I Will Be the Greatest Knight

Despite having eaten in an inn the night before, Irene and the other apprentices found their stomachs fuller than they had been in a long time as they tucked themselves into their blanket rolls from where they slept around the fire. 

Sir Phillip agreed to keep watch for the first half of the night while Sir Gunnar slept. They would soon trade places so that they were both running on about the same amount of sleep. With the threat of monsters or beasts at all times, at least one person always needed to be awake. 

Irene settled down with her blankets pulled to her chin and her eyes were focused on the sky as she listened to the waning fire crackle and let off smoke. Since it wasn't a cold season yet, they needed the fire only to cook and let it die out on its own since someone was awake to make sure it didn't catch anything else on fire. 

Having never slept outdoors before, the girl found the environment serene. On the way to the Duke's Tower the first time, she and her father slept in an inn on the way over so she never had to subject herself to a camp.

Although she wondered if it could be that she kept spending so much energy those days that sleep came to her quite easily. 

She thought she would be more fearful having to sleep out in the open but her eyes drifted shut and she knew that the dagger and bow lying just beside her were ready to go in case something unpredictable happened in the night. 

Luckily for all of them, it was mostly uneventful except for deer in the early morning eating dewy grass and enjoying the sunrise. 

Since Sir Gunnar sat quietly as he watched over the campers, the deer nearly didn't see him if it weren't for him standing and making sure they didn't get too close. Only when the deer scrambled to get away did the traveling party wake up. 

With the sun barely breaching the horizon, Irene was surprised to find herself easy to wake up. She never realized it would be possible to get such sound sleep outdoors. Perhaps it would be a different story if she wasn't in such a big traveling party. 

The other apprentices were easy to their feet as well and, in less than an hour, everyone had cleaned the camp up and found a small breakfast. There were only a few hours of travel left that day and they would have a larger meal once they were at the Duke's Tower. 

As usual, they used the same formation when traveling. The knights were in front and back while apprentices rode somewhere in the middle. 

Irene enjoyed herself as they went through the plains, which became hillier the closer they got to the Duke's Tower. The weather was beautiful and she occasionally lifted her face to the sky to get a bit of sun. However, she also knew that meant she would have more freckles when they returned. 

She cared about that as a girl, but was it something to worry about as a boy? 

The Duke's Tower was named as such because the frontmost tower that housed the grand front entrance stood taller than all the others. There were two more at the end of each wing which made it so the building was a large V with wings that extended northwest and northeast.

From far away, the highest tower was easy to see and it was their marker that they were headed in the right direction—at least their marker other than the massive mountains that stood behind the small castle and commanded all who called Chemois their home. 

Even though Irene had only spent a few days in the barracks, she was excited to get back to her own space and resume a more consistent schedule. They had been warning her that their duties would be indoors next since the apprentices switched every week to keep their skills honed. 

Morning practices, however, were always required no matter if their duties were inside or not. 

As they approached the tower, rather than going in through the front, they rode their horses around the back and towards the stables. The apprentices who were already on outdoor duties took their horses from them and they were able to return to the various corners of the Duke's estate to put their belongings away. 

Once in her room, Irene washed her face and brushed her hair. She got into clothing that was more suitable for everyday tasks rather than the riding clothing she had on before. 

As she stepped out of her door, she was surprised to see Leif waiting for her. 

"Are you about done?" he asked. "My stomach is growling." 

"You didn't have to wait," she reminded him. 

"If I don't wait for you, how will you know what to do next?" he joked, poking fun at her. 

It made her feel a bit hotheaded even though he was only teasing her. 

"The only reason you stay close to me is so Felix will have someone else to pick on," she reasoned with a huff and headed for the stairs.

Leif only shrugged and sighed before following the other apprentice down all the flights of stairs and to the dirt practice field. There they crossed quickly and went for the back door that led them to the walkway just outside of the dining hall. 

The voices of others already taking advantage of the cooking were heard as their voices echoed through the hallways and were absorbed by the various tapestries that decorated the walls. They depicted dragons and other events that cataloged Chemois' history.

The closer they got, the more there was the smell of herbed stew and Irene placed her hands on her stomach. She turned to Leif before she could enter the dining hall fully.

"I'm starved," she said. 

"Are they not feeding you well in a place like this?" a voice said from behind her. 

Irene turned to see her father stand up from where he sat with other knights. He wore traveling clothing but was devoid of armor. He had a barrack on the first floor to put his things in, after all. 

"Father!" she shouted and ran forward. 

However, she stopped abruptly in front of him and bowed her head. 

Did boys hug their fathers? Her brother did but he was three years younger.

She felt her father's large hand ruffle her hair and she looked up with a grin. At least he could read her well enough to know her internal turmoil. Since no one else in that place was aware of her secret, it felt that much more heavy to carry.