Knight's and Ladies (atepem & silence)

Silence

Silence

Anonymous Me
@atepem


Donovan was overly disgusted with the offered positions from the king. After he'd fought in the war's abroad the knight thought he should have been regarded little more highly than just being offered to be a regular guard. Not even offered to be a bodyguard of the king and he had shown himself more able bodied than half the men that served as bodyguards to the king. It was really was who you knew and Donovan hated the politics of the court.

It was ridiculous what people thought would gain them some kind of favor and yet it worked. After he refused the offered position as politely as he could manage a man approached him. "Have you thought of seeking out a position from one of the lords. It is the best way to gain reputation in the court. Most of the men here haven't half your experience, but they have the ear of a powerful man. Try your hand there. Anyone would have known you from the tournaments."

Meeting the man's gaze Donovan nodded. "Aye...I'll think on it." Perhaps going to the wars abroad would be a better option. Now that he was mostly healed he could return to the frontlines and he knew there he would get the respect that he deserved. However, he was about ready to settle down at home. He was already 26 and it was time to get himself settled somewhere. The money he had was not enough to get started as the wars didn't pay that well. It was one way to gain reputation and the tournaments had just furthered his reputation and to no avail. On his way back to the wars he found himself on the borders. A lovely land. One that he might be content to serve in if he was given a small chunk of land to call his own. Perhaps here he could offer his services. If this lord was as stuck up as the rest and concerned with politics then Donovan would leave.

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"Sir Donovan of Oldwood is here to see you mi lord." Making a bow he stepped out of the room and made room for the knight.

Donovan was a big man of nearly 6'8" and black tar colored hair, in contrast his eyes were like green orbs that shone brightly from his weathered face and tan skin. He looked every bit the part of a rugged soldier and adventurer. As manners demanded he made a slight bow though he was still taller than the lord that had stood to greet him.

"Greetings." The lord took a seat and gazed at the man in front of him. It was curious indeed why one with such reputation would come here.

After the man had taken seat Donovan started. "I'm seeking a lord to serve if you have any suitable work for me." Suitable was more the key term in Donovan's mind. He wanted work that would take him off the battlefields and provide a living.

The lord smiled gently. "What kind of work is suitable?" He liked to get an idea of what sort of bargain the man would drive. Everyone who saw him compete had spoke about the fluid movement, ease of which the knight had conducted himself and brutish strength. Nearly killed a few men with a blunt blade and that was certainly a feat to be proud of.

"I aim mi lord to have parcel of land if you would tell me how many years it would take as captain of the guard to earn such."

If nothing else the wars had certainly made the man blunt. The older man frowned. "You ask for quite a bit Sir Donovan. I'll consider the offer and I would be honored if you chose to be my guest for tonight."

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Donovan wore his hard leather armor most everywhere since he had little else to wear. However, for dinner he changed out of it and put on a plain olive colored shirt. It was an inexpensive color and he didn't need anything fancy. Still it was in better shape than many of his other shirts. When he was brought into the room he was seated near the front of the table and only a space between himself and the lord's daughter.

"I've heard that you fought in the wars abroad. Do the warriors there really have those small curved blades that cut through armor with barely a slice?"

"They do." Donovan couldn't help smirking at the question form the lord of the house. "Still no match for a blade forged in my home land. The trick is to catch the men before they reach you eh?" Chuckling a little he grabbed the cup of mead and took a sip.
 
Lillian gave their tall guest a quick once over, brown eyes catching and lingering on the threadbare, offensively plain piece of cloth the guest called clothing before regarding the man's face and unruly hair. A small frown of disdain pulled at her lips as she consciously brushed strands of her pale golden hair back and it took her a second to remember to school her features.
Hearing him boast about his prowess or whatnot and talk so ineloquently - to Father nonetheless - had her gripping her cutlery harder than was necessarily appropriate.

