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D nodded slightly, slowly and moved to pull the young girl up off Katrina. As she
felt his arms on her she turned and started clinging to him again, mumbling about ‘daddy’
and the ‘mean man.’ Katrina carefully stood as D gave her a ‘hurry up I don’t know how
to deal with this look.’ After a few moments the girl’s sobs and ramblings quieted and she
fell into a restless silence, clung to D’s torso. As she looked up at D she quietly
murmured something that made D’s face go almost completely slack jawed.
“Will you give me a piggyback ride like old times daddy?”
At this D’s eyes went wide and he looked at Katrina with an expression filled with
confusion and almost fright.
“Go along with it,”she whispered to him,”Til we figure out what’s going on.”
Meanwhile her mind was racing to figure it out herself as the little girl, with D’s
help, hoisted herself to ride on his back. It didn’t appear an easy task what with his
shoulder armor but still somehow she managed. As they did that Katrina’s mind came up
with several possibilities, few pleasant though.
“What if it is his child,”she thought to herself,”Only he doesn’t know it. That
would definately make the mother someone else. But how could I deal with that. It just
isn’t fair. But the girl thinks I’m her mother, maybe she’s not his child....”
Eventually she gave up her thoughts as they worked to get the children down the
stairs at least, D raising an eyebrow as some of the children still dared to snap at him.
When that plan failed due to the children refusing to trust them D spoke up with a sigh.
“One of us should ride back to the village then,”he stated quietly,”Bring the
parents here.”
“I can’t really ride,”Katrina replied,”I’m in no condition to. I’ll stay here.”
“Are you sure it’ll be safe?” He asked, his voice touched with a bit of a worried
tone.
“I’ll be fine,”she started to reply before the little girl interupted.
”I’ll stay with mommy.”
This time it was Katrina’s turn to get an almost apprehensive look about her face
but it soon dropped with a sigh.
“Allright,” she said quietly as the little girl struggled to get off D’s back,”I guess
this is what we’ll have to do.”
D slowly nodded and the girl went over to Katrina and took her hand.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to Mommy.”
Before leaving to head back to the village he found a rather comfy looking chair
and brought it back for Katrina to sit in. After she was seated the girl climbed into her lap
and curled up, hugging her protectively. D merely glanced at the scene before walking out
of the castle and mounting his horse, riding off into the sunset to the village.
*********************Enroute to the Village*********************************
As D rode onward he heard a snickering voice reach his ears.
“Cute kid D...When’d you find time to be big daddy D?”
D remained silent in response so the symbiote continued with a tone of mock
concern,”Oh what poor Katrina must be thinking now...”
D shrugged and it almost cackled at the thought of the uncomfortable position D
might be placed in.
“You know I always did say,”it stated with a chuckle,”Be careful what you did
with the barmaids.”
“Why do I keep you?” Was D’s only response, his voice monotone and
emotionless.
“I provide entertainment, help and information,”the symbiote explained,”Not to
mention my sparkling personality compared to yours.”
If the glove hadn’t been inplace on D’s hand he would have seen the symbiote grin
widely as D shook his head.
“So now how will you explain your child to her? Hmm?”It goaded,”After all, it
looks like you and called you Daddy.”
It chuckled as it quietly awaited D’s answer.
“My child?” D asked almost incredulously and then was silent for a moment.
“I *don’t* have any problems with leaving you here in the woods,”he said, his tone
once again flat and monotone, this time though with an icy edge to it.
“And where would you be then?” The symbiote asked with a more serious tone to
it that did remind D of the several times it had helped him.
“So you deny the child is yours?” It asked, it’s snide tone returning,”Interesting.”
“Don’t you think you would know?” D asked, the edge gone from his voice.
“I usually either spend my time in this blasted glove, sleeping, or I’m saving your
sorry ass. I suppose I should know but I don't,”it remarked, with a tone that revealed it’s
annoyance at not knowing everything about the situation.
“No it isn’t mine you idiot,”D said with a slightly irritated sigh.
“Interesting. Then I wonder whose it is.... Perhaps Katrina's......” The symbiote’s
voice trailed off as it seriously pondered the turn of events.
“Probably just shocked,”D mumbled quietly at the silence til the symbiote spoke up
again.
“Heh. Perhaps I shall have to ask her about this..... I am curious now....”
“Perhaps not,”D said with a sharp, almost warning tone as the village appeared on
the horizon.
“And why not?” The symbiote questioned to which it received no response.
With an upset snort it remained silent as they entered the town, the streets still
littered with bodies. D rode in quietly and glanced from house to house as he looked for
any signs of life. From inside a few of the houses and from one he spotted the pale haired
man from earlier. The man turned and spotted D. As the man came towards him D
dismounted and walked his horse over to him.
“Hunter I see you’ve returned..,”he began, his voice heavy with emotion.
