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My mom and I started to make dinner for ourselves. My mom prepared the shrimp while I started cutting the cucumber for the fruit salad. A peel landed on the floor both our dogs pushed me out of the way even though they were just feed. Mom and I started laughing. I looked in the fridge for the onion needed, but came up empty handed. “Mom where is the onion?” I asked.
“I don’t think I grabbed any will you go back to the garden for some.” My mother said putting the shrimp into the dressing. I ran outside and through the yard. I passed the pond and the flowerbeds. I ran passed the barn were the horses were talking to each other in the secrete language and passed one of the many workers attending her home. I ran into the large vegetable garden and stopped at the onion row. The tops of the onions poked out of the soil stretching to the sun. I bent over and pulled one up. It pulled free of the ground easily dropping soil as it came out. I heard something snap behind me. I turned expecting to see Robert, the master of the gardeners, but someone else stood in front of me. He wore a white robe that was tied with a rope. He had long black hair that fell down to his shoulder. His blue eyes stared at me they were full of pain. I looked at him closely and noticed why. He was covered in scars all bleeding. There was one large gash on his right arm that looked like it reached the bone. “Help me,” he said before falling to the ground eyes closed. I screamed and ran to get one of the servants nearby.

I sat staring at the stranger. One of the servants had moved him into the main house. I had convinced my mom to put him in the room next to mine. There was something strange about him. He had been asleep for two days only waking once. I kept an eye on him whenever I could. The doctor had said that his wounds were old and he was in very ill health. If the stranger had went one more night in the woods he would have died. No one in town knew the man or in any of the surrounding towns. He had no identity on him and no clues as to how he got cut. The doctor had said it looked as if he was cut with a knife or sword. He rolled his head towards me. His brow was lined with frustration. I wanted to know what happened to him and why he looked so frustrated but I would have to wait for him to wake up. I wasn’t a very patient person, when I wasn’t at school or sitting in the armchair next to his bed I was pacing or helping the gardeners or out riding the horses anything to distract myself. I heard movement outside my door. The doctor walked in. I stood up and bowed my head in respect. “Hello doctor welcome back.” The doctor bowed his head in turn, “Hello Elizabeth, I just came to do a fallow check up.” I got out of the doctors way and went to stand in the hall. A little while latter the doctor came back out. “How is he doctor? Will he wake up soon?”
“He seems to be in fine health. He has greatly approved. He needs rest though. He should wake up tomorrow or the day after.” I nodded and thanked him for his help. I walked back into the room. Tomorrow or the day after. I would have to wait that long to talk to him, to figure out his name, and why he was cut. I sighed; it was going to be a long time.

I sat by his bed all the next day. He didn’t wake but around the afternoon he slept differently. More still then before. I thought that was weird but didn’t say anything to anyone. I figured it just meant that he was getting better and would wake up soon. I eventually fell asleep but not for long. I was curled up in a ball on the seat and felt something brush against me. I looked at the bed but it was empty. I sat up right away. The window was open and someone was trying to crawl through it onto the second story roof. I jumped up and grabbed the guy trying to pull him in. He spun around arm raised ready to hit me. I backed away. “Were are you going?” I asked softly. Keeping my voice low so no one would wake up.
“None of your business. Go back to sleep.” He whispered back. His voice was musical and sounded somewhat distant. I looked at him; his blue eyes seemed distracted and ready for an attack. He didn’t seem to realize that he didn’t have his robe on anymore but was in jeans and a black t-shirt for that was all we had to give him.
“Are you going back to the place you got hurt?” I asked my hand tracing the pattern on the wall looking for the alarm button. As much as I didn’t want to wake the house I wouldn’t let him go and get himself hurt again. He looked at me curiously. Finally he sighed and said, “Yes,” then jumped out the window. I pressed the button. The whole house went on alert. The barbwire went up over the fence and the gate locked. Lights went on and searched the yard for signs of intruders. The guys turned and looked at me mouth open from the ground. A group of guards came into the room. “He is trying to run away go and get him and bring him back here.” I said to them calmly. They bowed their heads and left. A little while later they came back pulling him along. They dropped the guy on the bed. “Well you need anything else Ma’m.” One of them asked.
“No just watch outside the window incase he tries to escape again before he is fully recovered.” They nodded and left. I went over and sat down on the chair in front of him. “I’m sorry I had to do that. You asked me in the garden before you passed out to help you. I’m not letting you leave until I know for sure that your 100% better.” He looked up at me and smiled. His whole face seemed to light up. His blues eyes seemed to laugh. “That is true young one I did ask you for help. I’m happy to know that you were willing to help me, but your job is done I am better. I can go back.”
“Oh please, if I let you go now in your state you will find yourself dead before you reach where ever it is your going. No sir I will not have you leaving. My mom has placed you in my care and there you shall stay until I say otherwise. Plus I’m not young you don’t seem that much older then me.” This time he did laugh. It was a joyful beautiful sound. More beautiful then anything I had ever heard. “Looks can be deceiving. You are very outspoken, what is your name?”
“Xalada Marcy McGrail, and your name sir?”
“I am Exavier.” We spent the whole night talking. He told me stories of many medieval battles after I admitted to loving stories of knights and the round table. Soon the servants were stirring and people moved about. We didn’t notice. At one point I found myself lying next to him on the bed. But he didn’t mind and neither did I. We were lost in the stories he told from memory. Sometimes I wondered if he had really been there then laugh to myself at such a ridicules thought. This guy could not be much older then I was if not the same age and here I was accusing him of being more that a thousand years old. Exavier and I became friends that night. Not once in the rest of my life would I ever forget it and not once no matter what happened to us did I regret it.

