore body upright. She hadn't forgotten that Owen's Ordeal was that evening, he was likely to be terrified by now and the sight of Kel as she emerged from the chamber couldn't have helped.

'I am awake,' Kel said as she pushed the connecting door open. The three men looked startled to see her entering the room. 'How long have I been asleep?'

'Two and a half hours, roughly,' Raoul replied.

'Hullo Kel,' said Owen, his usually bright eyes were wide and searching. 'How're you feeling?'

'Much better for a sleep,' Kel lied, a placid smile in place. The image of Alex pulling his sword from Owen's abdomen rose unbidden in her mind. Kel's throat constricted. She was not going to break down in front of Owen and Lord Wyldon.

She walked gingerly over and gave her younger friend a hug. 'You're going to be fine,' she reassured him in a whisper. Owen clung to her tightly for several seconds before releasing her.

'Thank you,' he muttered, embarrassed. 'I'm really glad you're okay, Kel.'

Kel smiled, not trusting her voice.

'Right Owen, let's leave Kel to rest.' Lord Wyldon steered his squire from the room.

Kel slumped down onto the sofa again. A lone tear escaped, trickling down her cheek and splashing onto Kel's thigh. She had to get a grip on herself; she couldn't cry whilst being knighted. Cautiously Kel tried to sort through her memories of the Ordeal.

The Tauros attack, whilst unpleasant, was just a memory. She had no reason to fear it; the Chamber had surely been testing her resolve as to whether she'd sacrifice herself again for her friend. The fear of being forced to fight against Alex was again ungrounded. Alex would surely rather die than fight for Maggur, he wouldn't betray her. Kel was sure of it.

It had been the last part of her Ordeal that had been the most disturbing. Kel remembered vividly the Chamber's warning. Had it been saying that if Alex were to fail, the war would come to an end in that horrific way? With the raising of Corus to the ground, it's populace enslaved, fighters dead or captured?

Kel wished she could've asked Raoul if it was normal for the Chamber to give warnings or predictions, but they were forbidden to talk of their Ordeals. It suddenly dawned on Kel for the first time that the rule about keeping their Ordeals private, even from other knights, might be in part due to the fact that the Chamber made them live through their worst fears. This was quite a personal revelation Kel thought, maybe most knights didn't want to discuss it anyway.

Raoul placed a tray of food in front of her.

'Eat something if you can,' he encouraged.

Kel looked disinterestedly at the food; the sights and smells of her Ordeal would've been enough to put anyone off of their food.

'I-' Kel's voice cracked and she could feel sobs rising once more. She fought them back, tears welling in her eyes.

She blew her nose on a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered. 'I don't mean to sit here crying the whole afternoon.'

'Kel,' said Raoul, deadly serious. 'You sit here and cry all you want, no one's judging you. 'We've all been there, I understand.'

'Did you spend all day in tears?' Kel wanted to know.

'No,' replied Raoul carefully, gazing fixedly at the spot on the wall. 'I bottled it all up inside, the misery, the pain...until three days after my Ordeal I went down into the lower city and drunk until I couldn't see straight. Until I couldn't remember any more.' His voice was low, disgusted at himself. 'If it hadn't been for George picking me up off the street, quite literally, well...'

Kel was intrigued; she'd heard that Raoul had once had a slight problem with drink, but it wasn't ever something she'd had the courage to ask him about.

'George, as in Baron Cooper?' Kel asked.

'Yes, although he was of less repute back then,' said Raoul. 'He ran the thieves of the Lower City.'

'The Baron was a thief?' Kel squeaked.

'King of the Thieves,' Raoul remembered almost fondly.

'How on earth did you fall in with the Rogue?'

'Well, he'd always had a bit of a thing for Alanna, or Alan as she was known back then. We became friends through her. It was useful. He knew all sorts of interesting goings on, did George, never missed a trick. And if he liked you, he looked out for you. As I say, his men picked me up when I...stopped me from getting my head bashed in when I couldn't defend myself.'

