As I walk down the street In my tattered dress and basket in hand I can’t help but wonder of all the things that have happened. Nicklaus and I are still close as ever, I don't think I could ever get rid of that oaf even if I tried. Mother has left, I'm not sure where but I think it's because of my father or at least what happened. 

Six years prior~

“ Marry I have had enough!” My Father yelled, “ We marry her off and she wont be our problem then you can conceive an male child like planned!” He finished  with venom seeping through his words. 

“ We are not marrying off my Daughter!” She screamed back at him, “ Just because she is the eldest and not a boy does not give you any right to- '' My mothers screaming was cut off by a harsh slap to her face. She started to weep and fell to the floor. I backed away from their bedroom door, I went to turn as I fell down. I hear the storming of my fathers feet as he swings the door open.

“ You bastard child! What are you doing here!” He yelled at me. That wasn’t what affected me. I was used to the screaming and yelling by then. But my mistake was not answering. My mistake was looking for answers.

“ Why did you hurt mum?” I asked meekly. My mother looked through the door opening to stare at me in horror, as my fathers nostrils flared and looked down at me in rage.

“  Why you runt!” He grabbed me by the hair and threw me to the ground.

 Everything pretty much went blurry after that. 

But it's when I decided to act like a boy. By age twelve I had my best friend Niklaus training me with a sword, throwing knives, and as an archer. Niklaus was the son of a blacksmith in town. He knew his way around a blade quite well. Though my father didn’t like the act. In fact it made things worse.

“ Aye there Cornelia you here for the bread?” The Baker Mr. Barnes says to be pulling me from my trane of thought. Only now do I realize that I have made it to the bakers and how busy the streets were this morning.

“ da. Why are the roads so busy this early?” I asked.

“ Ya Haven’t heard? There’s a witcher in town.” He paused before looking down at me, “ And some Pirates, people thinking it be the Captain of the black waters.” I looked up to Mr.Barnes in shock.

“ Why would a witcher be in town?” I asked Mr. Barnes. He always loved that I asked questions because no one ever talks to him. 

“ The only creature folke we have around in these parts is the Dullahan, the worst thing those fair folk do is douce you in blood if ya see em.” I concluded out loud. 

“ Da you right. But people see him walking around. Same goes for the pirates.” Mr. Barnes responded and he passed me down the bread I had originally come all this way for.

“ Well thank you for this bread and the lovely chat Mr.Barnes.” I told him but as I went to turn around someone bumps into me, making me drop my basket. I let out a yelp in shock.

“ I apologize ma’am.” The man said to me his back was still facing me.

“ Bloody hell you are! You show some respect and watch where you are going. And try to apologize correctly next time.” I snarled in response. I hear Mr. Barnes  gasp in fear behind me.

“ Knife-Tongued woman, this is truly a rare sight.” I hear the man chuckle as he turns around and I'm shocked by what I see. Golden eyes. He’s the Whitcher.

“ You're a witcher.” I started not knowing any other way to respond. He takes off his hood and I see long black hair braided out of his face which has two scars across his nose and lip. 

“ That I am.” He chuckled and bent down to pick my basket up whilst continuing to talk. “ And you are a Knife-Tonged woman.” He smirked as he handed me my basket. I check to make sure the bread is still in good condition before continuing. 

“ And? You have a disliking bout it?” I snapped at him.

“ Oh no, I find it quite amusing. Say what's your Name?” He said, looking me in the eye.

“ None of your concern.” I started as I started to walk away. I hear him chuckle as I walk further.  I’m about halfway to my house when Nicklaus joins me for my walk.

“ Well hello there my lovely lady.” Nicklaus says jokingly as he slows to my pace.

“ Why top of the morning to you, fine gentlemen.” I say stop looking at him. We stare at one another before bursting into laughter.

“ SO would ya like to go into the woods today maybe the river.” Nick asks me.

“ I donno Nic ya know how my dad is.” I mumbled out.

“ Common Neila it would be just like old times! Isn’t that right Captain Evera!” He states while he takes off his hat and bows in front of me.

“ Okay, okay I'll meet ya in the woods! Just stop that ya making them stare!” I say in a hushed voice trying not to laugh at me dear friend.

Time passes as I finally reach my family cabin away from town.

“ Dad. I’m home.” I mumbe as I walk towards the kitchen.

“ Good, make some food.” He yelled out. It’s always the same. Go out, come home and cook food. It’s afterwards when my father falls asleep that I get to be free. My father wishes me to marry Niklaus, with his family's business I know I would never go hungry. But I do not wish for a woman's life. I want adventure. My mother would always talk to me, and tell me stories of the seas before she left. I wish to have adventures of my own some day. 

Later, I walked out to see that my father had fallen asleep, beer in hand. I grab my throwing daggers, Bow and arrows from under my bed and finally my soward. Niklaus had a special phrase engraved into the blade. “  every movement is your own. Make it count.”  It wasn’t much but it was enough.

I walked through the woods as I heard the crunching of twigs and leaves behind me. I’m quick to pull out one of my daggers and throw it at the sound.

“ Wow there love, Just came to say hi” I see Niklaus inches away from my blade.

“ Ya snuck up behind me, what did ya expect?” I said with a cheeky smile. He started laughing and soon as did I. Then out of nowhere he tackled me to the ground and we started to wrestle. We soon separated and gave out breathless laughs. As we started to talk once more a blood curdling scream shattered through the air. And soon more people started shouting out. 

“ What the hell is going on?” I hear Niklaus ask.

“ I’m No-” I stop mid sentence, A beast  Of spiders screeches at us and starts running out the way. I let out a shrill scream and ran to get up, as i’m runnin i heard Nik call out. I turn to see but, as soon as I do I regret it. Niklaus’s body was being held by the beast as he screams in pain, This monster starts ripping off my friends limbs finishing with the head. Throwing his body to my feet.

“ Oh gods” I murmured as I backed away from the lifeless corpse that was once my friend. I hear the clicking sounds following my thumps against the earth. When out from behind the trees walks a spider like creature. Taller than most men and longer than cattle. It charges at me as I roll to the side of the creature scratching my arm. I stand and pull my sword from its sheath. I ready myself for the monster's next attack. It charges once more, I block it with my sword to strike and doge. This combo seems to go one for hours till I'm finally hit. The monster sends me flying as I land on the ground away. I hear it coming towards me, but I cannot walk, I cannot find my strength to pick up the sword or fight back. I’m too tired. I close my eyes and wait for the next strike, yet it never comes. A screech blows through the air as the monster gives its last breath. I open my eyes to find a man wearing warm clothing and a wide hat. 

“ Well darling you look at what it looks like, Oh what's that phrase they always say?” He mumbles to himself looking for the right words.

“ Too tired to live, Too rare to die.” I am still in shock of what happened.

“ Yes, that's it. Too tired to live. Too rare to die.” He said with a smile.