Chapter 2

I awoke the next day to a knock at my door

"It's open" I shouted only half awake. Gazing outside I saw that it was early in the morning probably about 5.

"Hernam wants us to prepare all the horses" Noah said sitting down at the end of my bed and rubbing his eyes he had obviously just been woken up as well.

I groaned and put my head under the covers. "It's too early; do you really need my help?" I pleaded.

"Yeah I need your help now get up." He said starting to pull the covers of my bed forcing me to sit up.

"Fine let's go" I said standing up and stretching I noticed he was staring at me smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"Do you always look this good in the morning?" he asked obviously being sarcastic.

I combed my hair with my fingers and started to laugh, "You can talk" I punched him in the arm which probably hurt me more than it did him. We stepped out the door into the empty corridor.

"Race you" he asked turning towards me.

"Noah you are so immature people are still sleeping and we might wa…" I took off down the hall Noah started a few seconds after me I raced down a flight of steps jumping the last five. As we ran out into the courtyard I could see some people already awake out in the bar they glanced

up as me and Noah ran past them we sprinted out the gate heading for the stables Noah had caught up by this point and was laughing as I was trying to grab his arm to slow him down.

"First one to touch the wall wins" I panted motioning to a wall about 20 m away I started to sprint faster getting about 2 meters in front of Noah he noticed this and decided to crash tackle me, we both fell onto the grass skidding along the ground stopping just short of the wall.

"I win" said Noah as he reached out and touched the wall. I started to laugh as I pushed him of me. He stood up and held out his hand I graciously took it and he lifted me to my feet.

"You're an idiot" I laughed as we walked into the barn where all the horses where being kept. Noah started to get out all the horses equipment

"When are you going to tell Tristan the truth about your father?" Noah asked as he led Bors's horse out.

"How about never?" I asked smiling at him

"No, it's got to be sooner than that" He replied throwing a blanket at me to put on Galahads horse.

Maybe I should tell him I thought to myself he had a right to know I thought in silence for the next hour and it was Noah who snapped me out of my trance.

"So?"

"So what?" I asked looking up at him he was leading the horses out of the stable one by one.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Yeah I think I will" I said following him out with Arthur's horse.

"Here's your chance" he said smiling at me, I looked up to see all the knights except Arthur walking toward us.

"Damn" I said under my breath.

The knights looked only half awake but perked up a bit when they realized someone had already gotten the horses ready.

"Geez, how long have you two been awake for?" Galahad asked yawning as he patted his horse on the nose. Each of the knights walked over to their horses to inspect them.

"Jess has something to tell you" Noah stated to Tristan.

"What is it Jess?" Tristan asked looking up from his horse.

Noah shoved me in the back so I was closer to Tristan he pushed me a bit to hard though and I stumbled I turned around giving Noah an annoyed look I shoved him back and started to turn towards Tristan when Noah pushed me again.

"Do we have to separate you to?" Lancelot asked smiling.

I opened my mouth to say something when a glint of something caught my eye. I looked in the direction and saw Hernam and Arthur walking towards us carrying armor. Arthur looked tired and I guessed that he had just been woken up by Hernam.

"Good morning" Arthur said to us as he dropped the pile of armor he was carrying. The knights all moved to pick up their own.

"Where is your armor?" Arthur asked me and Noah.

"Our armor?" I said

"They wear no armor" Hernam answered for us. The knights all looked up from what they were doing at this statement.

"You wear no armor?" Gawain repeated.

"Yes they wear no armor" Said Hernam

Noah and I started to quietly laugh to ourselves. I wasn't sure why it was so funny, but the word 'armor' had been used quite a lot.

Hernam shot us an irritated look and we both became silent.

"Why?" Arthur asked

"Being dead is quite painless and Death will come to you, nonetheless. Why prolong the experience, anyway the best armor is to keep out of range" Hernam stated.

