Ben had never felt this good in his entire life. He returned to the town of Aft to a hero's welcome. He'd done it. He'd taken out a witch all on his own and managed to safely return each and every missing child. Well admittedly Edward had helped quite a bit, but it had been Ben who'd nailed the witch with a crossbow bolt and tied her to a tree. After that Edward had beheaded her with the pull of one giant hand. They'd found the girls tied up in a cave just behind the small stone cottage which had belonged to the now dead witch.
Once the children had been returned to their relieved and grateful families Ben had been welcomed to the tavern and given all the food and drink he could handle. It wasn't until a few hours later when the sun was beginning to go down that it occurred to Ben that Hansel and Gretel still hadn't returned. He gave it another half hour before he began to worry about them. The sun had set and he knew that Hansel and Gretel wouldn't stay in the woods after dark if they believed there was a witch nearby.
Ben left the tavern, although it took him longer than he'd like to get out because of all the people thanking him and offering him drinks. Once he'd made his way out of the bar he followed the smell of horses to the small stable which lay at the edge of town.
"Hello?" He called to the empty barn and darkened cottage which lay next to the horses. It was after dark but it wasn't late enough for the place to be so deserted.
"Hello? Is anyone here? I need a horse." He called as he began walking through the stalls of horses.
From the back of the darkened barn he heard a low moaning. Grabbing a lantern off the wall he cautiously moved to the last stall. Lying down in the hay with his hands tied to a post above his head was Joseph, the man who'd come to their room that morning. His right eye was swollen shut and a long stream of blood ran down his cheek from a large cut on his temple. His mouth had been gagged with a dirty rag so that he couldn't cry out for help.
Ben set the lantern down and began trying to untie him, as he struggled to cut through the ropes Joseph frantically tried to speak to him through his gag. Ben untied the dirty cloth and pulled it from his mouth. He coughed and sucked in a large breath of air before he could speak.
"It's alright, I'm going to get you some help." Ben assured the injured man.
"You have to help Gretel." Joseph insisted in a hoarse whisper.
"Gretel? Why what's wrong?" Ben asked, fear making his entire body stiffen.
"I heard Gustav and his friend talking this morning. They sent Hansel and Gretel out to Gustav's hunting cabin. They were going to wait for them there to get payback for Gretel cutting Gustav's face last night. I tried to stop them, but Gustav hit me with a shovel and then tied me up here." He explained as Ben finished untying him.
"Payback? What do you mean payback, what were they planning to do?" Ben asked fearfully.
Joseph didn't reply but the look on his face was enough to let Ben know just what it was that Gustav had planned for his friend. Ben knew that Hansel and Gretel could handle themselves, especially against just two human men, but the fact that they still hadn't returned to town warned Ben that something had gone terribly wrong.
Joseph quickly began saddling up two horses. "I know where the cabin is. We should hurry." Joseph insisted.
"I'm going to get my friend first. If we need help it can't hurt having a troll with us." Ben said.
"You're friends with a troll?" Joseph asked sounding both awed and scared.
Ben simply nodded, he was too distracted with worry for his friends to be amused. As soon as one of the horses was finished Ben swung himself into the saddle. "Wait here for me. I'll be back with Edward and then you can show me where this cabin is." He ordered, sounding suddenly much more confident than he ever had before.
He kicked his horse into a gallop and hurried into the woods where he'd left Edward earlier that evening. He found the troll fast asleep against an Oak tree, a large line of drool hanging between his lips and his shirt.
"Edward wake up!" He yelled.
Edward's eyes opened slowly and he looked around in drowsy confusion. "Gretel's in trouble." Was all Ben had to say before Edward jumped to his feet with surprising nimbleness for one so large.
"Where's Gretel?" He asked. His low growly voice was filled with obvious concern for the young woman who'd been the first person to ever show him any kindness in his life. He'd have done anything for her. Without replying Ben turned his horse back towards town and heard the booming footsteps as Edward followed.
