Ch 5.
Evening had deepened into twilight before Drew had found the chance to speak to the woman. He had been asked to take her some dinner and watch over her while she ate and drank. "After all," Hrap had added with a wink, "We wouldn't want our Lady to die of starvation now, would we?"
Drew had taken the plate of food and the water bottle and walked over to where the woman had been placed. She was sat against a log, her arms bound behind her, near her own small fire. The man who had been assigned to watch her looked up as Drew approached.
"Go and get some food, I'll watch her while she eats," Drew had told him. The guard had left quickly, grateful, although he had warned Drew before he walked off, "Careful, she's a livewire!"
Drew placed the food on the ground near the woman's feet, and then walked behind her to loosen her bonds.
"Don't bother." She said in a low voice. "I'm not going to eat anything."
Drew was glad that, by some streak of decency, Hrap had placed her away from the men, and thus Drew could speak to her quietly without fear of being overheard. "You should eat, my Lady." He untied her hands and walked back to the fire, allowing her some time to herself to rub the feeling back into her wrists. He gestured at the food and the water bottle. "At least have something to drink."
She snorted. "Why? It's not like I'm going to live through this anyway. I might as well die of dehydration."
He sat down, close enough that he could talk, but not so close that the anyone else looking over would be suspicious. He looked into her eyes and was struck, suddenly, by how pretty she was, even bruised and dirty. He shoved away the thought.
"I am here to rescue you, my Lady, and it will make it a lot easier on both of us if you have enough strength to ride and possibly fight."
Her eyes widened slightly in hope, and then narrowed. "Why should I trust you?" She hissed quietly. "You are just another one of these," she flicked her hand at the other campfire, where the men were laughing uproariously, "out to make your fortune on the misfortune of others. What makes you any more trustworthy?"
Drew looked at her carefully. "What other choice do you have?" He asked her quietly.
She stared at him for a moment, then sighed and picked up the plate in front of her. "I suppose you are right," she sighed. She began to pick at her food, then quickly looked up and narrowed her eyes. "Did Jareth send you?"
Drew contemplated lying to her to put her mind at rest and make her trust him more, but he shook his head. "No, my Lady, he didn't." He shrugged. "I just happened to see you and the riders this morning and decided to follow." Even to his own ears, the explanation sounded false. She was watching him with incredulous eyes.
"So, you saw me this morning, surrounded by thugs, and thought 'Oh, look, a damsel in distress, I think I'll see if I can help her'!" She laughed. "What are you, a knight?"
He grinned. "No, my Lady. I'm a mercenary." He watched the smile fade from her face, and she dropped her eyes back to her plate. "Look, it doesn't really matter how I got here or my motivation for rescuing you, just believe me when I tell you that I am here to help." For some reason, he felt angry at her. He got up suddenly. "Now, eat. I am going to go back to the fire to talk to Hrap."
She looked up at him with surprise mirrored in her eyes. "Why?"
He sighed, and turned to signal the other fire. "Because, my Lady," he explained quietly, "it will not be good for us if it looks like I am too chummy with you. It will look suspicious. The second reason is," he turned and looked back at her as the guard saw him and signalled back. "Wouldn't you like to know exactly who it is who wants you dead?"
He turned away and walked back to the other fire, but not before he had seen the sudden flaring of fear in her eyes.
Evening had deepened into twilight before Drew had found the chance to speak to the woman. He had been asked to take her some dinner and watch over her while she ate and drank. "After all," Hrap had added with a wink, "We wouldn't want our Lady to die of starvation now, would we?"
Drew had taken the plate of food and the water bottle and walked over to where the woman had been placed. She was sat against a log, her arms bound behind her, near her own small fire. The man who had been assigned to watch her looked up as Drew approached.
"Go and get some food, I'll watch her while she eats," Drew had told him. The guard had left quickly, grateful, although he had warned Drew before he walked off, "Careful, she's a livewire!"
Drew placed the food on the ground near the woman's feet, and then walked behind her to loosen her bonds.
"Don't bother." She said in a low voice. "I'm not going to eat anything."
Drew was glad that, by some streak of decency, Hrap had placed her away from the men, and thus Drew could speak to her quietly without fear of being overheard. "You should eat, my Lady." He untied her hands and walked back to the fire, allowing her some time to herself to rub the feeling back into her wrists. He gestured at the food and the water bottle. "At least have something to drink."
She snorted. "Why? It's not like I'm going to live through this anyway. I might as well die of dehydration."
He sat down, close enough that he could talk, but not so close that the anyone else looking over would be suspicious. He looked into her eyes and was struck, suddenly, by how pretty she was, even bruised and dirty. He shoved away the thought.
"I am here to rescue you, my Lady, and it will make it a lot easier on both of us if you have enough strength to ride and possibly fight."
Her eyes widened slightly in hope, and then narrowed. "Why should I trust you?" She hissed quietly. "You are just another one of these," she flicked her hand at the other campfire, where the men were laughing uproariously, "out to make your fortune on the misfortune of others. What makes you any more trustworthy?"
Drew looked at her carefully. "What other choice do you have?" He asked her quietly.
She stared at him for a moment, then sighed and picked up the plate in front of her. "I suppose you are right," she sighed. She began to pick at her food, then quickly looked up and narrowed her eyes. "Did Jareth send you?"
Drew contemplated lying to her to put her mind at rest and make her trust him more, but he shook his head. "No, my Lady, he didn't." He shrugged. "I just happened to see you and the riders this morning and decided to follow." Even to his own ears, the explanation sounded false. She was watching him with incredulous eyes.
"So, you saw me this morning, surrounded by thugs, and thought 'Oh, look, a damsel in distress, I think I'll see if I can help her'!" She laughed. "What are you, a knight?"
He grinned. "No, my Lady. I'm a mercenary." He watched the smile fade from her face, and she dropped her eyes back to her plate. "Look, it doesn't really matter how I got here or my motivation for rescuing you, just believe me when I tell you that I am here to help." For some reason, he felt angry at her. He got up suddenly. "Now, eat. I am going to go back to the fire to talk to Hrap."
She looked up at him with surprise mirrored in her eyes. "Why?"
He sighed, and turned to signal the other fire. "Because, my Lady," he explained quietly, "it will not be good for us if it looks like I am too chummy with you. It will look suspicious. The second reason is," he turned and looked back at her as the guard saw him and signalled back. "Wouldn't you like to know exactly who it is who wants you dead?"
He turned away and walked back to the other fire, but not before he had seen the sudden flaring of fear in her eyes.