Maxine allowed her squire to rest for around half an hour so that he could regain his strength. After that she decided that they would continue their journey back to the inn. She knew that her friend Gregory would be there waiting for her, another assignment that paid well was just what she needed. She was still frustrated about losing her previous gold and was ready to cut anyone in half who so much as looked at her in the wrong way.
Charles was reluctant to get back up but he knew better than to defy her. He was still tired but he still got back up to his feet and continued walking. One thing that he was thankful for was the fact that she hadn’t decided that his mother’s locket now belonged to her. She knew how much it meant to him and it showed him that there was still a lot of honour within her despite her anger.
They walked in silence for about an hour and a half. Charles was once again walking at a quicker pace so that he could keep up with the much taller woman. The clanging of her armour could be heard with every movement that she made. She still had her helmet tied to her side but for now she didn’t feel the need to wear it. Instead she just kept it there but she would place it on her head when she needed it.
“I’m sorry ma’am but we need to stop again,” said Charles. There was a small amount of nervousness in his voice. He knew that she had said that he was only allowed to speak to her when he was spoken to but he felt that he needed to do it this time.
“You need to rest again?” replied Maxine with an annoyed tone. “Surely you can’t be serious.”
“No, it’s not that ma’am, I really need to…” He was about to say but he saw her put her hand up and give a sigh. She knew exactly what he was about to say and she knew it was something that couldn’t be helped.
“Go and be quick about it.”
Charles thanked her before quickly moving into a wooden area that was close by. He wanted to be sure that she couldn’t see him and he even found himself a nice spot for what he needed to do. He looked back for a moment to check that she couldn’t see him, as soon as he was sure he began to urinate on a nearby tree.
He gave a small sigh of relief as he had been holding it in for the last half an hour but had been too scared to ask Maxine to stop. During their short time together, he respected her and couldn’t help but admire her goals and desires. Above all he feared her though, he feared her strength and temper. He thought that if he angered her too much that she might kill him or at least seriously injure him. It was something that he didn’t want to experience at all.
Just as Charles was finishing off what he needed to do he began to hear a sound. It sounded a little like footsteps and for a moment he thought that it was merely Maxine. However, his mind was telling him otherwise, the footsteps sounded lighter than if they were a nine-foot woman wearing heavy armour. He also couldn’t hear the clinging of the armour along with the footsteps.
Just as he turned around he could see something that terrified him. Standing no more than ten feet away from him was a wolf. It had silver like fur and stood there growling at him, he froze in place and hoped that if he stayed still that the wolf might walk away. Instead the creature remained where it was and continued to growl at him. He dared not move for the time being and he didn’t even call out for help.
Charles’s mind was trying to figure out exactly what he was going to do in order to get out of this situation. He could see the teeth of the animal as it continued to growl, he didn’t know if he had just wandered into the wolf’s territory or what. He just waited as he figured out his next move.
This decision was taken away from him as the wolf quickly began to move forward. This caused Charles to turn and run as fast as his legs could carry him. He needed to dodge trees as he ran but he could hear the wolf behind him. He knew that if he reached Maxine that he would be safe. She was upset with him but he didn’t think that she’d let him die, she was too honourable as a person.
The next thing he saw was Maxine standing in the road waiting for him. She had no idea what he was doing but almost as soon as he ran out of the wooded area she saw the wolf chasing after him. Quicker than what was thought possible for a woman of her stature she unsheathed her large sword and then stabbed it down in the wolf with a strong and quick motion.
The creature gave a howl of pain before it fell to the ground. It was bleeding heavily and it could do nothing to stop itself from slipping away to the next plain of existence. The large woman looked over on it as she sheathed her sword. Charles had been running and he was a little out of breath from what had just happened. She had said nothing to him and bent down so that she could pick up the wolf. She didn’t think that there was much point in wasting good meat.
“Thank you, ma’am,” said Charles. He was catching his breath and he looked up at her. He was beginning to get used to being around a woman who was more than three feet taller than him.
“That’s another life debt that you owe,” replied Maxine. Her voice was still serious and she turned her head to look down to him. “Am I correct?”
“Y-Yes ma’am, but…” Before he could say another word, he saw Maxine turn away. She had the dead wolf over her shoulder.
“Come along Charles, we still have a few miles to go.”
“A-As you wish ma’am.” He watched as she walked away and he could do nothing but follow her. He was still curious about a few things and he wanted to ask, however he was still somewhat fearful about doing so. “If I may be so bold might I ask you a question?” He expected her to ignore him or even give him some kind of insult. She did remain looking forward but she didn’t ignore him at all.
“And what may that be?” Her voice still sounded intimidating even though it was much closer to her normal speaking voice.
“Why are you carrying the wolf? Do you plan on making it into a trophy of some kind?” He watched her look at him for a moment with an annoyed look before looking back to the path ahead.
