by D. C. Gomez
Thunder and Sir Bertrant were getting a kick out of my suffering.
When Sageri came to visit, I was in the stable. She carried a large sack with her, and I almost chuckled. At times, Sageri was a walking contradiction. She could act so ladylike in some instances, but others she couldn’t wait to get her hands dirty.
The sack she carried worried me a little. I’d kind of become her guinea pig when it came to testing some of her potions and experiments.
“Are you all ready to go?” Sageri asked.
“Sure, why not?” It really didn’t make any difference if I was ready because we were doing this. I held two metal squares in front of me.
“Those are for sharpening swords,” Sageri explained as she demonstrated on my dagger.
“Are you serious? I have seen whetstones back home but never like this,” I told her as I analyzed my dagger. It was sharper than ever.
“Try not to cut your fingers off with it now,” Sageri joked.
“I will need to pay more attention to it, thanks.” I feared she was right. “I’m taking both of those; they are great.”
“I didn’t think you would be this excited to go battle a dragon,” Sageri told me.
“I’m not looking forward to that part. But I get to see the country and Sir Bertrant is in a better mood.” I grabbed the small shovel Sir Bertrant told me to pack and loaded it in my bag.
“That is true, and people have started to notice,” Sageri pointed out.
“Great.” If the word spread that he was back to normal, maybe some of the stigma he developed would disappear. “What’s in the sack?”
“Oh.” Sageri reached for her bag as she squealed with excitement, and my stomach dropped. “I got you a healing potion.”
I tilted my head to one side. “Is that like an extra life potion? So if I’m dying I will come back?”
“What you are talking about? This is to give you extra energy when you start feeling tired.” Sageri handed me a small bottle with a bluish bubbling liquid.
“Basically a Red Bull, great!” I told Sageri, faking excitement. Truthfully, her bag of goodies had lost all appeal. It was just a homemade energy drink.
“Once again, we are not talking the same language, are we?” Sageri asked.
“Probably not.” I pointed at her sack, which still appeared to be full. “What else is in the bag?”
A lot less excited, Sageri passed me the whole sack, dropping it in my arms. “I included some dry food, and special lotions to relieve insect bites, sunburn, and stomach aches.”
“Now I’m impressed. Thank you,” I told her, and she gave me an elaborate curtsy.
“No, I’m not changing my mind.” Sir Bertrant’s voice came from outside the stable.
Sageri and I both rushed to the door, where we found Sir Bertrant arguing with a splendid knight all in white. His armor glimmered in the light and he stood at least six feet six inches tall, towering over Sir Bertrant. I couldn’t see his face very well from our angle, but a few strands of red hair escaped his helmet. The stranger spoke softly to Sir Bertrant, who moved quickly towards the house.
“That was Sir William, the white knight,” Sageri whispered in my ear.
“Creative. If he decides to wear blue, will he change his name too?” I teased her and she poked me in the ribs with her elbow.
“You are not funny,” Sageri told me, trying to hold back a smile.
“Yes I am, and you know it,” I replied back.
“Maybe a little,” she admitted.
“Oh look, dreamy boy at three o’clock.” I lowered my voice.
“What does that mean?” Sageri asked, turning in circles.
“Julien, over there.” I pointed in his direction.
“Why didn’t you just say that?” Sageri asked when Julien noticed us staring.
“Not good.” It was too late to turn around. He was already walking towards us.
“Has anyone told you two how suspicious you look spying on people?” Julien asked, admiring the stable.
“Maybe the horses once or twice,” I replied.
Thunder and Lightning chuckled, and I prayed Julien was not privy to their communication.
“What are you doing here?” Sageri asked, changing the conversation.
“Sir William wanted to talk to Sir Bertrant before the contest.” Julien turned in the direction the knights had gone.
“Why?” I asked, straightening up.
“Sir William doesn’t think it’s a good idea for Sir Bertrant to go.” Julien met my eyes with a pointed stare.
