Paladin

• Ayla Macklin-Shaw , Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

The night is cold. Piercing though my skin like an arrow causing throbbing pain all over my body. I wait. Causing the tiniest little sound could wake the whole house. I got up slowly moving though the house to the front door. It stood there I took my fathers jacket off the hook near the door and my bow from the neatly woven basket it sat in. I wasn’t going hunting I was just sitting hugging my bow. My older brother leaf carved it had a dragon at the centre and flames coming from its mouth down each side. As I step out one foot on the freezing cold grass sent that horrible cold feeling back up to my brain again.
I jumped to the tree just outside the front door where leaf used to tell me stories. Its incredible view of the sky I watched it till dawn. If I did make it into the national guard of Denton Morga, I would be able to see leaf again. I wasn’t good with swords or maces like most but father said I had a very accurate shot. The tree bark was digging into my leg making it painful for me I shifted my leg numerous times but it still hurt. I felt like a few seconds went by till I saw Charlotte she waved at me. She put and leg up and swung to the part of the tree where I was sitting.
‘did lilac and rose wake you up?’ she asked with sympathy in her dose ‘because they sure woke me up’. She looked up at the sky and waited for my response. I couldn’t tell her I was cold because them shed tell mum. Then mum would give me hers and I didn’t want that.
‘no, I just woke up I guess although I could hear them from here’ I replied with a smile ‘they don’t act 12 they act more like babies crying for mum’. Charlotte looked at me then laughed. She had a huge smile on her face bigger than dads when I shot and killed my first boar, he smiled the whole night.
‘I hope I get in then dad will watch us from above and be proud’ she smiled there were certain points in her voice that sounded like sobs. Enormous clusters of water came out of her eyes and run down her face. She was crying like mum did when dad died. Like me, Logan, leaf and Charlotte.
‘don’t worry dad will be proud either way’’ I said more soothingly than I imagined. For a while we just sat there while mellifluous scents blew in the breeze.
‘there you two are get down here this instant’ an angry voice yelled. I turned my head it was mum. ‘A letter arrived and said you two and Logan are going to go to The Denton Morga Fighting Academy isn’t that exciting’’ she smiled in a happy/sad tone ‘I’m going to miss you lot’.