The crossbow bolt hit Shivara square in the shoulder, and she yelled out in pain.
Anger boiled up in my stomach seeing my friend hurt, and I went into a rage. I jumped out at the figure and slashed my lute at their face.
My lute didn't seem to do much damage, aside from a few splinter, but it made them let go of the child.
"Run, kid!" Shivara yelled. She turned to where the child stood, but it seemed in their place there was a squirrel.
It seemed scared, and skittered off. The figure yelled, "No!" And tried to run after him.
"Oh, no you don't," Shivara extended her hand, and recited an incantation. A mote of flame hit the figure in the back, and they fell to the ground, on top of the other, dead.
My eyes widened, "Did - did we just kill someone?"
Shivara nodded, "Yeah, probably. That's okay, they probably weren't very good."
A small voice came from behind a bush, "A-are they gone?"
The child peeked out from behind the bush, spotted the figures on the ground and emerged.
They appeared to be a juvenile wood elf, with dark skin and hair several, tiny tight braids. Their clothing was in the colors of the earth, made of old fabrics and the furs of animals. In their small hands, they clutched a tree branch as if it were a staff. They looked up at Shivara and I with large, shimmering eyes, and I noticed they had very small tusks, like an orc.
They greeted us, voice trembling as they spoke, "H-hello."
Shivara smiled and said, softly, "Hello there, what's your name?"
They held their branch close to them, "I'm Marigold D-Deerfoot. Who are you guys?"
"I'm Shivara, the big guy's Twig. Are you lost? Do your parents know where you are?"
Marigold looked confused and replied, "I am can't but I don't have any parents."
I perked up a bit, "You could come with us! We've got food, a big goat -"
"And the law on our tails!" Shivara cut me off, fuming, "Twig, are you crazy? We can't take care of a random child!"
Marigold piped up, "Ms. Shivara? I don't take up a lot of space, or eat a lot of food, I promise if you take me with you, I wouldn't be too much trouble."
Shivara got frustrated, and started struggling to argue with the two of us, before sighing, "Fine. There's a town nearby, we'll get some equipment and food and find somewhere for the smaller kid to stay, sound good?"
Marigold and I nodded.
"Great. Get in the wagon."
YOU ARE READING
Coven of Outcasts (Book one - Four Broken Pieces)
Fantasy"A sorceress that does cheap magic tricks, a thief without an arm, a druid scared of anything bigger than a rat, and a bard that couldn't carry a tune in a bag of holding - " "- What a terrible group of heroes." In the first book of a Dungeons & Dra...
