Cold and shivering, Aaralyn dragged herself up onto the opposite bank of
the stream. Slowly standing, she scanned the tops of the slope she'd just
gone down, wondering if she should turn back for Ethan. But what could she
do? She couldn't fight. She'd probably get in his way, more of a burden
than a help. Should she stay here then and wait for him, or keep going
somewhere, hoping he would catch up like he'd said he would. But where
would she go? She didn't know where here was anymore. Those outlaws had
been real, she was certain. But how? It was impossible...
She stared at the stream and arrived at a decision. She had to find help. Wringing out as much of the water from her sodden clothes as she could, she set off.
After about half and hour of walking, she realized she was completely lost. She turned in a slow circle, assessing her surroundings. It all looked the same. Late afternoon sunlight filtered down through the trees. Birds chittered all about her. The forest she stood in seemed calm and peaceful, unsullied by modern man's technologies. A gentle breeze blew, stirring the leaves and carrying with it the faint smell of smoke. Smoke. Aaralyn's heart skipped a beat. Smoke meant someone had to be nearby. Picking up her pace, she hurried in the direction she hoped would bring her toward the source of that smoke.
A while later, she arrived at the edge of a large clearing. She was unprepared for the sight that met her eyes. She stared in shocked disbelief. An entire village had been razed. Smoke still rose from the blackened and burnt structures of houses that were still half standing or had been torn down. Corpses littered the ground, charred bodies of butchered men, women and children, their blood mingling with the mud and ash. A sickening stench of scorched flesh reached Aaralyn's nostrils. She felt bile rise and doubled over, retching violently.
"Over there!"
Too sick to react, she could only raise her head towards the sound of the voice. What she saw made her blood freeze. Half a dozen knights, the same black knights that had passed her and Ethan in the forest earlier, came galloping out of the trees on the far side of the clearing. In their black gauntlets, they clutched flaming torches and whirling maces. One knight threw his spear. It slammed into the ground just inches from Aaralyn's head. Startled into action, she staggered to her feet and started to run. Behind her, she could hear the thunder of the horses' hooves as they turned to gallop after her. Oh god, this couldn't be happening. Panic surged through her. Choking off a sob, she ran blindly through the forest.
Suddenly, another knight emerged from the trees to her right, galloping straight toward her. Aaralyn didn't have time to react. As he passed, the knight reached down and scooped her up onto the saddle in front of him. She struggled like mad, flailing her arms and kicking out with her legs.
"Desist! I wilt not harm thee," the knight said, one arm holding onto her tightly, the other on the reins directing his chestnut charger away from the other knights. Noting his blue and white surcoat, she stopped struggling, realizing he was the same knight that had warned them earlier about 'Sir Stephen's men'. Heart hammering, she clutched the pommel of the saddle for dear life as they galloped through the forest. The horse leapt over fallen logs and rocks, jarring her bones with each landing. She was terrified, having never been on a horse before.
She stared at the stream and arrived at a decision. She had to find help. Wringing out as much of the water from her sodden clothes as she could, she set off.
After about half and hour of walking, she realized she was completely lost. She turned in a slow circle, assessing her surroundings. It all looked the same. Late afternoon sunlight filtered down through the trees. Birds chittered all about her. The forest she stood in seemed calm and peaceful, unsullied by modern man's technologies. A gentle breeze blew, stirring the leaves and carrying with it the faint smell of smoke. Smoke. Aaralyn's heart skipped a beat. Smoke meant someone had to be nearby. Picking up her pace, she hurried in the direction she hoped would bring her toward the source of that smoke.
A while later, she arrived at the edge of a large clearing. She was unprepared for the sight that met her eyes. She stared in shocked disbelief. An entire village had been razed. Smoke still rose from the blackened and burnt structures of houses that were still half standing or had been torn down. Corpses littered the ground, charred bodies of butchered men, women and children, their blood mingling with the mud and ash. A sickening stench of scorched flesh reached Aaralyn's nostrils. She felt bile rise and doubled over, retching violently.
"Over there!"
Too sick to react, she could only raise her head towards the sound of the voice. What she saw made her blood freeze. Half a dozen knights, the same black knights that had passed her and Ethan in the forest earlier, came galloping out of the trees on the far side of the clearing. In their black gauntlets, they clutched flaming torches and whirling maces. One knight threw his spear. It slammed into the ground just inches from Aaralyn's head. Startled into action, she staggered to her feet and started to run. Behind her, she could hear the thunder of the horses' hooves as they turned to gallop after her. Oh god, this couldn't be happening. Panic surged through her. Choking off a sob, she ran blindly through the forest.
Suddenly, another knight emerged from the trees to her right, galloping straight toward her. Aaralyn didn't have time to react. As he passed, the knight reached down and scooped her up onto the saddle in front of him. She struggled like mad, flailing her arms and kicking out with her legs.
"Desist! I wilt not harm thee," the knight said, one arm holding onto her tightly, the other on the reins directing his chestnut charger away from the other knights. Noting his blue and white surcoat, she stopped struggling, realizing he was the same knight that had warned them earlier about 'Sir Stephen's men'. Heart hammering, she clutched the pommel of the saddle for dear life as they galloped through the forest. The horse leapt over fallen logs and rocks, jarring her bones with each landing. She was terrified, having never been on a horse before.