Dark Redemption (On Hold)

Chapter 3

          Ezekiel and I have been traveling together for exactly two days, seventeen hours, and thirty-four minutes. The first day spent with me attempting to teach him how to hold a sword. The second day, I tried teaching him fighting stances with a stick. Both days ended with me aggravated and he severely bruised. Today I d fixed to try something a little different. I would build up his strength through physical training first then I would slowly build onto it with more tactical training.

          Today's training went far smoother than the two previous days, there is still much work to be done but at we are making progress. I sigh and wipe the sweat from my brow and glance at Ezekiel who is still lying face down in the dirt as if I had killed him. Rolling my eyes I nudge his side with the toe of my boot. He jumps and looks at me curiously before I stand and offer my hand to him. As he takes it I help him stand and grab our gear before heading back towards the abandoned cottage in which we are currently staying.

          Ezekiel has become much more comfortable around me although there are still moments when he forgets that I am a friend and not an enemy. Although he has his own demons to battle I suppose. I sit on my makeshift cot and watch as he quite ungracefully flops onto his own. I chuckle, a sound that has not left my lips since the last time I had seen my precious daughter. The sound seems to not only shock myself but the boy as well. I scowl and stand quickly to leave the room. It agitated me knowing that the walls that took me so long to build were starting to weaken.

          Sitting at the tavern I visited not long before I had taken the boy in. The bar tender smiles warmly at me and peppered a drink. She walks up and sets a pint of mead in front of me. "And don't even think about trying to pay this time mister, it's on the house." She winked before heading back to the bar to continue serving drinks. I look over at the entrance as a tall lithe figure walks in. I notice immediately it was a woman by her gate. I raise a brow at what a woman would be doing in such an establishment. I ignore her and finish my drink before leaving.

          Ezekiel's fourth day of training went fairly well. He seemed to be learning the movements rather quickly which was a good thing. I didn't know when the next assassin would come after me. The woman in the bar yesterday could've easily been sent to find me. I run my fingers through my long knotted hair and growl. Standing I hand Ezekiel my dagger, "Cut it off, all of it except for the braids." I command as he looks at me rather surprised by my actions but he listened all the same.

          I stare into the cracked mirror to see my clean shaven face and short hair. I looked like I was still in the military serving as general, only older. I touch my braids and frown. Ezekiel had trimmed around them but left them alone as I instructed, although he had offered to re-braid them for me. I declined; I wanted them left untouched, especially the one that my daughter had braided. I sighed and put on my shirt again before returning to Ezekiel who was cleaning my dagger of the red hair.

          I had settled for leaving my cloak with Ezekiel as I once again visited the tavern. I needed to check up on the woman from the day before. Forty-tree minutes after I had sat down the same woman from the day before had entered. This time I was able to see her hair which caused me to choke on my drink. In all my years I had only seen people from my home land with such a hair color. I needed to know why she was here. I stand and silently move towards her, she must have felt my movement or seen my shadow, as she spun around and held a blade to my throat. When I saw her face I wasn't sure if it was her pushing the blade against my throat or her identity that stole my breath from me.

          Here I sit in a run-down tavern speaking to none other than my precious Saraphina. She had grown into such a beautiful young woman and I could only help but wonder what had happened to her. Still I did not give away my identity; I simply stated that only Celtic peoples shared our hair color. She watched me wearily and kept her hand on her dagger. I had only been speaking with her for about, "Fifteen." I hear her mutter the amount of time we've been talking quietly and all I can think is "She is definitely my daughter". I must have been staring because she narrowed her eyes at me and growled. "What are you staring at?" I blink and shake my head before downing the last of my lead. "You know Sara; you could be a little nicer to your father."I say before standing and leaving.

A/N - I shall just leave you with this little cliff hanger.