Shadow Knight (Book One)

The Little Girl

The girl appears to be no more than seven or eight years old. She is naked, save for a few tattered pieces of cloth that are wrapped around her waist, and she is utterly covered in grime from head to toe. Her long, dark hair cascades down her back. Crawling out of the forest on all fours, she keeps her feet close to her head, her large, fearful eyes looking up at us.

Instantly, Finn and I sheath our swords, and I drop to a crouch. "Hello. Are you lost?" I ask her.

She remains mute, her gaze fixed on me, her head subtly tilting to one side.

"Do you know where your parents are?" I pose another question, feeling Finn gradually retreat towards Clio to rummage through his saddle bag.

Instead of a response, she growls softly at me, maintaining unwavering eye contact. There's an uncanny quality about her that sends a shiver down my spine. Ridiculous. She's just a child.

Finn rejoins us, squatting next to me with a handful of fresh berries. "Are you hungry? Here, take some," he offers gently.

Despite a second snarl, she crawls towards us and snatches the berries from Finn's hand, gobbling them up in one swift bite. Swiftly, she retreats, her gaze riveted on us.

"How did she end up here? She's clearly not from our village, and there are no other settlements for at least a hundred miles," I ponder aloud.

"Judging by her appearance, she's been living in the wild for most of her life," Finn replies. "But we can't just abandon her here."

"Absolutely not," I agree. "But something tells me she isn't going to come with us willingly. She appears more beast-like than human." The red berry juice smeared around her mouth eerily mirrors blood. Her gaze flickers between Finn and me as we converse.

Finally, I reach into my saddle bag and pull out a length of rope.

"Iris, you can't just tie her up," Finn protests, aghast.

"Well, you can try to persuade her to come willingly, but if that doesn't work, we can't just leave her here to fend for herself."

"We have to try," he insist, before turning his attention back to the wild girl. "We won't hurt you. Come with us."

Rather than accepting our offer, the girl lets out a piercing scream that echoes through the silent woods. Panic flares in her eyes and she scrambles to her feet, darting away with surprising speed.

"She's running!" I shout and we both sprint after her. She's fast and nimble, but we're fueled by desperation.

After a heart-pounding chase, Finn manages to loop the rope around her waist. She fights like a wildcat, clawing and biting, but we manage to secure the rope. Her screams are gut-wrenching, but we remind ourselves that this is for her own good.

Finn scoops her up and carries her, still thrashing and wailing, towards our horses. "Easy, easy," he murmurs, though his words do nothing to calm her.

He lifts her onto the back of his horse, securing the rope around her waist and the saddle. Her screams slowly subside into whimpers and she glares at us with pure hatred.

"We didn't want to do it this way," I tell her, my voice heavy with regret. "But we can't just leave you here. You're safe now."

As we mount our horses and ride away, taking the wild girl with us, I can't help but feel a pang of guilt as I hear her cries echo the woods. Yet, deep down, I know we've made the right choice.

As we enter the village, it comes as no surprise that the cries of the young girl instantly gather the attention of the villagers. Relieved, I notice that the other Shadow Knights are also unharmed, standing alongside us.

"Oh gods, that's a child!" Venus exclaims. "Why is she bound?"

"Because she's uncontrollable," I respond. "We stumbled upon her in the woods, and leaving her behind was not an option. However, persuading her to come with us proved to be quite challenging."

"The poor girl is terrified, and who can blame her?" Venus rushes towards Finn's horse and gently cradles the girl in her arms, carefully placing her on the ground to untie the ropes.

"I wouldn't advise doing that," Finn mutters, but it's too late. The girl manages to break free from the ropes and immediately launches an attack on Venus.

"Told you so," Finn remarks, swiftly dismounting from Clio and restraining the girl, allowing Venus to secure her once again.

The girl is still thrashing, snarling like a rabid animal, but Finn holds her firm. Venus gives him a disapproving look but doesn't argue further. She carefully loops the rope around the girl again, binding her hands and feet.

The villagers watch with wide eyes and I can see the shock and confusion on their faces. We must look like monsters to them, but they don't understand the situation.

"Look, we didn't want to do this," I explain to the crowd. "But this girl was alone in the woods. She's wild, doesn't seem to understand our language, and she won't let anyone near her without a fight."

"What are you going to do with her?" one of the villagers asks, eyeing the girl with a mix of fear and pity.

"We'll take care of her," Venus replies, her voice soft and motherly. "We'll teach her our ways, make sure she's fed and clothed. She won't be tied up forever, just until she calms down and understands we won't hurt her. I'll take her home with me and seeing my children might help."

I look at the kicking and screaming girl and lock eyes with Finn. I knew we are both full of doubt and hope someone can help her.