Here comes the next chapter! I wrote these first two chapters last year and didn't know what to do with them. I really liked them and didn't want to just delete them so I changed it and made this fanfiction :D Please enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think :P All suggestions are very welcome :D enjoy!
"Sir Edmond Hindberg." A strong voice called out and stopped the small group from continuing.
Out of the forest rode the black arrow from the inn. He wasn't riding a black war horse, he was riding a grey mare. She didn't look like much but Annora thought she would have a lot of speed and power. He still wore his black cloak with its hood up.
Annora wished she had a cloak like his. It looked incredibly warm and winter was coming.
"What are you doing so far from Kanell?" The man asked and Annora felt his eyes on her, even though his head didn't move.
"We're allowed to go wherever we like." Edmond said with a lot of venom.
"Slavery is banned in all of Sacoridia, by order of the King." The man said back, looking meaningfully at Annora.
"Annora has chosen to join us in Kanell in exchange for getting away from her abusive father." The lie tumbled easily from Edmond's mouth.
"So you came all this way from Kanell to help Annora?" The man asked.
"Yes we did. Didn't we Annora?" Annora felt Greg's knife sticking into her back warning her of what would happen if she said something wrong.
"It's true. Edmond came here to help me get away from my father." Annora looked meaningfully at the stranger, hoping he'd get her hidden message.
"What are you actually doing away from Kanell?" The stranger's voice was dangerously quiet.
"We did nothing illegal. Back off arrow. This doesn't have anything to do with the King." Edmond threatened.
"If you've been to Gullid it concerns the King." The hooded man's voice was low but it carried easily.
"Well luckily I haven't been there then." Edmond growled. He turned his horse and continued down the road.
Annora couldn't help it; she looked back at the stranger who seemed to be looking right at her. Annora scolded herself for thinking such ridiculous thoughts. She would never get out of here.
Annora had been tied up. Edmond didn't trust her after her escape attempt. She was tied up to a tree.
Annora didn't mind too much because she could eat easily but it was almost impossible to get comfortable. She had finally fallen into a very deep sleep, but was awoken by Truman's roar of anger.
When Annora opened her eyes she saw the King's arrow get punched in the face by Truman. He was holding what appeared to be a letter in his hand.
Truman kneed him in the face and the man turned then swung a sabre out of nowhere and sliced Truman's face open. Greg ran forward with his sword and the black arrow and Greg got into an intense fight full of turns and incredible sword play.
The arrow's cloak came off and he tossed it into Greg's face. He kicked out and Greg fell to the ground.
Annora felt hope blossom inside her, but she and the arrow had forgotten about Edmond.
Edmond punched the other man in the face and Annora cringed at the sickening thud that came with it, but the man was only slightly dazed. Edmond tripped him and Truman and Greg grabbed his arms.
The fight was over, the arrow, and Annora's last hope, had lost.
Edmond punched the man in the face again. He was a lot younger than everyone had thought given his skill with a sword and all his threats.
Greg had tied the young man's hands behind him and was holding him up as Edmond punished him. Truman was busy sewing up his face.
"How dare you steal my stuff, you bloody traitor." Edmond spat.
"Traitor! You're the person who is encouraging slavery, and associating with Gerald Tilah against the King's orders. It's all in that letter, evidence of your treachery." The young man had startling green eyes and auburn colored hair that came to his shoulders. He looked only 5 years older than her.
"Gerald should, and will, be King. King Zachary is nothing and will die soon. His followers are even worse. Someone younger and stronger needs to take the throne, someone who will destroy the problem in the South." Edmond gave his opinion.
"Wait till the king hears about his." The black arrow threatened.
"Who says the king will?" The young man blanched.
"What do you mean? If you kill me someone will come looking." The man said.
"He's right." Greg butted in. "The arrows are a tight group; there's only a few of them. They'll look for their own, and when they find him dead, questions will be asked."
"Then we take him with us. You'll get a good price for him. He's muscular and a farmer always needs help chopping wood and such." Truman smiled at the stranger's future, his cut making him look sinister.
"What's your name?" Edmond asked.
