The Warheart Kingdom

Chapter Two: Confrontation

I got up to get a drink of water from my glass. The dream was so strange. Was he my father? I had to find out. I decided that in the morning, I would ask my mother what he looked like when I was a baby. But until then, I would go to the barracks and spar with the dummy.

The day seemed as though it would be warm so I didn't feel as though I wanted to cover up as much. I left out the shirt as I got dressed in the black corset, exposing most of my upper back and ending in front just before my hips, with silver clasps in the front and silver trim. I paired the corset with a long, black, leather skirt with slits to my lower thigh, and my black knee high leather boots, matching socks underneath to avoid chafing. Once I was dressed and my hair was brushed, I grabbed my sword and bow and quiver, slung them on, then headed out to the training grounds.

There were a few people up at the moment. A couple soldiers were sparring in a corner with two of the new swords next to a fire. Others were hurrying home from the tavern. The soldiers stopped clashing, one of them with their movements tired.

"You're tired already?" The other one held his sword up before he pushed it into the ground. He had blonde hair down to his shoulders and dark skin, like most of the soldiers.

"I have been out here longer than you have. Your brother went to sleep, leaving me with you. Now, I am tired." He had short brown hair.

"Okay, fine. Go to bed. We'll continue later."

"Fine." He sheathed his sword and left and then the blonde took his own sword out of the dirt and wiped it free of the dirt.

I walked over. "I'll spar with you."

He looked at me, his disbelief obvious. "You? Spar with me? Don't make me laugh."

"I'm warning you. Don't underestimate me." I set my hand on my sword's hilt casually, a grin hinting to show on my lips.

"Okay. Fine." He holds out his sword and we walk over to the fire. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm sure. I need something to do. I came out here to practice with the dummy," I stated simply as I drew my sword.

"Okay. Well, I warned you, and I'm no dummy." He struck quickly, clearing intending to catch me off guard. I blocked, sidestepped and pushed his sword away. "Well, you're better than I thought you would be," he said as he pulled his sword back and swung it towards me again.

We swiped back and forth at each other for many more rounds before I blocked and twitched my wrist, making my sword go against his hand and arm, tapping a nerve. He dropped his sword, and I grinned. "You apparently don't know who I am. I am a knight, Alyssa Anessen."

"Oh. That explains it, then" he said, smiling back. "It was a pleasure fighting you, ma'am."

"Don't call me 'ma'am.' It really isn't necessary," I said, smiling. It was finally getting light out. "Well. I must be going now. Have a nice day and get some rest." I resheathed my sword and saluted him.

"Goodbye." He went back to his own business as I started to walk towards the archery field, then sprint. I felt like running instead of walking, like I had so much energy I couldn't deal with. Then I slowed and thought about another release of energy I used to take part in. I shook my head and refocused on getting to the range. Once I was there, I grabbed my bow and an arrow and started shooting.

Then I felt like I was being watched. I turned around, searching. I didn't see anything so I turned back towards the target.

There. Someone was watching me. They were on the ground behind the targets in a light dirt colored cloak, blending into the wall behind. Ridiculous. How could I not notice them before? Whoever they were, they just noticed I saw them and they got up then disappeared.

Real nice, I thought. I reached out with my magic and realized there was someone else also. They were behind me. Looking around, I caught them by surprise. They were wearing a dark cloak, just like Peter's.

They were on the roof of a building, but they had just slipped down, not seen again until I saw them walking away on the main path, trying to blend in. I'm done with this, I thought. I'm going to my mother right now. I grabbed my arrows and headed towards my mother's room.

When I arrived, my mother was still asleep. I felt bad for waking her up but the uneasiness inside me kept building. This was urgent. "Mother. Mother." I tried to gently shake her awake.

"What?" She woke up partially.

"I need to ask you something. What did father look like when I was a baby?"

