There was no time to waste. Abandoning almost all logic, I tarried a moment long enough for them to feel I was hesitant, then I yanked my horse's head around and heeled him as hard as I could. The poor horse received a nasty shock and bolted for it.
The brief moment of surprise it bought me allowed me to get off the road and rip through the trees, lying flat on my horse's neck and clinging to the mane as it galloped through the woods. Near on immediately I heard them follow me, all attempts for silence lost.
The horse could not keep the pace for long through the dark green and brown forest, and soon slowed down. I hadn't a moment to waste, and so I slipped off my horse, picked up my skirts in one hand and ran for it. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt, my breathing heavy as the air was thick with heat in my lungs. Just my luck, to be way laid by one of those – those – abominations.
Branches scratched at my face and arms. Woody limbs seemed determined to trip me. Suddenly flames roared up in front of me, burning the forest, blocking my way. I skidded to a stop, gasping, looking wildly for another way out.
Someone tackled me from the side, slamming me into a tree trunk, my head connecting with a crack. I twisted around and felt a hand grab my wrist. It was the damned man, that fire user. "Where is it?" he demanded. "Where?"
"Like I'd tell you," I spat.
Fire filled his free hand. "I think you're going to tell me, my lady." His tone was mocking on the last words.
I drew myself up as proudly as I could. "I'd rather die."
"That can be arranged," he said. "We'll just pull it off your cold, dead corpse."
"You'll never find it," I told him with grim satisfaction.
"What?" The hand around my wrist tightened painfully, not to mention the fact I was almost crushed against the tree with fire dangerously close to my face.
"You can search my corpse all you like but you will never find, not in a thousand years."
"I don't believe you," he said, his eyes looking at me like I was something he didn't quite understand.
I just stared back at him. "Then kill me and find out."
A minute passed, and then another. "Very well then, my lady. If we can't have it, then there's no way you're delivering it." The fire in his hand vanished and he jerked me away from the tree.
"Let go of me," I demanded, trying to pull away to no avail.
He smirked. "I don't think so, your ladyship." Underneath his hand I felt my skin heat up, the temperature rising and rising until my wrist smoked and I let out a cry of pain, my knees almost buckling.
He yanked me up, grabbing my other arm around the elbow and releasing my wrist. The skin was shiny and red, hurting so much it brought tears to my eyes. The man gave me a cruel smile. "Until you hand it over, you're not going anywhere. Welcome to the Wilds."
Things couldn't have gone worse if I had tried. I found myself walking awkwardly through the forest, surrounded by these monsters in human skin. It seemed like every tree root and stone was out to trip me, every branch trying to smack me in the face. I wouldn't have been surprised. These things could bend nature to their will.
I tried to keep myself as composed as possible during the march, but it wasn't easy. They walked me through the woods, and I felt sure all of them would kill me as soon as look at me. These monsters wanted nothing more than to run rampant on ordinary, normal folk. They were given unearthly powers over nature by – by what I wasn't sure, but they were no friends.
As the sun began to set, casting odd shadows into the forest, we came to an extensive camp in a clearing. There were other people there, all living their daily lives as if – as if they were normal. They looked up at the group surrounding me, and they all dispersed and began to exchange news.
The man stepped over to me and grabbed my arm again. "This way, your ladyship."
I looked at him disapprovingly. "Do not call me that."
"Then what should I call you?" he asked, he tone slightly less mocking.
"I'm not about to tell my name to a piece of filth like you."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm the filthy pig. I'm not the one trying to destroy people like me. Now come along."
He dragged me roughly behind him, marching over to a tree not too far away from the fire. He grabbed a length of rope, tied it tightly to my unburnt wrist, and then tied it to something that was part of their whole camp setup.
I looked at him. "You do realize I can untie knots, right?"
He gave a half smiled and leaned in close. "I invite you to try."
I kept my face impassive and he straightened. "Enjoy your stay, you ladyship. Of course you always shorten it by handing over what you're carrying. We just want to know what's being passed on. After all, we just want to live."
"Creatures like you don't deserve to live," I said.
"Creatures like us, as you put it, were just like you," he snapped. "We were all born the same, and then one day we found out we could control an element of nature – fire, water, earth, air, and aether. I use fire, myself. I discovered it when I was grown – these aren't abilities we're born with. Something gave them to us. So all of us are just as human as you. We deserve to live, not be slaughtered."
I turned away, revolted. That these things could claim to be human. "And yet you live here like animals."
"We live here to survive," he told me coldly. "Maybe think on all this before you decide to keep your delivery to yourself." He began to move away. "If you ever change your mind, ask to talk to Mazin."
His face was unreadable as he strode back into the heart of camp. The firelight was turning everything into orange and brown light and shadows. After a moment of that man vanishing, I frantically tried to untie to rope, my fingers slipping on each loop and coil. Whatever had been done to the rope, I couldn't get free. It didn't help that my burnt wrist stung and throbbed, making my left fingers feel stiff and clumsy.
Exhaling heavily I sat down on the ground and settled myself as comfortably as possible, pulling my cloak around me for the little warmth it provided. I had always feared this, and now I was a prisoner in the Wilds. Lost and trapped on the edge of civilization. And I'd need a miracle to deliver my father's message.