The only girl in a family of twelve brothers, a father who was the best and most respected male warrior, you could probably guess how I turned out.
No one could say I turned out to act like a young man. But then again, no one could say I turned out to act like a neat young lady either.

Since my mother had died at my birth, it looked like my father would have to give me up. I mean who could take care of a girl when he could much less take care of himself. If it wasn’t for the Lady Eleanor my father had eventually hired to take care of me and my brothers, I’d probably be living in the streets trying to find food, or cooking and cleaning for a gentleman. The thought sent shivers up my spine.

To be in a family of twelve brothers, I’d have to learn how to survive. After all, Lady Eleanor wouldn’t always be there to stick up for me.
Being able to grasp a sword at the age of two brought my father joy. Since none of my brothers even thought of asking,

“Daddy, what’s that sharp pointed thing?”
It seemed to me that instead of seeing me, my father saw the mere reflection of my mother in his eyes.

He would teach me swordsmanship when he wasn’t working with his soldiers. He’d make excuses to come and see me, and he’d even take me with him to meetings. With his determination, I progressed every day and got better and better at handling swords. At the age of eleven, I could take down a trained forty-five year old man.
My father had taught me well. When I turned seventeen, I became the youngest person to take the responsibility of being Chief Captain of defense. Not to mention, I was the first female warrior.

A lot of the men and women respected my father and me. But a few were jealous. If my father and I were together, nobody stood a chance.

One night I was to go to an inn for a meeting in order to know where my assignment was to be for the upcoming war.

I walked around the inn looking for somebody I knew, someone I could talk to for a while. The only person who looked like a warrior was the young man about my age who was quite good looking. (Not too many men were worth going after.) He had muddy brown colored hair. He looked strong but gentle with every move he made.

He was talking to the waiter and I saw him smile. What a wonderful smile. His gaze caught mine, and I was so startled that it took my breath away. He had icy blue eyes which made my heart melt like snow on a hot day. I told myself not to go over to him, but the girl part of me made her move.

“Hi!”
“Uh, hi?”
“Are you here for the meeting?”
“Oh, no. I’m just here for a drink or two. How about you?”
“I’m here for the meeting. Don’t you know about it? All major gladiators are to be there.”

“Well, I guess I’m not considered a major then. I didn’t think it would be here of all places. Oh, pardon me. I seem to have forgotten my manners. I’m Cardon.”
“ And I’m Jamie.”

After that we sat and talked. All too soon, the meeting was about to begin. He told me he’d wait, and later on he treated me to a nice dinner at his manor. He treated me as if I were an old friend whom he hadn’t seen for years.

“This is a nice place, lots of people.”
“ Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I usually don’t bring friends home....”
“So I’m considered a friend?”
“ Well you’re someone every one can like. Your just one of those kind, smart gorg... uh I mean funny....”
“What did you say?”
“ Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”
“No, you said something.” “ No, I didn’t.... How was the meeting?” I gave up and told him about the meeting. Well maybe “about” is an understatement. Telling him everything about the meeting was more like it.

One night after another visit to the inn, my father (who had been out of our borders spying) asked me where I had been lately. So I told him of the meeting and about seeing Cardon.
“What did you say this boys name was?”
“Cardon,” I said in my causal but curious tone.
“I don’t think I know a boy named Cardon and I know all the troops.”
“Well maybe you just forgot. Oh, Papa, he’s so funny and kind and oh he’s just the type of person I could talk to, someone to make me happy.”
“Jamie, I want you to stay away from that boy. If he’s who I think he is, you might be in some danger.”
“But Papa....”
“No! From now on, you are not to leave this house until I’ve had a word with this Cardon boy you speak of!”

With that he walked out into what was a sprinkle of rain, but in a few minutes became a torrential down pour, with thunder and lightning every where you looked.

I was afraid for my father. This was one of the worst storms we had had in a long time. When I thought about the conversation my father and I had had, I never thought he would raise his voice and threaten me like he did.

“AUGH!”

