The Elven Knight

A Chance

Waking up I stretched my body, the thin blanket falling off my pale lithe body as I rose my shaggy black hair falling around my shoulders with the tips of my pointed ears just poking out of the wild bedhead.
I am an elf strictly speaking but i've been raised human, my birth parents died nearly 60 years ago when I was still a baby during the Phoenix Rebellion, Tommen and Marry, my Human parents, told me little about it just that it was a dark time. I quickly dressed myself hiding my pale body beneath an oversized green shirt, and stumbled out of my room while tugging my pants up getting overwhelmed by the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs it smelled like freshly baked biscuits with several heapings of bacon and eggs.
Mouth watering, I sprinted downstairs tripping at the last step and I rolled into a cartwheel. It paid to have elf reflexes sometimes. I entered the kitchen with a big smile on my face and greeted my mother and father sitting at the table.
As I sat, mother handed me a plate quickly and poured me some tea.
"Taylor, you really ought to be more careful coming down those stairs, you're 62 years old and you still act like such a child." Father spoke with a gravelly voice, despite being 80 years old his voice still boomed with strength and I shrunk back a bit.
"I'm sorry father, I should be more careful but in my defense in elven culture I still haven't reached adulthood yet" I said in a joking voice.
"She's right Tommen." Mother cut in. "You always forget that she isn't human, we likely will never see her reach adulthood" she said sullenly, a few quiet moments passed after that comment as I chewed my food uncomfortably before father spoke again.
"Marry is right, I'm sorry Taylor, but with that said, its true we won't be here forever and so we wanted to do something special for you." Tommen spoke with a mischievous look in his eye as he got up and walked to his room before quickly coming back with a small bundle in his arms and a scroll, he handed them to me giving me a quick kiss on my forehead before sitting back down.
I looked at the bundle and scroll in my hands questioningly, mother and father have never given me presents except on my birthday. This puzzled me greatly as I put the bundle down on the table and opened the scroll. As I read my eyes grew bigger and bigger this scroll was a written acceptance letter into the Squire Apprentice Tournament, a tournament that allowed knights to assess and pick out squires to train to become the next generation of knights. This tournament was almost impossible to enter without connections, mother and father must have paid incredibly well to get me into it.
Looking teary eyed I pulled them into a tight hug thanking them profusely as my dream was always to become a knight like in the famous stories I've read.
My mother turned me around and told me to open my other gift and I eagerly opened it uncovering a gleaming shortsword. It was nothing fancy, a simple hilt, crossguard and sharpened blade but in my eyes it was perfect.
"Thank you so much! This is perfect!" I shouted gleefully
"Well what are you waiting for? You only have a month to get in enough training so you better get going to practice with that shiny blade of yours." Father Said before standing and opening the door for me watching as I ran off in the fields swinging my sword every which way.
I reached a small stream flowing on the border between the fields and the forest and hop over it deftly avoiding getting my boots soaked, following the stream for several minutes I arrive at my destination a small clearing in the woods with the stream cutting it in half, dozens of wildflowers grew in the center drinking in the sunlight.

I began twirling my sword in my hands, slashing and slicing through the air imagining fighting dragons and ghouls, getting faster and faster with the blade cutting down several flowers in the process, I felt like I was a blur and I decided to attempt some flips while wielding my sword.
It was awkward at first but my natural grace from being an elf kept me steady although I did accidentally cut a hole in my shirt when I held the sword angled toward me in a somersault. I'm glad that's all it did. Mother would kill me if I impaled myself.
I continued for several hours when a voice broke my concentration, quickly raising my sword, my eyes flashed to the direction I heard the voice and it landed on a human man standing at the edge of the clearing.
The man was quite tall and muscular. I could tell even from this distance. The man wore a black tunic and breeches and a fur cloak hung from his pack, the man had short messy dirty blonde hair and a groomed beard. He was young but the look in his face told me he had seen more than his fair share of the world.
He stared at me and seemed amused before he cleared his throat and called out to me again.
"My apologies, I'll repeat myself. Would you mind if I join you in this clearing? I discovered it a few days prior when I arrived in town. I find it very relaxing and have been coming here to enjoy my lunches. I won't be a bother, I swear." he spoke in a deep commanding but kind voice.
I was wary but he seemed genuine enough to me plus he has no weapon so I decided it couldn't hurt. I nodded at him as I backed up to the other side of the clearing watching him approach several paces before sitting down clearing the area to make room for his things.
"Appreciated, please continue as though I was not here." he said as he started to open his pack, setting up a small fire and beginning to cook.
I nervously started my wild swinging again making sure to keep an eye on the man but before long the smell of partridge wafted over from his direction the smell assaulted my senses and my stomach growled loudly wanting to replenish the energy I used up.
Laughing, the man looked at me "if your stomach was any louder I would think it was a bear. Come eat i don't mind sharing, you need to replenish your energy." he said with a warm smile
I reluctantly trudged over to where he had set up and sat down watching closely as he passed me some partridge. I immediately started scarfing it down as the man continued speaking.
"Well i suppose i should introduce myself now that we are sharing a meal, friends call me Kas, what's your name?" Kas asked
"My name is Taylor." I say curtly not trusting him.
"Taylor, that's a good name. So what has you all the way out here swinging that sword like a madman?" he says chuckling while scratching his beard
"A Madman? I'm no Madman, I'm an Elf. Thank you very much." I said, gesturing to my ears "and for your information that was practice, i'm a knight!" I say haughtily, sticking my chin up to him.
"A Knight? Oh forgive me Sir Taylor your techniques are most unusual i mistook you for a novice." Kas said jokingly as he took a swig of his water skin
"Well I'm not a Knight yet but once I'm chosen in the Squire Apprentice Tournament I'll be closer to it then you! So dont laugh and don't mock me!" I yell standing, stomping my foot in the ground.
"Well I'm sorry to tell you but you'll need to improve a lot before any Knight will take you seriously." Kas said in a calming tone. "I can help you if you'd like, spar with you and give you some pointers." Kas Offered
"What good will you be in teaching me? I'm double your age and you look as if you're a beggar with your dirty hair and beard." I said insulting him but he only laughed it off.
"It has been some time since ive cleaned myself up, that's true, but I promise I can teach you." Kas said with so much conviction that my next verbal attack stopped in my throat. Fuming at him I stomped away snatching the last of the partridge.
"I will see you tomorrow then Taylor!" he called after me
"Whatever!" I yelled back before sprinting back home while stuffing my face with the rest of the food.