Bow and Sparrow

CH 4

The ride today was worse than yesterday. Even after the sun had reached its highest point in the sky, a bitter chill had already set in. It was almost spring but the frost was stubborn. The early blooming leaves had started to fall again. Even the sunlight beaming through the treetops were traitors, providing no warmth. The raiders stopped every few hours for a break to rest the horses, but they didn't bother with me or the other girls. We continued north as the sun began its treacherous descent.

We made camp at nightfall. This time, the raiders pitched tents instead of sleeping in the open. By the time they had settled, there were a dozen tents and another small fire burning in the middle. The girls were ushered inside one of the smaller tents that I wasn't sure was big enough for all of them while I was kept outside with the leader. For the first time, I wondered why they kept us separate.

A small group of men had left when we stopped and when they came back, they were carrying an armful of dead rabbits. I was granted the task of making a vat of stew using the skinned rabbits while the men relaxed around the fire. The cauldron was small and I had to stoop over in order to stir it. Its three legs were perched in the middle of the fire.

I was not allowed to step back from the roaring heat of the fire and was kept under close watch. I should've been grateful for the warmth, but sweat poured from my face and dripped off my chin into the stew. I didn't bother wiping it away. The chain between my wrists did not allow much room for stirring. My forearm kept brushing against the lip of the pot causing me to swear very unladylike. My arm burned and the heat from hovering above the stew did not help. I tried to take a step back, anything to feel a wisp of cool air against my body, but a rod prodded my back and I stumbled forward. I was barely able to catch myself before I fell face first into the stew. I resisted the urge to glare at the man behind me.

After they had their fill of stew, some of the raiders retreated into their tents while others laid around the fire. I eyed the pot as my stomach grumbled. How long has it been since my last meal? Only one day, I realized though it had felt like a lifetime had passed. As if hearing my thoughts, a hand landed on my knee. I jumped, having forgotten the leader that sat beside me enjoying the fire.

"Take the rest." He jabbed his thumb at the tent that housed Taylen and the others. I quickly got to my feet, grasping the sides of the pot with the skirt of my dress. It had cooled quite a bit since the fire had died down. I awkwardly carried the stew, disappointed to see there was hardly any left at the bottom. This wouldn't be enough to feed all of them more than a spoonful or two, but it was better than nothing.

I carefully ducked under the tent flap. There was no light in the tent except for what moonlight shone through a hole near the top. The girls were huddled together, whispering. They fell silent when I came in. My eyes sought out Taylen and I rushed to her first.

"Tay," I started, but my concern turned to confusion at the look of hostility in her eyes. "What-what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

She didn't say anything, just kept glaring at me. I glanced at the others, the ones that I barely knew, but none of them would meet my eye.

"I brought some stew." I set the pot down in front of them, grabbing the ladle. "There's not much left, but-"

"We don't want your traitor soup." Taylen hissed, causing the girl next to her -I think her name was Brooklyn- to jump.

My eyebrows knit together. "What are you talking about?"

"You're getting cozy out there with them." The accusation in her tone forced the air from my lungs.

"I'm not... I would never... It's not like I want to be out there with them. I'm chained the same as you." I thrust my shackled hands in her face, rattling loudly, but Taylen just huffed. I fell back onto my heels and looked around, but I saw the same accusation on the other's faces as well. I backed out of the tent, leaving the rest of the stew. My appetite was gone, horrified that they all thought so low of me. I didn't know why the raiders treated me differently. I was too lost in my anguish that I didn't notice someone standing outside the tent until I collided with them.

The look in the leader's eyes sparked a burst of anger deep within me. My balled fists pummeled his chest for a few seconds until he swiftly caught my cuffs with one hand. I grunted in frustration, tears started to well up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall. His fist collided with my face and pain exploded across my right cheekbone. I stumbled backwards, kept upright only by the man's grip on my shackles.

He dragged me silently towards a tent, probably his tent. He didn't slow even when I tried to dig my bare heels into the dirt. His tent was bigger than the others, but the inside was sparse with his messy bedroll and a couple canvas bags next to it. He pushed me down and I fell in a heap on the ground near the pole in the middle of the tent. He reached into the pocket of his trousers, pulling out a key and reached for my shackles. He unlocked one cuff but just as quickly looped it around the tent pole and back onto my wrist.

Slipping the key back into his pocket, the man crossed the tent and lit the brazier near his bedroll, but he kept his eyes on me. I tried to hold the stare but looked away when his eyes turned lewd, bile rising in my throat.

I sat as still as I could and when the man shifted in his bedroll, I risked a glance. He seemed to be asleep. I tested the strength of the tent pole but it seemed too sturdy. Even if I did try to loosen it, the tent would probably collapse with me in it. I sighed, the shackles jingling quietly behind me.

_______

"Wakey, wakey, little bird."

I woke up to someone snapping their fingers in front of my face. I jerked away from the face only inches from mine. I was laying on my side in the tent, my wrists still locked around the pole. There was dirt all over my clothes and when I shook my head, more fell from my hair.

We emerged from his tent, me trailing behind the leader. Most of the camp was packed and ready to go. I caught the look on Taylen's face and wished I hadn't. I doubt I would ever forget the disgusted look on my friend's face.

"-get to the coast and get rid of this deadweight. The forest makes me paranoid." I overheard one of the men as he attached his saddlebag to his horse.

Coast?

The nearest coast was in northern Verdana. I wasn't sure why they were going to the coast. The big cities would pay well enough for the stolen goods and not ask too many questions. Something else gnawed at the edge of my mind. I looked around, for what I wasn't sure. I hadn't noticed any of them carrying bags of loot. They each had a single pack and a bedroll attached to their horses. Now that I thought about it, I wasn't sure why they had us at all. It's not like they could sell us, unless...

No. Slavery had been outlawed ages ago. Surely they wouldn't risk death over a few girls. But no, they weren't planning on selling us in Verdana. That's why we're going to the coast. To board a ship that would lead us to a fate worse than death.

I wouldn't let that happen. I couldn't let that happen. Maybe Taylen and the others despised me now but nobody deserved that. We will escape.

Tonight.