𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕 | 𝙿𝙹𝙾 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷: 𝙰𝙵𝚃𝙴𝚁

"M' lady," she said.

Artemis snorted. "Why so formal, all of a sudden?"

Artemis had known this girl for a while now. "Awhile" being many a century. She had met this girl in the city of Athens with her Hunters, who were chasing down a wild beast. The girl had been attacked by said beast, unable to move, lying on the ground. Artemis found the girl herself, as the rest of her Hunters were off searching for the beast. The rest? You will learn the rest later. For now, all you need to know is what you know now. Like they say, "The rest is history."

The girl looked up at Artemis with sad eyes. "Please, take this with your full gratitude, Lady Artemis. I'm sorry. Really, I am."

Artemis crossed her arms, looking down at the girl with what looked to be a mixture of pity and anger towards the girl. "I have heard every one of your apologies, girl. And I accept all of them, but what you did—it was against the way of the Hunters."

"Why must you not speak my name? I know that what I did was against the way of the Hunters,  and I didn't mean it. I was forced, tricked, which you know." The girl looked down sadly. To both of the girl's surprise, Artemis took the girl's hand in hers.

"I would speak your name, for it is a wonderful name. But you know what will happen if I do." Artemis looked away, still holding the girl's hand in hers. "I know you didn't mean what you did. You were young, naïve if you must. You didn't know what the Demon could do." Artemis looked back at the girl. "But you have learned, dear Hunter. And for the best, too. You are wiser, older even."

The girl looked up at Artemis's face, and into her eyes, with a look of both astonishment and happiness. Artemis's eyes were the color of the full moon on a clear night, while the girl's eyes were like a burning fire, glowing in the night. "Y-You do? You really do mean that?"

Artemis smiled. "Yes. Yes, I do. And I hope you know that you should tell the other Hunters what you have told me. I cannot allow you back into the Hunters until you do so." Artemis let go of the girl's hand.

The girl's face went from a look of both astonishment and happiness to a look of pure joy. "T-Thank you, M'lady! Should I talk to them now? Or later?"

Artemis opened her mouth to speak, but one of the hunting wolves walked inside the tent in which the two females were talking. The wolves and the hunting birds (And other animals that were with them; For the purpose of helping them hunt; but I won't mention them ((mostly because I don't know what they are lol)) ) could communicate with Artemis through her thoughts, and the same rule was also applied to her Hunters.

The wolf bowed its head. M'lady, it said in their minds, I do not mean to interrupt, but one of your Hunters, Selina, to be specific, wishes to speak with you.

Artemis looked from the wolf, then back at the girl. The girl looked at Artemis and nodded, signaling she could speak with Artemis at a later time. Artemis nodded back at the girl and told the wolf (Verbally), "Let her in."