Looking at him directly took my breath away, so I turned away to focus.
“Does he think it’s better to leave him here to drink himself to death?” I asked, glancing at the ground.
“I don’t agree with him,” Julien said quickly. “Sir Bertrant hasn’t been this lucid in years. This is the best I’ve seen Sir Bertrant in a long time. But my master has a point. Sir Bertrant is going to be facing a full-grown dragon and he hasn’t been to battle for quite some time.”
“Who cares?” Sageri jumped in. “You have plenty of fools who have never left the castle and are heading out as well.”
“You said it. Fools.” Julien was not giving up. “Those men are hoping to marry a lady as their reward. Sir Williams just wants his old friend back.”
“He is coming back, you will see,” I told him, trying to sound more confident than what I felt.
“I hope you are right. You are a strange page.” He got closer to me. I tried to back away but Sageri was in my way. “I can’t put my finger on it.”
“It’s the accent,” Sageri said quickly.
“Maybe.” Julien kept eyeing me. “Just be careful. The last page Sir Bertrant had died a mysterious death. Make sure you try to survive.”
“Thanks.” I swallowed hard.
“Are you going?” Sageri asked.
“Unfortunately, no. That’s why we are having the contest. We have too many threats against the kingdom and the knights can’t leave,” Julien answered, kicking some grass in front of him.
“Julien,” Sir William yelled.
“Duty calls. Good luck, Madison.” Julien took off at a sprint
“This could be really bad,” I told Sageri, fanning my face.
“True, but this could be really good, too,” Sageri said as Sir Bertrant walked towards us.
“Madison, we are doing this!” he exclaimed, not pausing as he continued past me, only stopping when he reached the horses.
“Well, that answers that question,” I told Sageri
“What question?” she asked.
“How convincing your white knight was?” I said, eyeing the backyard for more strange men. “Come on. I have tons to pack and I’m not very good at it. If I die on this trip, at least I should be prepared.”
“You and this dying thing. You are going to be fine.” Sageri pushed me inside, shaking her head.
Dying was not something I wanted to experience, but lately the situations I found myself in could easily lead me in that direction. I still wanted to make it back to New York City in one piece. First, we had to battle a dragon. No big deal. I prayed the drunken knight remembered enough of his training to keep us alive. That didn’t sound too hard, but I’d never seen a dragon so what did I know?
Dragging Sageri back to the stable, we started working. Worrying wouldn’t get the packing done, and that was my first priority.
Another day and I was up before dawn. What was wrong with the people in this world and being up before the sun? We were at the rally point on the outskirts of the city. It was dark and the landmarks were barely recognizable. The only thing clearly visible was the immense castle on the other side of the city. Whoever was responsible for keeping the lights on in that monstrosity was a busy person.
“Wake up,” Lightning commanded, speaking in my head.
“My bad. I’m up.” I straightened in the saddle.
“What?” Sir Bertrant asked, giving me a sideway
s glance.
“Nothing, I’m good,” I said softly, and Lightning giggled.
When did all these people arrive? Was I asleep for that long?
Riders surrounded us on all sides, and I did everything I could to avoid their stares.
“Madison, follow me,” Sir Bertrant told me as Thunder maneuvered his way out of the crowd.
Lightning did not wait for my instructions and followed his brother. Sir Bertrant found an empty corner away from the crowd and made himself comfortable. Lightning parked himself right next to his brother. The two horses could have been posing for a magazine, elegant and regal.
“Whatever happens, follow my lead only,” Sir Bertrant said in a low tone.
“That sounds ominous,” I replied.
“Not at all, just a small precaution.” Sir Bertrant saluted a few passing riders.
The riders returned the salute a beat too slow. Others refused to acknowledge us. The crowd went silent and I struggled to see what was happening in the front.
After a few minutes passed, a voice boomed, welcoming the men to the contest.
“Good old Captain Jean, always doing his duty,” Sir Bertrant said.
