Her eyelids felt heavy, and there was a strong pressure around your head. That was the first thing Nala felt upon waking up.
Immediately, all the memories flooded back to the young child. About her mother and Marli. No matter how much she prayed for everyone to come to her, her heart knew she would never see her family again. Not her mother, not Marli, and not even Gedana, who was her friend in the village.
The child was now completely alone.
And so, she wasn't surrounded by concerned friends when she opened her eyes.
There sat a stranger to her.
His hands rough and calloused, gently stroked the child's cheek. Scars bore witness to the many battles he had fought in his life. Like the Amazons, some of whom proudly wore these marks of glorious battles like a badge of honor.
But this man frightened her.
He wasn't tall, but his dark hair was in wild disarray. Around his mouth grew a dense beard, making his small, dangerous eyes even more pronounced.
Nala pulled the blanket higher.
"W-Where am I?" she hesitantly asked the man.
"In my hut," he replied. "I found you alone outside. You were injured, so I brought you here. But tell me, where is your mother or someone else you belong to? You can't be wandering alone in the woods."
His hands checked the bandage around her head. Immediately, the girl flinched in pain.
But in the end, she sadly shook her head.
She had no one left. Not since Marli had sent her away. In that moment, she lost the last person. And whether she would find that family again, the one that took in Nala and Marli in the last few days, she didn't know either.
The man in front of her stood up. Then he took a step back.
With grand gestures that were meant to cheer the child up, he introduced himself.
"I am a knight full of honor, known throughout the land for my great deeds. My blade is here to save any maiden, no matter what terrible danger she faces. Whether it's a robber who has kidnapped her, or a cunning merchant trying to cheat her with dirty tricks. Anyone can count on me."
Nala widened her eyes at this tale but remained silent.
His mustache twitched briefly as he checked her reaction. He had hoped for the child's laughter. But even its absence didn't stop him from continuing to speak.
"I save them all. Whether it's the pretty daughter of a king, for whom many sins are worth it. An old crone with a broken leg, whom I must carry home on my back. Or such an enchanting angel like you. By my honor as a knight, I save each one of them."
A deep bow followed in front of the girl, his only audience, still waiting for a reaction.
A sigh escaped him, only then did he come to the final question.
"What's your name, sweet thing? Whose life have I saved today? Judging by your clothes, your parents must be wealthy. They must be worried, and if you tell me where you're from, I'll take you back."
Again, Nala's gaze dropped.
There was no one left to worry about her.
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Immediately, the man, whose appearance called to mind more of a robber than the knights she had encountered before, rushed to her.
They wore silver armor that even concealed their heads.
Nala imagined that beneath them were dark monsters who stole her family. Even though that wasn't true. They were normal people like her or the bearded man.
And even though Marli had taught her not to reveal anything about herself, she had to answer him. And the only thing that came to her mind in that moment was, "My name is..."