“ A Start.”

I was sitting in my kitchen cutting up vegetables in the kitchen as Ithat’s get ready to set the dinner table. I get a chill up my back as I snap my head towards the window. I grab the knife and walk towards the door.

“ Hello?” I yelled out into the night looking for any signs of life. “ Is anyone out there?” I yelled once more before heading back inside with a feeling putting me on edge.

“ Hey, why are you yelling?” I yelped and turned around knife ready to find Niklaus coming from the bedroom. 

“ Why the fuck do you have a knife?” He looks ad me bewildered.

“ When the fuck did you get here?” I asked in the same state of shock. 

“ You women always so jump, this is why you don’t play with Knives,” I said taking the knife from my hand and walking to the kitchen.

“ Oh yeah, then you finish dinner.” I snapped stupid boy.

“ Who was the guy you were talking to today?” Niklaus asked almost sounding sad, but his eyes held anger.

“ His name is Alren, he’s a new friend,” I said with a smile, still happy about today’s past events. Niklaus turned to me and pulled me into a hug while putting his face to the crook of my neck. I stood frozen.

“ I don’t like him.” He mumbled

“ You don’t know him Nik.”

 “ Why not be friends with the other girls in town.”

“ Because they don’t like me.” 

“ Maybe if you told people of the scare they would understand.” Lies, all lies, they’ll leave, they’ll hate me.

“ No, they wouldn’t understand,” I muttered back to him.

“ How would you know love, you haven’t even told me!” I exclaimed leaning back to face me.

“ I worry about you Nelia, you act all tuff now but you still get bruises every day and don’t even get me started on the nightmares, when was the last time you have gotten any sleep?” I look down not bringing myself to look him in the eye. After a moment I finally spoke.

“ You should get going, dinner at your place will be ready, and dad will be back soon,” I mumbled the last bit but Niklaus was still able to hear.

“It’s him, isn’t it? Is he doing this to you, Cornelia?!” He got louder the longer he spoke, tears started to well. Is he going to leave now too?

“ I’m sorry for yelling Nelia.” He muttered whipping the tears I failed to notice fall. As he pulled me into a hug I broke down in his arms.  A minute or two passed before I composed myself and slowly got off the ground and off of Nik.

“ You should go now,” I said once more my voice weak.

“ Ok, but please come to me if something happens love.” He said before leaving. That night my father came home late as usual but fell asleep on the kitchen floor. It would be ok he was never there in the morning anyway. 

The next morning I got up and ready to head to the docks.  It was still early so I was able to stop at the baker's for some bread and decided that I would bring some to Arlen as well, I’m almost there when people started busting out into the streets. As I pass a tavern I feel a grip on my arm.

“ Missy got any coin on you?” It was one of the older men from the ship yesterday, his breath reeked of rum. Oh, how I hated rum. 

“ Sir, I apologies but I have no more cousin.” Stay calm.

“ Lies, give it to my girly!” He snapped grabbing me and pulling me towards the ally.

“ Stop!” I yelled and he threw me.

“ No ones gonna help a scared bitch like you si give up!” The man spat pulling out a knife and digging it into my arm, my scream is muffled by his other hand as I’m kicking to get away. I feel the blood seep through my clothes and the knife continues to dig in my flesh.

“ Look at that, how lucky are you to have a scare from me.” The man chuckled as he took the bread and found a single coin. 

“ What a lying whore.” I pull his knife out again and begin to trace my face with it, the smell of iron potent. 

“ Get off her gramps.” The older man turns around to face Arlen.

“ Por que eu deveria te ouvir, garoto?” The older man speaks in something I cannot understand.

“ Ela e minha amiga.” Arlen responds.

“ Nao e bom o suficiente.” The man says stepping closer to Arlen knifemorningIbaker’sI gripped tightly. Arlen looks at me in pity before answering.

“ Enta ela e minha.” He said with confidence.

“ Prove, eu quero filhos ou casamento ate o final do ano.” The elder man says walking out of the alleyway leaving just me and Alren. He soon gets up and runs to my ripping clothe and wrapping my arm. 

“ what did you say?” I asked quietly

“ It doesn’t matter right now took care of it, everything will be ok, you safe. I’m here.” He says picking me up and taking me to an inn I could only assume he was staying at. As soon as we got to the room he sets me on the bed and gets me water.

“ Why help me? “ I asked after some minutes.

“ Why wouldn’t I?” I looked up at him,

“ I don’t know what you and that man said but I could tell that there was a lot to it, and it affects you as well, so why help?” 

“ Because you're my first friend, I’m always going to protect you.” 

“ Thank you,” I say feeling my eyes water again, God damn what is it with me and crying recently, fuck.

“ Here,” Alren says standing me with a dagger. 

“ I don’t know how to use a throwing dagger Alren,” I say 

“ Then I will teach you, not just throwing daggers, but other weapons as well.” He said smiling at me,

“ Go on throw it, lets see what you have got.” He said looking at the door I throw the dagger as it hit the door wrong and clanks falling to the floor. 

“ Not much but, it’s a start.”