Chapter 5
Malva's Adventures begin
" That was so cool! how you lunged at me then you stomped like a inch from me then hit me sword, It was so fast!" Malva said excitedly, siting at the table after her fight with Aaron. " Agreed! I am pretty good aren't I" Aaron bragged in play. " Ha-ha. And I guess I get no credit for beating you with the over cut swing, pairy and lunge" She said looking at him with sparkeling,amused eyes . Aaron cleared his throat, " Well... I guess... I guess you were ok" . "OK!!!" . " uh.." . "OK!!!!!!! I think I did better the ' ok', " Malva yelled in protest. " Alright! you did wonderful!" . Malva beamed with bride, then remembering the words that she had heard sense she could remember ' Don't get coky' . She camled herself down. Bipoat this time cleared his throat. " Oh.. Thanks Bipoat for the magic! we couldn't have done the excersize without you" Malva said reconising that Bipoat wasn't getting enough attention. " Thank you!", Bipoats chin went up a look of pride went into his face . " Yes.. I know that I wouldn't have made it without your healing magic!" Aaron said looking at Malva . " Yes I'm sorry Aaron for almost taking off your head!" . " I fogive you". " Well... I guess off to bed know" Bipoat said yawning. " Agreed" Aaron stood up and streched . Malva watch her mentor strecht it had become so familuar and homely to Malva. She felt safe and confotable, She couldn't imagine a life without the the grizzled old mentor, his sarcasum, his jokes, his yawns, his angry explosions, his consirned expresion, his soothing voice, his bravness, his threathing, his happy smile, his sparkling green eyes, his hugs, his little kisses he gave her on her head whenever something scarred her, his laughs, his love. Malva stared into spase. " Malva? Are you alright?" Aaron asked. Malva shook herself, "Yeah, I'm fine!" ." Are you sure?" . " No... Aaron" Malva sighed and took a deep breath, realizing Bipoat wasn't there and felt more confotable, " Aaron, I'm scared! I don't want to leave you! what if something happens to you when I'm gone? Or what if all your lessons suddenly go from me and I don't know what to do? What if my other two comrades turn on me, or when I try to use my Senses it hurts again and that will give th enemy enough time to get me, and...and... and I don't want you to leave me!" Malva said her voice quivered, her eyes burned and then she started to cry. He held her as she cried on his shoulder. He smoothed her hair with one hand and patted her back with the other, He crooned , " It's alright" . "Hey,Hey, it's ok". " Go ahead cry" ." Shh,shh,shh," . Malva calmed down but still her head was laying on his shoulder, and Aaron kept on holding her , " It's alright, I will miss you. But you are big girl now, You have to do this, It's ok to cry, And i'll be alright, I am sure your compainions wont harm a hair on your head, You'll be fine! and i know you will never loose you lessons. And above all, I will be with you everywhere you go, you might not see me but I'm there. If you can remember me then I will always be there" , He kissed her forehead softly. " Thank you Aaron! for always being there for me"...
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" Yelismen!" Lampsted yelled as he looked under their bed and covers." Yelismen! Do you know where my vest is?" ." You mean This one?" Yelismen said holding up a blue, very dusty, vest." Yeah thanks" Lampsted snatched the dusty thing out of his hands," Whats up with you this morning? I thought you were suppost to be happy before a quest, not grumpy" Yelismen said." I'm just a little time pressured right now ok!" ." Ok Mother" ." WHAT" ." Nothing" . Lampsted sighed, feeling stressed out." Lampsted do you need these" Yelismen held up two dusty boots with the leather rubing off," Umm... Yeah sure!" . Yelismen passed the shoes to Lampsted who was the one doing the packing, yelismen was the one helping to find things." Yelismen do these breaches fit you?" . " Yeah"" Hear is some money for the road, from the king's purse" The battlemaster said giving Lampsted a purse of gold and silver." Thanks!"." Thank you battlematser! so much for letting us go on a quest!" Yelismen said smiling down at the battlemaster from Balvenor." Alright then, you best be on your way" he said patting Balvenor." Bye thanks again!" Lampsted and Yesilmen said riding away. Lavach the servant came running, Lampsted's and Yelismen's swords in his hands with their belts and sheaths. The battlemaster smiled and shook his head. Lampsted turned Arrow around canturing to Lavach's side. "Thanks! Bye!"
