knights academy

THE TEST OF HONOR

It's been two weeks since Angelina has started school and since her father has been gone. "One more time" Hunter stood calm and strait pushing Angelina to her breaking point "come at me again". Angelina was out of breath standing awkwardly because her bones hurt. "Are you going to stand there if thugs are attacking you. You just going to give up". Hunters hard facts pulled Angelina forward. Angelina ran at him at full speed, Hunter switched his legs bracing himself. Angelina hit the ground sliding between Hunter's legs. She quickly flipped around taking out his right leg, causing Hunter to fall down hard. Hunter gasped for breath on the dirt floor. Angelina jumped on Hunter's chest pinning him down. Hunter quickly released his arm punching Angelina in the gut and standing up. Angelina backed away catching her breath for a split second. " COME ON!" Hunter yelled at Angelina. Angelina caught her breath. Angelina ran towards Hunter who was wiping sweat away from his chin. Angelina jumped during a flip over him landing on his shoulders. She fell backward while holding onto his neck with all her strength. Both of them fell like trees onto the rocky ground. Angelina quickly scrambled around on top of Hunter using the last of her strength to kick him over on his stomach. Hunter rolled into a rock down the hill causing a cut to appear on his stomach. Angelina jogged down the hill to meet him. Hunter out of the way rolled just in time before Angelina could punch him in the back. In one swift kick on the legs, Angelina was on her back in pain. "I'm done no more please" she rolled around in pain holding her back. Hunter brushed off his shirt, rolled his eyes and helped her up " you're getting better at it. If you were facing a thug you might have won". They both laughed while gasping for the brisk air. "So since we don't have school tomorrow cause of the festival Can we go," Angelina said as they slowly walked back up the hill. Hunter looked at her in pure joy "yeah, we can go why not. You've worked hard so you can get a treat". "Sup girly" Luke jumped on her back and they both went down hitting the floor. "Ouch!". Angelina scrambled to stand up but, fell back down in exhaustion. "Man I'm sorry girly. I didn't know you were that weak" Luke laughed as he helped her up off the ground. "Hi, Angie" Strawberry ran out and hugged her "are you ok. You look tired". "I'm fine thanks" Angelina had to get help from Luke and Strawberry to get to the bench. Just then she heard a voice she thought she never thought she would hear. "hey Gorky" Angelina turned to Jacob standing in the doorway awkwardly. "Jacob. Are you ok" Angelina tried to stand to greet him but couldn't. "I'm in better shape then you" Jacob slowly walked in like a puppy whose owner was made at it. "Why did everyone get here before us?". North Star groaned. "We were hoping to be with the lady for a bit" South Star mimicked. The twins throw themselves on Jacob. Jacob braced his legs for the boys to lean against him. Jacob let out a sigh loud enough for everyone to hear and take pity on him. Nobody responded to the Jacobs despair. Angelina looked around in confusion "why is everyone here today". "I invited them to go to the festival with us. I thought it would be fun having the whole group with us" Grace pushed the twins off of Jacob and sat on the bench next to her. "sounds fun. Let's go" Angelina stood up brushing off the dust on her then smiled in approval.