He looked directly at Kel, 'So you just stay here for as long as you want, cry all you like and you'll have handled it a damn sight better than I did.'

Not for the first time, Kel felt immeasurably grateful to Raoul. How did he always manage to say something kind, something to make her feel better?

'Thanks,' she said softly. 'Thanks for everything, taking me on-' she trailed away. How could she possibly put her gratitude into words.

Raoul replied, 'It has been an honour.'

'No I mean it,' Kel replied. 'I-'

'And so do I,' said the Knight firmly. 'Tonight Tortall is going to gain a very fine Lady Knight, and to even have played some small part in that is honour enough. If the gods had ever blessed me with a daughter, I would've liked her to be something like you.' Raoul finished his little speech, his cheeks tinged pink.

They sat in silence, the emotion a little too much for either of them to manage conversation.

Kel's parents arrived shortly afterwards, embracing their youngest daughter. If Kel's eyes leaked a few tears they pretended not to notice, just as Kel pretended she couldn't see them being brutally beaten to death in her mind's eye.

The Baron and his wife came bearing fine clothes for Kel to wear that evening; a soft blue tunic finely embroidered with Mindelan owls in pale silver thread, a fine white silk shirt and dark, navy loose-fitting breeches. Every stitch was Lalasa's and Kel was sure that the outfit would fit her perfectly. Ilane had also selected out a pair of expensive boots made of supple leather and lined with sheepskin. With the ear bobs that had been a Midwinter present from Lucie, and the new belt and scabbard that Raoul had gifted to her, Kel would never have looked finer when she went to collect her shield.

Piers and Ilane left after half an hour, leaving an invitation for both Kel and Raoul to sup with them that evening in Corus city. Raoul, much to Ilane's pleasure had insisted he'd be delighted to join them, although he might be slightly late due to his task of instructing Owen.

'Please extend the invitation to Lord Wyldon,' Piers had requested Raoul, 'his daughter has already agreed to join us.'

They left, leaving Kel to her swirling thoughts. She attempted to have another nap, but found it impossible to get to sleep. She kept remembering all too vividly the terror of being trapped under falling rubble, the horror of seeing her friends die, of a Tortall overrun by Maggur's pestilence.

Giving up on the idea of a restful afternoon, Kel joined Raoul who was doing paperwork. He didn't object as he might usually have done; that Kel was giving up her holiday to help him. Raoul seemed to understand that she wanted to keep busy.

When they finished the last of the sums, Raoul asked, 'How on earth am I going to manage my paperwork without you? Maybe I should ask Jon if I can employ you as a full time clerk.'

Kel made a face that made Raoul laugh.

'Have you given any thought to a full time position, once this wretched war has died down?'

'Not really,' she replied. 'I'd love to ride with the Own, visit the Bazhir again, work more closely with the Riders or maybe even help expand the self-defence schools being set up in Corus.' She shrugged, 'To be honest, I'm finding it hard to see beyond this war at the moment.'

After a moment's pause, she asked, 'Should I have told the King about, you know, Alex and me? I am about to swear fealty to him.'

'Your guess is as good as mine, Kel' sighed Raoul. 'Although being bonded has implications about inheritance, you haven't actually sworn allegiance to Alex as a sovereign. It leaves you in a dubious position I admit, but I don't see that you've got any choice. If you're not a sworn knight then Jon won't let you lead the Scanran expedition and if that doesn't go ahead then...'

We're all buggered, thought Kel, her mind flashing to her Ordeal for the umpteenth time. Hadn't the Chamber warned her not to let Maggur take over? If it didn't care about her Scanran relations, then hopefully that would be enough for now.

Butterflies fluttered madly in Kel's stomach as she waited for the herald to introduce her. Out-fitted as a knight of the realm, Kel had planted her feet solidly in an effort to stop her knees from shaking. The hard part was over, the actual knighting process was very straightforward so Kel wasn't sure why she was so nervous.

