I Will Be the Greatest Knight

The sun had risen higher in the sky but Irene continued to hide herself underneath the cloak. Even though it was getting hot, there were too many people there who thought she was a boy. She had a strange urge not to disappoint them by revealing herself as a girl.

Her father had left her behind to tie a few loose ends up and he made her sit patiently on a rock while one of the younger mages healed her hands enough that the blisters that had opened up were closed. Unfortunately, they weren't able to go much further than that because the man leading the mages told them to conserve mana. 

Luckily, those with healing mana were usually adept in other aspects of first aid so the girl wrapped Irene's hands snugly with bandages after applying an ointment on them.

"Keep the bandages on so the skin can absorb the medicine," the young mage told her. "You still have a few filled blisters that will heal on their own."

"Thank you, mage," Irene responded, recalling how the knights addressed the mages when they were spoken to. 

The girl with short black hair only nodded before she moved on and rejoined her group of mages. 

As Irene's green eyes scanned the groups, she realized everyone truly did keep to their own. Knights with knights, mages with mages. Even within the groups, she realized there were probably nobles with nobles as well.

Seeing that all the knights were cleaning up, she decided that's where she would go next. 

Unfortunately, her father's voice cut her path short. 

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked sharply.

Irene turned around and bowed her head in shame. 

"I felt it was better to lend a hand before we leave," she explained obediently. 

"What you need to do is sit there and wait for me to tell you what you will do next," Arthur responded sternly and he saw Irene flinch. "You will be plenty punished when your blisters burst open while you're on horseback. That won't even be as bad as what your mother will put you through so you might as well tend to your horse and not do much more than that."

Irene knew that what faced her at home wasn't pain. It was being lectured and yelled at until her mother's face turned red. She would certainly be required to fall in line for a while. 

While the girl wouldn't say it out loud, it felt worth it for the experience she got to have. She was able to see mages and use her dagger. Even just being on horseback alone in the middle of the night felt strangely freeing despite the rain soaking her thoroughly the entire ride. 

It was all so she could be sure her father was safe. 

"Yes, sir," she answered. "Then I will do that."

Arthur was surprised Irene wasn't more argumentative but she was likely exhausted. It was the first time the girl had stayed up all night. 

Irene made sure Sorrel was comfortable and fed before she sat down against a tree and began nodding off. Only when she finally fell into the embrace of sleep did her father summon her and it was time to face the hours long journey back to their home. 

With the shortcuts the knight knew, it would be faster than what Irene did on her own. Regardless, Arthur was proud she had somehow found where the action was happening all on her own. It was unlikely Gunnar told them too many details. 

Irene rode with her father and three other knights. They surrounded her which was treatment she was more used to than the freedom she had been experiencing. 

Despite her father's protectiveness, she felt she had proved herself again that day and it was all she could ask for considering in her past life, she had only disappointed him when she decided to listen to her mother. 

As much as her mother had been upset with her the past couple of days, Irene felt freer than she ever did before. That was how she knew she was making the right decision. 

Traveling dragged on and Irene felt her eyes start getting heavy. It had to have been at least 30 hours since she slept last. 

The other travelers were used to it, but she certainly wasn't. 

"We ought to give the horses a break and water at this stream before we carry on," her father announced to the group. 

Obediently, each knight slowed their steeds and they hopped off the horses to nourish themselves as well as their loyal companions. 

Knights were nothing without their horses. 

Irene didn't realize how starving she was until she was given jerky from her father's pouch. 

With her hunger only slightly satisfied, she began to climb back onto her horse but she felt her father grab her before she could do anything. He brought her up onto his saddle with him.

"Sleep," he ordered. 

She stared up at him in disbelief but the warmth of being nestled against her father—the only man in her life whom she loved—was too much for her to resist. She found solace against him and nodded off against one of his arms. 

Her horse was pulled by one of the other knights but she was too tired to wonder about that any longer. 

By the time they returned to the Litharion's home, it was early evening.

Arthur sent a messenger to his home the moment he saw Irene at the mine. It wouldn't be fair to keep his wife in the dark. Even if she was harsh, she didn't need to worry herself. Irene would be in trouble regardless. 

In a tired daze, Irene slipped off of her father's horse after him when they were in front of their home. She rubbed her eyes as she stared at the front door, dread welling up inside of her. 

Sure enough, the door opened and her mother came rushing out. 

She crouched in front of her daughter, placing her hands on either side of her face. 

"How could you worry me in such a way?" Rochelle asked breathlessly. "First I think my husband is trapped under Earth then my only daughter disappears early in the morning. You can't imagine…"

Rochelle's voice broke and Irene realized she had likely been crying much of the day. 

"I'm sorry, mother," she responded quietly. "I couldn't sit by while father was in danger."

Mother and daughter hugged for a few moments and Rochelle's eyes met Arthurs. She nodded, silently telling him that she had it from that moment forward. She would talk to him later. There was something else she needed to do first. 

Arthur went with the other knights to sort out a few things in town before he could return home for good.

An hour later, the knight came back, finding his wife holding scissors to his daughter's head. Her once full head of hair lay in chopped off pieces on the ground. 

He felt furious when Irene turned to him and he saw evidence of tears down her face.