Ancient Cardos: The Knight Life

Chapter 3: Training Gone Bad.

"Claire! Wake up!" Was all I can hear during my dream. It was one of those dreams where everything felt real. I forced my eyes open and woke up to see Darwin in his armor shaking me awake. He seemed really concerned which made me concerned. His eyes were wide open in fear.

"God's sake child, we are under attack. Get your gear on." I didn't question anything. I just nodded and tried not to panic. He was anxious and worried and I was half asleep. I didn't know what was happening so I took his word and stood out of my bed. I stumbled to my chest full of armor and started to gear up. I was still half asleep and Faldin was under attack or was I still dreaming? I really hoped I was dreaming.

I finally got geared up and was awake a little. Some things were foggy. Darwin was blurred out in my vision.

"You take forever to gear up." Darwin said in disappointment. He was sitting on a bench.

"I was asleep. I just woke up." I said back, annoyed. I had my shield and sword in hand. I am ready to fight.

"No excuses, when a kingdom is under attack, you must act fast. It took you several minutes to get ready and you are barely awake?" Darwin shook his head in disappointment and stood up from the bench while drawing his sword.

"Let's stop arguing and save the village" I said and pointed to the door. Well, close to it anyways. My vision was still blurry.

"What village? Faldin? The village you let burn because you were too slow to gear up for combat. The village you left to perish. No one is alive anymore. Not even Oliver because you took too long. Speed is everything, but so is patience. Knowing when to use the two is very important."

"So we are not under attack?" I whispered. Darwin shook his head no again. I dropped my sword and shield in annoyance, but I also felt bad hearing that Oliver was killed because I was slow. We were suppose to make stew, but it slipped my mind until just now.

"That was the first lesson. Oliver and I are going to be very harsh on you." Darwin opened the door to the wooden house and stepped out. "We start now!" He yelled.

I walked to the doorway and looked outside to see it was still night. Torches were lit nicely to see the field in front. "Great." I said to myself. "Had to be a fighter. Had to go for something big." I mocked myself as I went back to get my sword and shield off the floor.

I picked up my sword and shield and gripped them tightly. I was trying to find my focus. I took a deep breath and I went outside to train while half asleep and half not caring anymore. I saw Oliver and Darwin standing side by side. Oliver just had his shield and normal clothing on. His shield rested on his back still for some reason.

"Claire? Are you ready to become the first female knight? Darwin asked.

"I am."

"Will you ever slay a dragon when the time comes?" Oliver asks.

"Maybe?" I said.

"Maybe?" Darwin questioned. "There is no maybe. It's a knight's duty to slay a threat when or if it comes. There is no maybe. There is however, 'I will' . Now say it."

"I will slay a dragon." I said half sure of myself.

"With confidence girl, with confidence." Oliver joined in on bashing me. "You are not scared are you?" Oliver said pulling his shield off his back.

"No i'm not." I raised my sword and shield in defense. "Then say it." He said again. "I will slay a dragon!" I yelled it at him and meant it. I wanted to kill the dragon that attacked Waltendale. They were getting me fired up.

"Then strike me down." Oliver said in a calm tone holding out his shield. He's an older man, with one blow, I could blow out his knees. I still swung upward at Oliver and he blocked my attack then used his other arm, and caught my arm? What?

I looked closer to see he strapped his shield on his nub arm which was his left arm. Clever old man. I broke his grip and swung downward to only be blocked again. Then the shield was bashed forward into my head and I fell over to the ground with a new pounding headache. Those scales hurt and they cut my forehead just above my right eye.

"Get up little girl, the dragon would have aten you by now." I put my hand up to my head over the spot where I was hit. It was bleeding just a little. My vision was a little wobbly and it was just not my night.

I stayed on the ground staring at the dirt turning red with each drop of blood from my head. Each drop was like a minute to me, but only seconds in real time.

"Darwin, she already gave up. She can't handle being a knight." I heard Oliver's feet turn around and I saw a stick on the ground. I switched from my sword to a stick and I got up and shoved the stick to his back in a quick motion. I nearly lost my footing doing it.

"Never turn your back on the enemy." I said. I even smiled saying it. Darwin laughed and clapped. "She beat you at your own game." Darwin said to Oliver and Oliver stood there confused.

"What? The fight was over." Oliver cried out like a little boy. "But was the enemy dead, Sir Oliver?" I questioned him and kept the stick at his back. "I could have used my sword, but you wouldn't be breathing." I dropped the stick and went and picked up my sword.

Darwin had a huge smile on his face. As for Oliver he was still a bit upset that I got him off guard. It was a bit un fair, but are the enemies always going to be fair? I put my sword back in my sheathe. "Lets go make stew." Darwin said. Me and Oliver agreed and that was that.

We went back to Oliver's cabin and started making stew. It was still dark outside and we put out the torches. We finished making the hot and steaming stew and started eating it. Darwin started to speak mid chew.

"Training is not over yet Claire, be ready for anything." He smiled and kept eating and I only got worried. I forgot that my head was bleeding earlier because it stopped quickly. I could feel the dried up blood above my right eye.

We finished eating in silence and placed the bowls of stew on the wood counter.

"So whats next?" I said. I was anxious to get back to training after defeating Oliver with a stick. I felt like I could take on some real knights.

"Give it a minute." Darwin said and he left the cabin to me and Oliver. "Should I be concerned?" I asked Oliver. G

"No, I think I should be concerned." As he finished speaking the door flew open and a couple of knights walked in with Darwin leading them.

"There she is, you may proceed to kill her."

The knights charged at me like bears, But i've killed a bear before. What would be the difference. That they are armored bears?

Oliver stood in front of me with his shield out to hold back a few of them but others went around him, so I used my sword to break his window and I climbed out. I can see why he was the one to be concerned.

I got up from the ground and started running back to my cabin. The sun started to rise. I thought I was making great pace, but then Darwin caught up to me and shoved me down. I rolled over a few times and when I saw Darwin again he was lifting his sword to finish me. My sword was laying down a few feet away and I was laying on my back facing my death.

He started to swing downward, I rolled out of the way, and away from my sword like an idiot. It was a reflex roll I swear. Darwin noticed my mistake and he picked up my sword and held his own. The knights surrounded all around me with their swords drawn and the first light made sure I wasn't imagining it.

"Take her to the Faldin Jails." Darwin ordered. The knights picked me up and I tried to shove them off but Darwin came up to me with his dragon scaled shield and bashed it into my face until I fell asleep.