DISCLAIMER: I dont own any of the characters but Lucy and Sylwen.


It was colder than normal on the day that he found her.

A veil of fog had danced along the surface of the lake as bard maneuvered his barge through the icy waters, chunks of ice being pushed to the side. It was then that he spotted a lone barrel floating amidst the fog and water, not far from his boat. Now, normally that wouldn't be such an abnormal sight, he knew from time to time barrels could fall off boats and end up drifting though the waters. But, this time was different...instead of just the barrel, something hunched over top of it. Bard's dark eyes narrowed, trying to get a better glimpse of was it was. He could make out damp fur among the fog. Perhaps fur had gotten caught on the splinters and floated with it. Slowing the barge a bit, his eyes peering at the barrel. The color ran from his face when he realized just what it was..or rather who. There was someone floating on the barrel, unmoving and half dunked in the freezing cold water. He turned the bow of the boat as quick as he could, maneuvering it over to the person. Once close enough, he reached out and grabbed onto the saturated coat, no idea whether he was going to be pulling a dead body on board or an alive one. Though he wasn't counting too much on the latter.

She, he quickly came to realize, was rather heavy, what with the dead weight and the water logged clothes, making it somewhat difficult to pull her onboard. He somehow managed, lying her on the floor of the boat. Her skin was a pale white and her lips a deathly blue. From first glance he thought she could be dead, but Bard wasn't one to give up on hope so easily. Kneeling down beside her, he gently pushed her coat to the side and lowered himself down to her chest, pressing an ear against as he listened. For a few moments all he could hear was the ripples of the water beneath his boat, holding his breath. It was then a faint 'thump thump' reached his ears, his own heart jumping in his chest as he let out his breath. She was alive! By whatever miracle, she was alive. He quickly shook his head, pushing himself to his knees. There wasn't time to think about how or why right now, he needed to focus on taking the right precautions on keeping her alive. He shifted her body gently, not seeing any immediate flesh wounds.

Pulling off her coat, he tossed it to the side, hearing it thump somewhere on the boat. He didn't pay any heed to it right now, rather finding himself in a awkward predicament. Her shirt and other garments were still soaked with the chilled lake water, leaving her vulnerable if he didnt remove them.

Now Bard was a man of his word, unlike 90% of the other men the prowled Laketown. Dirty bastards the lot of them. But he knew he had a decision to make, leave her clothes on and just place his caribou skin coat over her and hope the hypothermia didn't worsen, or strip her of her the top layer of clothes, and wrap her up in her coat that was sure to warm her up enough to keep her alive at least until he returned home.

Bard heaved out a sigh, deeming the latter a better decision. Adverting his gaze out of common courtesy, he removed her shirt and pants, slipping them off her body. He stood up; keeping his gaze on the horizon before shrugging off his coat, the cold air hitting his skin, causing goosebumps to arise. He knelt down again, clearing his throat slightly as he thought his plan over once more. This was going to be more difficult than he first planned..he may to chance a look in order to get the coat on her. Well, it wasn't as if he had any ill intentions toward the girl, only to save her life. His chocolate brown gaze turned toward her finally, letting out a sigh of relief when he spotted the white cloth bandage-s bound around her chest.
He lifted the girl up so her head leaned against his chest, slipping the skin coat around her, slipping her arms into the sleeves and closing it around her body. If it weren't for the dire situation at hand, Bard may have laughed. The girl basically drown in his coat, much too small to fit easily into it. But that was also a good thing, that way it covered most of her and kept her warm.

Returning to his task at hand, he turned the boat back around onto its original course, steering it toward the town in the distance. He pushed the boat as fast as it could go, knowing he couldn't really take his time with something of this fragility.

"Percy open the gate! It's an emergency!" Bard called as he reached the town's gate, knowing he would probably hear about it later from Alfrid, or if it was deemed important enough, the Master of the town.

The white haired old man poked his head out of the shack, spotting Bard rowing in towards the gate. He didnt question, rather heaving the lever up as the gate raised in time for Bard to sail easily into town.

