Training day one

We arrive at a clearing and I go to one side making a line then to the opposite side making another line. I stop in the middle where Lancelot was watching me. I put my sword in the ground. "Me and you for the next twenty minutes, are going to be running back and forth. You get a break when you finish those twenty minutes." I say beginning to walk to one side. Lancelot sighs. "Alright." We reach one end and as I said we ran for twenty minutes without a break. I sigh getting to where my sword was in the middle. Lancelot plops down panting. "So tired." He says and I laugh. "Your supposed to be doing it everyday you can. This and a few more things to adjust your aiming." I say. "Water?" I ask. He looks around us then points to our left. "There's a lake not too far from here." He says sitting up. I nod. "It's your choice. You can walk like a wimp. Or push yourself and run the way there." I say nodding to our left. He looks deep in thought then gets up in a running position. "Race you there." He says and I nod getting to his side. "3." "2." "1!" We both yell running in the same direction.

I get there first and kneel down cupping the water with my hands and bringing it to my face. Lancelot gets here and puts his head down in the water. I pull him by his hair bringing his head up. "You cup the water with your hands unless you want someone to drown you. If you have your head down your vulnerable." I scold and he nods sheepishly. He cups the water drinking then washing his face trying to cool it down. "Dry your face before you get a cold." I say taking another handful of water.

I get up and turn to go back to camp. He gets up soon after. We begin walking to our camp. "How old are you Lancelot?" I ask out of curiosity. "I am twenty going on twenty one. You?" He asks I smile at him. "I'm 17." I say trying not to laugh at the difference. "17? Well you do know a lot about life for only being 17." He says and I nod. "As a kid I only had my mother but she was always out of town helping the king. My father is a knight so he wasn't home most of the time either. Growing up I cleaned, cooked, and defended myself against the words the other kids would throw at me. Secretly when my father would practice me and this boy would practice what the knights were doing. Though I haven't seen the boy, I always beat him when we fought against eachother. It was funny because he was like 5 years older than me. But my father always hated me from the beginning. My brother Levii moved out when I was one, he was 17 at the time. He just up and left. People at the village would make fun of me for my parents, or because of what I did the way I acted. And some of the boys I went to school with would always start fights with me. That girls weren't supposed to go to school. That I didn't belong there. Three years ago my mother was killed by Uther. She was wrongly accused of using magic. And even if she did she was his friend she wouldn't have done anything to him. All Uther is, is an arrogant coward. He's scared that magic will rule once again and people will prove him wrong. Magic isn't all that evil. The fact that we're alive is magical but no one seems to be scared of it. Just for some people mistakes everyone has to pay. After my mother died my father started to bring people to the house and we'd have nightly arguments. Soon I found this place near the edge of town and I'd use it when my father wouldn't allow me to stay at home. About a month ago there was an incident that involves the prince and I almost killed him because I felt threatened." I lift up my shirt showing the long scar I had on my waist. "I got it from that day when I fought him. I was in the dungeon and the next day when I had to go to court I saved his life from assassins. I got forgiven and the next day caught a girl trying to steal. She played the victim when I called her out and I got thrown in the dungeon again. When I went to court I explained myself and the kind seemed to want a clean conscience so he allowed me to train the knights after seeing me beat one of his knights. Yesterday morning he wanted me and the prince to eat breakfast with him. He wanted me to marry the prince, that my artitude and determination would make a great queen. When I disagreed he made it official without my permission and when I confronted him it ended with me jumping out a window and having to train you to be an amazing knight." I say giving him a smile. He returns it. "Why didn't you want to marry the prince? Isn't it every girls dream? To marry a Prince Charming?" He asks. I chuckle at his words. "Well not me. I don't find Arthur attractive. Plus he and my friend Guinevere had began their own romantic relationship in private. I wouldn't want to ruin that." I say giving him another smile and walking on a log that was in the ground. "Oh really? Well I find that very kind of you." He says as I hop off. "Well let's just hope my actions don't go in vain." I say as we reach camp.

"Ok well skip tree climbing because I don't have bandages on me for splinters. So," I say grabbing a branch. "Your going to practice your dodging." I say. And if I get hit?" He asks. I look at him. "You walk it off, we take a break, then we do it again until you don't get hit anymore." I say smiling.

"Why do you make it sound so easy?" He exclaims from the floor. I sigh. We had token dozens of breaks. "Dodging isn't something I can really help you with. But after a while your body acts on instinct, that's what it is and you will do it." I say sitting next to him. "Do you have any bottles? I can bring some water so that we won't be walking all the way over there." I suggest. He points to his bag. I nod and open it taking all the containers inside. "Mean while I'm gone you can rest. I know I've been hard on you, and it's only your first day. But I need you to stay determined all of this is for you to get better, and you will. I promise." I say walking away to go get water.

On my way back I enter the clearing that I need to cross then enter another set of woods to the camp. What I see almost makes me drop the containers. Lancelot was running faster than before back and forth from the lines I had marked earlier. I smile at him. "COME ON LANCELOT YOUVE GOT THIS!!!" I scream and laugh at the sight of him going even faster. I wait for him as he goes dashing past me and see him jump into the lake. I smile at him as I see his head bob above the water. "Ahh this feels so nice." He breaths out swimming around. I laugh at his childishness.

"Come join me! The waters cool!" He exclaims. "Your saying that now but you'll be freezing while you wait for your clothes to dry." I say and his smile fades. "DAMNIT!" He exclaims splashing the water. "Wait but you can just heat them up again with your magic." He says pointing it out. "Yes true...." my voice trails off as I cover my face at my stupidity. "When'd you notice." I ask sheepishly. "Last night. I woke up and you were staring at nothing but your eyes were glowing a blue color." He says swimming around. I sigh. "Well then there's no stopping me is there." I say removing my pants and shirt.

I jump in helping at the coldness. "It's cool my ass! This is freezing!" I exclaim holding my body in the cold. "Oh don't be such a baby, walk it off. He mocks and I raise my eyebrows at him. "What?" I ask. "Nothing." He says swimming away. "No no tell me." I say playfully. "NEVER!" He exclaims and splashed the water at me. "Oh it's ON!" I yell and that's how we spend the rest of the time in the lake. He gets out first and my eyes turn bright blue and he's dry. I get out next and dry my body, putting my clothes on. "I totally beat you, Lancelot." I say putting on my boots. Of course you did." He says sarcastically, playfully rolling his eyes. I nudge his shoulder and we go to the camp in a comfortable silence.

We eat the deer from the morning and basically stuff it down as we missed lunch and it was almost 11. He fell asleep and I leaned against the tree once more. I visit Merlin tonight and we have a fun talk. Then he has to go to bed and I nod leaving. When I open my eyes to the forsest, I lay down.  My eyes heavily close and my mind shuts off along with every other muscle in my body, letting me sleep.