It happened on a Sunday when she was coming back from the kitchens, pushing her lunch cart. The service hallways underground were always empty on Sundays. Those who did work were out working and the majority of the people in the palace were out at temples for services or having days of leisure. Dom she knew had planned on taking Kel into the city for the day to get away from the palace for a bit. It surprised her then, when she felt someone behind her, a big someone. She expected someone like Chief or Raoul, maybe even Sir Gareth as they were all large men who were likely to seek her out for some reason or another. But then again, her mind reasoned, any of those men would have announced themselves long ago. Chief knew she was running around looking like a maid and Raoul and Gary would have at least stopped her to ask whatever had brought them down to the hallways underground. She had learned that even the most open minded nobles saw one servant and instantly connected them to all servants. Before she could turn to get a good look at the man behind her a large muscle arm wrapped around her torso pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her at the same time. A second meaty hand came up to cover her mouth to block the screams coming from her mouth.
The motion of lifting her had been enough to free up her legs and she started kicking. There was absolutely no way she was going quietly. While he was distracted by her kicking, she bit the hand over her mouth hard enough to taste blood. The man yelped and dropped her and the moment her feet touched the ground she was off and running. All she needed was the nearest staircase up to the main level. She may not look like the Godssent now but certainly someone would stop the abduction of a small maid if they saw it. She heard his footsteps running after her and she increased her speed. Unfortunately for her, her exercises had not done anything to build up her wind. She was good for short bursts but not for this. And she knew at the palace there would be no way she could get some running in to build up her wind because she could never leave the safety of a guard and the guard always had to be prepared which meant running after her was out of the question. She found a staircase and started to have hope that she would make it when her legs fell out from under her and her head came crashing down onto the stone steps.
Things came back slowly to her in bits and pieces and very much without order. The first thing she could tell was she was moving. For a moment she reflected on how odd it was to have the sensation of moving but not having any idea why, where, or how. After a bit she realized she could smell the heavy scent of late summer trees and horses. She knew she was outside somewhere then, but she didn't know where. Certainly she was nowhere on the palace grounds because nowhere on the palace grounds smelled like that. Then she could hear the sound of hooves on packed dirt, the jingling of tack, the sound of men talking and laughing, and the sound of crickets. So it was night or at least evening she reasoned. Then her eye sight came back through the small slit she allowed and she found herself tied into a rough wagon between five or so men on horses, in the woods at night. She kept her body limp, her eyes closed all but a bit to see through her lashes, and her breathing controlled. It would be easier if these men believed she was still passed out. They weren't speaking in Common when they did speak to each other but she expected they would have to stop and camp at some point.
She was right. They stopped shortly after that and made camp. Someone came back to check on her but she stayed motionless and limp. He left her then and made some joke to his friends who all laughed. She guessed it was probably about the way she had been knocked out or that she was still passed out after all of this time. She heard the unpacking of sorts and dared a look to see the men settling it with their backs to her. Slowly all of the men settled down to sleep which made her smile because even in the forest one should have a sentry. There were always things that could attack a camp at night. She waited for all of the breathing to fall into the heavy pattern of sleep and then started to work at her ties.
Rather than try and pull at the ropes and make the knots tighter, she brought her hands up close to her mouth and used her teeth to pull at the knots. Very slowly she loosened the rope's grip on her wrists until she could squeeze her hands out. Then she got to work on the ones around her ankles. With use of her hands it went much faster and she was free in no time. Very quietly she stood and stepped out of the wagon. She dared not breathe as she tiptoed away from the sleeping men. It took all of her control not to take off running right away, but she didn't want to wake any of the men with unnecessary noise. So she continued the slow and quiet tip toe motion until she was a good distance from the camp and then tore off running down the road.
She had no idea where she was or how far from the palace she had gone, but she guessed those man had been taking here away from the palace and if she just ran back, she would be going in somewhat of the right direction. Enlightenment struck her shortly after she began running: she needed to get off of the road. It would be absolutely stupid to stay on the road for them to come back and get her. She walked off of the road, moving far enough into the woods that she couldn't see the road anymore. Feeling less exposed and more likely to trip over roots, she slowed her pace knowing she could at least walk a few miles in an hour if she kept a good pace.
The slower movement allowed the adrenaline the die down in her system and her head felt the need to remind her that she had smashed it against stone steps only that morning, or maybe it had been the morning before. How long had she been out? She wasn't sure anymore but she hoped it was only a day or two at most. When dawn came she envisioned the men waking and finding her gone. Would they turn around and run back down the road on their horses? Would they think her intelligent enough to get off of the road? She hoped they thought her stupid and ran.
