Crazy is what I do best

So, I know this all sounds crazy, but I'd really like to know what you guys think! Comments are open to everyone!

In the Eyes

Two weeks had passed since I had first come to the Kahule. I had to admit that I was starting to warm up to them. They had an air of caring about them. A young boy named Jesan delivered my food. He was only about six with soft golden hair and pretty blue eyes, and he tried to act like a warrior. I had come to like him. I told him stories when he came and he loved to listen to them. Jake had once come in and told me my story and said he’d heard it going around the village. I felt proud of myself.

I had been sentenced to a small cabin with all the necessities I’d need. Jesan delivered my food and I was actually happy, though I’d never let anyone know. Jake had visited me a few times. Once, he came with his younger brother who was about a year older than me. He had light fluffy hazelnut hair and soft chocolate eyes. He was handsome, I admitted grudgingly, even though he didn’t really look like Jake or David.

Nick had had an air around him too. But it wasn’t caring. It was more a ‘Ha ha, we caught you’ kind of air. I didn’t really like him as much as his brother and father. David had also visited. I had expected questioning, especially since I came from a military camp, but he had only wanted to know about me. What did I remember? Was I happy? Did I still want to go back? Etc. I had let him know that I still wanted to go home. Well, I wanted to go to the camp. I didn’t realize how far I had traveled on horseback. Miles. In the night, it seemed like only a few.

Then, Jesan wasn’t there one afternoon. Nick came in with my lunch meal.

“What do you want?” I asked impatiently.

“It’s more what you want. You know, food,” he answered, holding out the platter and rolling his eyes.

“Where’s Jesan? Scaring away six year olds now?” I asked sarcastically. Wow, I thought, I really have found another person with a knack for sarcasm.

“Maybe it was you who scared him off,” he retorted. “He was delivering you food.”

“Unlikely. Jesan was my little man. He wasn’t scared by me,” I answered.

“Keep telling yourself that,” he muttered as he set the tray down. “So, will you ever be more than another mouth to feed to the Kahule?” he asked.

“Well, if you let me go, I won’t make you feed me anymore,” I joked.

“Can you use a blade?” he asked.

“A bow. With a sword, I’d probably cut my own arm off before I hurt you,” I replied.

“Even if it meant you could go free?” he asked.

“I could probably beat you then,” I relented.

“Then do it.”

“What?”

“Fight me. If you win, I’ll let you go. I’ll even escort you to the border. But if I win, you have to stop complaining and work hard and become someone the Kahule can trust.”

“When have I complained?” I asked, pretending to look hurt.

“I think I can name a few times,” he mumbled.

“Why should I? I’m pretty comfortable here. I have no reason to fight you,” I replied.

“What have you to lose?”

“My life. Everything I was. Do you realize what you’re asking? I grow up, raised one way and now, with one sword fight, where I can barely wield a sword, you’re asking me to forget everything I knew about the old world and live with the rebels. Become a rebel! I have everything to lose!” I shouted. Now I was really worked up.

“Think about your way of life. People suffer in their own country. The king wages war, not caring about the lives of the soldiers as long as they listen to him. He cares nothing for his people, only that they’re under his rule and doing what he says. Villages are suffering, people are suffering! We’re not rebels. We’re revolutionaries,” Nick answered.

“So, you’re saying I should forget about the people that raised me, when I was given up by my real parents and just let it all hang loose? Well, let’s fight,” I answered.

“Alex, wait, your parents-” I cut him off.

“No, you wait. We fight right now or was everything you just said nothing?” I asked venomously.

“Alex, I need to talk-”

“I promise, you can talk to me after we fight. Then, you can lead me to the border. Now, get me a sword!” I demanded.

Looking like he was almost as angry as I was, he left the room to find swords. I thought about everything he had said. Why should I drop a way of life because some obnoxious boy pointed out some flaws?, I thought.

“Stupid kid,” I muttered. Just then, Nick walked in with two swords. He threw one to me. I caught it, fumbling for a second. I then walked out of the door and to the slight clearing behind my cabin. There supposedly was another clearing very close to this one that they used to practice sword play, cavalry charges, and what not. I hadn’t been there yet. Really, I’d only been in David’s longhouse and my cabin.

I unsheathed my blade and swung it with force, almost taking a knick out my own leg. It was heavy.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” Nick said hesitantly, watching me with my sword.

“Are you afraid that a girl like me, who has never been allowed to barely touch a sword, will beat you?” I asked mockingly.

“No, I’m afraid that girl will take a piece of herself instead of me. This is a bad idea. We can’t,” he said resolutely.

“Then I’m leaving right now. Through the woods. I’ll find a way out of here. You can’t stop me,” I answered.

“Over my dead body,” he replied.

“No, with your beaten body. You’re escorting me to the border aren’t you?” I asked.

“Only if you win,” he replied savagely. I had ticked him off. And a ticked off Nick with a sword is not something you wanted. You didn’t really want an Alex like that either, but no such luck for either of us.

“Let’s fight,” I said and dived at him. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t know how to use a sword. I mostly hacked. But, I moved my feet and did the best I could to stop his blade. I held him back for two minutes before he managed to get the blade at my throat.

“There,” he said, panting slightly. “And, don’t lie. You may have not had much, but you had training.”

“With a sword? Women aren’t even allowed to own one, let alone use one. Like my father ever would have let me near the training grounds. He hated me because of my love for adventure and swordplay,” I snarled. My eyes widened as I realized how much I had said. I looked at him and patted his sword away and thrust mine up at his throat. “You ever tell anyone I said that, and, training or no, I’ll cut you to ribbons!” I growled.

“So, you’re just a natural with skill,” he said, ignoring my comment and knocking my sword away.

“I have skill. Or you don’t. But remember, I almost beat you without anything but my own knowledge of swordplay. Just remember that,” I said, my chocolate brown eyes blazing.

“You have skill; just you’ve never had to use it before. You’re a natural, even though you never even picked up a sword. Your father was the same way. Anything he touched, he was instantly good at,” Nick said.

“I don’t care what that man was. He isn’t my father. The ones that I know about have either left me at someone’s doorstep or lied to me for sixteen years. So, I don’t have a father. Goodbye,” I started to walk away.

“I thought you said I could talk to you?” he said. “Don’t tell me you’re a liar.”

“You can talk, I just won’t listen. Maybe next time you bring me food. Or is the captor supposed to decide that?” I asked obnoxiously.

“I wouldn’t know,” he answered, his own eyes ablaze with an amber glow. He turned and walked back towards the other huts. He didn’t even lock the door. He didn’t even watch me go in. I realized I could leave, right now. No one would ever know. Nick would probably even take the heat for it. But, something held me back. I couldn’t leave, not yet. There was something important Nick hadn’t told me. I could see it in his eyes.