The Love of a Knight

Untitled Part 1

The large black Friesian pawed the ground, restless under the weight of its rider as the knight looked over the battlefield below. The bodies of men and their blood littered the ground and the horse could smell it. The knights' cold hard blue eyes watched as his remaining men gathered the injured to return to their loved ones. As sad as the scene before him was, he had hardened his heart to it long ago. It was a part of the world he lived in and keeping the feelings pushed down helped to keep him alive. Oliver Queen was one of the most sought after knights for hire in the country and he had the scars to prove his experience and skill. He had arrived in Gliestan four days ago and this was the first battle of many he would be fighting and it had been brutal. Of the 150 men he had led onto the battlefield only 40 were walking away. It was a sobering scene.

Oliver placed his sword in its sheath as he led his horse over to his knight commander. "This was a brutal fight." Oliver said. His eyes scanned the battlefield again and a flash of green caught his attention in the trees bordering the field. He turned his horse quickly in that direction.

Felicity watched as her black panther Alara ran ahead through the thick brush. They had been out for their daily walk when Felicity had sensed death. It was potent and thick and it had made her lightheaded. Being an empath, she was sensitive to a lot of things. It was a trait that had been passed down for generations from the women in her family and even though Felicity took great care to hone the feelings, she sometimes wished they did not exist at all. Like right now. As her blue eyes scanned the field all she saw was death. Men were scattered as far as her eyes could see and she closed her eyes trying not to be overwhelmed by the scene. She felt Alara brush up against her, her green eyes glowing brightly as she checked on her mistress. Felicity assured her she was ok and gently stroked her head. Alara's ears perked up at the sound of nearby horse hooves and she turned with a growl. Felicity placed her hand on the emerald encrusted collar that encircled Alara's throat and waited with a calm serene demeanor as the person approached. Felicity was never one to hide or run away because most of the people in her village usually stayed a good distance away from her. So when someone actually approached her she looked forward to the interaction. Being an empath and a mage could be lonely.

Oliver led his horse closer to the brush and down the worn path. He drew his sword as his horse moved deeper into the dense foliage. If this was an enemy knight, he could take him back to the castle for interrogation. Too many had died today. As the path curved sharply, Oliver stopped his horse abruptly at the scene before him. There was a black cat, the largest he had ever seen standing in the pathway. But what really caught his attention was the woman standing by the cat's side with her hand gently stroking the cat's fur, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The woman was wearing a green cloak with a hood, so her face was partially hidden by the fabric. But Oliver noted a small frame and as the panther growled in his direction he slowly dismounted his horse.

"You there! Remove your hood and step forward.", he commanded. He kept his eyes on the panther as she moved between him and the woman, tightening his grip on his sword. He had heard rumors since he had come to the village that there was a witch that roamed the woods and some people that had crossed her path had not made it back alive. But he did not believe in such tales. Was he maybe hallucinating?

Felicity raised her hands and pushed her hood off of her head and looked up to see a pair of the most piercing blue eyes she had ever encountered widening on her in surprise.

Oliver's breath caught at the vision before him. She was small, petite, with shoulder length blonde hair. Her blue eyes seemed the color of the sky, and her skin almost seemed to glow. What? He must be tired.

Alara growled at the man again, and Felicity spoke a few words causing the large cat to relax back on her haunches, her eyes laser focused on the man before them.

Felicity stepped forward, lifting her chin with a confident air. Oliver cleared his throat, she was beautiful. "You! What is your name?" he asked.

"Felicity!" she said. Her voice soft and light.

"What are you doing in these woods Felicity?" Felicity felt a shiver when he said her name. He was quite handsome and looking at his attire she realized he must be a knight.

"Alara and I were taking our walk when I was drawn to this place." Her eyes shimmered with the thought of the men on the field, and she pushed her empath side down.

"Alara?" Oliver was confused. Was someone else roaming around these woods with her?

She motioned to the panther and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. "She is my companion." Felicity looked at the man with curiosity before she looked at the beautiful horse. She moved closer and as she stretched out her hand, Oliver stepped forward and grabbed it quickly.

"He is a war horse. I would keep my distance m'lady." Oliver felt like an electric current was thrumming through his skin and he dropped her hand as she looked at him with a patient smile.

Felicity stepped forward again, and he watched in complete surprise as the horse leaned its head down to her touch. "He is beautiful."

There had been page's who had been bitten many times by his horse and to see him bending to the touch of this tiny woman was a mystery.

She turned her blue eyes to his and Oliver felt his heart skip a beat. "What is your name?" She looked at the man with a serene, quiet expression and her look calmed his frayed nerves.

"I am Oliver Queen. Knight to Lord Chambers." Oliver's eyes shifted to the panther as she laid down in the pathway, patiently waiting for her mistress but keeping an eye on him.

Felicity's eyes lit up. "A knight! I am impressed."

Oliver took a step toward her and then stopped himself. He felt drawn to this woman for some reason and it was making him uncomfortable. "Felicity. I would head back to your home. We have just completed a battle against Lord Merlyn and some of his men could still be roaming these woods. Merlyn is not an honorable man and I would hate for you to get hurt."

Felicity's eyes hardened briefly and he saw a green glow before she masked it quickly. "I know of Merlyn. Your men died fighting against him?"

Oliver nodded. He was growing tired, his body reaching its limit. "Yes." Oliver turned and climbed onto his horse. "Can I give you a ride m'lady?"

Felicity smiled softly and shook her head no. She turned and walked back to the panther that stood and nuzzled her hand. Felicity turned and looked at Oliver, and he knew at that moment this woman was different. She was not like any other woman he had ever met before, and despite the rumors that he had heard, she was a woman he wanted to get to know.

"It was nice to meet you Oliver the Knight." Their gaze met one last time and then she turned and walked into the brush. Oliver's horse neighed softly and pawed the ground as if wishing her return, and when he walked his horse to where she had been, she had vanished.

She was gone.