Chapter 1

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 10: "The Creature Lives"

SIR OLIVER

Ari and Sir Oliver had followed the creature along the riverbank for a few kilometers on horseback, the orc riding Ari's horse, Ari and Sir Oliver sharing Xena once again. The orc tried to make conversation along the way, even introduced himself as "Barnacle."

"Barnacle?" Ari had asked.

"You heard right!"

"Odd," Ari commented.

Sir Oliver knew that orcs named their children after anything vile to remind them that they too were vile. Their culture perpetuated thieving, murderous nature; Sir Oliver had never seen any evidence to suggest otherwise. To see his squire compare herself to this... Barnacle... it was wretched.

"It's just up the hill," said the orc, pointing to a waterfall coming into view. "There."

Sir Oliver grimaced. "You first," he commanded Barnacle. "We'll follow."

"Aye, Sir!" Barnacle said giddily. "Blades out! The dragon could be back."

Barnacle drew his stout, jagged blade, and tip-toed across the bank, edging his way to the rocky cavern. Sir Oliver turned to his protege as she drew her sword. He whispered just loud enough to be heard over the thundering waterfall, "Do not take your eyes off him."

Ari did not speak, only nodded.

Sir Oliver went in after Barnacle, stepping carefully across the slippery rock behind the waterfall. The cave behind the falls was vast, certainly big enough to hide a dragon. It was dark, but a little light shone through the waterfall and through a gaping hole in the rock above.

"Down this way!" Barnacle yelled, his voice echoing off the wet walls.

Ari had just popped her head into the cave. Barnacle was close to being out of sight. The squire hustled to catch up with him. Oliver was still frustrated with her, but a little proud. She will be a great knight someday, he remarked. Once she learns to trust no one.

When Oliver and Ari had finally caught up to Barnacle, Oliver saw the evidence. There were burned skeletons of sheep, horses and even men. Sir Oliver knelt down to investigate a half-armored pile of bones more closely. The breastplate was torched, but Oliver could make out a few stars on the edge of the sigil. A man of Nightingshire, he deduced. Someone had already been here to slay the dragon? If they knew where the lair was, why did Lord Gerard not tell me?

Sir Oliver looked up to see Ari holding something shiny in her hands, a chalice.

She looked at Sir Oliver and held it up for him to see. Sir Oliver nodded, saying, "You should keep it. It might be worth something."

Ari smiled at the chalice.

Barnacle had been sniffing around, looking for any sort of treasure as well. He called to Sir Oliver, "Looks like the creature's still out. But now that you know its home, you can plan your surprise attack all the better."

He smiled with all eight of his sharp teeth. "Well?" he asked.

"What?" Sir Oliver replied.

"I am a man of my word, yes?" Barnacle asked.

Sir Oliver only stared. Ari smiled at Barnacle, saying, "Aye."

"You are no man," Oliver said. Barnacle looked hurt, so Sir Oliver tried to soften the blow with, "But you kept your word. I am grateful. You will live another day. Let us be gone, Jason. We will train and return again until we have found the dragon. Then we will kill him."

And with that, Sir Oliver departed the cave.

ARI

When Ari and Barnacle had emerged from the cave, the orc gave her a pat on the back.

"Good Sir," he said. "I do believe your fellow knight loathes me."

"Loathes?" Ari asked.

Barnacle knew the common tongue better than she, and it evidently surprised him. "Yes, loathes. Uh... has growing hatred for the likes of me."

"Ah," Ari nodded, smiling. "Yes, very loathes you."

Barnacle was confused again, but said, "Aye... But... my tribe left me to die at the village. If I return with no gold or food from the village, they will kill me. Please, allow me to work for you. As I said, I am an expert hunter! I can shoot down a squirrel from a meadow away! I can--"

"Jason!" Sir Oliver called from atop his horse. "Let us be on our way now."

"Please," Barnacle begged, grabbing her arm, "Jason, convince him. You persuaded him to spare my life. Please... I beg you. I can be of use to you."

Ari was aware of the thin ice she walked upon with her mentor. She turned to him. Sir Oliver's face was angry, growing impatient. Ari remembered Zani, Hana, the lost souls she had already left behind. Knights saved people. They did not get to decide if they were people, neither did Sir Oliver. Barnacle needed saving.

"You teach me hunt," Ari promised. "You teach me. They have no bed for you, though. You sleep in... not good place."

"All I need is a bail of hay and I'll sleep like a baby!" Barnacle said, hugging her tightly. He did have a rank odor that Ari tried to pretend was not there. He said, "Thank you, Sir Jason. Thank you, thank you. I will not disappoint you."

"I am not a knight," Ari informed him. "Not yet."

Ari turned to look at Sir Oliver again. This time he wore a face that said, "What have you done this time?" She broke the embrace with Barnacle. She approached Sir Oliver.

"He teach me hunt," Ari said firmly. "He come with us."

"No," Sir Oliver said. "Never."

"They kill him he go home," Ari told him. "He come with us."

"Who do you think you're speaking to? I am your knight. Your ma--"

Ari was furious with him now. "Say it," she told him. "Say it. Master."

Ari had thought, for a time, that Oliver might be different. He was not.

"I bought you," he reminded her, raising his voice with Ari for the first time. "I own you! You will do as I command! You are my squire!"

Ari was crying, and she hated that. He did not deserve tears. "I your slave," she said.

"I am protecting you!" Sir Oliver tried to explain. "I..." He shook his head, trying to calm down. Ari's words hurt him, and she knew it. She liked that.

"Alright," he finally said, surprising Ari. "You bring him back."

Ari, through gritted teeth, said, "Thank you."

"I will not watch over him," Sir Oliver sighed. "Or you. You want to put your life at risk with this vermin, then may Osha have mercy on you. I don't."

With that, Sir Oliver kicked Xena hard in the ribs and the horse bolted off towards the road.

Ari wiped some of the tears from her eyes.

Barnacle, who had been awkwardly silent during the outburst, put a hand on her shoulder. He apologized, "This is my fault. I'm sorry."

Ari sniffled, came to, and replied, "The horse. Get on."