Wolf Iron

Chapter 6 / Daughter of the Guard

Rodney's mind had been in shambles for more than an hour when he left 7th Form Biology to go to the Dining Hall to meet the strange girl and his mind was still working in overtime. He had even been uncharacteristically awake during Professor Harcourt's most mundane of lectures and not even her undershirt interested him. 

He had never been bullied by a girl before. At least not directly he hadn't, and never so boldly as to have been followed into the lavatory as he was. It's the modern day and age, isn't it? 'Spose girls can bully just as well as boys. Women and equality and all that. 

He then began to think that perhaps she had escaped from some loony bin or the sort, or maybe, just maybe she was there to test his mental acuity and get him sectioned? Carted off to be the rest of the millers? No, no, of course not. There were no loony bins within 30 kilometers of Almskirk. Naturally.

A lie started to manifest itself in Rodney's head and perhaps, just perhaps he could find a way to get home early. Go to the nurse's office and fake a fever? An unfortunate wasabi incident at lunch perhaps, he mused while turning Corridor 2B.

"There you are, Randolph" 

Rodney jumped and the grip on his folders instinctively tightened as he gasped. 

"Ah! My lord, you are the most unsettling person!"

The girl smirked a tad and began to walk alongside him inside the Dining Hall.

"I'm wondering, does everyone here adhere their life to the ringing of bells? I'm certainly surprised you're not all soldiers of the army, they've got you all so well-trained." 

"OK, you really have to stop to doing that", Rodney said, still catching his breath. "Just popping up here and there, surprising people. By the way, how in the blazes did you know what my name was?"

"Well, it was on your book, first of all."

"Ah, of course."

Rodney took a seat at his usual table at the far end of the Dining Hall, close to the exit and today, for a change, he was not lunching alone. The girl brushed the face of the seat across from him and sat down with perhaps the most correct posture Rodney had ever seen. He slowly pulled out his lunch from a tupperware container and noted the girl's quizzed glance as he wolfed down cold Yakisoba noodles. 

"So, Randolph." She laced her fingers together and laid them out on the table between them. "What do you know about Edgard?"

Rodney had gone through everything he might've said to her during class and while theatre was not his strong point, he reckoned he could indulge her if that was her game.

He mockingly took his hand to his chin. 

"Well, let's see here. Edgard is the longest reigning Kingdom in The Kindread Chronicles, ruled by none other than King Emeric Dawkes, the great and benevolent king who has ruled for more than a fifty year reign but then of course you already knew that. There are two other Kingdoms in the area, the Raelic Empire and the Mountains of Wymer-"

"Actually no, the Mountains of Wymer have thoroughly collapsed in recent times."

"Right. Of course. Naturally, they have."

"No, legitimately and genuinely."

"Uh-huh." 

Rodney took a look around him to see if anyone was listening in on them and to gauge just how elaborate of a prank this could be. He'd rather not end up Trending on Reeve before even taking the GSCE's later this spring. Thank you very much. 

"Mmm-hmm. And you are King Emeric's long-lost daughter, are you? Do you need a jester for the Royal Court? Is that why you've come for me, is it, Quinn?" 

If that is your real name.

Quinn shifted uneasily in her seat and Rodney thought for one second, that perhaps even she knew her facade was about to fracture. 

"No, of course I'm not the King's daughter. As I told you, I am the first daughter of the King's Royal Guard, otherwise known as the Axemen of Edgard. Princess Freya wouldn't come-" Quinn narrowed her brown eyes and sniffed- "to a place like this. But that's why I'm here. The Kingdom of Edgard needs you. You're the only one who can help us." 

"A-ha!" Rodney exclaimed and pointed his fork. "I've caught you in your web of lies." He lowered his voice and looked around him. "Everybody who's read up to the third book knows that Princess Freya disappeared ages back!" 

Quinn sighed and shook her head.

He took a celebratory bite of a jam scone and gloated. "Really, if you wanted it to have been believable, you should have read more than just the bare minimum. Honestly." 

Quinn's stomach growled and she gathered her composure once more.

"There is no time for this, Randolph. You must come with me to Edgard to help rescue Princess Freya or you too, will perish. There is someone here who wants to hurt you." She pressed her fingertips against the table. "You must believe me." 

"Ha!" Rodney laughed out loud and almost choked on his food. "And just who are you in this whole dilemma? If you're the daughter of the Royal Guard and trained in combat, I'm a horse's arse!"

She grabbed his thumb with hers and pressed it hard. 

"Then be ready to neigh very hard or kick. Because that's what is going to have to happen."

Rodney was laughing so hard he almost didn't see the large fist coming at him at breakneck speed from his left.