Her Warrior

Chapter 1

I slid along the wall, making no noise with my sword at the ready. My head cocked, listening for any slight noise. I lunged into the last room searching for any of the Crusaders.

None. I let out a breath and turned back to clear with Ryder when I heard it. A whimpering sound.

I raised my sword and heard it again. It was coming from the bed, I padded toward it.

I crouched near the end and glanced under the bed. A small child was curled up under the bed, I sighed.

"Kid, come out. I'm not going to hurt you." I said, gruffly.

The child shook their head and whimpered again, I groaned with frustration.

"Seriously, I don't hurt kids. Now come out." I said.

The kid cautiously slid out from under the bed, it was a girl. She had dark curly hair with bright blue eyes, she looked about ten years old. In a few years she would be a beautiful woman.

"What's your name, kid?" I asked standing.

"Asa." She murmured.

"I'm Trystan. Where are your parents?"

Asa's jaw quivered and she looked down at her feet. The dirty dress she wore needed a washing weeks ago.

"My parents are dead." Her sweet and innocent voice shot right to my heart.

"Mine are dead too." My voice broke and her blue eyes shot to mine.

I slid my sword back into its sheath, and offered Asa my hand. She hesitantly took it and I walked down the hallway to try and find Ryder.

He was in a back room tying a girl up, she looked almost identical to Asa but about ten or so years older.

Ryder looked up when I walked in, his eyes widened slightly when he saw me holding a child.

His head snapped back to look at the girl, well I couldn't really call her a girl since you could definitely tell she had large breasts and curves in all the right places.

"I thought you said that there was no one here but you." Ryder spat at her.

She flinched at his tone and her gaze landed on Asa, her face sagged as she realized that her younger sister had been found.

"I thought I was the o-only one here." She stuttered.

I cocked my head at her, Ryder growled and turned back to me with a question in his eyes.

"We'll take them both back to camp. The older one goes with me and the younger one can go with Lucia. They both need new clothes and a bath with a good meal." I decided.

Ryder's eyes widened when he heard the part about me taking the older one, I could see that he'd wanted her. But there was no way in hell that I was going to let him have her so that he could take advantage of her.

I kept hold of Asa's hand and nodded at Ryder to get the older girl up off of the ground.

I walked throught the winding halls to find the exit, I started the trudge back to camp still holding Asa's hand.

"Trystan?" I heard Asa's little voice ask.

I looked back at her and said, "Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

I sighed, "I'm taking you back to my camp, there's a lady there that's going to take care of you for a little while. I want you to trust her, alright?"

Asa looked up at me with those baby blue irises twinkling.

"Will I get to see you?" She asked softly.