If Captain Jean was in charge of getting this madness going, he had better hurry up. Riders were sharpening swords around us. Others had arrows and bows they were playing with. This crowd was ready for blood.
Boom!
I jumped at least six inches. It was a blessing I was strapped in the saddle, or I would have fallen. I wanted to ask Sir Bertrant what had made the noise because it sounded like a canon, but I knew that wasn’t possible. Both horses laughed at my surprise. Based on the fact that everyone took off like bats out of hell, it was easy to assume that was the starting signal, and Sir Bertrant didn’t even blink at the sound.
“Shouldn’t we follow?” I asked, pointing at the hundreds of madmen flying by us.
“Nothing good ever comes from following the crowd,” Sir Bertrant told me, and I was inclined to agree with him.
“Do we just sit here and wait?” I asked as the last psychotic rider passed us, a wicked cackle thrown in our direction.
“Yes. I’m not interested in getting my coat muddy,” Thunder told me.
“Absolutely, why waste energy when we have all day,” Lightning added.
I wasn’t sure if the horses were brilliant or just lazy, but I didn’t argue.
“Time to go. Good day, Captain.” Sir Bertrant saluted the Captain as he passed by.
“Still up to your old tricks, Bertrant?” the Captain asked.
“Me? Never!” Sir Bertrant replied, bringing a hand to his chest in a dramatic gesture.
“Do bring your page back in one piece,” Captain Jean told him.
Was he trying to scare me or had that been a real warning? Either way, he didn’t amuse me one bit.
“Relax Madison, he is just trying to make you nervous,” Lightning communicated.
“How do you know I’m not relaxed?” I asked Lightning, pretending to pet his head.
“Because you keep squeezing my sides every time you get nervous. Granted, you are not very strong yet, but I can feel the change.” Lightning strolled past the line of guards. “Keep your head up and give them the greeting. Don’t let them know you are nervous.”
I took a deep breath and followed Lightning’s advice. I saluted the guards and never looked back.
“Thank you Lightning.” I rubbed his side and relaxed on the saddle.
It didn’t take us long to hit the main road into open terrain. The sun was finally shining when Sir Bertrant stopped at a fork in the road. Thunder faced towards the right and Sir Bertrant towards the left. Lightning and I joined them, not sure what we were watching for.
“Which way did the other riders go?” I asked.
“West,” replied Thunder.
“Which way is that?” I was in trouble if we were going to be using cardinal directions. I was in desperate need of a compass.
“To the right,” Lightning clarified.
“Thank you, Lightning. Why didn’t he just say that?” I asked him.
“He is showing off, and it’s Majesty Lightning, remember?” the horse told me, shaking his mane like a beauty queen.
“Of course, your Majesty,” I replied, and Thunder snickered.
I didn’t care; at least Lightning was being helpful. “Do we turn right?”
“Not at all” Sir Bertrant told me.
“Left?” I asked, staring at the lonely and destitute road.
“I heard rumors of missing girls and destroyed villages coming from the East,” Sir Bertrant told me.
“Rumors where?”
“At the tavern, where else?” Sir Bertrant replied, brushing his jacket.
“You mean to tell me you were collecting information at the taverns all this time?” Even the horses were staring at him incredulously.
“Of course not. I was drinking my pain away and eavesdropping on people. What else do people do in taverns?”
The horses both nodded to the knight.
“Good point,” I replied.
Without another word, the horses headed east. I crossed my fingers that Sir Bertrant’s bad habit of listening to peoples’ conversations provided us with good information. Otherwise, we were in trouble.
We rode for half a day and my lower body had gone completely numb. I missed cars, trains, and especially planes. Whoever said they missed the old days needed a slap on the head. This was painful. I had a feeling I’d never feel my toes again. How were the horses carrying all the supplies and us? I felt bad for both of them.
Sir Bertrant raised his left hand, stopping us. “Shhhh.”
I didn’t care why we stopped, but I sure hoped it meant we were going to dismount.