"I'll take full responsibility for it later." He promised him as he floated by, knowing full well he'd be getting a visit from someone later for not checking in at the gate.

Pulling the barge up to the docks, he tied the boat down, receiving a few stares from passerbyers, probably wondering what in god's name he was doing without his coat off in this kind of weather. Ignoring the stares he was receiving, Bard stepped back into the boat, picking the girl into his arms. He cradled her in his arms, leaning her against his chest as he quickly made his way through the wooden walk ways of the floating town.

Reaching his house with good time, and no one stopping him, he hopped up the steps, the door swinging open as he figured the children must have heard him coming.

"Da?" Bain's voice came as Bard reached the top of the steps, holding the door open for him.

"I'll explain later, Sigrid, ready a bed." He said quickly, as his eldest daughter jumped to his request, quickly readying her bed without question.

Bain and Tilda stood back as they watched their father set the bundle down on the bed that Sigrid had prepared quickly, confused as to what was going on and where he had found the girl.

"Tilda, grab me as many blankets as you can. Bain, put some hot coals in the pan and place it under the blankets." He told them, before looking at Sigrid. "Can you grab me one of your shirts and pants. She needs to get out of these clothes." He asked her, gently unwrapping the girl from his coat.

The children went to work as quick as they could, Tilda gathering the blankets she could find around their houses, bringing them to her father as she set them on the edge of the bed, Sigrid following close behind as she brought him the clothes he requested.

Bard cleared his throat slightly as he stood up. "Can you change her please." He asked, pulling his jacket from beneath her as he looked at Sigrid, who nodded. He took his coat into the kitchen, leaving Tilda and Sigrid with the girl.

Bard leaned against the counter of the kitchen as he waited for Sigrid to finish in the bedroom, staring up at the ceiling. He just hoped he made it in time..

After a few minutes, Bard was pulled from his thoughts as a voice came to his attention.
"She's changed father." Sigrid informed as she came out of the bedroom, Bain had already brought in the pan with the coals and they had tucked the girl in with the blankets and the hot pot under them.

He hadn't even noticed he had zoned out, looking at her as he nodded, kissing her forehead softly, wrapping an arm around his daughter. "Thank you."

All was done that he could do for now, the most they could do was wait and hope that she made it through the night.

Bard wasn't sure how long she had been out there, let alone why or how. But those questions could come later, if she survived..


It was barely an hour later when there was a heavy knock on Bard's door, gathering the families attention. He knew that knock. Groaning quietly, he lifted his weight off the couch he was currently residing on, his children passing worried looks at their father. "Its alright." He told them; glancing over at the unconscious girl once more, Bard made for the door, opening it up as he came face to face with Alfrid himself.

"Ello Bard." The greasy black haired man sneered, trying to peer around him inconspicuously but the Bargeman was a tad too tall, not to mention his form took up most of the doorway.

"What can I do for you tonight Alfrid?" Bard asked pleasantly, making sure Alfrid had very limited view into his house. "Isn't it a little too late to be paying a visit?" He inquired, watching his movements and matching them to block his view.

Alfrid frowned at his response, a little irked but pressed on. He had the upper hand right now. He could put him in jail! And so help him god, he would do just that. "I heard you didn't get your papers checked when you came in today, Bargeman." He drawled out, smirking cynically as he looked at Bard, wringing his hands as he stood on the door step. "You know what that means dont you?"

Bard had known this was to come, and by his luck Percy had swung by on his way home to punch his papers for him, just in case Alfrid had tried to pull this card. "Hold that thought Alfrid." He said, shutting the door in his face before he tried to make a move to step in, not wanting to show off his entire home to the man. He walked to the living room, picking up the papers before returning to the door, opening it again.

"I believe this is what you're looking for." He answered his problem, holding out the papers to him.

Alfrid took the papers, scanning them over, the smug look on his face quickly disappearing as he frowned, clearly irritated that he had managed to one up him once again. He gruffily shoved them back into his hands. "Mark my words Bargeman," He hissed out, narrowing his eyes at him as he shook his index finger in front of his face. "I will get you." He snarled at him. "I know where you live."

