Most of this belongs to Tamora Pierce- except for the storyline and Vene'sha and anything else that is unfamiliar. :)
CHAPTER 7 DEPARTURE
It hadn't taken long for the help to arrive and whisk Kel, Vene'sha and Daine away from the wrath of the desert. They were travelling in one of the palace coaches with Numair, who they had picked up on the way. They travelled silently for quite a few hours along the grassy main road back to Corus until it became too dark and had to stop at a small village and rest at its inn. Kel and Vene had their own room whilst Daine and Numair had theirs.
Everyone fell asleep, well, everyone except for Vene, who just pretended to. When she was sure Kel was deep into her rest, the thief crept out of her bed. I'm not going to risk it, she thought as she slid on knee-high leather boots. Even if the King is more forgiving because I saved one of his squire's ass it'd be his duty as a King to punish me for all my past crimes- I'm wanted in more than one village. Vene tied the last knot in her laces and paused, looking miserably at her boots. For once I do something good, she mused silently, And I can't even get the credit for it. She slid out the door and down the stairs to the inn's stables. As she was quickly saddling a sturdy looking mare Vene felt a pang of guilt, just running away from Kel like this. Vene stopped tightening the girth and frowned at herself. Why am I guilty? she thought, I'm not gonna risk my freedom for anything! And it's not like me and Kel are friends or anything…
"Vene'sha? Wha- what are you doing?" A familiar voice said from behind her.
Vene spun around; Kel was standing in the doorway looking wrecked from a bad sleep.
"What are you doing?" Kel repeated, "I thought I heard you get up…" she trailed off as she saw the fully tacked mare Vene was standing next to. Her eyebrows snapped together and Vene felt a lot worse than Kel looked.
"Look," Vene tried to sound reasonable, "Do you seriously think I'll get away for all my past robberies?"
"Y-you're just going to run away?"
"No!" Vene retorted, then paused for a moment, looked at the ground and said quietly, "Yes. I'm running. What else can I do?"
Kel took some hesitant steps forward, "You can't just run away from things your entire life- believe me, one day it'll all catch up to you."
Vene felt a small surge of annoyance and looked up to glare at Kel, "And what would you know about it? You're a noble! *You* don't have to steal to make a living!"
Kel looked a little lost for words, so Vene continued her verbal assault, "I never chose to live this life! I never knew my parents- I have no home, no life. What do you expect of me? You want me to be a perfect, kind-hearted little lady? Huh? I'm not sure if you've noticed but life isn't as wonderful everywhere as it is in the palace."
"I never said it was!" Kel snapped, then caught herself and added more calmly, "I just don't think you're making the right decision."
"Good for you," Vene had worked herself up. "Now would you leave me to decide for myself?"
Kel looked pained, which made Vene- despite her bitter mood- feel awful.
"Okay," Vene said as she mounted the horse. "Look, I didn't mean that. Just… I don't know…just leave me be. Whatever happens is my fault. There is nothing you can do about. There is nothing I'll let you do about it."
Kel hesitated, opened and shut her mouth, then finally said, "I can't let you go. It's my, my…" she searched for the right word, "It's my *duty* to bring you before the King. I'm not talking about our own decisions anymore- I'm talking about me being a squire and you being the Thief. I…" Kel looked at the ground, and then looked up again, "I don't want to do this…but what else can I do?"
Vene looked down at Kel and told her quietly, "You can do nothing. Just go back to our room and do nothing."
Kel looked a little stunned, which made Vene smile. "I like you squire." She suddenly seemed a little embarrassed at this unusual display of emotion and added with a casual shrug, "I mean- y'know, for a squire."
Kel looked up in surprise, and didn't do anything as Vene walked the mare out of the stable. She felt a little paralysed, just standing there. But then the squire brought herself back out of her thoughts and ran to the doorway Vene'sha had just disappeared out of. The thief and her mount were already being engulfed by the darkness, but the moonlight left Kel enough light to call after her companion, "I like you, too, thief." And then under her breath she concluded: "I mean, for a thief…"
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EPILOGUE
It wasn't really that long after Vene'sha departed from Kel, only about three weeks. Kel had finally finished her weeks of punishment given to her by that Lord Wyldon for hopping into the back of the cart after Vene that night. Kel was walking through the market; it was a beautiful, sunny Sunday. She was admiring a velvet cloth when she felt the slightest tug on her belt. Kel's hand automatically went to where her money pouch hung. It wasn't there. Kel cursed a string of colourful words and looked around wildly. The market was too crowded! Feeling very disgruntled, she trudged back to the squire's quarters- maybe Neal could cheer her up a bit. As she entered her room to quickly get changed Kel saw the most astonishing thing- her stolen money pouch. It was sitting atop the middle of her desk. She frowned as she walked briskly over to it and opened it to check the contents. Her frown deepened as she open the pouch and found that not only was all her money there, but a note as well. Kel unfolded the note and flattened it out on her desk. She grinned as she read:
'You should really take better care of your valuables. Who knows? Somebody might steal it…
~Vene'sha.'
