Chapter Two: In Which Idiotic Knights Interfere

Lyn—Chapter 1: Footsteps Of Fate

My parents, Jon and Aretha Everett, were mapmakers from the city of Trunnel in Bern. Their interest in cartography led to their interest in travel, and during the first seventeen years of my life, my parents had journeyed all across Elibe. They visited the countries of Eturia, Lycia, Ilia, and Sacae. They sailed to the Western Isles, and they walked through the Nabata Desert. They had traveled far and wide, making maps of and taking notes on the places they had seen.

While my parents had been off on adventures, I'd been left in Trunnel with my aunt. My childhood memories were mostly of my parents' absence. Even during the few months they stayed in Trunnel, my parents spent most of their time shut away in the library, planning their next trip. The happiest memories of my childhood were of the evenings when my father and mother returned from the library and settled around the fireplace to recount their travels. I'd sat at their feet and listened quietly as they talked of distant places containing magic, flying horses, shifting sands, and mythical dragons.

The reason I bring this up now is that the next stage in Lyn's and my journey brought us to Bulgar, the commercial center of Sacae. My mother once said that her first reaction to Bulgar was "busy" and "wild", but the longer she spent there, the more she began to appreciate the mosaic patterns in the fabrics and the bright colors Sacaeans wore.

As I entered the city of Bulgar for the first time, I realized that my parents had been telling the truth. Sacaean cities were very different from Bernese cities. Mountains were plenty in Bern, and therefore our buildings were often carved from stone. In the grasslands, however, the buildings were made of mud-bricks with tents placed in between. The vast majority of the crowd was dressed in the vivid green and blue tunics that were customary in Sacae. However, I could pick out the occasional Lycian cloak and Bernese belt worn by merchants and travelers.

I pulled my green cloak closer around me and kept my head down. I hated crowds. No matter how lovely the Sacaean designs were to look at, I could never feel comfortable in a place with so many strangers.

"We should purchase supplies for our journey," said Lyn as we entered the marketplace on the south side of the city.

"We'll need a lot," I said, glaring at a green-haired woman who had bumped into me. "It's a long way to Etruria from here."

"There will be other places to resupply along the way," said Lyn. "The next city is Murais. It's about ten days on foot from here."

"We should buy supplies for fifteen days, then," I said. "Always be prepared for the worst—"

"Oh, my heart! What a dazzling vision of loveliness!"

A deep voice broke through our conversation, and we turned to see a tall, Lycian knight in green armor walking towards us. His hair was dirt-blond in the sunlight, and he had a winning smile plastered on his face.

"Hm?" Lyn took one look at the knight before turning around and walking in the opposite direction as quickly as she could.

Well, I thought, at least she has sense when it comes to men.

"Wait, o beauteous one!" cried the knight, chasing after her. "Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?"

I gawked at him. Was this knight real? Do people who talk like that actually exist?

Lyn stopped in her tracks and rounded on the knight, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Where are you from, sir knight, that you can speak so freely to a stranger?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He actually bowed. "I am from Lycia. Caelin to be precise, home to men of passion and fire!"

Lyn snorted. "Shouldn't that be 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues'?"

The knight feigned injury, clutching his hands to his chest. "Oh…you're even lovely when you're cruel."

Lyn looked sorely tempted to try out the new sword skill I'd taught her on the knight. However, she managed to control herself. She turned to me and said, "Let's go, Nora. I've nothing more to say to him."

She stormed off, leaving me next to the idiot knight. He turned his hazel eyes on me and started to smile. "O fair and—"

"I'm married," I said, flatly, before following Lyn down the street.

"Wait! Please!" The knight called after us.

Lyn ignored him and continued walking. It was only after we turned a corner that I said, "You know all the supplies stores are back down that street, right?"

Lyn stared at me for a second, registering what I'd just said. Then, she buried her face in her hands and groaned. "You mean we have to go back and see that wretched flirt again?"

"Either that or wait here for a few minutes and hope he goes away," I said, shrugging. "Though I'm in a rush to get to Etruria…"

Turning away from Lyn, I headed back down the street. She followed reluctantly, saying, "I don't know how anyone could put up with him."

"Practice," I said. "I know a fair few idiots back home."

"Where's that?" asked Lyn. "You still haven't told me where you're from."

"Look," I said, gesturing down the street. "The idiot knight has a friend."

Sure enough, the green knight was no longer alone. A shorter, broader man dressed in red armor stood next to him, holding the reins of a horse. The two knights were talking, and from his facial expression, the red one seemed to be irritated with his companion. Well, who can blame him?

Having completely forgotten about my "mysterious" homeland, Lyn gritted her teeth and marched up to the two knights. "Excuse me! You're blocking the road. If you would be so kind as to move your horses…"

The red knight led his horse to the side of the road, saying, "Of course. My apologies."

