Author's Note: I thought to make a one shot that suddenly seemed way too long to stay a one shot that has now been converted to a mini chaptered story; at least I hope it stays a mini chaptered story. The idea come to me one night as I was staring at the moon and wondering if Japan had a festival or whatnot of the moon. I was fortunate enough to come across one. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not, under any circumstances, own the Tortallan realm or any of the creatures or people in it. They belong solely to the incredible mind of one of my favorite childhood authors, Tamora Pierce.

"…."-Talking

"…."-Flashbacks

"..."-Thoughts

Her Story

Early morning light rushed out from beyond the horizon. Hues of bright pink, fading purple and rose gold washed over the land. Trees, abundant with leaves of red, orange, and deep gold, stood majestically in its fiery glow. The peaceful silence of sleep slowly came to life with the sounds of diurnal wildlife and early human risers. Men and women alike prepared themselves for another long day of work and chores as children continued to sleep in the comfort and safety of their warm beds.

In Corus, capital of Tortall and home to the strangest collection of people in the country's history, the market district and Lower city came to life; merchants stocked up their stalls, shop owners of different varieties opened shop, bakers prepared their bread, and blacksmiths lit their forges. At the palace, servants hustled and bustled about heating water for baths, preparing breakfast, and tending to whatever else the many nobles staying there desired. Whatever peace that remained was shattered by the monstrous roar of Sarge as he awoke the rider trainees from their fitful sleep.

At the distant end of the palace, the air rang with the distinct thunder of hundreds of horse hooves, jingling of metal, squeaking of leather, and the occasional snort from a horse. The mounted soldiers of 3rd company came to a complete halt at the signal from the giant who rode at the front. With a groan, the road weary travelers dismounted and took their respective mounts to the stables designated for the King's Own to brush, water, and feed.

Among the company of a hundred eighty-four odd men stood a tall woman; the lady in question wasn't the court's everyday delicate wallflower with pretty blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She didn't break at the slightest fall and didn't bulk, much less scream, at having to bathe in mud in order to get a job done. The story of her life wasn't told through a sugary sweet voice that spun lies as easily as a silk worm spun silk and a false gentle persona that cleverly hid the true conniving monster deep within.

No, her story was written in the lines of her strong, lithe body and in the numerous scars that marred her flesh. The array of animals that followed her and the multitudes of commoners who spoke to her by name were testament to her kind, gentle heart and her endless compassion. The respect given to her by many powerful military officials, battle hardened soldiers, and fellow knights spoke of her ferocity in battle and dependability on the field. The numerous fights over her honor, fought by her friends without her knowledge, revealed the level of respect, admiration, and love in which she was regarded with.

Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan shook her head and chuckled softly at the jokes and comments the members of the Own flung back and forth at one another as she removed the tack from her testy gelding, Peachblossom, and proceeded to brush him down. In the stall adjacent to Peachblossom's, her manservant, Tobe brushed her ever patient pony, Hoshi. She gave her blonde haired, blue eyed companion of nearly four years a smile as she heard his rich laugh ring out; easily heard over the loud noise.

Once they both finished, they gathered their gear and made their way from the Own's stables to the rooms given to Kel in the knights' wing by the crown. They bid each other a quick farewell as they disappeared into their respective rooms. Closing the door behind her, Kel put her packs down in the corner of her room closest to the door for Tobe to sort out later and made a bee line to her personal privy. After stripping herself of her dirty clothes and tossing them into the basket at the far corner, she sank into the tub of hot water with a pleased sigh. She stayed there without moving, letting the heat soothe her aching muscles and stinging pains. Once the water had cooled down considerably, she began to scrub away the grime of several long days on the road; taking twice as long on her hair. Three years at New Hope had made her grow it out to mid-back. 'I should cut it soon.' She thought to herself as she climbed out and dried herself off with a towel.

Walking into the adjacent dressing room, she looked around. Putting on her undergarments, she walked over to where her breeches were stacked. She settled on a tanned pair of breeches and pulled them on as she reached over and grabbed a white cotton shirt and a tunic in her favorite russet red. Stockings in one hand and soft black boots in the other, she made her way into her room and sat in the chair at her desk. As she pulled on her stockings and her boots, she looked over the contents of her desk. Hazel eyes stopped on a piece of parchment paper with her name written on it in delicate elegant writing. Straightening up, she reached for it and instant recognized the writing style. Breaking the seal, she opened the folded paper, the corner of her lips lifted into a small smile.

Kel,

Come see me as soon as possible.

Yuki.

Shaking her head, she carefully folded it once more and put the note back down on the desk. Walking over to the small table by her bed, she pulled open the drawer and took out her brush. Running the bristles through her damp hair, she set it aside and quickly braided it up in a style a woman from New Hope had taught her. Once she was done securing the end with a hair tie, she turned and walked over to the door that connected Tobe's room to her own. "Tobe, I'm heading out to the mess hall for breakfast. Would you like to accompany me?"

The door opened and a freshly washed blonde head popped through. "Yes Lady Kel. I just need to finish getting ready." Kel nodded. "I'll wait for you than. Go finish." With a quick nod of his head, he disappeared behind his door, closing it quietly behind him. Kel looked around her rooms, deciding what to do to kill time. Remembering that the animals hadn't eaten yet, she walked over to her packs and pulled out their bowls. She placed the birds' food and water dishes on the corner her desk and filled them up. To the side of her nightstand, she placed Jump's bowls, filling them up as well. Once she was finished, she opened the window to ensure that Jump and the sparrows could get in and out of her room.

A knock sounded from the connecting door and she walked over to open it. "Ready?" She asked the 12 year old boy. "Yes milady." He responded as he walked into her room. Kel bit back the urge to sigh as she closed the door. No matter how many times she told him to call her by her name, he refused. She turned towards her door and walked out into the hall, Tobe close behind her. Making sure that her door was locked, they quickly made their way to the Own's mess hall; eager to get some food into their neglected stomachs.

A/N: I was actually thinking of making this longer, but as I finished the last paragraph, it just seemed like the best place to end the first chapter. I hope that you agree. I have the majority of the story written up. I just need to split it up into chapters as I type it up and do a bit of editing; until next time.