:~THE END~:
Well, that's the end…for now. Maybe I might start another story with Vene'sha, we'll see. But right now I've got big plans for my next story. Hmm, I'm still working a lot of the characters out, though. A BIG thankx to all those reviewers! Ah, it's a very nice feeling- finishing a story. Hope you liked it! (I skipped all that mushy stuff that would happen when Kel came back to the palace. You can imagine it for yourselves ;) )
Oh yeah, I hope that last chapter wasn't too bad…I suck at endings. :)
Liaska
CHAPTER 7 DEPARTURE
It hadn't taken long for the help to arrive and whisk Kel, Vene'sha and Daine away from the wrath of the desert. They were travelling in one of the palace coaches with Numair, who they had picked up on the way. They travelled silently for quite a few hours along the grassy main road back to Corus until it became too dark and had to stop at a small village and rest at its inn. Kel and Vene had their own room whilst Daine and Numair had theirs.
Everyone fell asleep, well, everyone except for Vene, who just pretended to. When she was sure Kel was deep into her rest, the thief crept out of her bed. I'm not going to risk it, she thought as she slid on knee-high leather boots. Even if the King is more forgiving because I saved one of his squire's ass it'd be his duty as a King to punish me for all my past crimes- I'm wanted in more than one village. Vene tied the last knot in her laces and paused, looking miserably at her boots. For once I do something good, she mused silently, And I can't even get the credit for it. She slid out the door and down the stairs to the inn's stables. As she was quickly saddling a sturdy looking mare Vene felt a pang of guilt, just running away from Kel like this. Vene stopped tightening the girth and frowned at herself. Why am I guilty? she thought, I'm not gonna risk my freedom for anything! And it's not like me and Kel are friends or anything…
"Vene'sha? Wha- what are you doing?" A familiar voice said from behind her.
Vene spun around; Kel was standing in the doorway looking wrecked from a bad sleep.
"What are you doing?" Kel repeated, "I thought I heard you get up…" she trailed off as she saw the fully tacked mare Vene was standing next to. Her eyebrows snapped together and Vene felt a lot worse than Kel looked.
"Look," Vene tried to sound reasonable, "Do you seriously think I'll get away for all my past robberies?"
"Y-you're just going to run away?"
"No!" Vene retorted, then paused for a moment, looked at the ground and said quietly, "Yes. I'm running. What else can I do?"
Kel took some hesitant steps forward, "You can't just run away from things your entire life- believe me, one day it'll all catch up to you."
Vene felt a small surge of annoyance and looked up to glare at Kel, "And what would you know about it? You're a noble! *You* don't have to steal to make a living!"
Kel looked a little lost for words, so Vene continued her verbal assault, "I never chose to live this life! I never knew my parents- I have no home, no life. What do you expect of me? You want me to be a perfect, kind-hearted little lady? Huh? I'm not sure if you've noticed but life isn't as wonderful everywhere as it is in the palace."
"I never said it was!" Kel snapped, then caught herself and added more calmly, "I just don't think you're making the right decision."
"Good for you," Vene had worked herself up. "Now would you leave me to decide for myself?"
Kel looked pained, which made Vene- despite her bitter mood- feel awful.
"Okay," Vene said as she mounted the horse. "Look, I didn't mean that. Just… I don't know…just leave me be. Whatever happens is my fault. There is nothing you can do about. There is nothing I'll let you do about it."
Kel hesitated, opened and shut her mouth, then finally said, "I can't let you go. It's my, my…" she searched for the right word, "It's my *duty* to bring you before the King. I'm not talking about our own decisions anymore- I'm talking about me being a squire and you being the Thief. I…" Kel looked at the ground, and then looked up again, "I don't want to do this…but what else can I do?"
Vene looked down at Kel and told her quietly, "You can do nothing. Just go back to our room and do nothing."
Kel looked a little stunned, which made Vene smile. "I like you squire." She suddenly seemed a little embarrassed at this unusual display of emotion and added with a casual shrug, "I mean- y'know, for a squire."
Kel looked up in surprise, and didn't do anything as Vene walked the mare out of the stable. She felt a little paralysed, just standing there. But then the squire brought herself back out of her thoughts and ran to the doorway Vene'sha had just disappeared out of. The thief and her mount were already being engulfed by the darkness, but the moonlight left Kel enough light to call after her companion, "I like you, too, thief." And then under her breath she concluded: "I mean, for a thief…"
~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~: ~:
EPILOGUE
It wasn't really that long after Vene'sha departed from Kel, only about three weeks. Kel had finally finished her weeks of punishment given to her by that Lord Wyldon for hopping into the back of the cart after Vene that night. Kel was walking through the market; it was a beautiful, sunny Sunday. She was admiring a velvet cloth when she felt the slightest tug on her belt. Kel's hand automatically went to where her money pouch hung. It wasn't there. Kel cursed a string of colourful words and looked around wildly. The market was too crowded! Feeling very disgruntled, she trudged back to the squire's quarters- maybe Neal could cheer her up a bit. As she entered her room to quickly get changed Kel saw the most astonishing thing- her stolen money pouch. It was sitting atop the middle of her desk. She frowned as she walked briskly over to it and opened it to check the contents. Her frown deepened as she open the pouch and found that not only was all her money there, but a note as well. Kel unfolded the note and flattened it out on her desk. She grinned as she read:
'You should really take better care of your valuables. Who knows? Somebody might steal it…
~Vene'sha.'
:~THE END~:
Well, that's the end…for now. Maybe I might start another story with Vene'sha, we'll see. But right now I've got big plans for my next story. Hmm, I'm still working a lot of the characters out, though. A BIG thankx to all those reviewers! Ah, it's a very nice feeling- finishing a story. Hope you liked it! (I skipped all that mushy stuff that would happen when Kel came back to the palace. You can imagine it for yourselves ;) )
Oh yeah, I hope that last chapter wasn't too bad…I suck at endings. :)
Liaska