The Squire
an excerpt

I tried my best to ignore the rain, but that was a hopeless cause. The wind tore through my cloak, forcing me into a fit of ravaging shivers. Sir Tristan had been gone for at least an hour. Maybe more. I don’t know. But he should had been back by then.
The horses whinnied in their distress, wanting to get back indoors. And if Tristan took much longer, I’d ride them away anyway. Without him!
This was pure madness. I had tried to talk him out of it, but he simple—no, stubbornly—adamant about going in there. Stupid, stupid boy.
Finally his dark form appeared in the window and he gave me a comforting smile and wave. Thank the gods! He was alive!
A light flickered in another tower and my breath caught in my throat.
Guards!
If he was caught, I hoped he didn’t expect me to go in after him. Stupid stupid boy!
He threw himself down over the railing and climbed the rope down to me, balancing a large bundle in his arms as he did so. I knew he’d fall and break his neck. And I’d be left to clean up the mess! Then I’d be free…but with nowhere to go. Curses!
“Drop it down to me!” I hissed up to him.
He didn’t listen and more noises were heard in the background. Movement. Guards.
“Hurry!”
His pace quickened and he stumbled to the ground, covered in mud. I refrained from laughing and vowed to save it for a more appropriate time and place. He loaded the bundle up onto his horse and motioned for me to mount as well.
“I was spotted. We need to get out of here. Fast.”
We rode quickly out of the manor yard, splashing in the mud and rain.
“I hope it was worth it!” I screamed at him as the gates opened and were being chased by at least a dozen riders. “We won’t make it out of here in one piece now, thank you!”
He only laughed like he was enjoying himself. I hoped he was because he’d been extremely stupid about all this!
“What are you so chipper about?” I bantered.
“You should look in my bag,” was all he said with a childish grin about his face.
I didn’t dare ask. He had dragged me clear across the city to this stupid manor in order to bring back this stupid possession of his ancestors. A stupid mirror! I had hoped to break the mirror over his head. But that wasn’t all he had taken with him.
“What pet did you thieve this time?” Tristan had a love of animals that no one had ever manage to stifle. Over the past two years of following him around as his squire, he’d managed to acquire enough exotic animals to fill his menagerie. After a while, I got tired of keeping track. His pets were no longer my problem.
But his mischievous laugh worried me. It always had. It was a sure sign that either he’d done something stupid, or was about to do something stupid. And for all intents and purposes, he was stupid.
“You’ll see!” he taunted.
I hated him so much at that moment.