"I wouldn't know. " Her father replied with a gentle laugh, "But perhaps you'd like to enlighten us about your various travels and experiences?" Father turned his head towards her expectantly and Lillian could only nod along with a faint smile that vanished as quickly as it came.

"...Yes." She said after chewing and swallowing her food, and she tried to gather at least some enthusiasm in her voice when she went on. "Won't you tell us about your adventures? I'm sure they're very interesting."
 
"People always want to hear about the adventures." Donovan grinned as politely as he could manage though it resembled more of a grimace. If they wanted to know about adventuring so badly why didn't they just go do it for themselves. Turning his gaze briefly toward the girl he added a mild phrase that would work as a polite gesture for the time. "I will start with the beginning as it is better suited to the delicate nature of a fair maiden." She was indeed fair in complexion and hair. The lass likely never had reason to spend more time outside than to walk or ride a horse for her exercise. Even then she likely wasn't out long enough to burn.

Taking a sip from the mead he had to try and think of a nice tale even from the beginning of his travels. "Ah yes..." This time a real smile came to his face. "I'll start with the city of Abourdine. I was a newcomer at that time. It would have been nearly 9 years ago." Being the younger son of his father there was nothing when the old man died so he was forced to make his fortune one way or another. "I was given my first assignment to guard an envoy." As he progressed through the story it turned from a simple task of guarding the king's delegation to racing through a desert and fighting herdsmen at an oasis. By the end of his brief story they were safely in a blistering hot city. "The women dress very differently there. They wear a scarf around their head and just a thin piece of fabric that cover's her face. Usually bright colors. Some had rings of gold hanging from their ears and noses."

An uncomfortable expression came over some of the listener's faces and Donovan quickly ended the tale. No one needed to know that it ended in a brothel. That was part of a soldier's life and all he'd done so far was describe the wear of those in this foreign land. "Forgive me. It is difficult to tell after being abroad for so long what is considered desirable news."

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Early the next morning Donovan prepared to leave. His arm smarted some as he finished saddling his horse. It's what came of sleeping on an injury all night long. He was stopped when one of the servants bade him to come in and speak with the lord. Part of him wondered if he was going to be reprimanded for his brief tale though he made sure to omit the pieces he perceived to be the most offensive.
 
Lillian glanced around a corner from the other side of the hallway with narrowed eyes as the knight was lead to her father's study.
After the uncouth man had retired from dinner, she'd respectfully and openly expressed her sincere concerns about him with father and he had listened intently and even agreed (well, nodded) when she stated that the knight was much too barbaric.

And now that he'd been called over, Lillian was curious as to what her often-too-kind father had to say. Hesitantly, she waited for the servant to leave and looked around before taking light steps to the door and trying to listen in. Obviously, she'd realised this wasn't the ladylike behaviour that had been engrained into her brain since youth but the temptation to hear this brutish get scolded was too much and she pressed her ear to the hard wood.

*

Light streamed in streaks from the large windows facing the door, and an average-sized desk was placed adjacent to it. The lord sat at the dark wooden chair with an aged book in hand and closed it as the door did.

"Leaving already?" He enquired, standing and offering the chair across his desk. "Were you dissatisfied with anything? I'd hoped that my next Captain of the Guard would be comfortable here."
 
Donovan took the seat cautiously. He couldn't help peering over his shoulder at the man that had led him into the room. After years of travel and war he had learned to constantly watch over his shoulder. You never knew when someone would give a shot at killing you. Turning his gaze toward the man he shifted in the seat. "I assumed nothing mi lord. I am pleased to accept the position if you still consider me as such to be worthy of holding the title."

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In many ways the days that followed were the most boring that he could have had. Donovan couldn't imagine himself doing this for years to come and yet here he was bound by his word. He walked the halls in the hardened leather. Resting one hand on the hilt of his sword he stood to the side while the lady of the manor passed by. His little patrol would take him outside soon enough and then he would accompany the family on a ride for the afternoon. It was the stable boy's job to prepare the animals to ride, but Donovan insisted on saddling his own horse.
 
