She scrambled frantically at the iron trap with her cold and shaking hands. Tears streamed from her eyes as she realized that there was no escape, no possible way to escape her certain doom. A knife blade came from behind her, resting right under her jaw, making her stay her movements.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" the man wielding the knife asked. Two others came and stood beside him as he removed the knife from under her chin and walked so that he was facing her on the ground. "A poacher caught in the prince's forest?"
"Where is the deer?" one of the men demanded, itching his leg with the toe of his boot. The young woman smiled a wicked smile.
"She is a witch!" the other one accused. The man who held the knife said, "Release her from the trap," The girl smiled triumphantly, feeling that there was hope for her yet. Then the man continued, "And tie her up so we can burn her at the stake in Nottingham."
"No!" she screamed, biting and kicking at them with her free leg.
Suddenly, an arrow flew from behind her and hit one of the men in the chest. He toppled over, and the ordering man peered out into the darkness.
"'Tis the spooks, they obey her sorcery," he whispered, and turned to leave, but was hit with another arrow, and fell on top of the other dead man. The man that was left, stood up and ran, dodging flying arrows, and vanished into the snowy woods.
The woman looked over her shoulder, and saw the strange rider standing there, a silver-tipped arrow gripped in his fist. He looked down to her, "I said I could not leave thee."
"Why didn't tha listen to me? I WANTED to die," she said through clenched teeth.
"'Tis not what I heard."
"I didn't want to be burned by the stake and publicly humiliated. I wanted to die with some dignity. Lest be caught in a trap like some helpless animal."
"Now tha won't have to die," he said and kneeled down to inspect the workings of the trap. He pressed a little on the sides, she whimpered.
"Careful!" she hissed, watching him pick and poke at the restraints.
"I am being careful," he protested, getting irritated by her stubbornness.
"Well, I-" she began, but a sharp burst of pain ran up her leg. The man removed the two iron clamps from her limb. Then, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she began to lose consciousness, the man caught her before she hit the ground.
"To Barnsdale, then?" he asked, a strand of brown hair tumbled into his eyes.
"To Barnsdale," she answered, before she fell into complete and utter darkness.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" the man wielding the knife asked. Two others came and stood beside him as he removed the knife from under her chin and walked so that he was facing her on the ground. "A poacher caught in the prince's forest?"
"Where is the deer?" one of the men demanded, itching his leg with the toe of his boot. The young woman smiled a wicked smile.
"She is a witch!" the other one accused. The man who held the knife said, "Release her from the trap," The girl smiled triumphantly, feeling that there was hope for her yet. Then the man continued, "And tie her up so we can burn her at the stake in Nottingham."
"No!" she screamed, biting and kicking at them with her free leg.
Suddenly, an arrow flew from behind her and hit one of the men in the chest. He toppled over, and the ordering man peered out into the darkness.
"'Tis the spooks, they obey her sorcery," he whispered, and turned to leave, but was hit with another arrow, and fell on top of the other dead man. The man that was left, stood up and ran, dodging flying arrows, and vanished into the snowy woods.
The woman looked over her shoulder, and saw the strange rider standing there, a silver-tipped arrow gripped in his fist. He looked down to her, "I said I could not leave thee."
"Why didn't tha listen to me? I WANTED to die," she said through clenched teeth.
"'Tis not what I heard."
"I didn't want to be burned by the stake and publicly humiliated. I wanted to die with some dignity. Lest be caught in a trap like some helpless animal."
"Now tha won't have to die," he said and kneeled down to inspect the workings of the trap. He pressed a little on the sides, she whimpered.
"Careful!" she hissed, watching him pick and poke at the restraints.
"I am being careful," he protested, getting irritated by her stubbornness.
"Well, I-" she began, but a sharp burst of pain ran up her leg. The man removed the two iron clamps from her limb. Then, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she began to lose consciousness, the man caught her before she hit the ground.
"To Barnsdale, then?" he asked, a strand of brown hair tumbled into his eyes.
"To Barnsdale," she answered, before she fell into complete and utter darkness.