Outcast Villiage

Citlali shrugged. "I'm happy enough living as I am. I wasn't taught to expect anymore." She walked towards the stairs.

---

"Yeah, he's a bit of a dick that way. But you say he was being purposefully nasty or did I hear wrong?"

"Lets not carry on this conversation." Evelyn suggested.

"Do you want to come and train with me and the guys tomorrow?"

Ephraim nodded. "I don't care. So long as he doesn't come back."

---

"My power is a violent one. I do my best running long distances. I don't know how to do group training."

"It's mainly combat we do, we might be able to teach you and few things." He told her playfully.

Evelyn nodded and she held open the door so that he could carry her inside.

"I know a little self defence. Nothing amazing though. I don't want to get in the way. I'm not sure anyone could keep up."

---

Ephraim quietly carried Anjuli inside.

"David could."

Evelyn shut the door after them. "Alex, kitchen!"

"I'm can run fast enough to break the sound barrier." Citlali sounded almost smug. "I've still got to test light though." She hesitated at hearing his name called and took a step to the side to let him pass.

---

Ephraim gently set Anjuli down to sit on the edge of the table.

Evelyn started to clean her hands, though she started to cry again. "I know it hurts Anjuli, but they need to be clean."

Alex sighed. "I have to go, come and join us tomorrow okay?" He headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Ephraim rest a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, trying to distract as he started absently going on about a story about seven knights and an evil kingdom, loosely basing it on his experiences as a number.

---

Citlali nodded quietly.

Evelyn eventually wrapped her hands in gauze, before cleaning her knees.

Anjuli listened to the story, though silent tears ran down her cheeks.

Alex walked into the kitchen. "What happened?"

Ephraim carried on quietly with his storytelling, making grand gestures here and there, expecting Evelyn to explain.

Evelyn told them what Anjuli had said and what had happened, and when she had finished bandaging the child, Alex picked her up holding her in his arms letting her still listen to Ephraims story.

"And one by one the Knights got free from the evil kingdom and went on their ways to live happily ever after." Ephraim finished with a small smile for her.

Anjuli smiled. "Will you tell that to your little girl?"

"When she's old enough to understand sweetheart. As a secret, between you and me, I'm one of those knights." Ephraim winked.

"Really?" She asked suddenly excited.

"Yeah. And you know Citlali? She's a knight too. But an evil wizard took her memories away so we have to look after her and not scare her, you got that?"

She nodded, buying her face in Alex's shoulder.

Alex looked at Ephraim. "Thanks for bringing her home you two."

"Its fine. Wouldn't have been very kind to leave her out there anyway."

Alex looked at his daughter. "Come on, it's late let's get you changed and into bed."

Anjuli nodded, waving to Evelyn and Ephraim.

"Well, that walk was shorter and more dramatic than I was hoping for."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

"Its fine. I think we've run out of time though." Ephraim smiled weakly.

She smiled weakly in return.

"Rest well tonight okay? I'll see you in the morning."