"Apparently, they're just torsos with wings." Lillian recited to her parents, as they strolled through the more scenic routes. She'd always valued these times they had together and lately their small family rides around the fields had been becoming more and more infrequent since the political discord that their kingdom had with another. She wasn't much informed about the conflict since her father had told her that she needn't involve herself with it, and since her father's biddings to her were rare and few, she'd listened.

"And what do these Manananggals do?" Her father asked with the same avid interest he'd had when the dark circles around his eyes didn't cover up his laugh lines.

Instead of expressing her worry, Lillian kept her face neutral and kept the conversation light. "They eat unborn children."
 
Donovan mounted his horse and set out after the family. The ride began taking them into the forest. This was at least one place that he was curious about. Somewhere he hadn't the chance to actually explore yet. However, there was something different about this place. They were talking about beasts that supposedly had long past been eliminated. Nervously he glanced around the heavily forested pathway. What was he supposed to do with something like this? He really didn't know anything about the creatures.

Perhaps there was something to keep him interested here. Maybe it would be worth exploring the forest later. At the end of the ride he dismounted and offered his hand to help the women off their horses. A slight grin came to his face when he offered his hand to the girl. It almost appeared to him that she would recoil and he found it funny. Still determined to do his job he kept his large hand extended and peered into her eyes. Perhaps she would consider it defiant, but he liked to study his subjects. To know their facial expressions and learn the most about them possible. The eyes were a good place to start. They could betray a man's true feelings in no time.
 
Peering down with a barely concealed look as dirty as the knight's extended hand, Lillian breathed in a slow breath and smiled thinly. Her fingertips placed the slightest pressure on his palm - the barest of touches thank goodness - and put more of her weight on her other hand as she dismounted. It was less graceful than was expected of a lady of her calibre, but since her other hand was being manhandled by a brute, she'd had to make do.

"It's rather rude to stare." She said before walking ahead, not bothering to offer a thanks to someone so clearly undeserving.
 
The lady had to be so indignant to her offer to help. Donovan's brow furrowed slightly and he nearly stepped in to grab her around the waist when she began her unsteady dismounting. Instead his hand instinctively wrapped tighter around her tiny fingers. When her feet finally hit the ground his eyebrows raised. Her fingers slipped from his own and rather than receiving thanks he got a rude retort.

Donovan knew his place and right now he was having a bit of fun with it. A smirk came to his face and he bowed his head slightly. It wasn't enough to be anywhere near her height, and yet entirely polite. His mouth was near her head and he spoke. "Always a pleasure mi lady." The smirk still remained on his face as he watched the blonde head bob along while she walked away. Once she was out of view he handed the reins over to the stable boy and let him lead the horse away. He wanted nothing more than to bow dramatically and genuflect in the general direction of the girl, however that would be reason for trouble.

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Once more he rode out with the family on their little ride in the woods. Donovan had grown used to the girl's disdain and he didn't actually mind. In a way it provided some entertainment. She was seemingly disgusted by everything about him. Pity the woman when she discovered that she was to be married off to a man and most of them were just as dirty as himself if not worse.

No matter what she thought his hands were not filthy. They just were not the same soft touch as that of a nobleman's. Instead his hands were rough and thick with calluses. This time there was something else. The knight turned in his saddle. Spurring his horse forward he cut the path off in front of the lord and his family. "Turn back. It's something in the forest. You're being watched mi lord." No sooner had he finished his sentence than he heard an arrow fly past his head and he watched it sink into the man's shoulder. Taking his own belt off Donovan wrapped it around the lord's hands and strapped him to his horse. Forcing the animal to turn back toward the castle he slapped the animal on the rump firmly. "Hah!"
 
