Last Knight

Last Knight - Fan Special

Deleane looked over the turrets of the castle, down the rocky cliff-side. Her arrow notched on the thin cord of her bow. She could hear the swift movements of a creature running through the forest below. It did not sound like a horse or even a person for that matter. Leaves rustled in the forest andDeleane pushed her body closer to cold stone which made up most of the castle.

She was not afraid of whatever was causing the hairs on the back of her hair to rise. She had not been afraid since that awful night where she almost lost her life to that slayer. The sound of shattering glass dogged her nightmares. 

Somehow, even from the height of the battlements, she heard the tinniest snap of a twig. Her head snapped around to the edge of the forest where she could make out a flurry of falling leaves. She pushed the loose lock of hair behind her ear and squinted at the spot.

There was definitely something down there and she caught a glimpse of a flash of red moving through the trees. Blood was pounding in her ears, it was time, she could not wait any longer.

Sliding the arrow back into her quiver and hooking the bow over her shoulder, Deleane walked towards the hatch so she could climb down. She was just about to grab the rusted handle when she had a stroke of inspiration.

Five minutes later she was sliding down a thin, but strong, rope which she had 'borrowed' from the guards store. Using the skills she had learned during guard training, Deleane had swiftly fastened it to the stone before lowering herself over the edge.

Her feet gently touched the ground. Deleane felt confident that she would be able to move without making a sound. Her modified armour fitted her perfectly and was comfortable. She gave the rope three tugs and she stepped backwards, out of the way, as it fell down at her feet. She carefully coiled the rope and after a good few minutes, placed it in a niche in the wall.

In anticipation she grasped the hilt of her sword firmly in her fist. She was never going to be the defenceless king's ward ever again.

 With the stealth of a fox she moved towards the forest, keeping her body low. Before she moved into the cover of the trees she looked upwards at the sky. The sun was still in the middle of the sky, ample time to enter the forest and return before nightfall.

Taking one glance back up at the turrets she slipped into the trees. In her mind's eye she tried to imagine who or what was lurking beneath the ancient branches. 

She moved in complete silence to the spot where she had seen the leaves falling, her leather boots making muffling the sound of her footfalls. She covered ground quickly and soon enoughDeleane was at the spot. She paced in circles on the grass, looking for signs that someone had been there. 

The silence was eerie and she looked up into the sky between the leaf cover. She was about to look up into the tree behind her when a dark shadow blocked the sun.

Her instincts told her to jump backwards and that is exactly what she did. With the agility of a dancer she landed on her feet and drew her sword.

Standing in front of her was someone. She couldn't make out much because of the thick scarf wrapped around their head, leaving only slits for the eyes. They too had their sword raised, protecting the black cloth clad body.

She had trained for this, and she knew what to do. Watching her opponent with narrowed eyes she shifted her feet.

"What do you want?" she called confidently.

The stranger did not answer and after considering for a moment, charged towards the girl, sword raised high. Automatically Deleane raised her sword, blocking the blow. She was smaller and lighter on her feet than the stranger. Deleane could feel her hands becoming clammy in her leather gloves.