Berserk belongs to Kentaro Miura.
postscript: if there are word or grammatical errors, I apologize, I use a translator and an app to improve grammar. English is not my mother tongue
Lady Hawk Arc Chapter 2: The noble
She had been fighting and walking for two days since leaving the Godo mine. She chose to traverse the woods to avoid spirits possessing any bodies; she had witnessed one of those nights when one of those creatures took control of a corpse. Therefore, the best option was to avoid marked routes at night.
As she walked, she noticed a carriage in better condition than those typically seen. Perhaps a noble? The intriguing image of that vehicle made her hesitate, but a familiar sound drew her attention.
"Help me!" shouted a young voice.
Casca approached to investigate, finding a scene that felt all too familiar: a noble on top of a peasant woman, trying to assault her.
"Stop right there!" Casca exclaimed, causing the noble to turn his gaze towards her with an anger that would soon shift to lust.
"You should be ashamed, plebeian. You don't look so bad," the noble said, trying to belittle her.
Casca responded with a mocking smile. "Heh, I'd like to see you try."
The noble lunged at her, raising his left hand. Casca, with quick movements, grabbed his wrist and forcefully threw him to the ground.
"How dare you?!" exclaimed the noble as he attempted to rise and draw his sword.
Before he could land a blow, Casca grabbed the hilt with her right hand, pulled him close, and struck him in the knee, knocking the wind out of him. She then disarmed him, taking his sword to confront him. Looking down at him on the ground, her expression turned to disgust.
"Stubborn fool," she said, noticing a knife at his belt that she seized. "I've learned not to make it easy for people like you," she thought, remembering Adam.
Casca knelt beside the girl, who remained on the ground in shock. "Are you okay?"
Adrenaline began to fade, and the girl, in tears, rushed to embrace her with admiration in her eyes. "Whoa! That was incredible! You saved me!"
Casca weakly smiled. But suddenly, the noble rose, trembling with rage. The girl, terrified and with tears in her eyes, turned to Casca. "Please, do something. I don't want to go back with him."
Casca understood the gravity of the situation. "If you have something to protect, take this knife," she said, handing the girl the noble's knife.
The girl held the knife, trembling with fear. "I... I can't. You're the hero; I'm nobody."
Casca looked at her with a mix of sadness and warmth. "I'm nobody, just like you."
The noble lunged at them. The girl closed her eyes, raising the knife, trembling, only to let it go, tears falling. After a few moments, she opened her eyes to see the noble on the ground, dead, with the knife stabbed into his stomach.
She dropped the knife in shock, her hands shaking. Casca gently placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, giving her a slow nod. 'Maybe I could do for this girl what Griffith did for me…'
As the memory of the eclipse flooded her mind, Casca fell into a fetal position, hyperventilating. The girl rushed to her side.
"What's wrong? What's happening to you?" she asked, trying to help.
"No... it's nothing, just a scar," Casca replied as her breathing calmed down. She sat up again. "What's your name?"
"It's Cateline. And yours?"
"Casca."
Cateline looked at the knife she used to kill the noble and then at the lifeless body. She hugged her knees and began to cry, while Casca sat beside her in silence.
After a few minutes, when Cateline managed to calm down, Casca asked, "Did you know this man?"
"He... was a noble who passed through my village and bought me from my parents. He said he would give me a job as a servant. My parents seemed confused at first, but they couldn't feed us all. It was the only way for me to stay alive." Tears began to fill her eyes again. "They just wanted what was best for me, but now…" She started to cry again.
Casca's expression softened. "Where does your family live?"
"In a small village south of Midland."
Casca's eyes lit up. 'I must help this girl, and I might be able to get supplies along the way.'
She stood up and took the noble's sword and knife. "Well, it's not exactly close, but it's not far either. We should move before we waste the sunlight."
"What… what?".
Casca smiled warmly. "I'll take you back to your family, safe and sound."
Cateline's eyes filled with tears. "Really? Thank you, Miss Casca! I promise I'll repay you."
"There's no need," Casca replied, trying to hide her own regrets. "Just helping you is enough for me, although I might need your help in return."
Cateline was surprised. "How can you say that about yourself? When you saved me so bravely! You're a heroine!"
Casca smiled sadly. "I'm nothing, just a broken sword. I used to have a purpose, but now…" she trailed off, feeling the weight of her past.
"Miss Casca, it's okay if you don't want to say."
With a tired smile, Casca nodded. "I'm fine, don't worry." She stood up and started walking. "Let's go."
Cateline watched her as they walked along the path, thinking, 'She is very strong, yet so fragile at the same time.'
"Miss Casca."
"Yes?" she asked, turning to look at her.
"Could you… teach me how to fight?" she asked timidly.
"I'm not very good at being a teacher."
"Please! I want to be as strong as you."
Casca contemplated this. She partially wanted to help, but feared that if she continued, she'd have to face the spirits that haunted her.
"I can teach you a few things, but I don't think I'll be able to give you more."
Cateline's face lit up. "Thank you so much! Miss... I mean, Casca!" Casca offered her a small smile.
Cateline thought to herself, 'If you're a broken sword, then I'll be your shield. After all, you are my savior.'
They spent the day walking, stopping briefly to drink from streams and take breaks for food. Casca noticed the sun beginning to set.
"It'll be dark soon; we should set up camp. Would you like to practice with the knife?"
Cateline smiled eagerly at the thought of learning. "Yes, please!"
Casca removed the knife from her belt and handed it to Cateline. "It's yours now. Keep it with you at all times."
Cateline nodded vigorously while Casca drew her sword from its sheath. "Come when you're ready."
At first, Cateline was nervous, but she gathered her courage and charged at Casca. She shut her eyes as she tried to strike, but missed, dropping the knife and stumbling to the ground. She looked up, embarrassed. "I'm sorry; I've never used a weapon before."
Casca nodded in understanding. "Well, this is my first lesson: try not to close your eyes during a fight."
Cateline laughed nervously. "Yeah... that would help."
"Let's try again."
Cateline got up, took her knife, and charged again, keeping her eyes open while Casca deftly dodged her strikes. After several attempts, they stepped back to catch their breath.
"Ah... this is hard to handle. It's not heavy, but blocking your strikes hurts my wrist."
"Why don't you try loosening your grip a bit? It'll hurt less that way."
"Huh," Cateline said, examining her grip.
"The sun is setting; we should spend the night here."
"Sounds good."
Suddenly, Casca felt a pain in her chest, and the mark began to bleed.
"Casca... what is that?" Cateline asked fearfully.
Casca saw a bear with a deformed human face approaching, radiating malice.
"Get behind me. Did you want to train? Well, you'd better listen to me if you want to live."
Cateline complied, clutching her knife in fear. But seeing her hero standing firm, ready to face the beast, filled her with an indescribable courage.
'I promised to be your shield, and I will. Since you saved me, it's my turn now.'
Casca and Cateline charged at the bear. Casca focused on attacking one of its legs, while Cateline tried to strike its face. The combination of their attacks disoriented the creature, and as it staggered, Casca took the opportunity to deliver a lethal blow to its head, cutting it in half.
As they fought, Casca's spirit appeared to give them cover in a safe area. They battled through the night against possessed animals. Thanks to this experience, Cateline became Casca's shield, while Casca remained the broken sword that would continue to fight.