" La, La, Tra, La La,
Horses in the feild,
La, La,Tra,La La
Goats milk for morning meal.
La,La,Tra,La La
Two Knight's Riding by,
and the women do sigh,
Oh!
Tra,La,La,De,Da.
Horses in the field"
Yelismen and Lampsted sung merriely, a famous song in the village, they were taught sense wee boys. " Where on earth are we?" Lampsted said after a fit of laughter. They had come to a cross road. Yelismen pulled out a map. " I think we turn right?" he said, " Or maybe left" . "Your a lot of help! Here Can see" Lampsted said holding out his hand for the map. Yelismen passed it over. " Know I remember The Battle master said we have to go left, but... If the Cottage is a hour south of the village Taem, why don't we go to Taem and get to the cottage from there" Lampsted said. " Sure"...
"There is NOW WAY we can take our horses in that forest!" Yelismen said. " I know! I thought there was a trail of some sort, I guess they love their priviesy" . " Thanks Lampsted! we're late!" . "Oh!" Lampsted turned Arrow around a galloped out of Taem...
After backtracking back to the cross roads, they turned this time left. " It's so dark on this trail at night" Lampsted said looking around him the feeling of being watched, fallowed him everyway they turned. "Sooooo.... The battlemaster said to go right at the tenth side path we see. This one is Two" Yelismen said as they past a side path that winded and curved, so that any onlooker's couldn't see the mystery inside.
Three
Four
Five
They kept going on, counting in their heads. Lampsted cleared his throat nervously as they got into a more deeper part of the forest. The tree's covered the sky and only little patches of light came from the now almost gone sun seeped in. It looked almost ghostly. "Umm...
Mc'iley had a girl
her name was Merl.
Now Merl told good tale's
of fairy wings and ship's sail's,
and her story went like this.
' There once were fair girl's,
with hair of fair golden curl's,
One was fairest of all
beautiful and tall,
she fell in love with the knight of Lonth,
They were married in a month.
But as the wedding bells began to ring,
a evil witch did sing,
Knifes from hell
bats shrill,
let the girl die in a mill
Two penny worths of fake gold,
This mans bone's have I, to the devil, sold.
Snake's who slither, and spider's that bite,
These two lover's won't last the night.
The two did shiver in their bone's of fright ,
And died frightened in the night.
The girl did become a ghost,
Killing two thosand at the most.
In the died of night.
The second girl of golden hair,
her voice was sweet, lovely and fair.
she fell in love with a merchent from far and near.
but born in Darkheep,
they married in a week.
But as the couple held hands,
the evil witch said, her hair only strands.
Snake's that slither,
And flower's that wither,
Death come thither.
The women will die alone,
No one to hear her cry and moun,
Under a tree
will her body be.
The gentlemen will cut off his on head,
then will place it in his wife's bed,
and then walk through the town ,dead
Snake's who Slither, and Spider's that bite,
These two singer's won't last the night.
The two did die as the hag had said,
The girl laying by the tree, the mans head in the bed.
The last Golden girl,
with the most curl's.
She could could not go to bed,
for the rumors had spread,
that her friends were all dead.
She weeped and she cryed,
The other women did sigh,
But the witch was planning her next revege,
and the spider web she did mind.
The girl had died of sorrow,
she did not see the next morrow".
" Lampsted! that is a awful! AWFUL! song... deffantly around this place and time. Are you trying to make me scarred?" Yelsimen said before Lampsted could sing another ghost song. " No! but I just feel better singing things that fit the momment.... What was that" Lampsted said stoping his horse and listening, he thought he heard the snap of a twig. A hare ran past them. The boy's leaped from out their socks in fright. They both looked at each other in amusment. " Ha...ha..ha, that is what we're afraid of" Yelsimen said . Another noice , like a twig being stepped on and the russel of leaves came from the right. " Go away you dirty ball of hare" . Yelismen looked over at Lampsted a glem of amusment in his eye's. " Oh! ha.ha.. Good one! Hare...." Lampsted laughed. Yelismen took his shoe off and threw it at the sound of the Hare. The two younge knights looked at each other, also taking their focus away from the movement. " Who, Goes, There" . The boy's nearly fell off their horses in fright as a human, girls voice spoke . holding a broadsword in left hand and her longsword in her right. The two boy's regained their ballance and their composer. And looked torweds the girl. When they looked back she wasn't there. Lampsted gulped as he turned Arrow in circles.