"Thank you. You, at least, seem honorable enough," said Lyn, throwing a scathing look in the green knight's direction.

The red knight wasn't listening to Lyn's thanks, but instead staring at her through intense brown eyes. "Hm? Pardon me, but I feel we've met before."

Lyn and I both gawked at the red knight. So first Lyn had to put up with being called "o beauteous one" and now she had to put up with the "have we met before?" line. What was with these knights of Caelin?

"Hey! No fair, Kent. I saw her first," cried the green knight.

Lyn clicked her tongue in disapproval. "It seems there are no decent men among Lycia's knights. Let's go, Nora. I've run out of patience."

She pushed her way past the knights and continued down the street (this time in the right direction).

"Wait, please! It's not like that!" Kent cried after her, but at this point, Lyn would listen to no one. Kent groaned and whacked his companion on the shoulder. "Sain, you lout!"

With a smirk in the direction of the idiot knights, I followed Lyn down the street. Hopefully, that would be the last we'd see of them. One cling-on was enough; I wouldn't survive Sacae if the two knights started following us around, composing love ballads to Lyn.


"Run!" shouted Lyn, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me with her across the plains. "We're being pursued! Could it be those knights from town?" She looked over her shoulder at the brigands. "No…it's not them."

Just my luck, I thought as we sprinted through the long grass, heading toward some ruins to the north. Lyn and I were barely an hour outside of Bulgar, and already a group of bandits had decided to attack us. I glanced over my shoulder, trying to get a good look at our pursuers. They definitely weren't from Bern—which meant that another group of random bandits had decided we'd be good targets. What kind of cruel joke was that?

A gray-haired bandit with a jagged, puffy scar on the left side of his face appeared at the head of the group. He caught sight of Lyn and a wide grin spread across his face. "Aren't you the pretty one? Your name is Lyndis, is it not?"

Lyn came to a halt behind a thick patch of grass and turned to stare at the leader. "What did you call me? Who are you?"

I looked from Lyn to the bandits and back. Something wasn't adding up here.

"That's her, Zugu!" shouted one of the brigands.

The leader, Zugu, shook his head and made a disgruntled noise in the back of his throat. "Such a waste of a beauty. An absolute waste. The things I do for gold… Ah, well. C'mon, boys!"

The other bandits started to spread out across the terrain. They planned to close in from all sides. Individually, the bandits didn't look like anything special; Lyn could beat them if it was a one-on-one fight, but…

"There are more than I can handle," said Lyn, her face paling. She glanced at me and, thinking I needed encouragement for some reason, added, "But I won't give up, Nora!"

"Calm down," I said. "If we take advantage of the bushes and move so that they reach us one at a time, surviving shouldn't be a problem. Of course, if they cooperate—"

"Hey! There she is!" shouted a familiar voice.

The two knights from the marketplace, Kent and Sain they'd called each other, appeared from behind the ruins, their horses galloping at full speed.

I immediately took back all the thoughts I'd had about never wanting to see them again—I'd never been happier to see two idiots in my whole life.

"Finally caught up…" said Sain as he and Kent came to a halt beside us. Their horses were panting from the run, sides heaving in and out. Sain scanned the landscape, his eyes widening when he saw how many bandits had surrounded us. He pointed to the leader and shouted, "Such numbers against two girls? Cowards, every one of you!"

Lyn, who still hadn't fully grasped everything that was going on, stared at Sain and spluttered, "You! You're from—"

"We can discuss that later," said Kent, cutting her off. "It appears these ruffians mean to do you harm. If it's a fight they want, let them look to me!"

Sain maneuvered his horse into a more advantageous position and grabbed his lance. "Stand back! I'll take care of this!"

I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he was truly this big of an idiot, and then sighed. "Sain, you do know that these bandits are all axe-wielders. Your lance will be practically useless."

"What?" Sain looked down at his lance and then up at me. "I don't have a sword with me, o fair and married one. I was going to purchase one in Bulgar, but we left in a hurry to pursue you two beauties. But do not fear! Axe or sword, my lance will triumph!"

"No!" cried Lyn. "This is my fight! Stay out of my way."

Sain frowned. "Well, I can't just stand here and do nothing…"

I could understand her reluctance to accept help from two flirts who had actually followed/stalked us out of Bulgar. However, we were in a tight spot, and I had the feeling there was more going on here than a random bandit raid.

"I have a solution," said Kent. (I was beginning to appreciate his level-headedness.) He pointed to me. "You there, command us. I am Kent, a knight of Lycia. My companion is Sain. We will follow your orders in this battle." He turned to Lyn. "Is that acceptable, milady?"

Lyn hesitated, but I think the reality of the situation was finally getting to her. No matter how stubborn she was, she could recognize that we were outnumbered. "Yes, it is," she said. "Nora and I will lead. Let's go!"

