Once Upon A Time

Chapter 19

Erza smiled as she counted up all the gold coins she had successfully swiped. Her plan had worked perfectly. It had almost been too easy. Though she had to give props to that one guard who managed to figure out her fallen tree trick. Usually it took the other guards about an hour to see that it was a distraction. She pocketed the money into the satchel attached to her belt and started toward the house of a family she knew of. 

The man who lived there was called Alzack, a hard working blacksmith who had a wife and a young daughter. Recently the child had become very ill so the couple had been saving up all their money to buy her proper medicine. They had just saved enough when Princess Lucy's tax collector came by and stole every coin they had. The couple had tearfully begged on their knees for the tax collector not to take the money. Telling them that their daughter would surely die without it but the collector just cruelly laughed in their faces. Erza had witnessed this wicked display and would not allow such an act of injustice take place. 

She approached the house and knocked on the door. It was answered by Alzack's wife Bisca. 

"Hello Erza." She said. "May I help you?"

"Is your husband here?" Erza asked.

"No. He left. He went into town to see if he could find some better work. One that paid more."

"When he comes back tell him that he doesn't have to keep searching." 

"What do you mean?"

Erza then stuck her hand into her satchel and gave Bisca the exact amount of money that had been taken from her by the tax collector. The green haired woman couldn't help but be awestruck by the sight of gold.

"Where on earth did you get this?" She asked.

"The tax collector's coach."

"You stole it?"

"It's not stealing if it rightfully belongs to you. That man took more than what was required and he knew it. I hope I got the right amount that you needed."

Bisca counted the coins.

"Yes you did. This is just what we need to get Asuka's medicine."

"Good."

"Oh Erza I don't know what to say. Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome. But I better get out of here before someone sees me and snitches."

"Good luck to you Erza. My husband and I will both be praying for you."

The two women shared a friendly embrace and parted ways so Erza could return home unnoticed. She lived in a small cottage in the forest which had previously belonged to a woodcutter. He moved out and left it to no one so Erza decided to make it her new home. To some it wasn't much but to Erza it was perfect. Warm, safe, near to a stream of fresh water, fertile soil to start a garden, and hidden from Princess Lucy's guards. She had become sort of an outlaw recently so she had to start living a very discreet life. She only left the forest to rob the tax collector who would take an unfair amount of money from starving peasants. She would then give the money back and be on her merry way.

It was a simple life but a lonely one from time to time. She cherished the moments when she made a friend loyal enough to keep her whereabouts hidden from the princess like Alazack and his family. But sadly she couldn't stay and converse long for fear of getting them into trouble with her majesty. 

When she arrived back home she decided to rest for a moment and later in the afternoon she had a craving for strawberries. So she grabbed a basket and went into the woods to pick wild strawberries from a bush she knew that grew. It was very sunny and calm, a perfect day to be out walking and the bush she went to grew just a little ways from another village. It couldn't be seen due to the tall trees but it could be heard. She could hear people talking, going about their business, even having a few occasional festivities.