Chapter Text
All stories have a beginning, and when it comes to people, that beginning is their birth.
Unfortunately, I have no memory of mine, but I can tell you about a moment that I believe was equally significant.
Let me tell you when I started being alive.
Let me tell you about that night
The night a young Gawain returned home late from sword training, the full moon above the only light illuminating his path as he crossed the road between the meadows, his parents had warned him several times before to stop doing this as thieves and monsters lurked in the shadows at night, but the stubborn blond child didn't listen to them, his swordsmanship was steadily improving and the monsters around this area were perfect for training. Nothing would stand in his way to be as strong as his father.
A sudden desolate weeping interrupted his dreaming of greatness and he stopped in his tracks. Worried that someone might have been hurt by monsters, he tried to find the source of the sound, which he quickly found behind a large weeping willow nearby. The source of the cries turned out to be a young girl with gray locks, who was hugging her scraped knees to her chest, she wore what seemed to be a uniform he didn't recognize, which was completely dirtied, and her toes were bare with several cuts and bruises on them.
"Hey,are you alright!? What happened to you?'' he hurriedly asked while crouching next to her
The young girl jumped back and gave a startled yelp, fear evident in her tear-filled eyes. As her brain processed what the boy had just said, his worried expression had already made her aware that he was no threat.
"Ah...I-" she muttered, trying to make up words but it proved to be impossible, her brain still couldn't process everything that had happened, less could it produce full sentences. The helplessness made her even more miserable and she continued crying.
''Ah come on…! Don't cry ... everything will be fine! Trust me! No matter what has happened to you I'll protect you! After all, I'm a knight...! Well I am not one yet…! But I'll certainly be- "
Seeing his worlds couldn't reach her he put his hand on her shoulders and tried reassuring her once again "It will be okay, come on try to steady your breath if you keep weeping like that you will end up breathless, follow my stead… breath in and breathe out…come on follow my lead…breath in… breath out…”
Hearing him repeat the words over and over managed to catch her mind’s attention and stopped it from drowning in sadness for a moment, gradually she managed to follow the boy's instructions, reaching a more stable state.
Once again she attempted to speak and some scarce words escaped her
''Cage… ran away...please...h-help'' was her weak plea.
''Cage..? I don’t really get what you mean, but it doesn’t matter, I'll help you, you really need to get those wounds treated. Come with me I'll bring you to my house so you can rest, my mom is a genius sorceress, she will take care of them" before she could say anything he turned around and offered her his back ''Come on, jump on I'll carry you, my house is a bit far away, I don't think you could make it with how hurt your feet are''
The girl hesitated for a few seconds trying to process what he was saying but finally accepted the invitation and climbed on his back carefully. He stood up from his crouching position and hurriedly started his way back home through the road.
"By the way, the name's Gawain, my mom keeps reminding me it is rude to not introduce myself" the young boy said, hoping that some small talk would make the girl settle down, and wishing the girl would at least be able to tell him her name back. In the comfort of his back the girl could feel the tiredness weighing down on her and before she succumbed to unavoidably sleep, she muttered hers:
Chloe.
Gawain opened the door of his house and made his way quickly to the living room to let her rest on the sofa before looking for his mom. "Mom! Come quickly, please!" he shouted, entering his mother's room.
“What's wrong, Gawain? Did something happen?” He didn't give any explanation and just guided her by the arm to the living room. Noticing the girl on the sofa, she immediately rushed over and examined her closely.
"Where did this girl come from? What happened?"
"She was crying in the meadow and she told me that she ran away from a cage or something like that…I couldn't just leave her there"
“A cage...? Well, it doesn't matter, I'll use some spells to treat her wounds. Gawain, bring me some towels and a basin with warm water, some clothes from Florence too.”
"Okay!" he nodded and left to fetch the things her mother requested.
The mother cleaned her wounds and cast a spell to heal the girl's injuries, after some minutes, her frail body had a much better look. Meanwhile Gawain stood on the entrance of the living room to give the girl some privacy, wondering what might have happened to her to be in such a state.
“How is she, mom?”
"The bruises have been healed and I tried to relax her muscles as much as possible but her body is still exhausted. By the looks of it, it seems like she has been running for a very long time. I'll put her to bed in the guest room.You too should rest, dear."
Gawain simply nodded and went to bed.
But still he couldn't stop thinking about the girl, questions and what ifs about her circumstances plagued his mind as he drifted off.