Bard almost smiled at his retort. "I'd hope so." He replied calmly, seeing the red rush to his face. "Have yourself a goodnight Alfrid." He told with a smile before shutting the door, not waiting for a reply.

He heard Alfrid cuss under his breath a few times before marching down his steps and away, moving away from the door once the footsteps were gone.

Walking over to the table, Bard tossed his papers back on them, reminding himself to thank Percy the next day before going to the back of the house, checking the hot pot under the girl's blankets. It was cold by now. Pulling it out, he returned to the fire, dumping the coals inside before poking around, pulling out a few new ones and dumped them in the pot. Returning to her bed, he slipped them in between the sheets once again.

Bard stood up, looking at her through the dim light of the room. Her skin had more color to it finally, her lips were returning to a normal color rather than blue he had found her with, and her cheeks had a faint tinge of red to them. She seemed to be out of the neck of the woods, he hoped so anyway. He'd have to get a doctor to come in the next day at the crack of dawn, to make sure there wasn't any damage done from the hypothermia or frostbite, though there was a good possibility there was..

Returning to the fire, he put a couple more logs inside it to keep it burning for the rest of the night, before retiring to his own bed which wasn't much further into the house. Crawling underneath the fur blankets, he rolled over, letting sleep take him for the night.


Lucy had been lying around the house all day, wasting time when she heard the creak of the stairs outside, signalling her father returning home. Though he wasn't particularly heavy, the stairs still groaned beneath his feet. Her gaze shifted from the book in her hands, moving to the table as she saw his key still laying upon the table. Where he had left it earlier.

'Go figure.' She thought to herself, rolling her eyes emphatically. She wasnt overly surprised that he had forgot them, Alfrid was always out to catch Bard in some sort of act, he must have been in a rush to leave if he forgot it.

Lucy jumped to her feet and snatched the keys off the table. Making her way to the door, she could hear her father on the other side of the door, cursing as he dug though his pockets for his obviously missing house key. Lucy peeked out the window, as she made eye contact with her Father. The defiant smirk played on her lips as she pressed the key against the glass.

Alfrid looked up, his face red in annoyance. "Well hurry up and let me in then girl!" He snapped, not in any mood to play games with her.

"Did you check in first?" Lucy called through glass snarkily.

His face turned an even brighter shade of red. "I haven't left, why would I need to?!" He snapped angrily, his patience clearly thinning.

"Well if you never left then this is awkward.." She trailed off thoughtfully, tapping the key against the window.
"You bloody knew what I meant! Now hurry up and let me in girl." Alfrid snarled, banging on the door roughly.

Lucy mocked a thoughtful expression for a moment. "I'd rather not." She smirked in reply, disappearing away from the window. She tossed the key back on the table, letting her father figure out a way in himself, before retreating to her room. Tossing open the window, she used her neighbor's lattice as a ladder, sliding down it with ease and headed off into the darkened town.


Authors Note: Im so sorry about the super late updates and deleted chapters! Ive been struggling with writers block for a few years now and even when I manage to write something, it doesnt last very long. I cant seem to keep myself focused on one topic for long without getting distracted by others. But now that my writers block seems to be gone, or just about gone, its as if a whole new world has opened up to me! Its given me so much more motivation to write and I already have future chapters written down in a little booklet I carry around with me.
As I said in the update, Im not changing much in the chapters, rather just editing them slightly and taking over Lucy's role since I no longer have contact with my friend who I was co-writing this with.
I have a new angle for the story, both on Sylwen and Lucy's story. I already have the ending planned out, and honestly hope you guys take to it since it'll be different than originally planned :)
Anywho, Ill try and edit the other chapters as soon as I can and get them up, along with writing the new ones that follow.
Thank you so much for your follows, reviews and favorites. I havent seen so many on any of my stories but this one. You guys give me the motivation to continue!
1000 thanks to everyone, and enjoy the story!

(PS. I realized I said in the update Id be giving Sylwen a name change, but it had been so long since I looked at the story that I hadnt realized up until a couple days ago that Sylwen was the name I was going to change it to anyway. So it all works out XD)