My thoughts were interrupted as a scream filled the air. It had to be Papa. In a second, I had grabbed my sword and was out the door. I soon came to a crowd of men gathered in the street. They looked up and began to run away with a fiendish laugh lingering in the air. But there was still something in a heap on the road. I ran to it, straining my eyes to see in the pouring rain. When I came to what lay in the road, I stiffled a cry as I saw the bloody outline of my father.

Deep gashes took up most of his body. As I saw the blood, I put my hand up to cover the wound, but my father’s hand stopped me.

“Don’t, Jamie.”
“No, we can get help! You’ll get better and you can help me practice.” I said in between sobs.
“Papa, I am so sorry.”
“Do not blame yourself.” He grabbed my hand.
“How can I not? It is because of me that you are dying.”
“Jamie you... need to do.... this for.....me....always believe..... there is always hope.... don’t forget......don’t forget.....” His hand fell to the ground. His body was to move no more.

I sat there reflecting on the times we had had together. I was crying, feeling terrible. The rain had become my tears and the lightning my anger. Why I was angry? There was no way I could put it, but simply my father had died because I had been foolish. Foolish enough to put my loved one life on the line. Even those I didn’t know were at risk, the children, the mothers, the leaders, and most importantly myself.

I took my fathers dead body home and my brothers helped me bury him in the rain.
The next day I found myself talking to Cardon. I told him what had happened and he told me what my father had said to him. As we were talking, a man came up to us and asked to see Cardon alone.

“Cardon, I know you’re good at getting people to like you so they will tell you the secrets of war, but I didn’t think you could get the Chief Captain to like you. I heard her father died. Now that she’s weak, we can strike, and soon.”
After that Cardon and I talked, but very little and both left smiling.

Our soldiers had to strike now. The war could be won if we did. I kept looking up ahead expecting a scout to be riding down the hill. Where they were, I had no idea.
All of a sudden I saw a scout come down the hill, only he didn’t look alive.

“Men, get ready for war!”
We rode up the hill and crept around the horizon. And there, there I saw Cardon! He was wearing the colors of the enemy! It took me only a second to recover from shock. Although my heart was in pain, I showed no sign and quickly did I yell, “CHARGE!”

Arrows were shot, stones were throne, and swords unsheathed. Many people fell to the ground dead. When suddenly I heard the howls of laughter that had so many nights haughnted me in my sleep, I turned abruptly and saw them. It was the ones who had killed my father. I unsheathed my sword and ran towards them. When one of them picked up a heavy rock and threw it at me, I didn’t feel the pain. I looked down and saw Cardon on the ground.

“Looks like your boyfriend paid the price for being a traitor by liking you.”
I knelt down to examine the wound. It was deep. It almost went through his skull.
“He’s not dead; he can’t be dead. No. No, not again.” I cooed.

But he was breathing; he was still alive. I whistled for my horse and she came. I put Cardon on and rode off, killing anyone that was in my way.
We came to a forest; the most beautiful of forests. I saw a cave with a stream in it and food near by. I took him in and examined the wound. I took off his shirt to wash the blood from it, when I saw something glitter. I picked it up and looked at it closely. It was a charm with my family signature. I suddenly thought back to one of my brothers. A long time ago he was angry. He said he was going to run away. We had been close, like two peas in a pod. Cardon was the boy. He was my brother. The rightful heir to our throne. I hoped he would be okay. and I went back to cleaning the wound.

The next day he awoke without having a clue of who I was, much less himself.
He must have lost his memory from the impact. There was no hope. But then I remembered what my father had said.

“There is always hope, Jamie. There is always hope.”
So I continued to take care of him. Day by day he slowly progressed.
About a month later he came to me and exclaimed, “I remember, Jamie! I remember!”
I stood there awe struck. He told me what had happened and I filled in the blanks. I told him about the medallion and what it represented. He remembered me. We became closer than ever.
But suddenly he stopped. “You saved me.”
“No, Cardon. Hope saved you. Our father saved you.”