Thunderbolt of Laurels

Chapter 12- Just Some Trouble

I walk catch up to Char who's leaning against a tree waiting for me. "Finally. You took pretty long." I don't respond to him and keep walking. "Who is that guy anyway? You said his name is Merlin right? Kind of like from the Fearless Seven."
"Yep. Kind of like that."
"Hmm. . .so who is he?"
"An old friend."
"'Friend' sure. Still can't believe you'd ditch me for an ogre."
"He's not an ogre."
"Troll, ogre, sometimes I can't tell." We reach Char's men who have camped out in a small clearing. The horses are tied to a large tree. "Okay, wrap up what you're doing everyone. We're heading out," Char calls. His men start packing up the items in the camp and after a few short moments, they're ready to leave. Some men get on their horses while others start travelling by foot. I look back to where I once was, with Merlin. I'll see him soon, but not soon enough.

"Eira," Char calls. I turn around. "I've been calling you. Let's go."
"Alright." I look back one more time and head over to the horse they brought for me. Char offers his hand to help me get on but I shake it off. "It's fine. I got it." I get onto the horse with ease. Char gets on his.
"Mush!" he yells. Everyone starts travelling north. "Can't wait to get back home."
"You call it home now?" I ask.
"I mean, it will be." He winks at me. Home. We're heading home, but why does it really seem like the opposite.

We've been traveling for a while now and I can't seem to get Merlin out of my mind. Char has been going on and on about. . .who knows what. I haven't been listening but he hasn't noticed. I've only been thinking of Merlin. Which guilts me a little as I travel beside my betrothed. He can't have feeling for me, right? Our entire lives, all we've known is each other, and that we are supposedly to be married. However, if he has a choice, would he choose something else? Like me?

I can't ask him that. He's never felt love like this. But what if he's pondered this before. "EIRA!"

"What?" I shake out of my thoughts and turn to Char.
"You stopped. Let's go!" Char says.
"Right. Char, if you could choose your future, what would it look like?"
"What? There's only one future for me, for you. Our future is north."
"I know, that's what we've been told, but if you really got to choose, would you choose me? Would you choose my kingdom?"

Before he gets the chance to reply something flies in front of my face. "It's an ambush!" a soldier calls. All around me are men fighting each other with swords. Everything happens so fast and next thing I see is Char hauling my horse to follow him. But I can help I just need my arrows. . .
Where are my arrows? Wait, where's my bow? I didn't bring them with me. I take control of my horse and stop him. "We can't leave them here, we have to help. You're good with a sword, I'm not horrible-"
"No, we're leaving. We have to get you home safe."
"I can fend for myself."
"Eira, stop being so stubborn. We're going." Char hits the back of the horse and he starts taking off.
"Woah, horsey stop!" I yell, but the horse keeps running and running until a rebel comes with his own horse and surprises mine, causing him to rear, sending me to the floor, hard. I daze out from the sudden impact but when my senses come back there's a man right in front of me, smiling widely.
"You're a pretty princess aren't you? Our prince is gonna love you. And we'll get paid handsomely." What in the world does he mean by that?
"No, you won't."
He chuckles. "We'll see about that," he says. He grabs my arm to pick me off of the ground with great force. For a second I thought my shoulder was gonna pop out of place.
"Let go!" I yell as I try to get out of his grasp but his grip is strong. I kick his abdomen as hard as I can sending him back by surprise as he lets go. I run through the forest calling the guards and Char but no one responds. I have no idea how far away from them I am but I have to get away from that man.

One of the soldiers lays unconscious on the ground so I take his sword, he won't need it right now and I'll give it back to him once I'm done. I just need protection. Thankfully, Char taught me a little on sword fighting. I mean it was fencing but good enough. I run through the forest, weapon in my hand which is actually quite heavy, until I run into a group of men. . .not the royal soldiers. Uh oh. They're  distracted fighting the soldiers I guess so they haven't seen me yet. I slowly and quietly walk back.

Snap!

The most cliché thing to happen, happens. Right when the stick snaps, one rebel turns his head to me. "Uh, so I'm gonna go," I say. He starts running after me as I take off. This sword isn't helping me run so I have two options; keep running and ditch the sword or stay and fight. I choose the latter. I brace myself for the oncoming rebel. I can do this. I see his head pop out from the forest, then his body getting closer and closer. I run to him and yield my sword. He does the same. Our swords clang at the force we put on to them. I fight him, one on one, trying to hit him at any open spot but he keeps blocking my attacks. He's good. Too good. He almost nicks me a few times but I manage to get out of the way. I'm not going to be able to overpower him. . .but I have to try.

I punch him in the stomach, sending him back. That seems to work well. He gets back on his feet, his sword pointing straight at me as he charges. Just on time, I swerve and use my sword to push his sword out of the way. Phew. He comes back at me and kicks me hard. I get sent back hitting a tree behind me. The impact knocks the sword out of my hand. No, no. I've gotta get a grip of myself before he-

A flash of blue emits in front of me and the man drops. Blue flash? That can only mean. . .
"Alaura?" a voice calls.
"Merlin!" There he is, running towards me. My bow on his back. I get up and clumsily run to him, falling in front of him. He helps me up. "Why? How? How did you know?"
"At first I noticed you left your bow. . .then I heard commotion in the forest. I had to be sure that you were okay," he says.
"I am now."
"What happened to 'this princess doesn't need any saving?'" he teases.
"Well maybe every now and then."
"There she is!" someone calls. Suddenly, a group of rebels surround us, each having a sword in their hand.
"We get to fight side by side, how about that?" he says.
"Well, that's something we haven't tried."
"Two against however many guys are here. The odds are against us."
"I'm killer with a bow and you can shock a battalion. I think the odds are against them."