potsff_reunion

       Keladry of Mindelan sat in her room at Pirates Swoop, looking longingly out the window.
It's not fair she thought in a very un-Yamani like way. Lady Alanna has George, Roul has Buri, and even Neal has someone, though he'd never admit to being with Yuki. Kel sighed again, thinking about the King, Jonathan. She disliked him, and he was doing what he could to change her opinion. Of course Kel would serve him, and the Crown, she was sworn to, but that didn't mean she had to like the Monarch. How could she like a King who made her go on probation as a Page when no boy had to? Or had ordered Lady Alanna, the Lioness and the Champion not to talk with Kel?
          Well, now that Kel was a Knight, she was invited to stay at Barrony Pirates Swoop. Lady Alanna lived there with her Husband, George Cooper, and their brood of children. Kel had spent the remainder of her winter there, practicing fencing and wrestling with Alanna. The memories of those practices made Kel smile, even through her gloom. Lady Alanna had beaten her at fencing every time with ease, though Kel could hold her own in wrestling. Alanna had vey wisely refused to joust Kel.
           The reason for her unhappy thoughts and feelings were simple: Cleon wasn't there. Kel hadn't seen Cleon since the previous fall. She'd been disappointed when he hadn't shown up for her Knighting, but now she was just plain sad. Even knocking the opponents out of saddles during tounaments did nothing to lighten her mood. At least she'd gotten to know Lady Alanna.
       Someone banged on the door, and Kel yelled that it was open, Neal came in with some papers in his hand.
   "Hello, Kel! are you still moping over Cleon?"
   She scowled at him "What do you want?"
     "Saving your presance milady" he bowed, grinning ironically "But the mails came in"
Kel's mood lifted sevral notches. Cleon had only written her once since midwinter.
"Give them to me"
"Now that's no way to talk, what would Master Oakbridge say? Now say please."
Kel gritted her teeth in annoyance "Please"
   "Say pretty pl-"
Kel had Neal on the floor and the letters out of his hand before he'd finished the word.
"-ease, Gods, Kel! You are in a fine temper. I'll leave you to it, then." He picked himself up and went indigantly out the door.
       Kel sat on her bed, shaking slightly. Stop it! she ordered herself as she looked through the letters. There were ten or fifteen in all, each one addressed to Kel, from Cleon. The roads must have been closed, she thought and they must just have opened. That's why i'm getting all this mail at the same time.
      She started reading them, beginning with the oldest. They were all pretty much the same: Kel, the sunrise of my day, I miss you... The newer the letter, the fewer flowery names. Kel nearly felt his gloomy depression, like a mirror of her own emotions. When Kel got the newest letter, she was holding back tears with great difficulty. One or two had leaked down the side of her face. As she was about to put down the letter, she noticed a finly lettered note at the bottom. She squinted, wiping her bleary eyes impatiently. The note was slightly blotched. She squinted harder, she couldn't quite make out the first word, but the rest was fairly clear.
      ...has eloped. You know? The heiress I was supposed to marry, she's not coming back!
         Kel blinked stupidly for a minuite, and tried to smother a woop of joy. Jumping up, she spilled the sparrows and Jump on a mad dash to the door. Then she stopped for a second, wondering where she was going. Who would she tell? Neal would be sarcastic, and Alanna would be distracted (she was expecting again ). Peachblossom! Of course. when there is no one else to tell, your horse will usually listen. Kel trotted happily down the corridors and out into the stable yard. When she got there, she stopped short. There was a young man standing there, giving a hostler instructions. He was tall, taller even then Kel (who stood almost six feet in her stockings) He had broad shoulders and chest. His head was capped off with decidedly red hair.
       Kel hesitated a moment, unsure of what to do. Should she go to him or wait for him to come to her? As she battled it out, Jump, her ugly boxer terrior started barking, making the rest of the palace dogs howel in accompniment.
         His soft gray eyes scanned the yard, and it, on Kel. Nodding to the hostler he walked towards Kel, his pace increasing as he got closer. When he neared her he was running. The second he reached her he swept her up in his arms, and slammed her against his hard body.
      "Cle-" her voice was swallowed up as he kissed her, and kissed her hard. He didn't let go for sevrel long, brethless moments.. When they finally calmed down enogh to get a good look at each other, Kel thought she felt her bones creak with the tightness of Cleons embrace, but she didn't mind. The tears that had been threatening since she'd red the letters started to spill down her cheeks. Kel burried her face into Cleon"s shoulder, and held him almost deperatly to her.
        "Shhhhh, it's allright, sunrise, i'm here now..."
         "I'm sorry it's just..."
        "Don't worry about it, I feel the same."
   Furthur speech was canceled because Cleon had lowered his head and was kissing Kel again.

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