Jade Medieval

Chapter 37

The watchman was out of my line of sight but I heard him shuffling down a ladder and jumping a distance to the ground. His boots where heavy against the cobble road. Hark said nothing and only stood beside Joy stroking her gingerly. The watchman huffed and poked lazily at Hark's cart. This in turn caused a heavy book to crash onto my shoulder. I winced and lay lower down looking out through the cracks of the wood.

"What's this about?" Hark asked, voice level.

"Prisoners escaped the dungeon," The watchman replied followed by a yawn,"I have been ordered to check all the carts."

"Ah I see. You can rest assured I am not in league with anyone against our Kingdom," Hark said calmly.

Silence for a moment.

"Your that Davidshire's boy aren't you?"

"Yeah," Hark answered slowly.

"Best be going then before your old man comes out to kill ya," The watchman chuckled," besides," he says and I heard the crunch of boots on gravel," no living soul would dare be in the company of such, foul stench," he says taking a loud wiff off one of Hark's items.

"It does smell terrible," I see Fillip mouth to me.

I plug my nose in response.

"Thanks," I hear Hark respond with a chuckle to the watchman.

The watchman walked back to Joy and patted her arse. She moved forward with Hark walking alongside her. The watchman walked back to a crank and began to turn it. The clicking of metal gears relieved me. I listened as the gate creaked open. Slowly the gate rose and we where able to pass through. The sound of clattering wooden wheels and donkey hooves filling the emptiness of the countryside for leagues filled my ears. Fillip fell asleep after a few minutes when we all declared the stituation safe. His snoring soon accompanied the familiar sounds of the countryside. He lay atop a fresh blanket on the cart, facing the stars. I left him to recover from his poisoning concerned at first but relieved when he was breathing regularly; however; his snoring was loud. When I became certain he was sleeping soundly I removed my cloak and lay it atop him. I hadn't wanted to hear him create a fuss about it. When we where far out of sight from the Kingdom walls I decided I would stretch my legs.

"Ah, hello Jade," Hart said in the midst of stretching his back.

"Mind if I walk with you?" I asked.

"Sure if that'll be okay with your... boyfriend there?" Hark said pointing to the sleeping figure of Fillip.

"Fillip? I don't think he would mind and I make my own choices."

Hark grinned then stopped Joy from walking and I hopped out off the cart, as quietly as I could. I brushed off my dress, stetched my legs, then fixed my belt and sword. Hark drank some water whilst I did all this and when I finished he whistled for Joy to walk.

Moonlight lit the path in front of us. A slow creek glinted dark a reflection sparkling in mystery. The sky was clear and the weather was kind. A forest lay off into the distance snug in a grassy valley. We where to make camp when the castle was far from sight in close league to the creek.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Hark asked me.

I was silent to the question because I had been pondering it myself.

"Home i think, the people there may need me. After that i dont know," I sigh.

"Why is that?" Hark pressed," you have him."

"What does that mean?"

"I just thought you would settle down," Hark said in a near whisper embarrassed to say his true thoughts.

"I'm not sure I am ready to settle down just yet," I said," besides I'm not even sure what Fillip and I are."

"If i may speak my mind?" Hark asks politely and I nod," I have known the pair of you for a short time but I see a connection between you two. A true caring for one another."

"You truly are a poet," I stifle my laughter at his choice of words," but i believe you are right."

Hark smiles at me.

"What do you plan to do?" I ask him

"I wish to carry on my mother's work and see the world," Hark says boldly.

"The world is believed to be flat," I say carefully to him," how can you mean to see the world?"

Hark was silent and looked ahead into the calm of darkness. He pulled out his book that I had seen him cling to in the kingdom. He held onto with such care that it was like his lifeline to this world.

"This book is my only religion."

I tilted my head at him absorbing his words as they where quite odd. I smiled back at him nodding my head understanding. I have made friends with many people who believe in different Gods but never have I spoken to someone who calls science his religion.

We walked on in simple conversation and took a path towards the creek to set camp for the night. Fillip woke up as we where trying to start a fire. Hark wasn't getting a spark and I had just begun to give it a try when we heard him. Fillip groggily walked over and took the flint from my hand. In one action he lit the grass and twigs and made a fire. I saw Hark raise an eyebrow at me and I looked at Fillip.

"I would have gotten it," I grinned, teasingly messing up his hair.

He said nothing and walked back to the cart bringing with him two plain beige fleece blankets.

"Here," He placed one next to Hark.

"Thank you," he replied and made himself confortable leaning against a oak tree with vast branches. He winked at me before tipping his hat down over his eyes.

I was warming my hands by the fire when Fillip plopped himself next to me and wrapped the large blanket around my shoulders and then his own. I was silent, taking my hands from the fire I leaned my head on his shoulder. I yawned stretching out my legs then curling them in. I closed my eyes suddenly exhausted and allowed myself to drift off into sleep. Before I slipped away into deep sleep I was sure I felt Fillip gingerly kiss my forehead.

As night faded into day and the moon was replaced by a bright sun my eyes opened. I took a cool breath of the chilled air and looked around. I was lying on the ground wrapped in the blanket.

Alone.

I sat up with such speed that it made my head hurt. I clasped the side of my head for a moment and saw Hark still leaning on the tree. The fire had long since died out. I saw nobody else, Fillip had dissapeared. I pulled myself up to my feet and brushed my hair with my hand. I rationalized that he must have gone to the creek to clean himself up.