The Elven Knight

Learning from Mistakes

Waking up the next day I stretched my body out and quickly went through my morning routine before kissing my parents goodbye and grabbing my sword.
I skipped towards the clearing, as I approached I heard the sound of someone whistling up ahead and ducked around some trees sneaking closer.
Peering around the trees I looked into the clearing to see Kas.
Cursing myself, I had forgotten about him in my excitement to return and train. After a few minutes of debating in my head I decided that I would just ignore him and continue to train on my own and let him do whatever he wants.
Entering the clearing I watch as Kas stands and smiles which I ignore as I take up my position on the other side of the field.
I begin my wild flurry of slashes and flips.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Kas sit back down and reach for a stick laying next to him he takes out a knife and begins whittling away at it.
Content that he won’t bother me anymore I lose myself in my movements and for a few minutes forget he is even there until after a bad flip my grasp on the blade loosens and it goes flying directly towards him.
Panicked, I trip over myself as I yell “Watch out!”
But to my surprise Kas simply raises his small knife and deflects it with ease standing he picks up the sword and walks over to me.
“I think you dropped this Taylor.” He said with an Obnoxiously kind smile holding the handle up for me to take.
I quickly rose to my feet and tried grabbing it away from him reaching for the blade instead of the offered handle, cutting myself when my hand ran over the edge of the blade.
I yelped in pain as blood poured freely from my hand.
Before I could react however Kas had already gripped my hand in a tight hold, I opened my mouth to yell at him in pain but he shushed me as he had me sit down while he bandaged my hand.
“That was very foolish of you!” he said seriously. “Never ever grab a sword by the blade, that's exactly how you get injured.” I opened my mouth to retort but the look in his eyes made me reconsider instead I said
“I'm sorry.” Kas looked at me for several moments before sighing and finishing bandaging my hand up.
“Now you won’t be able to use that hand for a while at least not for swordplay but you're lucky the cut is shallow and should heal quickly.”
“What? But this is my good hand! I need it to practice before the tournament!” I say distressed.
“Well you should have thought about that before cutting yourself.” Kas says “Your hand will heal in time for the tournament so I hope you're confident enough with your current skill.”
“No way! I need to train!” I shout at him
“Well… my offer still stands to help you, if you swallow your pride I can show you how to use your other hand. Being able to duel with both hands is very sought after by Knights.” Kas said while reaching over to retrieve two sticks from where he sat.
I glared at him for a while before bowing my head in resignation.
“Fine Kas you win can you please show me how to fight with my other hand.” I sullenly say
Kas smiled and pulled me up onto my feet.
“Absolutely you'll be better than any of the others in that tournament with your left hand and your right when I'm through with you.” he said with a grin.
Kas handed me one of the sticks and told me to leave my sword in its sheath. I agreed not keen on cutting myself again.
Over the next few hours Kas went through basic footwork and proper grips and forms for wielding a sword.
I was surprised by how much he knew and when we broke for a late lunch I asked him about it.
Huffing out of breath from the training I spoke.
“So how did you learn all this? Are you some nobleman's child?  Are you going to participate in the Tournament? Is that why you came to town?”
Laughing he looked over to me while he was cooking up some rabbit, “no no I was just passing through following a lead on someone and it's just taking a bit longer then expected to find the information I need.”
“So you're a Bounty Hunter?”
“No.”
“A mercenary?”
“Again no, look, my business is personal and i'd rather not discuss.” he says with a bit of annoyance.
“Alright, Alright I'll drop it for now. But another question then? You were whittling at those practice swords all morning, how'd you know we would need them?”
“Well seeing you swinging wildly like a MadElf I knew you would hurt yourself eventually and when you did you'd want something not so sharp and someone to help train you.” he said plainly.
“So you planned for me to get hurt?” I asked with a bit of anger in my voice.
“No but I knew it was inevitable and your pride wouldn't let you admit you needed help until you had gotten hurt. Am I wrong?” Kas said with a glance towards me.
“No, you're right.” I say pouting
“Here it's done eat up.” Kas says handing me a spit with a roasted rabbit on it.
I ate it quickly and its juices dripped down my chin. Kas's cooking was phenomenal. I wonder if he's ever trained as a chef before, this man is so filled with mystery it's infuriating.
“So Taylor I was curious, why do you want to be a Knight so much?” Kas asked, breaking the silence that was between us when we began eating.
“Well, growing up my father told me the epic tales of their heroic deeds, Slaying Dragons and Demons, saving people and ever since then I've always wanted to be one.” I say simply
“You are aware that no elf has ever become a knight right? And for good reason too.” Kas said giving me a studious look
“Yes I know no elf has ever become a knight before but I'm going to be the first!” I declare proudly.
“Well I'm glad you're confident, but what if no knight picks you after the tournament?” Kas said with a soft tone, continuing he says. “Knights are very traditional, and the reason there has never been an elven knight was because the Phoenix Rebellion made it hard to ever trust them in our ranks.”
“What why?” I say curious, as Marry and Tommen never delved too deeply into what occurred during the Phoenix Rebellion or how my parents died.
“So your parents never told you it's a huge part of your people's history?.” he asked, surprised.
“Well my Elven parents died when I was just a baby and I was adopted by Humans.”
“I see, well that explains things. get comfortable, let me explain. The Phoenix Rebellion was started and led by the last known standing army of the Elves; they were concerned and fearful with how quickly us humans had spread and settled the land after the Infernal Wars and the Time of Chaos.
They decided we were a threat to them.
So, they summoned phoenixes to burn our fields and destroy our homes. It was The Knights who defeated them putting an end to their destruction and forcing a surrender but not before heavy losses on the Elves side that's why there are so few of your kind, and why there's never been an Elven knight.
Most of your kind that survived till today remember the deeds of our forefathers, the wound still fresh in their mind. Their hatred towards the knights now has led them to shun elves in kind.” Once Kas finished his tale he studied my face for any reaction. During his story I had grown more and more sullen as the prospect of joining seemed even more daunting and impossible but I thought very carefully before responding.
“I didn’t know any of that,” I say slowly, continuing. “But it doesn’t deter me any, if anything I need to be a knight even more now, to start mending the rift between our races, our ancestors made a mess of things but if I become a knight it will show that things will get better we don’t need to hold on to the hatred.”
“An honorable goal.” Kas said. “I will look forward to seeing that happen one day,” he said with a smile. We trained for a bit longer before we bid goodnight to each other.