"Excuse me," She called to the handsome man as she approached the odd-looking pair. She stopped a few paces away and glared at him, noticing his features were more chiseled and defined in the sunlight.
He stood a bit taller as if he owned the town...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Luke moved down the street before the sun had the chance to enter the sky. The sound of a quiet yelp caught his attention, and he moved toward the wall of trees that surrounded the town, "Help." The woman's exhausted voice muttered once more. He turned to see her thin figure resting at the roots of a large oak tree. Her blonde hair was knotted in a braid and loose strands fell in front of her eyes as she scrambled toward him, begging, "Please, help me."
He jogged forward, helping the woman to her feet and allowing her to hold his shoulder, "What is your name?" He asked her almost immediately, "Where are you from?" He asked in a rush as he moved slowly toward his shop.
"My name is Olivia Barrett. I'm from the northern village," She said with a broken voice, calling once more, "Please, help me." Her legs collapsed and Luke lifted her into his arms, "We were attacked," She cried as he held her securely in his arms, moving toward his shop.
He placed her down on the couch and she spoke again, telling him, "I've been walking for days."
"You're lucky to have survived," He said to her, noticing the bumps and bruises on her arms as he moved toward his shop, saying, "I'll do what I can to help."
He bandaged her arms and cleaned the slight scrapes on her legs. Washing the ash and soot from her face – She looked like a completely new person.
"My name is Luke. I arrived here on similar circumstances," He soothed the woman, mentioning his village and the invaders, "They stole everything from me." She gently nodded, watching him closely as he bandaged the cut on her shin, "Did you happen to see who they were?"
"I couldn't," She said as his dark eyes glanced up at her, "It was too dark and they were hidden by the coats they wore." Her voice was in a panic, her eyes terrified by the situation, "I did everything I could to help my family, but --."
"It isn't your fault," He said with a calming smile, telling her, "We can't control the actions of others."
"I don't have any money," She cried as he handed her a pastry, asking, "How am I to survive?"
"I will provide you with a start," He said, adding with a shrug, "It won't be much, but I'm sure the owner of the tavern will be willing to provide a room at his inn."
"I should have died," She cried, her heart pounding in her chest as she shut her eyes tightly, "I should have surrendered to those cowards."
"Don't fret, love," He told the beautiful woman, saying, "You survived, and that's what matters." -
The sun began to rise and Luke glanced out of his shop to see the hunter and his companion leaving the stables. He turned to face the woman, "Allow me to show you around," He said to her, adding, "This village is quite simple, but interesting in history."
"Are you sure it is safe to stay here?" She asked nervously as she sipped from a glass of water.
"The people of this village are willing to fight for their kingdom," He told her proudly, adding, "We will be protected here."
