A/N: I apologise for the delay in updating. I had most of his written
ages ago, but then school started again along with homework. Actually, I
should be doing some coursework at the moment. I hope it won't take too
long for the next chapter, as I have a day off school on Tuesday. Thanks to
everyone who reviewed. I really wasn't expecting so many!!!
Reviewer Notes and Thanks:
Daine
DaughterofDeath
Alexandra Rhodes
Larzdinn
Zella
Angel of Wind
Star19
The Gypsy
Caitie
Lady marion
Lemon Parade
Dracorium
Vlora
Alexina
Wildchartermage
Person who wrote no name
Little miss crazy
PsychoLioness13
Pinky
***************
Keladry sighed wearily as she made her way back to the tent she shared with Lord Raoul. The shadows around her dispersed as the sun rose in the east. However, Kel could not rid herself of the goofy smile that had been plastered onto her face since she and Joren parted ways. That was over half an hour ago. It had taken the lady squire sometime before she could begin the short walk to her tent. Kel pushed away the coarse fabric and entered her section of the tent, yawning widely as another wave of tiredness hit her.
She looked at her bed, blinked twice, then rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was not mistaken. By the shadowy light that had managed to force it's way through the canvas Keladry could clearly see a pair of dark eyes watching her from a mass of blackness in the vague form of her Knight master.
Kel sighed wearily and reached for a candle. Quickly lighting it from the torch still burning outside the tent, she returned and was able to see Raouls expression clearly, the darkness of pre-dawn no longer blinding her. Seating herself on the floor opposite her bed, Kel groaned mentally. She was far too tiered to have this conversation with him again. The first one was embarrassing enough.
The girl looked up to see an eyebrow raised in silent questioning. Kel took a deep breath before answering, her own words barely registering through her fatigue.
"I was with Joren."
The second eyebrow rose to meet the other. He gave her a pointed looked that was confused, but at the same time demanding her to explain herself. Realising the implications of her words Kel flushed.
"Not like that," she blurted, "Well, like that, but not like that. We were talking." She paused in her rushed explanation, a puzzled look settling on her soft features. "Does that make any sense?" she asked.
Raoul was looking slightly bemused. "Not really. But I think I understand you. Still." he trailed off. Kel understood his words though.
"I don't like him like that Sir," she said softly, wanting nothing better than to curl up and go to sleep but feeling she to justify herself to the older man. "He's just a friend," she frowned a little, "At least, I hope he will be."
"He does not know then?" Raoul questioned. Seeing Kels small headshake, he looked at her accusingly. "Running away from your problems is not like you Kel. Why?" Once again red tinted the squires cheeks.
"They don't like him Sir. They'd hate me." Kel sighed sadly. "They wouldn't understand."
"Understand what, Kel?" Raoul asked quietly. She exhaled softly, a wistful look in her eyes.
"The way he makes me feel." The tent was silent for a few moments as Raoul waited for her to go on. It became clear the girl was lost in her thoughts.
"Which is.?" he prompted. Kel looked at him.
"It's hard to explain," she began, forgetting her bashfulness on the subject, "When he kisses me, its like I'm on fire, yet it's so shocking I feel like I've just dived into a tub of ice, the two sensations mingling together, leaving me tingling where he's touched me. When he looks at me, holds me, I go warm inside, and it melts me. His voice sends shivers down my spine." Kel glanced at the floor before returning her gaze to her Knight master. "I think, if given the chance, I could love him."
Raoul stood and smiled at Kel before pulling her into a fatherly hug. When they broke away he answered. "Then I'm happy for you. Now get some sleep." He turned and walked into his half of the tent. Kel stumbled the last few steps and practically fell onto her bed, only bothering to remove her boots. Her last thoughts were of Joren before she fell in to a deep, dreamless sleep.
***************
Neal was pacing. He had been doing so for the last thirty minutes, stopping every so often to head for the entrance of the room, only to stop, shake his head, and return to pacing up and down, a frown upon his forehead. He was driving his Knight Mistress crazy. The Lioness had been sitting on her bed, glaring at her squire since he had entered her rooms and begun the (in Alanna's opinion) ridiculous cycle. However, it made perfect sense to Neal.
The squire stopped and headed for the door. His hand reached out for the handle, and he stopped, shook his head, and began to pace once more. Alanna growled and her glare intensified, convincing Neal it was definitely time to leave if he wanted to live to see the next day.
Quickly making his escape, Neal smiled to himself. It was dangerous to use the Lioness as a timing system, but it worked so well. In the time it had taken for her to almost kill him with a look, Kel would no doubt be up, done with glaive practise, and be about to leave for breakfast. The plan was to catch her before she left the tent and make her tell him what was going on.
