Part Four

Daughter like Father

Sir Plucki's POV

He noticed nothing out of ordinary, everything in its usual place and where it should be, and he walked out the weapons room, intending to go to his room. Crossing the training ground and out the door, and into the main city, where most gummies would be at the stalls, either going about their daily lives or chatting, there was no-one, and he passed the fountain, and couldn't help but stop and stare and another memory occurred to.

Flashback

861 – six years old.

After chasing Aurelia over half of Gummadoon, he finally held the squirming child in his arms, and she struggled to break free. He had accidentally let slip the b-word, therefore throwing the young child into hysterics, and running off, and he carried her back to his room.

Closing the door behind him with his foot, he quickly managed to undress her, much to Aurelia's protests, and she insisted in making it very difficult for him, she did not want to have a bath that was for certain, but what cub or child under ten, did.

Now holding the squirming child in his arms again, he carried her into the next room, where her bath awaited. Being careful, he placed her in the bath, where she immediately began thrashing, splashing water everywhere and over him.

Now he knew why his friends always handed her over to him when it came to her bath time, with the sheer amount of trouble she caused.

Grunting, he struggled to keep Aurelia still, but only resulted in splashing more water everywhere.

Who was having the bath? He wondered as he observed at how wet he was, and he looked up to Aurelia who by now was laughing at him. She was finding this funny!

Suddenly an idea popped into mind, and he smiled a mischievous smile at Aurelia who laughing at him started to shriek and squeal at him, and she felt swift moving fingers attack her sides.

Finally after a few minutes things started to calm down, Aurelia wrapped her arms around his neck, still gasping for air, and she embraced him, then pulled back, and allowed him to bath her without any further problems, unlike his friends who weren't so lucky.

End of flashback

He smiled though it did not reach his eyes, though he did think it a bit bizarre that, that memory should surface here of all places, and he sighed again, then noticed his surroundings that he was in the training grounds again, and realised that he must've been walking here whilst reliving the memories. So much time had passed yet it seemed so little to them, only a week in reality, but a hundred years to the outside world.

Strolling over to the side benches, he observed the all too familiar surrounding, yet found his eyes resting on the weapons room in the distance, and he felt another memory surfacing, when he had first began to train her.

Flashback

864 – nine years old.

Another day had ended, most of the squires and paige's gone home for the weekend, whilst he and his two friends remained in the training ground just a while longer, checking the weapons room, and the beams, making sure nothing was out of place.

That night he had the job on inspecting the weapons room, whilst his friends helped outside, and he began to stroll around the room inspecting the weapons, making sure they were secure in their stands and not loose so they would fall out.

That's when he found one staff was missing, near the bottom, so the younger squires could reach them, but they had all gone home now.

Pondering as to where it had gone or rather who had taken it or not returned it, he was distracted when a sudden thud sounded not too far from him, followed by a loud yelp, which he knew, could only be Aurelia.

"Wasn't the babysitter supposed to be looking after her?" he mused, she had escaped them yet again.

Peeking his head round the corner, he was sure to stay out of sight, and smiled at the scene.

Aurelia had just risen from her place on the floor, pouting and rubbing her backside, obviously haven fallen hard on the floor. Holding up the staff in her hand, which he noticed was the one currently missing; she began to twirl it in her fingers with apparent ease, then passed it to her other hand and did the same.

He watched her for a moment to see what else she would do, and noticed also that she handled her staff the exact same he did with his, and he began to wonder whether she had been spying on him whilst he tutored.

She spun the staff in a perfect arc, something that the others paiges had difficulties with, and he questioned just how long had she been watching them for, but more importantly how long had she been doing this, behind his back.

He had to admit he was impressed as very few were able to do that, and in the weapons room at that. Observing Aurelia, he noticed that she had great potential, and would make a great warrior someday, if trained thoroughly.

"Where is your babysitter, Aurelia?" he asked, startling her and she spun round, staff in hand, her face showing her guilt and embarrassment.

She smiled sheepishly at him, indicating she'd escaped them while they had their back turned, and would most likely be having a heart attack this moment.

He was used to this though, had been for four years now, therefore he only smiled at her success when she escaped their grasp.

"Follow me" he stated, then spun on his heel and walked out the door.

Aurelia cringed however, debating whether or not to follow him, or just crawl out her secret hole she found, but then decided it was better to follow him, and face her punishment. She knew, like all the other cubs knew that they were not allowed in the weapons room for whatever reason unless they were with one of the knights, which she wasn't.

Deliberately taking her time, she slowly made her way towards the door, and outside where she found Sir Plucki waiting for her, his staff in hand, and smiling down at her, even though she came to his shoulder now.

"How long have you been practicing?" he questioned.

"3 months" she replied quietly, hoping he hadn't heard her, even though she knew he did.

"And you have been watching me tutor" he asked again.

"Yes" she replied defeated, and awaited her punishment she knew was sure to come.

"Then let see what you've learnt" he replied.

Aurelia looked up for a moment temporarily surprised. 'She wasn't going too been punished" she thought.

"You do want to train, don't you, Aurelia" he interrupted her thoughts, then couldn't help but smile, as her face lit up, truly happy.

"Yeah"

End Flashback

He felt pride that he had taught her how to fight, and that he had made her happy that day.

She had become a good enough fighter under his command and her determination to train, but sadly she would never be able to train with him or his friends again and he stood from his place on the side benches and left the training grounds.

TBC…

Please RR!

POV-Point of View