Whilst dressing, an hour previously, Kel had decided that she should make every attempt possible to enjoy the night. Yes, there was still Scanra and it's whole writhing mess of problems, yes she would have to get up in the morning and begin to seriously go about her seemingly impossible mission, but, this was the moment that she had dreamed of ever since she'd heard the tales of lady warriors whilst being tucked into bed as a child. This was the moment that her distraught eleven-year old self had left the palace convinced would never happen. She had fought hard for this, had earned it. The first public knighting of a lady knight for over a century. And whilst this was her moment, she also wanted to lift up that shield for all the young noble girls out there, those harbouring dreams of knighthood. She wanted it to be for Alanna, who'd waited so long for someone to follow in her footsteps. For Raoul, Neal, even Wyldon, for everyone who'd helped her, who'd had faith that she could achieve this, the highest of goals.

'Keladry of Mindelan.' The herald announced, and with a deep breath, Kel entered the packed room that lay behind the oak door. Steadily, deliberately, not showing how her muscles ached or tremored, Kel made her way towards the King.

The monarchs were both resplendent, he in deep blue velvet and she in an ivory gown embroidered with roses.

Kel dropped to her knees in a gesture of submission that she had been so unwilling to give four and a half years ago. She took the oath and swore to defend Tortall and the Crown with her life. The flat of the King's sword struck each of her shoulders, hard. He then gently tapped her head and spoke formally;

'You are dubbed Lady Knight, Keladry of Mindelan.' His voice was solemn, 'Remember your vows and service to this Crown. Remember your promise of chivalry.'

Pushing away the slight sliver of guilt, that she had in someway betrayed Alex, or betrayed Jonathan already, Kel stood to a tumult of applause.

As the King sheathed his sword, his wife stepped forward. She was joined by Princess Shinkokami and Ilane, who both managed to look graceful even though they shared the weight of a bulky object. Removing the cloth cover, they revealed to Kel and the expectant crowd a shield of Mindelan knight. It was pale blue that matched Kel's tunic immaculately with a grey owl and cream edgings. However this shield differed to that of Kel's three older brothers in that it was bordered by blue and cream rings; a distaff border of the Lady Knights of old.

Kel stepped forward, dazed and disbelieving. Not even the Lioness had claimed a distaff border.

'Wear it in health and victory,' Queen Thayet told her as the women slotted the gleaming shield onto Kel's arm.

'Turn and show the people,' Kel's mother instructed her, tears flowing down her cheeks.

'Mama,' Kel protested, grasping her mothers hand with her free arm, alarmed at her mother's public loss of control.

'I am so proud,' sobbed Lady Ilane. As Shinko took over comforting Lady Ilane, Kel turned slowly on the spot to show the waiting audience. There was more cheering and clapping. Kel tolerated this for a moment, before moving down into the crowd.

She was hugged by her father, who, like Ilane, had tears on his cheeks. And then was enveloped in a rib-breaking hug by Raoul, who looked equally proud minus the tears. As they broke apart he pounded her back.

'Congratulations Lady Knight, Lady knight!'

Kel grinned. Despite the court being comparatively small there were still plenty of people to greet and accept praise from. Lucie had been in floods of happy tears, accompanied by her smiling father. Owen, although pale, offered Kel hearty congratulations and then left; it wasn't long until his ceremonial bath. Then there was the Yamani delegation to speak to and, to Kel's surprise, their royal Majesties.

Thayet spoke warmly, and conveyed how pleased both Buri and Alanna would be. The King confirmed this, his direct blue eyes meeting Kel's with a charming smile.

'Indeed I spoke to Alanna just this morning, and she was thrilled.'

'Thank you, your Majesties.' Replied Kel with a bow.

'Kel,' Raoul appeared at exactly the right moment to fill the awkward lapse in conversation. 'I need to go and help Wyldon instruct Owen. Shall I meet you down at your parent's townhouse?'