“I’m a knight not a hunter. Such trophies mean nothing to me, it is a waste of good meat to allow it to remain where it was. I plan on having a wolf pie out of this so it is a type of pie I can cross off my list.” It was a mental list that she was keeping as she couldn’t read or write very well. “Besides this is nothing in comparison to a wolf that my father has killed in the past. Are you familiar with Great Wolves?”
“Yes, they’re a much larger species of wolf. They were thought to be extinct until some popped up near Featherstone.”
“You’re right, some had made their way into the mines and my father along with a few other knights were sent down there to get rid of them. He personally killed at least two but didn’t keep any as trophies. That’s his integrity as a knight, a lesser man would have taken something of those wolves to prove that they had killed it. My father decided that such things were unnecessary for a knight. Those who go out of their way to take trophies are vain and unworthy to be knighted.”
“I-I understand ma’am.” He began to imagine Maxine fighting against a pack of Great Wolves. Although they would be larger than her he would have still wagered that she would come out on top. He was that confident of her strength and skills that a part of him even thought that she was invincible.
“Good, let that be a lesson to you.”
Charles could see that the answer had come to an end and for the time being he had nothing else to ask. He just watched as Maxine continued to walk with the dead wolf over her shoulder, a part of him did wonder what a wolf pie would taste like. He didn’t think it would be very nice but up until a few minutes ago he hadn’t considered eating one. Now he was a little curious.
More time passed as the pair continued to walk and once again Charles was beginning to get tired. He still didn’t dare ask her for another rest but he soon realised that he didn’t have to, a short distance away from them was the inn that was their destination. This was a huge relief for him and he was more than eager to follow her inside.
Once inside Maxine scanned the inn but she couldn’t see her friend Gregory, she figured that he would be there soon and so she stepped toward the bar and placed the wolf down. The Innkeeper looked at it and then looked up at her, the tall woman had a serious look on her face as she instructed the Innkeeper to make a few pies out of the dead animal.
Also, she ordered some drinks before picking them up and bringing them over the table where Charles was sitting. He was writing down some financial information in his book and he had to write away the majority of the gold that they had earned earlier. It was annoying that such a thing had happened but he was sure that they would earn some more in the near future.
The gold that he had been given for his help in capturing William Bellamy had gone back into the pool along with whatever gold Maxine had left. It wasn’t all that much but it would be enough to last them until they were paid for the next job. He saw her place a cup by him, as she knew he wanted it was simply water as he didn’t want to get drunk at that moment in time. Her own large cup was filled with strong ale that she drank as if she were drinking milk or water.
“What’s our situation?” asked Maxine after she had finished her ale. He had watched her take large gulps until the entirety of the ale had gone.
“W-We should be alright if we’re wise with our money,” replied Charles. He was looking over the notes that he had written down. “One thing that we’ll have to sacrifice staying at inns overnight.”
“That’s fine by me, the beds are too small and the ceiling too low.” Ever since she had left home in order to seek her own path to knighthood she had never slept in a bed that was large enough for her. The majority of the buildings that she had stayed also had ceilings that were comfortable for normal people but not a nine-foot woman.
“I’m also guessing that you got a discount on your pies since you provided the meat for the establishment?”
“Indeed, the Innkeeper plans on selling the skin off so she’s making the pies for me for free as a show of gratitude. I only hope that it tastes as good as I imagine, but one thing I do find a little odd was that it was alone.”
“You’re partially right there. Most wolves do hunt in packs but there are also some that prefer to live on their own. I believe that is where the term Lone Wolf comes from ma’am.” He did have another idea about how to get onto her good side, this involved him asking her about her favourite man in the world. “So, your father, how many men has he bested in battle?”
“Many men have fallen to my father’s skill with a blade but very few lost their lives. He is an honourable man and he taught me everything he knew. He even taught me how to forge my own sword, a Martel does not buy his or her sword, they make it with their own blood, sweat and tears. A blade crafted by the knight is more effective than a blade bought or given.”
“I see.” He thought that it was interesting that it seemed like her family forged their swords. Most knights were from upper class families and the idea of forging their own sword was alien to them. It was one reason why the Martels had been looked down upon as they were thought of nothing more than commoners. “Did you have to craft your own armour as well or was that bought?”
“I did mainly forge this armour but I had help from my uncle and cousins. The material was the most time consuming but I saved and even recycled some old armour in order to create this one. As you saw it’s thick enough to deflect a crossbow bolt and sword swipes can’t penetrate it.”
“It looks incredibly heavy ma’am.”
“It is, but thankfully I’m strong enough to carry it day in, day out. Armour does slow you down, but it keeps you alive.”
