If you guys catch any errors, grammatical or or otherwise, let me know in a review and I'll make sure to edit it.
Story Update 1.0:
Fixes identified grammatical errors, sentence structure, etc.
Fixes incomplete thoughts
Slight tweaking of story
Enjoy!
Footsteps echoing off the walls in the dark alley caused Astrid to quicken her pace. She cursed herself for being so careless, everyone knew it was suicide to walk these streets after dark. Not with him on the loose. Things had gotten so bad that not even the coppers patrolled this area anymore.
Her heart rate sped up rapidly as she realized her follower's footsteps had also quickened. No longer caring about maintaining the illusion of being calm, she broke out into a full on sprint. By the gods was she glad she had decided to wear a tunic and leggings as opposed to a her normal dress.
Panting heavily, she rounded a corner that bottomed out into a dead end. Swearing viciously as the footsteps were getting closer and closer, she desperately tried not to break down and give into the terror that was clawing its way up her throat. She looked around wildly for a means of escape. There! At the edge of her vision she noticed a dilapidated ladder clinging loosely to the wall.
So relived to see a means of escape was she, that she forced herself to ignore the voice whispering in the back of her mind. Sprinting across the clearing she threw herself at the ladder and scurried up it. She had just climbed over the last rung when she saw it.
The words to describe what exactly she saw haven't been invented in any language, past or present. She was struck with a terror so intense her muscles seemed to atrophy on the spot. She couldn't move, she couldn't blink, even breathing seem to become an impossible challenge. Gripping the ladder so tightly it turned her knuckles white; she still didn't let go, she couldn't.
It couldn't be explained for it defied all logic. Despite the fact this disgusting thing was gliding toward her with slow measured paces should've encouraged her to run, but she couldn't. All she could do was stare with horror as it got closer and closer.
Fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over, she gritted her teeth. If she was to die, she wasn't going to do so sniveling like a coward, she was a Hofferson after all. So fixated was she on the creature stalking towards her she failed to notice the person approaching from her rear. Letting out a startled yelp as arms laced around her waist, dragging her away and backward from the ledge, her brain and body started to work in harmony again.
The arms around her gripped her with surprising force and began dragging her away with even more surprising speed. Quickly, they were rapidly closing in on a carriage with the door open. Knowing she only had a small window of time left she made her move. Twisting her body enough to be halfway facing him, she put as much energy as she could muster and slammed her open palm into her unknown attackers face. Hitting him dead in the nose.
She expected to hear the demonic howl of pain a creature from the underworld might emit, but instead a deep but slightly nasally voice cursed and the tension around her waist loosened considerably. Freeing herself, she spun around prepared to fight, but instead stopped dead in her tracks.
This wasn't some Hellhound...it was man, roughly 5 and 20. Slender, but obviously well built, considering the strength of his grip around her waist and how tightly he had held her close to him. She chuckled to herself how that would sound in a different circumstance, and recoiled at the fact that she was now blushing for some reason.
Turning her attention back to her...rescuer? She realized he was now holding a handkerchief to his nose to stem the blood flow.
"Okay, I can see how in a different light my actions could be interpreted as less than gentlemanly."
With a start, his eyes widened and he lunged forward, gripped her forearm and again started dragging her to the awaiting carriage. She was about to strike him again when he continued.
"But right now we have to move to a more defensible location, or do you want to stay and find out before Jack slits your throat if he's feeling peckish for some tea and a biscuit?"
Her head snapped back over her shoulder to realize with horror that...Jack had climbed over the ladder and was making his way over to them.
Growling at the smirk that was toying at the edges of this man's face, she allowed herself to be lead to the carriage.
"You don't have to run while holding my hand." She bit out between breaths.
He instantly dropped her hand with a somewhat sheepish grin. "As you wish, mi'lady."
Again! With the blushing, she really was going to have to get that under control.
They leapt into the carriage and she hadn't even fully sat down before he was lashing the ropes against the horses urging them forward. With a sharp neigh they shot off.
She was about to sigh with relief when she heard it. Now mind you, Astrid wasn't a girl that scared easily. She had always been tough as nails and was more than willing to break the fingers of a hand that lingered on her for a bit too long. But that...that sound would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.
Behind them a guttural scream seemed to rip through the air and shatter into her skull. It made her eyes slam shut on reflex and her skin crawl; it sounded like a thousand animals crying simultaneously out in pain, anger, and starvation. It echoed off walls and reverberated into her bones. She had never felt such acute terror in her life.
The man next to her let out a curse that took her by surprise, it wasn't a curse the common man would typically know. White knuckling the whips, he urged the horses on even faster. They barreled past empty streets and turns at speeds so high Astrid was sure she would fly off and slam into the outer brickwork of one of the houses.
Her heart was beating so rapidly and the fear that had gripped her was so ironclad it took her an embarrassingly long time to realize how close to him she was, and that she had inadvertently been gripping the buckles on his vest. With a nervous cough, she let go and scooted back some.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to, to...you know." She made a half gesture with her hand in the direction of him.
He smiled, he really did have a nice smile. He should use it more often. "No, I don't know, and you just gestured to all of me."
With an exasperated huff, she snapped "Sorry for practically straddling your lap!" and then blushed fiercely when her brain caught up to her tongue.
Though she did take great enjoyment at seeing just how beet red he had turned.
"Oh, is that what you were doing? I have to say mi'lady that was a very weak straddle. I think you can do better."
She couldn't help the laugh that tore from her lips. Turning to him, she punched him in the shoulder.
"Ow, that's it, I'm turning you over to the constable for assault!" He said with mock indignation while rubbing his shoulder.
Astrid pouted at him, "aww, did the poor baby get hurt?" She replied mockingly as well.
He fixed her with a haughty stare. "Baby!? I believe the words you're looking for are 'overwhelming' and 'raw Viking masculinity'"
They stared at each other for a moment before she let out a snort that eventually boiled into full on laughter from the both of them. She realized she was laughing at how easy it was to talk to this man after the nightmare of what she just endured...this strange man who hadn't told her his name and was now driving her towards an unknown destination.
With a flinch she straightened up and scooted even further away.
"Stop the carriage."
He must have surmised her thoughts because he slowed the horses down to a slow trot.
"Hey" he started with a nervous chuckle, stopping when he saw the look on her face.
He opened his mouth and closed it. After running his hands through his hair, his hair that she just now noticed was a messy mop of auburn, he tried again. Not before thoughts, however unexplainable they were, flitted through her mind of running her fingers though it.
Trying again, he faced her holding up his hands palms outward in a placating gesture.
"My father did always tell me my lack of propriety was going to get me killed." With a dismissive gesture he carried on.
"Anyways, my name his Hicc-Henry Haddock. I am truly sorry, I did mean to introduce myself before, but I was a bit preoccupied..."
She stared at him dumbly. Surely this was a joke, surely she hadn't just been rescued, kidnapped? She wasn't quite sure, by the heir to the Haddock empire of all people.
She realized he was staring at her. The intensity of which, was doing a number on her and conjuring up some very un-lady like thoughts. To her horror, she felt a blush start creeping up her neck so, with a supreme effort of will, she fought it down.
Extending her hand and giving him a bright smile she said "I'm Astrid".
