Hi, everyone! I hope you enjoy the first chapter.

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Paradise Square, Five Points, New York City - Winter, 1846

"Oh, Kyna. What a little hooligan you are!"

Fion Whelan smiled, looking at his two-year-old daughter in his wife's arms. He then glanced up at Dairine, who clutched the girl with tears in her eyes.

"Please," she begged, "don't do this, Fion."

"Don't you worry, love. No man can bring down the Dead Rabbits, not with the Priest leading us."

The woman smiled reluctantly.

"I just don't want to lose you."

"You won't," Fion promised. "And even if you do, what have I always told you? What did I tell you a year ago, when the boat was coming here?"

"That no matter what, we'd always be together."

"Right."

The man smiled, looking down at Kyna.

"Lassie …never forget how beautiful and perfect you are. Your eyes and your hair…it's like a river of red."

The toddler giggled as her father bent down to kiss her head. He then kissed Dairine as the gang fanfare drew close.

"I've got to go, love."

He embraced his wife one last time and joined the men. The nervous woman followed behind them, holding onto her daughter. Once outside, she climbed up the hill to the run-down barbershop and sat crouched against the wooden boards. A few young boys were near the shop as well. They all watched in suspense as the Natives showed up. Their leader, Bill "The Butcher" Cutting, was at the head of the pack. Words were exchanged, and the two groups charged.

The children kept looking away as people were hacked left and right on the street below them. Kyna clutched the front of her mother's dress and buried her face in it. Finally, after several endless minutes of bloodshed, the horn was heard. Dairine slowly got up, holding the child close. She approached the aftermath when she saw other civilians gathering to collect the dead. Her heart dropped when she saw "Priest" Vallon being rolled away on a cart. Pushing away her grief, she began looking for her husband.

"Fion? Fion, where are…?"

She looked around, not wanting to look at the various bodies for fear of finding him there.

"Ma'am…"

A Dead Rabbit looked at her and pointed a few feet away. Dairine gasped as she glanced to where the man was pointing. Fion was lying on his back, his shirt soaked with blood from his throat. His eyes were wide open and glassy. Running forward, the woman felt her tears spill over.

"Oh, no…no!"

Plopping Kyna down in the snow next to them, Dairine threw herself over his body. The toddler glanced at her father's face and slowly reached forward as tears filled her own eyes.

"Dada?"

Dairine looked at her daughter. She smiled sadly and reached for her, picking her up.

"Oh, love, Dada's gone."

Kyna took one last look at her father before she had to glance away. About six feet from her, she saw a man seeing over people who were gathering the Native's bodies; he was wearing some kind of leather cap. The man glanced over at her for a minute. He seemed to notice her mother grieving, and then looked back at the young girl.

Before long, the strange man was smiling at her. Kyna felt afraid, as she knew it wasn't a kind smile, like the one her father had. It wasn't a smile of sympathy either. It was an evil smile, one that she would never forget, any more than she would forget this day of bloodshed…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Spring, 1854

"Kyna?"

The ten-year-old girl opened her eyes and sat up. Dairine looked down at her, recognizing the look of fear and sadness on her daughter's face.

"Mum?"

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"Mm-hm, about Papa."

The woman stroked Kyna's face.

"Look out the window. See that sunshine? That's him wishing us both a good morning." Kyna smiled at her mother, who smiled back. "Alright then, love. It's time to go to the market."

The child jumped out of bed.

"And then my lesson after that?"

"That's right."

Kyna was quick about getting her dress on to prepare for the day.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Points were as rowdy as usual. Police were trying to drag fights apart, and there were drunkards all over the place. Kyna looked around her as Dairine picked out the best-looking fruits that they could afford. Eventually, she found a familiar face…a boy. He had just arrived with his father, who was from Cork. They'd seen each other around a bit, but had never actually spoken.

"Hello," said Kyna.

The surprised boy glanced over at her.

"Hi," he responded, somewhat shy.

"I'm Kyna. Who are you?"

The boy hesitated before smiling.

"Quinn. Quinn Calley. You're quite friendly."

"You're not used to that?"

"No," said Quinn. "Me dad's been raged at by them tall fellas with top hats."

"Bowery Boys. The Natives hate the Irish that are coming in. My mum hasn't found work anywhere since my papa died."

"I'm sorry," the boy said sympathetically. "Me mum died of fever on the boat here."

"Kyna?"

Dairine walked over. Seeing Quinn, she smiled.

"Hello," she said. "Have you met my daughter?"

"Mum, this is Quinn."

"Nice to meet you, Quinn." The woman looked at her daughter. "Kyna, we should go if we're going to have your lesson."

"Right. It was nice meeting you."

Quinn stared after the girl as she followed her mother.

"You, too."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I've seen that boy's father around," Dairine noted as they walked down the street. "Poor man."

"Yes," Kyna said. "Quinn said they've been having trouble."

Her mother was about to reply, but she noticed an all-too-familiar group approaching from the other side of the road. She put her hands on Kyna's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Keep your head down, child. Stay close to me."

Kyna did as she was told, but the woman stopped as a male voice was heard.

"Top of the day, Mrs. Whelan."

The child glanced up slightly. It was "The Butcher," the same man who grinned at her the day her father was killed. He'd become respected and feared in the Points since that battle, and everyone had to pay him a certain fee to stay out of trouble with him.

"Mr. Cutting," Dairine muttered politely.

"You've been behind on your payments, madam. Three weeks now."

"I'm aware of that, sir. I don't have any more belongings to sell, and nobody is hiring anywhere. But I'll find a way to pay you."

Bill looked at the woman and smiled, cocking his head to one side.

"Tsk, tsk. You're quite mistaken when you say there isn't work anywhere. Satan's Circus is always looking for new girls."

"With all respect, sir, I would never stoop so low as to sell my body."

"If that's how you feel." The man took a few steps towards Dairine until he was about a yard away from her. "Of course, if you'll pay me a little visit tonight, maybe we can discuss another way for you to pay what's owed. It's up to you, but…I know you want to provide for your daughter."

After a few moments, Dairine nodded.

"Very well. Expect me tonight then, sir."

"Good girl." Bill smiled, backing up a bit. Kyna cringed slightly as he glanced down at her. "Good day, missy."

"Come along, lass," the woman whispered, taking her daughter past the men and back towards their miniscule home. Once they were safely inside, the girl spoke.

"I don't like that man."

"Me neither."

"Mum, what did he mean when he wanted to talk about a different way of paying?"

Dairine looked at her daughter for a while before kneeling down to face her.

"We're just going to talk about my debts. But please let me do the worrying."

She smiled and got up, walking over to the shelf. Kyna's heart pounded with joy when she saw the book. She quickly sat down at the table, and her mother sat down with her.

"Alright, let's see if you remember." The woman opened the book and pointed at the page. "What's this one?"

"An 'f?'"

"Yes, very good. And this?"

"'C.'"

"Right. This?"

"'Q.'"

"Wonderful! You're doing so well, Kyna."

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I hope you like this so far!