Before anything else could be said a couple of large pies were brought to Maxine by the innkeeper. They had arrived faster than she had expected and she looked forward to eating the wolf pies. Some bread and cheese had been brought to Charles as he too needed food, to conserve their funds he chose something that was cheap until he felt that he could splash out again.
Maxine quickly dug into the pie as she cut it open and began to eat the meat and pastry. She took a moment to fully taste it and she was savouring the flavour. In comparison to other pies that she had eaten she didn’t think too much to it. If she had been eating wolf meat by itself she wouldn’t think too much of it. But since it was baked into a pie she instantly thought that it was better than it could have been.
Charles could only watch as the tall woman sitting before him continued to eat the pies as if she hadn’t been fed for a week. He wasn’t too surprised as he knew that a woman of her stature would require a lot of food in order to properly function. The fact that she was carrying such heavy armour all day.
Within a few minutes both pies were gone and Maxine wiped any crumbs that were around her face. For the time being she was satisfied but if there was more she could easily make room for it. Charles had only eaten roughly half of his own food by the time she was done and she downed it with another cup of strong ale.
There were a few people who were looking at her but most of them knew better than to look for too long. They feared that doing such a thing would result in them losing an eye or another vital part of their body. It was true that Maxine would not do such a thing unless provoked to.
Just then the door to the inn opened but no one seemed to take any real notice as many people came and went but there was the sound of heavy footsteps of armoured soldiers. Around half a dozen quickly came in and this attracted the attention of everyone in the inn who quickly turned to look at them.
Each soldier wore shiny armour and was armed with a sword and shield. They wore cloaks that were white with a red symbol stitched onto them. The symbol was that of a bear’s head and there was silence amongst each of them. They stood alongside the door as if they were preparing for a ceremony of some sort.
Suddenly another man stepped in but he was unlike the soldiers who had come in. They were dressed head to toe in armour but this man was in normal clothing. He was a lanky man with dark black hair and his clothing probably cost more than a person’s house. It was a green outfit that was made from the finest materials. Like the cloaks of the soldiers there was also the red head of a bear stitched onto the chest. This time it was much smaller and placed over his heart.
The man walked forward and quickly stopped at the bar where the Innkeeper was waiting. She was a little intimidated by the man as she could see that he was a very important person. The kind of people she was used to dealing with were common folks and even those who were down on their luck. A rich man like this one was a very rare sight in these parts, most would not want to be caught dead in such an establishment.
“C-Can I help you sir?” asked the Innkeeper. She looked up at the man and saw him smile at her. His teeth were in very good condition in comparison to most of her patrons. This only seemed to make her more worried.
“Yes, indeed you can,” replied the Man. “My name is Laurence of House Brees.” It was a name that many of the patrons had heard before. They hadn’t particularly heard of Laurence but they had heard of his family. They were a wealthy family who owned some ports on the west coast of Angleland. They brought in a fair amount of money which had added to their wealth over many, many years. “And I’m here looking for a particular man.” He took a parchment out of his pocket and unrolled it showing a wanted poster. “This man is guilty of crimes against my family and my father has instructed me to bring him back. My sources have informed me that he was travelling east, he isn’t someone that you’ve spotted here, recently have you?”
The Innkeeper took a better look at the poster. Like many others she had difficulty reading but she could see the drawing of the wanted man in question. She could see that he had short light hair and a bite mark on his cheek. The man in question had been bitten by a dog as a child and it had left a permanent mark on his face. This made him recognisable but it still didn’t look like someone that she had seen.
“No sir, I can’t say that I have,” said the Innkeeper. She thought that she might get into some trouble for this. She knew that a high born such as Laurence normally didn’t pay too much mind to common folks and often used them as tools. There was a chance that he would be angered by her answer and damage her source of income.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” replied Laurence. His smile didn’t fade away and the Innkeeper expected some kind of retaliation for her uselessness. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I ask your loyal customers?”
“N-No not at all.” She could hardly say no to him but she knew that it could lead to trouble if any of them decided to try anything funny.
Laurence stepped away from the counter and began to go around to each of the patrons and asked whether they had seen the man in question. One by one they gave him a no and there were a couple who considered kidnapping the rich man and ransoming him back to his family. This was not the best idea as the guards followed him around everywhere and ensured that no one kidnapped him.
Each of the guards were highly trained and were more than a match for practically everyone inside of the inn. There were a few who could take them on but not without the likelihood of receiving a terrible injury. Because of this no one dared try anything.
Eventually Laurence reached Charles who quickly told him that he hadn’t seen the man that he was looking for. This was when Laurence turned his attention to Maxine and he marvelled over her size. He had thought that she was a man with long hair but when he saw her face he could see that she was a woman. Even sitting down, he could see how extremely tall she was and he couldn’t help but feel impressed. He was confused about why a woman would be wearing armour like a knight.
