The knock at the door sounded as subtle as a tree falling on this quiet night. A stranger stood at the door, clothed in skin tight leather with a dark red tint like blood from the sole of his shoes, to the crest of the hood that hid his face. The only one awake at the time, the maid of the household, first went to calm the crying child in the living area. Her name was Alyssa, her blonde hair tied in a tight bun above her nightgown. She was forced into marriage with the man in the house, still snoring away in his personal bedroom. The man, Buss, would stand at 6' when awake, his black beard using sideburns to connect it with the hair on his head.
Alyssa put the young boy back in the wooden crib and walked to the door that began to knock again. She opened the door and the brisk November air if the night rushed in, but that wasn't why she was chilled. Before her stood the dark red silhouette, completely silent. "Who are you...what's your business here?" Alyssa questioned, though she had her suspicions.
"My name is none of your concern, Milady. But my business..." He slid a dagger from a sheath behind him, with the satisfying hiss of steel against leather. "The Red Devils are her-" He never finished his sentence, due to the door slamming against his face. The Redman stumbled back, holding his bleeding nose. "Damn! You little whore..." He threw himself against the door multiple times, eventually breaking the restraints holding it closed.
Alyssa rushed back to her child after throwing the door closed. She took the nameless infant and rushed to her wardrobe, wrapping him in a sweater and laying him in the corner of the small cabinet. "Do not fear, child...mommy will be back soon..." She closed the wardrobe door and rushed to the back exit just as the front door burst open. She threw herself against the door, breaking through and landing on the cold, hard ground. Driven by her motherly instinct, she pushed herself to her feet and ran towards the castle walls, a little ways away, screaming- "Guard! Guard of Caldon, HELP!!" The two guards at the kingdom's entrance both threw a glance at the other before running to the maid. As the two guards began to get closer to her, she began to stumble and struggle to meet them. One of the guards tossed his shield aside, while the other drew his sword. "Milady! What is your hardship!?" She did not reply, but instead began to fall forward.
Unhindered by his shield, the one guard slid on his back and rear, catching the maiden on his chest. He stared a moment at the knife that pierced her back, then to her face. "M-Milady...?"
She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks and onto his chainmail. "M-my child...a...a baby...in the wardrobe... T-the woman's wardrobe..." She lifted her hand in the direction of her cabin, pleading with the guard. "P-please..." The guard understanding immediately, looked up to his companion. "Eren, there's a child in her wardrobe! A baby!" The guard named Eren nods and ran off in the pointed direction while the other tried to tend to the maiden.
Eren pushed the door open slowly with the tip of his sword, shield held in front of him if needed as he creeped in the cabin, silent except for the creaking of the floorboards. He roamed the house, convinced there was no one else in the cabin until he remembered the directions. "The wardrobe..." His voice barely a whisper, he approached the wardrobe with the name "Alyssa" hand carved into the round crest. He slowly pulled the door open and looked down at the small baby wrapped in a sweater. The guard smiled slightly and clasped his shield to a ring on his back, along with sheathing his sword. He kneeled down and gently picked up the boy and held him to his chest. Rising and drawing his dagger in case the assassin to be rid of loose ends, he left the house. Seconds after leaving, a slight whistle whispered behind him and dropped to his knees on instinct, holding the child close. Not a second after, he was pushed forward with a blunt Thunk, and fell forward slightly. He rose and rushed back to the other guard. "I have the child! The assassin is tailing me!" They both carried their persons into the castle walls and to the nearest building.
Alyssa was pronounced dead, minutes after entry, and the room fell silent. Eren sighed and turned to leave, until his comrade spoke up. "Eren, you have something in your shield..." He walked over and with a bit of effort, pulled a knife from the shield similar to the one that had killed Alyssa. Eren merely shook his head and left the building, roaming around the town, more or less talking to himself. "Child...your mother had passed, your father is nowhere to be found..." He whispered as he approached the town's orphanage, The Maiden's Folly. "Odd name, I've always thought..." He knocked roughly on the door.
"Abuscus! Open up, Guard of Caldon!" The door was quickly opened by a shorter man who was called Abuscus. He was probably 10 inches above 5 feet, with short orange, curly hair. "Y-yes, sir?" He studdered. The Guard marched inside and handed him the boy. "He just lost his mother tonight...his father is missing..." Abuscus took the boy gently. "Oh, no...its alright, sir, I'll take him." Eren nodded. "As you should." He walked out of the orphanage and closed the door behind him.
Abuscus sighed and a deeper voice behind him piped up. "Thank you, Abuscus." The ginger turned to the man with the black hair and beard. "Are you sure about this, Buss? He is your son..." Buss only laughed and unclipped his dagger from his belt, tossing it to Abuscus. "I'm sure, and here is your payment." Abuscus looked down at the gift that had landed in his free hand. "A dagger, Buss...?"
"Aye, Abuscus. A Damascus Steel dagger. Sharper and stronger than just regular steel." Abuscus hesitated, glancing between the dagger and Buss. "Just for watching your son?" Buss smiled, but not in the inviting way. "No. When he is of legal age as an adult, you will kill him with it."
((Author's note: Hello! I'm pleased to know that you read the first chapter of the story, but I know its a bit rusty. It's my first story, so go easy on me, will you? If you have any tips or ideas for the story, feel free to message me. I love to hear feedback from the community. Cheers!))
