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"What are you doing out here all alone?"
She blushed, looking down. "I wanted to go outside and play, but I got lost."
"You couldn't have gotten too far. You must have been close to the village."
"No, I was out here for a long time. I tried to find my way back, but I got confused in the woods. I still don't know the paths."
Before I could respond, a group of orcs approached the village. I set her down and looked around. My heart is racing as I watch them. They're frightening, but the fear doesn't stop me from thinking.
"We need to go inside. There's no telling what they might do to us," I whispered to the girl.
She nodded, and we ran toward the village entrance. As soon as we got inside, we hid behind a wall as the orcs entered.
One of the orcs found us and shouted angrily, "Where is the knight?"
I cover the girl's mouth so she can't scream. "I don't know!" I whispered.
"Bring them!"
We both froze, unable to do anything as the orcs dragged us out and threw us to the ground. The girl began to cry as I squeezed my eyes shut and prayed.
"Tessa …"
"Hush," I whispered.
"Listen, humans!" the orc shouted, looking around at the villagers standing there. "Until you give up the knight, we are going to kill one of you every day!"
I looked away and held onto the girl tighter.
"And if you don't tell us where he is, we'll start with your children." I shook my head, not believing this was happening.
"We will kill you first," the orc said, pointing his sword at the girl.
Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air and hit the orc in the shoulder. "Run!" I shouted. I grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her away.
The orcs turned and noticed the arrows, but two more flew past me and hit the orcs in the legs, knocking them to the ground.
Then a woman stepped forward and shot her crossbow at the orcs. Another person shot his bow, and an orc fell to the ground, screaming in pain.
"You can't kill them all!" the woman yelled, using her sword to fight the orcs off.
I stood up slowly and continued to pull the girl along. Behind us, a man pulled his sword and charged into the fray.
I pulled the girl down the path leading away from the village. Everything happened so fast, and everything was happening at once. People were fighting everywhere, so I tried to stay focused on what I needed to do.
The fear that they would discover the book that is hidden beneath the floorboards seeps through me. Around us, the orcs attacked the villagers foolish enough to try to revolt. Others moved to protect the ones who were still fighting and those who were fleeing. When the fighting is done, the orcs stand over the bodies of the dead villagers.
"Now, we will kill two of you every day until you tell us where the knight is!"
I glanced at the girl and realized that she was shaking. I put my hand on her shoulder and said quietly, "Don't worry. I've got you."
She looked up at me and nodded, but her tears were falling freely.
"You're safe now," I whispered as we reached her house, trying to convince myself as much as her.
She looked up at me and gave me a weak smile. "Thank you."
I nodded and walked on, following the path back to our farm. When I got home, I found my father laying on the couch, injured and weak. He told me that the orcs were trying to find out where the knight was and had brutally beaten him, but of course, he had no clue. He doesn’t think he will live through the night.