I ran home from school the next morning. I couldn’t wait to see Exavier again and talk to him more. I started to turn the corner to the road my house was on, but froze mid step. On my road was a man. That wouldn’t have stopped me normally but this man had huge wings coming out of his back. They were white as snow and matched his equally white hair. He was in the same outfit Exavier had worn when he was in my garden, except this mans outfit was completely black. In his hand was a sward that glittered in the sun. it had a ivory hilt with rubies and satires outlining it. The mettle of the sward had a strange swirl pattern engraved into it. The man seemed to since me looking at him and turned to face me. His eyes were blood red and he smiled when he looked at me. His smile sent chills up my spin. “Hello there. Maybe you can help me find my friend.” His voice was crisp and hard. There was no feeling in it at all. I started to take a step back. “I don’t think I know what your talking about.” I replied. He took a step closer to me.
“You know my friend Exavier? He doesn’t belong here. Why don’t you just take me to him and I’ll be on my way.” He took another step closer. I could not out run him if I tried, nor would I tell him where Exavier was. I knew I couldn’t tell this man where Exavier was. One thing was curtain this guy was no friend of Exaviers. “Now, now little girl I don’t have much time for this. Where is my friend?” I felt a flash of anger. I was starting to get really enjoyed with people calling me little girl. I was 18 for Gods sake. And did he really think I was stupid enough to believe he was Exavier’s friend. I don’t think so. I looked around me and sow a pick-ax on the side of the road. It must have been left there by one of the mine workers down the road. I ran for it. I heard the person following me. I had just reached the handle when I felt the guy grab me. He hurled me backwards. I hit the ground hard the breath knocked out of me. The pick-ax had landed right under me. “Now, now I didn’t appreciate you running away like that. I wasn’t done talking.” I listened as his step got closer. I felt him stop right at my side. “Get up and answer my question girl. Where is Exavier?”
“You won’t find him.” I said and moved quickly on my side swing the ax at the guy’s side. It plunged deep into his side. I felt the skin give was and the ax rip though his insides. He cried in pain and backed away. I let go of the ax and got up. I started to run to my house. I had to tell Exavier. I hadn’t gotten far when I felt something bash against my head. I fell to the ground my sight going black for a second. Something grabbed me and picked me up. The thing threw me into a tree near by. My head cracked against the wood. My vision blurred. I sow the man coming towards me. The ax hanging out of his side. “That was not very nice. Someone should teach you some manners.” The man said picking me up once more and throwing me into another tree. This time a broke branch went threw my arm. I screamed as the pain burned through my body. I hung there from the branch. Defenseless and the man came at me once more. “Please,” I whispered the words barely coming, “please stop.” The man laughed a deep rumbling laugh.
“Stop? Ha the only I will stop is for you to tell me where Exavier is.” He continued walking towards me. My vision started to go black. Suddenly a voice brought me back into focus. “If you wanted me all you had to do was turn around.” Exavier stood behind the man. “No, Exavier go!” I screamed but it only came out a mere whisper. The man laughed, “I knew you would come. Can’t help but be a hero.” The man raised his sward and charged at Exavier. Exavier stood where he was not moving. The man was about to stab Exavier when he jumped. He flipped over the man and grabbed the ax from his side and he landed. The man rowed like a wounded bull and turned around to face Exavier. He charged again. Exavier stood still and this time he rolled to the side of the man and cut one of his wings with the ax. The man swung his sward around barely missing Exaviers belly. Exavier aimed the ax for the guys head with accuracy. The man blocked the blow and swung his sward to the Exaviers side. This time the sward met its mark cutting deep into Exaviers side. Exavier feel to one knee. “Now to finish what I came here for.” The man said raising the sward above his head. It started to fall, “No,” I screamed and the man went flying backwards. I felt a strength surge through me and I pushed myself from the tree. Landing on the ground in a crouch. “You will not hurt him.” My voice rising with whatever power was inside. I reached my hand towards the man palm facing him. Fire started to cover the man. He screamed with pains. I closed my hand to a fist and the fire disappeared along with the guy. I stood there looking where he had been, and then everything went black.

I woke to the moonlight shinning through my bedroom window. I went to sit up but a hand pushed me back down. “You don’t want to rise too quickly.”