Discovery (Revisioned)

Chapter 17

Zarius and Robert are also not on the field. I can see them though. They are standing on the opposite side of the battle with smug looks on their faces.

I want to grab his dagger and end both of their lives. I glance around at the battle one more time. Nothing is different, so I climb carefully out of the tree. I look to make sure that I’m not seen. When I find it safe, I crawl on my belly towards the soldiers and the guards lying close to me.

When I reach the first two, I search for the short sword. I find it lying near the guard on the opposite side.

I hear movement close by so I stop until the movement moves farther away. Then I slither around the dead men and grab the sword. I’m covered in the blood from both the soldier and guard, but I’m beyond comprehension. I slither my way back to the woods.

When I reach them, I hoist myself, and my sword, back up the tree. I look around the fight again. There are a few more men that had fallen. I know that I don’t want to get captured again and no one seems to notice Robert and Zarius. I have to take care of it myself. I don’t know where Joseph and Dad are, or if they are even alive. So, I climb back down my tree.

I sneak around the trees, watching and listening for any sound before I move to the next tree. Every few trees, I look to make sure they, Robert and Zarius, are in the same spot.

I have only made it to the sixth tree before I run into a complication. As I look, to make sure Robert and Zarius are in the same spot, a guard spots me. I’m not even scared. I’ve watched others fight and feel like I’m ready. Or at the very least ready to go down fighting.

As he approaches me, I pull the short sword up in front of me. He starts laughing as he notices me.

"You think that you can hurt me? You are just a woman who doesn’t even know how to hold a sword." He cackles like a hyena.

I don’t back down. Instead, I stand up straighter and hold my sword tighter. This amuses him even more. He smirks.

"I do not wish to kill you. Zarius wants you alive. But I can tell him that I found you dead already.” His smirk turns menacing before he adds, “If you want to live, you will put down your sword." Emphasizing the will.

I shake my head and stand my ground. No way am I going to be captured and handed over to Zarius. When he gets close enough, I swing. He just steps out of the way and laughs as I nearly lose my balance.

I catch myself and turn around. I straighten up my stance and swing again. This time I lose my balance and nearly fall. But the guard grabs me.

"Now you will come with me. I will take you to Zarius."

Just as he grabs the sword from me, I hear my Dad's voice.

"She may not know how to hold a sword or fight, but I do." My heart stills in my chest.

"Ah, Wizard, you wish to fight me?"

"Yes, I think I do."

I look towards my dad. I don’t want him fighting this experienced guard. My pulse quickens and I open my mouth to say something but I’m too slow.

"You will lose, then. You are too old and weak."

Then my heart skips again when I hear the next voice.

"He may be old but we are not." Joseph said.

I whirl around to see who "we" are and I’m shocked to see Justin standing next to Joseph. My Dad grabs me and pulls me away. When we are far enough away from the guard, my Dad wraps me up in a hug, sitting us down.

"I was so worried about you. When we got separated, I nearly had a heart attack.” He murmurs with my head cradles on his chest.

“Then Justin started telling me about how he and Joseph were spies. When the King's men arrived, Justin pulled me off to the side and taught me how to fight with a sword. We had no way of knowing how you two were. Then Joseph found us and told us all that has happened to the two of you. That made me even more aggressive at learning.” Holding me tighter, he continues. “Then we watched you slither on and off the field. Joseph wanted to run after you, but I convinced him to be cautious. We followed behind you trying to see where you were heading."

I point towards the direction that I last saw Zarius and Robert. But when I look, he isn't there.

I hear Justin and Joseph battling the guard. He’s one of the guards that had an ax. The sound of them hitting the axe with their swords is deafening. My Dad stands up and pulls me up with him.

"Come on let's go before they attract too much attention."

Before he can say anymore, someone grabs a hold of my hair and starts dragging me into the field. My Dad grabs the sword off the ground.

"Put her down, Robert. It is me that you want."

"No, I think I like her more.” He smirks. “She'll be pretty as my slave." He jeers.

"Now, Robert, play nice." I hear Zarius say. "Put the sword down, Dennis. You don't want Robert to do something that hurts her, do you?"

"Robert cannot do something to her when he is dead. Whether he does something or not, he will still die."

He yanks on my hair harder bringing tears to my eyes. My Dad growls, a literal growl, at Robert and punches him in the nose. Blood starts gushing out of his nose and he loses his grip when he reaches up to staunch the flow. I spin and lift my left knee to kick him in the groin. The movement yanks my hair and he lets go of me.

I rush behind my Dad. My Dad shoves me back at the same time that Robert moves Zarius behind him. A soldier still battling behind us sees Zarius and chases him into the woods.

My Dad charges Robert and I’m left standing between two battles. I sit on the ground, as a wave of dizziness hits me, before I faint. I look over to Joseph and Justin when I hear a scream of pain.

Justin has the ax in his stomach and Joseph stabs the guard on the right side with his sword. The guard remains standing and removes his ax from Justin's stomach. Justin falls to the ground, as if the ax was the only thing keeping him standing, landing in between Joseph and the guard.

"I knew that you were a traitor, Joseph. I should have killed you back in the woods when you attacked us."

"I should have slaughtered all five of you for the dishonor of our King and to avenge the virtue of my future wife." He spits with venom, while glancing to check if I am okay.

"Your future wife? Who is this woman that you will avenge?"

"You know exactly who I am talking about."

"The witch?" He asks amused.

He starts laughing and Joseph does not waste his time to strike. He hits the guard in his right shoulder. The guard swings his ax and misses Joseph. Joseph moves swiftly behind the guard and says,

"Did you forget that my father trained you?" And then he swings his sword through the guard’s neck effectively decapitating him.

He rushes to my side and follows my gaze towards my Dad. My Dad looks really good with his sword but not as good as Robert.

"Come on, we have to get you out of here. I will come back and help your Dad."

I shake my head and glare at him. I’m not going to leave my Dad, not even if that means that I have to die. Joseph stares at me a moment, seeing my resolve, and nods. He quickly strides to my Dad's side.

"Go and get your daughter out of here."

"I will not leave until I see him dead." Dad shouts as he evades Robert's sword.

Joseph tries to strike at Robert but Dad pushes him with his body.

"Get her out of here and give her a long, happy life. I will find you."

Just as he finishes, Robert successfully stabs him in the stomach and twists his sword. Joseph stabs his sword through Robert's heart and kicks him off his sword. When Robert lands, Joseph stabs his sword through his stomach and twists.

I run to my Dad's side and put his head in my lap. I notice that Zarius was making his way back but he takes off as Joseph turns towards him. The tears fall from my face, landing on Dad’s face, washing the blood off. He’s slowly dying. He’s trying to speak but I can barely hear him. All I hear is,

"Al....Al....I love you! Get..."

Then he closes his eyes, never to reopen again. Tears flow heavily and I can’t see or hear anything but my Dad lying in my arms, lifeless.