I Will Be the Greatest Knight

"You scream like a girl!" Felix shouted as he ran forward to see what the commotion was about. 

Leif who had arrived shortly before had a kinder approach as he offered his hand and helped Irene onto her feet. 

"Thank you," she quietly said to the younger apprentice, but she turned to Felix and glared at him. "Who wouldn't scream seeing a dead body like that?" 

The knights were quick to the apprentice as well and they both were observing the half decomposed body. It was mostly skeleton but there was still quite a bit of meat left on it. Particularly where it was stuck in the tree by a lance was still fleshy and enough to hold it onto the branch. 

"Seems like a regular person based on whats left of their clothes," Sir Phillip observed. "Not a sheath in sight either." 

"I wonder if there's a missing person in the township," Sir Gunnar agreed. "Perhaps it's one final report we ought to give to the reeve before we leave." 

"Wouldn't hurt, Sir Gunnar," Phillip answered. "Lead the way." 

Irene brushed herself off as she walked forward and looked at what the knights were doing now. Perhaps it would be something she would have to do one day. It was best to gain as much information as she possibly could. 

To her horror, Sir Gunnar held the body while Sir Phillip pulled the lance from the tree branch, and the person was lowered to the ground. When the body was next to the tree trunk, the older knight began to search the person's clothing for something else. 

"No nameplate or identification," Gunnar explained. "Not a noble at least." 

"We know that holds weight," Felix said with a cackle. "Just some commoner is not a big deal." 

Considering he was beyond correcting, Sir Gunnar simply shook his head at the older apprentice. He couldn't argue what he himself thought held a bit of truth.

"What will happen to this person?" Irene asked cautiously. 

"I will wrap the body in an extra blanket and bring it to town," Gunnar explained. "They deserve a proper resting place. The issue of necromancers arises yet again." 

The knight stood back to his full height as he stared down at the body. He stroked his chin in contemplation.

"Now that I think about it, the mages would benefit if a necromancer was seen in this valley," Sir Gunnar admitted. 

"Now you're talking more along the lines of Felix," Sir Phillip commented with a short laugh. "Let's get the body back into town. We're likely going to have to find somewhere between here and the Duke's Tower to camp at this rate." 

The knights held true to their word and respectfully wrapped the person in the blanket. Irene couldn't look at them for much longer but she said a silent Sünsto prayer in hopes that they would pass on peacefully and not remain on the Earth despite their tumultuous death. 

Her heart felt heavy as she thought of her in their position. Was there still a world in which she was supposed to be there but had gotten killed instead? Who found her? Who cared? 

Leif elbowed her gently and she realized she was staring. 

"Back to the horses," Sir Gunnar announced. "You've already heard what's next." 

When they were back to the horses, Sir Gunnar unfortunately had to be the one to ride with the person's remains on his lap. Luckily it was only a short distance but there wasn't a person out there who would like to ride on a horse with a stranger's dead body. 

That was the life of a knight, however. They were always subjected to the most unexpected. Irene was learning that both vicariously through the others and hands-on at other times. 

In much of the same formation as before just a bit slower to consider the body they were carrying with them, the knights made it back to the edge of town where the land raised up ever so slightly and one of the larger residences there was located. 

There they saw the home of the town reeve. 

While not considered nobles, town reeves were meant to report the happenings of their towns or villages to the Duke. If they needed assistance from His Grace, they were the point of contact. Whenever the Duke or knights toured through the duchy, it was oftentimes the reeves and their families who would host them. 

Irene was familiar with this process because her father was the town reeve in the north central village they lived in. It was easiest for him to take that mantel because he was the one who saw the Duke often. 

While the knights went indoors, the apprentices tended to their horses in the reeve's stables and prepared for the journey that was ahead of them. Unfortunately, that time they wouldn't be staying in a warm inn. 

When it was finally time to go, they were all back on their horses and headed northwest to return to the Duke's Tower. There they would be switching duties with the other apprentices and squires. 

For a few hours the party traveled in relative peace. There were no monsters or bumps in the road to handle. The weather was mild and Irene was glad she wore long sleeves. Her face and arms would undoubtedly get even more freckly as they often did when the weather was warm. 

Amongst the lush fields and against a hill, the knights and apprentices stumbled upon a lee that would block them from the wind that night. 

"This is where we will camp," Sir Gunnar announced. "Apprentices you're on your own for dinner while Sir Phillip and I set up camp and gather wood." 

As the children and teenagers dismounted their loyal steeds, there were looks shared of pure excitement. Irene was unaware of what they meant until Felix walked towards her and patted the bow she carried on her back. 

"You can finally put this to better use," he said. "Find us a rabbit. You have to be capable of that much, aren't you?" 

"Before I saved your life, all I ever hunted was rabbits before," Irene insisted. 

"I guess I forgot to say thanks, didn't I?" Felix responded, surprisingly kind for someone like him. 

Irene pushed his hand away from her and she took the bow off of the sheath so she could finally put it to good use. 

"It won't be the first or last time so we ought to not have to keep thanking each other for something like that," she responded a bit haughtily and continued walking until she was at the forest's edge. 

There had to be a tree she could climb somewhere nearby.