3. Who is the Vigilante?

WHO IS THE VIGILANTE?

~

Edge of the wild woods,

Skirts of the Village of Drift-combe,

Kingdom of Velicia,

Night reigned by a full moon,

The Seventh Night of the Month of November,

Thirty Third Year of the Reign of King Jesse Cresting

~

The other men that had discomfited the beasts, dressed in the same dark, hooded capes as the man before Amelia Luna-dynn's eyes, assembled behind him and descended down on one knee, bowing. The damsel noticed that there were four of them, making the whole team a company of five, with the first man as the head.

They were the vigilantes that the villager folks had been blazing about.

Why did the official news avoid confronting these heroes if they were true and not a myth?

The masked man that had saved her cast a glance over his shoulder to acknowledge that they had completed their task. He held an arm out in a way that his cape curtained her from the view of the other men.

Amelia noticed that beneath the dark cloak, he was dressed in the fit uniform of the Kingdom's Royal Knights: a suit with high collars, belt bearing the insignia of the Imperial Castle and leather boots that were thigh high.

The chief vigilante turned to her and nodded over to the banks of the river where her clothes were hung on a tall tree. The damsel of brown hair gave him a quick nod before hurrying over to her garments.

She felt terribly conscious of his gaze, and hoped he wasn't looking. Then, she wasted no time in donning her apparel, while staying completely eclipsed behind the tree and the shadows of the woods.

After she was dressed, Amelia was excessively hesitant to face the men again. There was a maddening weight of embarrassment that overwhelmed her. But there was no other choice she had at her disposal, for she needed their protection to make her way back to the village safely.

She hugged herself before walking back to the gathering. The men were standing around, still hooded, and seemed to be discussing something, investigating the dead bodies of the beasts. Their voices were low enough to keep her from recognising their identity.

Then, when they heard her approaching stride, they ceased their conversation. The leader of the group, who had saved her, gave her a nod before extending a hand. She softly placed her palm in his, realising that his hand was much bigger than hers and was very calloused.

His eyes gazed over what she was wearing and how it fit her voluptuous figure, for a brief moment, before he turned and began leading her away. In her mind, Amelia berated herself, wondering why she had not worn something that was better that a fit gown made for daily labour.

But his single glance filled her chest with feelings of flattered feminity.

Then, there was the sound of a quiet rustle behind her and she turned to find that the four other men were not where they had been, save one hooded vigilante. He gave her a wink and she waved at him, before he took a lofty jump and landed on a tree branch, leaping his way there-from and into the misty night.

The tall man that was leading her turned to cast a glimpse down at her, and she hurried to keep pace with his long strides. Then, in a few moments, he stopped his tread and she looked up to see that they were at the skirts of her village:

It was quaint and rustic, with stone walls and brick roofs composing the houses. The streets were vast and empty and the lampposts were unlit.

Amelia turned to the robust stranger and nodded, whispering "Thank you". The man with fair eyes nodded in response.

The damsel scuttled over to her house that was quite close to the edge of the village and when she had reached the porch, she quietly unlocked the door. Once it was opened, she cast a glance behind her, to see that the man was still standing there, arms folded, blended in the shadows, and watching her to make sure that she was safe.

Amelia waved at him and he gave her a slow nod. Then, she scurried inside and closed the door behind her, knowing that he waited till she was secure. The damsel rested against the door, feeling various exhilarated emotions boiling inside her.

Her heart was beating like a wave of thunder and she took deep breaths, hoping to calm her nerves, but it did not help. Her mind continued thinking back to the way he had saved her.

Amelia couldn't help the excited squeal that escaped her, before she cupped her mouth, hoping not to wake her brother.

There was a distant feeling of sadness when she realised that there was no means of meeting the mysterious man, for she knew not his identity. A sense of longing to see him and ask of his name sprouted in her heart. Her emotions were chaotic.

Then, for a second, excitement enveloped her senses at the prospect of hoping to see him again. So she hurried up the stairs, desiring for a chance to see him through the balcony.

Just then, she heard a groaning voice call her name, "Mel, is that you?"

"Jas? Aren't you asleep?" Amelia asked, sounding innocent.

"I should be asking you that", Jasper's voice sounded annoyed.

The lad of fifteen years crossed his arms and stared at her, like he wasn't about to entertain any of her excuses. "Oh, you know", she cooed, hoping her younger brother would understand her circumstances.

"Did you go to the river for a dip?" he asked, his voice seeming most frustrated.

"Jas, you know it was inevitable", Amelia whined.

"At the cost of your life?" her brother snapped. "You know there are beasts on the rampage. What if you had encountered one of them? They could have torn you to shreds!"

The damsel remained silent. She was far too afraid to tell him that she truly had seen them, but was saved by a miracle.

At that moment, though, her focus was to have him understand her circumstance. Thus, she reasoned: "I had not gone last month either, for fear of the beasts, and the marks on my back were growing strong! If someone saw them, I could be killed!"

Jasper did not argue her stance, for he knew she was right.

The marks that spread up her skin on a fortnightly basis were a grave secret she needed to hide from the people she lived with. And only her brother knew their significance.

~