The Love of a Knight

Untitled Part 14

Felicity and Oliver woke the next morning and Felicity drank the silphium Oliver had ordered Ben to bring that morning. She had heard from her mother that it was a good form of birth control and she was grateful. The last thing they needed right now was a baby. She still did not know what her future held with Oliver. He kissed her gently as they got dressed and headed down to break their fast. She wanted to get back home as quickly as possible to tell Alara that she was safe.

They sat with Lord Chambers as they ate their breakfast and Felicity was excited to hear about her family. Since her mother died she felt like she had no one. But now she knew she was wrong. She DID have family. She wanted to get to know them. As they were finishing and getting ready to leave one of Oliver's men approached. "Lord Chambers! Sir Oliver! My lady!" The man bowed before continuing. "There are reports coming from the scouts that Lord Merlyn is planning an attack tonight."

Oliver's jaw clenched, "Do we know where?"

"The east river my lord." Oliver looked at Lord Chambers. "He must know we are weak on that side. I will take some men and ride out to the river tonight. He won't advance far." Felicity looked at the men and then at Oliver with concern.

Oliver pulled Felicity aside. "Felicity, I am sorry but I must go. Will you please stay here until I return? I don't want you going home alone."

"Oliver, I need to go home and check on Alara. Lord Chambers can send one of his men with me. Please do not worry." She looked up at him with concern. He was going to battle and he was worried about her. Did that mean he did care?

Felicity took his face in her hands and kissed him softly, and then she whispered against his lips. "Hoidke oma armastuse kaitse loksu, kui ta läheb lahingusse. (Keep the veil of protection around my love as he goes into battle)."

He felt that wave of energy engulf him like last night, and he looked to see her talisman softly glowing. He kissed her softly and turned to Lord Chambers."Can you please see that she gets home safely?"

Lord Chambers nodded and placed his arm around her shoulders. "I will protect her with my life Oliver."

Oliver gave him a nod and then giving her one last look turned and headed out to the knight's quarters. He needed to get his men ready to leave.

***

Felicity thanked the knight that had escorted her and glanced around her cottage. Lord Chambers had asked that patrols be sent every hour to patrol around the forest and near her home, so she felt confident she would be safe. As soon as the knight left, she closed her eyes and called to Alara. Her talisman glowed brightly as she reached out and soon the cat came bounding up the trail. She rubbed against Felicity with a purr and Felicity hugged her neck tightly. "You are safe Alara. Sir Oliver has made us both safe." Alara blinked at her with wide green eyes. She was glad her Mistress was safe.

Felicity headed into the cottage to change and then walked out to her garden. She needed to do some work to get her mind off of Oliver fighting. Soon a few hours had passed and Felicity was growing hungry. She made them some lunch and then returned to her garden. She needed to finish planting the herbs she had harvested from last year and soon she was engrossed her work again.

By the time she was done the sun was about to go down. Felicity and Alara went into the cottage and as Felicity got ready for bed she looked at Alara. "Oliver has gone to battle Alara. I pray he returns to us safe."

Alara blinked at her and then walked over and jumped on the bed. She lay down beside Felicity and Felicity curled against her. Soon she was asleep, her dreams of her knight.

***

Oliver and his men arrived at the river and set up camp. He and Slade had prepared the men for a potentially harsh battle, but they felt they were prepared as best as they could be. As they settled down in their tents Oliver thought of Felicity. He knew she had cast some kind of spell on him, his body still hummed as it had the night before. He hoped she was back home safe, and that she had found Alara. He was about to doze off when he heard the scout cry out a warning. Grabbing his sword and shield he ran to his horse and gathering his men they headed into battle. Malcolm's men had snuck across the border a few moments before and when Oliver and his men arrived they were immediately engaged.

As Oliver fought man after man, his mind kept returning to her. He needed to return to Felicity. He had to return. So he shut off all thought and feeling and became the battle hardened warrior he had trained to become. Men died by his sword and Oliver remained emotionless. He could not feel he just had to fight. The battle went well into the night, and as the fatigue set in he continued to fight. By dawn they had beat Merlyn's men back across the border. Oliver and Slade watched as their men, tired and broken headed back to the camp. They needed to rest, because tomorrow would be a new battle.

After three long days and nights of battling Malcolm's men, Malcolm had his men retreat. Oliver and Slade guided what men they still had back to camp. It had been a particularly brutal fight and they had lost quite a few men. As they all settled down to rest Oliver became restless. He could not rest. Something was pulling him to head back to Felicity. He walked to Slade's tent and informed him he was heading back to town. He trusted Slade to get their men back to the castle and he walked to his horse and mounted before he took off at a gallop. He needed to see her now.

***

Felicity tossed in her bed, her dreams of blood and fighting causing the empath in her to rear its head and she woke with a cry, sitting up in the bed. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes were wide with fear. She rarely had bad dreams but when she did they had a bad habit of coming true. She had seen Malcolm and had seen men lying dead across a large field. There was a battle brewing that was going to eclipse any that Oliver had fought before, and it terrified her. Alara noticed her Mistresses' fear and walked over from the fire and jumped on the bed, trying to give her some form of comfort, when suddenly horse hooves were heard coming down the path at a fast pace. Alara jumped from the bed and paced in front of the door. She knew those hooves. Felicity looked at the door when she heard a frantic knock, and she threw on her gown and walked over. The fact that Alara was not growling meant it must be someone they knew. Felicity opened the door and was swept up into a pair of strong male arms.

Oliver!!

She gripped him tightly to her as relief washed over them both, and he kissed her soundly before he broke the kiss and looked down at her. She whispered softly. "You came home safe to me my love!"

Oliver heard her words and he felt a warmth in his chest that he had never felt before. "Say that again!"

"You came home....", she started but he cut her off.

"No the other part!!"

Felicity looked up at him with serene blue eyes, "My love!"

He gripped her to him tightly and then took her face in his hands. "I will always come back to you my love!"

Alara looked from her perch near the fire and purred in contentment. All was as it should be.