Edward walked along behind the two men on horseback as they hurried through the dark woods. It took longer than Ben would have liked to get there. Joseph had trouble remembering where the cabin was, especially in the dark.
By the time the three companions found their destination it was already becoming light above the trees off in the east. They found the horses which Hansel and Gretel had taken tied up near a stream. Ben and Joseph left their horses tied up with the others and moved towards the cabin at a slow, cautious pace. It was eerily silent inside the wooden shack. The lack of noise scared Ben far more than any sounds of fighting he could have heard.
"Both of you wait here I'm going to sneak over and look in the window. Hopefully we can take them by surprise." Ben instructed.
Keeping low to the ground and in the shadows created by the barely rising sun, Ben snuck around to the side of the cabin where one dusty window was placed just at his eye level. It took him a few seconds of squinting before he could make out anything in the still darkened room.
Adrenaline rushed through his body, his hands tightening into fists, and his heart thundered in his chest when he saw the two huddled unmoving shapes of his friends huddled in one corner of the room. He also spied two more prone bodies in the cabin as well and figured they belonged to Gustav and his friend. His blood ran cold as he hurried towards the door, he was afraid that he would find nothing but corpses once he entered the small shack.
Stepping cautiously through the doorway the first thing Ben was aware of was the smell of blood. The tangy metallic sent was so heavy in the air that it nearly made him gag. Ignoring the other two bodies Ben hurried to his friends, praying that he would find them both alive. He released the breath he'd been holding when he saw both of their chests rising and falling, although neither of the siblings was conscious.
"Gretel? Hansel?" Ben called loudly, waiting for some sign of life from either of them.
Hansel didn't move at all, but Gretel moaned and began to move. Ben gasped when Gretel's head lifted up from Hansel's chest giving Ben a perfect view of the long straight cut running down Gretel's cheek. The long cut matched the one she'd given to Gustav perfectly. It marred her lovely face and Ben knew that it would leave a scar.
After several seconds of struggling Gretel finally opened her eyes. At first Ben could see nothing but confusion in the young woman's eyes, but the confusion quickly turned to a look of panic and anger. She let out a strangled cry and swiped at Ben with the knife he'd failed to notice clutched in her hand. Ben threw himself backwards into the wooden table causing it to squeal as it moved backwards against his weight. Ben hissed with pain as the knife cut into the meat of his upper right arm. He hit the floor on his backside and scrambled backwards until he was almost underneath the table.
After her initial attack Gretel scurried back into the corner of the cabin, the knife held out in front of her. Her chest heaved with panicked breathing and Ben saw that her shirt had been cut open so that he was finally seeing the lovely smooth breasts which he'd fantasized about so many times. He shuddered when he saw teeth and finger marks bruising the creamy flesh. It was obvious what had happened to her and Ben felt his blood nearly boil with hatred at the person who would ever dream of hurting her.
"Gretel it's ok." He said in a soft calm voice. "It's me Ben." He continued in the same soothing tone.
Gretel blinked and realization of what was happening dawned on her. She dropped the knife and slumped down in the corner.
"Ben?" She asked in a voice the young man barely recognized. She sounded small and hurt and so very vulnerable.
"It's alright Gretel. Edwards outside, we're going to help you." He assured her.
"We have to help Hansel. His medicine h- he n-needed it, but I couldn't get to it. He w-w-won't wake up." She stuttered between sobs which she refused to allow out.
Ben turned his attention to the man who he admired above all others. Hansel was lying on his back, his hands shackled above his head so that he was stretched out painfully. He was breathing, but it was a shallow quick breath which scared Ben.
"Is everything alright?" Joseph called from the doorway. Ben could see Edward looking over Joseph's shoulder.
"It's ok, just give us a minute." Ben instructed. He'd seen the panic fill Gretel's eyes at the sound of Joseph's voice and Ben wanted to keep things as calm as possible for the hurt woman.