Tristan opened his mouth to argue but I kicked him in the leg making him loose his thought. I didn't want a big fight to start.

"We better go." Arthur said noticing the tension between Tristan and Hernam.

I mounted my horse and waited as everyone did the same. Arthur kicked his horse and went cantering in the lead closely followed by Hernam. I waited for Noah and all the knights to ride past before I kicked my horse into a canter. Galahad looked over his shoulder and slowed his horse down so it was level with mine.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked "You were up pretty early"

"I got about 4 hours, I can't remember the last time I had a good nights sleep." Galahad gave me a concerned look. "I'm fine" I said "at least I didn't sleep in."

"Better to get up late and be wide awake than to get up early and be asleep all day." He said smiling at me.

I just nodded. Galahad and I talked the whole time we were riding and by the end of the day had become good friends. Arthur had found a spot to rest for the day and we all dismounted our horses.

Tristan rode of to scout and Hernam walked of into the woods with Bors to find something to eat.

Noah walked to his horse and got out two wooden swords that he and I always used when fighting each other, we didn't have any armor and it was just for fun. He walked over and handed me my sword

"Spar?" he asked raising his eyebrows

"No cheating" I said grinning at him. He just smiled which made me think he intend to.

Arthur, Galahad, Gawain and Lancelot sat down on a log and started to watch as I took a few steps back from Noah.

"Ready?" I asked. Noah nodded and lifted his sword.

I swung my sword in a circle around my fingers as Noah stepped forward and waved his sword which I blocked with my own. I turned and aimed a strike at his side but he swiveled around and blocked it.

During the fight the knights would shout out words of encouragement to whomever they thought was wining. Noah swung his sword at me and I had to steady myself as we locked swords again. I aimed the sword at his neck and brought it down upon him. Noah raised the sword to block the blow, but the force of it was too great and the sword was knocked out of his hand.

The knights were obviously impressed all of the extra training me and Noah had done had made us pretty good with a sword. I turned to the knights and bowed pretty happy with myself that I had won, when Noah kicked the back of my knees causing them to buckle and me to fall to the ground. I turned to see Noah smiling with his sword to my throat.

"You cheated" I said laughing.

"You would still be dead" Hernam said as he walked towards us with some dead rabbits. "Lets try again but for real." He went and got his proper sword and gestured for me to do the same.

"She has no armor." Arthur said standing up.

"She'll be fine." Hernam alleged.

"It's too dangerous." Galahad added also getting to his feet.

"Courage in danger is half the battle." Hernam stated, as he motioned for me to get my sword again. It appeared I didn't have any say in this.

I took my sword and pulled it out from the hold; I had fought Hernam only a couple of times before and had barely come out in one piece after them. He raised his eyebrows as I got into position. I swallowed and nodded. He didn't move it seemed he was letting me have the first move. I swung my sword hard at him but moved it again as he went to block it turning around and just grazing his arm. I don't think he even felt it though as he turned smashing his sword several times against mine I had to hold on to the handle with both hands and steady myself each instance as the blows where extremely powerful.

As he hit me with another one I let go of the sword with one hand, Hernam took this opportunity and swung it at me, I turned and it struck me on my shoulder leaving a deep gash, I winced in pain and put my free hand to the cut.

Hernam was about to swing again I put my sword up but I had a loose grasp on it and new it wouldn't hold. I closed my eyes preparing myself for the blast, the noise came but the impact did not, I opened my eyes to see Tristan with his sword out against Hernam's.

"Drop it." Tristan murmured to Hernam. He lowered his sword, still getting over the shock of Tristan jumping in. and turned walking of in the direction he had entered from probably to get more rabbits.

Tristan turned to me but not before glairing at the other knights probably annoyed that they had not stepped in.

"Are you alright?" Tristan asked me.

I took my hand of my arm where there was a lot of blood coming from the wound. He turned to Dagonet who was already getting bandages from a bag on his horse.

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