Post by pandora on Dec 7, 2010 11:32:30 GMT 10
Title: Midwinter Cheer
Rating: G
Card: 1
Bingo: Friendship + Opportunity + Music + Gifts + Away From Home
Summary: Neal gives Kel her Midwinter present early.
Kel sat in her office staring blindly at the reports she should have been writing. It was midwinter at New Hope the sound of the refugees celebrating echoed through the walls.
No, not refugees anymore, Kel corrected herself. This is their home now.
And they deserved to celebrate. The war was drawing to a close and they had survived it, they had every right to be happy.
But do they have to be so Gods cursed loud?
Kel dragged the reports closer, Lord Wyldon was expecting them in a few days and she had put them off long enough.
"Kel?" Neal poked his head around the door. "What are you doing skulking around back here?"
"I'm hardly skulking Neal. This is my office remember?"
Neal came over and perched on the edge of her desk and he took her hand.
"What I mean, is what are you doing hiding in here when everyone's out there cele- Kel!" Neal snatched the papers of the table and stared at them in disbelief. "Are these reports?!"
Kel sighed, gently tugging them from Neal's hand before he could ruin them, and she'd have to start again.
"They need to be done Neal, Lord Wyld-"
"The Stump can wait Kel! It's Midwinter!" He dragged her out of her seat. "There's music, and dancing, and Merric is drunk and making a fool of himself! Come on... It will be fun. I promise."
Kel just stared blankly at him, Yamini mask firmly in place. "Neal I can't."
"Is this about my cousin? You know just cause he's not here doesn't mean-"
"It's not about Dom, although, yes, I do miss him, but it's more than that, Neal." She paused, "The war is ending, it will probably be over by spring..."
"Ah..." Neal smiled knowingly. "You feel you're abandoning your little strays."
Kel sat back down, her face in her hands.
"I know they'll be alright Neal, I do, but what if there's another attack? What if Scanra is just waiting for us to leave before they break the treaty?"
Neal rested his hands on her shoulders. "That's not going to happen Kel, and even if it does, you've taught them to fight and you've taught them to defend themselves, what more can you do?"
Kel looked up, her expression open for once, vulnerable. "Be here."
"Well it's not going to make it any better making yourself sick with worry, have faith in them Kel. They need you to believe in them... Now," Neal took a few steps back. "Enough moping around! This will cheer you up. I was going to give you your gift later, but you can have it now instead!"
Kel smiled, "You didn't have to get me anything Neal."
"Oh, I know, but I couldn't resist." He pulled a roll of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Confused, Kel open it, reading the first line:
'The Protector of the Small
by Sir Nealan of Queenscove'
Kel turned the parchment over, there was writing on both sides... "Uh, thank you Neal... Uhm, what is it?"
"Kel! You've been in the north too long, you're turning into a barbarian! Can't you tell? It's a poem!"
Rating: G
Card: 1
Bingo: Friendship + Opportunity + Music + Gifts + Away From Home
Summary: Neal gives Kel her Midwinter present early.
Kel sat in her office staring blindly at the reports she should have been writing. It was midwinter at New Hope the sound of the refugees celebrating echoed through the walls.
No, not refugees anymore, Kel corrected herself. This is their home now.
And they deserved to celebrate. The war was drawing to a close and they had survived it, they had every right to be happy.
But do they have to be so Gods cursed loud?
Kel dragged the reports closer, Lord Wyldon was expecting them in a few days and she had put them off long enough.
"Kel?" Neal poked his head around the door. "What are you doing skulking around back here?"
"I'm hardly skulking Neal. This is my office remember?"
Neal came over and perched on the edge of her desk and he took her hand.
"What I mean, is what are you doing hiding in here when everyone's out there cele- Kel!" Neal snatched the papers of the table and stared at them in disbelief. "Are these reports?!"
Kel sighed, gently tugging them from Neal's hand before he could ruin them, and she'd have to start again.
"They need to be done Neal, Lord Wyld-"
"The Stump can wait Kel! It's Midwinter!" He dragged her out of her seat. "There's music, and dancing, and Merric is drunk and making a fool of himself! Come on... It will be fun. I promise."
Kel just stared blankly at him, Yamini mask firmly in place. "Neal I can't."
"Is this about my cousin? You know just cause he's not here doesn't mean-"
"It's not about Dom, although, yes, I do miss him, but it's more than that, Neal." She paused, "The war is ending, it will probably be over by spring..."
"Ah..." Neal smiled knowingly. "You feel you're abandoning your little strays."
Kel sat back down, her face in her hands.
"I know they'll be alright Neal, I do, but what if there's another attack? What if Scanra is just waiting for us to leave before they break the treaty?"
Neal rested his hands on her shoulders. "That's not going to happen Kel, and even if it does, you've taught them to fight and you've taught them to defend themselves, what more can you do?"
Kel looked up, her expression open for once, vulnerable. "Be here."
"Well it's not going to make it any better making yourself sick with worry, have faith in them Kel. They need you to believe in them... Now," Neal took a few steps back. "Enough moping around! This will cheer you up. I was going to give you your gift later, but you can have it now instead!"
Kel smiled, "You didn't have to get me anything Neal."
"Oh, I know, but I couldn't resist." He pulled a roll of parchment out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Confused, Kel open it, reading the first line:
'The Protector of the Small
by Sir Nealan of Queenscove'
Kel turned the parchment over, there was writing on both sides... "Uh, thank you Neal... Uhm, what is it?"
"Kel! You've been in the north too long, you're turning into a barbarian! Can't you tell? It's a poem!"