Unlike the rest of Kel's friends, Neal wasn't blind. He knew something was bothering her, had been since the night Cleon kissed her for the second time. Keladry may not have spoken about it, but the other boys had been the ones to send the red head that night after they had seen her name in the lists. Her avoidance of the giant squire afterwards had not gone un-noticed by Neal; her rather rushed excuse not to be alone with him had just confirmed his suspicions. Then, of course, there was that strange exchange of looks with Stone Mountain in the mess tent.
Neal sighed as he made his way out of the large manor into the mess of tents his friends were staying in. Kel's tent was close to the manor so that Lord Raoul could still get to social events on time, so Neal found it quite quickly. He was just about to enter when he heard voices. ".makes me feel." Neal decided this was a perfect opportunity to find out what was bugging his best friend. It also sounded very interesting. Pushing aside his doubts on eavesdropping on Kel he began to listen. Nothing was said for a while, so when he heard the deep voice of Lord Raoul, he jumped slightly.
"Which is.?" There was pause as two people awaited Kel's next words.
" It's hard to explain," he heard his friend say softly. " When he kisses me," Neal grinned. They were talking about Cleon, although, he was surprised at Kel's closeness with the older man; that she would rather talk to him instead of her friends. ".on fire, yet it's so shocking I feel like I've just dived into a tub of ice, the two sensations mingling together, leaving me tingling where he's touched me."
Apparently, Cleon had a hidden talent. Kel continued ".looks at me, holds me, I go warm inside, and it melts me. His voice sends shivers down my spine." Neal couldn't help a small, almost silent, whistle of appreciation. There was another small pause and Neal waited impatiently to hear what more Kel had to say.
"I think, if given the chance, I could love him."
The grin on Neal's face nearly split his face. This was great news. About to burst dramatically into the tent, he heard Lord Raoul's response.
"Then I'm happy for you. Now get some sleep."
Neal frowned. Why would Kel need sleep? She'd had a whole night of it, hadn't she? The squire nearly swore loudly as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, he was greeted with the face of Zahir.
He glared at the other boy. The two had become good friends over the past two years. After all, The Lioness and the King spent much of their time in each other's company, so it was only natural for their squires to form a friendship.
"Was that really necessary?" he hissed.
"Were you just eavesdropping on Kel?" was the response. The pair began to walk away from Kel's tent. Neal had the grace to blush and feel ashamed until a cheeky grin appeared on his companions face.
"Learn anything interesting?" he asked.
***************
"Guess what I've heard."
"Go on."
"They think she loves the redhead."
"How did they come to that?" "Your admirer eavesdropped on a conversation between Keladry and her Knight master."
"When do you think they will learn the truth?"
"Soon."
***************
It was just over two weeks later, three since Kel and Joren first kissed, and Kel was currently lying on her bed, in the arms of her partner, half asleep. They had been meeting most nights, with Raoul letting her sleep in during the early morning. Also Neal had been a regular visitor to her tent, but faking slumber had proved the most effective method of getting him to leave the questioning. Cleon had become persistent in his need to talk with her privately. Only the Gods knew how Kel still managed to find excuses. All this on top of her usual duties as a squire was wearing her out, both physically and emotionally.
She sighed and snuggled closer to Joren, her nose lightly brushing against his neck, making him smile. He pulled her nearer to him, glad for her warmth beside him.
"Kel?"
A voice that Kel had learned to hate came through the canvas. The girl groaned loudly and attempted to lie on top of Joren to prevent him from moving. He chuckled quietly.
"Kel. I know you're in there."
Joren sighed and pulled himself back from the hazel eyed girl. She shivered from the loss of heat and looked at the blonde squire imploringly. He gave a small smile.
"You have to face him sometime," he said softly, "I'll be waiting. Just in there." He nodded his head towards Raoul's part of the tent. Kel sighed, nodding lightly as Joren kissed her tenderly and lifted himself from the bed. When he had gone through the flap, Kel walked to the entrance.
She lifted the material to see the determined face of Cleon. She looked at him tiredly and he became wide eyed.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
Kel sighed and rubbed her eyes, pondering the proper answer to that question. No, she was not asleep, but yes, he had woken her from the sweet dream of Joren's embrace, bringing her crashing into harsh reality all too soon for her liking.
"Sort of," she replied.
"Oh," Cleon said, his grey eyes widening slightly, "I'm sorry. Shall I go?"