Upon catching her first glance of blood, oozing a morbid red that slowly stained her father's robes, and the unfamiliar pained expression that struck across his face, Lillian let out a half-muffled cry behind the hand that flew to her mouth. And as her father's horse galloped past her and back the way they'd come, him calling distantly for her and mother to follow, she remained on the spot, stupidly gripping at her horse's reigns with slack hands before another arrow buried itself close enough to her horse to spur it into action.

The animal stood on its hind legs, whinnying a cry of panic, and Lillian had to let go of the reigns and grab at the horse's neck to just stay on, before it flee'd away from the danger and back down the path they came. She turned her head back slightly to catch sight of her mother right on her heels and, behind her, the shrinking silhouette of the knight they were leaving behind in all the chaos. She had to remind herself that this was his job, and if he couldn't handle it then he wasn't worth what they were paying.

Looking forward again with uncertainty, she caught a frightening flash of metal as it stuck itself deep into her mare's flank and another buck almost had her falling off. Inconsolable, it veered off path into the darkening woods with the deep rumbles on the ground behind her echoing in her head.
 
Donovan turned toward the attackers. They were almost thick as the trees. The best that he could do to give them time now was to charge into the middle with the horse. Taking his sword in hand he spurred the war seasoned stallion into the midst of the men. He wasn't their target of interest and the men began to scatter. Turning the horse sharply the knight rode it toward the castle till he saw a detachment and a trail of blood. Veering off into the forest he could see the girl's ridiculous blond hair waving as her horse seemed to drunkenly weave its way through the trees.

Roaring rode up behind the first man and slashed through his armor and into his back. A gurgled scream sounded as the body stumbled a few feet further and fell to the ground. While he was in the midst of fighting off the men that he could he yelled to the girl. "Ride Northwest." She should at least know that would take her back to the castle and he needed her out of here so he could get out.

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Finally with the girl out of the forest the man tried to get himself out after her. Most importantly though the lord of the manor couldn't have fallen from his horse with Donovan needed to ensure that they had reached the manor. If they didn't get to the castle then the small army was far larger than he could handle by himself. Fighting in the wars since he was 17 didn't make him suddenly a single army by himself. Some thought so, but he wasn't sure he would get very far into the clearing if their archers were waiting.

"Lillian ride!" Yelling for her to ride he watched her horse stumble and stagger on the way to the way to the walls. She wouldn't make it at this rate. The stallion let out a tremendous snort as an arrow planted itself in it's shank. Donovan grit his teeth. It was his favorite horse, his only horse at this point. Darting from the forest Donovan could hear the arrows fly overhead. Laying himself against the body of the animal he tilted his head up so he could see where they were going. Charging up behind the girl he yelled for her. "Sit up straight." Her horse couldn't make it much further and even as he rode closer to her it was shying away.

Quickly the stallion overtook her dying horse and he reached out to grab her around the waist. Donovan pulled the girl toward himself. Setting her on the front of the beast he was forced to sit straight though he still ducked slightly to keep from catching an arrow in the neck or head. Either of those places wouldn't be good. Another volley of arrows sounded and he curled against her. "Stay low."

A thud sounded and he winced. Donovan knew the sound well enough and he was the only one wearing armor. While he didn't feel it yet he knew he would. Suddenly his horse began to falter and they only had a short distance to go for the castle walls. The army was quickly covering ground to come after them. He glanced up at the gates. They were still open. It wouldn't be for long. Her parents must have reached them already and he was beginning to doubt that his stallion with its injuries would go much further. Both of them were thrown from the horse when he came to a spot that was like marsh and the stallion broke one of its front legs.

Donovan groaned when he felt the shaft of the arrow snap as he was rolled. Rolling himself from his back and onto his hands and knees he pulled at the girl. "C'mon we need to run." Whether she was ready or not he plucked her from the ground. If she wouldn't run for herself he would carry her.
 
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The whole thing was a huge rush of anxiety and nerves and worry all squirming around in her gut, and even when they were on the final stretch, her mouth was still so dry and her elusive breath much too hard to catch that she could feel an ill-timed light-headedness coming on. She grabbed hard at weathered leather; a weak attempt at calming herself.

