THE RETURNING AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm back! I am so sorry that I haven't updated
this story in half a year-my excuse would be a confusing mix of an across-
the-globe move, a new school, no Internet access, and exams. All of which
would be true, but really wouldn't make up for it. But I've got the whole
story pretty much planned out now, and I promise I will put up 2 chapters a
week at least from now on, unless I really can't. Another plus: I've got
the computer in my room now, so no one bugs me to get off. Well, enjoy the
story!
Wormy
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EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR ALL MY READERS!!!!!!! READING MY STORY, I DISCOVERED THAT I FORGOT TO ADD IN ALL OF 3 CHAPTERS! PLEASE GO BACK FROM THE BEGINNING AND READ THEM!!!!
Sorry,
Wormy
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"Now tell us your story," Michael said gravely. The knights waited expectantly as the stranger finished chewing. His features were chiseled and suggested a difficult life, but the man was not altogether bad looking. He must have been fairly attractive earlier in his life, but he looked to be well on in his 30s now and had lost much of the bloom of youth. His eyes were dark and shrewd, his hair and close-cut beard black. His clothes, when clean and mended, denoted not a rich, but a fairly well to do merchant. He took a slightly shuddering breath, and began.
"Thank you, kind Sirs, Your Highness, for rescuing me. My name is Sir Samuel of Lubran. I was a prosperous merchant there, but my business took a sharp downturn, which is why I am not dressed more richly. I was on my way to Bast to make a deal that could make me prosperous once again. Well, I arrived here and, seeing as I didn't think anyone else would come, I took a walk up one of those mountains. Unfortunately, it was almost dark by the time I had the sense to come back. While I was walking, I came across a small clearing. I was surprised when I saw a horse standing in it, tack and all. I went forward to see when all of a sudden a huge"-he shuddered- "something-like a shadow right out of a child's dream-rose up and threw that blade at me. I was just in time to block with my arm; otherwise I wouldn't be here now. Then the horse tried to kick my head in. . . I was just in time to escape. Maybe I wouldn't be alive very long, if not for you kind men. I thank you." Sir Samuel's voice had gotten lower and hoarse, and now he leaned back against the wall, fatigue finally taking him.
The knights waited until he was asleep before discussing Sir Samuel's story.
"I knew it," Bertram growled. "I knew that man was up to no good." The others silently nodded. A few had been shocked, at first, but now they were all of one mind. Something had to be done.
"I'm going out there," Bertram said, his face determined. "As soon as it gets light, I'm going to give that-that ogre a piece of my mind."
"You can't go alone," Michael objected reasonably, his face grave and serious.
"Let me go!" Frenery put it. "I am one of the best swordsmen."
"And I," Natal added, sticking by his friend, "for I can cover you during the fight." His hand gestured towards his bow, stashed on the other side of the cottage.
"I will stay," Garram said quietly. He looked at Sir Samuel, and Michael nodded. The oldest knight led the operation, as usual.
"And I." The determined, but strangely resigned voice was William's. "I will watch the Prince." They all looked at Terian, who had been sitting quietly. Now his spine straightened as he looked at William like a true royal.
"You will do no such thing," he said, using the voice that sent servants scurrying to do his bidding, "I'm going along."
Instead of growing angry, Michaels voice was quiet, his eyes hard. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you will find yourself staying here until we come back. You cannot go where you will be in danger." Prince Terian looked him defiantly in the eye for several long moments, and then gave up. Sulking, he stalked away, unrolled his bedroll, and flopped down with his back to them.
Luke chuckled softly. "He needs more of that," he said so that the sixteen- year-old couldn't hear him. Michael smiled.
"Aye," he said, "he's a lad yet." Then, in a more serious voice, "All right, Bertram, Natal, Frenery and myself will go. More is not needed against one man." He raised a hand to stem the objections. "William, Garram, and Jonathan with stay. The rest will go out to hunt and scout out the area."
Michael's word, though sometimes resented, was always final, due to long habit and respect.
"I will take the night watch," William volunteered, and, with that, they rolled out their bedrolls and tried to find sleep.
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Tayli was afraid. She knew, as sure as she knew her own name, that the thief would lie and turn them against her, and that she could expect visitors as soon as it was light enough to fight.
She had made preparations, stashing Moonflight away from the clearing, hidden in the dark of the forest. Then, she had taken to the trees, climbing the highest one nearby, yet not right next to the clearing. Her cloak was wrapped around her, her bow strung during her anxious night vigil. But something else scared her.
She didn't want to kill another man. With all her heart, she did not want to do that again. Yet what would she do? If she let them capture her, she would fail. If she hurt one of them, she would also fail, in a way. It could not work out. Tayli leaned anxiously against the trunk of her chosen tree and waited for the dawn, which would bring the hardest test so far.
