The Horned Child of Reaver and Baroness

IN THE BEGINNING

The master crafted two legendary swords. Reaver and Baroness. One left-handed and one right-handed. Both weapons were wielded by one man, who went on to save the mortal realm. Upon his death, the swords were passed down to his children. Reaver to his right-handed daughter and Baroness to his left-handed son.

Despite his heroic heritage, the son became a farmer, but the daughter sought to become a hero, like her father before her.

Not long after, the daughter went missing, but her sword was recovered in the mountains months later next to a corpse that seemed to be there for years and a horned baby.

Both the sword and the baby were brought to the son who'd look after the child for the next twenty years. This story- my story starts here.

"Hey uncle Noah, I'm done with my chores!" I call into the house before removing my boots and entering. "You said we'd continue sword practice If I finished early."

"Sure, but did you lock up the sheep?" He called from the kitchen.

"Of course I did."

"Then why is Millie playing with one in the living room?"

"Because she's a brat." I made my way to the living room to find my little cousin riding on the back of a small sheep, giggling like the little girl she is. "Listen here, pipsqueak. Get off the sheep."

"No!" Her protest was to be expected. "She's not a sheep, she's my horsy." Millie had a habit of stealing away some of the smaller animals to play with when no one was paying attention.

"Oh yeah, where is your horsey taking you, then?"

"On an adventure! Just like grandpa."

"He was an adventurer, wasn't he?" I picked her up and put her on my shoulders. "How about we go on an adventure instead?"

"Yay!" She grabbed onto my horns and we bolted out of the house together. "What about my horsy?"

"Don't worry, she's right behind us." I turned around and began walking backward. The sheep was close behind. Animals would always follow me wherever I went, but they'd never get too close unless I stick around them for long enough. Sheep were no exception. At first, I thought it was because they saw me as a vulnerable little girl, but as I grew older, I knew better. It was my horns. Whatever it is about them, they attracted animals of all kinds.

I never got bullied for my horns, but that was probably because I'm the only one who could get the local dogs in town to stop chasing students running late for school.

"The horsy is following us! Yay!" Millie is always excited to see my little trick in play. I took us to the sheep pen and ushered the little sheep in without difficulty.

"Ok, let's get back to the house." After getting into the house, I sat Millie down next to her toys. "Uncle Noah, I put up all the sheep!"

"Did you clean your feet before coming back in?" I looked at my feet. They were caked in dirt with a trail leading to them from outside.

"Damn it," I whispered a curse.

"Language young lady." He was still in the kitchen. How could he hear me?

"How do you always know?"

"I just do."

I went back outside and cleaned my feet with the water hose and found the mop to get the tracks in the house. After finishing, I found uncle Noah and Millie in the kitchen. Uncle Noah was just chopping up some garlic to add to a boiling pot of venison.

"Smells like deer. Is Aunt Mia coming home today?" My mouth began watering, and I swallowed hard.

"Yay, mommy home, mommy home, yeah!" Millie was excited.