Author's Note: Yeah, I know I've promised a lot of different fics but I have a degree in procrastination :P I promise I'll get around to the others as soon as I can but long!fics scare me.

This is set a while after Lady Knight and it's just a random idea I had while slightly delirious. And whoa, I just wrote a K/D were Dom doesn't turn into a drunken menace.

Disclaimer: Do I look even remotely brilliant? *looks at ripped jeans* Nope.

"That storm's going to break soon," Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle commented, pulling his dapple grey gelding up short. The horse snorted and shook his head, prancing anxiously as his ears pressed back against his skull. "Winddancer's nervous and - from the look of those clouds - Mithros is planning to freeze us where we stand. I think we should head back; preferably before it starts snowing."

Kel nodded her assent as she kept a watchful eye out for rocks and tree branches that could harm Peachblossom's hooves. They had been on patrol with a small group of soldiers from Third Company when the forward scout spotted a rogue killer unicorn. Kel and Dom had ordered the patrol to continue on their usual route while they split off to deal with the immortal. Despite their best efforts, the chase had taken the better half of a day and the sun was now beginning to cast purple hues over the far horizon.

"The patrol should be back at New Hope by now," Kel replied, her mind already full of things that she should be sorting out at New Hope and jobs that needed to be done. "We have to finish scouting this last trail before we go – remember those hoofprints we found?"

"They were pretty fresh. Okay, how about we finish this one up quickly and gallop off home – there's food in that direction."

"That sounds good to me," she smiled, glancing up in time to see her expression mirrored on her companion's face.

-

"I think the curse 'Goddess' tears' fits this situation well." Dom grimaced as another ice cold droplet of water fell into his eye. He held Winddancer's reins in one hand so he could wipe his face and clear the moisture that was clinging to his eyelashes. "I think this gods- cursed rain is trying to blind me."

Kel listened to her friend's grumbling in silence but she realised he was trying to lighten her mood and appreciated the effort. The trail had turned out to be longer than they had predicted and came to a dead end in a clearing surrounded by a thick, impenetrable wood. They had been forced to double back and the delay made her restless.

"The sun has set; Tobe's going to be worried about us."

"He's going to be worried about you," Dom chuckled. "Tobe's almost a grown man now – or at least he thinks he is – but a grown man still needs his mother."

"You know I don't like it when you call me that – when anyone calls me that."

"Sorry," he mumbled, his eyes sparkling despite the rainwater in them, "Protector."

"Domitan of Masbolle," she huffed, shifting in the saddle to ease the heavy feeling in her numb feet. "How am I meant to earn my people's respect if you and your men insist on using those names?"

"The Lioness is the Lioness, the Wildmage is the Wildmage and they both earned those titles. You're a warrior and deserve one of your own; I think that Protector of the Small is rather fitting. Would you rather keep the Yamani Lump?"

"I would rather have none."

"Mother is the Own's affectionate term for you, Protector is the title we chose – I like them and there are worse out there; need I remind you of Meathead and the Stump?"

Kel could see when she was fighting a losing battle and decided to change the subject before the Sergeant did. "The weather is getting worse."

"It is. Should we try to find shelter out here or push on to New Hope? It's your call, Kel."

"Shelter," she decided, noticing the way in which he surrendered his usual pet names as he said Kel instead. "We won't be able to make it back in time anyway - the wind is rising and that snow will fall soon."

"Let's hope there's a nice castle out here with a lovely little fire to sit around, food, and beds that aren't piles of hay on the ground."

-

"Now this is a castle," Dom grinned as he leaned back against the fallen tree they were huddled behind. "We've got a fire and it is little, and we have some wonderful Riders' rations, and the beds…well, they're not piles of hay on the ground."

Their fire guttered in the wind and heavy rain, sputtered weakly, and died with a hiss. Kel shivered as she watched the gale whisk the last of the smoke away, pulling her soaked cloak up to her chin. Peachblossom and Winddancer were stood close together by the large tree's roots, the mean, old gelding mercifully taking pity on the younger, smaller one.

