Murtagh didn't really understand why he had decided to keep her company, maybe he thought it would be nice to act normal for once or seem normal at least. What he found out though was that she was like a breath of fresh air in his life: She didn't judge him for who his parents were, actually it seemed like she didn't know much about them or the king or who he was which was even better, she just listened to him and they talked together for a while.
"We'd better find somewhere to rest for the night," he said as he realised it was about to get dark in an hour or so.
"Where: an inn in a village of out in the open?" she asked casually breathing in and out deeply as though she was quiet open to either.
"Out in the open," he replied. "The next village is too far away."
"Alright," she answered him. "We'll have to find a clearing and some logs won't we?" she asked. "And food," she added to her list again.
"I've got some food in my bag," he said. "And I'll kill some game for us to eat."
"That sounds good, but please tell me you know how to cook it because I'm not that good at it," she admitted to him as he walked into the woods to find a clearing he remembered around the area that he'd stayed in before.
It's been a while since I've been here, he thought. He looked at the clearing. He had camped there when he looked for the new rider. Pained by those memories he thought about what Rachel had said.
"I do, don't you worry," he replied as he went to picket his horse and put his stuff next to a log to sit on.
"Good," she replied. "I'll go and get some twigs and fallen branches and then come back to see how to cook from you."
He grabbed his bow and came with her into the surrounding undergrowth and trees. "You shouldn't go into the woods alone," he murmured into her left ear as he strung his bow and moved silently by her side and spied for deers or rabbits to eat.
After cooking the tea and eating Murtagh and Rachel talked for a while. They never breached the topic of what they were doing apart from when he asked where she was going.
When he asked her she paused and grappled for an answer in her brain. "I'm going west to Belatona," she replied. "I'm going to one of the smaller towns round there but I'll probably leave you before then- No offence but I think it's better. I have some things to do and places to go and gossip spreads fast. If I'm seen with a man people I know don't know they'll speculate that well…" she left her sentence off there whilst trying to explain herself.
"I understand," he said after a pause of silence had passed a sufficient amount of time.
"I was wondering," she said leaning forwards, letting the glow of the fire spread showing her eager face, "If you could teach me to fight with a sword and bow?"
He looked at her intrigued. "You want to learn how to fight?" She nodded at him, staring into his eyes as she did. "But you're a-"
"Girl- Yeah I know," she finished his sentence. "But I want to know."
He studied her for a bit and then answered her unusual request. "Alright," he replied. "I'll teach you the basics. We'll start in the morning."
She smiled at him. "Alright."
And they went to sleep on the forest floor covered by their cloaks.
"Ok," said Murtagh from across the circle around the embers of the fire from last night. His stance was of a trained swordsman, one hand up in a defensive position with one of the wooden swords he had fashioned in his hand. Rachel was on the other side with the other wooden sword. Her stance, however, was of a novice. "Just block what I'm doing."
He started advancing on her: jabbing, thrusting and swinging his sword as she blocked his movements.
"Good," he commented. "Now see if you can attack me."
She focused for a while and obtained no upper hand for another few minuets, but after a while she gained confidence and started advancing. He admitted to himself she was pretty good for a novice; whether she would get better with practice would be another matter.
Just then she twisted his wooden blade and it toppled to the ground. Hers was at his chest.
She looked at him and then her eyes dropped a bit and sighed. "You didn't try did you," she stated, unhappily.
"I had to let you build up your confidence. You didn't seem to want to hurt me," he argued. He looked at her. "You're pretty good for someone who doesn't know what they're doing."
She looked at him. "Thanks," she said half smiling, half grimacing.
He packed up and mounted his horse and held his hand for her to get on. As she took her seat on the saddle behind him he asked, "Same time tomorrow?"
"Sure," she said smiling as she held on to him as they galloped off down the road on Tornac, whooping for joy at their care free moment.