Yo k-dawgs! How you like this.

Yo no tengo Ranger's Apprentice, Nada.

This chapters a long one.

Jenny screamed at what she saw, or rather, what she had done.

She walked into Tomas.

She saw him out of the corner of her eye, just as she turned around. By then it was too late. She bumped into him, and the large man grabbed her forearms roughly. Nausea filled her gut as he gave a wicked smile, showing off crooked, yellow teeth. Jenny could see a faint scar around his neck.

The scar from a hanging rope.

These were wanted men obviously, Jenny's heart sank as she realised how dangerous this would be.

He grinned that evil smirk at her

"Oh sorry love, didn't see you there."

Jenny fought against him but he held her tight.

"Alright, go ahead." He said and released her. With no hesitation Jenny ran away from Tomas. She slipped but caught herself. By the time she stood up again, only a few seconds later, she was already running. She dashed to her back door and wrenched it open.

Mound stood there, leaning with both hands against the door frame. She screamed and turned again but ran straight into Tomas. He held her tightly in a bear hug this time. Pinning her arms down with his. He threw her down onto the small couch in her sitting room.

"Close the door Mound."

Jenny could tell he was angry from his dangerously low voice, but at least she could place a name to the biggest man's face. Then he turned to the runt of the three,

"You said she wouldn't be here! You said she was at her restaurant late! Curse you Nuttal!" He spat

"B-But Tomas, she's been gone all week. I-I-I had no idea she would be here!" he stammered.

'So' Jenny thought. 'The leader was named Tomas and the underling was called Nuttal' She mentally kicked herself for thinking that the scrawny, rat of a man was the ring-leader. But then again, maybe it was instinct. She knew plenty of other people who weren't the tallest trees in the forest, but could rule over an army.

She had felt more relaxed that they had seamed to forget her, until Tomas turned back to his prey.

"Yes." He seethed, "Why are you here tonight, of all nights?" His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"I like to come home to do some cooking every so often." She said thinking fast, but also trying to sound confident.

"To do cooking in my own kitchen, this is my house you know." She finished.

For a moment she thought she was in the clear, but then Mound spoke.

"You have never come home before,"

"Well- Thats because. . . ah- I-. . . . I didn't trust my Wait Staff." Her confidence had left her now and her heart fluttered with fear.

"I'm not buy'en it." Tomas deadpanned.

Jenny didn't know how to react to this, so instead she just sat, straight backed and silent, all the while the cold, depression sinking farther into her. By this time Mound and Nuttal were wandering around her house, shuffling through recipes and snooping in cabinets and such. But Tomas continued to stared at her with narrowed, unblinking green eyes. Like a snake's.

"Hey, look at this!" Nuttal called.

Tomas and Mound shuffled over to see, leaving a very relived Jenny behind.

Nuttal had grabbed Jenny's Plum Tart off the window ledge, He removed the towel and steam wafted up. Nuttal grabbed the knife she hade used to slice the potatoes and began to tear at her beautiful creation. Jenny felt anger blazing up in her gut, almost drowning out the fear. If it was anyone else she would have beat them senseless with her ladle for ruining gilan's favorite desert.

but these men were vile, and they would kill her without even trying. They would find out about Gilan's visit too, then these foul men would murder them both.

She had to get Gilan a message!

Nuttal grabbed the uneven slice and crammed it in his mouth as Mound licked his lips.

With the men busy Jenny searched for something, anything, to let Gilan know she was in danger. It couldn't be an article of clothing, he would just think she dropped it on her way through the door. She stood and crept over to the wooden dresser.

Maybe his letter? No, the bandits may see her and become suspicious again, she didn't know if they could read or not.

"What's this here?" Tomas asked moodily.

He had followed his nose to her cook stove and had opened the door to peer inside. Mound, mouth still stuffed with pastry and plum preserve, joined him. Nuttal was rummaging through cupboards, he pulled out the burlap sack of sugar and dumped a few handfuls on the desert.

Jenny's mind was racing, now was the time to act, with the men fully distracted. She rummaged quietly on the dresser, setting Gilan's note aside, not noticing as it fluttered to the floor, face up.

Then, her eyes fell on the silver letter opener.

It was not normal for a common girl to have such an expensive posetion, but the Heirloom had belonged to Jenny's Grandmother. She had carried the sharp antique with her since she was sent to the ward. It was the prettiest thing she owned, Bright silver with running deer and leafy vines etched up the blade. Perfect for breaking the wax seals on the few letters she received. The handle was a doe's head from the chest up. Ferns wrapped around the animals shoulders and curved beautify.

Jenny glanced warily at her captives, but they were still interested in the Lamb.

Meat?" Mound suggested.

Jenny snatched the letter opener and , holding it close, crawled across the floor to her front door.

"It must be," Tomas said, he opened his mouth to add more but was interrupted.

"Dish is eben betur wit the Sugar!" Nuttal cried. The pie in his mouth muffled his voice, and crumbs spewed.

Now was her chance, Jenny sat with her left shoulder against the door and rolled up her sleeve. Grasping the handle with her right hand, she slashed into her left wrist. Jenny bit her lip to avoid crying out, tears trickled down her face. She dug the blade in farther, letting her blood stain the tarnished knife. Then she pulled it away. This had only taken a few seconds but for the terrified girl, it lasted an eternity.

Tomas, however was not to happy about being interrupted by his underling.

"Be Quiet Nuttal!" He snapped, turning to where he thought Jenny was. "What is cooking-"

Then his eyes laid on her, sitting by the door. Rage radiated from him. Jenny was glad she didn't try to escape, he had a nasty looking corkscrew dagger at his waist.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!?" He barked, advancing towards her.

Jenny hastily pusher her sleeve back down to hide the wound.

"TRYING TO ESCAPE?" He shouted again. He was standing over her now.

Jenny quickly slid the letter opener under the door. It barely fit through the gap.

"Well?" He fumed, obviously expecting an answer, but Jenny was too scared to speak.

"I- no- i was. . . i was. ." She stammered.

Tomas grabbed her by the hair and yanked the girl to her feet.

"I'm afraid you won't get very far, dear. You see," He began to walk back to the couch, dragging Jenny behind him.

"As useless as Nuttal is, he does have one highlight." Tomas dropped her on the rug and she cowered, no daring to get up or move.

Tomas gestured to the small man,

"Our friend Nuttal here happens to be an expert knife thrower, he would have stabbed you dead before you could get ten paces."

Jenny felt her stomach tie in knots as she realised the disastrous effect the knives would have.

Tomas would have continued to rant if not for Mounds next words. Two simple words that made Jenny's want to curl up and die out of fear. One question that made the queasiness in her stomach magnify by one hundred.

"W'ats this?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOh! can you even have anymore suspense, the answer to that is,

Yes I can.

Oh my gosh! Just wait till the next chapter! Something really bad happens then! You probribly won't even want to read this any more cuz it's so terrible.

You'll just have to wait and see.

ta ta

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D