Then, a few years afterward. They had met again. As soon as his eyes locked with hers, she knew. He was the person that had 'helped' her, all those years ago.
And from then on, she had a new goal. Defeat him. Prove to him, once and for all, that she could look after herself. She didn't need a bodyguard. She might have been a woman, but she was certainly not helpless, and didn't like being treated that way.
What with those circumstances, it was almost impossible to believe that they had fallen in love. But they had. It had lasted for a while. But all good things come to an end.
And now, all that was left from a year of happiness was bitterness. Even after all her extra training, the extra effort she put in, still he was stronger then her. Always that one step ahead. And never letting her forget it. His gloating, mocking tone, cruel, biting words. Everything signifying that he wasn't giving her the respect she knew she deserved.
So she left, vowing never to return to him. A promise was a promise, after all.
Abruptly, several shouts were heard over the chirping of the birds and the flow of rushing water, which made her start, quickly getting to her feet and peering around to try and determine the location. Soon enough, she found it. A crowd had gathered around a stream bank, as more shouts established the fact that a young girl had fallen into the water.
"For crying out loud, someone help her!" A woman's voice. Lots of people were offering suggestions, but she noticed that there was nobody actually volunteering to jump in and save the poor child, who was crying, desperately trying to stay afloat and yell for help at the same time. One man threw a large stick to the girl, which only succeeded in making her cry even louder as the waves in the water made staying afloat even harder.
Before she could think of jumping in, somebody beat her to it. A pretty young woman, with long auburn hair. Soon enough, the child was safely on the bank, gasping for breath, with parents and friends gratefully thanking the woman over and over.
Actually… she looked at the woman again. She seemed familiar. Wait a minute…
Whoopsie. That's no woman.