Kel bit her lip, torn in two. She silently cursed her weak will and Cleon for giving her this opportunity to back out again. Glancing quickly to the flap that separated her tent from Raouls, her resolve strengthened. This was the first step to her and Joren pursuing an open relationship. They would never amount to anything if she could not do this. Kel suddenly realised just how much depended on her next words. It was far more than her friendship with the red head. She had neglected this for far too long.
Nervous, but decided, Kel opened her mouth to speak.
"No," she all but whispered. "No," she spoke louder this time, her head rising to look directly at Cleon for the first time in weeks. Her mind raced. Sure she knew she had to tell him, but suddenly, words were a large problem. "Cleon, I," she began, before exhaling sharply and frowning, perplexed. Looking straight into his eyes she said, "We need to talk," her voice far stronger than she felt. Hidden behind canvas, Joren smiled at Kels no-nonsense voice. This was the girl he knew as Kel.
Cleon sighed heavily. He'd heard of those four words. Nothing good ever followed them, and the voice was no positive sign either. He sat on the bedroll, noticing instantly its unusual heat.
"You've been avoiding me," he said bluntly. He, too, was tired of dancing around the subject.
"Yes," Kel responded, just as subtly as Cleon. It was then that Cleon lost all hope for ever being with Kel. He knew it had been foolish to hope that she could possibly like him back. She had, after all, been avoiding him for over a month. His little bubble of hope burst and he felt pain. He knew it wasn't physical but it felt as if someone had stabbed him in his heart and viciously wrenched the knife out again, along with his still-beating heart.
"Cleon, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Kel continued, "But I was afraid." Cleon looked up and saw clearly what she was scared of. His weren't the only eyes betraying emotions at that moment. She was afraid of what this would do to them, to their friendship. The look in Cleon's eyes made Kels heart constrict. She hated seeing people she cared about in pain, especially when she was the cause of it.
Cleon stood. "I'll just.go then," he whispered, looking everywhere but Kel. She put her hand on his arm and felt him trembling under her fingers.
"Cleon." she said, her real question going unspoken, but clear to all three people in the tent. He remained still for a moment before giving his answer. He pulled his arm away.
"I'll just go," he repeated. Tears rose in Kels eyes. No, their friendship couldn't survive. The best she could hope for was to remain on speaking terms with him, once he knew the whole truth. All the pent up emotion of the past few weeks overtook her, and she began to shiver. Strong arms encircled her from behind as the first tear slipped down her golden cheek.
A/N: A few hints in this chapter as to what you can expect in the next few. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!!!!!
Lady Fire eyes
Reviewer Notes and Thanks:
Daine
DaughterofDeath
Alexandra Rhodes
Larzdinn
Zella
Angel of Wind
Star19
The Gypsy
Caitie
Lady marion
Lemon Parade
Dracorium
Vlora
Alexina
Wildchartermage
Person who wrote no name
Little miss crazy
PsychoLioness13
Pinky
***************
Keladry sighed wearily as she made her way back to the tent she shared with Lord Raoul. The shadows around her dispersed as the sun rose in the east. However, Kel could not rid herself of the goofy smile that had been plastered onto her face since she and Joren parted ways. That was over half an hour ago. It had taken the lady squire sometime before she could begin the short walk to her tent. Kel pushed away the coarse fabric and entered her section of the tent, yawning widely as another wave of tiredness hit her.
She looked at her bed, blinked twice, then rubbed her eyes to make sure that she was not mistaken. By the shadowy light that had managed to force it's way through the canvas Keladry could clearly see a pair of dark eyes watching her from a mass of blackness in the vague form of her Knight master.
Kel sighed wearily and reached for a candle. Quickly lighting it from the torch still burning outside the tent, she returned and was able to see Raouls expression clearly, the darkness of pre-dawn no longer blinding her. Seating herself on the floor opposite her bed, Kel groaned mentally. She was far too tiered to have this conversation with him again. The first one was embarrassing enough.
The girl looked up to see an eyebrow raised in silent questioning. Kel took a deep breath before answering, her own words barely registering through her fatigue.
"I was with Joren."
The second eyebrow rose to meet the other. He gave her a pointed looked that was confused, but at the same time demanding her to explain herself. Realising the implications of her words Kel flushed.
"Not like that," she blurted, "Well, like that, but not like that. We were talking." She paused in her rushed explanation, a puzzled look settling on her soft features. "Does that make any sense?" she asked.
Raoul was looking slightly bemused. "Not really. But I think I understand you. Still." he trailed off. Kel understood his words though.
"I don't like him like that Sir," she said softly, wanting nothing better than to curl up and go to sleep but feeling she to justify herself to the older man. "He's just a friend," she frowned a little, "At least, I hope he will be."
