Aryas the priest

And now for something completely different:

The priest looked behind his guards at the small girl hiding behind them. He looked back at the irate peasant mob.

"How can a priest defend a witchborn!?" the leader grunted.

"You don't want to know the answer to that." he responded.

The guards started grinning like jackals. They weren't the most godly of men, so they would have loved to see a fight. The fact that a few of them looked with pity at the peasant mob should have warned the man not to act.

"Then priest or no priest, I'll kill ye!" he shouted, and lunged forward with a dagger.

The priest responded by cutting the dagger in two with a longsword that appeared to leap from beneath his robes to his right hand, and shoving the thug to the ground with his left.

"Do not try that again. It is not murder to kill to protect a child, and I will do it."

"But shes born of a witch and a devil!" a women howled

"Doubtful, it is far more likely one of your husbands strayed. You know the laws, orphans are to be cared for, not killed, no matter their parents."

"You are a fool of a priest, she will bring ruin us all."

"Believe what you wish, but you will not touch her."

The guardsmen swung their halberds out, facing the crowd with a row of sharp axe blades. Aryas raised his blade. The mob evaporated, and soon only the dozen guards, Aryas, and the girl were left.

"What is your name, child?" he asked.

"Mia." she squeeked

"Well Mia, I think you need to come with us, you shouldn't be alone."

"Kay"

Aryas picked her up, and walked back to the cart.

"Captain, move out."

"Aye, Templar."

The guardsmen piled into the back, and he took the reins with the girl beside him. He whipped the reins, and the oxcart moved out.

Aryas sighed. This was getting insane, the peasants were practically reverting back to druidism, even though they gave lip service to God. Witchborn, demons fathering children, where did they get this kind of crap?

As he was deep in though, the guards took advantage, and grumbled about filthy peasants in very colorful terms. Mia was already asleep, so he let them.