"We're vulnerable to attack here," she muttered, searching for Griffin in the cold, heavy confines of her clothes.

"Relax, Kel. I think we'll freeze to death before we're killed by assassins – Scanran bandits or otherwise."

She sighed, releasing the hilt of her sword. "I know; this just goes against all of my training, all of my instincts as well."

"You'll get used to it after the first few times. I've been stranded in storms before - the last one left me in the infirmary for three days."

There was an awkward pause and Dom went back to twisting the water out of his cloak. A moment later, a heavy thunk sounded from behind them and Kel whirled around, Griffin already unsheathed in her hand. The lack of light made it hard to see past her feet but she stayed tense, watching the dancing shadows that the rain created.

"Ouch," Dom suddenly grumbled, breaking Kel's concentration, "it's hailing. Why couldn't we be stuck in a cave for Mithros' sake? Rain is wet, snow is cold but hail is deadly."

She sank down slowly, sheathing Griffin after a slight struggle with her clinging cloak. "Do you think that's what the noise was?"

"No one – no thing – would be out in this weather. It must've been the hail or a falling tree branch."

"Right," Kel said struggling to keep her teeth from chattering. She could feel the water seeping through her boots; even her ears were full of rain.

"Are you cold?"

"Think about that question, Dom."

He smiled, not at all disconcerted by her reaction. "Move over here."

"What?" Kel asked, startled. She looked up to see him holding one side of his cloak open, watching her calmly with a slight grin on his face.

"Move over here."

"I know what you said; I meant what do you mean?"

"Your cold, I'm cold; the least we can do is be cold together."

"Dom, I don't think that's a good-"

"Fine, I'm moving." The sergeant stood up and walked purposefully over to the knight, settling himself beside her with a sigh. "There, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

She scowled at him, pulling her cloak closer around her own body as he put his arm over her shoulders.

"I forgot to tell you something before," he said, close enough to her ear to speak quietly.

"And what was that?"

"The Own have created another name for you and I wasn't a part of it this time."

She waited for him to continue but he just sat there, his eye crinkling in amusement. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Not right now," he grinned, pulling her closer to his chest. "I'd rather not ruin this with another bout of me teasing you and you threatening to stab me. I think Peachblossom is asleep."

Kel noticed a deliberate topic change when she heard one – she used them often enough herself - but decided to follow Dom's lead, pretending to watch Peachblossom intently. She soon gave up on thinking when she noticed Dom's breath brushed her neck as he breathed out, ruffling her shoulder-length hair ever so slightly.

Sakuyo laughs, she grumbled, afraid of what she would do if her mind wasn't occupied.

-

After a long, odd silence that was neither awkward nor comfortable, Kel began to drift off, her head falling onto Dom's shoulder. He stayed as still as he could, watching the hail disappear in the flakes of snow that were beginning to fall. Smiling softly despite the almost unbearable cold, Dom pulled his cloak around to cover the sleeping lady knight and tucked the hand that was gripping the edge of his chain mail shirt under it.

"Kel?" he whispered once they were settled under his cloak. He waited with baited breath for a response, expecting her to wake and pull away from him, but breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't even stir. "The Own have decided to call you the Sergeant's Lass - behind your back - and I've found that I like that name much more than I should."

End Note: So, I hope you all liked it! Reviews are greatly appreciated and will probably make me write some more - but what would you like: oneshots, drabble series or long!fics?

Before I forget (which I do frequently), this story also serves a second purpose:

1) If you haven't already done so, check out thekingsown(.)org - it's a brand new, shiny archive for Tamora Pierce fan fiction that's run by Tamora Pierce fans for Tamora Pierce fans.

2) I have sent the petition in to FFnet but they replied once (which I responded to) and haven't contacted me again in over two weeks. I'm going to try again soon but it's not looking too good. If you haven't signed it already, then please do: http://www(.)gopetition(.)com/online/30539(.)html - we now have 254 signatures which has completely blown my expectations! Thank you to all of you who have supported it.