Page 18 of Daughter of Shadows and Ash

He hesitated, then nodded. "Alright. You've got yourself a deal."

As he turned to gather the arrows, I caught sight of my reflection in a polished shield. My face was gaunt, my eyes haunted. I barely recognized myself anymore.

You're doing what needs to be done,Maël's voice whispers in my mind.

I closed my eyes, willing the phantom voice away. When I opened them again, the blacksmith was back, arrows in hand.

"These should do you nicely," he said, holding them out.

I took them, testing their weight and balance. They were not perfect, but they'll do. "Thank you," I murmured.

He nodded, already turning his attention to my bow. "I've got some bows close to this size in the back." He gestured towards a back door, "Give me just a moment."

I nodded, slipping the arrows into my quiver. As he turned, a scream erupted from a yard away.

I whipped around, my hand instinctively reaching for my dagger. A Sunnevan guard's angry shouts sliced through the buzzing market, a young woman struggling against his iron-tight grip. Tears streamed down her face as she twisted and turned, her hand pushing on his trying to break free.

"Please, let me go!" she pleaded, her voice cracking with fear. "Papa!"

The guard's face twisted with rage. "Shut up and come with me, no one's going to save you."

My breath hitched as I watched the scene unfold. The woman's desperate cries for help tugged at something I've pushed deep inside me, a part I wished had died along with my village. Every instinct screamed at me to intervene, but drawing attention to myself could be fatal. My stomach churned with the weight of my choices, duty warring against conscience with every beat of my heart.

Could you forgive yourself for walking away?Maël's voice whispered in my mind. My heart shattered at the weight of his words, each syllable a blade against my conscience.

I drew a deep breath, my decision crystallizing like frost on glass.

The shadows answered my call, wrapping around me like a lover's embrace, familiar and cold. The market's sounds faded to a dull hum as I moved closer to the altercation, keeping my steps on dryer ground to avoid slipping in the mud.

The guard dragged the woman towards an alley, his fingers dug into her arm hard enough to leave bruises. She stumbled, nearly falling, and he yanked her upright with a snarl.

"Papa, help me! Someone, anyone, please!" she cried out, her wild hair whipping around her face as she fought against the guard's grip. But the townspeople kept their heads down, pretending not to see.

I slipped between two market stalls, my shadows coiling around me as I prepared to jump guard from behind. Anxiety coiled in my chest, but my hands remained steady as I drew my dagger.

Be careful, Lor,Maël's voice whispered.You don't know what you're getting into.

I ignored him and focused on the guard and the terrified woman. I wouldn't stand by and watch another innocent suffer.

The moment presented itself when she slipped, her knees hitting the mud and almost taking her attacker down with her. I struck, my shadows surging forward as I crashed into the struggling pair, breaking his hold on her.

His face contorted into a sneer before his eyes found me, fear bleeding into them as he took me in. A creature of darkness instead of a mere girl.

He fell, scrambling backwards as I took measured steps towards him. My dagger melded with the rest of me as I stalked my prey.

"Please, please," he begged, his voice trembling, "I-I let her go, see? Please don't take me." He backed himself into a wall, silence falling over the market as the townsfolk watched the sight. Even the other Sunnevan guards stayed back in fear of what they were witnessing.

I stopped beside him, crouching down to meet his gaze. Could he see past the void where my eyes should be? I tilted my head to the side as I studied the man. He's human, built with large muscles and clearly compensating. I turned my head to the side and saw the woman now hiding behind the blacksmith, who stood protectively before her, eyes unblinking and ready for a brawl. Now that I saw them side by side, he must be the father she'd called for.

"Not willingly," I pointed out. The acrid scent of urine filled the air. "Would you have beaten her? Raped her? Forced her upon all of your buddies to wet your tiny cocks?" With each question my shadows writhed with my growing rage.

He furiously shook his head, "N-no, I would never-"

"Yes, you would." I snarled, my blade flashing out to silence his lies forever. I rose, my gaze sweeping over the guardswatching in horror as their friend's life ebbed away. "Who's next?" I challenged, shadows writhing around me.

The guards scattered like leaves in a storm, their courage crumbling before the darkness that consumed me. Typical Sunnevans—always choosing self-preservation over honor.

I glided back to the forge, lifting the new bow from the counter. The heavy presence of the blacksmith loomed behind me as I tested the length and weight of the new gear.

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