Chapter Two
"You have to sit if you want it…Come on sit." Relm
Sparks stirred up from the fire as the wood crackled and popped. The area lighted by the campfire and warming it. Relm lay next to the fire, her body warmed by it, covered by a large fur skin from an animal, a bear perhaps. Her forehead was wrapped in a bandaged securely covering the wound. She shifted a little under the warm fur blanket and yawned a little as shifted a little hearing some movement around her. Her eyes opened slowly, her vision blurred as she tried to focus her vision clearly seeing something move about.
"M…mommy…?" She said slowly, as she started to sit up. The figured felt some discomfort from what she said and then leaned against a tree. She blinked slightly as she rubbed her eyes, rubbing the sleep from them. She then felt wetness on her cheek as she turned around, jumping slightly as she saw the dog. She calmed as she noticed the dog was Interceptor. Oh, yes! She remembered the dog. If Interceptor is here that means that…
"Shadow…?" She turned away from Interceptor and focused on Shadow, who was leaning back against a tree with his arms crossed. He clad in his dark nylon outfit that was fitted tightly around his body and outlined his chest.
"Yes." He responded simply in quiet tone, his eyes looking at the young girl.
"Where am I? I can't remembered what happened and…oww." She held her head; it felt like it was throbbing with pain.
"You should lay back down. Your injury hasn't healed yet." He said, not really answering her question. Instead, he opened a small sack that was tied to his side and pulled out a piece of dry beef jerky. He walked over to her, kneeling down to her height almost and handing it to her. "You should eat this. It should help regain some of your strength…"
She looked at the dry piece of food and then up at tall man, before taking the jerky and nodding, "Thank you." She put the beef jerky up to her mouth and chewed on it…well she tried to anyway. Since it was dry, it was tough to chew on. She then started to suckle on the dry meat and licked it making it a little more tender and soft to chew on now. She bit off a small portion of it and chewed it, before swallowing. The jerky had dry bitter like taste to it but she didn't mind the taste too much. Interceptor licked the side of Relm's face and whined a little. Relm giggled and looked at Interceptor and then held up the jerky.
"You want some?" She tore the jerky and half and then waved it in front of the dog's face, "You have to sit if you want it. Come on…sit."
Interceptor then sat as commanded and wagged its tail back and forth watching Relm carefully.
"Good doggie." Relm giggled and tossed the dry meat at Interceptor, who caught the dry meat in its mouth chewing on it. She laughed again watching the dog enjoy its treat. Shadow just watched quietly, he never really seen his dog so attracted or attached to anyone but him, so he was just a little surprised but didn't show it. Though, he shouldn't really be surprised that Interceptor like Relm…
"So, did you save me?" Relm asked looking at him with her sweet blue eyes in question.
"Yes. I found you unconscious in the middle of the forest, along with a beast that was there too. Interceptor and I attacked it until it decided to retreat back into the forest." He said, as he sat down and leaned against the tree, closing his eyes. He then opened them again after he felt a pair of small arms wrapped around his torso in a warm embrace. He looked down to see Relm giving him a hug.
"Thank you." She said giving a small yawn.
"…"
He said nothing; he wasn't sure how to respond to this really. It had been so long since anybody had actually hugged him or shown any affection towards him. He felt old warm feeling coming back from his past. It's been so long since he felt those. Those feelings of care and love…
'Love…'He tensed slightly at the thought of the word. It's been too long since the last time he experienced love. Ever since she passed away…
'Zzzz…'
"…?" His train of thought was interrupted by the small snores coming from the girl that had fell asleep against him, still hugging him. He couldn't move because he didn't want to wake her so he just sat there. He looked at Interceptor who was sleeping next to the campfire. He looked down at Relm for a moment and gave a light smile, though unnoticeable.
"Goodnight little one…"
~*~*~*~*~*~
Clyde…
He could see her face. It was she again. Her dark blonde hair in curls and emerald green eyes. Her soft pink lips curled into a soft smile as she looked at him.
Quit blaming your self for everything that has happened…
Why don't you find love again…?
"I can't…that would be…"
Betraying me…? No it wouldn't. I know you love me but you have to let go…
She kissed his cheek gently and then backed away from him.
Find someone for yourself and someone for your daughter also…and please, as soon as you get the courage to, tell Relm that you are her father. She needs a parent in her life. She needs someone that love's her and that she can love back. I love you Clyde…
She smiled gently as the image of her started to fade away slowly.
"Don't go!"
CRASSSSSSSSSSSHHHH!
~*~*~*~*~*~
He awoke suddenly, not from his dream but from the loud crashing and breaking of tree limbs. A light sweat coated his face under his mask as he looked around. He saw Interceptor next to him, who must have heard noise also no doubt.
"You heard it too, right? Well then, I guess I should go see what it was. It's probably another pathetic monster looking for food…probably the one from earlier. Watch Relm, I will return shortly." Shadow said as he lifted Relm slowly off of him and laid her on the fur blanket. Interceptor growled in disagreement of his master's decision to go by him self. Shadow stood up and looked at the dog and shook his head.