All seven of them were at the festival. It was full of music, laughter, and love. Angelina loved the festival. She would come here with her dad all the time. "So my lady what do you wanna do" North Star was already checking out the town girls with his brother. Just then she heard a beautiful sound that was as lovely as her father's voice. She walked toward the sound to see a boy no older than Hunter. He was tall as a tree and he had blond hair that was cut short and he had light brown eyes. He swayed with the music like a tree in the summer wind. As she got closer to him he was playing a violin. The violin was beautiful it had a carving of a Heden tree (a Heden tree is a tree that is short but has colorful flowers that grow on it throughout the year the tree is rare now) the violin color was a dark red like a cherry in the shining sun. The boy stopped playing and gave a gentle smile words Angelina "you look like you've played a violin before". "I have. Your violin is beautiful and the song took my breath away" Angelina stood in amazement as the violin stole her would. The boy handed the violin to Angelina "play it". Angelina took the violin with great care watching as he gently sat down waiting for her to play. Angelina studied the violin with her hands placing in the right position on her hip. She put the violin in the play possession and closed her eyes playing the knight's honor song from memory. She played like she was breathing, moving up and down the fingerboard softly, the bow moving lightly and fast as she moved back and forth with her notes. Once she stopped playing she looked up to a crowd of people and in the front of the crowd clapping the loudest was North Star, South Star, Jacob, Hunter, Grace, Luke, and Strawberry. "That my lady was a gift from an angle," South Star said in amazement. "That was great gorky" Jacob smiled and clapped quietly. She turned to the boy sitting on the floor to give back the violin but the boy shook his head. "you take it. You give the violin honor more than I could have ever given it" he stood up "I have ten others I'm not going to miss it. But a war violin needs to be with knights instead of me (a war violin are special violins that knights would play when they would win a battle. But only special knights were chosen to play them) you could use it better than me so please take it". He grabbed the case and gave it to Angelina "can I at least know your name?". He turned to meet her gaze "I will tell you my name next time we meat until then you can call me Heden". He gave his last smile then disappearing into the crowd. "Hey girly do you like that mystery man" Luke took the case and started looking at it in interest. "No, he's not my type" Angelina snatched the case back for Luke and started to put the violin in it. "I've just never heard a violin sound so beautiful before and this war violin is worth more than my house and he just gave it to me" she zipped up the case and put it over her shoulder ."So, Angie how did you learn to play that song?" Strawberry stuck close to her listening to everything she said. "Well, my father knew how to play the violin. My father was also the one who would play the war violin after they won a battle and he taught me how to play the honor song. It's my favorite song to play" Angelina bit her lip trying to forget about her father. Everyone was totally​ memorized in her words. They stopped at a stand that sold academy luck necklaces. The boy laughed at how fake they were but, they bought one anyway. Angelina walked away when the boys weren't looking to have some time to herself. She looked around the stands and talked to old people and playing with kids. She felt normal like when she and her father would come here. She went to the old stands that she would go and see if they were still around. She talked to an old man who was friends with her father. "your father was a good man" the old man's raspy voice struggles to say. "What do you mean was a good man?" Angelina leaned in close to hear him over the crowd. "He used to be kind and caring but now he is rotten since the king took over him. I used to be his closest friend but he pushed me away and I haven't talked to him since" the old man walked away mumbling curse words at her father. Just then she got tackled to the grown and then thrown over someone's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. " I swear you're going to kill yourself one of these days" it was Grace "Hunter is going to punch you this time". Luke walked beside them "There you are girly. Grace I got her from here your really struggling holding her". Luke laughed at Grace then put Angelina over his shoulder. He made Angelina look a lot lighter then Grace did. "Can you carry the violin Grace?" Luke held out the case to Grace to grab. "Sure" Grace held the violin awkwardly because of its size. Luke hurried away and Grace was right behind him. "Hey, girly can you not wiggle so much it makes your butt jiggle and its wired" Luke was dead serious about it keeping his face forward. Angelina put her face down on Luke's back because it was a bright red like a fresh tomato. Angelina was so embarrassed that she tried to stay as still as she could.

Hunter was waiting for them at the house. Everyone else went home or to the school to practice. Luke dropped Angelina and smacked her back before leaving whispering in her ear "good luck with the monster over there. I'll tell everyone what happened if you don't come to school tomorrow". Luke chuckled walking out the door. Angelina turned to Hunter and Grace. "Grace leave now" Hunter said sternly. Grace didn't ask any questions or make any sounds, he walked out but before he left he told Hunter something in his ear. Hunter walked close to Angelina, Angelina walked back until she ran into the wall behind. Hunter grabbed her arm and lead her to his room. He opened the door and threw her on the bed. She looked around. It was her father's old studying room. "What are you thinking?" Hunter pinched his temples between his eyes. "You really are a dumb little girl. You just left without telling us where you were going" he looked at her sadly. "What if you were taken or worse beaten. I couldn't live with myself and I'm, not the only one who feels this way. Everyone was on a mad rush to find you" Hunter punched the wall next to him leaving a hole in it "from now on you are not allowed to leave without one of us with you". Hunter walked over to Angelina on the bed. "Stand up. It's time you get punished for your actions" Hunter looked down on the helpless Angelina. Angelina stood up slowly. As soon and she was straight Hunter punched her in the stomach leaving her breathless. She fell to the floor gasping for that dusty air. "This is your punishment for what you have done. Now leave and don't let me see you for the rest of the night". Hunter opened the door and forced her out. Angelina went to the kitchen for some water to wash down the rusty taste. Grace was in there reading a book eating blackberry jam and toast. He looked up and saw Angelina he placed the toast down and closed the book. Grave stood up slowly and hugged her tightly. After they sat at the table talking. "Do you know why he is the way is his with you" Grace looked like her father talking. "cause he's a mean boy" Angelina rubbed her sore stomach. Grace gave awkward smile when she said that "no. He is the way he is with you cause he lost his sister and mother cause he left to go to the knight's academy. He never came back. One day he got the news that his mother got murdered and his sister got drowned in a cave at high tide. Hunter thinks that if he was there then they would still be alive. I know this might not make sense to you. But I'm saying this because he doesn't want another person that he.........well.......how can I put this........we'll just go with likes, to leave him then die when he is not around" Grace held Angelina's hand. "I understand now" she stood up shaking. "I'm very tired. I'm going to go to bed" she gave a weak smile. "goodnight" Grace calmly said. Angelina walked out of the kitchen to her bedroom.

Hunter walked into the kitchen, Grace stood up and hugged him tightly "I know man its hard. Just give it time". Hunter hugged him tightly and left with no word. Grace sat alone in the empty, quiet kitchen "I'm sorry that it has come to this Hunter but I also...........