"I won't lose frog rider!" Gunther exclaimed, blocking Jane's attack.
"Shut up beef brain!" She snapped.
"Like I proved yesterday, strength isn't everything, speed and wit are two key components to defeating your enemy. Gunther work on your footwork otherwise Jane actually has the upper hand." Sofia added. She was sat on a barrel, playing with her dagger.
Dragon was laying on the wall near her watching the squires fight. "Go get him Jane!" He cheered for his friend.
Sofia smiled at this. "You really care about Jane, don't you?" She asked casually.
"Of course! She's my best friend." He grinned.
"That's nice. I hope I can make a friend like that." She sighed.
Dragon looked to her. "Isn't that the way you and Gunther are? You laugh and mess around like me and Jane do. You're the only one that Gunther has been remotely pleasant to."
Sofia shrugged. "I've known him for a day, can't suddenly be best friends after only just meeting each other."
Dragon frowned. "When I met Jane, we became friends more or less straight away. I say that's fate. You and Gunther seemed to click like that as well."
Sofia brought her knee up and kept it up with her foot on the barrel and rested her chin on her knee. "We'll see. I also became fast friends with Jane and Smithy too, so I can't just single Gunther out." She chuckled.
Luckily for them, Jane and Gunther were too into their match to hear a word that they said. Also they were actually speaking in low voices, but with dragon ears it was like talking normally.
Dragon was thoughtful. "So why do you smell so much like Jane after she's been with me all day?" He asked.
Sofia shrugged. "I lived in the wilderness and slept in front of camp fires every night." She suggested.
He looked like it had just dawned on him. "Oh! That makes a lot of sense. So, you haven't met a dragon on your travels then?"
She shook her head. She hadn't actually met another dragon since she was cursed, until she met this one.
He sighed wishfully. "I've been searching for more of my kind for three hundred years. I haven't seen one." He looked saddened.
Sofia got up and jumped upon the wall on which Dragon was laying. She petted his snout. "You'll find them. I'm sure of it." She whispered.
He stared at her. Her eyes looked so familiar. "Thank you." He nuzzled her hands a little to show appreciation.
She sat next to him and continued to watch the squires whilst playing with her dagger.
"Yes!" Jane exclaimed.
Sofia looked to see Gunther on his rear and Jane dancing triumphantly. She clapped. "Well done Jane!" She grinned, dropping from the wall and landing in front of the two.
She offered her hand to a brooding Gunther.
He looked up and took it gratefully. "Thanks."
Sir Theodore came out. "Nice fight! I see Sofia has been giving you tips." He sent a smile towards said girl.
Jane nodded. "Yes sir!"
Gunther smiled slightly. "Maybe she needs to train me more, I lost." He chuckled.
Jane stared him. "You're accepting defeat?!" She exclaimed. Has being around a beautiful girl turned his brain into pudding?! Or is it he just wants private lessons?
He shrugged.
"Admitting defeat is the first step to becoming stronger. Well done Gunther." Sir Theodore nodded.
Sofia threw her dagger up and caught it, she did this repeatedly.
"Alright, a test of physical strength today. Sofia, since Sir Ivon isn't here, could you throw a dagger as hard as you can into the archery target?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yes, sir." With a flick of her wrist, she threw the dagger, straight into the target, dead centre.
"Very good, Sofia." Sir Theodore smiled. "Now, Gunther, Jane. It is your task to take that dagger out of the board." He said.
Jane nodded. "Alright!" She went over and gave the dagger a tug. "Wow, it was a pretty good throw, Sofia. It might take more effort than I thought."
"Of course, I know Sofia's physical strength is high, that's why I asked her to throw it rather than myself." Theodore chuckled.
Gunther stepped up and grabbed the dagger's handle. He gave it a good, strong pull. It might have moved by a minuscule amount. He met Sofia's eyes.
They were dancing in the sunlight, he found it slightly hard to breathe.
"Squire Gunther?"
Gunther's eyes snapped to Theodore.
"Are you alright, boy?"
Gunther nodded.
"Sofia, go and pull the dagger out." Theodore ordered.
Sofia did so with ease.
Dragon stared. "You can't possibly be a regular human!" He exclaimed.
She met his gaze. "Maybe I'm not a regular human." She stated.
He snorted and lay his head down. Everything about her screams 'Dragon!' Yet she looks like a regular short-life. His brain was beginning to hurt.
Gunther went to Sofia. "That's a really pretty dagger. Where did you get it?"
She looked at the weapon. "Someone dear to me gave me this. I never go anywhere without it."
He frowned, wondering who this dear person was.
"If I recall, that is what those bandits stole from you." Theodore said.
Sofia nodded.
"I am actually glad that they did, if you hadn't come to retrieve it, I don't think I would have survived the attack without your help. Whether you intended to help me or not. You saved me, child." He smiled fondly.
Sofia nodded. "I'm glad I did... otherwise I wouldn't be in this place, a place I can finally call home."
