Chapter ten-
Hi, sorry for the short chapter nine! Uploading this chapter early as an apology!
Quickly sitting up in a panic, cold sweat dripping down her forehead, Elizabeth lifted her cotton shirt and checked over her stomach. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw only smooth undamaged skin. It was just a nightmare. Looking around the area, she was happy to see the bonfire lit and also Ornstein gone. She wiped the sweat from her forehead then stood up, picking up her axe and attaching it to her hip.
'The nightmare must have been a sign. I'm getting too close to them...I shouldn't be making friends; I should be training and preparing. These people are my enemy too, I need to remember this' Elizabeth thought to herself. However these thoughts made her feel sadness, she pushes it to the back of her mind.
'Time to go get my armour' she thinks before heading off towards the blacksmiths tower.
The courtyard was busy, many knights where sparring with each other. Elizabeth begins to make her way across the courtyard. She noticed Samuel stood talking with Tywin.
"Hey Elizabeth!" Samuel shouted over to her in a happy tone.
She walked over to them. If she were to ignore him he would think that something was wrong, and the last thing she needed was someone trying to poke around.
"Hi, how's your head?" she asked him. After seeing the amount he drank last night, she knew he would be ill in the morning.
"I will live" he replied with a chuckle.
"Ah, Elizabeth, I needed to have a word with you." Tywin butts in, speaking as though he did not notice her approach.
"Okay, what about?" Elizabeth asked curiously.
"Well, the scouts we sent out to the lower undead burg have not yet returned." He said in a somewhat sad tone.
"Such sad news, but they still may return" Elizabeth said still wondering why he was telling her this.
"Your next mission will be to seek out the scouts and return to me when you find out." He said as though he didn't want to ask.
"Wait, you're going to send a cut throat to an unknown area alone?" Samuel asked with concern.
"Problem?" Tywin asks.
"Yes actually, there could be anything lurking there, she may not return herself. Backup may be needed for this. You sent out four scouts, none of them returning" Samuel said in an annoyed tone.
Elizabeth was about to speak when Tywin interrupted.
"Well, why don't you and your...erm" he paused for a small moment before speaking again.
"'team' accompany her, however I don't think a couple of drunk morons like yourselves will offer much help" he mocked.
Elizabeth was expecting an argument or a fight to erupt but it did not.
"What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that at first?" Samuel gleamed with happiness. His blue eyes shone with excitement.
Elizabeth was taken by surprise from his reply; it was like he had just completely ignored Tywin's insults, that or he didn't even hear them.
"Prepare for the journey and leave tomorrow" Tywin says before walking off.
Elizabeth looked to Samuel, his eyes still full of excitement, a big smile on his face.
"Why are you so happy? We could be walking into our own deaths.." Elizabeth asked.
Samuel turned to her.
"We have never had a woman in our group before; the other lads will be so excited! This will be a great opportunity to get to know each other more!" Samuel said happily.
"Erm.. okay.. what's so excited about a woman joining your group for one mission?" Elizabeth asked, already guessing the answer.
"We will all get to try and impress you with our amazing fighting moves." He replied with a wink.
"Ah right, and this will not distract you from hostile undead?" she said raising an eyebrow.
Samuels's smile dropped slightly, and then he laughed.
"I will take that as a no then" Elizabeth says with a small smile.
"I will meet you here with the others tomorrow" he says.
"Okay, see you tomorrow then" she said.
Samuel nodded before walking off.
Pushing her worries about the new mission to the back of her mind, Elizabeth walked to the blacksmiths tower, and entered. The giant was in his usual spot, tinkering away at metal. The sight of him made her smile.
"Hello" Elizabeth said while looking up at him.
The giant stopped his work and looked down at her.
"Pretty girl" He greeted.
"Could I have my armour please? I have a mission tomorrow" She asked.
"Armour there" he pointed to a small wooden table in the corner of the room.
"Thank you" Elizabeth said with a smile before walking over to the table and picking up her armour.
"All fixed better fit" The giant said.
Elizabeth began to put her armour on. The imbued metal looked new and the leather felt smoother. It was a perfect fit and felt more comfortable.
"It feels as good a new! And fits much better now, thank you" Elizabeth says with a wide grin.
"New metal strong, pretty girl safe for mission" he replied in a prideful tone.
"You replaced all the metal? I must pay you for this!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"No, you bring me ember and ring, this free" the giant insisted.
"Thank you" she said with a smile.
"You stay safe on mission" the giant said in a worried tone.
"I will, I have Samuel and his group coming with me" Elizabeth said trying to reassure the giant.
"You still worry?" he said as though he had read her emotions.
"Yes a little. We are going to the lower undead burg to look for the scouts that have not returned." She said while frowning.
"Why worry?" he asked.
"Because those scouts are a higher rank than us, myself included. If they are dead then we will be in trouble" she said. A small glint of fear could be seen in her eyes.
"Rank mean nothing, Samuel strong always come back and you strong, lion knight said so." He said as though it were more of a fact then an opinion.
"He's been talking about me again? He wouldn't know if I'm strong, he has never seen me fight" she states.
The giant let out a small laugh then continued with his work.
Elizabeth sighed before saying.
"I'm going to head off; I have some well overdue training"
"Stay safe" The giant said as Elizabeth left through the arch way waving a goodbye.
Elizabeth returned to the bonfire area to begin her training. She found a large boulder and began to practice her pyromancies. Fire balls and combustions turned the rock black and after a while she began to feel drained, making her pyromancies weaker. She rested for some time before continuing with her pyromancies, trying to keep the upcoming mission off her mind. She continued this until the sun began to set and called it a night, sitting down in her usual spot.
Her hand was stinging and covered with small various burns, her pyromancies were still burning her but the burns were not as bad as they used to be, she was getting better. Elizabeth washed her burns and wrapped her hand up in gauze to keep it clean. After inspecting her hand to make sure it was wrapped up properly, Elizabeth settled down for the night, falling asleep before Ornstein arrived at the bonfire.