Knights

Prologue-Chapter 4

~Prologue~

She runs though the forest, rain pouring down. She never seems to stop. She stumbles sometimes, but she always gets right back up and keeps running. It's always the same. But tonight, it's different.

Tonight, there's voices following her. Loud, angry voices. I call out for her in worry, but I can't even hear my own voice, and she doesn't notice me. She never has.

The rain flattens her black hair against pale face. She's never looked this scared before. And to be honest, I'm scared, too. It never changes. I've been having the same dream for almost a whole month, ever since I left home, but it's always been the same, until today. What changed? Did I do something wrong?

She stumbled and fell to the ground, and I saw something I had never noticed before. On the back of her cloak, there was a strange insignia. I was sure I had never seen it before, yet I got a sickening feeling just from looking at it.

When I pushed that out of my mind, I noticed something. She wasn't getting up this time. She looked to be in pain.

The voices approached quicker, and a metal clanking accompanied them, almost like armor.

I let out loud a yell, trying to warn her. I couldn't let her get caught. I just knew they would hurt her if they caught her. Whoever they were.

Once again, she couldn't hear me. The voices caught up to her and I got that sickening feeling again. They were wearing armor just like mine.

~Chapter One~

"Simon!"

I sit up in my bed, breathing quick. I close my eyes and try to focus, and to try and figure out what happened to her.

When I finally calm myself down, I open my eyes, and let out a yelp that sounds like a puppy when I see the angry man standing over me.

"Simon! Get up, we have training to do!" He barks, then turns and walks away, his armor clanking.

I jump out of bed and salute, then run around the tent and struggle to get into my armor. It's been like this every day. I'm always the last one to get to the training arena. And thus, the first to train. And inevitably, the first to get laughed at. But I can't give up. It'll get easier. I'll get used to it and I'll get stronger. Then I'll make friends. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll learn to be brave.

I fasten my armor and strap my sword on, and run out.

-*-

My arms ache from all the training. I look around at the other knights, laughing with each other and eating their lamb. A part of me wants to just walk over to them and join in, but I'm too scared. They'll probably just ignore me, or joke about my embarrassing encounter with the training dummy earlier.

I look down at my untouched food. I don't think I'll ever be a knight. I'm so far behind the others already. I wish I could just give up and go back home. But then I'd have to face my father and tell him that it was too much for me, and I would have failed my sister. I can't do that. Not after what happened all those years ago...

"You're getting better." I look up at the man in front of me, and slump.

"You don't have to lie to make me feel better, Asher." I shake my head and heave a sigh.

"I'm not! You've worked hard and you're doing good. Sure, you aren't at the skill level of the rest of us, but you've improved a lot since you first came. It's nothing to belittle."

I sigh once more and thank him, and then go quiet, looking down at my food again.

When I open my mouth to speak, Asher was gone. I let out a small chuckle when I see that he was with the other knights, doing exactly what I had intended to do earlier.