handle of my sword. The blade cut deep into my flesh and the blood ran down my hand and colored the clear water red. Ronja was still crying so terrified she was. Also Fine was close to tears. Till had almost reached us. He too was fighting with the current. "Hold on!" He shouted to us. Only 4 meters then he could touch Ronja. My hand hurt more and more. I screamed I slowly fainted. "I've got her!" Till shouted and took Ronja in her arms. She clung to him with relief. She let go of the handle. In pain I let my sword fall, which on the The bottom of the river sank. Now the two of them came over to us and took each other's hands and then we marched on the other side of the river. Arrived over there we let ourselves fall on the ground and breathe. Hot tears ran down my face. Fine judge The first thing to say was: "Miko, you're bleeding!" She tore off a piece of her shirt and ordered me to sit down.I did this with great difficulty. Then she bandaged my hand. It wasn't the pain that brought tears to my eyes, but rather that I had lost the sword that Carolin had given me. Ronja and Till sat up slowly. The blonde girl came crawling over to me. "Thank you for helping me!" I whimpered that it was right. Till looked at me: "Are you crying because of your sword?" - "Yes ..." - "You saved my sister with it! What better thing could you have done otherwise?" - "The sword ... Have me from a ... good friend! "Fine put her hand on my shoulder:" I bet she would be proud of you if she knew you'd sacrificed it for my sister. "I sniffed and nodded. The loss was bitter, but now I had to pull myself together. Till and Ronja got up. “Come on, let's go!” I looked again at the river that had devoured my sword. The dearest and most expensive thing I owned was due to this reason.Then I and Fine got up too and ran after them.
*
The sun bathed the sky in immortal beautiful pink. It was getting dark. I hadn't said a word since we started walking from the river. The matter of the loss of my sword still lay in my stomach. "We'll snap in here for a few minutes!" said Till, who had gone ahead with Ronja. The two girls nodded, but I didn't answer. "Till, maybe we should stay here and spend the night!" - "Out of the question! It's not far Ronja. We'll be there in a minute!" When I heard this sentence, I pricked up my ears. "Does that mean that we are almost there?" I asked excitedly. Till nodded. Fine rummaged in one of her pockets. Apparently she was looking for something. She grinned when she found what she was looking for in her pocket. "Miko?" I looked at her, "Yeah what?" - "Here this is for you!" she said, holding out a pendant on a silver chain.I reached out my hand for it and she put it in my open hand. The pendant was silver and was cast in the shape of a sword. A green stone was worked into the small blade. I was really touched. “Thank you!” - “That's for saving my sister!” Tears welled up in my eyes. "Thank you very much! I will hold it in marriage!" Fine and Ronja laughed. After we sat there for a while, Till got up. "Come on, let's go!" The sun had set in the meantime, but the full moon was so bright that we could still see the way very well. We continued through the quagmire. "Are we there soon?" I asked tormented. "Yes!" Fine and Ronja grinned at each other: "Till! I don't like the bread that my mom made me!" - "Not annoying!" - "Till! I have to go to the bathroom!" - "Quiet!" both laughed out loud. So loud that the crows from the adjacent field swung themselves into the air and flew away. A beautiful sight. We came to a clearing.Right here Till stopped. “We're here!” I looked around. "There's nothing here!" I meant. Nowhere was a source to be seen. I could be wrong, but I don't think Till himself knew where this source was. “Brave hikers!” The three of us girls winced at one stroke. "What was that?" Till hissed at us. And before our eyes, as if out of nowhere, the night appeared, a small waterfall that poured into a pond. "Beautiful!" sighed Fine. "You have traveled a long way to find me!" said the waterfall that formed into a beautiful woman. In the middle of this pond stood a woman of clear water. I looked at her with wide eyes. I didn't dare say a word for fear I might ruin this moment. Till, Ronja and Fine smiled. Then Fine stepped forward: "Dear source, you who know everything, we ask for your ear!" - "Speak, child of sharing!" - "Our friend has traveled a long way to ask you what the future looks like for her and how she should cope with her task!I beg you help her! "It was quiet for a while. Then the woman from the spring nodded." Step forward, child who wants to hear my advice! "I stepped forward a little shyly." So you are the girl who wants to become a knight and the princess wants to save the dragon from the clutches. Is that so? "-" Yes! "I answered with a trembling voice. The woman smiled." You saved one of my children, and I thank you for that. "-" One of your children? ", I looked at the 3 who were standing behind me. They just smiled at me. I direct my gaze back to the source." Does that mean that these children are there, yours? "The woman nodded." But how can that be? "-" These 3 were created out of my body. The child of sharing, Fine, the child of responsibility, Till and the child of joy Ronja! I am very grateful to you. "I had to think for a while. Joy, responsibility, sharing. Those were all words from the old knight's code." But didn't you say that your parents died in the war?"The 3 nodded." Yes, our mortal parents both died. We were sent to them when we were little so that we could bring the ancient words of wisdom to the people. "answered Ronja. I could hardly believe it. I was really out with people who were children of a spring. Originated from a drop of water. Incredible! I turned my attention back to the spring." I beg you to tell me, what the future holds for me and whether I can make my dream come true. "The woman smiled at me and then thought about it. After a while of silence, she answered me:" You will have to overcome many hurdles and you will suffer losses. But in the decisive battle you will be victorious and fulfill your dream. "I was overjoyed. Then I remembered:" I'm sorry, but how am I supposed to defeat the dragon? I lost my sword. "-" you don't need a weapon to be victorious.All you need is your courage and willpower! "-" Yes but ... I don't think I can defeat the dragon by doing this! "Till stepped up to me:" Are you questioning our mother's wisdom? "-" No, but I don't think I can kill the dragon like that! "-" SILENT! "Called the source in a thunderous voice that almost brought my heart to a standstill." That is exactly where your great weakness lies! "Said the source and pointed a finger at me." You don't have to kill to be victorious , do you understand? "Then she held out her hand to the sky. A small ball of water formed in her open palm. Then she handed it to me:" This is part of me. You can only use this water once, do you hear? If you hold this ball tightly to yourself and make a wish, then it will come true. But remember, it will not make your dream come true, you have to create it on your own. "I nodded, then I took the ball from her hand and put it in one of my pockets."I thank you!" I said. "Mother! Now that you've answered our friend, you can make Miko one of us. A child of the old code." I looked at Fine in astonishment. "I don't have to!" replied the source. “This child is one now, deep down inside.” I smiled. Then the source disappeared. It just dried up and disappeared as quickly as it appeared. The 3 siblings turned to me and grinned: "Welcome, child of courage!" laughed Ronja.
*
The next morning, I said goodbye to my new friends and moved on. I now knew that my project would succeed and that I need not be afraid. I felt strong. Because I wasn't alone. I knew that Till, the child of responsibility, Ronja, the child of joy, and Fine, the child of sharing, were with me in my thoughts. I was one of them now. I am the child of courage .....