Chapter Seven-
After a long needed sleep I awake feeling refreshed and in a much better mood. Ornstein had already left. I get up off the ground and stretch, my limps pop and crack, I really need to make a bed or find somewhere more comfortable to sleep. I pick up my axe, deciding to go and see the giant blacksmith.
It was nearing spring, the day was beautiful and bright, the sun was warm and a cool breeze blew through the air. As I reach the courtyard before the small tower I spot the knights who I had met on my way to The Undead Burg. I was happy to see they had returned safely. As I walk past them, one of them calls to me; he wore no helmet and had messy blonde hair reaching his chin.
"Hey, you made it back, get over here, tell us about your adventure!" He shouts over to me in a happy voice.
I walk over to them with a smile.
"I see you made it back too?" I say to him.
"Ah yes, we didn't meet much trouble, can't say the same for you though, those undead thieves are nasty opponents" he says pointing to my bandaged arm.
"Yes, but I still made it out alive, t'was only a flesh wound" I say with a small laugh.
"Oh, sorry for my rudeness, I'm Sir Samuel; I'm a knight and a good one." He says holding his hand out to me.
"Nah yha not, you're a rookie, he's just trying to impress you" one of his friends says from behind him while laughing. Samuel turns around to him.
"Why'd you have to go and ruin it" he says while frowning. His friend laughs again causing me to chuckle slightly.
"I'm Elizabeth of the great swamp and I'm a cut throat" I say with a sigh. He turns back to me with surprise.
"You're only a cut throat? I don't believe yha, I'd take you for a knight at the least" he says.
"Well I've only just joined the order, what makes you think I'm a knight?" I ask him.
"I've seen you before at the bonfire near the church with Dragon Slayer Ornstein and well dragon slayers tend to only converse with dragon slayers or higher ranks…not cut throats" he says.
"We don't converse; he's only ever said two words to me, he just sits at the bonfire sometimes. As for me I sleep there and go there to rest" I say to him.
"Oh I see, oh well. Anyway are you busy later? Me and a couple of the other lads are going to be celebrating the incoming spring, would give you a chance to get to know people" he offers with a smile. To me it sounded like an excuse to have a drink, but it was a friendly offer at that.
"Well I'm not exactly busy so I might show up for a bit" I say. I usually like to keep myself to myself; the idea of drinking with strangers was off putting knowing how rude some of the other knights where.
"I'll be waiting for yha, so see you later then?" he says.
"Yeah, Have a good day" I say with a small smile before heading off in the direction of the small tower.
When I reach the archway and walk inside the is in his usual spot tinkering away at a piece of metal.
"Hello sweet giant" I say with a smile. He stops his work and looks down at me.
"You back safe, this good, but you hurt" He says with a concern.
"Ah don't worry, just a small wound" I say.
"You find good stuff?" he asks me.
"Well nothing I could use, I found a demon machete" I say to him.
"Eh, boring weapon" he says.
"You know, on the way to Anor Londo I found this lightning spear in Sen's fortress, I had a fight with a chest to get it" I say pulling the spear off my back.
"That good find, you use?" he asks me.
"No not really, I know how to use one but there not really my thing" I say.
"Sad, be good gift" he suggests.
"Yeah I guess, for when I make a spear wielding friend" I say.
"I look after until you give to lion knight?" he says.
"I didn't say-" I say but he interrupts.
"Blacksmith knows everything" he jokes with a laugh.
"You can look after it, but your knowing everything is wrong, possibly. Why would I give someone a gift if they've only ever spoken two words to me?" I say to him with a small laugh.
"So he did speak? Not rude, good" he say ignoring my question.
"He only said good evening, nothing special, although it did surprise me" I say.
"Pretty girl not speak back?" he asks.
"Yes I did, but I was a little rude I guess… I did apologize though, which he didn't reply to…" I say.
"Maybe just shy" he says.
"Shy? A man who slays dragons shy? No way" I say with a laugh. The giant also laughs.
"Maybe you scarier than dragon" he says laughing again.
"What, no I can't be" I say while laughing.
"Baby dragon scarier" he says. I laugh again.
"You I actually made a friend today, a rookie knight I met on the way to The Undead Burg, he's invited me to drink with him and his friends, something about welcoming the incoming spring" I say.
