Leaving Loiselle

[Lily]

It began with screaming.

Lily was unhappy. Her playmate had disappeared without a word. Lily did not like it when her playmates disappeared. It made her grouchy.

When the servant had told her 'no', Lily had voiced her disagreement. When the servant forgot her place and laid her hands on the "unruly child" is when the real screaming began.

...

"Mistress Lily, it's time for your bath! Now be a good girl and come here!"

"No! I want to know where PJ is! Why doesn't PJ come to see me? Take me to her right now!" The girl stamped her foot impatiently and crossed her arms defiantly.

The burly woman sighed angrily. "I told you already! Mistress PJ has left the castle! And you are supposed to take your bath now! Stop being a willful child and come here!" The woman, on her knees beside a tub that had been filled with hot water, gestured impatiently at Lily. "Don't make me come fetch you!"

"NO! I won't! You can't make me! I want to see PJ, NOW!" Lily had a dangerous glint to her eye.

"Wretched child! Come here this minute!" The woman struggled to her feet and stepped towards Lily.

"No! Don't touch me! You aren't allowed to touch me unless I say!" Lily moved away from the woman.

The maid, exasperated and fed up, lunged closer, her hand clutched at Lily's arm. Lily screamed in anger. "Let me go!"

"Bad child! You come here right now!"

"You're going to be sorry!" Lily stood fast, face defiantly turned to the woman, her eyes had gone dark and cold. Her voice took on an unnatural quiet, "I said, do not touch me". The maid drew back alarmed. The voice was not that of the child.

The maid, overcome with a sudden dread, did not sense the approach of the armored knight that was never far from the child. At least not until the metal gauntlet grabbed her and hurled her away like a ragdoll. The maid screamed as she flew halfway across the room. She landed in a crumpled heap that sobbed in pain.

The doors to the suite crashed open as guards who maintained a post outside heard the commotion and burst in. Their hands reached for their swords even as the black knight moved towards them with uncanny speed despite the heavy armor. The guards found their weapons of little use against the knight, whose giant black sword swept through theirs.

At the touch of the evil blade, the guardsmen's swords froze and shattered into metal splinters. A second sweep of the blade caught one guard, cleaving through his arm and well into his chest. The knight ripped the sword backwards, letting the guard's corpse slipped to the ground.

The second guard balked and retreated in panic. The black knight marched on him, the giant sword swinging. A scream echoed down the hall.

The maid, groggy and in pain, lurched onto her hands, trying to push herself off the floor. The child was there, her face twisted in an angry, hateful expression. "I told you not to touch me." A long knife in the girl's hand flashed in the firelight and the maid screamed one final time.

...

In short order, the castle guard responded to the commotion. Guardsmen, struggling into their armor and running out of their barracks in confusion, sought the source of the screams. At first their gaze turned to the walls, looking for some sign that an enemy was attacking the castle itself.

It was not long before the source of the screaming became clear. A black armored figure, followed by a little girl that walked as calmly as if taking an afternoon stroll, approached the front gate. The girl was splattered in blood, which stood in stark contrast to the bright cheerful dress she wore. The knight's armor gleamed black save where gore and blood splatte had colored it. The knight's sword swung left and right, with murderous efficiency carving down any guard that got in the way of their sojourn to the gate. A sergeant of the guard took command, ordering the men back and into a defensive line that did not lay directly in the path of the knight or the girl.

Five men lay dead or wounded on the courtyard grounds before the odd pair reached the gate. The guards stood cautiously away, unsure how to handle the situation. The girl was known to be a guest of their master.

For their part, the pair did not pause. The knight struck at the gate with his sword. The dark blade buried itself into the hard wood and became stuck. The guards considered this their chance to approach, raised their spears, and readied to move forward en masse, but a signal from the wall held them back.

A moment later a tremble went through the gate. A loud creak was followed by a wrenching twist as the wood warped and split apart as if seeking to escape the tainted blade. Splinters of wood showered the air and the gateway stood open.

The little girl skipped through the open gateway while the black knight recovered the sword and turned a baleful gaze back at the collected guards. Several guards involuntarily stepped backwards, unprepared to engage the formidable presence.

The knight stepped through the shattered gate and followed after the girl. Their forms retreated into the distance as the guardsmen stood back, watching them go.

...

On the wall, the captain of the guard observed the retreating pair. A complement of guards manned various weapons, including an arbalest trained on the knight. Before the captain could give an order to fire, their master spoke. "No. Let them go."

The captain turned back to Arithon. "Milord?"

The manor's lord shook his head. "I doubt you'd do more than succeed in pissing him off, and, perhaps worse, you might piss her off."

A suprised look crossed the captain's features, "the girl?"

Arithon leaned out over the crenallations of the wall. "Aye, the girl. She's much more than she seems. And it would be best not to align ourselves against her just yet."