"Mercer, please! We need to stop for the night or we'll both collapse from exhaustion!" Sarila desperately begged, her aching legs crying out from traveling all day. Mercer grumbled, and Sarila flinched, expecting another slap on her bruised cheek for speaking out of line, but no slap came. Instead, Mercer led Sarila over to a tree and tied her tether around tight so she wouldn't escape. He walked over and gathered a bundle of sticks, igniting a fire in roughly ten seconds. He warmed himself up, had a quick meal of bread and carrots, and drifted off to sleep, his hand on his dwarven sword, tucked in its sheath. Sarila's legs gave out and she rested against the tree, listening to the rampant running of the nearby river. They had just passed Mixwater Mill half an hour ago.
Sarila didn't need a reflection to know that she looked awful. Her eyes were bloodshot and undoubtedly had bags from lack of sleep, and she'd slightly twisted her ankle as she walked, much to Mercer's amusement. Sarila was on a march through Oblivion, and she knew she had to get out as soon as possible. Sarila rubbed the bindings of her wrists against the tree, quickly and quietly cutting them off. She sighed when her hands were free, reveling in the feeling of fresh air on her sliced and sore wrists. She checked her sheathes for her dagger, but noticed, in the distance, Mercer's other sheath contained her dagger. "Of course he took it." She quietly mumbled, rubbing the rope of the tether against the tree, slowly cutting it up.
Mercer stirred, and his eyes opened. Just as Sarila broke through the rope and was fully freed, Mercer leapt up and ran over to the tree. Sarila saw him charging towards her, but her legs were so tired and weak that all she could do was stand and flinch, awaiting the impending pain to befall her. Mercer tackled Sarila to the ground, snarling in anger. "You disobedient little harlot! You're in for it now, thinking you could escape without me catching you!" Mercer yelled, slapping Sarila on both cheeks as many times as possible. "Try and talk your way out of this one!" He growled, giving Sarila a rough punch to the mouth. Sarila whimpered in pain, trying to push him off her, but in doing so, she had kneed Mercer in the crotch. The Breton hissed in pain and grasped his tenders before angrily standing up and grabbing Sarila by the collar of her armor.
Sarila kicked and screamed and punched Mercer's hand as he dragged her over to the river. He pushed her forward, her head in the icy water, and placed a foot firmly on her back. Mercer morbidly grinned and grasped Sarila's head with his hands, forcing her entire head underwater. Sarila squirmed and struggled, all the while holding her breath. Sarila closed her eyes tightly and imagined she was swimming in a lake with Ysgrig like they did as children. Though, she grimly thought, neither of them had been forcefully held under the water.
Several times, her head had emerged from the water, and she gasped for air before submerging again, occasionally inhaling water. She forced the water out of her burning lungs with several coughs, only to take in more water. Sarila grew weak, suddenly dreading water, as she struggled against Mercer. Several swishes and splashes were heard in the water, and Sarila looked up slightly.
Sarila was face-to-face with a slaughterfish.
She gasped in surprise, inhaling more water. Sarila felt as if she were going to drown right then and there, but Mercer had noticed the slaughterfish, and pulled Sarila out of the water, taking his foot off her back. "Let this be a lesson to you, foolish girl. I will catch you anytime and every time you try and escape me. Whether you survive or die is all depending on how I'm feeling at the time, so let this be a fair warning." He spat, roughly dragging her back to his fire. He kicked her heels every chance he got on the walk back, and tied another rope around her neck, tying the other end around the tree.
Sarila knew that there was no escape this time, and she should get her rest while she could.
She ignored the stinging pain in her body, and instead focused on the stinging pain in her mind.
I'm not going to get out of this alive.
