The Adventurous Soul
"My Lord, the enemy is at hand! They are ramming our gates! Burning our farms! What will you do?" said William. William a young, handsome, knight, with blond hair. William was twenty years old. He was medium height, with strong upper body.
The king replied, "What let them break in!"
"My lord if we allow them to break in we will surely die," said William.
"No we will make for the escape route. Then from there we will head off to Hanek."
"As you wish my lord," replied William.
Then William hurried off to give the command.
"Retreat retreat! Retreat to the escape route!" William yelled. He then yelled over to his brother, who was also one of the king's knights, "Get them moving while I go and get father and mother!"
Just then a bolder of gigantic size comes flying over the wall crushing his brother. He runs as fast as he can to where his brother once was. Reaching it he sees that it has landed on his brother's leg knocking his brother unconscious in the process.
William yells, "Wake up!"
When he doesn't begin to wake up he starts to hit him on the face. He finally comes to.
His brother lying there dying says his last words, "Make sure mother and father make it out save."
Then he breathes his last breath and dies.
William got up and ran to the house where his father lived. He smashed through the door and yelled, "Father, Mother we must hurry! The king has ordered a retreat to Hanek."
"Yes we must leave now," his father replied.
"I must hurry and alert Lady Clare! I will meet you at the entrance of the escape route, " said William.
"Yes hurry."
William then ran off to his beloved Clare.
Upon reaching her house he ran up to the door and knock hard upon the door. A few seconds later a beautiful girl around the age of eighteen. She had beautiful long, wavy, strawberry blond hair. She had fair skin. Her dress was a plain blue which matched her heavenly blue eyes.
"William! I'm glad you've come. What's wrong?"
"The king has order all to retreat to Hanek," said William, "I have come for you and your family. We must leave now."
"Yes I will alert my parents. We shall meet you at the escape route entrance."
"I will await your coming." William replied.
William turned around and began to run to the entrance of the escape route. As he was running there he saw all the crying people and the men guiding their families. He was forced to walk by where his dead brother lay broken and bloody. Seeing him caused tears to flood vision. He tried wiping them away but they just came rushing back. He was forced to run passed it trying to hold himself together.
Upon reaching the entrance of the escape route he saw is mother and father, standing outside looking worried.
When he reached them his father asked, "Where is your brother?"
William lowered his head and said,"He's dead father."
"Dead! How can he be dead?" his father said in a panic.
"A bolder from the enemy crushed him." William replied.
His father and mother began to cry uncontrollably.
"There was nothing I could do for him. The bolder had crushed him so badly. There is no time for grieving we must hurry. I will meet up with you when Lady Clare and her family have come."
"Do be careful" His mother said as she and his father hurried off.
Time seemed to go so slowly while he was waiting for Clare to come. He was beginning to get worried that something had happened to them on their way here. Just as he was about to go out to look for them Clare came rushing up to him and gave him a kiss.
"Oh I'm so glad you're alright. People were saying you were dead. That a bolder had crushed you," Clare said with relief in her voice.
William still had a sad look on his face. "No, that was my brother. The bolder came flying over the wall and crushed. There was no hope for him."
"Oh I'm so sorry William," said Clare.
"There is no time to grieve for him. We must hurry on before the enemy reaches this point." William said with a sense of urgency.
They all hurry through the gate, as the enemy had just started to trickle up to the point. The gates were barred shut and when all the people had left the support beams were knocked out of place, so that the cave would fall in, blocking the enemy from following them.
After they had met up with his parents, William found a horse for Clare to ride while walked in the front with the king.
"My lord, the escape route has been closed up. The enemy shall not be able to follow us." William told the king.
"Very good Sir William, you will be rewarded great for all your hard work," said the king.
"Thank you my lord," William replied, "We have about two days till we shall reach Hanek."
"Is there enough food for all?" asked the king.
"I believe so, but we might want to hurry them along just to make sure," said William.
"Indeed, we shall carry on till sun set."
"Yes my lord, as you wish."