During this exchange, the bandits had been closing in on us. In a couple of minutes, their axes would be at our throats. It was best to concentrate on the ones nearest to us. Sain's lance would be a pain, but both Lyn and Kent had swords, so they could take out most of the bandits between the two of them.

"O fair and married one!" shouted Sain. "Allow me to show you the might of a knight of Lycia—let me be the first to strike a blow in your honor!"

I glowered at him. "O swordless one, stop talking. I'm trying to think."

Well, Sain's lance wasn't totally useless. If the bandit was unskilled or unlucky enough, Sain could do some damage to the brigand nearest to us. Then I could send Lyn to deal with another bandit who was coming from the south. Take care of two brigands at once instead of just one.

"All right, Sain," I said. "I'm trusting you."

Aiming for the nearest brigand, Sain charged forward and brought his lance down towards the bandit's chest. Surprise, surprise, the bandit dodged and countered with his axe. Sain managed to stop the blow from decapitating him with his shield, but his body was tense with pain from the impact of metal on metal.

"Idiot knight," I muttered.

At my instruction, Kent attacked the bandit, and unlike his partner, his blow actually landed. The bandit stumbled backwards, blood dripping from his shoulder. Lyn raced over to the bandit and swung her sword. Her first swing connected, she dodged the counter, and then landed the finishing strike. The bandit gargled on blood before collapsing at her feet.

"All right," I said, trying not to look at the corpse. "Kent, Sain, you're going to deal with the bandit to the south while Lyn deals with the one to the north. Then we'll meet near the bridge and deal with the leader." I glanced at Sain, who was still trembling in pain. "Do you have any vulneraries?"

"I have some," said Kent.

Sain scratched the back of his head. "I, ah, may have forgotten to buy some in Bulgar."

"Forgot?" asked Kent. "Or simply too busy flirting with the ladies?"

Sain grinned in response.

I fought the urge to hit him as I said, "Lyn, give him some of yours."

Lyn handed a couple flasks to Sain, saying, "We bought extra in Bulgar since one should always be prepared for the worst." She sent a smug glance in my direction.

"Thank you most graciously, o beauteous one," said Sain. "And next time, I shall heed your advice."

After using a vulnerary, Sain, followed by Kent, headed to the south. Sheltered by a patch of long grass, Sain managed to get the upper hand and drove his lance through the brigand's abdomen. Then Kent dealt the final blow with his sword. I went with Lyn to the north where she finished the brigand in three quick strokes, dodging his axe with ease. Then, as planned, we met in front of the bridge.

There were two bandits left—Zugu and a subordinate. It was easy to lure the subordinate out; Kent and Sain hid out of sight and Lyn wandered into the bandit's view. The bandit came running across the bridge, thinking that he was facing one lone girl, only to meet Kent's sword.

Leaving only Zugu to deal with.

As per my instructions, Kent and Lyn closed in on him. When he saw the two approaching, he let out a little groan and said, "Accursed knights, always tampering in others' affairs."

Lyn quickly stabbed the leader's shoulders, dodging his axe, and then Kent drove his sword through the leader's chest.

"There was only supposed to be one lone girl…" Zugu choked on blood in order to say these last, few words.

I cringed, always hating the moment when the enemy felt the shock and pain and realized he was going to die. It was a moment I'd seen many times in the past, and a moment I would probably see many times again. Still, nothing made it easier.

"That's the last of them," said Lyn, cleaning her sword. "Good work, Nora."

I tore my eyes away from the body. I had no right to complain about death. It wasn't like I was the one doing the actual stabbing.

"It was fairly basic," I said. "These bandits had no coordination."

Lyn smiled; traveling together for four days meant she was getting used to my curt comments. Her smile faded, however, as she turned to face Kent and Sain. "You were going to share your story with me?"

Kent finished cleaning his sword and sheathed it. Holding onto the reins of his horse, he said, "Yes." He hesitated. "I only wonder where we should begin. We have ventured from the Lycian territory of Caelin in search of someone."

"Lycia," murmured Lyn. "That's the country beyond the mountains in the south-west, isn't it?"

I frowned. It always unsettled me when someone had only a basic understanding of geography—sometimes I forgot that not everyone had spent their childhood memorizing maps in an attempt to receive attention from their parents.

"Correct," said Kent, who didn't seem troubled in the slightest that Lyn was unsure where exactly Lycia was. "We've come as messengers to the lady Madelyn, who eloped with a nomad some nineteen years ago."

"Madelyn?" Lyn's eyes widened.

Kent nodded. "She was our lord, the marquess of Caelin's only daughter. He was heartbroken that his own child would abandon him so. Eventually, the marquess simply declared that he had no daughter."

