182

The little one continued onwards.

Her body heavy, her throat dry, her stomach rumbling. Her legs tired, her feet sore and her boots desperately required maintenance. The girl afraid of losing her way travelled through multiple types of terrain. Rocks, sand, mud, hills, woods and the far plains that stretched further than her eyes could see.

Upon reaching another river. The girl set up a small campfire. Boiling the water, she teared off a piece from her boots, boiling it. She didn't know how long she had to cook it for, but her hunger was making her extremely anaemic. When the leather was soft enough, without hesitation, she ate.

Having sated her starvation, she curled up and slept. Ignoring the noises of the night.

When she awoke exactly at dawn. The sunlight filling her cold bones with warmth. She found herself to be surrounded by three goblins. In hand, she had the little iron pot and a wooden spoon. She wondered if this was as far as she would go. That her quest north to reunite with her father was simply impossible.

If the gods were real, why would they place such a trial upon her. For what has she done to incur such wrath?

The green goblins were completely naked. Their man-hoods dangling around their skinny legs. Since they were in position, ensuring their prey wouldn't escape. The three lunged forward, ignoring the blows from her dainty hands and her pot. They grabbed her limbs and pushed her back down into the ground.

Her fears ruined her mind, were they about to eat her live? Or rape her? What did she do to deserve this suffering.

After she had stopped resist, and gave up on all hope. She found that rather than the greedy snickering and laughter the goblins were emitting. She was met with silence. She peered open her eyes to see arrows lodged into their bodies.

And it was then that great pain shot through her mind. Glancing down closer to herself, there was an arrow lodged into her thigh. What little blood left she had in her was quickly leaking.

"Oh shit! Alex quick!"

"Gel you fucker! Aim before you shoot!"

A party of adventurers quickly surrounded her. Ripping her bottoms of her body to expose the injury. She didn't know what they were doing but after another moment of intense pain, the arrow had been removed. A woman was now gently stitching the wound shut before bandaging it.

"I'm sorry about that, the new guy has shitty aim. I'll beat his ass for you later... My name is Mel, what's yours?" 

The little one didn't talk much, afraid of receiving more pain, she acted just as she would back in the village. She stayed quiet. When she showed them the note, they nodded and decided to take her with them.

The party had just finished their scouting mission. Imagine their surprise to find a human girl out in the middle of nowhere. However, because of the prior goblins, they figured she must've been kidnapped. Luckily for her, their base was located in the capital of the human kingdom. 

During the travel back, due to the arrow injury. The little one experienced a fever of her own. The wound had become infected, because of this, she didn't remember much of the journey at all. Mostly fading in and out of consciousness, being carried by the men as they took turns feeding her soup.

When her health miraculously picked back up, she had found herself in Einhoren. Joys of tears streamed down her cheeks, as she realised there was hope for her. The chance to have a loving family, her father in which she'd always imagined would shower her with love and care no doubt!

Before she could ask for help from the party. They had already been sent elsewhere, another mission forced upon them. Now left under the care of a single man who managed the guild house. She asked him for help. This man didn't care much for her, in his eyes, she was simply a street urchin picked off somewhere from the sewers.

He was quick to kick her out, and when his guild members returned, he would simply tell them she decided to leave.

Thrust back into an unknown world alone. She walked upon the clean paved roads of Einhoren. Without a single coin to her name, she was soon forced to consume the rest of her leather boots. The berries and jerky that Mel had left her were already finished. 

One day, she stumbled upon a performance. Around the plaza there were signboards and although she couldn't read any of it. She recognised the symbols and characters. She glanced back to her note and saw that they matched. Her father must be close!

She pushed through the crowd to get to the front, revealing the stage.

"This man is an elven spy! He has betrayed the kingdom of humanity and sold our kingdom's greatest secrets to our enemies. Jackson Chamberson, upon the orders of His Majesty, you're hereby sentenced to death!" Instantly, the man was beheaded. The crowd cheered and roared in applause.

The head rolled off stage and stopped just before the little girl who stared at it. When the scene died down and the people started to leave. One woman saw the odd girl standing alone. Quick to ask if she was okay? If she was scared of the blood?

The little one asked the stranger to translate her note, and also the board.

"Einhoren, Nobleman Jackson Chamberson. That's what your note says, and well, the name matches the one on the board. The man you just saw sentenced to death was him. Oh dear, did the evil man hurt you before he was caught?" The lady gave her a few coins, hoping it would help before returning to her own life.

Robin, got down onto her knees, and closed Jackson Chamberson's eyes.

...

Robin awoke, the rays of dawn entering into her tent. She slapped her cloak around her shoulders, attached her daggers back onto her belts and exited her tent. 

A smile blossomed upon her face. There, she saw him. She saw Asai.