Authors Notes: This story takes place in the middle of El Dorado when Percy is imprisoned.

Into the Fire

Chapter 1

Evangelion

Dawn broke through the window, however small that window actually was in the far corner.

The cold breeze pushed the hair off Percy's shoulders as his head hung low. His wife had only just left and he was relocated to another cell just incase she told the league where they had been keeping him.

This cell was otherwise occupied by one other person, a child that looked no more then six or seven. She lay on the cot in the corner breathing evenly and hadn't even woken up to see who her new cell mate was. Her hair was brownish looking and her skin...looked like it used to be tanned but she was all but loosing that in this cramped up cell.

Percy's eyes never left the face of the child. This was a curious move on Chauvelin's.

A sound...a small moan and she slowly opened her eyes to see a man sitting five feet from where she slept. She gasped and scooted back away from the table. When Percy finally saw her ankles as she tucked her knees up to her chest. It looked as if they were bound at some point and very very tightly. The bruising, and small blood spots were all across her ankles and small wipe wounds up the side of her leg.

Suddenly the door was thrust open and Percy jumped up blocking the child from there view.

"Eve...I see your awake then hum? Oh you don't have to be afraid of him...he's none other then the English Aristocrat that has been a thorn in my side for a few years now. The Scarlet Pimpernel." He said and walked over to Percy who as always stood his ground.

"Percy this is Evangelin. She used to be the daughter of the cook here. She died leaving her father with this...thing." He waved his hands at the girl. "Her father sold her to us as a stable boy...she's not a boy...but she had brilliant horsemanship and took care of our horses to well...till she stole one." He said and glared at the girl who shy'd away from him.

"We were just going to shoot her...but thats to cruel don't you think?"

"And you would know what cruel is Chamberton?" Percy asked, the little girl laughed. This caused Percy to smile and chuckle at her

"Laugh now Percy...but you'll probably not laugh long when we start to torture her..." He said. Percy glared at his rival and shook his head.

"She's an innocent. We don't need to drag innocent lives into our little game."

"Haven't we already when you brought Margo into this?" He asked and looked down at the little girl. "Save her all you want Percy...but if you do not tell us where that little Prince is...she will be tortured...and killed."

Chauvelin turned on his heals and left the two in the cell. Th girl visibly cringed when the door slammed shut.

Percy turned and looked at the girl who seemed to be concentrating on a very large tear in the blanket she was forced to use.

"Its alright you know. I have friends who are going to co..." He noticed where she was looking and smiled.

"Its snowing...first of the season." She said and stood up on the bed to look out the small window. "Its my favorite thing...snow." She said and reached out and giggled when a few flakes tenderly kissed her hand.

"Do you like snow Sir Percy?" Eve asked looking up at the giant man before her.

The gentle face of the man before her looked at the tiny window as the small snow flakes fell outside to meet the window sill.

"I suppose its...very beautiful in its own way." he said and sat down in the chair to continue to watch the little snow that mother nature put on for them. Soon enough however he was drifting off to sleep. It couldn't have been but a few moments when he felt the gentle hands of the small girl placing the blanket onto his lap. He watched her through half closed lids. She then walked back over to the window and sighed as she watched the snow fall.

All at once there was noise completely and unusual noise from the next room. It seemed Chauvelin placed him next to a room where there were fights all the time. Probably there source of entertainment. Percy looked at the little girl who stumbled away from the window to stare at the wall as if it were to sprout wings and fly at her.

"They can't hurt you." Percy said only for the door to get flung open and a guard walked into the room "your rations for the week Pimpernel." He said in an obviously drunken slur.

"I see...well thank you, but could I trade it for less...noise. Its scaring the child." He motioned to the little girl who stared at the man who chuckled.

"Just for that...you both can share the rations." He laughed as he left. The little girl looked at the rolls. They would be good for today and maybe tomorrow, but after that...she sighed and walked over to the table and took a chunk off it and looked at Percy who smiled at her.

"Share hum? I don't think you'd out eat a bird." He said lifting her up onto his lap. Since there was only one chair to sit in then they'd have to share that too. At an after thought Percy looked around the room, there was also only one bed and it was big enough for perhaps one person. They'd have to share that too.

"Aren't you going to eat Sir Percy?" She asked looking up at the man. She tore a piece of bread off and handed it to him. "You need to eat." She said and politely pored some water for him. One glass...and he got it first. He chuckled.

"Alright...if thats the way its going to be." He said and took a few bits of the bread and drank some water. He would need to stay fed and watered if he were going to protect this child from the guards when they came to take her from him. He wouldn't have it...he wouldn't let them torture such a small child.

It was later on when Percy saw the little girl make the bed and pull back the covers. She looked at it and then around the room. She saw when he noticed earlier and blushed very deeply.

"Um...how...?" She asked. He walked forward to lay down on the bed and scooted as far over as he could laying his arm over where they pillow would have been if there was one. He pulled the blanket up and looked at her. "Its alright...I don't bite." He said, the little girl slowly inched forward and then got into the bed next to him. She turned with her head on his arm using it as a pillow. Percy tucked the other side in and looked at the little girl.

"Is that alright? Am I hurting you any?" He asked. His feet hung off the other side of the bed since he was so tall.

"No...your fine...and warm." She said her eyes were already getting heavy. Percy draped his arm over her as added protection. He didn't want them to harm her.