The Knight In Shining Arthur

The Knight In Shining Arthur

Leaning over the gunwale of the ship, I looked down at the vivid blue ocean rushing past, inhaling as the delicious salty spray hit my face.

"Arthur!" A voice shouted behind me. I spun around to come face to face with Captain Ted. "The enemy ship is a comin', ready the crew." With a nod, I pumped my little legs as fast as they would go. I may have only been eight, but I'd always been fast for my age.

"Right you slackers, the enemy is in sight." My voice sounded loudly as I barked at the lollygagging crew, "Man the cannons, ready your weapons, raise the flag, we have a battle to win." After a loud cheer, each man ran off in a different direction to fulfil his duties. Looking up to the crow's nest, a grin slid across my face as the ominous black flag was released, straining to be liberated in the sea breeze. A skull and crossbones. The flag itself enough to strike fear into the heart of any man. A thunderous explosion suddenly shook the ship, knocking me clean off my feet.

"We've been hit!" A voice shouted. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, as I pulled my sword from its hilt.

"OPEN FIRE!" I cried. The noise that followed was near deafening. Pieces of the enemy ship were blown to smithereens as the cannonballs ripped at its sides. As the ships came closer, our crew grasped the ropes hanging from the main sail and boarded the enemy ship with an almighty cry. Suddenly we were surrounded by enemy pirates. A smile spread across my face as I clashed swords with the first man. We took them all out, every last one of them. Swiping, dodging, jumping, ducking, stabbing, until they were all gone. With a shout of victory, I thrust my sword high in the air.

Running over to the stairs, I led the men below deck, where I knew all the booty was. It smelt awful, mould and damp permeating through the walls. Huge piles of gold towered over our heads. Gold necklaces, gold crowns, gold coins, all glistening in the light. We'd hit the jackpot.

As the men surged forward in their greed, a small noise reached my ears. Frowning, I peered

into a dark passage, leading off to my left. It sounded like crying. Keeping my sword out in front of me, I walked cautiously through the passageway towards the noise. There, in a cage, sat a young girl who looked about the same age as I was. Her large sparkly pink dress billowed out in tatters around her, her face streaked with dirt and tears.

Sheathing my sword, I ran over to her, unlocking the cage. She looked up to me, wonder glowing in her eyes. Offering her my hand I pulled her up gently.

"What's your name?" I asked softly.

"Barbara." She whispered back, staring up at me. "You saved me..."

I grinned at her, and bowed with a flourish. "Sir Arthur at your service milady." Reaching up, she pecked me on the cheek. Red worked its way up my neck furiously.

"Thank you." She said shyly, I looked back at her in the same manner.

Suddenly the wall was blown to pieces. I grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the way of the lethal splinters cutting through the air. Peeking out from behind the barrel, we could now see out to the ocean through the gaping hole in the side of the ship. What I could see filled me with fear. Another ship was coming, flying a blood red flag. The Palanins.

Before I had much time to panic, another cannonball rocked the ship, this one was lit on fire! Our only exit was now blocked with flames. Turning to Barbara, I grasped her hand tightly, the old wooden ship quickly becoming a blazing inferno.

"Do you trust me?" Terror shone from her eyes, she had no option but to nod. Tugging her along, I ran to the hole in the side of the ship. Yelling "JUMP!", I pulled her through. We were free falling for several moments before the icy fingers of the ocean swallowed us, and everything went black.

***

Slowly opening my eyes, I coughed violently, sending sand and sea water everywhere. Squinting, against the glare, I realised I was on a beach. The cool water lapped at my toes, making them curl in on themselves. Jumping up, I made my way to Barbara, who'd been washed ashore with me. Her eyelids fluttered slightly before opening as my shadow fell across her otherwise motionless form.

"What... What Happened?" She questioned in a weak voice, sitting up and pushing her now shiny blonde hair out of her face.

"We've been shipwrecked!" I declared. As she looked around, becoming aware of her surroundings, a grin flew across her face.

"I know where we are!" She exclaimed, happily grabbing my arm and dragging me into the forest lining the beach. "This is my father's kingdom," She explained, leading me along a small path, "I know these woods well, the castle is right­"

Suddenly there was an ear­splitting cry from above. With a squeal, Barbara leapt for cover, but alas, it was too late. A dragon dove from above, and before I could blink, had snatched Barbara up and was flying away.

"ARTHUR!" She screamed. I took off running after the dragon, leaping over rocks and ducking under fallen trees, never letting the flying dragon out of my sight for a moment. I skidded to a halt at the bottom of a rocky cliff. My head snapped to the left and the right before I heard Barbara's intensified screams. Sword in hand, I rounded the corner to see the dragon had tied her against a rock!

"HEY!" I shouted to get its attention. With an almighty roar, it spun around, sending a huge spurt of flame at me. I was able to roll out of the way just in time. Its screeching voice sounded again in indignation at being eluded. Glancing around, my eyes landed on a shield, seemingly dropped by another not­so­lucky knight. I picked it up, and just in time too, for a second blaze of heat flew at me, licking at the edges of the shield. Charging with a loud cry, I took a swipe at the dragon's left claw. My weapon met it's mark. With the scream of a wounded animal, the creature took flight, landing atop a large boulder not too far away. Charging after it, I shouted up at him.

"Come down you foul beast!"

***

Sighing, I opened the door to my son's room. I felt bad for leaving him to himself all day, cooped up in his room... But hey, I was a single mum, I had work to do and it was raining. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth at the all­too­familiar scene in front of me. His room was a bomb­site, an obvious sign that, once again, my little Arthur had got lost in his imagination. He was now standing in the middle of it all, swathed in kitchen­foil and thrusting his little plastic sword I'd given him for Christmas violently into the air.

Looking round the room, I saw a broom had been propped against the bed, a piece of paper from his notebook sellotaped to the top bearing a skull and crossbones. His teddybear had a little folded pirate's hat and an eyepatch to match. His little sister's Barbie was tied up against the leg of the bed, her sparkly pink dress splayed out around her. His stuffed dragon was currently perched on the top of the bookshelf, Arthur was deflecting invisible jets of flames with the lid of his toybox. With a loud cry, I watched Arthur take a huge leap forward and thrust the lethal plastic into the dragon's plush chest. I burst into applause, and he spun around in shock, so absorbed in his own imagination that he hadn't noticed me standing there. With a sheepish grin on his face, he bowed with great finesse. Striding across the room, I caught him up in a big hug. As I spun him around, I was rewarded with a giggle. Suddenly he sighed and slumped into me. Pulling back with my hands on his shoulders I looked him in the eye.

"I wish I was a real knight..." He lamented, tears pooling in the corners of his big brown eyes.

I gasped, "But Arthur, you are a real knight!" leaning forward conspiratorially, I tapped the side of his head gently, "You see Arthur, you're a knight in here. You can be a knight wherever you are, because a true knight shines from the inside out, and you are definitely a knight on the inside."

Wonder crossed his face, tears now forgotten. "I am?"

Gathering him into a huge hug, I chuckled into his curly hair, "Of course you are. You always were."

*********

So that's my English coursework :) a bit random, and had to be 1500 words, so a bit short!

Hope it's ok :) x