Fanfic

Five years later
"I'd be a squire," Kel muttered to herself wandering through the wood. She wanted to get away from camp. She looked around it was fall and everything looked dead. As she paused and heard dry leaves crunch. She spun around and flipped the person behind and holding her dagger to their neck.
"Well hello!" was the choked sputter. "I saw you wandering alone and wondered if uh..." he paused. "Could you uh..."
"No," she replied quickly.
"Oh well ok." He looked at her. "I just saw you walking alone and wondered if you needed help or were lost..." he finally sputtered.
"No I'm perfectly capable of handling myself thank you," she said. She slid the knife away from him sliding it back into it's sheath.
"Ok." The man looked slightly older then herself with brown hair green eyes and arched brows. "I'm sorry," he muttered. He slowly and hesitantly pushed off the ground.
"What are you doing out here?" Kel asked.
"Me and my knight master went for a ride, speaking of my knight master, have you seen her?" he paused. "She�s short, red hair, purple eyes."
Kel gasped, "Lady Alanna!"
"Yea that�s her," the man said dryly. "Oh sorry I'm Nealan of Queenscove." He held out a hand.
Kel took it. "Keladry of Mindelan."
"Hey you were supposed to be knight!" he exclaimed.
She winced. "Yes Sir Nealan."
Neal winced in turn. "Please call me Neal my least favorite aunt calls me Nealan."
"Ok Neal."
"Where are you headed?" he asked.
"My group is headed to Corus," she replied.
"Oh! Have you seen a group of Shang warriors headed to stay at the castle?"
Kel tugged the ponytail her hair was in tighter it had grown out. "I'm in it," she stated flatly.
"Your a Shang!!!"
"NEALAN!" a voice rang. "Stop patronizing the woman."
The Lioness rode to them holding the reins of Neal's horse.
"Hello Miss.... who are you?" Alanna asked.
"I'm Keladry of Mindelan Sir Alanna," Kel said with an awkward bow.
"Mindelan!" Alanna gasped. "You were the one wanting to be a knight!"
"Yes sir," Kel said quietly.
"Sorry about that probation thing," Alanna said jumping off the horse. She was a lot shorter then Kel thought. Alanna smiled. "Men!"
Kel laughed.
Neal glanced at the two of them.
"Oh, I'm sorry I'm Alanna," Alanna said quite informally.
"I know," Kel replied.
"She�s in the Shang band," Neal put in.
"Your a Shang! Good! Good group of people," Alanna added with a nod. "May I speak to the leader of the group."
Kel nodded. "Follow me."

After dark Alanna was still talking to the leader and Neal sat under a tree watching Kel practice with her glaive.
"You fight with a glaive?" Neal questioned. "I thought Shang used their limbs."
"Shang do. But I spent some of my childhood in the Yamani islands," Kel said her limbs blurring.
Neal nodded and watched her grace in silence. Kel stopped and picked up a staff from a pile.
"Care for some practice Sir Neal."
Neal stared at it. "Practice," he repeated. "Sure." Kel tossed the staff at him and picked up her own.
"Ready?" she asked. He nodded and advanced. Neal swung and Kel blocked. He came at her again and she hooked her staff under his and swung it away from him disarming him.
"Wow." Neal stared at her as she picked it back it tossing it to him.
"Ready to give it another go?"
He nodded his cheeks pink.
Without warning Kel advanced. She was quick and swift.
Strike, block, strike, block.
As she attacked Neal tripped over a root and toppled over.
"Nealan!" the Lioness' voice barked. "Careful or you'll have a lot more then her to worry about."
Neal turned a startling shade of red and coughed getting up.
Kel looked at him.
"Go at him again," the Lioness said.
Kel looked to Neal whom was glaring at the Lioness.
"Come on Queenscove!" Alanna yelled.
He turned to Kel. "Come on"
Kel went after him again.
Strike, Block, Strike, Block.
Kel faked to the left and then hit Neal on the right with a distinct, Crack!.
Neal yelped.
"Oh!" Kel said. "I-I�m sorry."
Alanna was at his side. "Did they teach you nothing?" she asked Neal with a grin.
Neal glared at her between flinches. "You provoked her."
Kel grinned sheepishly. "Are you ok?" she asked.
"Oh he's fine just a cracked collarbone. I can fix this." Alanna answered.