A Dark Knight

3. The Punishment

A large crowd swarmed around us as we entered Drogheda. Lord Ozzie, who was now wearing a red suit, ran out of Millmount towards us while putting on a red top hat. He screamed the order,  "Turn back! I think my daughters have been kidnapped!" The Cookie girls pulled their helmets off, "Father we're here!" they both yelled.

Lord Ozzie turned to them. A woman in the crowd who had just lost her son in the fight, shouted, "They disobeyed orders! Girls cannot fight! They must be executed!" A lot of other people in the crowd muttered in agreement. Lord Ozzie's face paled. I pulled my helmet off and stepped in front of the crowd. Ruth, Clara, Taylor, Kelsey, Charlie and Niall stepped up behind me. The muttering stopped instantly.

 "I also fought! I left this town along with Emma and Eve! Seven girls left and fought and all of us came back alive!" I announced. The crowd fell silent and I felt a bit uncomfortable. Charlie spoke up, "I also left when I wasn't picked. I watched these girls fight. They were better than most of the men on the field. If you executed any of them it would be a waste of good fighters!"

Lord Ozzie stood up beside us, I never realised that I was taller than him before. He then spoke. "Maybe they are! I won't execute them, but they will all spend a night in the dungeons. Including my own daughters! But, you're my jester and you just left! That is two laws broken!" 

I couldn't believe what was happening and I was just about to object when Niall, himself spoke up, "My Lord! Charlie is a good fighter! I had an idea."  They leaned in close and started whispering. I couldn't hear anything said but in the end Lord Ozzie lifted his head and Niall smiled triumphantly.  "Mr. Cullen here just suggested that we form a squadron consisting these girls, Mr. Kench and himself so that if they fight it is not illegal, but it is their own fault if the are killed... Does anyone object?" No one said a word. I thought this was a pretty good idea, we could continue our mission. "Good!" he announced. "Now these girls and Mr.Kench will all spend a night in the dungeons because the law was formed after the incident."

Once the crowd left, we were led to the dungeons and Niall was sent home. The cells were cold, dark and underground. We were put into a cell each and Emma and Eve shuddered and shivered. "Is this how peasants live? In a...cell?" asked Eve and Emma nodded in agreement. I answered, "No. We may have harder lives than you but we don't live in a cold, dark space. My house is wooden and is quite cosy I think." Ruth, Taylor, Clara and Kelsey nodded. The two girls looked at us carefully. " Wow! I never thought I would ever say this but... you girls are actually quite skillful for people without many resources!" exclaimed Emma. I wasn't sure if that was an insult or not so I didn't reply.

"Do you all want to start training in the morning?" asked Kelsey. Everyone agreed. Emma and Eve said they could get a space to train.

I was quite happy that Niall was still safe and that my friends hadn't been executed for fighting. I was looking forward for the adventures that lay ahead.