"Snake's that slither, and Spiders that bite" the girls voice sung quitly in a laughing voice. " What do you want from us?" Lampsted said trying not to make his voice quiver in fright. She laughed evilly, her laughter to circle them like a shark about to spring. It stoped and then the voice came from behind them, " I only want you not to be late, but I see you already are?". The boys turned around and a younge women with black-brown hair that was put up in a bun a little wavy hair hung in front , a long tourso and long legs, stood before them her hands on her hips, she wore a dark cream colored robe that came a foot above her knees ,long black legings, and cream colored boots. The boy's stammered, the beatuy of her feld their eye's like a bright rose on a grey gloomy day. She looked strong and able to do things herself. but she had a happy, loving, young look in her hazel eye's. " Umm... uh.. well... we're sorry" Yelismen staggered out. She humphed and walked down the road a little then stopped before a little path. " I'm afriad you'll have to get off your horses" She said. The two younge men hopped down and fallowed her through the covered path." Sooo..." Lampsted said ducking a branch, " Who is this man we're going with?" Lampsted asked the girl. " Oh..." she hesetated a devilish look crossed her face, but for only a second, " He's strong and skilled, but He has a awful dempor." She put strain on the "He" and "He's" making both of them uncomfertable. " I like him" . They steped out from the tree's into a clearing. Deer were grazing, and firefly's flyed around lighting up as they went along, like little lanterns, the sound of crikets filled their ears. A little thatched cottage with a oak wooden door and two widows on either side ( more ofcourse was in the back and on the side's) sat in the very middle of clearing, little and homey. The girl took the horses rains leading them off to the stable's, with a passing word of, " They'll be waiting, so go right ahead" . The boy's started walking nervously up to the welcoming little house. Lampsted looked at Yelismen, he jestured to the door, his eye's said " Go on". Lampsted gave a quick glare at him and knocked at the door, waiting for a headless man to come out and a witch. The door opened and a big, stocky man with a big beard ,black culry hair, and big hairy arms, smiled and welcomed them in with a deep gentle fatherly voice, that reminded Lampsted of the battlemaster. They stepped in and was welcomed by the wonderful smell of deer meat, potatoes, carrots, greenbeans, onions, and garlic. The big man held out his hand," I'm Bipoat master of the Stapus . Lampsted smiled at him, and took the big hand " Lampsted". he shook it a little then let go and Yelismen took it and shook it " Yelismen, young knight". Bipoat looked at them kindly and said, " Please, take of your boots" he indecated to, a row of boots, sleepers, and... Lampsted couldn't tell what the other kind was. They did as they were told and walked deeper into the cottage. They steped into a room that a rectanguler table that was set with a moroon colored tablecloth, wooden bowls, small wooden plats, and silver spoons. Candles were also on the table, lighting it up. There was six chairs, two at the each head of the table, and two on each side of the side's. Lampsted noticed that one chair would be empty, unless that girl was going to dinn with them, which he wouldn't mind that much. Them smell of the yummy stew was emberable now. Lampsted looked to his left and there was a door way, he guessed it was the ketchen, and then infront was another doorway that led into a hallway. Bipoat led them to chair's, Lampsted was about to sit in a chair that was to th right of the chair that bipoat had explanned was " Aaron's", but bipoat stoped him, " Sorry, your comrade is going to sit there". So he sat right next to Yelismen on the other side of the table. A man with hazel eye's a grizzeled face and pepery brown hair, came out with a pot of something steaming and good smelling. He put the big pot on the tab;e after putting a rag down and then placing the pot on top. " I'm Aaron. It is nice to meet you gentlemen" . Lampsted and Yelismen stood out of their seats and shook his hand. " Please sit" Aaron said sitting at the front of the table. They sat there for a while , waiting for "Him" to come out. " So.. Where is he?" Yelismen asked. Aaron's eyebrows shot up, a quistion formed on his face. " Oh.... He should be out any moment. He just had to do something real quick" . Again Lampsted noticed the way people put the presure on "He". " Ah... here we go" Aaron suddenly said looking torweds the halway. Lampsted turn to look and was shocked to see: A girl stood there, her hair has black brown and down to her knees she had bright hazel eye's with brown flecks, she wore a brownish green dress that came to her heels, the bodess had brown strings in the front all crisscrossed and tide in a bow, the sleeve's were long and at the cuffs it fell away so that it drooped and looked like a pool of green fabrick. In a momment he reconised that she was the girl who they had met in the forest.
