This is my first fanfic, so it may be a little shaky. Please read and
review, any helpful pointers would be worth millions to me.... please no
flamers, I apologize if you don't like it but keep it to yourself. I'll
wait a little bit, then gauge the reaction to this chapter, if nobody likes
it I probably won't put up another chapter, but who knows. I intend to make
this a fanfic of epic proportion, so I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters/plots/settings that you recognize, they belong to the esteemed Tamora Pierce and I in no way intend to claim them. However the characters/ plots you don't recognize belong to me, and so on, and so forth, blah blah blah.
(PS: This story coincides the most with the POTS series, however I have yet to read Lady Knight so I apologize if I contradict it in any way.)
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A girl sat perched on a boulder, and in every way seemed to be asleep. Her legs were crossed, back straight, and head up, her hands rested palm up on her knees. Her eyes were closed and to some she might even appear dead, but the young man had exceptional hearing, and he could just catch the slow, rhythmic sound of her nearly inaudible breathing. Looking her over he couldn't help but almost feel sorry for her. A dress that may once have been fine, and beautiful hung from her too thin shoulders, and he winced at it's state. It was now terribly faded to a light grey-blue that merely hinted at the glorious sky blue it must have once been. Rips and tears interrupted the perfect weave of the silk, and it seemed that dirt had been almost ground into it in places. Along the hem mud splattered nearly up to her knees in places, to match her mud covered shoes and stockings. Her hair was the color of a raven's wings, and indeed it looked as if a raven could have nested there based on it's knotted appearance and the twigs sticking out in odd directions. Her face was bruised and bloody, and he suspected the rest of her body fared the same. She had most definitely been beaten. She looked to be about five, and he wondered what monsters could have done so to a little girl.
Taking another look, ha sighed. He couldn't just leave her here like this, but he had little experience with children, and his life was hardly suitable for a child.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the child open her eyes and turn around. She had heard his sigh. When he looked up he saw two wide, emerald green eyes staring back at him. She began backing up off the boulder, her eyes never leaving his face. She was obviously frightened.
"Don't be frightened, my name's Liam, I want to help you. What's your name?" he said as gently as he knew how.
The Girl stopped backing up, but she was still obviously frightened and he didn't blame her. It looked as if she had been to the dark god and back.
"Y-your not another bandit then?" she asked a little shakily.
So it was bandits, he should have guessed. They had been becoming an increasingly bad problem in Maren, and they were known to kidnap some of their victims. They usually took women though, he had never heard of them taking a child. But that was another question for another day, he didn't want to frighten her.
"No I'm not, and I promise you that I intend you no harm." He replied.
She seemed to relax a little with his last comment, but was still a little tense. She slipped off the boulder, and for a moment Liam feared she was going to run away, but then she came around and stood timidly at the front of the boulder.
"My name's Elentari," she said.
She sounded Tortallen, but he couldn't be sure.
"How did you get here?" he asked. There was still the possibility that he could return her to her family.
"Th-the bandits took me. It was at night, and there was a party. They came and attacked, there was fighting. Then one came over to me and hit me on the head. That's all I remember. I woke up in a cave. It's about halfway up that mountain." She said pointing at the mountain behind her. " Then most of the bandits left, three stayed behind to watch me. When the rest didn't come back they tied me up and left too. I wriggled loose of the ropes and climbed down. That was, I think ten days ago..." she paused, then suddenly, "Can you help me?' she asked teary eyed," My pony is up there, and, and I want to go home!" She wailed, bursting into full tears.
Liam strode over to her and scooped her up into his arms. He noted that she was too light, even for a five year old. Apparently she had had no food since she had been kidnapped. She buried her head in his shirt and continued sobbing. He sighed, then turned and started walking back to the town. He had only one choice, he had to take her in. He had no way of knowing who, or where her parents were, and he couldn't just leave her here to die.
After several minutes of crying she fell asleep. Liam looked down on her and couldn't help but smile at her innocence. Maybe things won't be so bad after all.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters/plots/settings that you recognize, they belong to the esteemed Tamora Pierce and I in no way intend to claim them. However the characters/ plots you don't recognize belong to me, and so on, and so forth, blah blah blah.
(PS: This story coincides the most with the POTS series, however I have yet to read Lady Knight so I apologize if I contradict it in any way.)
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^ *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
A girl sat perched on a boulder, and in every way seemed to be asleep. Her legs were crossed, back straight, and head up, her hands rested palm up on her knees. Her eyes were closed and to some she might even appear dead, but the young man had exceptional hearing, and he could just catch the slow, rhythmic sound of her nearly inaudible breathing. Looking her over he couldn't help but almost feel sorry for her. A dress that may once have been fine, and beautiful hung from her too thin shoulders, and he winced at it's state. It was now terribly faded to a light grey-blue that merely hinted at the glorious sky blue it must have once been. Rips and tears interrupted the perfect weave of the silk, and it seemed that dirt had been almost ground into it in places. Along the hem mud splattered nearly up to her knees in places, to match her mud covered shoes and stockings. Her hair was the color of a raven's wings, and indeed it looked as if a raven could have nested there based on it's knotted appearance and the twigs sticking out in odd directions. Her face was bruised and bloody, and he suspected the rest of her body fared the same. She had most definitely been beaten. She looked to be about five, and he wondered what monsters could have done so to a little girl.
Taking another look, ha sighed. He couldn't just leave her here like this, but he had little experience with children, and his life was hardly suitable for a child.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice the child open her eyes and turn around. She had heard his sigh. When he looked up he saw two wide, emerald green eyes staring back at him. She began backing up off the boulder, her eyes never leaving his face. She was obviously frightened.
"Don't be frightened, my name's Liam, I want to help you. What's your name?" he said as gently as he knew how.
The Girl stopped backing up, but she was still obviously frightened and he didn't blame her. It looked as if she had been to the dark god and back.
"Y-your not another bandit then?" she asked a little shakily.
So it was bandits, he should have guessed. They had been becoming an increasingly bad problem in Maren, and they were known to kidnap some of their victims. They usually took women though, he had never heard of them taking a child. But that was another question for another day, he didn't want to frighten her.
"No I'm not, and I promise you that I intend you no harm." He replied.
She seemed to relax a little with his last comment, but was still a little tense. She slipped off the boulder, and for a moment Liam feared she was going to run away, but then she came around and stood timidly at the front of the boulder.
"My name's Elentari," she said.
She sounded Tortallen, but he couldn't be sure.
"How did you get here?" he asked. There was still the possibility that he could return her to her family.
"Th-the bandits took me. It was at night, and there was a party. They came and attacked, there was fighting. Then one came over to me and hit me on the head. That's all I remember. I woke up in a cave. It's about halfway up that mountain." She said pointing at the mountain behind her. " Then most of the bandits left, three stayed behind to watch me. When the rest didn't come back they tied me up and left too. I wriggled loose of the ropes and climbed down. That was, I think ten days ago..." she paused, then suddenly, "Can you help me?' she asked teary eyed," My pony is up there, and, and I want to go home!" She wailed, bursting into full tears.
Liam strode over to her and scooped her up into his arms. He noted that she was too light, even for a five year old. Apparently she had had no food since she had been kidnapped. She buried her head in his shirt and continued sobbing. He sighed, then turned and started walking back to the town. He had only one choice, he had to take her in. He had no way of knowing who, or where her parents were, and he couldn't just leave her here to die.
After several minutes of crying she fell asleep. Liam looked down on her and couldn't help but smile at her innocence. Maybe things won't be so bad after all.