Gunther had the urge to hug her... but bit his tongue to suppress the emotion.
"You three can take a break now." Theodore said before going back to his quarters.
Jane looked up to Dragon. "Do you want to go and study your runes?"
Sofia's ears pricked up. "Runes?"
"Yes, like dragon symbols from years ago, do you want to help?" She asked.
Sofia thought about it, but really, she wanted to be alone. "I would love to, but maybe next time, I have something to do right now." She smiled for good measure.
Jane nodded understandingly. "Of course, I'll see you at lunch." She hopped upon Dragon and they took off.
Gunther poked Sofia's cheek.
She looked at him. "What?"
He smirked. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing." She lied.
And he knew it. "If you don't tell me, I shall torture you until you do." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
She looked at him. "How do you suppose you torture a dragon?" She added quietly.
He had a smug smile. "Wouldn't you like to know?" He leaned forward. "I've known Dragon for a good six years to know a few weaknesses."
Sofia shook her head and headed for the stables, hoping to climb into the rafters to have a little snooze. She climbed the first few steps.
"Oh, no you don't!" Gunther grabbed her sides and pulled her off the ladders and started tickling her ribs.
"Gun...ther!" She gasped out in between fits of laughter. "I swear I will roast you!" She growled.
"Tell me what you were thinking about, then I'll stop." He said, his breath tickling the back of her neck.
"Let... me go... you... buffoon!" She laughed, trying to pry his hands off her, but failing because the laughter made her muscles like pudding.
"What did you call me?!" He exclaimed, hands still on her waist, but ceasing the tickle attack for a moment.
She looked over her shoulder to his face, which was inches away from hers. "You heard..." She muttered.
"Right!" And the tickle torture continued.
Sofia's laughter could be heard all over the courtyard.
"Okay! Okay!" She yelled.
He paused. "Do you yield?" He asked, a little breathless as he was laughing too.
"Yes! Please stop!" She begged.
He removed his hands. "Good." He smirked.
She caught her breath then flitted up the ladders, fast as a rabbit.
He sighed and followed her up. "You think you can run away again?" He saw her laying on the hay, clutching her stomach.
Her hair was fanned out under her and her chest rose and fell with every deep breath.
He stared at the stunning sight before him for a moment before deciding to lay down next to her. "So?"
She hummed. "So?"
He turned onto his side to face her. "What are you thinking about?"
She turned too, their faces were close but far enough. "Runes."
He frowned. "What about them?"
She sighed. "The mark on my arm, it was branded on me when I got cursed." She whispered. "I wondered if there were any runes that matched it." She played with her dagger again. "Maybe it's the sorcerer's symbol or something, laying claim to me since he made me like this or something like that."
Gunther stared at her again. She looked so confused and lost. "Well, I did say that I'll help you." He reached out and took her hand that held the dagger. "I promise I will."
She smiled. "Thank you, Gunther. You really are a knight in shining armour." She added.
He blushed scarlet.
She giggled. "You're an interesting person, Squire Gunther. I think I'll enjoy your company."
"And you don't already?" He raised a brow.
"Oh, I do, believe me." She kissed his hand. "Thank you, again. For being my friend."
Now Gunther really thought he had a fever. "Thank you for being mine." He replied. He really needed to have a bit of distance right now. "I'm going to get some water from the kitchen, you stay here." He said.
Sofia frowned but nodded. "Alright."
He nodded and went down the ladders. "I'll be back soon."
Sofia sighed and lay back again.
She thought about the ballad that Jester wanted to write for the ball on the weekend.
'There once was a queen who had everything
Trinkets, precious stones, and gold
She was kind, yet she was fierce
She had fire that lit up the sky
Wings black as night
But still there was something missing
Within her heart of fire
No matter how many surrounded her
She didn't have someone to share her love
But one day, she saw the dashing knight
One that made all the fears go away
He was handsome, he was brave
He was caring and strong
But there was one thing that was wrong
For she was a beast, a fire breathing fear
He was mortal, and didn't go near
With a wounded heart, the queen sort to fix it
She went to a wizard to ask for help
She asked for him to turn her into a woman
Someone that her knight will be able to look at
And think that it's normal to love her back
The wizard cast a spell, in exchange for one immortal flame
The dragon turned into a girl, abandoned like a stray.
In the woods of forever, she was alone and she was afraid.
She found her love again, but the age she was, it was not right
He was to marry another, for the queen was barely a child
So, she made it her mission, her reason for living
To find the wizard that tricked her, take back the flame
For that man has a price to pay.'
"My goodness, what ballad was that, lady knight?"
Sofia jumped with a squeak of fright. "Jester?"
(Author's note- The ballad is completely made up and may be terrible, I apologise. I am an author not a song writer. Tell me what you think of it anyway! Thanks for reading this far!
So what do you think of my OC Sofia? I personally really like how I developed her and Gunther's relationship, but I wanna know your opinion too so don't forget to review :) )
