"Good morning Nissa. Off to the river again?" A frail voice of an elder asked Nissa as she walked through the village. The warm sun shone at it's highest point down onto the land as the villagers worked their daily routine.

" Yes, I have some dresses I need to wash. Do you have anything needing done?" Nissa asked as she looked at the woman who smiled to her with a gentle nod.

" I only have a sheet that needs to be wash." She said as she walked into her small mud and straw hut as Nissa stood at the door waiting for her to return. When the old lady did she was carrying a beige colour sheet that has clearly seen better days. "Thank you ever so much. I'm afraid I'm not as young as I used to be and a simple trip to the river takes it's toll."

" Do not worry, Nora. Anything you need just ask." Nissa said placing the sheet into the frayed basket which held her clothes. " I will have this back to you by tomorrow morning fresh and clean."

" Thank you. Be safe, Nissa." Nora called out to her as she walked away from the village. Her deep red dress trailed gently along the ground behind her brown booted feet. The red dress was a snug fit around her upper torso and become loose just after her waist. Her dress covered her long dainty arms gently as she walked into the shade of the forest. The basket was hooked in her arm as she walked around the tress and towards the river where the village would go to wash their clothes or to fetch water. 

The autumn season was slowly arriving and the once luscious green scenery was now slowly turning into a bright golden world. The forest floor was beginning to disappear beneath fallen leaves and twigs, leaving the trees with barely anything on them. Nissa hummed a soft and sweet tune as the birds seemed to follow the tune. She stepped over a uprooted tree root, once over she done a small pivot and giggled gently as she stopped taking in a breath of the sweet air before continued the few steps before the river came into view. Nissa walked over to the river bank at the calmest area and dropped down to her knees while placing the basket gently onto the ground. She pulled up her sleeves and turned to pick up a blanket from her basket. 

She began to dip the blanket into the water and then pulled it out, she continued to do this over and over until the water around the blanket turned clean. She pulled it out from the water and rinsed it out before folding it and continuing with the next item in the basket. It did not take long for her to finish washing everything and have them folded in the basket. She had a soft smile spread over her soft pink lips as she stood up to her feet with a stretch.

"Help?" A low painful sounding voice called out from the forest. Nissa spun around looking to try and find the origin of the voice. Nissa wiped her hands on her dress as she consciously scans the surrounding area.

" Hello? Is someone there?" She spoke out as she continued to look around to find who belonged to the voice.

" Please... I'm over here..." The voice called again. Who ever it was was clearly in pain as they sounded as though they were straining themselves to talk. Nissa looked over to a spot between two trees where the voice was coming from. She began to take carefully placed steps with her body slightly inclined to the side, ready for anything that may cause her harm. Nissa in no way could fend off a fully grown man but she could run away from anything. "Please, I need... Help." The voice grunted out painfully.

" Who are you?" Nissa asked as she continued to take slow steps closer.

" Kit, My name is Kit." The man huffed out as Nissa rounded the tree and saw a man dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. The only thing was, was that at his waist on his left side was a large blood stain that was slowly growing in size. She looked at him to see if he had anything that he could hurt her in any way with, once she was content he did not. She bent down and moved his hand from the wound. Her touch was so gently and delicate as she moved the shirt to see what looked to be a knife wound. Nissa could not tell here if it had hit anything inside or was just a flesh wound.

" We need to get to my house. There I can treat you." She told him as she stood up and walked back over to the river bank and picked up her basket by the handle before turning and walking back to the young man. By the time Nissa had gotten back the Kit had managed to stand himself up and was now leaning against the tree. His brown hair messed in all different directions as his blue eyes looked to Nissa with a pained looked edged deep into them. "Come on, lets get going." She told him as they began to walk slowly to the edge of the forest.

" My Lady, I cannot go any further." Kit said heavily as he leaned against the tree. They were half way to the edge of the trees and the sun was beginning to set. Nissa looked up to the sky and then back at Kit.

" Come on, we do not have time to dwindle. The forest is dangerous at night." She spoke to him as she walked over and hook Kit's left arm over her shoulder and her right arm wrapped around his waist gently as they began to walk a little faster to the forests edge.

" What danger could be lurking here?" Kit asked with a confused look on his face.

" Outlaw, wild animals." Nissa listed off just two.

" Outlaws? But did the King not sort that out." Kit asked.

" Yes, he did. But in the center of the kingdom. He only drove them out to the outer regions. Now my village is invaded almost once a week. All the king has done for the outer regions is make our life harder." Nissa said as she dropped her eyes to the ground as they pricked with gentle tears.

" He is responsible for my parents, who died at the hands of the outlaws. The village has lost almost a quarter of its people since they arrived. I cannot forgive the king nor his son for doing nothing." Nissa said with a tinge of hate in her words.

" But what if they never knew? How would they know as they do not come this far often." Kit said trying to defend the royal family.

" They did, or at least the King did. Just before my parents deaths, I went to the capital for an audience with the King. I begged for his help, said I would give him anything and everything I had." She told him.

" And what did he do?" Kit asked her with hope.

" I was branded a lair and thrown from the city. I returned back to my village that morning, the outlaws arrived once again that night. They tried to take my mother but my father would not let them. They killed my mother first then my father. Meanwhile I was hidden in the house by my father before he went out after my mother." Nissa spoke of the painful memory. Kit was horrified that the King would do such a thing.

"Thank you, for telling me all of this." Kit said as the edge came into view just meters ahead.