William (M)-----------------Margaret (F)
The daylight hours were warm and dry as they wound down into evening.
Margaret had been sitting in the courtyard of her unfortunate home most of the day, passing away idle hours by listening to the other girls chatter on and on about nothing. Margaret did not want a life of fanciful speculation such as the other girls seemed to live in. Talking of princes and castles and paradise found. She couldn't say she'd ever believed in such things. There was someone out there who would love her, certainly, but she doubted him to be a prince with a castle or a man of any sort of stature to offer her the wildest fantasies she could concoct.
All she desired was a simple life--perhaps a happy home and children someday. Someday...when she was far away from this dwelling for "troubled" young women. Ladies who thought a little too much, spoke a little too boldly. Or, as with the rest of her newfound sisters, dreamed away their lives in fantasy.
As the dinner bell rang Margaret found she had no appetite. Her soft hazel eyes traveled to the gates of the courtyard that separated the wilderness from the manicured rose bushes. With a glance over her shoulder to ensure no one was near enough to foil her plans, Margaret slipped through that gates and into the forest beyond.
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She had been walking long enough that the tallest bower in the courtyard could no longer be seen looming over the trees like a beacon of silent misery. Her dress pulled up just slightly in her hands to avoid the brambles as best she could, the young maiden finally came to a stop at a small creek and lowered herself onto a fallen tree to rest. The air was growing slowly colder; her hands reached up to rub tenderly at the exposed flesh on her arms. Perhaps she ought to be heading back, goodness knew she was not fit to spend the dark and dangerous night alone in the wilderness...
Out of the corner of her eye, something light and tawny colored moved suddenly. Margaret let out a small cry of surprise, sure that she had been had before darkness even fell. But the thing frozen rather than attacked, and softly returned with a cry of it's own as it's head turned to gaze at the young woman.
Margaret recognized the creature instantly as a fawn--well perhaps a little older judging from the small pair of antlers he was sporting. A young stag then, perhaps. She angled herself forward out of curiosity, blinking through the fleeing light to see what kept the young beast. She was answered with a rattle of chains and a glimmer of metal as the young beast kicked his hind leg to reveal his man-made tether.
All thoughts of earlier concern for the state of her dress abandoned, Margaret waded across the creek without pause. The stag's brilliant green eyes, even from afar, were more brilliant and intelligent than any she had ever witnessed before. The held such pleading in them that she found herself completely captivated. Clambering daintily onto the opposite bank near the stag she paused, looking the situation over. She was no locksmith nor one of strong build--how could she possibly free the young creature.
"That branch over there could pry it free."Hands flew to her face in shock, her wide eyes locked on the stag that had just spoken to her.
"Please...don't fear me. I cannot let the hunters retrieve me or I will live a life in captivity. Will you help me?"Margaret didn't fully understand what the stag meant--it wasn't as if she had forced him to speak. The hunters would only slaughter him...though that was just as grim of an outlook. Was she herself not already in some form of captivity? had she really no compassion left in her body. Lowering her hands back to her side, she glanced to the large branch the stag was talking about and then back to the beast himself.
"Yes...yes I'll help you."Hefting the branch up into her arms, Margaret walked the few paces back to the metal trap and jammed on end in beside the stag's bleeding leg.Both her hands gripped at the bark and shoved down into his frail skin bled from the rough contact. The trap strained and groaned as did the branch--both threatening to break at any moment. As the trap loosened little by little the stag wriggled his leg until it was free. Margaret released the branch; the trap closing onto it with sinister force as fractured splinters flew.
She looked to her hands, then to the puncture wounds the metal teeth had left in the creature's leg. Though her eyes were misted with tears of pain she reached down to rip the hem of her dress to fashion a bandage for the fawn when something extraordinary happened.
A brilliant light surrounded the creature for the briefest moment, and when margaret could see again there was no fawn but a young man sitting before her. His attire was slight--simple pants and a baggy sleeved tunic. But those same brilliant green eyes were looking at her kindly.
"Thank you a thousand times, young miss. My life was certainly ended had it not been for you. Here, lady, allow me."Tearing the sleeve of his tunic, he reached gently forward in like fashion to tie it gently around her bleeding hands. Margaret, too confused and fascinated to even breathe let alone move, sat very still and allowed him to do it. When the man was quite finished bandaging her hands he tore his other sleeve to right his own leg.
"Forgive me--I could not have changed in the trap the way I was. It would have severed men leg for certain. But there is no need to ruin your dress on my account, you have aided me more than I can repay in mere words." He frowned as he finished tying the knot around his calf and laughed.
"Forgive me, I do not meet others very often. I am William, dearest lady. Might...might I ask the name of my savior?"Margaret moved to speak but found no words the first try. Clearing her throat, eyes still wide with disbelief, she managed to squeak out a very small.
"It's Margaret, kind sir."Characters based off the characters sang about in The Decemberists album The Hazards of Love. Story, likewise, is modeled after their story in the album.
Kind of meant as a one shot deal, but I'd gladly continue to finish out the story if people are interested.
