Page 5 of The White Knight

After weeks of celebration and months of trying to explain to the chief that I need to get back home, I feel hopeless. We understand each other’s basic needs and wants, speaking mainly through hand gestures. Still, I am unable to convey my most desperate need. Or perhaps the chief chooses to ignore it. I have proven to be a godsend to these people. Why would they want to give me up? First, they believed me to be an omen. They may even believe I had brought down the rains to release me from my prison. I cannot be certain.

How I wish to have the linguistic power Excalibur gave to Guin. I need them to understand me. I need them to help me. I could simply turn and leave, head south and hope that I have chosen the right direction. Hope that I reach a land I recognize. Hope that I will not encounter a more violent folk who would not give me a chance to breathe an introduction. I cannot decide which is worse. Dying on an endless journey to find my way back to my home to my Guin. Or living a long life alone among these dwarf-like folk surrounded by a dark forest.

I need to try. I cannot live here waiting for a chance. I need to take it. Gathering my belongings–my sword, daggers, and furs–I leave my hut for the last time. No one stops me as they see me walk through the village, my intent clear. I am leaving. Before I make it past the boundary of the village, the chief appears in front of me out of thin air. I had not noticed his approach.

“Ukko,” I say his name, or at least what I believe is his name. “I need to go home now. I miss my wife. Please step aside.”

He sighs deeply, a sadness overtaking his strong bearded face. Holding out his hands, he motions me to look behind me. The entire village is there. Among them, a group of males equipped for an expedition. Ukko addresses the folk, pointing first to me and then to the forest to the south. I laugh inwardly, knowing that he had understood me all this time. He had even prepared for when I would be ready to leave on my own. The group of four men steps forward, surrounding Ukko. They are dressed in furs and adorned with packs and all sorts of weapons and tools. Ready for whatever awaits us in the woods.

“Thank you, Ukko.” I stoop to embrace my friend. He holds onto my shoulder when I release him, saying something in his harsh, guttural tone. I know not what words he speaks, but I understand them. He wants me to get home safely and has offered his best men to escort me as far as they dare travel. “I am grateful.”

I stand and say my farewells to the villagers. Hope swells in my chest for the first time since I landed in this mystical place. I know I will see my Guin again. I do not care how long it takes. I will keep going until she is in my arms once more.

Two months into our adventure, I have gotten to know my fellowship of halflings rather well. Antti is a natural leader like his father, Ukko. It is obvious that his men admire him. Veli and Aku are brothers, I think. Both of them have the same golden hair, the color of hay in the afternoon’s light. Their noses are pointed at the tip, and their chins are covered in the same hay-colored hair. They love to make each other laugh. And their laughter is contagious, keeping us in high spirits.

Then there is Helgi. The shortest of the group and among the shorter folk from the village. That is saying something, considering the tallest of them only comes up to my chest. Even though Helgi is small in stature, his bravery outshines them all.

We make camp along the treeline near a lake. As the moon rises in the black night sky, it shimmers against the placid water. I cannot help but think back on the moments I shared with Guin after meeting her in Avalon.

Even when we were strangers to each other, I felt as if Guin was mine. Her pull. I could not resist it. If I did not have the restraint of a knight trained by Sir Gawain, I would have begged her to be mine then. But I kept my distance. Kept away from her, hoping that my insides would fuse back together after being ripped apart by her dark green gaze.

That moment by the lake, when Guin fell into my arms, that is the moment my heart claimed her. I could have lived my whole life in that single moment, consumed by her warmth.

Closing my eyes, I picture her head against my chest. Her breath gently tickling the hairs on my chest, making my skin come alive. Even in thought, Guin takes my breath away. She consumed so much of my soul, I am not sure I have any left for myself.

A small, brawny hand pulls me back from my thoughts. Keeping his hand on my arm, Antti guides me away from the tranquil lake. He points toward the lake, then bares his teeth and growls. For emphasis, he points to the lake again, shaking his head. I nod in understanding. Do not go near the lake. Something dangerous lies within.

I walk back to the campsite with Antti, the both of us making ourselves busy setting up our camp and collecting wood for the fire. Though still unable to speak with each other, we can communicate with dramatic hand gestures. As we eat our supper, Veli and Aku tell a story about Helgi. It must be embarrassing because the little man’s skin turns as red as an apple. Helgi seems to be the primary subject of most of their jesting. Being among the shortest of their people, he is an easy target.

After we eat, the five of us prepare our sleeping pallets. Aku is the first one on watch. As I throw a thin blanket over my body, I see him walking the perimeter of our camp, eyes alert. Though this side of the forest is less dense, it does not mean there are no dangerous creatures lurking in the shadows.