“Do you smell that?” Sir Bertrant asked.
It took a minute for me to catch the scent in the air. “Smoke?”
“This is not good. Hurry!” Sir Bertrant and Thunder were galloping away before he had even finished his statement.
“Hold on.” Lightning warned me before taking off after them.
We were flying. I had never been on a horse that moved this fast. My spirit felt light and I wanted to shout for joy. Instead, I copied Sir Bertrant and lifted my butt off the saddle, staying low. We were crossing terrain in leaps and bounds. The wind whipped against my cheeks, but I didn’t care. I was free, alive, and as light as the wind itself. Before I could lose myself in the ride, Sir Bertrant reined Thunder to a slow pace. Lighting followed and we came to a stop at the edge of a village, or at least what used to be a village. Now, everything was either burned to the ground or in crumbles.
“What happened here?” I asked Sir Bertrant, holding my breath. The stench was overwhelming.
“We are about to find out.” He dismounted. This was not the place I had in mind when I wanted to dismount.
“Thunder and I will wait here,” Lightning told me when I got off.
“I don’t blame you,” I told him, patting his side. If the smell killed me, I couldn’t even imagine how strong it was for the horses.
Sir Bertrant walked down the broken road, dodging rabble and pieces of broken-down houses. I followed closely behind.
BANG. The sound came from a house to the left. Sir Bertrant pulled out his sword and went to inspect. I pulled out my dagger and followed him. We were now in the middle of a scary movie. This was the part where the dumb kids walked into the creepy house and got killed.
Lord forgive me for everything I’ve ever done because I’m about to meet you.
“Shhh,” Sir Bertrant told me and I stopped moving.
My gear jiggled everywhere, making all sorts of racket, so I slowed, trying to quiet it.
Like a stealth cat, Sir Bertrant approached the house. The place was probably pretty at one time, but now it was barely standing. He slowly pushed the door open with his sword and rushed in.
Screams came from inside, and then someone shouted, “Ahhh. Don’t kill us.”
/> Something must have possessed me because I charged in after Sir Bertrant like a madwoman. Huddled against the only wall, at least ten people cowered, filthy and trembling with fear.
“We mean you no harm,” I told them in the same tone one would use for a sad toddler.
“Is he back?” one of the men in the corner asked.
“Who?” Sir Bertrant asked, not putting away his sword.
“The dragon,” a woman answered.
“You saw him?” Sir Bertrant asked, walking cautiously towards the group.
“No, he came in the middle of the night, demanding our daughters. If we didn’t give them to him, he would’ve killed us all,” the woman cried.
“Please tell me you didn’t.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
“We had no choice,” one of the men mumbled.
Two minutes ago, I’d felt sorry for this group, but now bile slid up the back of my throat. What kind of person would give their children to a monster? I turned around and left the house. My legs wobbled, and I felt like I was going to puke. Then everything started spinning and it was hard to breathe. I was definitely hyperventilating.
“Madison!” Sir Bertrant slapped the back of my head.
“Ouch! What was that for?” I rubbed the back of my head.
“You were getting ready to pass out on me.” Sir Bertrant leaned over me. “I have seen that look in hundreds of soldiers when the anger, the despair, and the pain threatened to choke the life out of them. You are not good to anyone if you lose control. Besides, I’m not carrying you back.”
“Well, I’m glad you care at least.”
“Let’s go, we found everything we needed here,” Sir Bertrant told me as he walked toward the horses.
“Are we helping these people?” I couldn’t make eye contact with him when I asked.
“Do you want to?” Sir Bertrant asked.
“Honestly? Not really.” I dropped my head in shame.
My grandmother had taught me to offer services to those in need. I wanted to make her proud. These people needed help, but I couldn’t face them knowing they sacrificed helpless girls to save their own hides. My past clouded my judgment, but I couldn’t help it. I avoided anyone willing to give up their own children for selfish reasons.