…Important Whispering…
Aragorn was thrown quite roughly to the ground, and he couldn't quite suppress the moan that followed. Inside the cart, the others avoided meeting his eyes, and an impassive Colin held back a sobbing Laylen.
"Well, well, well," Stanton smirked, circling the helpless ranger. "Y'are a pretty one, I'll give ye that, although ye've taken a bit of batterin' recently. Tell me," he said with a dark sort of smile, putting the heel of his booth onto Aragorn's very recent dagger wound, "'ow's the shoulder?" He leaned forward on that foot and Aragorn half-screamed incoherently as his entire left side felt like it went up in flames.
"Please—" a half-hysterical Laylen screamed, but Colin covered her mouth with his hand, the other still holding her back, and she fell silent, her eyes still silently overflowing.
"Little girl's quite taken wif ye', stranger," Stanton spit, dark eyes flashing maliciously. "Take 'er out," he ordered two of his men. "We'll show 'im what punishment kin really mean."
At that Aragorn tried to struggle up but Stanton kicked him in the side, knocking him back down. Aragorn swore under his breath as he saw Colin tense in preparation, and with a growl he came to the only possible course of action. Willing his body into action he forced himself up once more, and as Stanton's foot kicked out he brought his head directly into its path.
Everything went dark.
…X…
"Stay down," Colin murmured the moment he felt Aragorn's arm tense in returning wakefulness. Aragorn forced himself to relax his body and keep his eyes closed as memories came flooding back.
"Worked?" he breathed out, careful to barely move his lips. A small snort followed his question.
"Stupid idiot," Colin whispered, a bit of affection in his voice. "Could've killed yourself. But yes. She's all right for now." He paused, gathering his thought. "I heard them talking, we're about two days from the town they're taking us to. If we're going to escape it has to be soon."
"Plan?" Aragorn murmured, and again he heard a faint snort of amusement.
"Hell if I know. Get the girl and maybe some of the women out. We'll probably die. You're the girl's rider, shouldn't you have a plan?"
"Head," Aragorn moaned. The sound following this was definitely a muffled snort of laughter.
"Good excuse."
Aragorn hummed softly in thought. "Later," he breathed, and Colin touched his arm in acknowledgment and leaned back.
…X…
"Thought," Aragorn whispered, and Colin jerked from his own thoughts which had drifted from escape to a nice pint with a start that Aragorn felt. Colin leaned over him.
"Yes?"
"River close," Aragorn informed him softly, and heard Colin's surprised intake of breath.
"You've been here before!"
"Mm," he replied brightly. "Waterfall," he added, wincing at the amount of syllables it took. There was a short pause.
"I won't like this plan, will I?" Colin sighed.
"Jump," Aragorn agreed, trying to hide the smile tugging at his lips.