Life is hard for someone like me. I live in Blackwater, I'm only seventeen, have three sisters, and my father is a rich bastard. Life doesn't get much easier, does it? I also have an arranged mariage in a few months time, where my father will pick a pish-posh guy for me to marry. I am not like that. I want adventure, but my father is too 'smart' to even consider giving me some freedom. I live in a nice house and I have a great life. I even have servants... but that isn't the only thing I want in life, and need.

It was late as I sat opposite my desk, staring at the mirror as my hair hung down in its usual ringlets. It looked much lighter today, though its original shade was a dark blonde. It was then, when I was surrounded in my thoughts about adventure and life, I heard a noise at my window. I gasped in horror, because Blackwater is usually a safe town, and I had never had any trouble with thieves or murderers. I turned arond slowly not wanting to see what had come into my bedroom. The windows were closed, but not for long. Seconds later one window burst open loudly and I shook in fear. A man popped his head into my room. He had a barely shaved beard and his dark hair was dripping wet. I stared at him for a long moment, analysing every part of his face and trying to take it in. He smiled faintly but it didn't win me over.

"Who are you?" I asked him. He carried on smiling.

"Just a lonely bandit who needs some company." He grinned this time, and he climbed into my room. A man was following him, and he too jumped into my room. Then two more did exactly the same thing. The last man to come in had a disappointed look on his face. He was much handsomer than the rest, as he didn't have a beard, his hair was messy but it looked good and his eyes were quite attractive.

"Let's get her." The third to come in said plainly and my stomach churned at his words. What were they going to do?

"No! This is stupid." The last man to come in started. "I mean, this is probabaly the dumbest idea I have ever heard of."

"Who cares?" The second man to come in started walking towards me and he put his arm around my waist. I tried to resist and pull it off, but he was too strong. "Stop struggling!" He almost raised his voice, but he was careful not to wake my parents. I looked at the other men fr help, but only the second and last to enter my house looked a litte concerned.

"Let her go." The first last one to come in stated. The man holding onto me didn't respond. "Let her go!" The man looked down, but let go over almost instantly. I smiled faintly at the man for his help and he smiled back. Footsteps then sounded outside my room. I was grateful, because they would leave, but they didn't move.

"Are those your par-... RUN!" The second one to come in was shocked at how high pitched his voice seemed to go. They all then started leaving, one after the other, but the last to come in stayed inside. He ducked onto the floor, lay down, and rolled under my bed. I shrugged at his move and turned to face whoever was walking towards my room. The door swung open and my father walked in.

"Ah... Samantha. Going to bed, I hope."

"Yes, father. Of course."

"Sam! Why is your window open? God knows what kind of people could climb in. It's very unsafe around here, you know." I nodded. Yes, I did know. He smiled at me and closed the window. I was thankful he didn't notice anything different. He left and shut the door noisely with a simple 'goodnight'. I had to admit, I was interested as to why the man left. After all, he did help me. He rolled out from under my bed and stood up, brushing himself off.

"I ddn't have time to escape. By the way, before I leave I would like to apologize for my accompanies. They don't know their manners."

"You don't have to talk all proper for my liking. I'd prefer it if yu just told me your name, and where you're from."

"Well, I'm Richard. I'm a bandit from Thieves Landing. I live off food and money off others. I do not live in a nice house, but it has everything I need." He smiled an put his hands in his pockets. "Your turn."

"I'm not sure there is anything you really need to know. I have a boring life. I'm getting maried in a few months time to someone I don't even know anything about!"

"That sounds fair." He said sarcastically. "Why do yu have to do that?"

"My father thinks it's a good thing. He wants me to marry some pish-posh man with money and charm. In my opinion, I hate men lke that. They're boring, unexciting and uninteresting. I need adventure in my life." Richard's eyebrows raised.

"That's nice to hear. I like the way you think."

"Wait. I don't need to tell you anything about my life! Why are you evevn here? Leave!"

"Well, if we're becoming friends I'd like to know about you."

"We are not friends. Though your friend decided we would be more than friends.. now, tell me. Why are you here?"

"I followed the rest. I had nothing to do with what they were planning, okay?"

"And that would be?" I asked, expecting an obvious asnwer.

"'Sex. I don't know..."

"Well, wold you care to leave? I'm not comfortable with losing my virginity to some bandit!"

"I never said you had to... " He then stared walking towards me, every step he took forward I took backwards, until I was forced to have my back against the wall. He then ut a hand on either side of my head. He leant in quietly until his face was inches away from mine. His look was seducting and extremely taunting. "But I'm pretty sure you don't want to lose it to some pish-posh guy either." He smled cheekily then, and his breath smelled awfully nice for someone like him. I didn't want to fall for him, it would just make my life so much more complicated and difficult. "Goodnight Samantha." He took his hands off the wall and stepped back until he was beside the window.

"Goodnight..." I managed to escape through my lips. He jumped out the windw then, and even though I would have loved to see him fall, I stayed at my place still bewildered by Richard's presence. I had known him for only ten minutes and I still felt I wanted him back.