Beyond All Doubt (In watty awards 2011!)

My father would be proud

On our journey, into the village woods I can’t help but stare at Jude, I don’t know why I was. He never sparked an interest in me before, I had known him since I was three, and he is four years older than me, so he was six when we met. We sometimes messed around, while my parents were in his father’s shop buying some bread; when a decent amount of money came in. My mother was great friends with his mother, so while they gossiped we would usually play hide and seek or it. Though that all ended when I was eight, his mother died of a disease and I hadn’t seen him since the day of his mother’s funeral.  He catches me glancing, and I can’t help but wonder if he remembers who I am.

“Do you know who I am?” I ask him, and mentally kick myself, as the words come out in a mocking tone.

“You’re Laura’s daughter right? Georgia?” I look at him, and smile shyly, he did remember and which I was grateful as this trip won’t be as awkward, but disappointed as well, because that means he will remember things; things I used to do as a child.

We walk along for a little bit longer in silence, when he turns round and asks – “How did you recognise me, back at the house?” I didn’t know what he was on about first, but then it clicked. I would have remembered if, everything else was piled on my shoulders.

“You’re eyes; there the same as you’re fathers, a creamy gold.” I say and a blush creeps up into my face, as I realise what I have just said. He smirks at me, and his eyes glisten.

“Still, not out of the habit of embarrassing yourself?” He says his voice ringing with amusement. The blush hardens, and I can feel the heat radiate of my face. He laughs a growl in his throat, while he ruffles my hair. “Oh, how I have missed you’re amusing company.” He laughs again to himself, as if he’s remembering all the times I made a fool of myself.

“It wasn’t that bad.” I snap to him, no one made me feel this way. I was so embarrassed, and I couldn’t keep it off my face.

“No, maybe you’re right. But there was that time, when you tripped over your own foot, Oh and there was that time, when you walked straight into a lamppost. Oh and let’s not forget that time, when you paraded round my house in the nude.” He says mocking me, his voice barely getting through the words without, trying to laugh.

“That last one never happened.” I say, the blush intensifying. Could that even be possible?

“I believe it is. I would remember it, as if it was yesterday; after all you were the first girl I ever saw naked.” He says, not bothered about his words. I couldn’t utter any words; the blush just kept getting worse.

He turns and looks at me, a goofy smile spread on his face, while his golden hair, falls into his golden eyes. He puts his hands on my red cheeks, and I sigh as his cold hands take away some of the heat they were projecting. He runs his thumb, back and forth under my eyes and I can’t help but notice, how it feels.

“Gessh Georgia, you’re so hot you could be on fire.” He says, mocking me again; I laugh too, knowing I have the perfect comeback, to finally end this ‘picking on Georgia’ session.

“I know, just look at me right?” I say with fake enthusiasm, as I use my hands to show of my body. His eyes follow my hands, and I can’t help but see they slow near my chest. I was never a cocky person, I didn’t believe in myself for that.

Jude, just grins his goofy grin again. Before continuing on our journey, and as we walk just a little bit further were in our zone. Well I think, I had never hunted in this part before, but I’m guessing this is our spot as Jude raises his hand to silent me. He scopes out the area quickly, before turning back to me.

“Okay, so we will each spread out in a two mile radius, and tries as catch as much as we can.” He says, his voice all business now, instead of the goofy kid he was.

“Were not going to have a sword fight?” I ask, my voice confused, but then I realise it might have been just me and my father who did that.

“Are you challenging me, to a sword fight, Ms. Welsh?” He says his voice, back to its childish self.

I blow air out of my mouth. “No, it’s just that I and my father always used to before hunting, but never mind.” I say smiling up at him, before I begin to walk off in the left direction.

“Scared you will lose?” He says, as I begin to walk off. I turn around and face him, a smirk on my face.

“Never.” I say in the same cocky voice, he uses. At this, he draws his sword and I draw mine, I walk up to him, bow slightly and attack quickly. He blocks it just as equally as my speed. He tries to swing for my hip, but I quickly defuse his blow, before he was anywhere near my body.

He grunts, as he thought he would get a hit. He swivels his blade, around his hand, using the distraction method, but I have been taught well, and I ignore his tactic. I lunge for his hard and sculptured chest, but he has also been taught well as his speed is impeccable, he defuses it. We go at it for a while, both of us aiming but than being blocked, I could see he was becoming tired and used this to my advantage. I lunge to his right, and I got to give it to him even though he wasn’t use to my agility, he went to block it as well as his first block. But his mind was in shut down, and he didn’t see my tactic coming. I was confusing him, I lunge for his left side, my real destination, and the right lunge was just a distraction. I blow his sword out of his hands, and hear it scatter across the autumn leaves. I quickly knock him down, so his body can’t race for his protection, I straddle him and point my sword at his chest.

I smile widely up at him, while he grunts something on the lines off, “Idiotic woman.”

“I got to hand it to you; you’re a flipping good sword fighter.” He says, even though I can tell he doesn’t want to admit he got beat by a girl. I can feel his hands on my thigh, and I can’t help but notice his hot and sweaty palms, burn through the thin material on my legs. I quickly get up from sitting on his body, and put my hand out to shake his, meaning the battle was over. He does so, and I smile proudly and annoyingly up him. He lets go quickly gathering his sword, and pocketing it. I pocket mine, as he says. “Make sure you go no further than the distance I have said. I can’t protect you from then on out.” He says before walking off in the opposite direction.

Why would he need to protect me? After a few seconds of thinking it over, I put it down to the fact as if I got into a fight about whose kill the animals were. I smile while; I walk and listen to the birds tweeting. Let’s go get me some kills.