It started out as a blissful day in spring. Nothing to do but sit around and read wonderful books, listening to the Hillfolk sing their strangely beautiful song. The next thing Sophia knew, she was flying down the road on her horse Belina, covered in blood. Not knowing what had happened or what was going on.
Sophia reached the nearest inn almost paralyzed with pain. The events of earlier today came flooding back to her. Sobbing, she handed the waiting hostler the reigns and was led to a room by a nervous handmaiden.
'My whole family is dead, what am I to do? I'll go to aunt Elestra (thought of as an aunt but in actuality a second cousin) and see what she can do.'
"My family has been murdered and I will find out who did this. I don't care who I have to go through to find them but they will pay." Sophia had been pacing in the little sitting room talking to herself, not noticing that someone had knocked and entered.
"Forceful words coming from a young lady. Who might you be?" A man who looked to be about twenty was leaning against the doorframe and studying her intently. Silently he took in her appearance, covered in blood and wearing a noble's dress. Long black hair that cascaded down to her waist, slender fingers, tall, and astonishing green eyes filled with a look of hatred so strong he nearly fell back through the door.
Her chin flew up and he could tell she was a fierce person, and probably educated in the ways of the fighting arts as well.
"Why should I tell you who I am when you come so rudely barging into my room and don't tell me who you are." Seeing the man there had stopped Sophia's sobbing and muttering but she was still extremely cautious.
'Was this one of the men who had killed her family and come to finish her off? If he is, where are his weapons and why doesn't he have any blood on him? Anyone who was at castle Tlanth would have at least some on them, following the bloodbath that had happened there.' All this ran through her mind in a second as she took in the stranger. Light brown hair, piercing blue eyes, at least six feet tall, wearing a white cotton shirt under a black tunic with dark brown trousers. (Sorry if any of the type of clothing is wrong, I can't picture him wearing anything else) There were scars on his hands, as if he had had years of heavy training with a sword or knives.
"My name is Jaymeson, most people call me Jaymes. I saw you in the courtyard and noticed you were covered in blood. I came to see if you were all right. You seem to have had something bad happen to you, and I, well as I already said, I just wanted to see if you were hurt." The whole time he was talking he was slowly moving into the room, just to make sure he was close enough to catch her if she fainted. He had seen many people do it at the sight of blood and someone covered in it was ten times more likely to.
"I- I, I don't know." she slowly whispered. The shock of the events was finally hitting her and hitting her hard. Dazed she went over to the pillows in the corner and sat down, just staring at the wall.
"My whole family, oh God, this can't possibly be happening" She started to sob again and he quickly sat next to her, letting her lean on his shoulder as she cried her heart out. 'Goodness, something awful must have happened.' was the fist thing that went through his mind. The second being, 'I hope I can help her.'