Author's Notes: Again for disclaimers and other non-plot things see chapter
one. Without further ado here's chapter three (Or maybe not). See what
happens when you give reviews. All joking aside thanks to all those who
have reviewed so far. Sorry for the length of the chapter, but trust me you
don't want to interrupt the middle of a conversation. See we've already
started chapter four so keep reviewing.
Startled, Roxton let go of her hand and stepped into the clearing. "What the hell?! Marguerite!" The women also began screaming and rushing to the other end of the clearing, which was a far as they could get from him since he stood at the trailhead. "Damn it Marguerite, what is the matter with you?" Roxton cried as he blocked her attempts to run from him. "I'm here to help you but you're not helping me!"
"Renn!!" Marguerite shrieked as she tried to dart around Roxton's outstretched arm. "Renn!!"
"Roxton, stop!" Veronica called as she and Challenger entered the clearing. Their sudden arrival caused even more chaos among the women, who began running around the clearing in a blind panic.
Roxton turned towards the spectacle and was hit from behind, sending him sprawling to the ground. As he tried to pick himself up, his attacker savagely kicked him in the ribs, flipping him onto his back. His vision swam alarmingly for a moment before he focused on the sight of Ned leaning over him, glaring down at him with pure hatred. "Malone?" he asked dazedly
Ned pulled Roxton to his feet before reaching back and punching him in the face. Roxton stumbled back several paces, trying to shake off the sudden attack enough to defend himself. Ned gave him no opening, throwing several bone-jarring punches in quick succession. Ignoring Challenger and Veronica's shouts that he stop, he snatched up the spear he dropped when he charged Roxton. In one fluid movement, he swept Roxton's feet, then pinned his friend to the ground with the head as more warriors thundered up the trail and into the clearing. "No one threatens what belongs to me," he ground out, putting the spear's tip to Roxton's throat. "No one."
The three explorers were stunned into inaction by Ned's statement, which allowed the warriors to easily disarm them. "Tie this one up and take them all back to the village. Nessos will want to see them," he ordered the men who grunted in acknowledgment.
Ned looked over at Marguerite, his expression softening as he stepped towards her. "Mirra..." he said gently as he held out an arm towards her. Without hesitation, Marguerite threw herself into his arms, crying and trembling. Holding her to his chest, Ned murmured reassuring phrases while comfortingly stroking her hair.
"Marguerite, you must stop this! Malone, what do you think you're doing?" Challenger yelled as he shook off his new guard's grasp. He and Veronica steadied Roxton as he was roughly hauled to his feet. "Have you both gone mad?"
Ned didn't bother to look up, focusing his attention on calming Marguerite. "I know what I am doing. I have captured strangers who were attempting a raid on my people and what is mine."
Veronica saw the muscle in Roxton's jaw twitch at Ned's statement. Realizing what he was about to do, she futilely grabbed for him as he knocked down his guard and lunged at Marguerite. Ned shielded Marguerite from Roxton as she desperately clung to him and burst into a fresh round of tears. The remaining warriors quickly subdued Roxton with a few brutal, well-placed blows.
"Get them out of here!" Ned bellowed as he tried to calm the nearly hysterical Marguerite.
"Ned, don't do this! You know who we are! Why are you doing this?" Veronica called as the group was ushered towards the trail. "Please Ned, you have to remember us!"
Once inside the village, the explorers were stripped of their weapons and roughly shoved into a crude but sturdy cage. "Roxton, are you all right?" Veronica asked as she knelt down next to him and undid his restraints.
Roxton nodded his thanks as he attempted to restore the circulation in his wrists. "I'm fine, but Malone has a hell of a right," he said as he reached up to rubbed his jaw.
Challenger crouched next Roxton and gently poked the area Ned had kicked. "That's not Ned's only strength, it seems. Thankfully, nothing appears to be broken, only slightly bruised."
Roxton stiffened in pain and pulled away from Challenger's probing with an aggrieved expression. "Oh, is that all? Bloody wonderful."
The explorers froze as Ned and Marguerite entered the village, accompanied by the women and a few warrior escorts. Marguerite attempted to stop when she noticed them in their cage, but Ned purposefully led her across the square and into one of the houses.
