Chapter Thirteen- Gentleman of the Knight

My head moved back in forth in a rub for a moment before my eyes squinted at a patch of orange sunlight hitting my face. I quietly sighed, opening my eyes to see the lower level of the guard station. No one else was awake it seemed, no one around or anything else leaving a smell in the air.

I closed my eyes again, pulling my arm up to my face. My head moved slowly up and down before I opened my eyes. I shifted my head, slowly coming to as I realized where I was.

Garroth was next to me still, his head leaning against mine. His head was slightly facing the window so I couldn't tell if he was awake or not. He shifted when I moved my head up before his came up, turning to me as his eyes gently looked to me. He lightly smiled.

"Good morning," He said softly.

I yawned as I started to sit up, my hands rubbing my eyes. "Good morning..."

He chuckled as he shifted, the side of my body being taken away from his side. My head turned to see it, realizing what had happened a few hours before.

"No." I said, my lips going into a frown as I looked up at him.

He rose a brow, his face amused, "No?"

"No." I said again before leaning against the back of the couch, turning to look outside.

"No what?" He asked.

"Why move?"

"Because you're awake?" He chuckled, "I shouldn't be shoving in your space."

I shrugged, my entire body moving as I moved my shoulders up. "You're warm though. It's chilly in here."

Garroth lightly laughed, his body turning to face me as I leaned my head on my arms, looking at him.

"If you were cold, I could've grabbed a blanket." He suggested.

I shook my head, giggling, "Then when you got up it would have been even colder!"

He rolled his eyes with a laugh, "Oh?" He asked, shifting towards me.

My eyes watched his face before I smiled at him, "Yup."

"Well, next time I'll make sure to leave a blanket over here." He said with a small smile.

I giggled, "Okay then. If that ever happens."

Garroth chuckled again before he stood up, "I need to go get changed. Would you want to come with me for the changing of the guard?" He asked, his sword still hanging from his waist.

I looked up at him before I nodded, "If that's okay with you."

He lightly smiled before nodding, "That's why I asked." He said before looking around us. He smiled softly, "Go ahead and grab something to drink or eat. I'll be back down in ten, fifteen minutes."

"Alright." I said, watching him walk over to the stairs and disappear onto the second floor.

"It's seven everyone! Good morning!" I heard his voice call from upstairs. I giggled, realizing everyone else was still asleep.

My feet pulled me off the couch before I walked towards the kitchen area, grabbing a cup, and pouring water from a jug on the counter. I could hear them walking around upstairs, talking starting to erupt and greetings took over the earlier silence. I giggled softly before drinking the water, listening to everyone upstairs. My back leaned against the counter as I waited, trying to see if anyone was going to come down before Garroth. I watched the stairs, listening quietly as I waited.

"Travis where are my boots?" Dante called out, another set of footsteps walking around.

I could hear Travis giggling for a minute, "Nowhere!" He said, obviously sounding like he knew.

"Travisssss!" Dante said again, a huff at the end of the statement.

Travis laughed as it sounded like he was walking around, a set of boots clattering across the cobble.

"Rrrright where you left 'em!" He said with a big smile radiating through his voice.

"They weren't there bef- you know what? Never mind." Dante's voice said as the boots smacked together before a chair scraped across the floor.

I giggled softly, setting the cup down. I looked at the floor, my hand gently reaching up and my fingers running over the pendant. I smiled softly before I started to walk back over to the table, picking up my stuff from the floor.

A couple sets of feet walked down the stairs, a couple voices following as they talked, things clattering in the kitchen a few moments later.

I picked up my bag and quiver to wrap them over my back. I heard a shuffle beside me but thought someone just walked around me to the door. I looked down to grab my bow.

A few more steps sounded before the door opened to go out. Someone said something about a meeting that night but I couldn't make out what they really said.

By the time I turned around to look, only a few people were left inside, most already had headed out. I frowned lightly as I didn't see Garroth. Did he already leave and I just didn't see him?

The last two or three people walked passed on their way out, one saying "good morning" to me before leaving. I sighed softly as I crossed my arms, lightly kicking the floor.

Stupid... why would things really change?

"Sorry, Alaina." A voice came down the stairs as I looked back up, "Didn't realize that everyone wasn't awake and it's hard to get ready when a dozen people can't find their boots. Or anything," He chuckled before reaching the bottom of the stairs, looking at me. He parted his lips to say something but I cut it off.

I softly nodded, "It's 'kay..." I quietly said, looking over at him. Seeing him in his armor was different than the long sleeve shirt and normal pants. It wasn't bad, he looked a lot more professional in his armor but I liked his relaxed side. It was something I felt more used to.

"Are you ready?" He softly asked, walking over, and looking at me.

I nodded again before he smiled, "Let's head out then." He said softly.

The changing of the guard wasn't too flashy or complicated. The only part different than any guard shift was the report to Garroth and the second in command. I quietly stood beside Garroth and listened to the exchange, the gentleman mentioning a few people along the walls but it was relatively quiet throughout the night.

The two exchanged a couple words before Garroth turned to me as the guard and a half dozen others headed to the station to rest. He smiled lightly, "So?" He asked, "What do you think?"

I shrugged lightly with a smile, "Seems like you have way too easy of a job." I joked before looking over at the edge of the wall.

"They saw people walking around last night?"

"Yeah... but that isn't anything out of the ordinary. People wandering the woods that don't want to have any part of a village, nymphs that wander closer than they mean, that sort of thing."

