It's been two days since Nasuada's capture. The slavers have ferried her half across the wide plains. Those two days have been harsh on her; for it was like a decade of pain. Her limbs are covered with cuts and bruises from fighting off the men who tried to rape her, her eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep and she barely ate what they gave her.
Nasuada sat at the corner of the iron cage, her arms tightly wrapped around her legs. She buried her face on her knees and avoided making contact with whoever approached her. Her elegant clothes have been ripped and torn and her hair was in a messy pony tail, making her look like a common peasant rather than the aristocrat that she is.
The slavers sold all of the captives they had in low prices when they got her. She over heard some of the men talking that it doesn't mater if they didn't put that much profit on the slaves they sold because they'll regain it once they sold her for one million gold crowns and a self title to a land in the country. Nasuada found this preposterous since no fool would pay such a price.
"Idiots." She thought to herself. "They don't know the first thing about business economics. No one could afford that except the…" Then her head snapped up as she realized something.
Something so horrible that she wished that she never thought of it, the thought was so dark that it sent chills down her spine and she could feel her insides churning inside.
"…the King." She muttered, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "They're going to sell me to Galbatorix."
Suddenly, the tent flap opened and a skinny man came in, carrying a tray of food for her.
"Ah," he grinned, his grayish yellow teeth were like a file of crumbling tombstones. "So, you're awake."
Nasuada glared at him and she trembled in fear and anger. She wished that she had her sword staff with her or even her jeweled dagger, but the slavers confiscated her weapons upon her confinement.
The man opened the door of the cage just wide enough to fit the tray inside and closed it quickly.
"Here's your dinner, Varden princess." He said mockingly. "Finish every crumb; we can't present you to the Ruler who would surely pay a large sum of money, looking like a scarecrow."
This confirmed Nasuada's fears. They are going to hand her over to the King. She wished that her soldiers didn't yell such royal titles when they were attacked, that totally gave her identity away.
The man left laughing to himself on the way out and left Nasuada alone inside the tent again.
She stared at the tray of food. The bread looked stale and the water in the tankard looked as if it was dishwater. She was starving, but she did her best to forget about it rather than eat that vile stuff and also, she suspected the food to be drugged.
Nasuada looked around the tent. The iron cage was kind of big, and she was the only one in it. She wished that children captives were still there to keep her company, but they were sold hours ago at a village they passed by. She made friends with some of them; like the brunette girl named Klina.
Being alone made her feel scared, especially the possibility of being raped. Some men tried to violate her last night, she fought them off, but it earned her some fresh cuts and bruises.
"I want to go home." She muttered as she buried her face on her knees again. "I want my father."
She felt like a helpless little girl, alone in a world filled with danger. She hoped that some of her soldiers from the retrieval squad survived and managed to go back to camp and tell Eragon and the other what happened.
"Maybe, someone is on the way to rescue me." She thought in order to comfort herself. And she started to feel sleep catching up to her. She felt drowsy with every minute that passes but she forced herself to stay awake.
Suddenly, the tent opening flapped open and three drunken men dragged themselves inside.
"Oh," one said. "There she is! Ain't she the pertiest thing?"
"I feel like playing today." Another said as she opened the cage door and grabbed Nasuada by the wrist.
"Wait," the other one said. "The boss said not to damage the merchandise!"
Nasuada's temper flared, how dare they call her a merchandise? She thrashed and kicked, but the man pulling her out was too strong. They dragged her out of the tent and threw her in the middle of a circle of men.
"Ei, boss!" one of them called to their leader who was lounging under the tree while smoking a pipe. "Can we play with this bitch, just a little bit?"
The leader blew a large puff of white smoke and replied; "Alright, as long as you don't damage her."
The men gave a roar of laughter and patted each other on the back.
"Let me go!" Nasuada tried to yank her arm free, but failed.
"No can do, sweetie." On of them grinned and she felt someone reaching inside her skirt. She immediately kicked the man doing that to her and the men laughed in amusement as she did so.
"This one's got attitude." One laughed. "Maybe we should teach her a lesson on respecting men."
Some agreed and started pulling her down on the ground. She could feel a painful throb on her side as them pushed her to the ground, she kicked wildly to free herself, but the more she resisted, the more hands forced her flat on her back. Some of them men started lifting her skirt again and some unbuttoned her shirt.
