I was a simple Polish girl living in the village, feeding my horses that my mother asked to take care of while she was out for a few days because of an important matter. The situation in the border was quite tense, but luckily it did not spread to my village. My father was in the army, that was why we were a bit worried of what might happen to him. But that was what he was like, living his life as a soldier instead of working in the village peacefully. He would not stand living peacefully while the country needs him, that was what made us proud of him.

There was a badly wounded man that i met in a street yesterday, I could not leave him so i took him to my house. His uniform was covered in blood, i was a bit scared seeing him in such state. It was possible that an enemy just came to the village seeing him wounded here. I could say he was quite new as a soldier, about nineteen or less, that was the age where the male citizens could enter the army. He developed some muscles on his body, he has so many scars on his back, it must be a tough situation he was put into.

Seeing from where he was wounded, it seemed like a blade slashed his chest and some more major wound in his leg and arm. It took a lot of effort taking care of his wounds, i just have a little knowledge of medication, i used some help from the doctor in the village. I briefly learned it to take care of my father's wound every time he was wounded from a training. I might not do it neatly, but i did put an effort into it and managed to keep the soldier alive somehow, although he could barely walk out of bed alone.

"Toris, i'll be out to the market. If you need me you gotta wait until i come back, won't be too long though, I put the water on the night stand, okay?" I put a glass of water on the night stand next to his bed. He nodded his head while still lying on the bed, probably holding the sore feeling from his wound.

I took a saddle from the storage and put it on my horse that i just bathe earlier, we ran out of flour to make some bread for dinner. I had to use more flour than usual knowing we have a guest, moreover he was wounded and needed to be taken care of. I suppose he would be fine if i leave him for a while, so i hopped up on my horse and rode it through the roads.

As usual, there were so many things in the market. I bought what i need, flour, cabbage, tomatoes, and an accessory. Because my mother left me some spare money and it could not hurt buying one right? The girls in the village started to wear that flower crown-like accessory.

To go back from the nearest market, i had to go through the the forest, not a really big one, it was the most convenient way to go back. There was a house belonged to the only Blacksmith in the village, Mr. Gwozdek, where he also opened a shop. I saw him rushing to move his things into the house and close the shop. He seemed to be panicked, it was shown on his face, so i approached him and asked.

"Sir? What's wrong? You seem to be rushing, it's not a usual time to close your shop."

"You better pack your necessities and get out of this village immediately, the Russians are coming!"

I froze on where i stood when i heard what was happening, Russians? When will they have enough of it?

Without continuing the conversation, i hopped up to my horse and whipped him. He ran fast and took me home as fast as i needed. I left some of my groceries falling to the ground by riding my horse carelessly, but it did not matter, my house would not be a safe place in a time like this. Moreover i was keeping a wounded person in my house that i could not just leave there alone. At least if my house was going to be ruined, robbed, or burned, nobody would get hurt or harmed.

Just fours minutes away from the forest, i could already see my house. Apparently there was nobody in the house besides Toris, no Russian, no foreign looking horse, but we still need to go. I tied my horse at a three and went inside my house to take my necessities to the carriage. I took what we treasured, like clothes, money, and my mother's expensive jewelry because it cost so much. I put them in a bag big enough to store them.

"Toris, wake up! We need to go from this village right now!" I slightly shook his body to wake him up, not too harsh to hurt his wounds. But he still flinched and opened his eyes. When he finally woke up i helped him sit on his bed.

"What happen?" He asked, seeming to be aware of what might happening.

"It's the Russians, i don't want to suddenly ask you to move but it's better than let you die here!"

A cry of horses suddenly heard from outside, followed by a sound of wheels on the roads. I took a peek from the window and quickly closed it again. The Russians came quicker than we expected, when i take a look they were going for my farm. I was so scared that i could not move.

"Stay here." Toris patted my back while staring at the Russian men from the door.

"Toris, no!" I said, but he made me move back nonetheless.

He brought his sword with him and walked out of the house to face them, although i knew he held all the pain back to help him walk. I took a sword that my father left here, i know how inexperienced i was, but i would feel really guilty if he die protecting me while i just stood there doing nothing.

"Do you have any business here?"

"This territory belongs to us now, give all of your belongings to us." Said a bigger Russian man in front of Toris.

I heard what they were saying behind the door followed by Toris' flinching sound, i started to tremble and plot my action even though i was too panicked to think. Toris seemed like he would not give in, he drew his sword towards them, one against four, he did not seem to care about his condition.

His moves and the way he fought them looked quite fast for a wounded person. I knew it drained a lot of energy doing that, I could see him putting a lot of force in his swings, he panted more by doing that.

Yes, it was me and my house the reason why he did such a reckless thing, but i could not rely entirely on his heroic act. I could see him flinching more and getting more wound from the fight. Although it seemed hard to do i had to grip the sword tight and unexpectedly ran from the door to help Toris.

"Felicija!" Toris shouted at me who did not keep myself inside as he told me.

Knowing no exact way of sword techniques, I recklessly swung my sword and just hoped that it would manage to hurt them enough to stop them. Seeing what i started to do, Toris decided to fight them with me, still ignoring the pain even though it weakens him. Two against four, where the two were a wounded soldier and the other one was a girl having no idea to do sword fighting skillfully.

We were trying hard, but still they got me and my belongings, Toris had no enough power to fight them, his wounds were starting to bleed again and what he could do was laying on the ground. I shout his name as they dragged me to the carriage and tied my hands, he tried hard to get up but he could not.

I could already imagine it, where they were taking me and how they want me to be, how my mother's expression would be knowing her house was ruined, seeing a dead body in the yard and the fact that her daughter had been taken away. I have never been in such situation in my whole life, but i need to get away as soon as possible, i need to find a way.

Author's message : The story setting is in Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, so i made Russia as the enemy just to make the story goes as the history. I choose to write them being in a war with Russia because Russia is a big country and i need that. But in RL i don't consider him as a bad guy.