King's Guard

Chapter 3

        The walk took us about three days to reach the next city, because we stopped often to rest and to eat from our meager stores. To make sure there was no more danger heading our way, I set up scouters all around us. I sent two scouts, lithe and strong, forward to scout ahead for any dangers, and two more scouts behind us to make sure no one is following scouts would switch out every two miles, or when I felt the need to call them back for a break, which was not often, but that was because we needed to get to the next town. Our walk was un-disturbed by neither creature nor by man alike, and strangely, we didn't care for we were tired and irritated from the long trek to the next town. The distance between the King's Fortress and the next town was only twenty-five miles, but walking with a large group such as mine, was taxing and boring especially when we couldn't find any vehicles to help speed up the process.

        I was, especially irritated, because my bruised ribs were really throbbing with pain, and my patience was waning with the group and their constant whining. I was trying to hold in my irritation before I did something that I would regret, but as it was, luck was not on my side. I did have an altercation with one of the Nurses, that I had picked up from the last town after we stocked up on supplies, who had noticed that I was walking slower than the group and I was holding my ribs.

        At the next break stop, this female nurse came up to me and asked if I was okay. I said that I was fine, and hoped that should have ended the conversation, but she was determined to find out what was wrong with me.

"Tell me what is wrong, maybe I could help," she asked worriedly.

"Nothing is wrong. You should go back and rest with your group," and I tried to turn away when she grabbed my arm, and I flinched slightly.

"Don't turn away form me! I'm just trying to help!" The Nurse was yelling slightly, which caught the attention of everybody else in my merry band of mini-rebels. (sarcasm, I know, not helping).

"Calm down, you're scaring the children, and I don't need your help." I said calmly and slightly irritated at how this person thinks that she can order me around.

"I don't care about the children and..."

        I didn't let her finish that sentence, because I had slapped her in the face with enough force to knock her to the ground, but she stood firmly. She was stunned as I glared at her audacity to speak like that. The other children had closed their eyes and covered their ears, because they don't like to see me angry, and most of the time, I don't get angry. The other people had dropped their jaws, because during that six months time, they have not seen me mad or have any other form of negative expression other than annoyance. I guess when I left the Military, and took on the form of leader of my small band of rebels; I took on a more relaxed view of the days instead of the strict regime that I had before. I don't exactly slack off, but I don't exactly work to my full strength every day just like I used to back at the barracks. So, my attitude is nice most of the time, or when I'm feeling mischievous like I did with the platoon. So, when I do get mad, it doesn't last for a very long time, and I usually forget about the transaction until someone brings it up again.

        "Don't talk like that again in front of me nor in front of the other children again, or this will be the least of your problems, do you understand?" I growled out to the still stunned Nurse whom I still don't know the name of nor did I even want it.

        "I said, Do You Understand?!" I barked out louder than I needed to, because the whole group minus the children who were still covering their eyes and ears had jumped and shouted, "Yes, we understand." Even the Nurse had replied back, even though the answer was almost like autopilot, but I still got what I needed. When everyone shouted, did the children uncover their eyes and ears and look around to see if it was okay.

        "If you are all so rested, let's move out, and the sooner we get to the next town, the better off we will be." I smiled as the tension melted and how the energy and eagerness had returned to the group at the mention of the next town.

        I moved away from the Nurse, who still had a hold of me, and I ripped my arm away, and walked away to move to the front of the group. The town was just coming into view, and it looked so much like a mirage that I had to blink a lot to make sure that I wasn't being deceived. I wasn't, and it felt awesome.

        I was distracted by the relief of seeing the town that I almost missed the sound of running feet, and when I heard the sound coming closer did I whip around to notice a determined looking Nurse head in my direction. I raised my arms, defensively, but the only attack that came was in the form of hug, when the Nurse had slipped through my defenses. (Don't ask how she did it, because even I don't know). Her attack was like a glomp, actually, it really was a glomp, because she jumped when she was under my defense, and crashed me and her to the ground.

        I flinched violently, and grunted from the force from which she jumped to hug me. She heard it loud and clear. The group had heard it. Even the scouts heard it when they came back to switch out. SNAP! SNAP! Two!? Two of my ribs that were bruised had, now, become broken from the glomp that the Nurse had just done. I growled heavily down at the Nurse who was around my waist, and who just smiled smugly up at me.

        I fell back from the force of the hug/glomp and landed, heavily, on the ground behind me with the Nurse still attached to my waist. That Nurse really wanted for things to go her way, and now everyone else knew what I have been hiding for the last few days. Damn that Nurse for her persistence and stubborn pride.