Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN
It had been two weeks since the Wild Geese entered the village, most of the villagers were still hostile towards them, seeing as it was winter and it had been a bad harvest this year. It was busy in the tavern like it normally was. Seras was the only server willing to serve the Wild Geese. The love for them had worn off after the first week. Placing their orders down in front of them she moved to the bar.
"Tell me Cher why is it that you are the only one willing to serve us?"Seras clenched her jaw as she heard Pip call her Cher, he knew that it annoyed her, sighing she moved around the table to give the rest of the men their orders. "Maybe because your lewd." her response caused the men to laugh. Before he could reply the door to the tavern was slammed open.
"Seras my dear, you never came by last night."
"That's because I was busy, Enrico" The man walked over to the bar where Seras was standing, and leaned against the top beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, ignoring the way she tensed at the contact. "Busy with the loon, it's not proper for you to be around him."
"Not proper." she scoffed as she continued to clean the counter.
"Darling you are to be my wife."
This caused the Wild Geese to freeze and spit out their drinks.
"No I am not. Enrico." Seras looked him in the eye before turning around serve the other patrons. Enrico turned and grabbed her arm causing her to stop. "You would want to rethink that answer Seras." She narrowed her eyes at him "Are you threatening me?" "An English woman like you, in a French village like this. Who would believe you?" He spoke in English. Pip walked over to them when he heard what the man had said. None of his men had understood what was said, as he was the only one who could speak English.
"Is there a problem Cher" The two turned to look at him. Enrico letting go of her arm in the process. "Non Captain, Monsieur Maxwell was just leaving"
"I will see you later tonight Seras," Enrico said with narrowed eyes before leaving the tavern. Seras gave a sigh before she moved to serve the Wild Geese. "Our dear Seras is to be married, whatever will we do!"
"Who will serve us now?" Some of the men started to joke which caused her to shake her head. "I am not to be married, least of all to him." She spat out which caused the men to still. "He is Enrico Maxwell the richest man in the village. In fact I believe his family owns half the village." with that Seras moved from their table to continue to work.
It was near closing time and only a few of the Wild Geese remained in the tavern the rest had retreated to their rooms for the night. When the doors opened and a small boy ran in, stopping for a moment to look around before he ran to Seras and hid behind her skirt. Seras continued to sweep the floor as if the boy was not hiding behind her. A few moments later a group of boys came running into the tavern all stopping to look around. "Where is he." one boy stepped forwards obviously the leader of the group. Seeing that no one was answering him he knocked a chair over causing it to slam to the ground which made Seras and the Wild Geese look at them.
"I said where is he." Seras sighed and continued to sweep making sure that Kit could not be seen. "Wench I asked you a question." Seras froze turning her head to look at the boys "and why would I know where he is?" The larger boy stepped forwards "Because he runs to you all the time, Child of the Loon run to the English freak." the boys started to laugh.
The Wild Geese that were left froze at the comment the boy made and looked over to Seras and looked at the boy behind her, who was clutching her skirt clearly shaking. Pip narrowed his eyes at the boys bring his feet off the table, and pulling his hat down over his eyes, letting what was happening play out. Seras moved faster than they had expected. Sweeping the handle of her broom along the floor and knocked the leader of the boys to the ground before placing the handle at his neck. The rest of the boys quickly stopped laughing. "You are older than him by Ten years, I do not care if you are Enrico's brother. If I ever catch you bothering him again I will do more than knock you down. Am I understood." They watched as the boy slowly nodded before she let him up, the boys quickly ran from the tavern.
