Knighterella

Chapter Seven

We rode out that night, not waiting for the Knights to be ready just like Adam wanted. Nate rode between and somewhat in front of Adam and I, for neither of us trusted him since he appeared out of no where on the night that the Bandit King's men attacked. Adam is mourning the loss of his father, so I do not speak. I feel the need to stop and start practicing with my sword to relax and release the anger building inside me, but we decided to ride until our horses were tired. Nate did not speak, only giving us a headsup about the direction we were going. Finally, while the sun was starting to rise, I sped up slightly and asked him the question that was burning in my mind.

"So, how do you know where the camp is?"

"I live in that little village by the lake. Pascal the Rascal sends his bandits and the maidens that live in his camp there to shop and trade." I remember the woman that attacked me in the alley, telling me not to look for the Bandit King. "I was a lad when I followed them one day, that giant that tried to attack you at the Ball caught me and took me to the Bandit King's second in command. I never saw Pascal the Rascal, but he told his second in command to take me home and let my mother know that I was out in the woods. I was punished by my father for going out in the woods after being told not to."

"How do you know they're still around the lake?"

"Because they still go ino the town to shop and trade. During the winter, they move more south towards the ocean. Or, that's what everyone figures since there isn't any sign of them during the fall and winter." He shrugs. "But its still warm enough for them to stay around the lake." I nod.

I stay up beside him for awhile, watching him out of the corner of my eye. His face is relaxed, his eyes staight ahead, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was watching me too. I still have a feeling I've seen his ees before, but I can't remember where. Finally, I fall back beside Adam. He still has no spoken. I hear the sound of a creek by the time the sun was about to set, we had rode all day.

"We should stop, water the horses and eat." Adam nods, Nate not saying anything.

I dismount, leading Vivian to the creek a little ways away. She drinks the water, then nibles on some grass. I pull my sword out and start to practice on a tree, going at it freely until I'm breathing hard and my stomach grumbles to remind me I hadn't ate all day. I lead Vivan back to the small camp Adam and Nate put together. Adam took his and Nate's horse to the creek and I tied Vivan to a tree where she could reach all the grass she wanted. I sit down beside the small campfire Nate's feeding and keeping alive.

"So, Cinderella." I look at him. "What made you want to be a Knight?" He watches the fire, as if it's a circus bear about to do a flip.

"I've always been different. I wore boys' clothes when I was a child, hating dresses and make up and jewerly. My mother was worried at first, then accepted it. My father took longer to get used to his little girl dressing as a boy."

"Why did your mother accept it?"

"My mother was a strange woman... Before she married my father, she was in a band of Gypsies." I smile to myself, looking at the fire and imagine seeing my mother dancing in one of her old outifts that she saved. My father and I laughing at how silly she looks after a long day. "Her mother, I never meet her, but she was supposedly the leader of the band of Gypsies and could have visions in her dreams that came true. My mother told me that one of those visions was of her early death, and of me being a boy." I nearly laugh. "She thought that Grammy meant I was going to be a boy, so she was all set to have a baby boy. When I was born a girl, my mother was dumbfounded. That is, until I dressed as a boy and played swords with Adam and our friends. She had a good laugh, but I never understood why until she was on her...." I sigh, the imagine in my head changing to my mother's pale face with the covers pulled to her chin. "death bed." I whisper. The wind blows and I shiver.