She was still half asleep as she seemed to start dreaming of him. He was her only love, afterall. "He had dark brown shaggy hair, blue eyes, and tan skin. He liked to work outside, building our home. He was tall and when he looked at you, it was full of love and joy. Why?" she asks, opening her eyes fully, as if the realization of what I asked hit her suddenly.

"I had a dream, or maybe a vision, of a man holding a baby. He said my name. He said 'Alyssa'. But I woke up before he could say more. He fits that description."

She frowned and groaned. "Did you have to come to me about that? You know how I feel about magic. I stopped using my magic to try to find him when it became apparent he didn't want me to find him."

"I'm sorry, but this is important. Not only did I want to talk to you about that, but I saw two people hiding and watching me."

"Oh," she said, sitting up, suddenly alert as her parental instincts kicked on. "That's strange. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I want you safe." There was a different tone in her voice when she said that, a tone I didn't remember, yet it sounded familiar.

"I came straight here after I noticed them."

"Okay. Promise me you'll be careful. If anything else occurs, you must let me know instantly. Use your magic if you must. I don't want anything to happen to you," she said, standing and embracing me in a close hug.

"I will. But I want you to be safer." I hugged her back, "Do you think father would have made contact with us?" I pulled back to search her gaze.

"No, I don't. He never said why he left, just that he had to go away for a little while. But he didn't show up after a month and we had to leave the house. It became too dangerous for you."

For me? Perplexed, and wanting to ask her more, I merely nodded and stood, heading towards the door. "Get some rest. I'm going to go now. I love you, mama. Please stay safe," I said as I walked towards and out the door. Something was going on and I was going to find out what it was.

I was headed down the street, not a destination in mind but rather searching for any feeling of being followed or watched. I was near a familiar area so I figured I could see Bertram and his family, though I stayed alert. I got to his home where his wife, Piper, greeted me.

"Alyssa! How nice to see you. How have you been?" She hugged me, smiling.

"I am fine, thank you. My mother is getting tired. She got hit yesterday for 'making a mistake' as my mother put it."

"Oh, that's horrible. Come in. We were just about to have some breakfast." She pulled me in, shutting the door behind me.

"Thank you but it isn't necessary. I'm fine," I said, sitting down anyway when she rushed me to the table and held the chair out to me.

"Oh, nonsense. We're happy to have you here," Bertram said, coming into the kitchen. I smiled at his ability to pop right in.

"Okay. I'll have just a little bit," I laughed as Richard, their son, came out and punched my arm. "Someone's getting strong." He was eleven.

"Richard, no hitting," Piper scolded her son.

"He doesn't bother me. He's going to be a strong fighter. And he has compassion from both of you. I could teach him," I said, and Piper's stance stiffened ever so slightly. Bertram took his hand down her arm as she looked into his eyes. Bertram turned to give me a rocky nod and a shrug of his shoulders. I turned back to Richard. "Richard, do you want to come with me to the training grounds if it's alright with your parents?"

"Yes!" He was smiling and looking at his mother, who glanced at us as she was setting the plates and Bertram had the pan and was serving.

"After you eat, you may go," Piper said, still hesitating. "But be careful and stay out of trouble. You better listen to everything Alyssa says."

He grinned and nodded excitedly, "Yes, ma!"

"He'll be fine. I'll stay with him the whole time," I said as Richard finally sat down and the food was put in front of us. "Mmm. This smells great, Piper." There were a few strips of bacon, some scrambled eggs, and two slices of bread.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said, sitting down.

We ate and idly chit chatted and after Bertram went to his shop while Richard and I helped clean. After that, Richard said bye to his mother and we left the house.

"So what are we going to do when we get there?" he asked.

"First, I'm going to see Roger about his new swords, make sure they work well enough after being used by some soldiers to spar. Then, I'll find a couple staves and teach you how to wield a sword and protect yourself and your mother if your father isn't around."

"Okay. That sounds like fun!"

"It can be," I laughed as we continued and turned around a corner.