'Yes, milord,' Kel answered.

'Please call me Raoul now,' the huge knight grinned a boyish smile. 'I'll see you later. Your majesties.' He acknowledged his two friends.

'We'll leave you to your celebrations Lady Knight,' the Queen smiled generously.

'If I may request a word with you once the festival is over?' Jon spoke quietly.

'Of course, your majesty.' Kel knew that it would be her final briefing before she rode to Stonewall. She could be off on her mission in as little as four days. Kel turned to find her parents, with the future so uncertain she was going to spend as much time as possible with the people she loved.

The meeting with the King had been brief. She had had little to say to the man, even if he was the monarch she was sworn to protect. She was not friends with the man like Raoul or Alanna were. As the ruler of Tortall Kel showed him the proper level of respect and decorum. He however, unlike Alanna and Raoul, had not earned her respect. Whilst he may once have been a fighting knight, Kel doubted whether the King had crossed blades with anyone in months, if not years and he possessed neither Raoul's tactical experience, nor the subtle scheming mind of George.

The King informed her that he had reviewed the plans carefully and had approved them. He tried to impress upon Kel the importance of the mission to Tortall. In her mind images from her Ordeal plagued her, and memories of the sufferings she'd seen in Scanra flashed to the surface. Kel schooled her features into a blank placid expression; she didn't need the King to tell her what was before her very eyes.

'Good luck Keladry.' The meeting had concluded.

With her departure to Stonewall imminent, Kel had to undergo another round of goodbyes. It was easiest to smile and exchange sentiment with Lalasa, Lucie and her parents; those who didn't know where she was riding off to. The newly knighted Owen of Jesslaw hugged her fiercely, his usually cheerful face sombre.

'If I had to put my faith in anyone to pull this off, Lady Knight,' the Lord of Cavall had told her, 'Then it would be you. May Mithros guide your sword.'

By far the hardest person to say goodbye to was Raoul. She had ridden with the man for four and a half years. They'd worked, fought, laughed, been injured alongside each other for so long that it was hard to comprehend riding off anywhere without him. The curly haired knight knew more about Kel than anyone, he knew her capabilities, and her limits. It would be a long hard wait for him, wondering if her mission was to succeed.

In the end, to save both of their faces, Kel made sure the goodbye was quick. Few words were exchanged, just a fierce hug and a salute.

'Take care of yourself Kel.'

'You too, sir.' For Kel still found it odd to call her old knight-master Raoul.

Wrapped warmly and sensibly, with Hoshi packed with her most important possessions, Kel set off to Stonewall astride Prince.

The snowy landscape was quiet and empty. Kel rode without having to concentrate too much on where she was going. It have her time to think, for the icy wind to numb her cheeks and calm her swirling emotions. When she arrived at the fort, she had to be in the right frame of mind.

The men would surely be expecting a green knight, and to those who didn't know her, an inexperienced fighter. They would surely think that they were being fobbed off with a soft commander, a Lady knight. She had the task of entering those walls and quickly altering opinions. She had to be tough, demonstrate not only her fighting ability but her knowledge of Scanran. It would not do to be aloof. The men had to know her, know the relevant parts of her history and more importantly they had to learn to trust her.

Kel planned to be attentive when she arrived. She needed to assess how receptive the chosen eighty warriors were to the teachings of Tor, had he managed to impress any sympathy for the Scanrans onto them, or were the warriors simply there as a matter of duty to the Tortallan Crown?

She stopped for both nights of her journey in wayside inns. The second was but ten miles from the army barracks, but Kel decided to stop anyway. She would be rested and refreshed for her entrance in the next day. When morning arrived, a heavy sun hanging in a snow-laden sky, Kel dressed plainly with only a blue Mindelan tunic to denote her status.

With this tunic buried beneath quilted jacket, and her shield covered it took several minutes to persuade the soldier manning the gate of her identity.

'Apologies Lady Keladry,' the man said gruffly. 'We've just been told to be uh... selective in our guests. He opened the small gate set in the dark wooden palisade.