"He does not know then?" Raoul questioned. Seeing Kels small headshake, he looked at her accusingly. "Running away from your problems is not like you Kel. Why?" Once again red tinted the squires cheeks.
"They don't like him Sir. They'd hate me." Kel sighed sadly. "They wouldn't understand."
"Understand what, Kel?" Raoul asked quietly. She exhaled softly, a wistful look in her eyes.
"The way he makes me feel." The tent was silent for a few moments as Raoul waited for her to go on. It became clear the girl was lost in her thoughts.
"Which is.?" he prompted. Kel looked at him.
"It's hard to explain," she began, forgetting her bashfulness on the subject, "When he kisses me, its like I'm on fire, yet it's so shocking I feel like I've just dived into a tub of ice, the two sensations mingling together, leaving me tingling where he's touched me. When he looks at me, holds me, I go warm inside, and it melts me. His voice sends shivers down my spine." Kel glanced at the floor before returning her gaze to her Knight master. "I think, if given the chance, I could love him."
Raoul stood and smiled at Kel before pulling her into a fatherly hug. When they broke away he answered. "Then I'm happy for you. Now get some sleep." He turned and walked into his half of the tent. Kel stumbled the last few steps and practically fell onto her bed, only bothering to remove her boots. Her last thoughts were of Joren before she fell in to a deep, dreamless sleep.
***************
Neal was pacing. He had been doing so for the last thirty minutes, stopping every so often to head for the entrance of the room, only to stop, shake his head, and return to pacing up and down, a frown upon his forehead. He was driving his Knight Mistress crazy. The Lioness had been sitting on her bed, glaring at her squire since he had entered her rooms and begun the (in Alanna's opinion) ridiculous cycle. However, it made perfect sense to Neal.
The squire stopped and headed for the door. His hand reached out for the handle, and he stopped, shook his head, and began to pace once more. Alanna growled and her glare intensified, convincing Neal it was definitely time to leave if he wanted to live to see the next day.
Quickly making his escape, Neal smiled to himself. It was dangerous to use the Lioness as a timing system, but it worked so well. In the time it had taken for her to almost kill him with a look, Kel would no doubt be up, done with glaive practise, and be about to leave for breakfast. The plan was to catch her before she left the tent and make her tell him what was going on.
Unlike the rest of Kel's friends, Neal wasn't blind. He knew something was bothering her, had been since the night Cleon kissed her for the second time. Keladry may not have spoken about it, but the other boys had been the ones to send the red head that night after they had seen her name in the lists. Her avoidance of the giant squire afterwards had not gone un-noticed by Neal; her rather rushed excuse not to be alone with him had just confirmed his suspicions. Then, of course, there was that strange exchange of looks with Stone Mountain in the mess tent.
Neal sighed as he made his way out of the large manor into the mess of tents his friends were staying in. Kel's tent was close to the manor so that Lord Raoul could still get to social events on time, so Neal found it quite quickly. He was just about to enter when he heard voices. ".makes me feel." Neal decided this was a perfect opportunity to find out what was bugging his best friend. It also sounded very interesting. Pushing aside his doubts on eavesdropping on Kel he began to listen. Nothing was said for a while, so when he heard the deep voice of Lord Raoul, he jumped slightly.
"Which is.?" There was pause as two people awaited Kel's next words.
" It's hard to explain," he heard his friend say softly. " When he kisses me," Neal grinned. They were talking about Cleon, although, he was surprised at Kel's closeness with the older man; that she would rather talk to him instead of her friends. ".on fire, yet it's so shocking I feel like I've just dived into a tub of ice, the two sensations mingling together, leaving me tingling where he's touched me."
Apparently, Cleon had a hidden talent. Kel continued ".looks at me, holds me, I go warm inside, and it melts me. His voice sends shivers down my spine." Neal couldn't help a small, almost silent, whistle of appreciation. There was another small pause and Neal waited impatiently to hear what more Kel had to say.
"I think, if given the chance, I could love him."
The grin on Neal's face nearly split his face. This was great news. About to burst dramatically into the tent, he heard Lord Raoul's response.
"Then I'm happy for you. Now get some sleep."
Neal frowned. Why would Kel need sleep? She'd had a whole night of it, hadn't she? The squire nearly swore loudly as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning to see who it was, he was greeted with the face of Zahir.
He glared at the other boy. The two had become good friends over the past two years. After all, The Lioness and the King spent much of their time in each other's company, so it was only natural for their squires to form a friendship.
"Was that really necessary?" he hissed.
"Were you just eavesdropping on Kel?" was the response. The pair began to walk away from Kel's tent. Neal had the grace to blush and feel ashamed until a cheeky grin appeared on his companions face.
