3 - A Knight's Mandate (6)

A hand grabbed her hair twisting and turning her sharply. She yelped in pain. A knife glinted in the sun as it was opened with a swip. It pressed at her throat. Serin gasped, holding her chin high so he wouldn't cut her. Her eyes looked down at him with fear, and she could barely make out his features under the mask he wore over his mouth.

The second set of footprints had stopped, having caught up with the thief.

"Unhand her," a familiar voice commanded icily. "In the name of the Duke, and of the Knights of Suneo, I order you to release her immediately."

***

Serin trembled, her knees nearly buckling beneath her as the sword in the grip of the figure tightened painfully against the base of her neck. She swallowed hard. She could feel the sting left behind by the blade, cold and hard against her throat. There was a sharp, ringing sound in her ears as she tried to process her situation, but she couldn't think properly. Only fragments of words came to her brain—the word "knife" repeated over and over again, as did "thief." She wanted desperately to cry, but she held her tears in.

"The goods," the thief said, holding up the stolen purses in one hand, the heavy bags hitting her slightly against the head, the rough burlap brushing against her blond hair. "Or the lady. You choose."

"P-please, release me," she whispered to the thief, her voice cracking.

She could hear the thief breathing harshly over the ringing in her ear. "Shut up! I'm the one with the knife here."

"Neither," Joon replied, stepping forward in front of her, his sword pointed directly at the thief's chest. "I'm sure you are aware of the punishment for theft. Your life depends on the outcome of this conversation. You can either hand us the girl and the stolen purses, or we will kill you here and now."

The thief chuckled lowly. Serin's head fell back as she felt his grip slack slightly. "You Knights think you have it good, huh? The war's over now, and you get to go play your little games with your fancy swords and armor, while the rest of us starve to make a living. So, no," he grinned cruelly, tightening his grip again upon the hilt of the knife. "I don't think I'll hand either over after all."

Joon narrowed his eyes at him. "Then, you leave me no choice."

As the thief drew the dagger closer to her chin, Serin felt all the power rush out of her limbs, leaving her weak as she collapsed. Joon shifted his stance, drawing himself up to his full height and raising his sword. He held a steeled look in his eyes. The thief smiled maliciously at him, laughing softly. The knife moved higher across Serin's throat, cutting shallowly into the skin.

The thief licked his lips, still grinning. "She's a pretty one, isn't she?" he mocked. "Would be a shame if you hit her instead." 

Joon gritted his teeth and lunged towards him. The thief turned, avoiding the strike easily, swinging the knife towards Joon, who dodged. He ducked low, striking upwards at the thief's leg, catching him by surprise as the force sent him stumbling backward. His dagger flew from his hands, clattering uselessly on the ground.

"W-wait! St-stop!" Serin managed to yell, struggling to move despite her weak state. She looked between them frantically. They were too close. If they continued fighting, they might end up killing each other. "Don't... don't kill him!" she pleaded.

"Why not?" Joon demanded in response, stepping towards the unarmed thief. "What do you care about someone who attacked you?"

"He m-may be a thief," she admitted hesitantly, "but h-he is a c-citizen of Suneo, one of the D-Duke's subjects." Her words began to come more easily in her urgency, spurred on by sheer desperation that she hoped would prevent bloodshed. "You are a Knight, that is your m-mandate— to protect the people of the kingdom, not to m-murder them!"

Joon seemed taken aback, staring at her in disbelief. "Who are you," he asked suddenly, turning around to face her completely, "to lecture me about the law of the land?"

"My lady!" Eunji exclaimed from the side, clenching her apron in fear.

"I-I am Lady Serin of Suneo," she declared with a boldness she had never felt before. Her heart was pumping madly inside her chest as her hands gripped the fabric of her skirts tightly. "My f-father is the Duke." 

Joon studied her, studying everything about her appearance. The blonde hair falling across her face, her bright eyes, her soft pink lips. He saw how she trembled ever so slightly. He looked at her clothes—a dress similar to what the nobles wore, made entirely of silk, with golden embroidery sewn onto the sleeves. He saw the gold bands around her wrists, the simple silver necklace around her neck.

He saw the look in her eyes. The sheer determination. He relented.

He stepped forward, eyeing the trembling thief who was trying to reach the knife, which lay discarded some distance away. The man looked back at him, his eyes wide with fear and apprehension. He swallowed, his throat working nervously.

"Very well," Joon muttered dryly. He lifted up his sword and walked over to the thief, stopping only a foot away, just inches from his head. He lowered the blade until it was parallel with his head, and swung hard.

BAM.

The thief fell to the ground, unconscious. Serin shuffled away with a shriek, holding her skirts in her hands. Her doe eyes gazed up at him, her face a picture of shock and fear. Tears of relief gathered in her eyes and began to roll slowly down her cheeks. 

"There," he said. "I've incapacitated him. Not killed," he squatted down, their eyes level. "Will that do, my Lady?"

She nodded quickly, unable to speak. The movement made her throat sting again. Her hands flew to her neck, only for her face to turn ashen when she'd felt the warm liquid against them. Red crept in the corner of her eyes. She looked down for a split second before the world began to spin.

"My Lady!" Eunji yelled, running towards her.

A solid pair of hands caught her before she fell, and knew nothing.