A Faithful Choice

Chapter Twenty-Six

 Matt left a note at Abigail's house. He had to go find Jacob Douglas before he killed someone else. Miss Isabel Geoffrey was the last person he would ever kill. Matt would see to that.
He saddled up Midnight, his new favourite horse, and galloped off. He had worn his knight's hunting clothes so that he could easily leave. He had his knife strapped to his thigh and sword sheathed on his back. One could simply say that he was readying himself for an intense hunt.
It was true.

Matt rode through the marketplace at dusk. He'd taken the long route from the lord's castle to the market. The light was fading and he could see some people throwing him dirty looks. He'd known these people all his life.

He searched the area and heard the steady pounding of hooves hitting the dirt. Too many hooves. An army.

Midnight bolted and reared. Matt managed to stay on, but he heard the hoof beats grow louder. He grimaced. The hoofbeats were nearly up to him. He could see faces. He knew some of these people.

"I demand to see your leader!"
Jacob Douglas rode forward, his chest puffed out in confidence. He knew Matt could not defeat his whole army and still kill him.

"Well, well. If it isn't our little hero. Aren't you supposed to be training or harvesting wheat, peasant?"
"What do you want?"
Douglas's expression turned sour. "I'll give you two options. One, you can surrender, or two, we can fight."
Matt yelled, "Fight me!" He drew his knife and Douglas pulled his dagger. Matt hardly knew how to properly fight using a knife, so he had decided to allow Jacob Douglas to disarm him so that he could use his sword. He knew how to use a sword.

Douglas jumped down from his horse. Matt did the same. They parried and Douglas disarmed him easily. He did not know about the sword.

Matt unsheathed the sword. In the faint light, its silver colour almost glowed. Jacob Douglas took a small step back. He kept his dagger, which was a mistake. Matt cut off his ear with ease, and the older man fell to the ground. In pain, hurt and anger, he picked up and threw his dagger.

It hit Matt right in the stomach.

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Abigail decided to head home and read a good novel. She had received Matt's note a few minutes prior to that moment and had decided that he was going to be fine. Abigail knew Matt's job could be hard and bad, but it wasn't the worst possible thing ever.

While she was reading a book called "Four Different Dreams", she heard a thump coming from downstairs. She ignored it, thinking it was one of the Chiffent's. When she heard a distinct moan, she set the book aside and ran downstairs. What she came upon scared her.

In front of her eyes, lay Matt, a wound in his stomach gushing everywhere. She screamed, and Matt awoke.

"Matt, I'm going to get Sara. She'll fix you up, no problem, okay?"
He moaned again and tried to nod. The pain would be too intense. Abigail decided last-minute to wrap a few layers of cloth around the wound.

When Sara arrived, she had the same reaction Abi had. She took notice of the makeshift bandage and removed it. The blood had started to dry and began flowing again.
"Abigail, would you deny him anything?"
"'Tis not a question, Sara."
"Would you go back to the castle just to save him? To give them your name?"
"I'll go back, but I will never tell the king my real name. I'll go under as Samantha. Sara, Matt is one of the duke's knights."

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

Matt listened to the girls bicker. It seemed that they were trying to decide the best way to get him to Clocksworth Castle without hurting him further.