Ben pulled himself up from the floor, ignoring the cut in his arm, and turned to the still body of Gustav. The body was stiff with rigor mortis and already cold. Ben saw that his throat had been slit from ear to ear and the body was lying in a large pool of sticky drying blood. Wrinkling his nose in disgust Ben turned the body over and began searching the pockets hoping to find the key to the shackles. When nothing turned up Ben moved to the other corpse to search it as well. The other man, who Ben vaguely remembered from the tavern, had had his neck broken so severely that his head was nearly turned all the way around. He found the key in the man's pocket and worked quickly to unlock Hansel.
Hansel slumped all the way to the floor when the shackles released, but he made no sign of coming around.
"Hansel?" Ben called loudly and tapped his face.
Ben was dismayed to feel just how cool Hansel's face was. His skin was covered in a fine sheen of clammy sweat and his skin was a pale grey color which was obviously bad.
"We need to get him to a healer." Ben informed Gretel. She nodded and seemed to gather up her wits as she stood up. She suddenly became the Gretel who Ben was used to; strong, self-assured, and in control.
"Edward can carry him. Are the horses still outside?" She asked as she pulled the ruined remains of her shirt together to cover her nudity.
Ben nodded and moved towards the door. "Joseph we need to get Hansel to a healer as soon as possible. Can you help me carry him outside?"
Joseph nodded and hurried towards the cabin. Ben held up a hand to stop him from entering. He leaned close to the slightly older man and whispered in his ear. "Gustav raped her. Try not to move too fast or get too close to her. She's barely holding it together." He instructed.
Joseph nodded and took a breath to calm down before entering the shack. Moving quickly the two men gently picked up Hansel and carried him out of the cabin, laying him down on the soft grass in the sunshine. Gretel followed them out of the cabin; knowing that from now on this place would be the place she saw in her nightmares. She felt an almost overwhelming need to burn the place down. To burn Gustav's body until there was nothing left of him or the shack but a pile of smoldering ashes. The only thing that stopped her was the driving need to get Hansel the help he needed. Joseph and Ben hurried away to get the horses, leaving Gretel alone with her unconscious brother and Edward.
Edward understood what had happened and hated that his friends were hurt so badly. He approached Gretel slowly and put a large hand on her shoulder. Gretel sighed and leaned against the giant troll, letting him give her a tight hug. He seemed so solid and strong, it made Gretel feel safer to be in his arms. Edward didn't speak, he just held her and rubbed her back with one giant mitt of a hand.
She pulled away from him as she heard the men returning with the horses. She quickly wiped away the tears which had streamed down her cheeks.
Edward gently picked up Hansel as the others mounted their horses. Gretel cried out in pain as she climbed onto the horse. Her body hurt in more places than she knew could hurt. Her nether region burned and throbbed, reminding her of the terrible invasion she's been put through.
"Gretel are you alright?" Ben asked.
Gretel pulled in a deep breath and nodded. "I'm fine let's get back to Aft." She ordered.
Joseph shook his head. "We can't go back to Aft. Gretel you killed the magistrate's son. They'll lock you up as soon as they find out."
"No way. After what that bastard did to her. They won't blame Gretel for what she did." Ben protested.
"This isn't the first time Gustav's done something like this. He's never seen the inside of a jail cell before. His dad always protected him. It won't matter what he did to Gretel, she'll still be punished for killing him." Joseph countered.
"So what do we do?" Gretel asked.
Joseph shifted in the saddle and thought for a moment. "We can head through the woods to Evansville. It's on the other side of the forest and I know they have a good healer there. He saved my sister when she had a bad fever last winter." He suggested.
Gretel thought this over and nodded reluctantly. "Alright let's go to Evansville. But we need to hurry." She ordered, giving her unconscious brother one more concerned glance before kneeing her horse and hurrying into the woods with the others following close behind.
A/N- I'm sorry it's been so long between updates. I actually just gave birth to twin baby girls, so I've been a little preoccupied. I'll try to keep updating as quickly as possible but i apologize for any long delays. Thank you everyone for reading and reviewing! You are awesome!