“You there,” said Laurence. He stood by Maxine who seemed to be minding her own business. Her head turned toward him and she could see his smile, she remembered how her father told her that high born people were normally more trouble than they were worth. “You are by far the largest woman I have ever seen, if not the largest person. If you would be so kind could you stand up for me? I would like to see just how large you are.”
Maxine fell silent for a few moments as she decided whether she should fulfil his request or not. A part of her didn’t want to feel like some kind of freak but she also knew that it was unwise to decline the request of a high born. It would lead to much more trouble down the line and that was something that she didn’t want to experience.
In silence she slowly rose from the table that she was sitting at and Laurence, the guards and some of the patrons gasped at how tall she was. A couple of the guards even tightened their grip on their weapons as they thought that there was a chance that they’d run into trouble. As she rose she truly dwarfed all the people standing beside her. Laurence seemed to be intimidated at first but then he couldn’t help but smile. She loomed over him like a true giant and she was thankful for the inn’s high ceiling.
“My you are a big one,” said Laurence. “You make my men look like disobedient young children, if I live until I’m a hundred I’ll never forget this moment. But how rude of me, I’ve been asking you all these things without even asking your name.”
“My name is Maxine Theresia Martel, eldest daughter of Sir Tucker Martel,” replied Maxine with some pride in her voice. Her voice wasn’t as deep or booming as he had expected. To him her voice sounded like that of any maiden although he could sense a hint of aggression behind it.
“Martel, now where have I heard that name before?” He fell silent as he continued to think and then he eventually put two and two together. “Oh yes, your family are the blacksmiths from Morgan. My family occasionally purchases weapons and ironwork from your forgery. I have to admit that the craftmanship is quite elegant. Now, what is the daughter of a blacksmith doing pretending to be a knight?”
“My father was a knight before and I wish to take the same path that he did. I wish to bring pride to the Martel name.”
“If I were you I’d quit right now.” He looked at her again more thoroughly. He thought that she might have been using something to boost her height but he could see her armour-clad feet on the ground and her proportions seemed accurate for a very large person. “I do remember hearing about your father and that he was knighted. If you ask me that was more out of luck than anything else, besides you shouldn’t be going around playing knight. You’re a maiden and should get back to maiden activities. Even though you are by far the largest maiden in the land.”
These words were angering Maxine but she could do nothing to show for it. If he had of been a normal person there was a good chance that he would have lost most of his teeth. However, if she had done this to Laurence she would find herself in irons very quickly and most likely have an appointment with the Hangman. For now, all she could do was to bite her tongue and allow the insult to go unpunished.
“Besides what are you going to call yourself? Sir Maxine?” asked Laurence. “How absurd must that be.” He chuckled for a few moments before he realised that he had wasted enough time there. “Anyway, I have places to be and a certain man to capture, I’ll definitely remember you Miss Martel but now I bid you farewell.”
With that Laurence and the other guards quickly moved out of the inn. There were a few horses waiting for them outside. A white horse in particular was waiting for Laurence who quickly climbed onto it. When he was sure that they were all ready he ordered them to continue on Eastwards. He wanted to capture this man as soon as possible and for the time being they had few leads.
With them gone Maxine clenched her fist in anger and quickly sat back down at the table. Charles had remained silent as he too recognised the name of Brees. They were a fairly wealthy family and getting on their bad side would never end well for himself or Maxine. He could see the annoyed look on her face as she sat down and he knew that Laurence’s comments had hit her harder than any sword could.
“Are you alright ma’am?” asked Charles who looked at the larger armoured woman. He could see that her fists were still clenched. It was likely she was about to explode with rage at any moment.
“Get me another ale,” replied Maxine.
“But ma’am, the budget.” His words were suddenly halted when he saw her armour-clad fist slam down onto the table. The fact that the table hadn’t broken in half was nothing short of a miracle in his mind.
“I said get me another ale!” Her words fairly loud and very angry. It sent fear through the body of Charles who quickly got up and did what he was told. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he refused.
Maxine continued to sit there and in her head, she imagined having Laurence’s head in her hands and then squeezing it until it exploded. The truth was that she would probably never do such a thing in real life but in her mind, anything was possible. It also made her wonder what would have happened if she had been born a boy rather than a girl. She thought that her quest to become a knight would be taken more seriously by others. Judging from the rest of her family there was one key thing to her that would be lost if she had been born the other gender to what she was.
These thoughts were interrupted when she saw a large cup of ale being placed down in front of her. She didn’t waste any time in picking it up and drinking the contents, to most people it would be enough to satisfy them for a while but to her it was nothing more than a taster as she quickly demanded that Charles bring her another. She didn’t care about how much gold they had at that moment in time. She was angry and drinking was the only thing she could do to calm herself.