DisPLACEd: Beginnings

Chapter Sixteen

Corbin led the group to the infirmary tent. The tournament had been a particularly brutal one. Men lay injured outside with only a thin sheet beneath them. Bandages made from torn clothes dressed their wounds.

Ryan emerged from the tent, his dented armour dragging behind him. He saw the group and grinned. "Hey guys."

"What happened?" Eric asked.

"Not much. They asked me if I could walk and I could, so they let me go," Ryan said.

"You're kidding me?" Aadita shook her head.

"Nope." Ryan forced a shrug, pain rippling down his torso. "I feel fine, don't worry about it."

"That's a nasty bruise," Reb said, pointing to his shoulder. His shirt had a rip on the collar, the fabric hanging low, leaving his deep purple bruise in clear view.

"I'm fine," he said again, lying.

Corbin chuckled and placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. "Takes more than that to knock ye down for good, doesn't it Your Grace?"

"Yep." Ryan winced.

"Do you think you're up for some training?" The old warrior asked. "The melee is two days away and ye need yer practise."

"I could practise with you," Reb offered Ryan.

"You?" Corbin chuckled. "No woman can wield a sword like a warrior. Nor should they."

Corbin led Ryan towards the training camp. Reb shook her head and stormed off in the other direction, disappearing into the crowd.

"What happened to not splitting up?" Eric asked.

"I think we're way past that." Harley said. "And on that note, I'm going to go look around."

"I'll come with you," Jake followed.

"But-" Eric began.

"Eric, where's the fun in staying put? We're in the freaking middle ages! I'm going to explore." Harley threaded her arm through Jake's and they were gone in seconds.

Eric turned to Aadita and shrugged. "You want to look around with me?"

"I have to get to Eugene's. I want to see how Henry's going," Aadita said. "Sorry."

She left Eric by himself. He looked around with no idea what to do. With a sigh, he began to walk back to their tent.

Eric scuffed his feet, his hands in his pockets. They had agreed not to split up and yet he was returning to their tent alone. He peeled back the flap, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the darkness. A rasp of metal brought his head up. A knight in full armour stood before him, sword drawn, visor closed. Eric was taken aback, shocked by the scene in front of him. He searched the room to find the servants were nowhere to be seen.

"Ryan is that you?"

The knight said nothing.

"I'm going to assume not," Eric said. "Ah...can I help you?"

The knight was still silent.

"Were you looking for someone? If you're looking for Ry-Prince David, he's with Sir Corbin," Eric continued.

The knight relaxed and took off the disguising helmet. Shiny brown hair unravelled from beneath and Reb looked at Eric a little bashfully.

"What are you doing?" He exclaimed. "Why are you in Ryan's melee suit?"

"Shhh, keep your voice down," Reb rushed over to him to shut him up.

"What are you doing?" Eric asked again, this time quieter.

"I'm..." Reb began. Eric waited for her response. "I'm going to compete in the melee."

"What?" He yelled.

"Shut up," Reb said, covering his mouth with her gloved hand.

He stepped back from her hold. "You can't. This isn't a joke, Reb. You could get killed."

"I'll be fine." She dismissed him.

"How are you even going to get in?"

"I'll sneak in before the melee begins. No one is going to notice another knight in the crowd," she explained.

"No, you can't," Eric said, crossing his arms. "Not only is this not a joke, women are strictly forbidden to compete in the melee."

"Forbidden. What a load of-"

"Reb!" Eric cut her off. "Stop."

"I don't expect you to understand," Reb said.

"There's nothing to understand. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Reb squirmed like she did every time Eric showed any kind of compassion or affection.

He felt her withdraw from him. "None of us do," Eric added, hoping it would break the tension.

"You can't tell the others," Reb said, panicked.

"I-"

"No, 'I' nothing. You can't tell them, promise me!" Reb begged.

Eric didn't know what to say. He looked at her, concern in his eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that," Reb said.

"You better take that suit off before someone comes and finds you," Eric relented.

Reb nodded before disappearing behind the dividers to get changed.

Jake and Harley dawdled among the market stalls within the castle walls. Harley paused at every shop, lifting up every piece of jewellery and running her fingers over every silk scarf. Jake dragged his feet, not much of a shopper. He enjoyed watching her, in awe at how wonderful she found everything. He was surprised that he'd started to like Harley so quickly. They were so different, yet there was something about her.

A sales woman walked over to them as Harley was admiring a beautiful blue and red opal encrusted into a silver pendant.

"That there is Dragon's Breath opal. The stone is said to offer ye protection from all the evils that walk this world," the lady said.

Harley's mind drifted to Haviland, absentmindedly rubbing her wrist where he had hurt her. She shuddered and tried to shake the thought of him from her mind.

"It's beautiful." Harley smiled at the saleswoman. "Do you make them yourself?"

"Aye milady," she said.

"Wow, they must take you forever to do. The metal work is so intricate," Harley gushed.

"Not forever milady." The woman frowned at the strange statement. "Maybe a day for each piece."

"They really are amazing." Harley placed the piece of jewellery back where she found it. She ran her fingers over the stone one last time before moving onto the next stall.

Jake stared down at the necklace. He looked to see if Harley was watching. When he was certain she wasn't, he moved closer to the saleswoman. "How much is the necklace?"

"Twenty pounds," the woman informed.

Jake pulled a small hessian sack out of his pocket. Malcolm had given him some money for his advice. Even though Jake refused the coins, Malcolm had insisted. He opened the pouch and pulled out the money, handing it to the woman.

She picked up the necklace and gave it to Jake, smiling from ear to ear. "Ye fancy her," the saleswoman sang.

Jake blushed. He smiled at the woman and put the necklace in his pocket. "Thank you," he said, and rushed to catch up to Harley.

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