Chapter One: Circulating Rumours, A Gypsy Girl And A Vicious Attack.

Rumours had always circulated about Adrina Linn, for as long as she could remember; rumours about her family, her past, her culture and her future or lack thereof. And, as much as she despised being gawked at in the streets like an animal in a zoo, she had to admit that she couldn't blame them. Most Romani gypsies travelled in large groups, with caravans and horses. Adrina lived alone. She hadn't travelled in over three years. And she lived in a busy London street. So yes, she couldn't blame the gossipers.

She was very different from all the inhabitants of the street; Riddle Lane was a bustling shopping street, with people living in the flats above the stores. The street was filled with pretty, young, married girls who were considered successful due to their good marriages and three children. Adrina had been shunned upon entering the street as everyone shut their windows and bolted their doors, to try and avoid being robbed by the gypsy girl. She lived above a grocery store; the owner was only person who would rent her a room. The grocer was a good man, unaffected by her heritage and tanned skin. He would often tell her stories about his fights in the war, which had left him blind in one eye and with a pronounced limp.

Once one looked past their prejudices they would see that Adrina Linn was a pretty girl. She had long, flowing dark hair that shone in the light, and large, dark almond eyes. She had curved hips and walked with a dignified grace. Adrina had always loved to read, for all fifteen years of her life she had been interested in learning all she could about the world and its mysteries.

It was summer time, the streets were warm and the days were longer. After a bad winter of snow falls and little to no food, this was a welcome reprieve. Adrina turned away from the window and the view of the streets occupants that it provided. She pulled on a pair of boots, tying the laces tightly, and stepped out the door, shouting a hurried goodbye to the grocer; Mr Hartland. The streets were beginning to quiet down as sunset approached many of the regular stores; the boutiques, the florists and the butchers, were already closed or closing, leaving only the pubs and brothels in the side streets open.

Adrina headed towards the park to watch the sunset over the lake, as she did every Friday night. She was always careful walking past the shadier stores but refused to be intimidated out of doing what she pleased. She crossed a few streets, her boot heels tapping against the stone paths, and, ignoring the shouts that followed her from the pubs, entered the park. It was completely empty, so she went unbothered as she reached her favourite bench, the one that overlooked the water.

The young girl groaned as the pressed her head against her hands; it had been a long week. She had been harassed in the streets again and told to go back home, the bakers had refused point blank to serve her and she still hadn't managed to get a steady job. She stayed for another half hour and watched transfixed as the sun vanished and was replaced with a crescent moon. With a final glance towards the rippling water, Adrina stood, brushed out the creases to her dress, and walked towards the park gates.

The streets were dark now, the only source of light being street lights and the moon. She walked, her footsteps quiet and alert, towards the grocery. She was walking through the entrance to a side alley when she felt a pair of rough calloused hands grab her and pull her into the alley. Adrina couldn't see his face, as its contours and features were masked by the gloom. "Well, well, looks what we have here, a little gypsy girl got lost." He held her pressed against a wall, she tried to squirm out of his grasp by he was too strong and must have had at least 50 kilos against her. She attempted to yell out for help, which only made him chuckle darkly, "I think your forgetting gypsy, but no one's gonna come to save someone as worthless as you. So don't even bother trying girlie it won't work."

Adrina pushed away from him, kicking and hitting him as hard as possible, having resigned herself to the fact that no one was coming. He grabbed her wrists and and pressed them up against the stone wall, holding them with one hand he reached into his long coats pocket nd grabbed a flick knife. He opened the knife and held it against her neck. She could smell the stench of cheap alcohol on his breath as he spoke again, "time to finish this, one less gypsy in the world." She felt the blade slice the delicate skin on the base of her neck, just above her collar bones. He moved the blade away from her and she looked up, hoping he had left. Bam, he slammed her head hard against the brick wall and she saw the world spin as her vision shook and her only clear sense was one of agony in her neck and head. He dropped her and she fell in a bloody heap against the wall, waiting for him to finish the deed.

The moon shifted out from behind a cloud and shone against her attackers face, showing her his sadistic twisted expression as her bent down and slashed his blade again and again against her skin, shredding her flesh as well as her dress. She was losing too much blood, she saw the bastard raise the knife again and prepared herself for the blow. It never came. She opened her eyes. Her perpetrator was lying on the floor clutching his stomach, clearly winded.

Adrina looked up at the person who had saved her and saw a pair of brilliant golden eyes shining in the moonlight. Her attacker glared up her saviour from his position on the floor, "what the hell was that for, I was just finishing of a worthless gypsy. What the hell is your issue bastard."

The golden eyed man glared down at the attacker, a look of extreme disgust evident in his gaze. "Get lost and don't let me see you near her again."

The perpetrator's scowl deepened, "why is she your whore or something shorty?"

Her saviour didn't say anything but slammed his foot into the other man's gut, sending him crashing into the floor a few meters away, "I said, get lost arsehole. AND WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIGET SO TINY HE COULD GET SQUASHED BY A BABY ANT?!" Adrina raised an eyebrow weakly, surprised by his sudden childish outburst. The attacker seemed to at least be finally intimidated by him and drew himself to his feet before limping away with what little was left of his revolting sense of dignity.

With the bastard finally gone the golden eyed man bent down to look her in the eye, before saying in a surprisingly gentle voice, "do you want to come with me, I can take you to someone who can help you with your injuries." Adrina nodded mutely, not trusting herself to maintain the ability to reply in a steady voice. He bent down and picked her up as though she was a child, hlding her bridal style, her took he towards a nearby house with a light on. The last thing Adrina Linn saw, before she lost consciousness, was a pair of captivating golden eyes blaze in the moonlight, then the world span once more and went black.

Hi everyone whose reading this, this is my first Fullmetal Alchemist Fanfiction, so thanks for reading this and I hope to finish the second chapter soon. please review :)

THANKS!