Enchantment of the Bow

Chapter Eight

"So, do you have anything you'd like to tell me?" Kaladin asks, his booming voice echoing through the trees. We stopped for a few hours for the night, and he had taken me aside, out of earshot of the others.

Jedediah had sent me a look of encouragement before I was dragged away. I fold my arms and glance up at him. "Alright, I'm in trouble with the law. So what?"

He furrows his brow and frowns. "As we all are." I think he is going to ask how then that the prince did not recognize me and take me in. But instead, he continues his questioning. "Do you know anything of this missing girl?"

I hold his gaze. "No."

He gives a skeptical look. "And what about that horse then, that beast? You didn't steal him, did you?"

"I caught him." I say, giving the most simple answer I can. I am surprised that he accepts my confusing replies.

He folds his arms formidably and looks down at me with ice blue eyes. "If you are on my team now, you will have to be honest with me. I need to know that I can trust you."

"You can. So long as you don't expect me to tell you everything about my past, because I won't. Just know that you can trust me, and that I am the hardest worker you have ever met."

He almost smiles. "We'll see. You start tomorrow, so rest that shoulder up, boy."

I nod. "Yes, sir." I am so relieved that he took his questions as I answered them, instead of prying. I am not sure I have the strength to fight again today.

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My head is snapped to the side as someone's fist collides with my face. Birds sing in the trees and light filters through the canopy onto the pine needles, warming me while I lay face down in the dirt. I push myself up on my forearms, and spit blood while rolling out of the way before I can be pushed back down again.

Adolin stands above me, Jed, Syl and Kaladin watching a few yards away as I quarrel with him. He comes at me with his closed fist once again, but I duck just in time to move behind him and I throw my own, hitting him somewhere on his jaw.

I move out of the way quickly, so he cannot hit me as he flies around angrily. Because I am so small, I can move faster than anyone else here, including Syl, as I am lighter than she is. I have to persuade Lasreal to stay where he is by the tree line and not intervene. He hadn't been as angry yesterday when I fought, because he knew that Jedediah isn't a threat to me. But Adolin? Let's say that this is an honest fist fight.

Kaladin had us take off our belts and lay our weapons down so we wouldn't kill each other, and he thought it would be a good idea to have us fight our issues out so we would be a better team once they are resolved. Fat chance of that.

Adolin charges at me, aiming for my waist to knock me down. I waited for him to get closer to me before I crouch down, push off the ground and launch myself into his gut. He falls back with a thud in the dirt, and I straddle him to punch him a few times in the face.

His head rolls to the side and I climb off when he stops moving. I thought that he passed out, but of course, he wants me to think that. Silly me. He grabs a fistful of my shirt and drags me back down, throwing me to the ground and hitting me once in the jaw.

I raise my forearms to block the rest of his punches, managing to kick him as well. This seems to piss him off, and his blows rain down harder on my arms. "You stupid Short arse! I'll rip your fecking head off!"

I can't help but laugh through the pain, despite the slick blood running down my nose, lip and eyebrow, and my eyelid is nearly swelling shut. I really am a ballsy arse. Now I can see why I infuriate him, because he's the one who is normally the person to laugh at pain and danger. I learned this from Jed as we fell asleep last night, so that is why he has a problem with me.