The Love of a Knight

Untitled Part 17

Oliver and his men arrived at the glade and set up camp about a quarter mile away. Based on Felicity's dream, Oliver knew this was going to be a long hard battle. He hoped his men were prepared. He walked over to Slade's tent and entering him and Slade discussed their strategy, then they gathered their men and headed to the glade. As they topped the hill they could see the field and before them were hundreds of Malcolm's men ready for battle. Oliver's eyes scanned the field as he looked for Malcolm. They had decided that he would be the one to search for Malcolm and as they rode down for their first engagement with his men, he kept to the edge, trying to figure out where Malcolm would be hiding.

The clanging of the metal upon metal met his ears and he turned everything off except the part of him that fought, the dark part of him. His sword sliced through the air as man after man attacked and went down beneath his blade. The sound of arrows slicing through the air, metal hitting metal and men screaming flew through the air and after several hours of battle Oliver and Slade moved their men back in retreat. Their goal was to use a series of retreats to trick Merlyn's men into breaking their shield wall.

As they retreated they took stock of the men they had lost. Out of 300 men, 80 were dead and 10 wounded. They went to their camp and devised their next strategy before they briefly rested and then headed back to the glade.

This cycle of fighting and retreat continued over several days and by the fifth day their men were tired, worn down and wounded. The battle was taking its toll.

Oliver stood at the top of the hill with his men ready to engage in battle again. Out of the 300 men that had started this battle over 140 had already died. The remaining men were tired and ready for this battle to end. As his men forged forward he saw them fighting their way through the wall of Malcolm's men with determination. His hand gently gripped the talisman that Felicity had hung around his neck. She had told him that he could use her powers and he was starting to think today was the day to do just that. He wasn't sure how he was suppose to summons the magic he needed, so he gripped the talisman tightly and he thought of her, and as he did the talisman started to glow a bright green. He continued to think of Felicity and his love for her as a green glow started to spread across the glade like a soft cloud. His men gained strength and as he watched Malcolm's men started to fall, and as his men surged forward, he caught sight of Malcolm near the trees behind his men. He would not let him get away and he spurred his horse in Malcolm's direction, the talisman glowing bright at his chest.

***

Lord Chambers made his way to Oliver's room. He had promised him that he would check on Felicity and when she had not come down to break her fast he had grown worried. He knocked lightly on the door and when he walked in he saw Felicity lying on the bed, her hands lying by her side. She looked like she was asleep, her face peaceful, but as he drew near worry furrowed his brow. He said her name softly several times but she did not stir and Lord Chambers gasped as he checked her pulse. It was slow but there. He sat by the bed stumped. What had happened to her? He hurried down to let his servants know he would be by her side, and there he sat. Day after day he would come in the morning and sit with her and then leave in the evening to sleep before doing it again the next day. He ate in the room by her side, and as the days passed he wondered if she would ever wake up.

It was on the fifth day that Lord Chambers noticed a change and his heart skipped a beat. He came into the room to sit with Felicity as he had every day and when he walked in he saw a strange green glow around her body. She was pale and as she lay there a tear slipped down his cheek. It had been five days since she had been unconscious, five days of no food and no water. As the green glow gently engulfed her body Lord Chambers took her hand in his and he waited. If she was going to slip away from him then he would be by her side.