D-Nine: Protectors of the Crown

Chapter 08

I felt fingers drumming on my shoulders. My eyes opened lazily. I was back in dreamland.
"You can come in now," Ronchet urged me.
Getting up was difficult. My muscles had stiffened after sleeping in such an awkward position. Thankfully, the room was less dusty, although the musty smell lingered on. I slipped my rapier from the belt and laid it on the table. Sitting down on the chair, I stretched my aching arms and gave a massive yawn.
Dinner was on the table; the usual hard bread with hot soup. This was as bad as the hospital food. I stared at it glumly. He settled into the chair and it creaked in agony under his load.
"Let's eat." He tore the bread and dipped it into the soup before putting it into his mouth. Dinner was uneventful as we ate in total silence, except for the munching and slurping.
"I won't be staying here tonight. I have to return to my lodging at the workplace," Ronchet announced as he cleared the table. "The bedroom is clean and you can stay here until you find your friend."
He showed the way up the stairs to a relatively clean room. "This was my sister's room. You can use her clothing if it fits."
"Won't she mind?"
"She died when I was ten."
"I'm sorry."
Ronchet smiled. "Don't worry about it." And he left the room.
I removed my dusty and dirty clothing and cleaned up with a wet towel from the basin in the corner. It certainly felt nice to be fresh and clean after days on the road. My travelling clothes were drenched with perspiration and the delicate skin of this body had begun to develop rashes. The nightgown I found was a perfect fit. Lying down on the soft bed made me extremely relaxed. It was a welcome change from the stiff horse cart that I had put up with for the last five days.
The cantering of horses in the distance marked Ronchet's departure.

***

The sun rose. Its rays burned into my closed eyes, forcing them to open to the new day. I dragged my unwilling self out of bed and washed up. The cold water sent adrenalin pumping through my system, waking me instantly.
Rummaging through the wardrobe, I decided that a simple pants and shirt ensemble was the way to go. Belting up my rapier, I braced myself for a brand new day. A note had been placed on the table, which included a sketched map and instructions on how to return. Despite his queer aversion to conversation, Ronchet seemed to be a caring guy with an eye for tiny details.
The instructions brought me to the gate of the fort without much trouble, but the feeling of someone following me kept nagging over my shoulder. After a few head turnings I gave up. Maybe I was being overly jumpy. There were two guards standing at the open gate; taking a deep breath, I approached them.
"Who goes there?" the guard inquired.
"I am looking for Lady Gwenilin."
"There is no such person here."
"Could you please check for me? I was supposed to be here with her," I pleaded.
"Be off, peasant." He used the butt of his pike to push me away. Losing my balance, I landed heavily with a thud.
Standing up, I stared ruefully at the guard. He stood there with a smirk on his face. I walked closer and stared at him, defiant. He looked at me, despising my very presence.
I could not help but kick his leg before making my escape down the slope. A volley of curses rang out behind me, followed by heavy footsteps. Escape was my number one priority as I wove through the crowded street. I zipped past a few streets before I was certain that my pursuers had given up.
Panting hard, I stopped to catch my breath. Perspiration dripped onto the cobbles. "That was exhilarating!" I gushed. It felt so good to be childish once again. Taking revenge on that chauvinistic guard filled me with childish pride. However, my gloating was cut short when a dark figure zoomed past and tugged at my belt. My bag of coins was taken with ease. He ran and I gave chase.
"Stop, you thief!" I shouted, but I was unable to project my voice.
I was following the dark figure, who appeared to be a young boy, when he suddenly skidded to a stop and turned back to face me. He shot me a victorious grin and waved my bag of coins at me.
Three more figures appeared from the shadows.
"Boss, here are the coins." He passed the bag to the biggest guy and stepped back, leaving the three men to face me.
The big guy pocketed the bag and grinned; a golden tooth glittered in the sunlight. Swords were drawn.
My hand held tightly to the hilt of the rapier and drew it slowly while keeping an eye on all three enemies. Cold sweat rolled down my cheeks and I gulped. My very first real battle. I began to wonder if my dream would end if I died here.
The guy to my left leapt forward and thrust his sword at my chest. Twisting to the side, I cleanly avoided the attack. I grabbed his sword-wielding hand, tugging at it with much difficulty. My attempt to throw him off balance worked and my rapier went for his neck. He jerked back, hit his head on the building behind him, and fell to the ground, dazed.
Seeing that their opponent was no pushover, the grin on the boss's face disappeared. The guy from the right sent an upper slash my way. The attack was heavy and numbness spread through my hand when I attempted to parry the blow. I sidestepped back, giving myself more space. He pressed on with continual slashes. Instead of blocking and parrying, evasion became my best option.
Once I had determined his pattern of offence, an opening was established. When he raised his sword for another swing, I did a sweeping kick. My leg felt as if it had collided with a tree trunk. Pain shot up and I had to withdraw my leg. The pain was so intense that I forgot about him and squatted down to rub the tender area on my shin.
A loud crash reminded me that I was still in a battle and I looked up and saw the guy sprawled among broken crates. The big boss took the opportunity to close in. His attack was blocked by the rapier but the weight bore down hard and I fell backwards. Another attack followed and I rolled to the side, barely avoiding being cut cleanly in two. I retreated immediately and clambered up, putting a considerable distance between him and I. The other guy who'd crashed into the crates had recovered his stance, albeit with blood flowing from his forehead.
I needed to even the odds soon before I was turned into pâté. I frantically plotted my next course of action.
The bleeding guy charged forward. I ducked under his blade and brought my head to his stomach, forcing the air out of him. He keeled forward, gagging.
The boss sauntered forward and picked up his mate's sword. Armed with two swords, he inched towards me.
Breathing heavily, I took a defensive stance. The battle was nearing its end and only one would remain standing.
He was poised to attack and with a loud cry, he started flailing the swords, one after another. Instead of defending, I charged forward with an attack. I jump-rolled beneath him and punched him in the groin. He cried out and dropped his swords, clutching his tender genitals. Not waiting for him to recover, I brought the blade of the rapier up to his neck, stopping millimetres from his skin.
"Go and never return."
He dropped the bag of coins and ran off comically, with hands still on his crotch.
After picking up the bag, I turned my attention to the boy. He was nowhere to be found. The coward must have run off during the scuffle.
Exiting the alley, I reoriented myself and found my way back to Ronchet's house. Exhausted and famished as I was, every ounce of energy had drained from my body. I dropped onto a chair and slept soundly.

*****