"Kyden, sir. And I will never be a slave." Edmond sneered and punched him in the face. Edmond had slapped Annora because she was a girl, but he punched Kyden.
Truman grabbed him and tried him to a tree near Annora. The young man had fallen unconscious.
"Are you alright?" Annora asked as Kyden woke up.
He moaned.
"Edmond hit you hard." Annora swallowed. "Ummm, thank you. Even though you kind of failed, you sort of tried to save me." Annora smiled slightly as Kyden looked up.
"How'd you get caught up with this crowd?" He asked her as he rubbed his cheek.
She didn't bother to hide the hatred in her voice. "Edmond got my father drunk at an inn. At the end of the night he had bought me from him. My own father sold me so he could pay back his debts, and my mother could do nothing." She blinked back tears and tried to swallow back the sudden lump in her throat.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's nothing. I'm going to get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day." Annora turned away from Kyden's green eyes.
Because of their new prize and future slave, they had to stay away from towns and well travelled roads.
Annora and Kyden hadn't talked since the night he was captured.
It was late one night after Edmond, Greg and Truman had drunk a lot of beer that they finally had passed out.
"I just want to get out of here." Annora sighed, breaking the silence, and looked up at the star filled night sky.
"Would you do anything to get out of here?" Kyden asked her.
The question took Annora off guard so she could only nod.
"Ok," Kyden shifted his weight and pulled a knife out of his boot, "Well I have just one thing to ask of you, and I understand if you say no, but what I'm asking is a big thing." He said while cutting his own bonds.
"What is it?" Annora asked hesitantly as Kyden started to free her.
"The information in that letter is very important. How scared are you of Edmond?" Kyden smiled at her.
"You want me to steal the letter?"
"No. What I'm asking is much more difficult. I need you to deliver the letter to the King."
Annora just stared at him. "Deliver the letter, to the King? Why can't you do it?"
"I will. I'm going to travel on the kings crossing to the castle. I'll tell him what's in the letter. I need you to go by the thieves' road and take the letter to him." He snuck up to his horse and the pack pony. "If you were Edmond and a farm girl escaped and so did a black arrow which would you think is more dangerous? He'll follow me and if I get to the castle first I can tell the king, but if I get caught you'll be able to deliver the letter, and Edmond will never know." Kyden smiled at the thought.
"But, but I can't do that." Annora protested.
"Annora, I won't force you to do anything and no matter what, you're free. But don't you want to stop Edmond? Don't you want to help save the kingdom?"
What could she say to that?
"So, all I have to do is travel to the castle by the thieves' road?"
"Yes, stay away from people as much as possible and when you get there give the letter straight to the king. And I'll most likely be there already so you won't have to worry." Kyden smiled at her. "Stay here." He then snuck over to Edmond and picked the letter out of his breast pocket.
"Franji will carry you well. She's an arrow horse, so she'll protect you." He then picked up Truman's boot, for some strange reason Kyden seemed to hate Truman and wanted to make him suffer. From inside the boot he pulled a handful of money.
"Just a little to help you along." Kyden smiled wickedly and held out the money. "I suggest you hide it in your boots too, along with the letter. If thieves give you trouble they most likely won't take your boots."
Annora stared in horror at the thought of being attacked by thieves. The thieves' road wasn't always called that. Its original name was 'Daviod's Road' named after one of the first kings of Sacoridia, but because of the thieves and cut throats that preyed on the weak it changed.
"But what if I get attacked?"
"A show of strength. If you wear this cloak and you have a sword most bandits will think twice about attacking you." Kyden passed his cloak and sword over to Annora.
"What are you going to use?"
"I have Truman's." He smiled.
They both mounted.
"I'll be there to great you. Ride hard and ride safe."
"You too." Annora smiled half-heartedly. They hadn't really been friends but Annora would worry about him. Kyden didn't know what he had sent Annora into and he knew he would worry about her.
"Go down there and keep to the road but stay away from people." Kyden said one last pointer.
The two prisoners turned their horses away from each other and disappeared into the night.
Disclaimer: I do not own King Zachary or Sacoridia :)
In the next chapter your favourite characters will make an entrance and all may be revealed :D please review and tell me if I'm doing well :)