Blackened Heart

He laughs. "Oh, no. Not after what you did to me. I'm going to make you wish you hadn't." He held her arm tighter. "Maybe we'll have a bit of fun." He presses the dagger to her throat.

She trembles in fear, was it really gonna end like this? She was scared to move as she had a dagger up to her throat, she could do nothing but stand in terror as the fiend just had his way with her.

Even as he began to move his hand along her body, he was halted, the piercing sound of steel being drawn putting a stop to his immediate intentions. He looked up, still holding her. "Eh wha? Who's ere?"

She had opened her eyes as she had heard the sound as well, she looked at and her eyes widened as she had seen who it was, she tired to get out of the brutes grasp while he was distracted.

Lasche stood at the enterance of the clearing, Zander's sword in hand. His pale eyes fixated on his opponant's. "Might want to let her go." He smiled, tilting his sword. "My piece of metal is bigger than your's."

The man threw Melina to the ground. "Little punk, tough words from a souless whelp. Where is your mother, little boy? Somewhere dead in a ditch no doubt!" He laughed cruelly.

Lasche motioned with his off-hand for Melina to stay put. He brought his guard up, dropping into stance.

She was in shock as she had seen the boy up and about, defending her from this brute that was in front of her, she blinked as her eyes widened as she more surprised that the boy would help her, after last night he wouldn't even trust her. She could do nothing but watch as him and the brute face off.

Lasche raised his sword over his head, then ran at the man, yelling. The man swung at Lasche's head, who expertly rolled under it, stabbing the falchion deep into the man's midsection. The man's eyes widened from both shock and pain as he choked and gasped his last few deaths before passing. Blood seeped down the blade, and onto Lasche's arms, though his grim snarling expression did not change as the liquid found it's way onto his skin. With an extra push, the man fell off of the blade, landing, dead, on his back, dagger still clenched tightly in his grasp, eyes wide open.

Lasche stood, sighing in relief. "Phew... damn that was close..."

She looked at the boy, standing in front of her as she was shocked. "Y-You saved me, thank you."

"Don't stand there with your mouth open like I did something crazy. We're even now, ok?" He yawned. "Now hurry up, back to the house, I'm tired as hell." He walked over to her. It was odd seeing him like that. Sword drawn, bloody hands, and at the same time, he appeared just as he had before. A boy. He seemed, darkly enough, completely unnaffected by what he had just done. He had struck the man, without hesitation, without resentment, and killed him, in cold blood, but was still the same child he had been.

She sees his hands covered in blood but she tries to shake it out of her mind. "Y-Yes...l-lets go back..." She starts to walk back on the trail back to the house.

Lasche picked up the man's daggerm prying it from his hands. "Won't be needing this anytime soon." He chuckled. He walked behind Melina, wiping off Zander's sword with some leaves he had found. "It is a good thing I came along, or who knows what that creep would have done."

She nods. "Yes, thank you so much, I'm glad you came, and I'm glad you feel better." She smiles.

He chuckled. "I don't feel much better, to be honest. About passed out from running. It's a good thing I tripped, or I would have got stabbed right in the head." He laughed heartily, shaking his head. "Good thing that guy is not alive, or he would be embarrassed, haha!"

She smiles slightly but not much, they make it back to the house as she takes the sheets off the couch he was sleeping on and puts them in a hamper. "If you want, you can stay in the guest bedroom...I doubt Sir Zander will be coming back..." She looks down a bit and sighs to herself.

He scratches his head. "Oh? And why is that?"

Well, it's a long story, but to make it short, my brother and him got into a fight, and Zander stormed out of the bar...I doubt he is coming back..." She sighs.

He shrugs. "He's gotta come back for his sword. Maybe you can try to patch up things with him then." He pointed up the stairs, that way to the guest bedroom?"

She nods. "Yes, it is down the hall on the right side, and...I do hope he does so I can talk to him."

He handed her the sword. "Here." He began walking up the stairs. "Now, I need some sleep."

She looks at him as he handed her the sword. "A-Are you sure you don't need any help with the bed?"

He looked back at her. "Afraid to face him alone, and stalling so I have to be there too, huh?"

She looks at him for a moment, then she looks down. "No...it's not that it's just..." She shakes her head. "N-Never mind, goodnight." She walks back down the stairs as she sits on the couch and lays the sword next to her."

He shrugged, turning, walking back up the stairs. "Whatever..."

It would be only a few more minutes before someone would knock on the door.

She gets out from the couch as she opens the door to see who it was.

Zander looks at her, the warm smile he usually greeted her with not present. He simply held out his hand. "I beleive you have something of mine."