"And then," said Sain, eager to pick up the story, "this year, we received a letter from Lady Madelyn. It said she, her husband, and their daughter were living happily on the Sacae plains. The marquess was ecstatic to learn he had a granddaughter of seventeen years. I remember the smile on his face when he announced that he'd suddenly become a grandfather. The granddaughter's name is Lyndis—which was also the name of the marquess's wife, who passed away at an early age."

"Lyndis?" repeated Lyn.

"That she should bear this name thawed the marquess's heart," said Sain. "Now, his only wish is to meet his daughter's family at least once. This is why we're here. We didn't know that Lady Madelyn died a few days after sending her letter…we only learnt this shortly after arriving here in Bulgar."

"But we also learned all was not lost," said Kent. "Her daughter yet lives. We heard that she was dwelling alone on the plains…" Kent glanced at Lyn, and a little hesitantly said, "I knew it immediately. You are the lady Lyndis."

Lyn frowned. "Why would you think that?"

"Your resemblance to your departed mother is remarkable," said Kent.

"What?" asked Lyn. "Did you know my mother?"

Kent shook his head. "I'm sorry to say that I never met her directly, but I saw her portraits in Castle Caelin."

Lyn hesitated. She stared first at Kent, then at Sain, and finally, at me. Acceptance seemed to settle in her, and she sent me a regretful smile before saying, "To the rest of my tribe, I was always Lyn. But when I was with my parents…when it was just the three of us, I was Lyndis." She swallowed, taking a second to regain herself. "It's all so strange. I was all alone in the world, and now it seems I have a grandfather. Lyndis…I never thought I would hear that name again."

"Well," I said, "this is all very nice, but there's still something I don't understand."

"The bandit!" cried Lyn. "He called me Lyndis too!"

"Yes. That." I turned to the two knights. "Those bandits targeted us specifically. Why? Is Lyn's heritage common knowledge?"

"What?" Kent looked about wildly, as if afraid the bandits might come back to life and try to kill Lyn again. "How could they have known?"

Sain released his horse's reins and walked over to the corpse of the leader. Squatting down to get a good look at the face, Sain said, "He was a henchman of Lord Lundgren, wasn't he?"

"Lundgren?" asked Lyn. "Who's that?"

Kent grimaced. "He is the marquess's younger brother. Everyone assumed the lady Madelyn was gone forever. This made Lord Lundgren heir to the marquess's title."

Sain got to his feet and stepped away from the corpse. "To be blunt, milady, your existence is an obstacle to your granduncle's ambitions."

"That's…that's…" Lyn's face was turning red. "But I have no interest in inheriting any title!"

"Unfortunately," said Sain, "your granduncle is the sort of man who only understands ambition. I believe the attempts on your life will persist."

I stared at Sain. I was beginning to reevaluate his character. He may be a flirt who spoke like an idiot, but he wasn't entirely stupid—he had recognized Lundgren's henchman after all. Kent was certainly the more reliable of the two, but perhaps Sain was the more intelligent.

While I was adjusting my worldview, Lyn, on the other hand, was having a different sort of internal struggle. She turned to me with wide, blue eyes and asked, "What should I do?"

I shrugged. "It's your decision."

"Accompany us to Caelin," said Kent. "Continuing on with just the two of you is dangerous."

"Not to discount your credibility, o fair and married one." Sain winked at me.

I didn't blame Lyn for looking so haggard. It was a difficult choice to make. If she didn't travel with the knights, the two of us would have to face Lundgren's soldiers alone. If she did travel with the knights, she would have to travel to Caelin and face Lundgren.

Lyn bit her lower lip, thinking hard. Finally, she let out a sigh and said, "I feel like I have little choice. I will go with you, sir knights."

"Thank you for trusting us," said Kent with a little bow.

"We shall travel together, my lady!" cried Sain.

As the two knights busied themselves with readying their horses for the journey ahead, Lyn said to me, "Nora, I'm sorry."

"Why?" I asked.

"I know you want to go to Etruria," said Lyn. "But your companionship would do much to ease my journey. It will be dangerous, of course, and I do not wish to put you in harm's way…" She looked at me with those hopeful blue eyes. "Will you come with me, Nora?"

I had awful luck. Of all the people who could've saved me from bandits, it would be a Lycian heiress being hunted by her own granduncle. Then again, Lyn's luck was just as awful. Of all the people she could've saved from bandits, it would be a Bernese apprentice tactician being hunted by her own in-laws. What were the odds that the two of us should meet in such a way? The irony of the whole situation was what convinced me.

"I didn't have my heart set on Etruria," I said. "Lycia works as well."

A wide smile spread across Lyn's face. "You'll come? Are you sure?"

I scowled. "I said I would come, didn't I?"

"Thank you! Thank you!" Lyn was practically jumping around on the spot. "You are a true friend, Nora. Let me ask once again for your companionship and your aid!"

Well, at least, she didn't try to hug me this time.