She rode for days upon days when she finally couldn't ride anymore. When she weakly jumped off the horse, she fell down upon her knees and saw that her breeches were torn and bloody, her thighs sore, and her head pounding. The horse was weak too, that was easy enough to see. They both needed rest, and luckily there was an inn not so far awaY.

She stopped in front of the small inn that lay beside a pond and told them she didn't have anything to give them, but that she would work for as long as she stayed there. The dark-haired innkeep told her since the war started, less and less started to come and she didn't care if she paid or not, that she was just happy to see another person beside her husband.

When Arella was in her room, she crashed down upon the hard bed and fell to sleep right when her head felt the softness of the pillows. She woke up hours later in the dark of the night to the sound of footsteps outside her door.

"The girl's in there. She 'int got no coin 't give."

"We don't want her coin, we want her."

Arella looked around the room for any place to hide and was left staring at the window. The inn only had one floor and if she jumped out, she wouldn't get hurt, but there was no telling who could be out there, waiting for her. She had to risk it. She gentle pulled open the window and jumped out and stumbled quietly toward the place she had tied her horse. Arella got upon the stallion's back and kicked her into movement when she heard a shout from behind her and the pain of the whip as it wrapped about her neck.

"No one runs away from Ramsay," she heard the man whisper as he threw her over his shoulder and sauntered toward his own horse, but not before he placed his dagger to the neck of the black stallion she had rode.

She woke up in darkness, a pain coursing through out her legs and up into her heart that was pounding painfully against her chest. She tried standing up, but whenever she moved, she felt the chill of the shackles that were wrapped about her ankles and neck.

I have lost. I will save no one. I am a useless bastard.


Sorry for such a short chapter. Had to go quickly.