Malva smiled inwardly at the thought of finally leaving . She bent over her armory sipply that she was packing- the final things to pack- She had her
Broad sword
Long sword
Rapier
Saber
Zweihaender
estoc
single hander
throwing axe
ten throwing knifes
Dirk
hunting dagger
Long dagger
Heavy Dagger
Light Dagger
Long Bow
Curved Bow
recurved Bow
and One hunred Arrows
Piercer
Ten Needle's
four Bear traps
and a Fencer.
She put two throwing knifes in the belt -that she would use for traveling- then she put her Dirk, then her Long sword and Rapier and her Broadsword. She then put all the rest of her weaponds in a saddle bag. She put her Long bow in sling that she could easyly get to it and ten of her arrows. " Do you think, you have enough" said the sarcastic voice of Aaron behind her . " No!!!" Malva said smiling at him. He chuckled, " Ok remember you are going to the east, ask people from villages from the east, look for high fires. And remember around this time, they are traveling to the eastern beaches for their suromoinies. So you will probably run into them on their way back" Aaron said crossing his arms on his chest, a sighn that Malva could only understand, he was worried. " Don't worry Aaron, I'll be alright! its you I'm worried about". Aaron humphed, Malva sood up looking him in the eye's. Malva took a deep shaky breath, trying to keep the tears at bay, and lost, a tear fell down her cheek glistening in the sun as it ran arcoss her face, another fell and then another, the next momment she was sobbing at the edge of the forest being hugged, she rubbed her nose on her sleave," You need to save your tiers for the time you leave" Aaron said smiling at her. She laugh, gave him a quick hug turned , picking up her things and headed off to the stable's. To pack the horses
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" Well I guess we're off then" Lampsted said shaking Bipoats hand, he winced a little at the squeez he was being honored by. " Yep it was nice to meet you" Bipoat said, glarring at him, with a smile on his face. Lampsted shook his hand behind his back looking for feeling. It was Yelismen's turn, his knee's buckeled , " It was nice to meet you" he squeeked. " Nice meeting you" Aaron said bowing his head. Lampsted nodded back. Aaron leaned in close to Lampsted's ear and whispered " If you hurt her... I will personaly hunt you down and I will kill you". Aaron brought his head back and smiled at him. Lampsted smiled shakely back at him, the feeling of a rock falling was in his gut, knowing by the look in his eye's . He ment it. Lampsted moved to stand by his horse watching the perceedings. Yelismen's turn to nodd with Aaron, Aaron leaned over and whipered in Yelismens ear, Yelismen turned white, terror in his eye's. Malva was hugging Bipoat, Bipoat held her at arms langth, " Good Luck Malva" . " Thank you!", Malva moved tourds Aaron feeling tears in her eye's. Aaron looked grimmly into the distence, not darring to look at Malva, so that we wouldn't cry himself. Malva looked at him lovingly, he looked down into her eye's, a tear glistened in the corner of his eye. The two hugged each other in the pale morning sun, Malva had a waterfall of tears falling down her cheeks and unto Aarons shoulder. She gave him a small sqeez and broke away looking at him, her eye's were blood shot ,her nose was pink and her face was wet with tears , " I will be with you" Aaron whispered, She smiled to keep away the tears and turned around not looking back , she got on her horse nodding to the two young knights, they rode off. At the bend Malva reined her horse, it reeled back on its back legs as she yelled " Bye I love you !" and the the girl on the black merre desapeared out of sight of the loving mentor.
And so began Malva's Adventures......