%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |
His superior strength propelled me to the ground fighting to keep his blade from my throat |
| Chapter 3 Weathering the Storm Miles passed us by, one running into the next. I trusted Sir William and Ares to know the way and allowed my thoughts to wander. Thrust into a precarious situation left me with few options. My home was stolen from me, my future uncertain, balanced on the edge of a blade. Sir Alden spoke of destiny, but how was it possible to know your destiny? My path was with Sir William, my life now entangled with his. Though I had never believed in fate I could feel it’s suffocating vines pulling me in a direction I feared to tread. Change was something I was unaccustomed to and thus feared. A clap of thunder jerked me from my thoughts, sending an electric shock through my nerves. I looked quickly to see if Sir William saw me jump; he was looking the other way. Praying the thunder would not return, I focused my attention on suppressing my fear. The scent of water was in the air, signaling the rapid approach of a downpour. “We should find shelter, it’s going to rain.” I was surprised at Sir William’s sensitivity to the changes in the air. It didn’t take long to find a suitable cave to weather out the coming storm. The mountains held countless caves, many of which I explored as a child. Sir William untied my hands and feet from the saddle, allowing me to dismount and see to Clover. He went about preparing camp, what little there was, and settled into his blankets to sleep. With no other choice but to follow suit, I curled up and tried, in vain, to fall asleep. Sometime in the early morning a deafening crash sent me reeling out of bed. Sir William looked up, sleep clouding his eyes. After determining everything was alright he turned over and was back asleep in seconds. Another crash nearly stopped my heart, the fear from long ago returning. Not again, please not again. I couldn’t explain where the terror came from, or why I feared it; I only knew it had always been with me. Flashes of a memory, long buried, assaulted my consciousness. Sights, sounds, smells, and feelings I couldn’t remember intensified with every clap of thunder. Gripping my head as the sharp pains tore into my skull, I curled up in agony. Let it stop. Make it end. Some semblance of thought remained and I stifled the groans escaping from between my clenched teeth. I couldn’t wake Sir William, couldn’t let him ask questions with no answers. Clover whinnied in worry, coming closer to prod my side. Reaching up a quivering hand I did everything possible to calm him, but my fear only fueled his uneasiness. Sidestepping and shifting his weight from foot to foot, Clover snorted in distress. “Calm down boy.” It was only a pained whisper, but it seemed to help. He calmed…until a bolt of lightning split the sky. The pain, ten times worse, had me writhing on the floor while Clover reared and bolted for the cave opening. My eyes followed his progress and came to rest on a pair of gleaming white orbs, piercing through the darkness like the moon through clouds. A howl sounded in the night, a call to return. But return to where or to whom? I had no recollection of what transpired over the next two hours, being enveloped in a world of torture. When the fevered illusions dissipated I found Clover securely tied to a fallen tree outside the cave, Ares calmly grazing on the rain soaked grass and Sir William gone. I fingered my temple, attempting to ease the pounding headache that always followed such episodes. The rays of the early morning sun kept me in the shadows of the cave, reluctant to worsen my already unbearable headache. “Drink this.” A cup was thrust into my hands and I looked up to see Sir William bending over me. Where did he come from? “It’ll help with your headache.” I took the cup and sipped at the heated liquid. It tasted like wild berry and peppermint. Where he’d gotten the ingredients for the tea, I had no idea and didn’t really care as long as it helped. Relieved Sir William didn’t ask questions about last night, I packed up my bedding and readied Clover for the long journey ahead. I stuffed the last of my bedding into the saddle bag and put my foot in the stirrup, ready to mount. “Not yet, Adan.” I looked up to find Sir William releasing his sword from it’s sheath. Cringing back, I remembered Father Thomas’ initial reaction to my episodes and wondered if Sir William was superstitious. Until Father Michael had assured Father Thomas and the other monks I was not possessed, they had feared and scorned me. The pains had only occurred once every few years when I was young, but they had grown more frequent as the years progressed. Now they