Summary: "But I require compensation" He growled, his eyes still on Rey's
"Of course! Anything!" Dathan was so grateful, he didn't even take his eyes off his beaming daughter
"A life for a life" The man growled, turning his eyes to Dathan "Well, actually, a life for 2 lives" The man amended, and Rey could swear she was amusement swimming in his eyes
"W-What?" Dathan asked, finally turning to face the man
"You will give me your healthy daughter" The man demanded and Rey froze. He wanted her? For her sister's and her baby's lives?
Hey! So it's been a while since I posted a story and I've had this in my Documents for ages and have finally gotten around to posting! This story is pretty much finished so I'm hoping to post weekly every Tuesday, so let me know what you think!
Chapter 1
The woods just beyond the village were known to be haunted. Not specifically by ghosts or spirits of the sort, but by monsters. Beasts. It was also known for its ingredients for magical remedies, and Dathan, the local baker, was desperate enough to venture into the woods for such a reason. For you see, his youngest daughter was with child at the tender age of 18, but she was sick. So very sick.
"Father please" The girl begged "You know the woods are too dangerous for you to go alone" Tears streaked down the girls sickly pale cheeks, her frail blonde hair catching them as they slipped off her cheeks
"My dear, sweet Elizabeth, you know I would do anything to keep you, and my grandson or daughter safe" The man sighed, taking his daughters face in his hands "I failed to save your mother, I will not fail to save you too" Matching tears started to streak down the older man's cheeks
"Father, what's happening?" A voice said from behind him, and both occupants turned to see the eldest daughter, age 23 stood in the doorway
"Don't fret my darling Rey. I need you to care for your sister while I am away" He said simply, before giving both his daughters kisses on the cheek, and grabbing his cloak, preparing all he would need for his journey
"Please come back safe" Rey sighed, walking over to help her father with his cloak
"Don't worry my ray of sunshine, I shall return, and your sister will be fine" He cupped her cheek, before he turned and fled the house, venturing into the woods.
"Do you think father will find what he's looking for? It is only a myth that it even exists" Elizabeth asked her older sister timidly
"If it exists, father will find it. I have hope" Rey sighed, trying to be supportive of her father, but she had her doubts
"You're surprisingly optimistic, usually you're the complete opposite" Elizabeth laughed, but started coughing almost straight away. Rey tended to her sister, helping her sit up, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth
"I have my moments" Rey chuckled, laying her sister down to rest
"And since when… Do you wear any of the dresses I got you? I thought you found them too formal?" Her sister refrained from laughing, choosing to take deep breaths after every other word instead
"Since my sister needs me, and what better way to make her smile?" Rey smiled down at the sister she loved dearly
"Thank you" Elizabeth sighed, before slipping into an easy sleep.
In the woods, merely a few hours later, Dathan was running for his life. He had managed to find the root that was but a myth. It hadn't been in the woods, but on the other side, where a big, daunting mansion was sat, withering away. He had assumed that nobody lived there, so he had simply taken out his knife, and cut out the root of the single plant in the many flower beds out the front of the mansion, quickly finding himself being chased down by a beast that came tearing out of the doors of the mansion at such speed that he had barely even registered it, before he was running, the root tucked safely in his bag. It was sheer luck that Dathan had managed to get away from the beast in the first place, he had zigzagged through trees and hidden behind a particularly large rock. When the beast had passed, he took of running again, finally reaching the edge of the forest.
The door slammed open, scaring Rey, and awakening Elizabeth
"Father!" Rey exclaimed, fleeing the room to greet her father
"I… I got it" He panted and produced the root, handing it to Rey
"Thank the lord" Rey breathed, holding back her tears. She was never one to let people see her weak. She took the root and ran to her sister's side "He got it Lizzie" A new set of tears sprang to Elizabeth's eyes, and she rubbed her ever growing stomach fondly
"It's a miracle" She breathed a sigh of relief, but it was short lived, as the door to their small house, was thrown open, almost coming off its hinges
"You took something from me, baker" A deep growl sounded through the house
"W-What? Who are you to barge into my house like this?" Dathan said back, and Rey rushed out to see what was happening, refusing to let her father deal with this alone.
What she saw stopped her in her tracks. There was a cloaked figure looming in the doorway. The figure was tall and broad. Much bigger than her stoutly father
"And who are you to simply walk into my gardens and steal from me?" The voice growled again
"Y-Your gardens?" Dathan stuttered on his words, taking a step back. Rey felt a presence behind her and gasped, drawing the attention of the men in the room
"Lizzie!" Rey exclaimed, grabbing her sister as she tried to make her way out of the room "You should be in bed. You're too weak" Rey scolded, but Elizabeth was determined to face whoever was disturbing their peace
"Ah. I see" The man said quietly
"Please sir, my daughter she is with child, and she is too sick to give birth when the time comes, which will be soon" Dathan begged, taking a step towards his daughters, Rey standing protectively in front of her sister, while holding her up
"Nevertheless, you stole from me" The voice was back to being aggressive as the figure stalked up to where the family was huddled in the bedroom doorway. The man had the bottom half of his face covered with a dark cloth, but Rey could see a set of dark narrowed eyes looking over them for a few seconds, before he spoke again "I will enchant that root to save your daughter, as it will not work without it" He said, motioning to the root that still sat in Rey's hand
"Thank you sir!" Dathan exclaimed, embracing his sick daughter, taking her from Rey, who stood tall, meeting the mans eyes as they fell on her
"But I require compensation" He growled, his eyes still on Rey's
"Of course! Anything!" Dathan was so grateful, he didn't even take his eyes off his beaming daughter
"A life for a life" The man growled, turning his eyes to Dathan "Well, actually, a life for 2 lives" The man amended, and Rey could swear she was amusement swimming in his eyes
"W-What?" Dathan asked, finally turning to face the man
"You will give me your healthy daughter" The man demanded and Rey froze. He wanted her? For her sister's and her baby's lives?
"What? No! What's the matter with you?!" Dathan cried, trying to take Rey's hand, but she turned to her father
"Its okay, father" Rey said confidently, though she felt like she would collapse inside
"Rey, please don't do this" Elizabeth cried from within her father's arms
"I must Lizzie. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you or your baby. He is giving us a reasonable chance to save you both, and I won't turn away from such a chance" Rey could feel the tears threatening to slip down her cheeks, but she pushed them back. She had to be strong for her father and sister
"Rey, we'll find another way-" Her father started, but she quickly cut him off
"You know there is no other way, we have searched for months. I shall go with him and you shall save Lizzie and the baby, and think of me often. You never know, I may find a way back to you one day" She smiled sadly and embraced her father and sister quickly, before she turned to the man, who had simply stood and watched the whole ordeal, leanign against the door, making his presence in the small house, very much known. She turned and entered the room beside the one her sister was residing in, choosing to gather her things in the small suitcase she had always dreamed of using to travel the kingdom with.
"I am ready" She said to the man, who simply stared at her a moment, before he waved his hand at the root, which started glowing a faint purple. He then waved his hand again and Rey's bag disappeared, but she said nothing
"Crush the root to a fine powder and mix it with goats milk and honey. Then she drinks it" He said simply, then he turned on his heel and stomped out of the house. Rey gave one last look to her family, before she followed him out, grabbing her cloak from the hook by the door as she went.
She approached where the man was standing by a horse. He held his hand out to help her onto it, but she brushed past his hand and climbed up onto the horse herself. She heard the man scoff, before he climbed on behind her, taking the reins. The last thing Rey saw were the silhouettes of her father and sister as they watched her go from the doorway.
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