Loyalty

Chap. 1

As I hid behind a random barrel of oats I am thankful for to this very day. The bloody knights of bloody Dralkien just pranced on by, minding their own bloody business. You see, I don't like most knights. Mainly only my best friend Ross' who was always with them. They were heading to the training grounds by my best bets.

I enjoyed Ross' company a great deal. The other knights were the problem. The knights often poked fun at Ross and I. He often got told that he should hurry up and make a move on before they did. Like I'd court one them. Yeah right, disgusting.

I stood and straightened my gown and apron. I moved to locate the stray cabbage that had fallen to the ground when I half-shuffled behind the said barrel. 'Ah-Ha!' As I reached for the annoyingly round vegetable, a sword was jabbed through it.

A pair of black boots approached and flung the sword up, catching the cabbage squarely in the other hand. I heard a clank, something highly familiar to me. 'Chainmail, so he's a knight.'

My traveled up towards the face. There was no mistaking it. Sandy blonde hair? Check. Brown eyes? Check. Muscular build? You sure bet. None other than Sir Brawndwyn Pratface was standing before with a smug grin on his face. Good Gods this guy annoyed me to the very depths of Hell and back.

He took a leaf of the cabbage and shoved it in his mouth. Being as big as he was I doubt he needed more weight, muscle or otherwise.

"Hey you! Don't you know not to waste food. Precious resources like food are hard to find this late in war?" He was right.

Most of the food we did have went to the knights and anyone who was helping like medics. The few who did find enough food to feed them had to pay a hefty price. Many families were on the edge of starvation. Most were on the brink of death.

I was fine since I had Ross, who would insist on buying me food. I was fine with it, but sometimes I wonder if he had different intentions.

"Fine, Sir Brawndwyn. I will be on my way now." I turned around and left him staring with an amused expression on his face.

Xx

I went on down the cobblestone streets towards the back alleys of the kingdom where I lived. The stones were inlaid with the initials and date of death and birth of every knight or peasant that had died during the Cold War.

I stopped as I saw two oddly strange stones. The two I looked at every day I left and returned to the house. Both stones had visible cracks through them along with their fair share of weeds. In one of them was engraved;

                                                          Thomas J. Headgare

                               January 14th, 1543 - October 21st, 1544

Almost three, he died in a fire set by an enemy group of soldiers as an example to the king. Beside was his brothers stone. The writing was faded and almost unreadable but I could read the stones by heart.

                                                        Allen V. Headgare

                                   October 30th, 1532 - October 19th, 1544

He died for the same foolish reasons, he died on the spot though. Thomas was forced to bear unimaginable pain as the ash clogged up his lungs. We were cousins, distant but related. I brushed a stray tear from my eye and sniffed. All the while walking towards my house at the end of the lane.

Authors Note -

All Chapters that are edited will be formatted like so follows:

Chap. (# of chapter. )

Cuz, I need the difference so I can edit it and put it in my notebook.