One Of Destiny's Angels.
Chapter One-
A high pitched scream echoed over the plains of Elenia, just out of the city of Cimmura.
Her Royal Highness Princess Danae heard the scream and shuddered. Her family were out for a nice ride, but now she knew that all that would end. Not that it mattered. That poor girl needed help. She smiled slightly, seeing a man on horseback head off towards the sound. It was Bevier, a Arcian knight, who was very devoted to the church. He was also very fond of his Lochaber axe which was his weapon of choice.
Another knight was about to take after Bevier, when Sparhawk, Danae's father, placed a hand on his arm.
"Don't worry Kalten, he'll be fine." Sparhawk said softly. "Besides, would you like to explain to Alean why you all of a sudden rushed off like Bevier?"
"She heard the scream, she'd understand." Kalten argued.
"Never mind, Bevier will take care of it."
Bevier was doing exactly what Sparhawk had said. He was taking care of it. As he raced through the underbrush, a burning hut came into view. Beside the hut was a young lady, desperately trying to escape the reach of three men. Bevier's eyes blazed with fury as he saw one man reach the woman and rip her remaining clothes off. She was thrown to the ground roughly and was pinned down by the two other men. The first man, a dirty and ugly man, reached to remove his belt when Bevier galloped up to him.
"Leave this young lady alone!" He demanded, hefting his axe.
"Who are you to demand this?" The first man sneered.
"Are you crazy man? He has a Lochaber axe with him and you're arguing with him?" A second man said.
The third man's eyes bulged. "Did you say Lochaber? Didn't a knight who rode with the Pandion knight Sparhawk have a Lochaber?"
"Yes, I did." Bevier said grimly, swinging his axe.
The three men screamed and took off. Bevier was about to chase after them when he heard a soft voice.
"Please don't leave me." It was the young woman. She had sat up and curled herself into a ball when the men had ran away.
Bevier looked down at her from his horse. "Is there some place you can go?"
"No. I have no family, and no one will take me in." Came the soft reply.
Bevier swung down from his horse and removed a cloak from his saddlebags. "Here, put this on." He said, blushing a little.
"Thank you." The woman stood up and wrapped the cloak around herself. The young woman barely reached Bevier's shoulders. She had deep, brandy coloured eyes and long tresses the colour of burnished gold. She looked up at Bevier. "May I ask where were you going, before you came to my rescue, Sir Knight?"
"I was travelling with some of my friends, and I best get back to them before they worry."
"I shall leave you to it then Sir Knight." The woman was about to walk away, when Bevier placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You said that you have no place to go. Come with me for the moment. You will be safer, and there should be some clothes for you to change into." Bevier said.
"Thank you Sir Knight. I just hope I wont be a burden." The young woman said.
"You wont." Bevier mounted his horse. "Give me your hand Lady, and I'll help you up."
The woman blushed a little as she placed her hand into Bevier's. It was small compared to his. After she was settled, Bevier moved him mount into a canter, heading back to where he had left everyone.
Princess Danae looked up. The sound of hoofs had caught her attention, and she looked out the carriage window. She smiled as she saw Bevier riding back. Her smile faltered then grew as she saw that sitting in front of him was a young woman.
"It looks like Bevier has made a friend." Danae said to her mother, Queen Ehlana.
"So it does." Agreed the Queen.
As Bevier rode up to Sparhawk, he felt the woman stir a little in his arms. "What's wrong?" He asked.
The woman looked around, her face full of fear. "They aren't going to hurt me, are they Sir Knight?"
"No. These are my friends. The one approaching us is Sparhawk, Prince Consort of Elenia."
"That is Sir Sparhawk?" The woman asked, looking at Sparhawk as he rode towards them.
"Hello Bevier." Sparhawk said as he rode up to Bevier. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine Sparhawk. It's this one, we have to worry about though." Bevier said, indicating to the woman in his arms.
"Are you alright Lady?" Sparhawk asked.
"I am now that Sir Bevier came to my rescue." Came the reply.
Bevier blushed.
"Excuse me, Sir Knight, but may I get down now?" The woman asked Bevier.
"I'll help you down." Bevier said, dismounting and taking the woman's hands in his. He gently lowered the woman to the ground.
"Thank you Sir Knight." The woman murmured, looking at Sparhawk's mount, Faran.
Sparhawk dismounted and spoke to the woman. "Be careful Lady. Faran is a warhorse and is quite vicious."
The woman seemed to ignore Sparhawk as she laid her hand on Faran's nose. "Hello Faran." She said softly. Faran nickered in response.
The woman laughed joyfully. "You're a sweet one, aren't you?"
Sparhawk stared at the woman. Faran, sweet? Something was strange here, but he couldn't quite figure it out.
"What was happening?" He asked Bevier in a hushed tone.
"Three men were attempting to rape her." Bevier's jaw was set. "When I arrived, they had just ripped off the remains of her clothing. Had I been a moment later, she would have been…"
"I know Bevier. Did you take care of them?"
"No. I was about to, but she asked me to stay with her."
"Oh alright. We're near Aslade's home. I'm sure she can stay there." Sparhawk suggested.
Bevier frowned. It seemed like a good idea. She would be safe and looked after. But why did he feel a need to keep the woman near him?
Sparhawk noticed that the young Arcian seemed to be struggling with himself. He was about to say something when the woman interrupted his thoughts.
"Ah, Sir Knights? Did you have some business to take care of atop that hill by the elm tree?" Both Sparhawk and Bevier looked at the woman, startled. They had buried Sparhawk's squire, Kurik, atop that hill, beneath the elm tree.
"Why?" Sparhawk asked suspiciously.
"Because there seems to be three people awaiting someone." The woman pointed to three figures atop the hill.
Sparhawk gasped. All three figures were very familiar to him. He didn't even bother to mount Faran as he raced up the hill.
Atop the hill stood two people in Styric robes. One was his tutor in magic, Sephrenia, high priestess of the Styric Goddess, Aphrael. The other was once the Preceptor of the Pandion Order, Vanion. That wasn't what made Sparhawk pale and stare in shock. No, what had done that, was that the third person was his late squire Kurik.
"How is this possible?" Sparhawk asked Sephrenia.
"I have no idea, dear one." She answered.
"Sparhawk, what am I doing here?" Kurik asked. "I'm dead."
"I know that. But it looks like that you've been revived." Sparhawk said, not able to think of anything else.
A/N: If any of you have read any of my other stories, you'll note in some of them, that I like to revive the dead. I have a major problem with death. There's something wrong with it. I'm not trying to make light of it, but I refuse to believe that my parents, or my grandma is going to die at all. It's probably going to kill me when I have to admit that they will die, but until then, I'll defy death and have people coming back from the dead.
A/N: That may not have made sense, so I apologise.