happened every time there was a thunder or lightning storm. “Take out your sword.” I fumbled to grab the short sword Sir Alden had given me from it’s place on Clover’s saddle. As soon as I freed it from the sheath Sir William charged. Reflex brought my sword up to block his blow before my mind could register what was happening. His superior strength propelled me to the ground, fighting to keep his blade from my throat. Was he trying to kill me? But why? Panic imbued me with strength I wouldn’t normally possess. I threw Sir William off, giving myself time to get to my knees before the onslaught continued. I blocked his second blow, but this time he gripped a dagger in his left hand. Taking a chance, I caught his wrist in my right hand, leaving my left on the sword. “Sir Alden has taught you well.” Sir William twisted his left hand, escaping from my hold and pressed the blade to my throat. “But you are still just a boy. Yield.” I obeyed, dropping my sword, but threw up my fist as he removed the dagger from my neck. Staggering backwards, he put a hand to his jaw in shock. “You shouldn’t have let your guard down. That’s the first lesson Sir Alden taught me and it’s the one you’ve obviously forgotten.” My mouth was dry from fear and it was a struggle to say those few words. I pushed myself to my feet and planted, ready for his next attack. “The fight has ended; you yielded.” I swallowed, hoping to rid myself of the croak in my voice. “No, I strategized. I never said I yielded. The second lesson Sir Alden taught me: there are no rules when it comes to survival.” I was fighting hard to control the shaking in my voice and hands. If he knew how much I was afraid he’d regain the advantage. Red flooded his face. Anger, I presumed, from losing to a mere boy. He threw his sword back into its sheath and strapped it to Ares’ saddle. “We’re leaving.” He mounted and impatiently waited for me to do the same. Returning the sword to its place, I pulled myself into the saddle. “I think I made him mad,” I confided to Clover. He snorted in agreement, throwing his head in the air before trotting after Ares. Well, he must not have wanted to kill me since I was still alive. Puzzling over his motives, I stared blankly at his back. Sir William remained silent for most of the day, content to sit and stare into the distance. Where his thoughts rested, I had no idea, nor did I believe I wanted to know. The mountains were thinning and we were entering the foothills when Sir William finally spoke. “How’s your head?” I was confused at first. It wasn’t injured in our skirmish so why would he ask? “It’s fine.” “Looks like you had a rough time of it last night. Does that happen often?” Breath caught in my chest, I tried to collect myself. The best answer was the truth, as much of it as I dared reveal. “It happens every time there’s a thunder or lightning storm. I don’t know why; it’s been happening ever since I was a child.” “If we encounter anyone on the roads, you’re my squire.” The abrupt change threw me off for a moment. I managed to nod my head in understanding. “You’re not to leave my side. If I tell you to do something, you do it.” The sun was sinking, the day nearly gone. We encountered few travelers on the road, which was just fine with me. It was difficult enough dealing with Sir William. He’d been silent, brow furrowed, as if deep in thought. I’d been trying to figure him out. Why had he drawn his sword against me? Was it a test of my abilities? Was it an attempt to scare me or cement his dominant position? I could think of no other plausible reasons. He didn’t draw to kill or drive me away because I was still here. Observing him throughout the day revealed little of his character. That, combined with what I had learned about him from his time at the monastery gave me a miniscule picture of the kind of man he was. Riding tall and straight gave him an air of nobility. Had he been a noble’s son, entering the knighthood for his family’s honor and prestige? Perhaps his family was fallen nobility, having once served the true king. I had overheard him proclaim his continued loyalty to the true king, unafraid and proud. Sir Alden had known Sir William’s father, which meant he must have also known the son to some degree. He sent me with the younger knight, indicating Sir William was a man to be trusted. What I had seen and heard from him--or more accurately, not seen or heard--confirmed this. He lacked the vulgar mouth, attitude of superiority, and foul odor of a common knight. But, like any common knight, he was dangerous; and if I judged correctly, more dangerous than any common knight. Of this I was sure: Sir William had only shown me a tenth of what he was capable. Dangerous didn’t begin