William then dropped back to where his family and Lady Clare's family was. He stayed there until it grew dark then he headed back up to his king to direct people to setting up tents and guard posts.
"Come on men it would be a shame to have to sleep out here in the freezing cold," William yelled out.
Grumbles and moans came from the crowd of men. He then goes over to set up the tent for his family and the Strader family which was Clare's family. Her father was a noble for the king; though he was getting old.
After He made sure that all had tents and blankets he set down for a nice warm meal. It wasn't a very big meal or very good, but it was good enough considering all that had happen that day. After finishing the dinner he went to sleep.
Chapter 2
The Next Day
William was awoken to Clare sitting next to him, just staring at him with her lovely blue eyes.
"Good morning," William said upon seeing her, "is everything alright?"
"Yes I was just day dreaming." She replied.
"About what?"
"Just what it's going to be like when everything gets back to normal again."
William got up and got dressed while Clare fixed their families breakfast. After eating he met up with the king to discuss what was to happen for the day.
The king was sitting in his chair staring at the map before him.
"I believe if we can make it to Hanek by the end of the day. Then have extra troops on the wall for the night and when the enemy reaches Hanek we will be able to defeat the once and for all," said the king as he slammed his fist on the table.
"I agree with you my lord," William replied.
"Good, then we shall take down camp and finish our trip to Hanek."
"Yes my lord," William replied.
William then walked off to take down his family's tent and the Strader's tent. Then he helped others take down their tents.
"Alright men let's get a move on!" William shouted, "Come on, come on!"
The day felt long while they were walking endlessly over hill and down valleys. The sun was bright, but there was a thick haze around the sun. Making the sunlight even more blinding then it really was. Hours seemed to go by without any hurry. The sun reached its height and fell, yet time still felt to stay still. It was hot to an unbelievable temperature and with armor on and everything it made it ten times worst. It was like a sweating chamber inside the armor. Finally they reached the outskirts of the town. It was beginning to become dark. The people of the town greeted their king as he passed. Once inside the walls the people made ready for the attack. Swords were given out to everyone who could fight. Bows and arrows were given to the archers.
Night finally came and with it came rain. The rain brought coolness with it and a stillness also. A stillness that was relaxing after the events of the day.
William did the tasks that the king requested of him. Then he returned to his family to discover Clare sitting by the fire. In the house that had been given to his family to stay in.
"It has been a very long day. Has it not?" said Clare.
With a sigh William said, "Indeed it has and I am very tired."
"You should rest then. For tomorrow will bring more," replied Clare.
William then went off to his room and went to sleep.
The next day came too soon, for it had seemed like William had just gone to sleep when he woke up. He arose and put on his clothes. He walked through the cool house that smelled of wood smoke. He walked into the kitchen where his mother, father and Clare were sitting; with feast for a breakfast.
"Good morning dear," said William's mother.
"Good morning mother, Good morning father, Good morning Clare. How is everyone to day?" he replied.
"Fine," replied Clare.
"That's great!" he said in return, "Well I best be off, the king will sure have me doing things."
He grabbed a piece of meat and headed out the door. He went to the stables next to the house and saddled a horse. He galloped through the streets.
The streets were filled with mud, puddles of water, and the dung of animals. It made the city smell where ever you went. William had always thought it was a marvelous city until now. So he hurried through them so as not to get sick on the way. Finally upon reaching the place he headed straight for the stables and hoped off and hurried into the palace.
"What is the matter my lord?" the servant said as William ran.
"Sir William," Said the king, "What is the matter?"
"Nothing my lord, I was just feeling a bit sick for a moment."
"Well I do hope you are fine now for I have much for you to do."
"Yes my lord I feel better now." Said William, "What shall you have me do my lord?"
"I want you to go and spy on the enemy. They haven't showed and I am getting restless. I will send you with one other man," the king said.
"If that is your will my lord, it shall be done," William said in reply.
"Thank you kindly my loyal knight. Now hurry and prepare for the trip."
"Right away my lord," William said as he bowed and hurry for the stable.
William returned to the stable to meet the same horrid smell as before, but this time it seemed as though it had lessened.