Kel looked around at her new abode.

'Forgive me,' Kel asked, 'but why is this place called stonewall, when everything's made of wood?'

The man chuckled. 'Well there used to be a stone wall didn't there, back in Jasson's day. This used to be but a guard hut on the wall.'

Looking around, Kel saw that Stonewall was now considerably larger than a single guard hut, although not much fancier. It had a similar layout to that of the northern forts, although it appeared to be more permanent in origin; being built of a mixture of stone and wood. There were four identical, long barracks, each with pointy roofs. There was also a large stable block connected to a much smaller barn. Between Kel and the buildings was a large open parade ground in which two companies could easily have assembled.

'Let me take you through to headquarters,' a different guard offered. Kel accepted, but before she left she asked of the first guard,

'What's your name?'

'Blyth your ladyship, Corporal Blyth.'

'And yours? Kel asked of her guide as they tramped across the slushy ground.

'Devon, Sir, my lady,' the man stumbled over the correct form of address. 'I'm from Second Company, it's an honour.'

Kel raised her eyebrows at his red tunic; he certainly wasn't dressed like a man of the Own.

'We all dress the same here, Lady Mindelan, in case the locals suspects something's up see?' His accent was wide and most probably rural in origin.

'Ah, that is sensible,' Kel agreed, her teeth chattering slightly now that she had stopped riding and had cooled down.

Behind the barracks there were some buildings that Kel hadn't expected to be there. A three storey building served, Kel presumed, as the headquarters. There also seemed to be a smithy and several other plain buildings.

'Storerooms, accommodation for the cooks, a healer's room and a bath-house' Devon pointed to each one in term.

'How many cooks do we have?'

'Three.'

Kel nodded approvingly, life at Stonewall wouldn't be too bad. As they reached the headquarters, Kel unstrapped her packs from Hoshi.

'Let me take care of these beasties,' Devon reached for Prince and Hoshi's reigns.

'It's alright,' said Kel surprised at the man's hospitality, surely he'd know that in the Own they took care of their own horses?

'It'd be a pleasure, my lady.' In answer to Kel's slightly confused look he replied, 'My brother's Osbern a-'

'Sergeant in Third Company?'

'That's him. The way he tells it Lady Mindelan, I owe you for his life. It's an honour to serve.' Startled, but pleased she'd made an ally so quickly, Kel relented and let Devon lead her mounts away to the stables. Hands full, Kel used her elbow to push the door open and enter the building.

'And here she is.' A quiet voice spoke from across the room. George Cooper sat at a desk, peering up from a bundle of parchment.

'Kel,' a hoarse voice spoke, faltering. 'Ana, is that you?' Tor always had called her Ana. Kel dropped her bags and strode forward to embrace the tall Scanran. It had been a long time since she'd last seen the heir to the Somalkt clan in the bloody chaos of battle. His hair was longer, almost shoulder length and straggly. Lines that hadn't been there before decorated the corners of his eyes and forehead. Most noticeable was the missing right hand. Even though Alex had warned her, it was still a shock to see her friend maimed so.

'Blimey you've grown,' Tor spoke in Scanran. Kel knew he didn't mean in a literal sense; she hadn't grown much taller in the last five and half years, but she was now a fully fledged knight, not some scrap of a girl pretending to be a scribe.

'It's great to see you.' Although her words sounded foolish, Kel meant them. She hadn't forgotten how the heir to the clan had so readily accepted her as a training partner even before Alex had showed up.

'And you also. Though I did not think it would be under these circumstances,' Tor shook his head. 'Alexei tells me one day, oh remember Kel, my little sister. She is nearly a knight now.' He laughed, temporarily removing the shadows of harsh days from his eyes. 'Look at you, just look at you!'

'Congratulations,' George spoke again, 'Lady Knight. My lass is that proud, I can tell you.'

Kel bowed, smiling her thanks.

