Amongst The Shadows

Chapter 6

"You confuse and intrigue me"

Ariel rolled over to see Leo sitting by her bed studying her silently. She raised a brow at him.

"You act as though you are innocent of the evils of the world around you and so when they are shown to you, you act like a naive school girl and yet I seem to see only glimpses of the fighter that Walter spoke so highly of. Why does your fighter spirit hide among the shadows of some naive little girl? This confuses me"

"Why are you so intrigued by me?" She whispered, silently taking in all that Leo said.

"I want to understand the mystery that surrounds you, the fighter in you that lays dormant. I want her spirit to come forth. We are wasting time with this school girl mind of yours taking control. Time we do not have" he said before standing up and walking out without looking back.

She didn't move as he left and looked outside to the window as her mind took her to another time, another happier place.

"Dad, this is lame"

Walter looked to his daughter with such a strong love and admiration for how far she had come.

"Dad? Hello?"

Walter shook his head and smiled down at Ariel before tying a blindfold on her eyes.

"Its your 18th birthday Ariel and so you are an adult however while I am alive you will remember I am your father and as a result can still put you through lame things as you call it" he said and Ariel laughed and let him place her hand on his shoulder and he led them through their home.

She trusted him completely and let him lead. Walter laughed as he walked around in a circle and not a peep came from her.

"Okay wait here" he said and Ariel stopped and waited silently.

"Hold your hands out" he said excitedly and Ariel did as she was told eagerly, she then felt a familiar weight in her hands and felt her breath hitch.

"Okay I'm taking the blindfold off now"

Ariel looked down as soon as the blind fold was off and squealed in excitement.

"This is mine?" She squealed as her father laughed.

He nodded and Ariel sighed as the memory faded.

Eric watched silently from the door as she silently got up from her bed and felt his breath hitch at the beauty before him.

He watched as she walked over to her closet and sunk to her knees pulling out a locked chest. His curiosity peaked as she let out a breath trying to clear the dust before she wiped it with her hands.

When she was satisfied she looked to her draws and opened the last one before taking out clothes and then pulling out a leather box.

Did she do it? She looked at the sleek black box before opening it and revealing the key. Did she do what Leo asked of her? What Randel wanted her to do? Let something she locked away be free? Let it live again?

Thinking of what happened the last couple of days, she knew she was not really at a point in her life to choose. 5 years she could run, hide and as Leo put it be the naive school girl. Why now? She needed to know. She had questions that needed to be answered.

Taking in a deep breath she took the key and opened up her chest. Eric felt his eyes grow wide as she pulled out one of the most magnificent collection  of daggers he had ever seen.

His mind bought up a distant memory with Walter as he watched the daggers glisten in the sun light as Ariel held them up.

"My daughter is lethal Eric, never underestimate her"