Scales and Swords ✓

22: Sigerith

"shoot," Eve said first thing after I arrived.

I stiffened up confused. "I'm sorry?"

"fire. You breathe fire don't you?"

"right now?" I hesitated.

"no, tomorrow-of course, right now!"

I faced away from the buildings and took in a deep breath. Fire swirled wildly in my chest. When I let go, the fire shot out in a pillar of flames. When the flames ceased, I turned to Eve for an assessment. She was more or less unimpressed.

"ten meters," she muttered. "we can work with that."

That was how most of the training went. Eve and I worked out tactics for attacks and things of those sort for the purpose of defending against castle attacks. I learned a thing or two about Eve, she didn't like people who mumbled, people who were slow - both physically and mentally, she didn't like wasting time and if she'd like she can make you go insane, literally, that's what sprites do.

"how common are castle attacks and attacks on the king?" I asked before Eve could leave.

She paused and stared at me unnervingly. Eventually she did answer my question. "More common than most people think. Which just shows how persistently stupid people are. Most are quiet and go unnoticed by the common folk. These attacks are quickly handled before they can do much damage. But the aim of the enemy isn't a piece of land, they want the king. Thus, assaults to his majesty when he is beyond the castle walls are more common. For that reason, half of his guards travel alongside him on his journeys."

"who are the people who usually carry out these attacks?"

"anyone with a brain and a motive. Brave fools."

"and what usually happens to these people?"

Eve hesitated. Her eyes searching my face hungrily, for who knows what, then she nodded to herself. "That decision we leave it to the king. Execution is his most popular choice."

A chill crawled down my spine. I wondered who had been given the job to carry out such an act.

"You're a confused spirit," Eve said almost out of the blue.

I winced. "you can tell?"

"Sprites are sensitive creatures. They can sense how others feel. And since the moment we've met I've mostly sensed disorder."

"it's just been a strange period for me."

"I don't usually give advice, but since I can't take the stench of your disturbed mind I shall: it'll get better." Eve nodded and stood. "Get ready tomorrow you'll be travelling with the king."

"wait!" I jolted to my feet. She turned, obviously annoyed. "uh, will I be riding a horse?"

She scoffed. "you didn't think you'd be riding in the king's carriage, did you?"

"no, it's just," I faltered. "I'm no good with horses."

"that's absurd, then how did you ever become a knight in the first place?"

I swallowed the guilt. "I managed. Most horses are too uneasy around me for me to ride them. I've tried."

"surely, you're joking?"

I gulped, shaking my head.

Eve sighed. "I'll call Ingram. He'll help you pick out a horse and tame it. If you don't learn to keep a horse calm enough for you to ride you better learn how to use your wings."

Ingram met me at the horses' stable. We walked the stable as Ingram introduced me to horses one after the other. But alas all the steads cried out and tried to jam their way free. Before I could cause a stampede Ingram led me out.