It had been a long day. Richard and the Gallant children had been walking for hours now as the full moon reached its peak. The events of the prior evening still rattled through their thoughts as they saw the Gallant castle fall to the raiders and was burnt to a crisp as lord Gallant lost his life defending it.

Richard took the children away under the lord's orders and was taking them to their older brothers home. It would be a long trip and he needed to keep them safe and took them to the cover of the woods they were now walking through. He didn't like the look of it but it provided cover and made it less likely for the raiders to follow plus he couldn't fight a squad of them whilst protecting these kids. The sooner he got them to a safe place the better.

Behind him, however, Harold was finding it harder and harder to keep up. He was tired, cold and hungry. His feet dragging along the ground as he fought desperately to keep his eyes open. He had to keep going but he couldn't. His energy was all used up as his leg gave in and he fell hard onto the gravel path crying in pain.

"Harold are you ok?" Jessica said worriedly kneeling next to him.

"I'm fine" Harold winced, "Let me just get… Ow". He tried to push himself up but he winced from the pain in his knee. Richard then crouched next to him.

"Where do you hurt?" He calmly said.

"Nowhere" Harold replied defiantly.

"Don't lie to me," Richard responded firmly.

Harold stared at Richard not wanting to admit he was in pain but the scowl on Richard's face made him realise that it wasn't a good idea. The old kitchen maid made that look to him many times when he stole a cookie. "The knee" he eventually whimpered.

"Let me take a look" Richard responded and Harold turned to his side letting Richard take a look. It wasn't badly damaged. Just a graze but because of the pain Harold's legs were already in it just felt awful.

"I can keep going," Harold said, trying to get up but Richard placed his hand firmly on Harold's shoulder, the strength in it preventing him from going up any further.

"Don't try and act tough. You're hurt. Know your limits" Richard said calmly before getting up. "We should all rest really. I had hoped to be out of these woods before we rest but I guess the decision has been made. Jessica helps your brother up, I'll go get some firewood".

"Not in my woods you will", went a high pitched cackle. Harold instinctively grabbed hold of Jessica as the air around them went cold and as a mist formed Jessica pulled Harold close to her.

"Who goes there?" Demanded Richard as he unfurled his wings and grabbed the hilt of his sword. There was another cackle as the mist thickened.

"That is my question and not yours as it is you who is trespassing through my woods. I don't take kindly to trespassers." Went the cackle again before a witch burst through the mist hovering in the air.

Harold and Jessica tightened their grip on one another as Richard pulled out his sword. "We mean no harm" He stated.

"And yet you pull out your sword and say that you will burn my precious trees. How is that no harm!" The witch shrieked as a bolt of lightning from her fingertip landed right next to Richard. He shuffled back shielding the children from the witch.

"You have my word as a knight that…"

The witch cackled again "A knight? Haha! What a sorry excuse for one. Not only were you not born into a noble family but you dare to wear a false skin running from your true self".

Richard faltered. His firm stance loosened for a moment. How could she know? No. Impossible. She was just playing tricks. She had to have been. No one else knew about…

"Tell me oh false knight. How does it feel to be a runt?" That word. It cut deep into him and for a moment he was once again the scared teenager that Chiron took pity on but it was quickly replaced with rage. A rage that can only be sated by slaying the witch where she stood. How dare she! Richard went to raise his sword to cut this witch down and…

"So what if he is?" Jessica shouted. Richard stopped as Jessica let go of Harold and stood in front of Richard glaring at the witch. "He saved our lives and defended my father's Kingdom even though he wasn't obligated to. In my mind that is the true definition of a knight. Nobility means nothing if you don't stand to a Knights code!"

There was silence among them. Jessica glared the witch down not breaking her gaze. The witch just stared back before looking back at Richard. "Leave my forest before dawn unless you want to be part of my frog stew" and then the mist thickened for a brief moment blinding all of them before vanishing completely and the witch was gone.

Richard put his sword away and noticed Jessica shaking. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you," He said "You okay?"

"No" She responded "I don't know what came over me"

"I don't know what came over me but you saved us, that's what matters. Come on. We best get moving. I don't want to run into that witch again"

"But what about Harold?"

Richard turned to look at Harold who had managed to get himself up onto his feet but his legs were shaking and he started to fall again before Richard caught him. "You can't walk. Come on"

He then turned and pulled Harold onto his back and folded his wings over Harold to keep in place. "You comfy soldier?"

"Yeah, I'm… I'm…" Harold began to respond before his head slumped onto Richard's shoulder and was fast asleep.

"It's been a long day. Come on. Let's hope we can find an inn once we leave these woods" Richard said. Jessica nodded in response and the two of them continued down the path.

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This is a great gift I got from the wonderful  yoshitoki92

Richard belongs to me
Art by  yoshitoki92