Carol sighed and set down the book, looking around the small circle of children present for story time. She'd offered to do this not to actually tell stories, but to instead teach the children from Woodbury how to protect themselves. But the parents weren't leaving when they usually did - some of them were feeling guilty about not being more involved and decided sitting in would help - and the children weren't exactly engaged in the narrative of the book she'd picked out to 'read' to them. And it was sadly obvious no one really wanted to listen to it.

"Alright. I admit, this one's boring," she said with a soft laugh and a quirk of her lips while she leaned back and rubbed her hands down her thighs. "How about I tell you one I know, instead? It's short, but it might take a few days to get through."

A few of the faces perked up among both the kids and the adults. She nodded, happy to see that offering went over well, and clapped her hands, "Okay then. This story is about a messenger, a hunter, and a..." Carol thought for a second before deciding on Maggie's role, "Priestess."

…

Long ago, in a kingdom far from here, there lived a Messenger and a Hunter. The two were deeply in love and could often be found in each other's company. But they did not last. Yes, this story has a sad beginning. For it begins not only when the Hunter broke up with the Messenger, but when their kingdom fell.

The Hunter had a brother, you see. And that brother was a brash, protective man who could often be cruel to others. He was loyal to his blood and his blood alone and it made working with him difficult. Unlike the Hunter, he was a Knight. He'd undergone the trials the Hunter never bothered to and had passed them all.

So while many didn't like him, they did rely on him and trusted him to aid the small kingdom in it's defenses against the monsters that lived outside it. He left one day on a very important mission with the Messenger and other Knights of the realm to go deep into the treacherous lands beyond the kingdom. It was a mission to bring back magical protections from a nearby kingdom that had fallen to the monsters only months before. The monsters were growing stronger so it was becoming more dangerous for the Messenger to travel alone as he was used to doing.

The mission was a success, all things considered. They returned not only with the magical protections, but with the Queen's missing husband, who had been presumed dead when the other kingdom fell. He'd been on a mission of diplomacy to bring the two kingdoms closer when the monsters overtook it. What few survivors had escaped to the mountains and told the tale had made it clear that it was an impossible chance he'd return.

But getting both the protections and the missing King had cost the life of the Hunter's Brother. He'd been left behind to cover the retreat. And while no one saw him fall, he had not returned with the others and did not return in the night, either. It was possible he was still alive, but it was a very slim chance.

The Hunter insisted they return when he found out and the Messanger agreed. So did the King. They knew they owed the missing Knight that much. And so they left, with the aid of the Poet, back to the ruins of the fallen kingdom. And they searched for the Knight, but the only sign of his passing they could find was his hand. It'd been chopped right off!

…

"Oh, like Merle's?" One of the younger children asked and Carol had to pause for a second as she remembered that most of those here had probably known Merle fairly well. He'd been with Woodbury and been well-liked, even. From what she'd been told in the time since, at least.

After a moment, she smiled, "Yes. Like Merle's."

…

The King, the Messenger, the Hunter, and the Poet, they searched everywhere they could for the Knight. But he was no where to be found. Instead, they stumbled upon what few people remained of the fallen kingdom. They had not seen the Knight, either. And they refused to leave the caves they'd taken to hiding in. Many of their people were too injured or too old to try and move and those that were able-bodied refused to abandon them. Sadly, they, too, were wiped out by the monsters only a few days later.

As was the Kingdom in the mountains.

The King and the Messenger and the Hunter and the Poet, they returned to their Kingdom in the mountains. But they returned too late. The monsters that had wiped out all the other nearby kingdoms had finally come for theirs. The four fought valiantly to protect and rescue those they could, but it was not enough. Only a handful survived that terrible night.

Everyone was distraught, emotions strained. They buried those they could in the morning and the King had a fierce argument with the Advisor who'd been aiding the Queen in the King's absence. Families were broken. It was agreed that there was nothing left to do, but to leave and try to find another Kingdom that was still holding out against the monsters.

That same night they left, they came across a waystation still in decent repair. A hermit Doctor lived there and maintained supplies for any travelers that came. The remains of the Kingdom were the first travelers he'd seen since the larger kingdom fell months before. He rejoiced and invited them to eat, drink, and sleep in the fine beds that hadn't been slept in for far too long.

The Messenger sought out the Hunter that night. Went to him and tried to share the pain of their losses with him. But the Hunter pushed the Messenger away. His heart hurt too much. The Messenger understood what he was going through, for the Messenger had lost his own family when the monsters first appeared en masse. But the pain was too fresh for the Hunter, his brother only just gone. He didn't believe he deserved any measure of happiness. He hurt too much.

So he pushed the Messenger away and even when morning came, he kept pushing. And as the group traveled he continued to push until the Messenger no longer came close enough for him to push. The Messenger had finally given up on the Hunter, because the Hunter had given up on himself.

And then, they met the Priestess.

…

One of the parents cleared their throats. Alice. Mother of Jacob, the six year old who like to suck his thumb. She nodded her head to the side and mouthed 'dinner'.

Carol gave her a quick 'gotcha' face before looking at the kids, "Well, I think that's enough for today. We can pick this up again later. Time to get washed up and help with the food."

There were a few groans of protest, but after a few minutes the room was cleared out and Carol was left with her thoughts as she put the box of knives away with the books they'd pulled. She'd been setting Merle up to be a villain in her story because that's mostly what he'd been to the group. But to the kids of Woodbury, they'd only seen him as someone to look up to. Much like they'd seen the Governor up until his betrayal of his own people. If she ever continued the story, she'd have to keep that in mind.