And then, they'd made it onto the castle grounds and the gates were sealed shut with a deafening boom as loud as an army of galloping horses in pursuit, and Lillian finally caught up. She pushed herself off the knight with a violent stumble and ran to the nearest support strut, her mouth open like she was about to vomit and cruel tears blurring her vision as she made small hitching noises.

After some time, she'd caught her breathe. After some more time, she'd finally gathered the courage to life her head and wipe her eyes after such an unbecoming display.

She called to a nearby servant, trying her hardest to keep her voice clear but an appalling waver still came out and she sounded so horribly weak that she grimaced. "Where are mother and father?"

There was a pause, and the servant seemed to be thinking about it but he was taking much too long and she remembered to control her voice carefully, lest she lose her temper and shout (further embarrassing herself), as she repeated her question in a much more urging and warning tone, "Where are they?"

The servant still didn't have much of an answer - more excuses, really - so she turned away while he was mid-sentence and went to the knight. "My mother was right behind me, where is she?" She demanded angrily, the smallest bit of dread planting and rooting itself in her head, because how hard was it to spot someone - the Lord and Lady of the castle, nonetheless - riding in?
"She was right behind me, on a horse - I-I saw her." She said again with a deep breath in.
 
As the girl pushed away from him Donovan winced. She was so stuck on herself that she couldn't even consider her disdain for him could have gotten her killed. Reaching over his shoulder he tried to grasp for what remained of the arrow shaft, but it was out of reach. In the background he could hear the girl asking about her parents. He had done exactly what he was hired to do. Protect the heir to the castle. Did her father know that this would happen? Donovan couldn't begin to guess if the man knew how he did.

Meeting the girl's gaze he directed her to one of the other men. "I did what I could to get them out."

One of the other men who had been at the gates looked at the girl and sighed heavily. "Mi lady your father is gravely injured and your mother did not make it to the walls. We have not seen her."

Donovan clenched his jaw and grabbed the girl by one hand. "Go see your father. It is better to see him now then wish you had." Releasing his grip on the girl, he sat heavily on a crude bench. Glancing to one of the men he nodded. "Help me get the armor off." The straps were easy enough to get off, pulling the armor off his back was another story. The shaft of the arrow was twisted and the head of arrow had gone in at an angle. Every movement had him growling or cursing. At long last the other knight had worked the armor off and Donovan did his best to curl his back so the man could more easily pull the arrow out.

"Rrrrrmmmmm." Growling deeply he glanced back at the man when only the shaft came out and the arrow head remained stuck. "Have you never pulled an arrow before?"

Slowly the night shook his head and Donovan frowned. "Fine use my knife and cut it out." Reaching for his own knife he handed it to the man and then had another thought. "Anyone here ever do this before?" Seemed that none of them had so he settled with the man he had for now. Donovan cringed as he pulled his bloodied shirt up. "I'll need a lot of wine." Cringing he took a big gulp and waited for the knight to begin.

By the end of the mini surgery he felt a little sick though his back didn't have the ache of the metal stuck in it. Weaving almost dangerously toward the main building in the castle he ended up leaning against one of the walls in the hallway. "Tell the lord I'm here for my orders." Half slurring the words he stumbled back a few steps and decided to crouch in the hallway since it wouldn't be as far to fall should he lose his balance. Outside they were preparing a siege and the lord of the castle had to know. After what felt like forever Donovan watched the girl leave the room and then he shakily got to his own feet.

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"Thank you." The older man nodded to the knight. "You must protect her no matter what. Promise me."

Donovan nodded. "Aye mi lord. I must tell you that the castle is under siege. There is only so much I can do to protect her."

"They must not have the final heir. She alone knows the secrets of the forest." Sitting up in his bed he stared at the knight. "Go and rest, but tonight you will take her out the secret passage. I have already told her that you will be taking care of her." Frowning some he noticed Donovan was swaying on his feet slightly. "My physician can do little more for me. He will be in your quarters within the hour."

