† Chp. XVIII †
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She was 9 years old when she lost her family.
Giggling, the little girl chased her brother as he leaped around the house, a wooden sword in his hand as the usual steel bucket sat atop her small head. The pitter patter of running feet sounded against the wooden floor as the boy jumped onto the table, his sister approaching the edge with her own wooden sword drawn.
"Hand over the kings jewels or I'll cut off your head!" She threatened, readjusting the bucket as it fell over her face.
"You'll never catch me, I'm Robin Hood! The most infamous outlaw in all of Middle Earth!" The boy exclaimed, throwing his hands up as a wide grin sat on his bright face. "The king of thieves! One day all will know me as the man who steals from the rich to feed the poor!"
The little girl looked up at her brother with admiration, before a thought drifted into her mind and she pouted, crossing her arms.
"What about me?" She questioned, furrowing her eyebrows. "What will I be known for?"
Her brother tilted his head, before jumping off the table and walking over to his little sister, a soft smile etched onto his features.
"Eretria Hood, the kings most noble and skilled guard!" He remarked, wrapping an arm around his little sister whilst emphasizing his point with a hand gesture.
"Why am I always the guard?" She protested, scrunching her nose. "It doesn't sound as cool as yours."
"How about Eretria Hood, guardian of the human race and protector of the innocent?" He suggested, smiling down at his little sister.
She pondered this for a second, before a wide grin spread across her features, her hazel eyes lighting up with excitment.
"Eretria Hood, guardian of all races and protector of the innocent." She pronounced, and her brother nodded in agreement as he patted her 'helmet'.
"I like the sound of that." He stated, but a sudden ear piercing scream caught the children's attention. The shrill had occured outside their cottage, and soon more started to arise from the streets as smoke seeped into the air.
"Hide!" The boy orderd his sister, pushing her under the table as he ran towards the door, making sure that the girl would not follow before he stepped through and into the open. But the little girl refused to hide from danger as she bolted towards the now closed door, not wanting to leave her brother.
She pushed the wooden door open, and the sight traumatised her innocent mind. Hideous creatures were shrilling as they attacked the townspeople with heavy axes, lighting huts on fire with torches and burning the village to the ground. People screamed as metal met flesh, blood splattering onto the dirt paths and staining what once used to be a bright, happy place.
Why anyone would want to do this, the girl did not understand. But what she did know was the fact that she was Eretria Hood, guardian of all races and protector of the innocent.
Although she didn't hold her daggers, she still wielded her wooden sword. And in the mind of a child, that is enough.
Running down the steps, the little girl held an expression of determination. However, she froze as her eyes met those of one particular orc. Fright suddenly struck, and her body refused to move as she helplessly watched the ghastly creature raise its black bow.
The situation was like that of a fawn against a pack of hungry wolves. The little girl had overestimated her ability, and reality forced itself upon her once she actually came face to face with the predator.
However, as the orcs arrow sailed through the air, it didn't hit the girl.
It hit her brother.
The boy had seen his sister was in distress, and had run up to the situation. He could not get to her in time, so instead he protectively stood infront of the girl, taking the hit on himself.
The little girl ran over as her brother fell to the ground, blood seeping from his chest. She fell to her knees, tears streaming down her flustered face, as she placed her small hands against her brother's pale face.
"R-Robin, don't leave me, p-please." She sobbed, and the boys dull blue eyes met those of his sisters as he struggled to stay concious.
"Protect the innocent, I believe you can." He uttered, one final breath drawn from his lungs as the image of his sobbing sister was the last sight he'd ever see.
"I will, I-I will protect them all." She sniffed, stroking her brothers cold face as the life faded from his eyes. "F-for you."
However, The beast wasn't finished, and it staunched forward, this time with a dagger raised. The little girl stood to her feet, an expression of pure hatred taking over her features as she stammered towards the orc with her wooden sword drawn.
Swinging its blade, the girl dodged the beast's blow and hammered her sword into the orcs joint, sending it stumbling forward. She then kicked it in the back, but this only caused the orc to let out a croaky laugh, as the strength of a child is nothing compared to a fully grown beast.
It swung around, pushing the girl to the ground and once again raising its dagger. However, before blade could meet skin, a large body rammed into that of the orcs.
The little girl raised her cloudy eyes to meet her trainer, John, beheading the horrid orc. He glanced down at her, helping the girl to her feet as she managed to regain her balance.
"Go find safety." The man uttered, and the little girl nodded, stumbling away as her trainer continued to fight the wretched creatures.
"Eretria! Robin!"
She stopped in her tracks, turning to meet the trembling gaze of her mother.
"Eretria!" The woman wailed, running towards her child and taking the girl in her arms.
"Where's Robi-"
Her mothers frantic voice died off as her eyes landed on the body of her son, a loud sob escaping from her lips. The mother and daughter ran over to the limp boy, but his life had already been drained.
"Go." Lydia whispered, her wide eyes racking over her sons pale body, before lifting to meet those of her whimpering daughter. "Go, Eretria! Run until you find safety!"
"I am not leaving you." The little girl protested, as tears continued to stream down her face.
"You have to." Lydia uttered, removing two daggers from her belt and placing them into the hands of the little girl. "Your daggers will protect you."
"Please, come with me." Eretria sobbed, and her small hands shook as she looked down to her blades, her thumb rubbing over her carved initials. Smears of orc blood already stained the silver, but the girl was too grieved to question.
"I can't" Lydia weeped, her teary eyes once again sweeping over her dead son's body.
Eretria dropped to her knees, embracing her mourning mother as the chaos seemed to silence for a fragment of time. All she cared about was the feeling of her mothers protective arms around her small body.
"Run, and promise me you won't look back." Lydia whispered, her tears soaking the shoulder of her daughter.
"I promise."
"I love you." Lydia uttered, resting her hands on her daughters shoulders as she leaned away from the hug.
"I l-love you too." Eretria managed to sob out, before she gazed at her mother one last time, standing to her feet and bolting down the inferno of a street. The village sat engulfed in flame, and smoke seeped it's way into the girls lungs as she broke away from the chaos and into the surronding fields.
She didn't look back.
Her small legs carried her all the way into night, until they could bare no longer, and she fell into the foliage of an unknown forest. The trees creaked at her arrival, one particular ent growing rather concerned by the poor childs condition.
The tree-like creature slowly approached the girl, his tall body towering over that of Eretrias and giving her quite a fright.
"Do not be in distress, little one." The ent's raspy but rather calming voice soothed, as he picked up the child. She was too worn out to completely understand the situation. In fact, she assumed that she was hallucinating.
"Tell me, little creature, what is your name?" The ent questioned, looking down at the child with both pity and wonder.
"Eretria." She managed to mutter, before her body submitted to rest by the steady swaying in which the tree created as he stepped through the old forest.
Treebeard he went by, and from that day onwards he cared for the child. She grew up to become a friend of the trees, known for her cheeky and mischievous behaviour. Eretria became a child of the forest, always sneaking off on little adventures and befriending some rather unlikely beings.
However, there was always a place in her heart which never seemed to be fulfilled, as that day was yet to come.
The day in which she would fulfil her brothers legacy.
She was 9 years old when she began a new life.