Quickly she walked through the sun stroked woods, branches pulling on her cloak as she passed. She turned back every so often to make sure she was still alone, still safe, still free. She saw a path five minutes away and knew she was almost there. She smiled to herself thinking of her new life. She never thought she'd have a chance like this, let alone actually take it; the sense of happiness was overwhelming. She strode through the woods with confidence and a new found inner calm which lasted a few seconds. A twig snapped close by, she wasn't alone.

She was being followed, maybe robbers waiting for an opportune moment to strike, or one of his men about to force her back. She quickened her pace her hand unintentionally twitching over her coin purse which was tucked in her belt under her cloak. The gap between the trees seemed to grow until she was walking through a clearing. Now would be there time to strike, her free hand moved to a small knife hidden in the back of her belt.

Someone stepped out just up ahead facing her; it was a giant of a man. Shaggy beard and wild hair staring at her, stopping her in her tracks. Rustling was heard all around her, he had brought others.

"Give us your coins and we'll leave. A noble women like you can afford more, the poor cannot."

he yelled this at her from where he stood not menacingly just as a fact.

She doubted reasoning with them would help her but it may buy her time to do something and escape. She lowered her head trying to mask as much of her face as she could.

"I will only give you two I need the rest for myself I have a long journey ahead, I'm sorry but that is all I can give".

He thought for a moment appearing to look to the trees for help. He was showing her exactly where the others hid, asking for help; this was her chance. She looked around when he wasn't looking to calculate; turning back she noted that there was some behind and to her left but none to her right or beyond where he stood.

Another question should do it.

"Ok how about three and that's pushing it"

The guy clearly wasn't in charge and needed to look to his leader for help. He stood for a moment before appearing to think. She got ready and knew that she only had a second to spare, one hand gripping the knife tightly, the other on her money. Trying to make it look like he was just gazing at the forest he turned to get further instructions from his master and she knew that the others would be facing him too to help. This was her only chance so just as their attention was drawn away from her she ran into the trees to her right. She knew no one was guarding it and that it was the best cover in case of arrows or people running after her.

A burst of sound and footsteps could be heard behind, she knew they were close. With all the energy she could muster she ran, adrenalin pumping through her veins so that she began to feel separate from the event watching herself run. Someone grabbed her by the shoulder trying to turn her around she elbowed them in the face as hard as she could trying not to slow down her pace. Another came at her this time trying to grab the coins which had become visible while she ran. Feeling someone pull on her purse she sliced the knife at them so they gasped in pain and stopped. She knew she had lost two how many were left she was unsure; one bag of tricks was left under her sleeve. Careful not to slow down too much she opened her coin purse and pulled out the sachet on the top pouring it on the floor. Powdered ash filled the space behind her and she quickly changed direction and went thought the smallest gap of trees she could find hoping they'd lose her trail.

She appeared alone but still she ran she didn't want to stop didn't want to have to go back to them, to him, to that life. she saw the same clearing that she'd almost reached before and was just about to pass when an arrow flew past her stopping her for a moment so that the person behind had time to catch up. They grabbed her hood pulling it down, she knew there was no escape that she had to try and fight her way out of this. Quickly she turned round pulling her knife out in front of her attackers face only to find an arrow in hers and two familiar blue eyes that she hadn't seen in a very long time.