My 8 E-books written over the years by Alina Udrea - HTML preview

Chapter 4

Mark started on his journey again. He got to a dense forest and decided

to camp there as he was tired and his horse also needed food and rest. As it was a warm night de decided to put out the fire as soon as his rabbit would be cooked as not to attract unwanted attention. There could be thugs in the forest waiting to ambush lonely travelers like him. He knew they were dangerous and ready to kill for even less than his horse .His horse was strong and healthy and would have made a nice prize for such thugs. He tied his horse to the nearest tree and let it graze there from the tall green grass surrounding it.

He wasn't afraid as he had his trusted sword with him, the one he

inherited from his father who had it from his father who had been a feared warrior back in the days of his youth.

So after he finished eating, he put out the fire and fell asleep on the

warm and soft ground with only the sound of the crickets around him. He fell asleep immediately and dreamt of fabulous adventures throughout the kingdom. But in the middle of the night he was startled by a faint muffled sound coming from somewhere nearby. He woke up and listened carefully for any sign of someone being there. The night was dark with only a few visible stars above as heavy clouds had gathered. He focused his hearing while he already had his sword in his hands. Black Star was where he left him, tied to a nearby tree sleeping peacefully. So nobody had stolen his horse but he was certain he had heard a noise from behind the bushes. With the sword held tight in his hands he advanced quietly in the dark of the night to find out what had caused the noise and woke him from his sleep. He carefully advanced through the high grass and pushed the bushes aside to see if there was anyone or anything behind. The moment he got rid

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of the bushes he bumped into someone. They both fell to the ground with a thud. He immediately got back to his feet but he couldn’t find his sword. He started fumbling in the dark, trying to find it when he heard a sweet feminine voice:

- Looking for this?

And he felt the cold steel of his blade touch his right arm. Cold shivers ran through his entire body. Defenseless against a woman…- Here, she said, take it. I think it belongs to you. And she handed him his sword back to his utmost surprise as he was sure she was going to use it against him and that it was an ambush and that she had friends with her and they would steal his horse and the few belongings he had. He was speechless for a moment and then he finally heard himself speak:

- Uh, thank you kind lady… Who are you and what are you doing in the middle of the wilderness all alone? Are you alone? Or lost?- That is none of your business, she answered cutting him short. But … she added after a minute of complete silence, I don’t see the harm in telling you. You seem lost yourself. I am Lizzy and I am on a quest for the king himself.

- Oh, wow, on a quest for the king? He asked already day-dreaming about numerous adventures by her side. Can I join you? I was on my way to the king's court to enroll in his army or become a knight. But I’d rather join and help you on your quest and then we can both go before the king and maybe he'll hire me as a knight. As I can see, you are travelling alone and could use my blade. I am a skilled blades man… or at least I hope I am. Truth is I never fought a real opponent, just the dummy in the back of my yard back home. But I trained on it every day since as long as I can remember. Lizzy started laughing at hearing him. So he wanted to accompany her and was offering her his protection but he had never fought anyone besides the training dummy… Well, why not?

- Ok, Lizzy answered him. I guess you can tag along as long as you won’t need me to protect you, and she laughed from the bottom of her heart. He thought she was so sweet although she was making fun of him. But at least she had agreed to take him along.

- I will prove that I am worthy to be one of the king's knights. You'll see…but why would the king send a woman on a quest and not his knights?- Maybe because he knows I am stronger than an army of his knights. Lizzy

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answered giggling. She thought he was cute and funny.- You must be joking, Mark said doubting her words. How can a single woman be stronger than a trained army?

- Simple, because I am a witch, a sorceress. I am Lizzy, the most powerful sorceress that the kingdom has to offer, she said waiting for him to praise her. But instead now it was his turn to laugh as he didn’t believe her. This got her real mad.

Lizzy raised her left arm and pointed towards the tree next to the one

where Black Star was tied. Next thing a powerful blast of fire that took the shape of a sphere came out of her hand and hit the tree which burnt instantly like a blazing torch. Then, before he could say or do anything, she pointed her right hand towards the still burning tree and sent an ice shard towards it and put out the fire just as fast as she had caused it.- And this was me just getting warm. This is just a tiny bit of what I can do, Lizzy said boasting now as she had proved she was strong and she felt good. Then she turned towards Mark to see the look on his face but he was down on the ground as he had fainted the moment she had cast fire on the tree. He didn’t even see her cast the ice shard. Damn! She shook him and got him back to his senses.

- You, he said, you are a witch!!!

- Doh…. Told you but you wouldn’t believe me so I had to show you!- Tell me not to doubt you again… nice to meet you Lizzy, I am Mark. I think I can still be helpful on your quest.

- Yeah, yeah, she said faking boredom, you are good with the sword but you never killed anyone. Have you at least been in a fight? Have you seen others fight?

- Well, to tell the truth…no. And he felt embarrassed now and stupid for wanting to become a knight.

- Ok, she said seeing the disappointment on his face, it doesn’t really matter. I've made up my mind and you can come. Who knows, maybe you will turn out a fine knight one day. Because our journey will be a dangerous one and you will have to draw that sword of yours, understand?- Yes my lady, thank you for accepting my company.- Yeah, no worries, would have been a long and lonely journey otherwise so don't mention it.

He smiled content at how things turned out. They packed their things

as it was breaking dawn already and each mounted his own horse and

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started on the rest of the journey together riding side by side. After a few miles and an aching back from all that riding Mark tried to open up a conversation with her. It was midday now and she really was beautiful, more beautiful even than she had seemed last night in the semidarkness.- So, Mark uttered in a shy voice, where are we heading?- To the Forest of the Lost Souls. Know where that is? She asked looking at him and wondering if he knew anything about the Fountain of Youth.- Hmm, he said pensive. Sounds ….interesting, he finally said. Isn't that where the Fountain of Youth is supposed to be? I thought it was just a myth. I heard stories about the magic of the place. Then it dawned on him and he said, after checking her out again with more attention:- So, Miss Lizzy, how old are you? One hundred, two hundred?- What? She said wondering what he was talking about. Then she realized and decided to play along so she went on: oh, you are not even close. I am 600 years old but it doesn’t show, does it? Now she couldn’t refrain herself anymore and started laughing until her eyes stung and tears were rolling down her cheeks. Yep, you should definitely accompany me, she said making fun of him. I can use a man with such a keen perception.- 600 hundred years old? Oh …wow…he said thinking that the water from the fountain was indeed magical as she didn’t look older than 17. But 600? Wow.

- Fooled you, you silly oaf. The water is not for me, told you I am on a quest for the king. He needs it, not me. And she laughed again but this time he also started laughing relieved that she was in fact young as she seemed.- I am only 19, she said giggling.