The Legend of Kathleen Everton

Author's Note:

I just realised, I accidentally posted the last chapter as Chapter 4, not 3. This is Chapter 4. Sorry about the confusion. Onto the story!

I also forgot that I called the city where Kathleen was from: Ravenfeld, not Moorefield. The name Moorefield was from one of my earlier drafts of Kathleen Everton a long time ago and I guess I decided to stick with it. Again, sorry for the confusion!

Just outside of the Kingdom of the Setting Sun (Relsin). A few days after Kathleen's departure from Moorefield.

She'd stumbled upon the rogues blindly one night while looking for camp. The entire group, about sixteen in all, were inching towards her, pointing all sorts of weapons: battleaxes, short swords, long swords, and even one or two of them had a spear. They were wearing rather rugged clothing and their armor was untended, but they were no less intimidating or fierce. Their leader stepped forwards, a man who seemed well in charge of his cohorts.

'Who are you, girl?' he said. His breath smelled like fish and it took everything in Kathleen to not gag for breath.

'My name is Kathleen. I - I'm just passing through.' With that, the rogues began to attack her. She began to fight them, and recieved a gash on her upper arm for her efforts. Just as she was beginning to lose the fight, there was a sound, a battle cry, and three newcomers rushed into the clearing. The men that were once so tough now melted into fear at the sight of the three. Those that failed to escape were cut down, and the rest fled into the night. When the rogues had fled, the person who seemed to be the leader of the three turned towards Kathleen, sheathing her sword, and marched towards her.

'You could have gotten yourself killed!' the woman hissed. 'Who the hell do you think you are?' She stepped back, nearly panicked at the sight of the angry female wearing the silver armor with the sunburst on her breastplate and the well-designed sword at her side.

'Rayla!' one of them called out, and the woman named Rayla stopped her angry pursuit of Kathleen and turned.

'What?' she snapped.

'Stay your hand. Look at her. She bears the eyes of an Everton. Her skills with a sword are commendable, but could use some work.' The woman who had spoken to Rayla stepped forward, towards Kathleen, and extended her gloved hand. 'I am Anna Everton. These are my companions, our fierce leader Rayla Everton and the third of our group, Eleanor Everton. Tell us your name.'

'My name is Kathleen Everton.'

The four made camp for the rest of the evening beside a stream. Rayla was still incredibly hesitant to have Kathleen with them, not entirely believing that the girl was the chosen future leader, and therefore the final piece of the prophecy, but she let them travel with the group anyways.

Despite all that, Kathleen liked Rayla. She bore her leadership role with a strong sense of confidence, duty and loyalty to her cause. Plus, she was a wife and a mother. Kathleen couldn't think about doing that and raising a child and being a wife at the same time. Everything about being a wife and raising children, she dreaded.

Anna was kind, and Kathleen took to her the most. Before they turned in for the night, Anna took her a little ways from the group and began to help hone her swordsmanship. She could tell Anna was impressed with her present skills, not that she would brag about it. She also noticed that Rayla and Anna seemed quite close, and that every decision that Rayla seemed to come across as a leader, she would use Anna as a sounding board of sorts, for advice.

Eleanor was rather reserved, and didn't like to chat too much, but on the battlefield she left no room for fear or shyness. Anna often said she was like a lionness on the battlefield, once awoken she was fierce. They all were like lionnesses in their own right: on the outside, they were kind and gentle, and even some of them had families of their own to raise, like Rayla. Anna was engaged, but Eleanor didn't have a husband, or a fiance, which she said she preferred just fine. But on the inside, the three of them had one thing in common: they were all warriors.

A couple days later...

The three of them travelled for some time until they entered the Kingdom of the Setting Sun, aka. Relsin. During one of their breaks, where they stopped to feed the horses and themselves, Rayla took Kathleen aside for a stroll a ways from the temporary camp they'd made as a group. The afternoon sun was shining and the birds sang in the trees as they walked. But Kathleen was snapped out of her quiet moment by Rayla speaking.

'Anna seems to think you are the last Spirit Warrior. Do you believe it?'

'I don't know. My father told me I was supposed to be the last Spirit Warrior, but I'm not sure.'

'That wasn't what I asked. Do you believe that you are?'

'No, not really. I'm still coming to grips with it.'

'You know, I never saw you for myself, but I did watch you from the shadows. Anna was supposed to be your guardian. I had people to lead; a child to raise; a legend to uphold. I can't do what Anna does. She takes people under her wing, she trains them. How long have you been training with the sword?'

'All my life, really.'

'Good. We're travelling to Relsin come the light of dawn, and hopefully the wise ones there should be able to clear this all up.'

'Do you believe I'm the last Spirit Warrior, Rayla?' Kathleen asked. The woman stopped in her tracks, then turned slowly.

'Anna is convinced. I still need some convincing myself. That's why we're going to Relsin. If what your father and grandfather both say are true about your destiny, then I will owe you an apology for my unbelief. But until then, you're just tagging along. Once I see the fulfilment of the prophecy for myself, then I will believe the same thing that Anna does.' The warrior turned and headed back towards camp, Kathleen hurrying to follow behind.

The next afternoon...

The four came to the top of the hill, overlooking the abandoned fortress of Relsin, as the afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the small valley that held the fortress. Kathleen's heart beat faster at the anticipation. Rayla looked at Anna, then at Eleanor, then at Kathleen lastly.

'Tonight, we hope to let another Everton join us in our pursuit to end the greatest evil that this world has seen. If the last piece of the prophecy is indeed among us, Kathleen Everton, then tonight shall see you take your place as the last Spirit Warrior.' She spurred her horse on towards the fortress down below, and the other three followed suit.