”But....What of your companion?”He asked as he noted Katrina’s absence,“She
wasn’t hurt was she?”
“She is fine,”D said simply, then asked,”What of the rest of the village?”
The man’s eyes seemed to show a bit of relief at the news as he answered D.
“I am glad to hear that. Many were attacked... Those who haven’t died have
managed to make it to the doctors old office to try and find bandages and the like.”
D was silent so the man continued, his voice breaking as he spoke,”The children
that were found lying in the street were dead... Beyond help.”
D nodded and the man looked down, fidgeting a bit before he looked up again and
asked,”The other children? Did any of them survive?”
“Some,”D answered,”They are a short ride east. Gather the villagers.”
The man’s eyes lit up with hope as he went off and gathered villagers and a wagon
with two horses. The group consisted of mostly men with 2 women going along as well.
D glanced over at them as he mounted his horse and began to lead them back to the castle
in silence. On their way back the innkeeper spoke up.
“By the way... Who was behind it after all?”
“He’s Dead,”Was all D replied with.
“That’s a relief to hear,”one of the other men said with a grin,”But still.. Who was
it?”
“His name was Lucien,”D answered.
“Lucien?” The innkeeper spat,”That filthy bastard.”
After riding for a bit the castle finally came into viewas did the bodies of the
children outside it. D dismounted and walked past them all silently as they gazed at the
bodies, entering the building and leaving them outside. After a moment of unease some of
the men went into the castle to round up the children, and brought them slowly outside to
the wagon. D moved upstairs and walked slowly over to Katrina. The children that had
previously snapped at D now were either quiet or asleep including the little girl in
Katrina’s lap.
“Welcome back,”Katrina said quietly with a smile, her voice almost a whisper.
After a few minutes the villagers retrieve the children upstairs, the innkeeper
pausing infront of Katrina as the last child went downstairs. The innkeeper’s eyes clouded
with confusion as he saw the girl then he looked at D.
“Where did she come from? She's not one of the missing children.”
“She was with the rest,”D answered to which the innkeeper continued.
“But she’s not from the village. Perhaps from one of the other villages nearby but
our village was the only one affected with missing children.”
The man’s tone was assertive, showing he spoke the truth and D was silent for a
moment before mumbling,”Interesting.”
As they spoke, with Katrina looking on, the little girl woke up and looked at them
all in turn. It was then that the innkeeper motioned D to go off to one side to speak with
him. D obliged the man and followed.
“The closest village to this castle was deserted at least half a year ago so if she
came from there it’s been awhile...”
D was silent and nodded in response as he returned to Katrina and the girl. They
all watched the innkeeper return to the other villagers and heard the wagon leave. After
glancing down the hall for a moment D found both Katrina’s and the little girl’s eyes on
him.
“What now?” Katrina asked as the little girl wiggled off her lap and went to hug
D’s leg.
“I missed you daddy.”
D looked down at the little girl slowly then over to Katrina before shaking his head
and patting the girl’s back half-heartedly. She smiled and tightened the hug for a moment
before stepping away again and looking up at him.
“Can we leave this nasty old castle now daddy?” She asked D as her nose wrinkled
at the thought of all that had happened in the castle.
As D looked to Katrina as if to note her opinion also he found her eyes upon him
seemingly agreeing that it was time to go. With no more words passed she stood,
carefully, using the chair to brace herself as she went to try and limp away. D in almost a
second was over to help her with an arm around her shoulder as they left the hell of
Lucien’s castle. As they walked the little girl came up beside Katrina and held on to her
hand, trailing by them down to the horses. Inside the stable on the way out they found
Mycroft stamping his hooves with frustration as he snorted derisively.
“Perhaps we can find a place for her in the village,”D suggested as they walked
nearer to the horse. As he said that the little girl stopped moving and looked up at D as if
he’d suggested sacrificing her to some dark god.
As she clung tightly to Katrina she said with a quiet voice full of saddness and
fear,”Daddy..... Don't you want me around anymore....?”
D was silent in response so the girl looked up to Katrina and with the same tone as
before asked,”Mommy.... Do you want me to go away too?”
In response Katrina looked up at D with a “look what you did now” look to which
he only shook his head.
“I suppose she could come with us for a while,” he stated coldly, an icy edge to his
voice.
The girl’s eyes brightened as Katrina added quietly with a nod,”Of course...”
D was silent again and as Mycroft snorted it brought their attention back to the
situation at hand.
“We should be going...” Katrina said quietly.
D nodded as she continued,”She can ride with me on the way back, if you can just
help me get over to Mycroft....”
D put an arm around her and led her to the horse asking simply,”Can you ride?”
She nodded as she mounted with D’s help,”I’ll be fine...”
After she was safely on D helped the little girl get up infront of Katrina and went
and mounted his own horse. Katrina turned Mycroft towards D and together they rode
slowly out into the daylight, towards the village and a much needed rest.