"No!" Nasuada cried. "Stop, please!"
But it was useless, they weren't listening to her and their leader just lounged under the tree with his pipe, enjoying the show he's seeing.
She panicked even more when she felt a hand groping her breast and another in her inner thighs.
"No!" she cried even more, "Stop! Stop it!"
But no one could hear her in the dead of the night in the middle of the plains with zero population and in the midst of wildly laughing men.
When Nasuada felt a hand pulling down her undergarment, that's where she really panicked and she screamed with her mind and voice;
"Please, help me!"
Suddenly, one of the men fell down dead and the startled men drew their weapons and anticipated an intruder. All the attention left Nasuada and she sat up and looked at what happened. Then, more arrows fell from the sky and hit the slavers one by one.
"Show yourself!" Their leader cried. "Do not be a coward, fight us!"
A strong gush of wind blew down on them, Nasuada shuddered at eh cold gush. It was too strong to be just the wind. It felt unnatural, and besides, there wasn't a storm that time from it was summer.
The men started firing arrows blindly at the sky. Nasuada peered through the dark sky, but she saw nothing but dark clouds.
She strained her ears and tried to listen and the sound of large flapping wings contented her and boosted her confidence. More arrows fell from the heavens and killed half the men.
"Eragon." She told herself with a smile.
"Fire!" The leader cried. But then, he fell down on the ground and dead on the spot.
The men were panicking. How could their leader be killed with no one touching him?
"It's the devil!" on man cried. "We must flee!"
"Idiot!" one smacked him on the face. "There are no such things!" but he too appeared scared.
Nasuada found her jeweled dagger on the ground and was thankful to whatever luck is happening to her. The sound of huge flapping wings grew louder and the wind gushed stronger. One by one, the men fell down dead on the spot, often with the sound of a breaking bone before they do so. Nasuada figured out that Eragon must be breaking their necks with magic. As she ran to the side, she caught one of them men making a run for it. She threw herself at him and pushed him to the ground, her dagger placed on his neck.
"Please," he pleaded.
"I believe you were the one who was groping me on the thighs?" Nasuada said in a deadly voice.
"Yes, I mean no, I mean I'm sorry." The man said fearfully.
"You dirty, vile creature." Nasuada spat and she started to make a move with her dagger, cutting the man's throat.
"Please, don't!" the man pleaded. "I've got a wife and two sons waiting for me back home."
Nasuada froze her hand and removed her dagger from the man's neck.
"Do they know that you are a slaver?" she asked.
The man shook his head. "They know that I am a merchant's assistant. I used to be, but I quit since my boss kept on abusing me."
He gulped and continued.
"I entered this profession because the pay is good. But I can't tell my family about this, they'll hate me."
"Hence," Nasuada replied. "See this as a blessing. Go back to your family and lead a noble life and an honest livelihood."
Nasuada stood up and let the man go.
"Thank you," he bowed. "Bless you. Thank you, I'm sorry. I will never forget this kind mercy you have showed me. "
And he ran and disappeared in the shadows.
Nasuada looked over her shoulders and saw the rest of the slavers dead on the ground. She turned back again and picked up her dagger scabbard on the ground.
The wind grew stronger and the sound of flapping wings even louder, but then something went wrong.
The dragon roared, and it didn't sound like Saphira.
Nasuada froze. The roar sounded deep and masculine and when the dragon landed, the thudding sound it made was heavier and the ground shook more than it would when Saphira lands.
"Oh no." Nasuada muttered. She quickly forced her legs to run. She managed to dash about twenty yards when her legs froze in place and she tripped down. She dared not to look at who was behind.
"I'm finished." She whispered to herself with panic.
She forced her legs to move, but they wouldn't. It was as if they had fallen to sleep.
Nasuada heard footsteps approaching from behind and she desperately tried to stand up but failed.
"And where do you think you're going?" asked a deep, smooth, familiar voice which was but a memory in the back of Nasuada's head until now.
He pulled her up roughly by the wrist. She struggled to free herself, but Murtagh's grip was too strong. Nasuada opened her eyes and she found herself staring into the cold, dark eyes of Murtagh Morzansson, the Red Rider.
Hey guys, sorry if my grammar's bad and sorry for the typos. I don't really pay attention in English class. Hehe. Don't forget to R&R!!