'I did not expect to find you here, Baron Cooper,' she admitted, helping herself to a nearby chair.

'Well you've got my services for but a week or so. Best not to be away from the Swoop too long; I've left Aly in charge.'

Kel grinned, 'Then we must make use of you while we can. How goes their training?'

'Their Scanran is terrible,' replied Tor in heavily-accented Common.

'Without more than two Scanran speakers to learn from they try and learn from each other,' George explained. 'This sometimes leads to...interesting variations of phrases.' The corners of his mouth twitched.

'Last week they were all saying "Good morning, what a lovely cow this is",' Tor rolled his eyes. Kel chuckled appreciatively, knowing that to Tortallan ears the Scanran words for "day" and "cow" were similar.

'Well they don't need a huge vocabulary,' Kel said, 'They just need basic conversation, but the accent must be perfect. What else have you been doing with them? Has there been any major problems?'

After nearly a full hour of talking to Tor and George, Kel moved her belongings into the room that was to be hers as commander of the force. It was decent sized and the furnishings were comfortable, all a vibrant red to match the uniform of the regular army. There were then a few minutes to go and check on her horses before following Tor to the Mess hall.

Kel knew her arrival wouldn't have gone unnoticed and she felt it was best to address the men as soon as possible. Kel knew from her discussions with Tor that only one of the barrack buildings was housing the eighty soldiers. One was the mess hall and the other two had been cleared of their wooden bunks to make two indoor training arenas. Not only did this protect the soldiers from the winter weather, but also hid the noise and sight of their intensive training from any prying eyes.

Kel collected her food, a hearty plate of beef stew, and sat down in the nearest available place. She recognised the man diagonally opposite her as Gilave, from Third Company.

'Squire Kel!' He greeted her, 'Or should I say Lady Knight.' He knocked over a pitcher of water as he reached to shake her hand. This impulsive, laid back greeting seemed to break the tension in the group and soon Kel's brain was working hard to try and fix names and faces in her mind.

She finished her meal, and got up, reminding herself that the nerves she was currently feeling was nothing compared to her Ordeal at the beginning of the week. All the same, she needed to make a good first impression here.

'If you'll excuse me for interrupting your lunch,' Kel used her commanding voice, that carried across the hall and she paused, letting silence fall. 'I thought to say a few words before we press on with training.' She swallowed and pressed on.

'I am Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan and as you may or may not know, I have been placed in charge of this mission. I am aware that some of you will be wondering why a green knight has been asked to lead something as important as this. Because yes, this mission is important, extremely important.' Kel began to walk slowly up and down the rows of soldiers, dragging eyes with her as she did so.

'By now I'm sure most of you have guessed correctly that our mission entails work behind enemy lines. We are going to deliver a strike directly to Maggur, one that our King hopes will be the turning point of this war.' She paused to look around at the soldiers, all of whom were listening intently. Remembering how George had assured her that none of these men were spies, she continued. 'Tortall has allied itself with a group of rebels in Scanra, men and women who are going to help us into the Capital city, to storm Maggur's keep when he least expects it. If we can get the rebels to Maggur, good warriors, then we can stop this war.

The King has asked for me to train you, to lead the assault on Hamrkeng, because I am acquainted not only with the city, but also with the country we must travel through to get there. I have spent two years fighting for these rebels before I returned to my knight training. During my time as squire to Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's peak, I have worked closely not only with the Own, but also the Riders and army. I hold great respect for all three forces and requested that we draw upon the finest for this mission.

You have all been hand-selected by your Commanders, not only for fighting prowess but also your ability to use this-' Kel tapped her own head. 'We've got the means to get you right inside Hamrkeng itself if you can keep your cool and play a part.' She paused to swallow, her throat feeling extremely dry, 'I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you over the next few months, to answering your questions and training alongside you.

I hope I need not impress on any of you the importance of our success, how many lives depend on us. Train hard, we're preparing to make history.'

These things take me AGES to write, please review :)

xx