The day wore on and she guessed she was at least somewhat safe on her path as she hadn't seen anyone yet. But then again, a more paranoid part of her mind told her, maybe she was safe because she was going the wrong way. So far from the road, how did she know that the road didn't twist away at some point? She let the more paranoid part of her mind go for an hour or so before she decided it was best to just check. She just needed to make sure. Once she saw the road she could duck back and go back into the woods and put her questioning mind to rest. She did see the road, but her panicked mind told her she should stay closer to it just in case it did veer. So she resigned herself to walking a bit closer.
As evening started to fall it started to cloud and it began to rain. Her body wanted her to stop, to rest, to find a hollow to curl into but she kept moving. She wanted to get away from where those men had taken her. She wanted to get out of the woods. Spidren were not something she wanted to meet and she knew the woods were prime place for them. Spiders in general freaked her out. Her stomach grumbled reminding her that she had not eaten since who knew when. She did not stop to eat; she did not know what to look for in this world. She needed survival training but she doubted Dom would be willing or allowed to give it to her. She was much too exposed out in the woods to train.
It had been dark for quite some time and she began to wonder again if she had been out for more than a day or if she was going the right direction. It had not stopped raining. She still had not stopped to rest or even take a chance at finding food. There was a chill in the late summer air that she wasn't sure wasn't just her own fear in the woods. The woods grew denser and then she stumbled into a clearing and stopped dead. There in the clearing as a tent, a small fire that flickered in the rain, and two horses. That meant someone was around and she wasn't sure if they were good or bad. But the fire looked so nice and inviting and now that she was stopped it wouldn't be too terrible to sit. Maybe the person was asleep and she could sit for a bit before heading out again.
"Only people out here this late starin' at camps are thieves and robbers," a calm voice made her turn and look at a man leaning against a tree a little ways away. He held a bundle of sticks in his hands.
"I'm sorry, I mean no harm. I've been walking for a while and the fire looks so," she glanced back at it. "I'm just passing through." She made to move but the man shook his head at her.
"You look done in," he told her. "Come sit for a bit. It's a fair bit warmer and dryer by the fire." She knew she should keep going. She didn't know if she could trust this man but in the end he was offering a chance to rest by his fire so the least she could do is be polite and accept for a few minutes. They sat quietly for a few minutes with him adding logs to the fire. In the light she had a chance to look at him. His eyes were hard to distinguish in the flickering light but he was tanned, tall, and muscular. His blonde hair was cropped very short and his mouth was framed by a neatly trimmed goatee. His clothes were simple but well made. His horses looked to be a fine specimens of the species as well.
"Are you a knight?" She asked softly catching a glimpse of a sword hilt at his side.
"No, I'm a younger son so I had a choice. After seeing what my brother went through… well, easier to train myself. What has a little maid walking in the Royal Forest so late at night in the rain?" He offered a blanket to her and she smiled gratefully at him. She didn't want to tell him the exact truth but at the same time, she saw no reason to lie about the circumstances.
"I was kidnapped by some men. I managed to escape when they made camp last night but I have no idea how far I've yet to go or where I am. They had me unconscious for I don't know how long." She drew the blanket more snuggly around her shoulders. "Why are you traveling alone? I thought it wasn't safe."
"Well, my horses are very good sentries and guards which makes it easier. But I'm heading towards the palace. If you are going that way I could use some company along the way. Are you hungry?" He rummaged in a bag and offered her a small loaf of bread which she stared at for a full minute before he took her hand and put it in her palm. "Don't trust easily, do you?"
"Well I was just kidnapped," she reminded him. "And you could just be some man wanting to take advantage of a lost maid in the woods." She saw his look soften and his held his hands up so she could see both of them.
"That's not my style. Eat that, and I'll figure out some sort of sleeping arrangement." He stood and went inside of the tent.
She could hear him moving around and thought the better of letting the food go to waste because if anything she needed the nourishment incase he did try and attack her. She really didn't feel anything all that terribly wrong so she relaxed, ate her bread, and enjoyed the warmth of a blanket and the fire. The man came back out of the tent a while later holding a roll of cloth in one hand.
"I made it presentable for a lady in there. Take the sleeping roll in there and get some rest. I'll be out here." He smiled at her and settled the blanket in hands onto the ground so he could lie down. She finished off the loaf of bread but made no motion to move.
"What's your name My Lord?" She asked realizing he hadn't told her who he was or what he was even doing on his way to the palace.
"Ivan. What's yours Miss?" She noticed he left out any fief holding though he clearly was noble. He sprawled out and put his arms behind his head looking up at the canopy of leaves above him.
"Gwen. Thank you Ivan," with that she stood and went into the tent to show Ivan she truly was grateful and trusted him at least that much. The bedroll wasn't much but it was enough to make her feel warm and comfortable after such a trying day. She was out shortly after her head hit the pillow and she didn't wake again until she felt Ivan shaking her shoulder.
