Post by journeycat on Mar 8, 2010 19:17:59 GMT 10
Title: The Parting of Ways
Rating: G
Length : 633 words
Competitor: Faleron
Round/Fight: 2/A
Summary: A true friendship endures anything, and Kel can only hope that she and Neal will past this ultimate test. Inspired by Malorie's Peak #22 Cage.
-----
The predawn morning was pearly with the mist gleaming in the gloom. The horses nickered softly to each other as they were led forward, the big strawberry roan showing surprising tolerance as the other gelding lipped curiously at him. Their steps were soft and muted in the dewy grass.
“Where are you going?”
The voice was sharp and unexpected, and Keladry and Faleron jumped in shock. She pivoted.
“Neal,” she hissed. “What are you doing?”
He stepped closer, and she could just make out his stubbornly set jaw in the dark. “I could ask the same of you.”
She didn’t say anything. Beside her, Faleron nervously shifted his weight. Peachblossom tossed his head.
“Go back inside,” Faleron finally said, his voice even. “You don’t need to know what’s going on.”
“Don’t tell me what I do or do not need to know,” Neal said dangerously. “You’re leaving, aren’t you? Together?”
Their silence gave him the answer.
“This is ludicrous,” he whispered. “Faleron, you’re to be married today. How can you leave your betrothed? Where will you go?”
“Don’t even begin to judge me,” Faleron said in a low voice. “You were allowed to pick your bride. I’ve been betrothed to this woman since we were twelve. You don’t know what it’s like, knowing you’re supposed to marry someone you don’t even know, and the whole time you love someone else. When you’re in a cage like that, let me know what you decide, you pompous ass: will you choose entrapment or will you leave your life behind for something greater than anything you’ve ever known?”
The following pause was pregnant with tension and broken only by his heavy breathing after his passionate speech. Kel reached out and gently entwined her fingers with his. She met Neal’s gaze squarely.
“Please,” she said.
He looked brokenly at her. “Where will you go?”
She glanced at Faleron. “We don’t know. Tusaine, perhaps. King’s Reach has family there. But we can’t stay in Tortall.”
I couldn’t handle the shame, she wanted to say, but didn’t. She didn’t have to; Neal could read it in her face.
“You can’t just, just ignore it?” he pleaded desperately. “You can’t suffer through it?”
Faleron’s laugh was harsh. “You, of all people, know love is never easy,” he told him. “Little infatuations go away—but love? I’ve loved Keladry for so long I’ve forgotten what it was to live without it. And so I won’t. I can’t.”
Neal clenched his fists, his eyes darting between them searchingly.
“Your reputation,” he began, and stopped. “The king may see it as treason if you leave. You’re in his service. What if you—can’t come back?”
“Then I guess we won’t come back.”
He stared at her, his expression pained. Oh, Neal, she thought, her throat tight. I love you. I hope, one day, I’ll see you again.
“Please,” she whispered.
He wavered, and then bowed his head. Kel flung her arms around him, hugging him fiercely. “Thank you,” she murmured into his ear. “I’m so sorry. No matter where I go, you’ll always be my best friend.”
His breath hitched, but his muffled voice was steady as he said, “Be safe, love. Write me.”
“Always,” she promised.
“Come on,” Faleron said gently. “The servants will be waking soon and they’ll see us gone.”
She nodded, and he mounted his gelding and waited patiently. She and Neal shared one last look, and it held everything that had ever been between them—their strange beginnings, arguments over vegetables, agony over Wyldon’s prejudice, bandits, spidrens, Scanrans, the suffering through bad poetry and unrequited love and above all, the solid devotion that would never be broken.
Kel mounted Peachblossom and followed Faleron at a gallop, leaving Neal, her family, and everything she had ever known behind her.
Rating: G
Length : 633 words
Competitor: Faleron
Round/Fight: 2/A
Summary: A true friendship endures anything, and Kel can only hope that she and Neal will past this ultimate test. Inspired by Malorie's Peak #22 Cage.
-----
The predawn morning was pearly with the mist gleaming in the gloom. The horses nickered softly to each other as they were led forward, the big strawberry roan showing surprising tolerance as the other gelding lipped curiously at him. Their steps were soft and muted in the dewy grass.
“Where are you going?”
The voice was sharp and unexpected, and Keladry and Faleron jumped in shock. She pivoted.
“Neal,” she hissed. “What are you doing?”
He stepped closer, and she could just make out his stubbornly set jaw in the dark. “I could ask the same of you.”
She didn’t say anything. Beside her, Faleron nervously shifted his weight. Peachblossom tossed his head.
“Go back inside,” Faleron finally said, his voice even. “You don’t need to know what’s going on.”
“Don’t tell me what I do or do not need to know,” Neal said dangerously. “You’re leaving, aren’t you? Together?”
Their silence gave him the answer.
“This is ludicrous,” he whispered. “Faleron, you’re to be married today. How can you leave your betrothed? Where will you go?”
“Don’t even begin to judge me,” Faleron said in a low voice. “You were allowed to pick your bride. I’ve been betrothed to this woman since we were twelve. You don’t know what it’s like, knowing you’re supposed to marry someone you don’t even know, and the whole time you love someone else. When you’re in a cage like that, let me know what you decide, you pompous ass: will you choose entrapment or will you leave your life behind for something greater than anything you’ve ever known?”
The following pause was pregnant with tension and broken only by his heavy breathing after his passionate speech. Kel reached out and gently entwined her fingers with his. She met Neal’s gaze squarely.
“Please,” she said.
He looked brokenly at her. “Where will you go?”
She glanced at Faleron. “We don’t know. Tusaine, perhaps. King’s Reach has family there. But we can’t stay in Tortall.”
I couldn’t handle the shame, she wanted to say, but didn’t. She didn’t have to; Neal could read it in her face.
“You can’t just, just ignore it?” he pleaded desperately. “You can’t suffer through it?”
Faleron’s laugh was harsh. “You, of all people, know love is never easy,” he told him. “Little infatuations go away—but love? I’ve loved Keladry for so long I’ve forgotten what it was to live without it. And so I won’t. I can’t.”
Neal clenched his fists, his eyes darting between them searchingly.
“Your reputation,” he began, and stopped. “The king may see it as treason if you leave. You’re in his service. What if you—can’t come back?”
“Then I guess we won’t come back.”
He stared at her, his expression pained. Oh, Neal, she thought, her throat tight. I love you. I hope, one day, I’ll see you again.
“Please,” she whispered.
He wavered, and then bowed his head. Kel flung her arms around him, hugging him fiercely. “Thank you,” she murmured into his ear. “I’m so sorry. No matter where I go, you’ll always be my best friend.”
His breath hitched, but his muffled voice was steady as he said, “Be safe, love. Write me.”
“Always,” she promised.
“Come on,” Faleron said gently. “The servants will be waking soon and they’ll see us gone.”
She nodded, and he mounted his gelding and waited patiently. She and Neal shared one last look, and it held everything that had ever been between them—their strange beginnings, arguments over vegetables, agony over Wyldon’s prejudice, bandits, spidrens, Scanrans, the suffering through bad poetry and unrequited love and above all, the solid devotion that would never be broken.
Kel mounted Peachblossom and followed Faleron at a gallop, leaving Neal, her family, and everything she had ever known behind her.