to describe him. I involuntarily gagged when a choking stench wafted my direction. Eyes watering from the overwhelming odor, I pulled back on the reigns. Sir William did the same when he realized I was no longer following. “What’s wrong?” Could he not smell it? It was so overpowering I could taste it in the air. I coughed trying to rid myself of the burning scent. Sir William turned Ares around, sidling up beside Clover. “We have to get moving.” There was something more urgent in his tone; something that forbade argument. Collecting myself, I tried to ignore the burning in my nose as we left the area behind. The stench only grew worse. Sir William pushed Ares to a full gallop, Clover easily matching him. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wondered what was so dangerous that we had to flee, but I didn‘t think it wise to stop and ask. Finally the smell began to weaken then dissipate altogether. Making sure he slowed before the horses were fully spent, Sir William was on alert. I wasn’t sure what it was he thought might be a danger to us, but I followed his lead. The mountains were quickly disappearing, melting into a vast, dark forest. Unfamiliar sounds, smells, and sights stirred my senses. Darkness was quickly descending with the setting of the sun, burnishing the trees orange, red, then black. Sir William was still pushing Ares and I wasn’t sure if he planned to stop for the night. Twilight faded to evening, evening to night, and night to early morning before he deemed it safe enough to rest. Only a small sliver of the moon could be seen through the canopy of pine branches blanketing the sky. I rolled out my sleeping mat at the foot of a gigantic pine. Exhausted, I laid down expecting to drop into a dreamless sleep, but sleep never found me. I lay awake, tense and ill at ease. “Sleep, Adan. We leave at dawn.” Dawn was only a couple hours away and I knew I needed to sleep, but something kept my eyes open and my senses alert. Every whisper of the wind, every rustle in the underbrush pulled me from my restless slumber. I didn’t know what it was that sent me stumbling to my feet, but Sir William must have heard it too. One moment he was sleeping soundly, snoring softly, and the next he was packing up his sleeping mat and yelling at me to do the same. “What’s going on?” We were riding, fast, deeper into the forest. Pulling back on his reigns to bring Ares to Clover’s side, he whispered, “We’re being followed.” “Followed?” I looked into the trees, searching for some sign that we were being tracked. He put a finger to his lips. “There’s an invading army,” he continued to whisper. “They must have crossed our trail and decided to send a party after us.” How did he know that? I‘d seen no evidence of an army. “But why would they bother? We’re inconsequential to an invading army. They don’t even know who we are.” “A good tracker can tell the difference between normal farm horse tracks and war horse tracks. They know we have two chargers and they’re following us, hoping we’ll lead them to our army.” “So what do we do?” “Run and hope we don’t get caught.” The trees were endless. They concealed our movements from those tracking us, but they also hid our pursuers from sight. I didn’t know which was worse, being able to see them or not. If I could see them, then at least I’d know what we were dealing with, but that would leave us in their sights and in trouble. In the end, there was nothing to do but follow Sir William. As the day wore on, Sir William became more and more tense. The trees were thinning, our cover disappearing. The sun had risen and was now beginning its descent. A break in the trees made both Sir William and I hesitate. The forest ended abruptly, prairie grasses stretching as far as the eye could see. “Listen closely Adan. I’m going to leave a false trail; I want you to ride west as hard and fast as you can. I’ll catch up to you in a couple days.” A couple days? He was leaving me alone for two whole days? “But…But…” “Don’t worry Adan, nothing’s going to happen. If you run into anyone tell them you’re traveling to Bourdaine to meet your father.” “I…” I was panicking. I’d never been out on my own before. “Go!” Coming up behind Clover, Sir William slapped his rump and sent him off. Looking back I saw Sir William disappearing into the trees. I took a steadying breath. He said he’d find me. He said he’d find me. I had to keep repeating it to myself just to keep from turning back. The sun had gone down hours ago and still I continued on, too afraid to stop. Though there was no moon tonight, the stars lighted my way. Dawn was approaching, the horizon grey against the black sky. The fear had dissipated in the wake of exhaustion. My head and eyes drooped, though I willed myself to stay awake. My arms felt heavy and soon the reigns dropped to the saddle. I jerked awake. The sun was peaking over the horizon, bathing me in it’s amber glow. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around, wondering what woke me. In the silence my ears picked up the distant sound of horses. Glancing back, the light of the sun hid anything I might have been able to see. I squinted, trying to see past the blinding rays. It couldn’t be Sir William, there was more than one horse. How I knew, I couldn’t say. They were coming up fast and I tried to slow my racing heart, sleep forgotten. I squared my shoulders, replaying my alibi in my head. Looking back, I found them within my sights. Four, sleek chestnut horses supporting four rough looking men, rode up at a full gallop. Clover reared in aggravation when I pulled up on the reigns, shaking his head and biting at the bit. Reigning in, the leader spoke. “Quite the slip you gave us.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. There was no doubt in my mind these were the men who were tracking us. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m headed to Bourdaine to see my father.” “Then why cover your trail?” I answered politely, hoping I looked mildly surprised. “Do I look like I’ve been covering my trail?” The lie wasn’t working, they didn’t believe me. “Don’t play games with us, boy. We’ve been tracking you for miles.” Only one man of the four spoke and I assumed he was the one in charge. He carried himself with an air of superiority, numerous battle scars screaming of his prowess on the battlefield. I’d been caught; I knew it and even worse, they knew it. “Why don’t you get off the horse and come with us.” His tone made it clear this was an order, not a request. Tightening my grip on the reigns and praying for luck, I kicked my heels into Clover’s side. Barreling through the smaller horses, Clover bolted for the open plain. I pressed myself against his back, making myself as small as possible. He ran full out, but where his size and strength were greater than the tracker’s horses, he was also older and slower. Desperately urging Clover to run faster, I eyed the men coming up on our tail. A weight in my stomach told me I wasn’t going to escape. I looked forward for only a moment when I felt an arm snake around my waist and pull. Too late I tried to kick out, only to find myself lying stomach down on the back of the lead tracker‘s horse. I flailed my arms and legs, but it was useless. When Clover realized I was gone he whirled and charged. Knocking into one horse and sending his rider flying, he continued to charge horse after horse. He slid to a stop when he came face to face with the tracker who held me captive. Screaming his challenge to the other stallion, Clover pawed the ground. The tracker’s stallion shifted nervously, held in place by his rider. “Tell the beast to leave.” “Or what?” The tracker pulled a crossbow from his saddle and aimed it at Clover’s chest. “Or he may get an arrow in the heart.” Why did it always have to end up this way? Somehow the enemy always seemed to know my weakness for Clover. “Go Clover.” He looked at me, then back to the stallion, then to me again. Head lowered, he turned and walked the other direction. The tracker turned his horse back in the direction of the forest, crossbow rested on his thigh, not quite relaxed. I heard the pounding of hooves only a moment before Clover plowed into the horse. My head whipped back at the force of the impact and I was thrown clear of horse and man. A scream of pain echoed from the tracker’s downed stallion as its leg snapped. Dazed but alive, I reached for Clover’s reigns to pull myself up. The thud of a crossbow firing sent my head spinning in the man’s direction. His horse, now silent, lay dead, an arrow protruding from its head. “Bring that horse to me, or he gets an arrow in the head as well.” Gathering the reigns in my hand I limped my way to the tracker. If I could get it to work I might still have a way out of this. “Get on.” The tracker grabbed the reigns from my hand. “Wait.” I could see the wheels turning. He was cautious now that he knew Clover obeyed my every command. “I’ll get on first.” He put his foot in the stirrup, holding the reigns with one hand and his crossbow in the other. As soon as Clover felt the pressure of the tracker’s foot in the stirrup he bucked, throwing the man backwards. I leapt into the saddle and urged Clover to a gallop. What happened next was only a blur. Clover screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Then there was only black. Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:
|
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
