It was cold, mind-numbingly so. She sifted through her recent memories to try make sense of her surroundings. She was in some sort of storeroom probably; it was small, bare and the size of her wardrobe at home. She had been kidnapped. Well there was a first time for everything after all, she thought, still not thinking straight. She was alone; her brothers nowhere to be seen. She rolled over onto her stomach and tried to wriggle her hands free of her bonds. Her nose was going numb from the cold and she was starting to lose the sensation in her fingers and toes. The material of the dress chafing against her bare arms and calves was scratchy and much shorter than her own silk nightgown.
Before she had time to worry about where her brothers were or how she had changed clothes, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Her breath hitched in her chest. The light filtering in through the crack under the door was being obscured, plunging her into complete darkness. It creaked open on rusty hinges admitting two small men in masks, one holding a lantern aloft making their faces easier to see. They were only boys, she realised with surprise. They hauled her up roughly and she yelped in surprise at the strength of their grip. They pushed her out into a corridor, only leading the way with the lantern, the other following behind her. By now, most of Lynn's fear had been replaced by shock and astonishment. What kind of thief employed children?
They were dressed identically in outfits of slate-grey. They reminded her of statues: everything from the clothes they wore, to the colours of their eyes to the expressions on their boyish faces were as cold and as ashen as stone. Something by the boys' ear caught the light and glinted in the semi-darkness. It was a strange piece of jewellery for a young boy. A single jewel earring.
They led her through a maze of stairways and tunnels, some being so low she had to crouch slightly. The lair in itself fascinated her, what thief in modern day England would create a hideout by digging earth tunnels? Gnarled roots protruded from the walls and ceilings, giving credit to her assumptions.
After what seemed like an eternity they stopped at an ornately carved wooden door. It swung open gently and she was thrust inside. This room was much brighter and warmer than the corridor she'd come from, with several lit lanterns lining the walls and a large fireplace off to one side. She looked around, intrigued, momentarily forgetting her two child escorts. The room still had low, beamed ceilings but was decorated much more comfortably. A mixture of tapestries and animal skins adorned the walls and you could not see the floor for the number of Persian rugs that covered it; it was how Lynn had always imagined Aladdin's cave would look like. There was an assortment of small wooden tables and benches that lined the room. Every surface glittering and twinkling in the shadow, hinting at some of the added comforts that came with living an illicit life.
The boy in front of her abruptly came to a halt causing Lynn to almost collide into his back. Soon she'd be able to see the one who was responsible for her kidnapping. The two lads moved forwards to stand on either side of a large, elaborately carved ebony throne in front of them. She raised her head to look at the leader of such strange employment and knew that she really shouldn't have been so surprised. Although it was possible that the person sprawled lazily on the throne was the leader's son, she highly doubted it. The respect with which he was addressed him and the overwhelming sense of power this youth emitted made it clear that he was their leader. He stared at her impassively, interlacing his fingers over his stomach.
She stood dumbfounded while one of the boys untied her hands, her eyes never leaving the young leader's face. While she knew how improper it was to stare, she found it impossible to tear her eyes away. He was hardly older than she was. He was lean and muscular and standing up he would probably dwarf her by a good few inches. All of this she could tell at a first glance thanks to the flattering, form-fitting outfit he wore. A well made, but simple tunic and a pair of leggings along with matching leather gloves and boots. All in shades of midnight black. The outfit was so dark it seemed to suck in the light surrounding it. His skin was as pale as freshly fallen snow, being only emphasized by his jet black attire. Lynn looked up at the young man's face and hastily looked down, the frigidness of his gaze and aura of omnipotence finally permeating her thought processes.
"What is your name?" he asked, the timbre of his voice making the air go cold.
"Ll…Lynn, sir," she stammered, "Gwendolyn Darling."
"Gwendolyn. For as long as you remain on my island you are my prisoner and therefore are to abide by my laws." He paused. "Do you understand?"
Lynn nodded dumbly.
"Any misconduct shall be met with severe consequences." He looked away, finished with her.
Lynn marshalled her thoughts enough to speak. "But what of my brothers?" she blurted.
She felt goosebumps erupt on her skin as the young man turned his icy blue eyes on her and glared.
"First rule: never speak without my permission," he hissed. Her view was blocked as the two guards moved forwards to take her away. She did not resist as one grabbed her forearm, the other cutting her bonds. Hardly aware of where she was going, Lynn followed the guards down through a network of stairways and tunnels before finally reaching their destination. They unlocked the door and pushed her into a room furnished just as lavishly as the room above. She wandered over to a row of beds in the corner of the room and fell asleep, hot tears streaming down her cheeks.
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A/N: Updates should be regular. Reviews are my inspiration ;p