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A/N: So, did you like it? I know I've been horrible and don't deserve it, but please review!
Wormy
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR ALL MY READERS!!!!!!! READING MY STORY, I DISCOVERED THAT I FORGOT TO ADD IN ALL OF 3 CHAPTERS! PLEASE GO BACK FROM THE BEGINNING AND READ THEM!!!!
Sorry,
Wormy
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
"Now tell us your story," Michael said gravely. The knights waited expectantly as the stranger finished chewing. His features were chiseled and suggested a difficult life, but the man was not altogether bad looking. He must have been fairly attractive earlier in his life, but he looked to be well on in his 30s now and had lost much of the bloom of youth. His eyes were dark and shrewd, his hair and close-cut beard black. His clothes, when clean and mended, denoted not a rich, but a fairly well to do merchant. He took a slightly shuddering breath, and began.
"Thank you, kind Sirs, Your Highness, for rescuing me. My name is Sir Samuel of Lubran. I was a prosperous merchant there, but my business took a sharp downturn, which is why I am not dressed more richly. I was on my way to Bast to make a deal that could make me prosperous once again. Well, I arrived here and, seeing as I didn't think anyone else would come, I took a walk up one of those mountains. Unfortunately, it was almost dark by the time I had the sense to come back. While I was walking, I came across a small clearing. I was surprised when I saw a horse standing in it, tack and all. I went forward to see when all of a sudden a huge"-he shuddered- "something-like a shadow right out of a child's dream-rose up and threw that blade at me. I was just in time to block with my arm; otherwise I wouldn't be here now. Then the horse tried to kick my head in. . . I was just in time to escape. Maybe I wouldn't be alive very long, if not for you kind men. I thank you." Sir Samuel's voice had gotten lower and hoarse, and now he leaned back against the wall, fatigue finally taking him.
The knights waited until he was asleep before discussing Sir Samuel's story.
"I knew it," Bertram growled. "I knew that man was up to no good." The others silently nodded. A few had been shocked, at first, but now they were all of one mind. Something had to be done.
"I'm going out there," Bertram said, his face determined. "As soon as it gets light, I'm going to give that-that ogre a piece of my mind."
"You can't go alone," Michael objected reasonably, his face grave and serious.
"Let me go!" Frenery put it. "I am one of the best swordsmen."
"And I," Natal added, sticking by his friend, "for I can cover you during the fight." His hand gestured towards his bow, stashed on the other side of the cottage.
"I will stay," Garram said quietly. He looked at Sir Samuel, and Michael nodded. The oldest knight led the operation, as usual.
"And I." The determined, but strangely resigned voice was William's. "I will watch the Prince." They all looked at Terian, who had been sitting quietly. Now his spine straightened as he looked at William like a true royal.
"You will do no such thing," he said, using the voice that sent servants scurrying to do his bidding, "I'm going along."
Instead of growing angry, Michaels voice was quiet, his eyes hard. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you will find yourself staying here until we come back. You cannot go where you will be in danger." Prince Terian looked him defiantly in the eye for several long moments, and then gave up. Sulking, he stalked away, unrolled his bedroll, and flopped down with his back to them.
Luke chuckled softly. "He needs more of that," he said so that the sixteen- year-old couldn't hear him. Michael smiled.
"Aye," he said, "he's a lad yet." Then, in a more serious voice, "All right, Bertram, Natal, Frenery and myself will go. More is not needed against one man." He raised a hand to stem the objections. "William, Garram, and Jonathan with stay. The rest will go out to hunt and scout out the area."
Michael's word, though sometimes resented, was always final, due to long habit and respect.
"I will take the night watch," William volunteered, and, with that, they rolled out their bedrolls and tried to find sleep.
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Tayli was afraid. She knew, as sure as she knew her own name, that the thief would lie and turn them against her, and that she could expect visitors as soon as it was light enough to fight.
She had made preparations, stashing Moonflight away from the clearing, hidden in the dark of the forest. Then, she had taken to the trees, climbing the highest one nearby, yet not right next to the clearing. Her cloak was wrapped around her, her bow strung during her anxious night vigil. But something else scared her.
She didn't want to kill another man. With all her heart, she did not want to do that again. Yet what would she do? If she let them capture her, she would fail. If she hurt one of them, she would also fail, in a way. It could not work out. Tayli leaned anxiously against the trunk of her chosen tree and waited for the dawn, which would bring the hardest test so far.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
A/N: So, did you like it? I know I've been horrible and don't deserve it, but please review!