"Do as I say. She can't be left here alone." He said as he walked off into the woods. The dog obeyed his master and lay next to Relm on the fur blanket.
Shadow walked through the forest he unsheathing his short swords from his waist, they designed with great craftsmanship by the looks of it; the blades sharpened to their fullest as the tips glinted. He looked around and noticed a tree branches and leaves on the ground and more ahead of him, he could also smell some blood too.
It has to be that beast…it'll be sorry it came back.
He thought to himself as he held up his blade as he started to near the area where the loud crash sound was heard. Strange enough he saw a few feathers scattered around on the forest floor and stained slightly with blood. He stopped shortly as he saw the rays of the moon shining down in a small area, there were no trees above so the moon shined it's glowing hues down in the area. He approached slowly, holding his blades closely to him ready to attack; he heard small shifting as he approached. As he reached his destination he was shocked to find that there was no monster here, but a young woman. Dark ebony hair scattered over her face and on the ground, her skin a dark smooth tan color. Blood covered most of her back, there were two deep cuts, one on each of her shoulder blade. She curled herself up, her white clothes stained with blots of blood here and there. Shadow shook his head slightly snapping out of his thoughts and then sheathed his swords to his side and walked slowly over to the young woman lying curled up on the ground. Kneeling down, he looked her over and then spoke out to her.
"Are you conscious?"
Silence.
She didn't look at him or even respond at all to his question. She seemed to just want to keep to herself, but her body was shaking a little and giving small shivers.
A monster might have attacked her from above…I'm curious of why it didn't finish her off.
He could see he wasn't going to get any response out of her so he stood back up and turned around about to leave; though he stopped and looked back at her. Leaving a woman in a forest alone, injured and for any monster to maul her wouldn't be the right thing to do…no, he wasn't that cold hearted and uncaring. He could at least take her with him and heal her wound and also, he couldn't really place his finger on it but something was just telling him to help her. That he needs to help her…
…
He walked back over to her, leaning over and slipping his arms under her slender feeble form. She made no notion of disagreement or disapproval as he picked her up; she still curled up in her original position. Her head pressed against his chest, her eyes squeezed shut as her lips started to move a little mumbling a few words and then stopped. He looked down at her, not sure of what she said but ignored it as he carried her off and back to the camp. He felt awkward slightly as he carried her, he couldn't describe the feeling nor could he know why he was feeling it at all. Who was this girl?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Shadow laid her down on the large fur blanket next to Relm, who was awake now and sitting on her knees looking at the woman. Her blue eyes looking down at her and a small frown on her lips.
"So she was just like that when you got there?" She asked.
"Yes…" Shadow said, not commenting further on it.
"I wonder what happened to her…she looks so scared and hurt." Relm said, her fingers touching the woman's hand. She shifted a little from Relm's soft touch. Interceptor then jumped out of a bush, it carrying a stem of herbs and other things. He went over to his master and dropped them at his feet.
"I see you got the herbs for her wounds. Good dog." He kneeled down picking them up, not before petting the dog's head.
"Let me do it. I'm really good at it! I use to do this all the time." She beamed.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes I'm sure."
"…"
He handed the herbs to her, though he wasn't sure about letting a nine-year old girl treat a wound, but he let her do so. He trusted her. Relm took them and then pushed the stained blood clothes down to the middle of her back. Shadow turned his head away a bit as she did this, she looked at the deep gashes on her shoulder blades and then took the herbs and grind them into her hands for about two minutes or so and then squeezed her hands together. Droplets then dripped from hand and downed over the wounds, the girl flinched and squirmed from the stinging feeling it had. She then placed the damp crumpled herbs over the wounds and took some cloth and wrapped it over the wounds.
"Done!" Relm exclaimed.
Shadow looked at Relm then down at the girl. He then noticed the girl started to move around a little more and then her eyes slowly opened up. They were a strange dark purple with a hint of blue also. Her eyes looked around slightly as she leaned herself up, she looked at Shadow and then Relm. She was silent and didn't make a sound.
"Are you alright? You were really injured." Relm said as she looked at her.
She looked down slightly noticing her injury was patched up, so she didn't bleed to death this time. It wasn't the first time this actually happened, but no one else knows that. She nodded and looked at Shadow for a moment for awhile. He felt slightly uncomfortable as she kept her gaze on him, but then looked back at Relm as she asked another question.
"So…what's your name?"
"…" She was silent, she looked down to her lap. She almost looked as if she didn't know her name.
"You don't know your name do you?" Relm said.
She seemed to think for a moment and looked down at her arm and then pointed at her shoulder. Relm looked to where she pointed and noticed a letter that was written boldly in cursive.
"K'? Your name is K'?"
She nodded her head.
"Yes."
~TBC~
Done. This was a bit long I think. I've been working on it most of the day. I've already started on number three now. I hope this is getting interesting for you. Give a review if you like.