The village we came to was the same one from the other day where he had killed the Scarred One. My rage boiled as I looked down at the village from behind the tree line of the forest. Many of the villagers were hard at work cutting wheat from the field. I looked over to the knight who was talking to father about some plan he had come up with.
"Sister,"Abiagael said tugging on my shoulder, her voice full of concern.
"I know,"I said placing my hand on top of hers, "Just keep an eye on him."
"So what is the plan, knight," I asked riding closer to the knights horse.
"Just fallow my lead," the knight said. I nodded at him then looked up at father. He smiled and nodded at my sister and I than took of to the air. We watched him fly over the fields setting them on fire then blasting the mill.
"That's our quo,"the knight said. I nodded to him and we rode down to the village. As we rode I told Abiagael to make sure our masks were on tight. I fallowed the knight to a large house that a shirtless man came running out of holding up his pants. He had shoulder length black hair and I could tell it was the one of the nobles that loved to kiss up to the king.
"Pesky critters dragons," the knight said as we rode up to the house.
"You," the noble said pointing at the knight letting go of his pants causing them to open up to show his white underwear. My hand went up to cover my sisters eyes as he quickly pulled them back up covering himself again.
"Like big rats. You never seem to get rid of them. Unless you bag me two bags of gold in advance."
The man didn't look to happy at the knights words and his presents as a whole, but he had someone bring out two bags full of gold to us. I dismounted my horse going over to the servant collecting the two bags of gold looking in side them to see them full of gold coins. I held the bags over my head showing the knight that we were paid. He smiled at me as I handed him the bags of gold. He then handed them to my sister whom placed them into my saddle bag.
"Who or what are those two,"the noble asked pointing at my sister and I while a servant brought him a shirt and a belt, "I don't remember seeing those two our first time meeting. Are they foreign rift rafts as well."
"They are just two lost souls I picked up yesterday," the knight said, "In debated to me for taking them under my care and teaching. They aren't ones for talking much. Mute."
My sister and I played along with the knights tale, we helped him set up a large devise that would launch a large spear into the air in front of a large lake next to the village. All the villagers watched us set up and as father flew over the lake towards us. When he was right over the edge of the deepest part of the water the knight cut the rope with his sword sending the spear through the air towards father. Abiageal and I gave a sharp breath as father caught the spear giving the illusion that it impaled him then diving head first into the water. All of the villagers cheered as he fell into the water and as we quickly rode off fallowing down the lake as if we were trying to find our kill.
A few minutes of riding later we came to a large field of grass. Father was flying around us as we slowed our horses down to a walking pace. My sister and I had grown bored of riding my horse so I handed the knight my rains than lifted my hands up as father dived closer to us and gabbed me into the air. I climbed onto his back as he came back around and grabbed Abiagael as well. The knight counted his gold as we flew around him.
"Twenty-eight twenty-nine," he counted cheerfully.
"Most profitable dragon. I should have met you along time ago."
"There is much gold in the world," father said doing a barrel roll. Abiagael and I squiggled in delight as he rolled in the air holding on to him tighter, "Perhaps when you have your fill of it you'll no longer need me."
"I am a Knight of the Old Code my word is my bond."
"No compunctions than," father said circling around the knight.
"About what?"
"well such a deception hardly befits a 'Knight of the Old Code'," father said doing another barrel roll.
"He's right you know," I laughed as father did another barrel roll.
"Fleecing Eion's lackeys that's a service to man kind," the knight chuckled a little.
"Is it," father said landing on his back foot hoping along the knight, "When you squeeze the nobility it's the peasants that feel the pinch."
"You're not going to win this," Abiagael said wrapping her leggings around one of fathers' horns hanging upside down swinging side to side as he walked on his two hind legs backwards.
"That's none of my concern. Why should I stick my neck out for people to afraid to risk their own? Don't clutter up a clever scheme with morality."
"Mm so be it 'Knight of the Old Code',"we said as father took off.
"If I wanted my conscience pricked I would've stayed with the priest," he shouted back at us, "And what does a dragon and two young girls know of the Old Code any way?"
"A Knight is sworn to valor," Abiagael started sitting on top of fathers head in between his horns.
"His heart knows only vurtue," I continued climbing to join my sister on top of fathers head.
"His blade defends the the helpless his might upholds the weak," father said landing next to the knight walking along side him.
"His word speaks only truth," my sister and I said at once.
"Shut up! I remember. That's all it is now a memory. Nothing can bring it back."
"You sound like one who tried," father said.
"And failed," the knight said, "So I no longer try to change the world I just try to get by in it."
"Yes well it's better than death I suppose."
"Oh is it," the knight asked, "I would think you welcomed death. You know the last of your kind, all your friends are dead, hunted were ever you go, and only two young human girls to call your children."
Father stopped in his tracks suddenly, "Do you delight in reminding me? Yes, knight I do long for death, but fear it."
The knight stopped as well. Turning to face father, "Why? Besides from your misery and those two girls what do you have to lose?"
"My soul," was all father said.
"Papa," Abiagael said moving closer to the bridge of fathers nose, "If you lose your soul Ava and I will find it. Won't we Ava? We'll find it for papa."
"Of course we will," I said smiling at her, "We'll find fathers soul if it becomes lost. That's a promise."