Once there, I told Richard to follow me, since he was starting towards the dummy, filled with excitement. We went over to Roger, where he was working on the hilt of a new sword. Probably for some far away buyer again.

He saw us and smiled. "Alyssa! How are you?"

"I am fine, thank you. How are you?"

"Splendid. And who's this?" He looked at Richard.

"This is Richard. He's Bertram's and Piper's son."

"Oh. That's right. Getting mighty big you are."

"Greetings, sir. Nice to meet you," Richard said.

"Oh, we've met before," Roger chuckled. "Last time I saw you, though, was a few years ago. You were just a small lad with your mother going to see your father when I went in for a nice slab of meat," Roger said, still chuckling.

"Oh," replied Richard.

"Well, we just came to see how those swords were working for you and to see if you had any wooden staves we could use. I'm going to be teaching him how to protect himself," I said, and Richard glanced at me, happy to not have to talk to someone he didn't even remember.

"They are working great. And," he said as he went into the back of his shop and came out with two staves, "I do have some. Good luck, son. You're going to need it," Roger said, chuckling and handing them to me.

"Thank you, sir." Richard grinned, seeming to gain confidence around this stranger.

"Thank you, Roger. I'll return them when we are done. Come along, Richard." I started walking towards an open area of the grounds not being used.

Roger returned his attention to the sword, going back to work, and Richard followed me.

"Here you go, Richard," I said, handing one of the staves to Richard. "Just take a few shots so I can see how you can manage. I want you to get used to holding it before we focus on your footwork."

"Okay." He took the wooden sword from me and quickly swung, going for my side, but I blocked.

"Hmmm. Okay. Here, hold it with your hands like this." I showed him how my hands were positioned.

"Okay, Alyssa," he said, readjusting his hands and swinging again.

"Much better," I laughed.

Richard laughed, too, and I had him swing a few more times.

"Okay. Now I'm going to show you a way to block. When someone strikes at you, try to hold your sword firmly so that the other sword will hit it instead of you. It's definitely better at times to hold it with both hands, though." He held it up and I swung lightly and slowly so he could react efficiently. He blocked it easily. "Good job. Now I'm going to swing again, just faster. Ready?"

"Yes," he said, holding the stave with both hands, ready for my strike.

I swung and he blocked, although he stumbled slightly. I instructed him to move his feet and change his stance before I struck again. The next hit didn't make him stumble so I swung again a little harder. It still wasn't as hard as I'd use against a soldier, but I could tell he didn't have the muscle for it, yet.

"Good!" I smiled at him.

"I did well?" He sounded unsure.

"Better than I thought. You learn quickly." He smiled at me, the smile of self pride. "How about you try a little bit on the dummy right there and I'll be right over there, okay?" I said, pointing to the shops and stands near Roger.

"Okay," he said, smiling and going over to the dummy. At the shop, I placed the stave on the counter and began looking at some of the weapons and supplies Roger had on display. I found a shortsword and picked it up, feeling its weight as I looked back at Richard. He was having so much fun getting hit by the small sand bags supposed to represent clubs. I looked back as Roger came over.

"How much is this one, Roger?"

"10 gold," he said hesitantly. "And 5 silver for the belt. I can even put more holes in to fit his smaller frame until he grows more."

I arched a brow at him, expecting a higher price. "Okay, I'll take them. Richard's learning quickly so this would be good for him when he learns more and can use it," I said smiling and opening my coin purse, counting out 11 gold pieces and handing them to Roger. "The leftover coin is for you," I added.

"Yes, I suppose he is learning quickly. I am sure he'll appreciate it," he said, taking the gold. "Thank you, Alyssa."

"No problem," I smiled.

"One moment while I go add a few more holes for the buckle." He disappeared for a bit and I continued to watch Richard. "Here you go," he said as he returned and handed me the belt.