Sighing Seras turned around and knelt down and placed her hands on the boy's shoulders. The boy looked up at her with tears in his eyes. Giving him a soft smile she whipped his tears away before kissing him on the forehead. Standing up she picked him up and sat him on one of the tables before she went to pick up the chair that had been knocked over. "They called you a beast Seras, and they called Papa mean names to." The boy said causing Seras to look over at him, her eyes widened slightly when she found that Pip and the others had moved from their table to sit where Kit sat, obviously trying to make him feel better. Smiling at the sight she moved forward and knelt slightly so she was eye level with him, taking his hand into one of hers she raised the other one to brush his shaggy ginger hair out of his face, stopping when she saw a cut on his forehead, clearly from the boys. Standing up she walked over to the bar and reached over and pulled out a bag she kept hidden and a glass of water. Moving back over to Kit she knelt down again and opened the bag and pulled out a bandage and a cloth, dipping the cloth in the water she moved it to clean the cut. "Did you stand up to them Kit?" Seras stopped and placed the cloth down when he nodded his head. "I told them that you are sweet not a beast and that Papa is not those things and they pushed me and I hit my head, so I started to run here." Kit started to cry again. Placing the bandage on the cut she moved to whip his tears once more. "Sweet Kit, it was brave of you, i'm not mad that you stood up for me, nor do I think that your Papa will be either. Let me finish cleaning up and i'll take you home okay." Seeing him nod she stood up and pulled him into a hug before patting him on the head and moving to finish cleaning.
Pip and the Geese started at Seras as she stood with the handle of the broom to the boy's throat all impressed that she had moved that fast. Seeing that she had left the boy alone to pick up the chair, Pip stood up and walked over to the boy and patted him on the head and sat down beside him while the rest of the Geese followed and sat around the table. They watched a Seras cared for the boy and cleaned his cut, they smiled when she told him that he was brave for standing up for her. "Why do they call her such names?" One of the Geese spoke as they watched her clean. Kit turned his head to look at the man "It's because she's not from this town, and she's English." They looked at Kit and nodded. "And you and your father are not from this town either" Pip spoke, Kit looked at him and shook his head. "We moved here a year before Seras showed up. She and Papa became friends soon after she came here." They nodded their heads and continued to watch Seras. "Tell me Kit why do they call her Beast. She does not look like a Beast to me?" Pip asked as he watched her. Kit was quiet for a moment which caused the men to think that he wasn't going to answer or that he did not know.
"I don't know it just started on night but it could be because she breaks up any fight that she happens to see, and that she doesn't react to any of the names people call her, but it's probably because of the night she arrived in town. It was in the middle of the worst blizzard the town has ever seen and the mood was blood red, as well as her eyes. A few days later there was a fight in the tavern and she broke it up with a quick sweep of her broom." said a voice from beside them they turned their heads and saw a dark haired man with dirty work clothes. "PAPA!" Kit yelled and jumped off the table and ran at the man who smiled and caught the boy, while laughing. "Hello Kit"
Seras was quiet as she cleaned, despite how quietly they were talking, she could still hear them, and sighed. Maurice was wrong as to why they called her beast, not that she would tell them that. Hearing Kit yell Papa, she turned around and acted surprised. 'And Master said I fail at acting'
"Maurice? what are you doing here I was just about to bring Kit over." Seras said as she walked over to them. Maurice chucked as he placed Kit down and ruffled his hair. "Well I was heading home when I saw Renaldo and his friends running from the bar, I figured that Kit was here when I saw them." He noticed the bandage on Kits forehead when he looked down, kneeling down he brushed Kits hair out of the way. "It's just a scratch it'll heal up in a few days." Seras said from where she stood Maurice looked up and nodded his head. "What happened Kit?" Kit bit his lip and looked at his feet. "They called Seras and you mean names." Maurice gave a small smile "and you stood up for us," He saw Kit's nod and smiled "Thank you Kit." Kit looked up in surprise and smiled brightly when he saw the smile on his Papa's face.
Maurice, Pip and the Wild Geese stayed and talked to well past closing, Seras had taken Kit up to her room when he had fallen asleep. As she walked down the stairs she moved behind the bar and poured herself a glass of ale, and raised a brow when the Geese looked at her in shock. Maurice leaned back in his chair smiled. "There's a rumor going around town that you and Maxwell are getting married." Seras spit out her ale and looked over at him, as did the Wild Geese. "What the, I turned him down, does he not listen." They watched as Seras started to rant after a few moments Maurice started to laugh, Seras froze and turned around narrowed her eyes at him "I hate you right now. I hope you know that" that just caused Maurice to laugh harder.
Seras watched as Maurice carried Kit home before closing the doors and locking them. The place was empty except for her everyone had gone to their rooms when Maurice said that he was leaving, making her way to her room, she moved to the window, looking at the moon she sighed, something or someone was coming she could feel it in the wind, and it probably would not be good.