Oh, dear! Sue is in trouble! Who will come to her rescue?! ;)

Enjoy! 3 Linny

Two Worlds

Chapter Fifteen

Andy guffawed loudly as he watched Joe hop up and down on one foot, the spirited wench he'd hijacked on the road having kicked him hard in the shin with the pointed toe of her riding boots. Joe growled loudly in pain and anger as he shoved Sue toward his companion. "Tie 'er up!" he ordered with a hiss of pain.

"No, please, let me go!" she cried out as Andy grasped roughly at her wrist and pulled her over to a small tree. She begged and pleaded with him as he found a suitable vine of ivy to make use of, claiming she had nothing for them to take. She had no money and nothing of value, hoping it would get them to set her free, but Joe's hungry gaze only increased as he watched her try to fight her way out yet again. He'd found something that he could take and he would enjoy every minute of it.

"Stop squirmin'," Andy demanded as he tried to tie a knot at the back of the tree, but she hadn't been able to see his lips to understand what he's said. She continued to kick and thrashed, one of her balled up fists coming into contact with his jaw. He grumbled loudly under his breath as he finished with the knot. "Why do I always have to be the one to do this? Just because he's bigger, stronger, and smarter don't mean he has to push me 'round."

"What are you sniping about now?" Joe challenged as he rubbed at the offending pain in his leg. A nice red welt had risen to the surface and it would probably be bruised by the end of the day.

"Nothin'," Andy told him before adding under his breath "Mum always liked me better."

Joe approached their pretty little hostage, letting one finger dirty and covered with grime gently caress her chin. Sue's nose rose depreciatively as she caught a foul odor coming from both the digit and the man. "You are sure a pretty little thing," he complimented, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that his intentions were not to be gentle. She managed to draw her face away from him and he just chuckled.

His head turned away from her sight as he addressed his brother. She could see his lips moving, but he was turned too far away for her to understand his words and by the look on Andy's face she was not going to like what Joe had in mind. She started when his face swiveled back to smile at her. "Idn't that right, sweetheart?" His finger had found its way back to her chin, this time joined by the others and he was being none too gentle with her.

"I ain't goin' out there all alone! These woods are haunted!" Andy exclaimed and looked around as if he was expecting an apparition to appear right behind him.

Rolling his eyes at his half-wit of a brother, Joe turned his attention to him again, this time his lips were still in Sue's line of sight so she could read him. "How many times have I told 'ya there're no such things as ghosts, 'ya idjot!" He would have chuckled if this hadn't been the hundredth time he'd heard about the so-called ghosts floating around in the Dark Woods. The buffoon was going to get thwacked again if he brought up the subject one more time.

"But, Joe…"

"Go!" Joe demanded the manly hunger in his eyes now replaced by a flame of anger. When he turned back to Sue, he saw her jumped again and it brought an evil sneer to his face. He liked it when they were afraid; it made it all the more fun for him. "The lady and I have a matter or two to deal with." This time his voice was soft, but it didn't hide any of the menace he was feeling on the inside.

Sue cringed as she felt his hand gently brush a few stray strands of hair away from her face. She was frozen in fear with no way of escape and the hunger in Joe's eyes only increased the more she fought. A sob escaped her though no tears fell; she was much too frightened for tears to fall. "Please, let me go," she begged once more, but she knew it was futile. His mind was set on what he wanted and it had nothing to do with gold or property. He wanted her and would take what he wanted.

Smiling, Joe's voice was barely above a whisper. "Don't worry darlin'. It'll be over quick." Her next sob made him smile even more. So fragile yet so perfect. His eyes roamed her curvaceous body hungrily, taking in every fine detail and trying to figure where to start first. He wanted to enjoy this which he was certain he would.

"Joe…" Andy's voice penetrated the primal fog that had engulfed him. He would have ignored it if it hadn't been for the wary tone that had accompanied it.

"What?!" The word had been let out like a growl and echoed softly through the trees, but while his voice reverberated back and forth between them, there was another sound that continued to grow louder and louder. A moan-like howl penetrated the dusky morning, sending a chill down both men's spines. "What in blazes is that?" he asked as his ardor diminished greatly at the presence of the sound.

"It's the ghost of the Dark Woods," Andy claimed as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and a shiver race through his body. He'd always known their actions would bring about consequences, but he'd never imagined the vengeance of the supernatural to be upon them.

"Would you knock it off with that ghost nonsense!? They don't exist! They're just made up stories!" Of course, if that was true, then why was the sound coming closer and closer by the moment.

Sue stared incredulously at the two men as the frantically searched the trees for a non-existent apparition. Though her heart still pounded with fright, a sense of calm had washed over her and her senses had come back to her. Wiggling her backside as close to the tree as possible, she managed to wriggle free of her bindings just as a lone figure on a horse emerged behind the two men.

"Hey, ugly!" the figure called out, Joe being the first to turn before something heavy and hard connected with the side of his face and sending him sprawling in the dirt.

