The sun's warm glow beamed down onto the town of Domremy. What was once a welcomed embrace now felt strange.
She sat on the steps leading into the church, knees pushed against her chest as she pulled them closer with her arms. The girl's face was buried deep into her legs while she sulked.
Buildings, reduced to ash, lined the main road of the town.
The church was one of the only untouched buildings around. Most of the homes and shops on the outskirts of the city still stood, but the fear of another attack struck deep in the heart of everyone.
"I-…"
Her breath hitched as she recalled the fear from the prior night.
"They've never been this bad before…"
This raid had been the most violent one yet. Her father was normally able to calm both the villagers and soldiers before things got out of hand.
"Is it my fault…?"
Perhaps if she hadn't gotten so distracted talking with her mother about the young man she'd found in the forest, she would've noticed the commotion sooner.
"No… This isn't my fault, no one is at fault. Father didn't notice them either…"
She lifted her head slightly and peered into the church's door which had been held open by a small block of lumber.
Dozens of people sat inside, either injured or sulking like herself.
Many had been injured from the onslaught by the English soldiers.
Many had lost everything.
Many had died, for nothing.
"No.. No… It isn't my fault, father couldn't have calmed them down…"
They'd been able to survive many times after forking over their supplies, so why couldn't they just comply again?
A man, the girl's father, walked out of the church and sat beside her.
"Father, has anything changed? Is he going to be okay?"
"I'm not sure, Jeanne. No man or woman in this town has much medical experience, it's a miracle he's still alive. That amount of bleeding should've killed him before the night had even ended."
"I see."
"Jeanne, he is suffering."
"Again…?"
"It's what's best for-…"
"Don't say it."
"Jeanne, he-…"
"You can't father!"
"If he wakes up, he'll only be in pain, my daughter, you know this right?"
Her tone became more frustrated and her voice grew louder.
"He saved me! He saved YOU!"
"Which is why we have to show him this mercy."
"NO, you can't! He's still alive, and that means he can still live!"
"When you took me to him, I thought he'd already passed. Taking down three trained soldiers, at that age especially, alone is something he shouldn't have survived.
"Which is exactly why he'll live! The lord must've been watching over him!"
"Jeanne…"
"You can't take his life away after what he's done!
Jacques put his arm around his daughter's shoulder, pulling it closer to his own.
"Listen, sweetie. We'll allow him to recover, but if he wakes up and is in pain, please let me show that young man some mercy."
Jeanne shook her head in disapproval, guilt gripping her heart.
"You can't!"
Her father's brow twitched with annoyance before he stood up.
"We'll talk more about this if he wakes up…"
He turned and left, walking down the half-destroyed city's main road towards the family's farm.
Jeanne gripped her hair and gritted her teeth.
"All of this for someone I barely know…"
Why did she care so much?"
She stood, dusted her dress off, and stepped into the church.
Large stained glass windows inside the gothic building separated the murals which told entire stories within their frames. Multiple rows of seats, now turned into resting spots for the injured, covered the center-point of the church.
She could hear low-toned weeping and the shallow prayers from the villagers as they huddled around loved ones.
Jeanne's feet carried her to the area she'd been repeatedly returning to, time and time again.
"Mmm…"
Her eyes wandered over the young man, laying silently below her.
Both his sword and armor were gone, most likely scavenged between the time he'd collapsed and been found.
His body was lazily wrapped in bandages, which seemed to cover none of his injuries, while shoulder and leg were covered with a mix of mud and blood.
"I should…"
She slowly sat on the edge of the seat, eyes still watching the practically deceased man below her.
His body had neither scars nor did he have any bruises.
"He's a strong one, I'll give him that."
A voice, firm yet familiar, echoed behind the girl as she turned.
"Ah, hello, Father!"
A priest, wearing a long robe, carrying a small cross around his neck, and holding a book in his hand stood over Jeanne.
"Hello, Jeanne. Your friend is doing well, do not worry."
"I have to worry. He's like this because of me."
"You've already told me, child. Protecting you was his choice, don't blame yourself for his courage."
"It's hard not to."
"I've been in your situation before, he will be okay. The lord is with this young man, I can feel it."
Jeanne looked back down at the man, his breathing was shallow, but steady, his chest rose and fell painlessly, and his injuries seemed to be fine despite Jeanne not being able to see them.
"Thank you, father."
"You've been here before even the sun, child. You should head home."
Her hands twitched with uneasiness.
"Yes, I should get some rest…"
"He'll be fine."
Jeanne stood and then began stepping towards the church's entrance, ignoring the cries of the heartbroken families inside the church grieving their losses.
Her fingers interlocked with themselves as she turned back, hesitantly, towards the church before continuing on towards her home.
She stopped.
Compared to the outskirts of the town, which were still intact and mostly untouched, the center of Domremy looked like a warzone.
Despite the chaos earlier, people still lined the streets. Multiple stalls were still standing and selling goods, while small groups of people cleaned the rubble and ash from the ruined buildings.
The smell still hadn't left, blood was still soaked into the dirt around her, and the smoke still caused her throat to swell, but the town was trying, trying to return to a state or normalness.
Jeanne looked back, towards the forest.
She walked, away from her home, towards the place she'd felt she belonged.
It felt as if the trees around the girl welcomed her with their shade, protecting her from the hot sun. Despite the forest being deemed dangerous, Jeanne had never encountered such danger, no matter how long she spent inside its perimeter.
Leaves rustled in the wind as the scent of the fauna flooded into her nose.
Compared to the current state of Domremy, the forest felt like heaven on earth.
The first time she came here was many years ago, when she was trying to escape the other children of the village. Her devotion to the church had caused the adults to respect her, but the kids her age found it was easier to discriminate rather than understand.
Being here felt right, it always had, but what was she feeling now?
Coming here always seemed to lift her spirits since she used the time to pray in silence.
Besides yesterday, it'd been months since she felt this same urge to venture into the forest.
With her being 17 now, most people who didn't accept her extreme devotion stayed away, so retreating to the forest didn't feel necessary. However despite feeling pointless, the forest felt just as, if not more, familiar as her home.
Ringing.
Multiple loud metallic sounds filled her ears.
She looked up, seeing the birds fly overhead away from the noise.
"Ah… The church bell."
Was it really noon?
She looked at the forest for a moment, sadness formed across her face, and then began to march back towards Domremy.
Suddenly, a bright light bloomed seemingly out of thin air.
Jeanne's vision was eclipsed by a warm ray of white light.
Something inside her seemed to burst, a tear ran down her cheek as her knees buckled to the grass below.