I Will Be the Greatest Knight

Rabbit was the trade-off for Irene’s rustiness with a bow.

A short time after the grouse, a hare appeared in the right spot and closer enough than she or Henry would have expected. It felt a bit too perfect that the animal was so close because it gave her an easy shot that even she could have made the first day she had a bow as a child.

Cleanly as ever, the shot sliced through its small body, pinning it to the snow. There was no struggling. It didn’t even know it was dying before it was dead.

The knight recalled when she first went hunting and got a rabbit that time too. The memory was interlaced with thoughts of her father and grandmother. Even her mother’s rage at hunting alone wasn’t that bad to think about any longer, knowing that everything she did was out of care even if Irene couldn’t see that when she was younger—her father’s death had shown Irene a new side of Rochelle.

"With that, I will build us a small fire towards the trees," Henry announced as he stood up, finally able to stretch out and not hide behind a bush.

"Then I will skin and clean the hare," Irene responded.

The red-haired knight stepped away from the bushes and towards her kill. It was simple to clean and, despite how nice the coat was, would not be useful to keep the fur. Instead, she decided to hang it in a tree in case it could be preserved until their return, but the reality was that if it stopped freezing at any point, the hide would likely crash and not be worth anything more.

With meat in a pouch, Irene returned to a camp that Henry had built for them in the meantime. It was against the base of an impossibly thick evergreen, the branches having protected the leeward side of the trunk against the snow. It would be better to sleep against the ground and dry grasses so the snow wouldn’t melt and soak them in the night.

Unlike usual, their bedding wasn’t two separate beds, but one wide enough to fit them both. The sight caused Irene to smile faintly. So, this was what camping with your husband was like. She was actually looking forward to camping, knowing she could share body heat with someone at least a little bit.

"I have a pan waiting with a bit of tallow," Henry explained. "Let’s finish eating as the sun sets."

"Let’s," Irene agreed.

The two cooked side by side silently. After the rabbit was cooked more, they put some clean snow in the pot to melt and added lentils, salt, and seasonings so that the meal would be rounded out and able to hold them over since they hadn’t consumed much that day.

Rather than eating separately out of bowls, they didn’t bother having more to clean. Henry took out a knit trivet, and they ate next to each other with spoons.

The sky looked fiery by then. They were at the perfect angle to enjoy a fully set sun that soon turned to shades of purple before darkness settled in.

The horses enjoyed grass beside their owners, their saddlebags having been removed, but straps still remaining to keep blankets on the horses, just to ensure they remained warm.

"Did you know that in Hydrogia, rabbits are rarer and nobility pays a lot for a meal like this?" Henry wondered. "I didn’t try it until I was much older because the knights who came through the village would pay a high sum for a fat one. Some would start feeding the rabbits with the intention of selling them. I felt a bit bad for the creatures."

"I wouldn’t fault someone for earning money," Irene responded. "But if that’s the case, there will be plenty more rabbits where that came from. You’ll see the snow rabbits up north that blend in the snow. You won’t notice them at all until you’re on top of them or holding still enough for their skittish natures."

The two of them finished their meal, and they washed their pot and utensils with snow before setting them beside the fire to dry. There, Irene added more logs with the hope that it would burn the rest of the night.

Once it was time to settle in, Irene was first to lie down, but it wasn’t as if it was a comfortable sleep in a bed where she could lie on her side, which was her preference. She had to keep her clothing and boots on.

However, it felt nice to lace her fingers with Henry’s and feel one side of her body warm because her husband would be there through the entire night.

"Goodnight," Irene uttered. "I love you."

"Goodnight, my love," he whispered.

He couldn’t help sitting up as his armor would allow and leaning towards Irene to gently kiss her. It was as much of a show of affection as it was an effort to make sure her nose, cheeks, and lips weren’t cold. He also made sure to sleep closer to the tree while she slept closer to the fire. It was said that women needed to remain warmer since their blood moved differently than men’s. He would honor this whenever he could.

She knew what he was doing, and she didn’t mind it. There was no reason to deny his care when it wasn’t out of doubt for her but worry from him.

Irene pulled the layers of fur over them a bit higher before falling asleep rather easily. The excitement of the day always seemed to make her an efficient sleeper.

They slept until the first signs of sun appeared, but it was dimmer than expected. They had to build up the fire again to have enough light to make sure everything was clean. Luckily, they didn’t need to use their supplies here for the fire. Wood would need to be conserved the higher they got, and the fewer trees there were.

Husband and wife woke to a heavy fog. That was always the risk of a clear night in the winter. It made their surroundings unbelievably cold. Even the snow they walked through as they set forth crunched the first bit before the horses broke through to softer snow.

Henry looked to Irene, searching her expression for confidence in their path ahead. He couldn’t see much of anything and didn’t know how she did.

"We’ve made it through the foothills," Irene assured him. "There is only one way up now. The mountain allows only one path to the north. That’s why I’m confident the knights can make it through easily."

However, for the first time, she pulled the red ribbon she had agreed to mark the trail so the knights would be confident they were headed in the right direction. She tied it tightly to a half branch on a tall stump.

Henry’s heart thudded at his wife’s confidence. He didn’t mind being led by her.

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