Tales of the Monk

Chapter Three

Turning over onto my side sleepily I expected to feel Percival sound asleep next to my chest, my eyes shot open when he wasn't there and I checked the surrounding area; it was only just me and Goliath in the forest.

I looked over to my other side and found that my sword was gone also, quickly getting up I checked the satchel on my horse to see if anything else was missing. Nothing was stolen from the bag but whoever passed last night took Percival and my sword

Only being around the boy for a couple of days I managed to pick up his scent and knew he was a sky folk, their distinctive smell of the air was completely different to what any man's blood would smell like. His odour lingered around the camp and went next to where my sword would have been, Percival's trail led away from the camp and into a corn field but there wasn't another scent present to lead him down there.

Fearing the worst I pulled out a dagger from my scabbard that was wrapped around my leg, going through the corn field quietly I could hear the boy up ahead and all alone, he was talking to himself quite loudly. I pulled away a couple corn stacks and was completely dumbfounded at what I saw

Little Percival had my sword in his hands and was play fighting with the scarecrow, the boy placed his own sword in the hand of the hay-filled man. Watching on closely I observed from a distance and watched his hand work at the scarecrow

'You die tonight you paladin scum' he spoke courageously

The boy tried to twirl the sword in his hands like I did against the trinity guards, the blade fumbled in his gip but he still managed to hold on and lay down a good strike against the scarecrow, the arm of the lifeless dummy felt to the ground before his finished him off and stabbed where a heart would be

'You were never a match for Sir Percival'

Seeing enough I think it was time to make myself known to the boy that I was watching him play fight from afar, coming out of my hiding spot I clapped my hands together at his performance

'Very impressive my boy'

'How long have you been standing there?' he exclaimed, shocked that he wasn't alone

'Long enough to know you called yourself by your first name' I smirked

'You weren't supposed to hear that Lancelot'

'Never be ashamed to say your name out loud Percival, it's a good name' I admitted. 'So much better than mine'

'I like you name a lot more than mine it sounds very heroic considering you done so many heinous things against the fey'

'But I did save you from Brother Salt at the paladin camp and then again from the trinity guard'

'It's not me you have to convince that you've changed for the better, I believe you when you came back for me in the camp'

The boy was right that I was changing for the better but it would be a whole different story when it came to the adults, they would not be so understanding when they saw a traitor of the fey amongst them

'Come on Percival it's time we hit the road'

'Aren't we having breakfast first? I'm hungry'

'You ate last night and I don't have much food left in my sactual to last no more than two days'

'Can't we stop at a market and get something to eat from there'

'It's too risky for me to be seen right now in open spaces like the market, paladins have been doing more patrols in the neighbouring town for the witch and her faithful companions'