"I don't mean to be rude but it's past dawn and we are losing daylight. I was hoping to be to the palace by midday." His smile was easy as she sat up.
"I'm sorry, I don't usually over sleep. Is there something I should do to help?" She got out of the bedroll and started to piece it back together.
"I just have to pack up what's in here and then we can eat some breakfast and be on the go. Have you ridden a horse before?" He visibly swallowed a laugh at the look she gave him about riding horses. He may have interpreted her look as a fear of riding horses because she had never done it before and that was more of a noble or army thing. Instead her look was one of fear because she had had terrible luck with horses. The first horse she had ever ridden had been on a vacation and it had tried to dump her off a cliff in its never ending quest for food. The second one she had tried to ride stepped on her foot hard enough that it had sprained terribly. She did however know how to mount, dismount, and ride comfortably up and down hills and through speeds as fast as a canter. But she let Ivan believe she was an ignorant maid.
While he was packing up his saddle bags she rolled the bedroll like she would have a sleeping bag which made Ivan smile as he explained that she was almost correct in her attempt. He showed her the correct way to do it and then let her assist in tearing down the tent. She asked questions, lots of questions, about the pitching of a tent, the best way to find dry wood like he had last night though it had rained for many hours, how to find edible food in the woods, anything she thought to ask. He answered all of her questions, dubbing her the curious maid, as they ate breakfast and then as he showed her how to saddle a horse and mount up. The mare she rode he affectionately called Thunder for her pure black coat. The mare he rode he dubbed Lightning; he explained that she had a spark in her.
They kept on the side path to the road that he had been on before. He claimed he liked not having to see other people as much and then added that in case her kidnappers were still looking for her, they would stay out of sight. They kept talking, Gwen asking survival questions while Ivan told stories of how he had learned the answer. Finally Gwen asked the question nagging in her mind.
"What are you going to the palace for?"
"I heard that the King's Own is recruiting. I was hoping to find myself placed in Third Company. What do you think? I've already got the rescuing maiden's part down." He winked at her.
"Technically I rescued myself from the kidnappers. You only rescued me from fainting against a tree." She heard him chuckle. "But I will attest to your rescuing skills if needed." She returned to her other questions letting it help her pass the time as they neared closer to the palace.
As they rode onto the palace grounds Gwen felt herself relax a slight bit more. She stayed with Ivan though as she was riding his horse and followed him as he led her to a stop outside of the stables. He helped her dismount then, reaching up and letting her rest her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her down by the waist. She volunteered to help him groom Thunder as she had been the one riding her and learned a bit about grooming a horse from him in the process.
"As your valiant rescuer I should see to it that you make it inside and explain why you have been missing in your duties." He shouldered his bags and motioned for her to walk with him. They barely made it twenty feet from the stable when she saw Dom and Roald walking towards her clearly knowing she was there. When Dom saw her and recognized the dirty and disheveled girl as Gwen he sprinted and caught her up in a tight embrace.
"Friend of yours?" Ivan asked when Dom set Gwen down. Dom was in his full King's Own uniform and she saw Ivan sweep over his arm badge.
"You could say that, Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle. I'm charged with Gwen's protection." He gave her a rueful look when he said it. "I've done terribly it seems."
"Honestly we can't prevent everything. I'm just lucky I ran into Lord Ivan when I did. He's been a wonderful man making sure I don't bumble around in the forest any more than necessary." She grinned at him.
"Is that true?" Roald asked coming up next to them. Even Ivan recognized the Crowned Prince without a second glance and bowed.
"She stumbled into my camp last night and I gave her a place to sleep, food, and offered her a ride back to the palace." Ivan was frowning as he looked between the three of them.
"Then I shall have to find a suitable reward for you. Gwen is very good at thinking of rewards." Roald gave Gwen a quick embrace about the shoulders and turned to shake Ivan's hand.
"I think it's wonderful you care about your maids so much Your Highness, but I don't need a reward for rescuing a maid." Roald and Dom exchanged a look and then Dom offered Gwen his arm to take her a little ways away. She waved to Ivan, thanked him again and wished him luck on his attempt to get into the Own, and then followed Dom.
"You don't understand do you?" Roald asked him softly. Ivan only shook his head. "You didn't just rescue a little lost maid from the woods. You helped bring the Godssent back after a kidnapping." Ivan's eyes lit up as they flickered back and forth between the retreating girl and Roald.
"She's the Godssent?"
"She's that and so much more." Roald winked at Ivan. "You have my eternal gratitude. I shall have to inform Lord Raoul about your deed." With that Roald went to join Gwen and Dom where they had stopped a short distance away to talk. Ivan only stared at them, realizing that his simple offering of help to a poor maid had been nothing out of the ordinary for him, and yet, here he was finding himself absorbed in the most extraordinary thing.