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When nightfall came the night heard the knock on his door. Groaning he pushed himself up in the bed. "I'm awake." His back hurt worse than his previous injury. A leg could heal if you managed to stay off of it and avoided riding horses. It meant riding in a miserable cart for weeks, but back couldn't be kept entirely still. Growling he slipped a thick shirt on and began to fasten the armor as best he could by himself before he stepped into the hallway. Beckoning to one of the men he got to one knee on the floor so the man could reach his shoulders. "Tie this on the rest of the way."

Now that he was ready to go he pulled the thick cloak over his armor and fixed the chain to the leather straps. It would at least provide some warmth and hide the hole in the back of his armor. Slowly walking to the girl's room he paused at the door and knocked on it. "Mi lady its time to go."
 
Lillian glanced at the door with bloodshot eyes and dried streams of tears on pallid-looking skin.

No matter how tiring the day was, she couldn't think to sleep. She couldn't think of how anyone could sleep, knowing that the castle would soon be overrun and ransacked by low-life scum that attacked and terrorised her family-

She let out a shaky breath, ceasing that train of thought before it let her really think about the more important stuff. Closing the sack that she'd neatly tucked her stuff away in, she opened her door and handed her things to the knight.

"Make sure not to drop anything. Let's go."

*


The secret passage was overgrown with moss and weeds and there was some faint, damp smell that made Lillian cover her nose.
She'd known that there were secret corners and doors dotted about the castle and had even made attempts, unsuccessful ones, to discover them as a child. More of just wanting to map out the castle than to leave; she figured that the places they lead to wouldn't ever be as good as the castle. Not that it mattered now.

"Where are we going?" She questioned the knight, the light from the lantern he held barely reaching the bland stone walls.
 
Taking the sack from the girl the knight frowned. Was there even anything useful in it? He still had to pick up supplies from the staff in the kitchen before they left. Donovan decided to be quiet for the time and he motioned for her to follow. "I won't drop anything if I can help it." The cook gave them another bag that doubled the weight. Gingerly he took hold of both sacks and swung them over his back.

Momentarily his face blanched and he took the wine that the cook offered. "Aye...A drink before I'm on my way." Before they were even to the wall Lillian was asking questions. How he had thought she would be any different than the nobles that he had met during the wars he didn't know. "Someplace safe." Weaving through the plants he could hear a squish with almost every step. It was getting swampy and that meant they were getting close. Finally he reached the little doorway and he tried to pull, but one arm wasn't enough when it twisted his back.

The knight's stomach churned momentarily and he set the supplies down on the ground ignoring the looks from the girl. "Believe me it all tastes the same after a week. Rain, slop, mud, whatever else happens." Forcing the door open he plucked the bags from the ground again and started through the doorway. Before he reached the other side he blew the lantern out and slowly peered out the doorway. It took a few minutes for his eyes to adjust and it appeared that so far the siege had not moved to this part of the castle wall yet. "Hurry up mi lady." Grabbing her hand he began to drag her through the ditch circling back toward the forest. This was the one place they could hide if they went to the Northern most parts. A part of the forest undisturbed by men for nearly 100 years and for good reason, but it was their chance.
 
Lillian caught the biting words at the tip of her tongue as the knight gave her some useless answer and then proceeded to drop their packs on the muddy path. He commented something about the taste and all she could really do was send him an exhausted look that he'd probably missed anyway in the dark.

Her aggravation grew when he took her hand and carelessly yanked her outside but carefully kept her mouth closed. Instead, she busied herself consciously avoiding the deeper looking patches but ultimately to no avail as one of her boots sunk into a soft mound of mud. She pulled her hand out of the knight's grasp to try and ease it out, whimpering at the thought of how things had so quickly devolved from a pleasant ride with her parents to being shin-deep in dirty ditches with inedible food and an uncouth stranger who'd admitted to having tasted mud.