"Thank you, Roger." I put it around my waist and put in the sword and scabbard on my right side. I looked at Richard as he started towards us. "We should be going now," I called out to him. "I'm sure your mother would like you back soon. Give the stave back." I turned back to Roger. "Take care and give Matilda a hug for me."

"I will. You take care too, Alyssa." He smiled as he took the stave from Richard and shook his hand. "Don't be too much trouble for your mother, young man."

"Of course, sir. Thank you for lending us the staves."

"Anytime. All you have to do is ask." Roger smiled and waved as we turned to leave.

I took Richard back to his house where, sure enough, Piper was waiting. She was obviously worried about her son. We went inside where we sat at the table. Richard was sent to his room to sort out his laundry and I took the moment to talk about the sword. "When is his birthday?"

"Near the end of winter," she responded, watching me.

I set the sword and belt onto the table. "I got this for him for when you think he's ready. I can keep giving him lessons and he can help Bertram hunt."

She stared at the sword, contemplating what to say. Eventually I noticed her eyes starting to water. She reached out and held my hand on the sword. "Thank you, Alyssa. I apologize for my behavior earlier. I realized my only child, my baby boy, is getting older. It scared me, still scares me, but I realized that having someone like you helping is such a blessing. Bertram can use a sword and hunt, but he's not a soldier. I don't think I want Richard to become one, I'm too scared to think of him getting killed, but the skills are useful nonetheless. You might just save his life by teaching him." She lifted her gaze to my eyes. "Thank you for everything you have done for my family."

I got up and hugged her. "You don't have to apologize or thank me. You're like family to me."

She nodded against me and pulled back, quickly wiping her eyes. "Richard," she called out. It didn't take him long to come to us. "Alyssa has something for you. I want you to be very careful with it and to not use it until she says you are adequate enough." She nodded for me so I picked it off the table and walked over to him.

"Here," I held it out for him.

He gripped the hilt and around the sheathed blade. "Really? For me?" He looked between us with wide eyes, grinning even more widely.

"Yeah, it'll suit you until you get bigger, but maybe even longer if you decide that you like it more than the other swords." I said, letting go of it.

"Thank you, Alyssa!" He hugged me tightly around my waist and I hugged him back. "Just remember what your ma said and don't use it until you're ready."

"I will!" He turned to his mother. "May I keep it in my room?"

Piper chuckled nervously. "Let's wait until you've had a few more lessons with Alyssa, alright? You can keep it here in the kitchen for now."

"Okay," he said, disappointed but still excited about the gift.

I couldn't help but smile at them. "Okay, it's starting to get a little late and I still have things to do, things to figure out today. If you need anything, just let me know. You know where to find me."

Piper nodded. "I'm sure he'll be waiting for you," she chuckled as she got up and we walked to the door.

"Goodbye, Richard. Behave. Bye, Piper. Take care," I hugged Richard, then hugged Piper again. "I love you all." Then I left and walked around, heading towards my chambers but taking a detour that went by the stables.

After a while, I felt someone coming up behind me. As a reflex from the previous feeling on-edge, I pulled out my sword and swung it towards the person, stopping an inch from their neck.

Peter was looking at me, hood down on his dark cloak, the same cloak I saw before, and his hand was outstretched, about to grab or tap my shoulder.

"Peter?"

"Hello, Alyssa." He glanced away for a moment then back to me.

"Hello. Can I help you?" I said curtly through thinned lips.

"Umm. I'm not sure."

"I know it was you watching me this morning." I said, jumping to the point.

He was a little surprised. "Oh. Okay. Well-"

"I don't want to hear it. What I want to know is who the other person was that was watching me also." I started raising my voice but I noticed and brought it back down.

"I do not know who that was. But I noticed him also. How did you know I was there, or that it was me?"

"Well, I don't know, but it was more of a suspicion, a feeling." Not quite a lie, but I wonder if he noticed.

He did.

"Tell me the truth. I already know about you, but you need to say it."

"Not here," I finally said.