"Name?" he asks, he sounds concerned for some reason.
"Sir Samuel, blonde guy seems like a joker" I say.
"Ah, he okay, drink too much and likes girls to much…But good man." He says.
"I did notice, he seems a bit of a flirt, but luckily he's not my type of man." I say.
"You have man at home?" he asks with interest.
"No, I never have, was more interested in fighting and adventures than men" I say.
"Oh, not bad thing, anyway you should go drink with Sam, he not bad, you need break from fights and journeys sometimes" he says with a small laugh.
"Well I guess it would kill some time, and some time to relax is well needed" I say with a smile.
"Don't drink too much, too much drink bad, make bad decisions, bad head in morning" he warns.
"Don't worry, I'm not much of a drinker anyway" I say.
"You make sure you make it back to bonfire where lion knight will be waiting, will be worried if you don't go" he says.
"Worried? Now there's no need, you're just saying these things to embarrass me" I say with smile.
"It true I tell you" he says.
"I'm going back there anyway, I might as well live there, it where I sleep, rest, eat and spend my spare time, its where I know it's safe" I say.
"You still sleep outside on floor?" he asks me.
"Yeah, I was planning on making some sort of bed or something…" I say.
"What if rain?" he asks.
"Well I don't know…I've been lucky so far, I will think of that when it comes" I say.
"Silly girl" he says as he begins to tinker away at a piece of metal.
I walk over to the broken steps I had sat on, on the night of the storm and sit down. I begin removing my armour, leaving me in my loose white cotton shirt and leather pants, it was getting uncomfortable and had started rubbing my skin.
"You leave armour here tonight, no need for it tonight" the giant suggests.
"If you wouldn't mind? I have been wearing for so long now, is getting very uncomfortable" I say.
"Yes it fine, I fix up any broken parts, don't want armour being less strong" he says.
"Thank you, I have noticed that some of the leather has started to wear" I say with a smile due to his kind offer.
"I fix good, make sure you not get hurt" he says.
"Thank you again, I'm going to head back to the bonfire and clean up my wounds and maybe get some more sleep" I say while getting up off the steps.
"You be good now, not drink too much" he says.
"I will goodbye sweet giant" I say before leaving.
It is nice being able to walk around without my armour, I felt so much lighter and free. Just not wearing it made my walk to the bonfire relaxing. However when I reached the bonfire it was not its usual quiet and lonely self, five knights not wearing their usual heavy armour, including Samuel were sat around sharing drinks and laughing. Confused by the sight I walked over, Samuel noticed me straight away and stood up to greet me.
"Hey there Elizabeth, thought we'd have our drinks here, make it easier for yha? We usually stay in the courtyard but since you seem to butt heads with Tywin we thought this was a better idea" Samuel says with a wide grin.
"Well that's very thoughtful of you, I guess I can't not show up now" I joke. He laughs then sits back down; I walk over to my usual spot, not far from where he is sitting and sit down and begin cleaning up my wounds.
"You know I half expected you to still be wearing your armour, you seem the over cautious type" he says.
"It was getting very uncomfortable really, I probably would have worn it if not" I say.
"Well there's no need to around us, it's not like we are going to try and stab you at any moment" he says with a smile.
"I should hope not" I say as I finish cleaning my wounds and rewrap my arm. He hands me a drink.
"Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" I ask him.
"Oh come on it's a celebration" he says with a laugh.
"If every man drank for every change of season and every successful battle there'd be no men" I say and laugh placing the drink he had gave me down beside me.
"Not much of a drinker then?" he asks me.
"No not really, I usually only drink on my name day" I say.
"Thought so, you'll find a lot of the knights here enjoy a drink" he says.
"I don't know how you can deal with the morning after" I say with a laugh.
"With more drinking of course!" he says laughing.
The day soon turned to night, the knights where loud and happy passing around drinks and sharing funny stories attempting to embarrass each other as much as possible. I myself had only finished two drinks; I laughed along with them and shared some of my own stories. A friendship had grown between me and Samuel as the night went on. Soon the knights set off one by one having had enough.
"See you soon Elizabeth, Stay safe" Samuel slurs before heading off himself.