"I'd probably freak out if I saw one," I bluntly said before smiling, "Things going bump in the night don't settle well with me."

He chuckled softly as we started to walk down one of the village paths. "It used to make me jump every night when I heard anything on the outside of the gate. Little fawns would be walking with their mothers and I would be having a panic over it."

"What made you get over it?" I asked, looking up at him. His gaze was watching in front of us before he looked back down at me with a small smile.

"I haven't. I just let the others who are used to night noises do it and I just check on 'em." He said, "I'm still afraid of the dark, but when I need to, I try to swallow it all the way down in me."

I bit my lip before looking up at him, "Why did you wander into the forest then? If you're so afraid of anything after the night hours?"

He chuckled softly before looking ahead of us again as we went down towards a couple stands by the bay. He didn't answer, him walking towards one of the stands.

I frowned lightly from the question never being answered. He smiled at the person behind the front counter.

"Good morning, Miss Kalynn," Garroth said as a girl with vibrant pink hair twirled around. She had a black headband that separated her bangs from the rest of her hair and a black and white dress that was knit in the front.

"Oh, good morning!" She giggled, waving at him, "What brings you here this morning?"

"I was actually surprised you're down here so early in the morning before a few of the others."

"Oh, you know Kalynn!" She said with a beaming smile, "Cooking is a specialty of hers and bringing breakfast items is essential to Kalynn's bakery!"

Garroth chuckled, "It does bring in people for the entire day, I'll give you that." He said with a smile.

I was a few feet away, quiet. I had never seen someone with the style of color, other than Katelyn and her ice blue hair... it didn't seem natural but there were no signs of any color alterations to her hair at all.

"I also wanted to see if you had met Miss Alaina yet too." Garroth said, snapping me back to what we were doing.

The girl, Kalynn, looked at me curiously before she smiled, "I don't think I have yet! Hello, Lainy! My name's Kalynn! It's nice to meet you!"

I looked at her quietly as a small, shy smile started to come over my face. I didn't realize that someone would be so friendly at a first glance. Most people would give me a look before saying anything. My hand came up in a wave as I said, "It's nice to meet you, miss... Kalynn?"

She giggled, "Yup! That's how you say Kalynn's name!" She said, "most people don't say it right the first time, that makes Kalynn super happy!"

My lips curled up in a smile again as I looked back down, lightly turning to Garroth. I didn't know what to say and hoped he would say something.

Garroth chuckled, "I've never seen you so shy, Alaina..." He teased before he looked at Kalynn again, "What all have you brought for the morning?" He asked.

She giggled, pulling up a couple baskets, "Kalynn made some cinnamon rolls, blueberry biscuits, and a few berry muffins!"

Garroth nodded before looking back at me with a small smile, "Does any of that sound good to you?" He asked.

I bit my lip, looking over at what he was meaning. The cinna-synon-cinnamon rolls had a thin icing glaze over it, the blueberry biscuits looked good with the three or four layers of dough expanding out, and the berry muffins looked almost as fluffy as the rolls.

"U-Uhm," I looked at him for a second, "I-I don't know."

He chuckled before tilting his head, "If I get two cinnamon rolls would you want one?"

My head nodded as he made it easier to decide. Garroth chuckled again at the immediate response before he looked at Kalynn. She had already grabbed the two rolls, setting them in a small paper box.

Garroth handed her a couple coins from his pocket before exchanging them.

"Thanks, Kalynn." He said before she giggled.

"No problem, Sir! Have a good afternoon!" She looked at me with a small grin, "Hope to see you around, Lainy!"

I smiled softly at her with a small wave, "Thanks, Kalynn."

She giggled before finishing up setting her stand up.

Garroth and I walked around for a couple minutes longer. I took in the area as we walked: There was a stand that sold leather bags and stationery items, another that sold produce from the farms, and a stand or two that were from a couple other villages. One of the stands had objects that caught my eye. Garroth noticed my pace change as he stopped with me.

"What's going through your mind?" He asked, looking at the stand.

"Where is this one from?" I asked, walking towards the front table.

"I think it's from Scaleswind or one of the villages a few hours on boat from here." He said, "why?"

I stopped a few inches from the table, looking at the objects hanging in view. Some were covered in dust, others looked brand new. There were a few weapons and a few miscellaneous items.

My body felt woozy as I looked a little further down and saw one of the bows. Soft voices started talking. My fingers gently touched the table as I leaned on it and saw an engraving on the wooden handle.

"Alaina?" Garroth asked as he looked at it as well.

Suddenly, I heard voices screaming at me. I gasped as I straightened up, my vision blurring for a second before I looked out towards the bay. Things almost like images started flashing around me, transparent as the girl and woman on the boat. The people started to look familiar to me as I could point out which one's voice I was hearing...

Mom.

Dad.

Bernadette.

Zianna and Garte.

Cadenza.

Selena, Zane, guards from O'Khasis and Scaleswind, from Chrysten and Riverden.

"Garroth." I breathed out, the last thing almost hit me as I turned towards him.

He had a look on his face, sheer concern covered with confusion.

"Garroth what?" He asked, looking out at the water, "What did you see?"

I stopped, my eyes looking back and forth between his before at the bow and a few other dusty objects.

"This is from Scaleswind..." I said softly.

"How do you suppose that?" He asked before I bit my lip.

"These are all mine..."