July 25, 1345.
Radnor Forest,
North Walsham,
The Kingdom of Myknos.
Lady Odeya Katarina Black
Sounds of battle in the air brought the lone rider to a halt below an old iron wood tree. The sounds came from the meadow downhill tickling her curiosity to observe the scene.
The forest itself held its breath as if the spectacle below was one that determined the fate of the world. No birds could be heard singing their lively tunes and the crickets, these woods were famous for, remained silent.
She loved watching men in combat as there was a feeling that she got from seeing the dance of the feet of the soldiers, the sounds of the clashing swords and the determination on the faces of both men, that could be likened to that experienced by an opium addict.
The rider was but eighteen summers old so she had never known real combat besides the training's from her father and brothers in arms so the chance of observing an actual battle was an opportunity that she couldn't afford to miss.
She dismounted her horse and pulled up her hood to hide her face. Then secured her mare, Zara, to the thick base of a tree loosely just to make her retreat, if the situation called for it, easier.
Attaching a row of throwing daggers to her belt and placing a dirk in her left boot, she felt slightly over prepared but one could never be too careful.
She then swung her bow and a quiver of arrows on her shoulder and walked stealthily towards the sounds of clashing steel and death cries.
As she got closer to the noise, she decided a slightly higher position would afford her a better view of the scene and then climbed a sturdy looking ironwood tree, with closely spaced branches.
Reaching a desired position from the ground, she tested the weight of a branch before placing her whole weight on it and prepared herself for the show.
To her surprise, she identified the Myknosian knights surrounded by a horde of bandits who looked shabby in their blackened chainmail and cracked boiled leather chest plates when compared to the glistening steel armor donned by the Kings men.
She noted the other soldiers scattered around the marshy forest floors engaging in a battle for their lives and losing terribly if her opinion was anything to go by.
Another banner hung off the poles but she overlooked it, trying to make sense of the battle before her. It was clearly an ambush but none of it made any sense to her as bandits would never attack anyone who rode under the kings' banner and they certainly would not challenge the knights. Unless? No. He would not do that.
She looked closely at the knights hoping she would not see the prince but, as fate would have it, she could see a figure in the middle of the ring of knights held back by one of the knights and he had an arrow sticking out of his arm.
She could not believe that her own father would betray her like this. From the looks of things, the prince would be dead before she would get to him and she could not let her only window of saving her mother pass by.
The bandits attacked again and the knights, outnumbered ten to one, fought hard to protect their prince.
The prince in question, broke out from the ring and immediately took out the three people who attacked him using his left hand.
'Impressive.' She thought.
She had heard of his skill in battle but she had only half-heartedly believed that he was no more than an over privileged brat like the sons of lords she had met before. As she watched him dodge a fatal strike to his head with feline grace, her breath hitched in her chest and her heart started to beat an unsteady rhythm.
YOU ARE READING
A Kings Surrender
Historical Fiction"Oh really. I'd say you really enjoyed my visit." He said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He walked closer to her until she had to use her hand to stop him from crushing her against the wall. He bent his head and nipped a small line from her n...