"Learn anything interesting?" he asked.
***************
"Guess what I've heard."
"Go on."
"They think she loves the redhead."
"How did they come to that?" "Your admirer eavesdropped on a conversation between Keladry and her Knight master."
"When do you think they will learn the truth?"
"Soon."
***************
It was just over two weeks later, three since Kel and Joren first kissed, and Kel was currently lying on her bed, in the arms of her partner, half asleep. They had been meeting most nights, with Raoul letting her sleep in during the early morning. Also Neal had been a regular visitor to her tent, but faking slumber had proved the most effective method of getting him to leave the questioning. Cleon had become persistent in his need to talk with her privately. Only the Gods knew how Kel still managed to find excuses. All this on top of her usual duties as a squire was wearing her out, both physically and emotionally.
She sighed and snuggled closer to Joren, her nose lightly brushing against his neck, making him smile. He pulled her nearer to him, glad for her warmth beside him.
"Kel?"
A voice that Kel had learned to hate came through the canvas. The girl groaned loudly and attempted to lie on top of Joren to prevent him from moving. He chuckled quietly.
"Kel. I know you're in there."
Joren sighed and pulled himself back from the hazel eyed girl. She shivered from the loss of heat and looked at the blonde squire imploringly. He gave a small smile.
"You have to face him sometime," he said softly, "I'll be waiting. Just in there." He nodded his head towards Raoul's part of the tent. Kel sighed, nodding lightly as Joren kissed her tenderly and lifted himself from the bed. When he had gone through the flap, Kel walked to the entrance.
She lifted the material to see the determined face of Cleon. She looked at him tiredly and he became wide eyed.
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
Kel sighed and rubbed her eyes, pondering the proper answer to that question. No, she was not asleep, but yes, he had woken her from the sweet dream of Joren's embrace, bringing her crashing into harsh reality all too soon for her liking.
"Sort of," she replied.
"Oh," Cleon said, his grey eyes widening slightly, "I'm sorry. Shall I go?"
Kel bit her lip, torn in two. She silently cursed her weak will and Cleon for giving her this opportunity to back out again. Glancing quickly to the flap that separated her tent from Raouls, her resolve strengthened. This was the first step to her and Joren pursuing an open relationship. They would never amount to anything if she could not do this. Kel suddenly realised just how much depended on her next words. It was far more than her friendship with the red head. She had neglected this for far too long.
Nervous, but decided, Kel opened her mouth to speak.
"No," she all but whispered. "No," she spoke louder this time, her head rising to look directly at Cleon for the first time in weeks. Her mind raced. Sure she knew she had to tell him, but suddenly, words were a large problem. "Cleon, I," she began, before exhaling sharply and frowning, perplexed. Looking straight into his eyes she said, "We need to talk," her voice far stronger than she felt. Hidden behind canvas, Joren smiled at Kels no-nonsense voice. This was the girl he knew as Kel.
Cleon sighed heavily. He'd heard of those four words. Nothing good ever followed them, and the voice was no positive sign either. He sat on the bedroll, noticing instantly its unusual heat.
"You've been avoiding me," he said bluntly. He, too, was tired of dancing around the subject.
"Yes," Kel responded, just as subtly as Cleon. It was then that Cleon lost all hope for ever being with Kel. He knew it had been foolish to hope that she could possibly like him back. She had, after all, been avoiding him for over a month. His little bubble of hope burst and he felt pain. He knew it wasn't physical but it felt as if someone had stabbed him in his heart and viciously wrenched the knife out again, along with his still-beating heart.
"Cleon, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Kel continued, "But I was afraid." Cleon looked up and saw clearly what she was scared of. His weren't the only eyes betraying emotions at that moment. She was afraid of what this would do to them, to their friendship. The look in Cleon's eyes made Kels heart constrict. She hated seeing people she cared about in pain, especially when she was the cause of it.
Cleon stood. "I'll just.go then," he whispered, looking everywhere but Kel. She put her hand on his arm and felt him trembling under her fingers.
"Cleon." she said, her real question going unspoken, but clear to all three people in the tent. He remained still for a moment before giving his answer. He pulled his arm away.
"I'll just go," he repeated. Tears rose in Kels eyes. No, their friendship couldn't survive. The best she could hope for was to remain on speaking terms with him, once he knew the whole truth. All the pent up emotion of the past few weeks overtook her, and she began to shiver. Strong arms encircled her from behind as the first tear slipped down her golden cheek.
A/N: A few hints in this chapter as to what you can expect in the next few. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!!!!!
Lady Fire eyes