Captured
Author's Note: Flashback time! Something to fill in as I think of plots.
As a rule, Susan despised being taken captured.
It had never happened to her, of course, but there had been a few close calls. And having rescued a few girls as a Queen in the old times, she knew that those girls who had been captured never came back whole. No, they usually became broken people. People that would never fully come back to their usual self.
There was one in particular that she remembered.
It had been an unusually good afternoon out, and she remembered feeling exhausted as she was on her way back to the castle. It was towards dusk, just her and Lucy, when she had heard a small cry from behind a few large bushes to her left.
"Did you hear that?" Susan said.
"What?" Lucy looked over at Susan, concerned.
"That peculiar little cry."
"Susan, it's been a long day..."
"No, I swear it isn't me, promise!"
Susan dismounted, crept quietly towards the bush, and drew her dagger, despite Lucy's protests. Susan waved a hand effusively, trying to end her noises.
The rustling had stopped by then, of course, but Susan could hear a deep voice shushing whispered protests and pleas. Still, she kept on. Through the leaves she could see the glimpses of a rough, dark man, and patches of fair skin. When she was just on the other side of the bush, she realized she could go no further.
She stabbed.
As always, she was surprised at how much strength it took her. Indeed, the dagger merely glanced off a rib, and though the man shouted in surprise, she knew she had only moments left until she lost the edge.
She stepped forward again, thrust upwards this time. An underhand strike, upwards, broke through, and twisted: the man screamed in pain, and another girlish cry let loose as well. Susan tried not to lose her grasp. She pulled on the dagger again, releasing it's grip on the man.
As the man's cries receded into the arms of the Death, Susan stepped around on the bush.
She had to force herself not to gasp.
There lay a young girl, only a year younger than Lucy, and Susan had to restrain herself from crying out in fear that it was Lucy. Gently, she wiped her dagger on the grass, and tucked it into her belt again, keeping eye contact on the little girl. Her eyes had widened as Susan cleaned it, but other than that, she made no move.
Susan crept gently towards her, wincing when the girl pulled back.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," she whispered. "That man...he's gone. He won't come back. I promise."
Susan waited until the girl had nodded to move forward again. She gathered the girl into her arms, carried her to the horses.
"Your safe, I promise," Susan said again.
Again, the girl nodded. "What's your name?" she whispered.
"My name is Susan. What's yours?"
"Darnay," the girl said. Her eyes were already closing as Susan lifted her up on the saddle.
"Darnay, did the man...?"
"No," Darnay whispered, and suddenly, she was out, fast asleep.