"Run!" Joe demanded as he scrambled to his feet. "Run 'ya idjot!" Pushing Andy to the ground as he tried to run, Joe was practically out of sight before his brother was able to get back to his feet and scuttle away as well.

Chuckling, Sue watched as the two men ran away with their tails between their legs. "And don't let me catch your sorry faces around here again!" her savior called out, cradling the large wooden bath in her hands as she continued to threatened until they were well out of sight.

"Thank you," Sue said gratefully now that the danger was gone, chased away like two scared little boys. "You saved more than just my life. I wish I could pay you, but I'm afraid I don't have any money." That was the slight drawback to her plan that she'd never considered. Perhaps there was something she could do for the woman to repay her.

The short, crop of blonde hair bounced as its owner shook her head. "I couldn't take your money," the smaller woman shook her head as she slipped the handmade bat into a sheath she'd attached to her saddle bag. It was the perfect weapon for women traveling these parts as long as you knew how to swing it. She tied the leather tie to the sheath before extending her hand to Sue with a smile. "I'm Tara, by the way."

Accepting the friendly gesture, Sue shook Tara's hand. "My name is Sue."

"Well, Sue, I have two questions for you. First, what are you doing out in the Dark Woods all alone?" It was foolish to traverse this area without an escort, never mind that Tara was also alone while traveling through.

Blushing to the roots of her hair, Sue lowered her head and answered softly. "I… got lost." It wasn't a complete lie. Actually, it was all truth, except for the fact that she'd become lost long after she'd known she'd entered the Dark Woods.

"Well, then you obviously don't know this area very well. You new around here?" Sue only just smiled as she fought for an answer, but Tara took that as a yes. Who would willingly enter the forest without bringing along some protection? "I think we'd better stick together, you and me."

"But, you're just as alone as I am." Surely, she must have had an escort of some sort nearby? She even glanced around to see if Tara was truly as alone as she seemed to be.

"Yes, but I'm well protected." She pointed at the bat for emphasis. It wasn't as good as a broadsword, but it was just as effective for scaring attackers away. "Come on, there's a path just up ahead that leads to the outskirts of the Southern Village. My husband is waiting for me there and I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that I saved you from those two morons."

"Something tells me I'm not the first stranger you've brought home," Sue said with a chuckle. She was comforted by Tara's slightly over-the-top nature and she knew she could trust her to lead her out of harm's way.

Shrugging, Tara joined in on the laughter. "What can I say? It's just something that I do."

"Before we go, what was your second question?" She was greeted by a puzzled look from Tara. "You said you had two?"

Slapping herself on the forehead, Tara couldn't keep her laughter at bay. She'd almost forgotten. "Oh! Well…" How could she phrase the question? "It's just… you're the first to not run at the sound of my wind chimes. Usually, people think they're a ghost or something." She held up a small set for emphasis and listened as the wind whistled through the hollow sticks. "No one appreciates good hard work, these days," she added solemnly before putting her artwork back in the saddle bag. She turned her attention back to Sue and looked at her as if she was asking "well?"

Sue blanched instantly at the silent question. The only other times she'd told anyone about her deafness, they'd all run away from her as if it was some disease that they could catch just by speaking to her. She liked Tara and didn't want to chase her away, but she couldn't lie to her either. "Well, you see… I'm… deaf."

"Oh!" was all Tara said, but Sue, having seen that sort of rejection before, straight away began regretting her decision. There was no way Tara would let her accompany her, now. Tara noticed the regret in her newfound friend's eyes and immediately reassured her. "Uh, that wasn't a bad "oh"," she hurried to say when she saw the frightened look on the other woman's face. "I mean, you must be reading my lips, am I right?" It was the only obvious conclusion she could draw.

Sue nodded, her brows coming together in confusion. "How did you know?"

Tara's lips curled at the corners in a smile that told Sue she understood a lot more about deaf people than most do about their own families these days. "Well, you're not the first deaf person I've met." She paused and her smile grew as a thought crossed her mind. "I think you'd get along very well with Troy and his younger sister Amanda. They live in our small colony and are both deaf. Hey, do you know any sign?" she even emphasized the word in sign.

She nodded with a smile before she raised her fist and shook it twice. "Yes." A colony where deaf people didn't have to hide? It surely must have been Heaven on Earth, Sue mused before adding, "My mother didn't want me to learn, but I insisted and even studied some in private."

Feeling the friendship clicking instantly between them, Tara wrapped her arm around Sue shoulder as if she was talking to a friend she'd known for years. "Then, I'm sure you'll fit in quite well." Her hand instantly fell away as she heard the quick reverberations of hooves heading their way. As far as she could tell, there was only one horse. Perhaps, a companion that Joe and Andy had left behind? "But, right now, I'm going to give you a crash course on how to use Ol' Betsy, here." In one swift moment, she had the sheath untied and her hand-carved bat at the ready as she watched a dark figure on an even darker horse riding toward them.