Later that night, I wake up to a fit of screams and splashing of water. Antti, Veli, and Helgi are already up on their feet, running toward the lake. I follow, catching up with them as they reach the shore where the screams had come from. At first, I do not see a thing. Even with the full moon glimmering down on the lake, I cannot make out where the scream came from. Then Aku rises out of the water, flailing his hands around and wailing with all his might.

Something is trying to pull him under, but he is fighting, a short sword in his hand. Instinctively, I reach for the weapon at my hip. It is not there. I had tucked my sword in my blankets before falling asleep. I sprint to grab it and hurry back to the lake, where Aku is still putting up a fight. Though I do not know what creature has hold of Aku, I cannot leave him to die such a dreadful death.

I yell to Antti, telling him and his men to get their bows and cover me. Then, without hesitating, without waiting for them to acknowledge that they understood me, I run into the water. By the time I am waist-deep, the men are back at the water’s edge, ready to fire. I dive under, keeping my eyes toward the direction of where Aku is flailing about. Thankfully, the moon is full tonight. Its bright luminous light penetrates the surface of the water, casting down on the horrific scene below.

A creature like none I have ever seen has hold of Aku by his ankles. But he is still fighting, making it difficult for the creature to drag him further into the lake. This breed of men is strong for their size. Any predator would think them easy prey. In the dark woods, I fought many fantastical and unusual beasts. Beasts much bigger than me. Beasts with talons and fangs. For Aku and his fellow villagers to survive such a land filled with horrors, they must be strong, quick, and unwilling to accept defeat.

I swim back to the surface for a breath before diving to meet this demon. Its body is that of a long, spinless fish, decorated with black scales. Though its face looks feminine, the sharp fangs in its mouth are enough to terrify any brave man. It does not know I have entered the battlefield, or at least it has not turned its attention toward me. Good. I will have the element of surprise.

With all my strength, I swim forward and push my sword toward the belly of the creature, where the scales look thinner. But it moves aside at the last minute. Still, I grazed the scales,leaving a trail of black blood. In its shock, the creature lets go of Aku but casts its gaze on me. Its scale-covered arms reach out for me, claws growing bigger as I try to swim toward the surface, needing a breath of air. Sensing my weakness, it launches at me before I make it to the surface. The water slows my parry, giving the beast the opportunity to graze my shoulder with its long claws. But I do not flinch; I follow through and slice the beast’s arm off.

At the same time I attack, Aku launches at the beast’s back, sinking his small sword into its neck. Black bubbles escape from its mouth. If sound could reach my ears, I am certain I would hear a savage screech. With the beast in distress, Aku and I swim back to the shore as fast as we can. My lungs burn, needing air, but I have no time to breathe.

As we reach the lakeshore, I help Aku out of the water. He is bleeding badly, but otherwise can hold himself up on his own feet. We will examine his wounds once we are far from the lake. Antti and the others are busy shooting arrows at the creature. It howls in pain and frustration as two arrows pierce between its thick scales. The three little men shoot again, all reaching their target on the softer fleshy scales where the heart would be in any other creature. With that last assault, the creature disappears into the blackness of the lake.

“We must go. Now,” I say to Antii, who replies with a sharp nod. We make haste to our camp and gather our supplies as quickly as possible. Veli helps Aku bundle up his pack, and we set off into the woods at a rapid pace, not stopping to catch our breaths until the sun rises in the east.

The five of us collapse under a group of trees, shading us from the rising sun. As I close my eyes to rest, Veli hands me a skin full of ale, gesturing me to drink. I take a long sip to appease him. Afterward, Veli places his left hand on my uninjured shoulderand his right across his chest. I nod, telling him that he has nothing to thank me for. I would never leave someone to die.

But it is not enough. Veli hands me his rations of cheese, bread, and a handful of berries. “There is no need for this. I have my own food—”

Veli interrupts me by shoving the parcel of food in my hands. He points to Aku, who is dressing his own wounds, then places his right hand over his chest again. I nod again, this time placing my hands on his shoulders, giving them a squeeze. “Let us get some rest now.”

Eight months later, my escort leads me to the very edge of the dark forest, even though they had been afraid to journey too close to civilization. These four half-sized men are some of the bravest I have ever met. They would have walked me right onto a ship and ensured my safe passage home if I had not stopped them from continuing further. Though I do not know what they are, I know they are not human. They would not be welcome in the human world.

Upon my departure, I am gifted with furs, skins of ale and wine, and parcels of cheese. “But these are for your journey back to your village,” I say, pushing the items back into their hands. Their stubbornness is stronger than mine though. I thank them again for bringing me this far and tell them that I hope to never see them again, in jest.

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