She smiled at me and I continued to smile back at her. I couldn't tell her the truth, that a soul was not something you could lose then find again. But what kind of sister would I be if I told her, what kind of sister would so easily crush such a pure dream? I would just let her believe it is true and who knows maybe I'm the one who is wrong. I smiled at myself at this thought. I could be wrong and I wouldn't mind being wrong with this subject.
For the walk through the field we all stayed silent, which gave me some time to my thoughts as we traveled. I let my mind wonder about what it would be like to start another war against the king. If I helped then at least than the people would have a better chance of winning than the last time. I could show them how to fight from all my training, give them a better leader than a villager who wanted something better for his people. I know how to fight and if father helped than we could win, but there is the chance we don't. If something happened to me of father how would Abiagael survive. As much as I thought about it I couldn't convince myself it would be a good idea to fight. I was so deep in thought I didn't even hear father call my name till he jerked to a stop throwing me from where I sat on top of his head to sliding down his forehead than siting on the bridge of his nose. Abiagael chuckled as I slowly turned to face father.
"Ava are you alright," father asked me his voice held a hit of concern.
"Yes I'm fine father I was just thinking," I told him.
"About what," he asked.
"Nothing really important," I lied. He gave me a 'really' look but didn't continue questioning me. After some time we came to the top of a mountian and decieded to make camp near the edge of a cliff. The surface was a smooth flat rock surrounded by trees. It was agreed by all of us that while my sister and I set up camp, father and the knight would go out and hunt. While I set up a fire pit for the knight Abiagael cut some wood. After that I removed the fur blankets from my saddle. The knight than returned with a skinned fawn and began to try to cook his kill. Father returned a little later with a leg of cooked deer for my sister and I. Abiageal and I ate our meal while the knight still tried to light his fire to cook his meal. He used his sword and a rock to start a spark but the dried grass was not lighting for him till father gave him a hand blowing fire for him. Though fathers fire blast did scar the knight a pit but was very helpful in cooking his meat. After we all ate we started to get ready for bed. Father laid down next to the blankets my I laid out for my sister and I. He curled up close to us blowing a gentle flame around us. We then started to fall asleep from the warmth of his fire.
"Do you always do that," the knight asked as I started to sleep.
"But of course," father said moving my sister closer to his body, "It keeps them warm. I have always surrounded them with a gentle fire ever since they were young. My youngest can't sleep without it."
"And you don't worry about them?"
"All the time but in this ring I know they are safe," father said gently rubbing his nose against my side lovingly, then my sisters. I moved closer to him and started to fall asleep. I was close to falling asleep when I started to hear father and the knight talking again.
"You must have hated us very much," I heard father say to the knight.
"I hated one of you," the knight replied back, "These I killed because I wanted to kill him." As they talked I acted to be asleep and listened as they went on. I listened to them as the knight said how Eions' heart was poisoned by a dragons heart. Father argued that eion was never innocent that he poluted the dragons heart. He then became mad as the knight kept calling him 'dragon'. I then heard him roar out in pain feeling his warmth leave my side. I shout up seeing father had falling onto and knocking down two trees behind him unconscious.
"What did you do," I yelled at the knight running to fathers head.
"I...I," the knight stuttered.
"Ava what happened," Abiagael said running to my side.
"I don't know," I said looking over fathers body. I placed my hand on his right shoulder and it nearly burned me because his scales were so hot. I quickly moved my hand way from the area shaking it in the air cooling down my hand.
"Abiagael go and get the burn herbs from my bag," I told her. She nodded at me then ran off toward my horse. I looked back at the knight who was spreading water over his blanket. A look of concern spread all over his face.
"This should help cool the area," he said holding out the blanket to me.
"Thank you," I said taking the blanket from him and placing it on fathers shoulder. It hissed from the heat drying out fast. I removed the now dry blanket from his shoulder. I handed it back to the knight who started pouring more water on the blanket. When he finished soaking the blanket my sister returned with the herbal leaves from my saddle bag. I took the herbs laying them against fathers shoulder than the knight laid the blanket on top of the leaves. Father than started to wake up.
"Oh dear," he said starting to wake up.
"What was it," asked the knight.
"An old complaint that acts up every now and then," father replied.
"Papa are you alright," Abiagael whispered to him.
"I'm alright my child," he told her his voice was sounded tired.
"I'm sorry if any thing I said anything had upseted you," he apologized.
"No it wasn't you, not you," father told him. He then went back to sleep. Abiagael then cuddled into the crook of fathers neck falling asleep as well. The knight and I watched over them in silence till the moon was at its heights point. When it reached that point I had started to nod off and on till the knight placed his hand on my shoulder.
"You should get some sleep," he told me in a gentle voice.
"No I'm fine,"I yawned.
"Don't worry I'll watch over you all," he said gentle said rubbing my back like he used to do when ever I had hurt myself will practicing or when my father had hit or yelled at me. His action was so soothing that I started to fall asleep. I nodded to him, then crawled to my sister and cuddled close to her and my father. As he watched over us I started to feel safe again under his watch. I started to trust him again.
"By the way," I said half asleep, "My name is Ava and this is my little sister Abiagael."
He smiled back at me, "And I'm called Bowen. It is good to finally know yours and your sisters name."
I smiled back at him then fell asleep.
I'm still going to let you my readers decide how Ava tells Bowen who she really is. So far I have had only one idea. I hope you like this chapter let me know what you think about it.