And it was going to stay like this for however long, she realised.

The mud finally let go but the ugly brown mush clung to the leather in morbid clumps. She resigned to walking awkwardly with the extra weight on one foot with a blank expression.

*

Despite everything, the sun still rose. The tranquility of the forest and the new day almost mocking, as they kept walking in their silent journey.
Now that there was some sunlight, Lillian could see further ahead. Not that there was anything new to see; tall branching trees everywhere but no civilisation in sight.
The knight was probably lost.
 
Trudging all through the night and carrying the bags almost had Donovan not caring if Lillian was behind him or not. Still it was his duty to protect her. Glancing behind himself he raised a single eyebrow. Surprisingly she had kept up pretty well. Granted he wasn't running. Setting the bags down he grabbed the flask of wine from the cook and took a large swig of it before offering some to the girl. "I imagine you'd like some after last night."

When she refused he shrugged his shoulders and instantly regretted it. A new surge of pain ran through his back and he took another swig of the wine before he decided to lay down on his stomach. "We need to rest for a little bit." Grimacing he shut his eyes and heard her rustle around and then around and around. Finally he rolled to one side and stared at her. "Have you never slept on the ground before?" With a grumble he got up and collected some reeds and tall grass that he pulled up. Laying it all in a moderate sized heap he gave her a slight bow. "Should be more comfortable than the bare ground." Never seemed to matter how hard he worked the girl was never happy and he doubted that this would be any different. She was a spoiled brat and she wouldn't change for a while.
 
She stared at the makeshift bed and then back at the knight.

Contrary to what a lot of the servants of the castle thought, Lillian was very much aware of herself and the things around her.
The knight was acting strange, and he'd been doing so since they arrived at the castle. Really, only an idiot wouldn't be able to connect the dots.

"You use it," she said with pursed lips and a wrinkled nose, sleep wasn't going to be coming to her for a while, anyway. She reached for the stained sack with the food, pinching it open with her thumb and forefinger. "I'm going to eat."

She took the bread at the top and examined it. Then she started to peel off chunks of the outsides and ate only the insides.
 
Donovan raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "As you wish." If she wanted him to use the makeshift bed he would and if she decided she wanted to sleep it would be her problem to get a bed for herself. He wasn't getting up unless there was danger lurking in the forest. Perhaps it was the next morning or only a few hours later, at any rate he was startled awake by someone walking nearby.

His eyes narrowed and Donovan barely moved to put his hands beneath himself. Braced to leap into the brush he waited for a few more seconds and vaulted himself from his spot. Crashing into the swampy waters and pulling the figure from the water he suddenly stopped. This was not at all who or what he had been anticipating to find in the swamp.
 
Lillian heard the splash before the whole scene of events registered in her mind, and she rushed between outreached branches to the edges of the swamp that the madman had so readily dived into.

She dropped her half-eaten bread and squeaked. There, in the middle of the swamp, hissing furiously with its slitted eyes, covered in mud and an astonished knight was something she'd only seen in her books. One, two heads aligning themselves to glare vicious daggers at its attacker, claws as sharp as spears and the lithe body of a serpent - God, what was it called, what was it called?
Her thoughts raced in the seconds that the creature waded in the swampy waters with imperceptible movements. It was there, she knew it...

It finally snapped, and her eyes widened as she leapt into the swamp, more putrid water spattering and the creature reared back with an ugly, indescribable noise. Lillian grabbed the knight's arm with a panicked tug.

Amphisbaena. Couldn't be killed.

"You," she pulled again with a frustrated scream, "stupid knight! Pull out your sword - where's your sword?!" The creature was looking more and more irritated and the way it stood didn't look all too friendly. If her books were right, and that thing attacked and hit anyone of them, they were genuinely dead. Permanent, non-healing wounds dead. On another note, "Screw the sword, run!"
 
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