Springtime

Raven sighed and pulled off the Nevermore helm, reining Dela around. “Recovery, don’t bother. There’s nobody left.” The strewn bodys and shattered ruins told the story well enough, the massive hoofprint in the dark only sealing the deal. She could only hope that the Nuckelavee had moved on from here. It was the only Grimm the tribe truly feared due to the fact it made even the ten-story Nevermores near the village seem like dumb animals in comparison. The sadistic thing never left survivors.     She pushed herself out of the saddle and headed for the remains of the dust shop, slicing the lock off with Omen. It clattered to the ground and she smiled. She was getting low on blades and needed to replace them. The last fight with a young Goliath had really exhausted her supplies, so the need really was critical.     A small shift caught the corner of her eye and she flicked Omen’s blade to its full length, eyes narrow. “Show yourself.” It wasn’t a Grimm, she damn well knew that. But how had someone survived the Nuckelavee? Multiple decades of experience with its attacks on villages had all but solidified—     A tiny figure came out of the shadows. Dust smeared her gaunt cheeks, but the bright blue eyes shone despite the situation. Strength and determination defied her small stature, but the slight wobble in her legs betrayed her fear. Raven’s throat caught and she sheathed Omen, kneeling low and extending her arms out for the girl. She couldn’t have been much older than Yang was now…     The girl didn’t budge, eyes still full of defiance. Raven offered her a soft smile before speaking. “Hey, it’s all right; you’re safe now.” The little girl shook her head, folding her arms.     “You’re the Branwens… Da told me you’re nothin’ but trouble…” She couldn’t hide the waver in her voice and Raven sighed. The tribe didn’t have the best reputation, but they still did their best to help the survivors of Grimm attacks…     Shaking her head, Raven let her arms drop onto her leg. “Yes, we’re the Branwen tribe, but we came here to see if anyone was alive.” And get the leftover supplies they could make use of, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. “You don’t want to stay here, do you?” The little girl puffed her cheeks out as her gaze drifted out over the destroyed village. It really wasn't hard for Raven to see tears in her eyes, but the girl blinked them away. For one so young, she certainly had the spirit of a warrior…     “If you come with me, you’ll have a warm bed, clean clothes, and as many hot, yummy meals as you want.” Raven kept her voice soft and she saw the deliberation on her face. Her sunken cheeks betrayed it’d been weeks since she’d last had a proper meal. Honestly, she was surprised and impressed the girl had survived this long.     After a few moments, her shoulders slumped and Raven pulled her into her arms. A tear fell on her skin and she held the little girl into a full hug. Raven’s body shook as the little girl started sobbing, clinging to her like a lifeline. She wished Summer were there because kids were not her forte, but… She shrugged the thought away, running a hand through her hair. “Sweetie, what’s your name?”     “C-C-Coya…” She could barely make out the choked syllables and Raven nodded.     “It’s okay, little one. I won’t let anybody hurt you again…” Raven just couldn’t bum the girl on some random tribe member. After all of the trauma she’d suffered, she needed support, love, and warmth which was something her own mother would be able to help her with. Hopefully, between them and her grandmother, they’d be able to raise the little girl. Raven’s heart constricted as she remembered all she’d seen, but she shook it away. No. She’d already abandoned one child. She wasn’t about to do it again.