Challenger noticed that one of the warriors had detached himself from the group and was approaching them. He softly cleared his throat to alert Roxton and Veronica to their visitor.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.
Startled, Roxton let go of her hand and stepped into the clearing. "What the hell?! Marguerite!" The women also began screaming and rushing to the other end of the clearing, which was a far as they could get from him since he stood at the trailhead. "Damn it Marguerite, what is the matter with you?" Roxton cried as he blocked her attempts to run from him. "I'm here to help you but you're not helping me!"
"Renn!!" Marguerite shrieked as she tried to dart around Roxton's outstretched arm. "Renn!!"
"Roxton, stop!" Veronica called as she and Challenger entered the clearing. Their sudden arrival caused even more chaos among the women, who began running around the clearing in a blind panic.
Roxton turned towards the spectacle and was hit from behind, sending him sprawling to the ground. As he tried to pick himself up, his attacker savagely kicked him in the ribs, flipping him onto his back. His vision swam alarmingly for a moment before he focused on the sight of Ned leaning over him, glaring down at him with pure hatred. "Malone?" he asked dazedly
Ned pulled Roxton to his feet before reaching back and punching him in the face. Roxton stumbled back several paces, trying to shake off the sudden attack enough to defend himself. Ned gave him no opening, throwing several bone-jarring punches in quick succession. Ignoring Challenger and Veronica's shouts that he stop, he snatched up the spear he dropped when he charged Roxton. In one fluid movement, he swept Roxton's feet, then pinned his friend to the ground with the head as more warriors thundered up the trail and into the clearing. "No one threatens what belongs to me," he ground out, putting the spear's tip to Roxton's throat. "No one."
The three explorers were stunned into inaction by Ned's statement, which allowed the warriors to easily disarm them. "Tie this one up and take them all back to the village. Nessos will want to see them," he ordered the men who grunted in acknowledgment.
Ned looked over at Marguerite, his expression softening as he stepped towards her. "Mirra..." he said gently as he held out an arm towards her. Without hesitation, Marguerite threw herself into his arms, crying and trembling. Holding her to his chest, Ned murmured reassuring phrases while comfortingly stroking her hair.
"Marguerite, you must stop this! Malone, what do you think you're doing?" Challenger yelled as he shook off his new guard's grasp. He and Veronica steadied Roxton as he was roughly hauled to his feet. "Have you both gone mad?"
Ned didn't bother to look up, focusing his attention on calming Marguerite. "I know what I am doing. I have captured strangers who were attempting a raid on my people and what is mine."
Veronica saw the muscle in Roxton's jaw twitch at Ned's statement. Realizing what he was about to do, she futilely grabbed for him as he knocked down his guard and lunged at Marguerite. Ned shielded Marguerite from Roxton as she desperately clung to him and burst into a fresh round of tears. The remaining warriors quickly subdued Roxton with a few brutal, well-placed blows.
"Get them out of here!" Ned bellowed as he tried to calm the nearly hysterical Marguerite.
"Ned, don't do this! You know who we are! Why are you doing this?" Veronica called as the group was ushered towards the trail. "Please Ned, you have to remember us!"
Once inside the village, the explorers were stripped of their weapons and roughly shoved into a crude but sturdy cage. "Roxton, are you all right?" Veronica asked as she knelt down next to him and undid his restraints.
Roxton nodded his thanks as he attempted to restore the circulation in his wrists. "I'm fine, but Malone has a hell of a right," he said as he reached up to rubbed his jaw.
Challenger crouched next Roxton and gently poked the area Ned had kicked. "That's not Ned's only strength, it seems. Thankfully, nothing appears to be broken, only slightly bruised."
Roxton stiffened in pain and pulled away from Challenger's probing with an aggrieved expression. "Oh, is that all? Bloody wonderful."
The explorers froze as Ned and Marguerite entered the village, accompanied by the women and a few warrior escorts. Marguerite attempted to stop when she noticed them in their cage, but Ned purposefully led her across the square and into one of the houses.
Challenger noticed that one of the warriors had detached himself from the group and was approaching them. He softly cleared his throat to alert Roxton and Veronica to their visitor.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.