Page 10 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

Linota swayed as exhaustion rushed over her. Her eyes stung with the effort of keeping them open. She wanted to give in to her body’s demand to sleep, but the fear of what might happen to her if she lost consciousness forced her to keep her eyes open even as they burned.

‘She’s a comely little thing,’ said Gamel, his voice nearer to her than she’d realised.

She jerked upright and blinked. She had been dozing. In that time, de Bevoir and several others had succumbed to sleep.

In the darkness of the evening she could make out Gamel looming over her, his eyes two dark pools above his bushy beard.

‘De Bevoir said we ain’t to touch her,’ said another man.

‘De Bevoir’s not just asleep, Fletcher, he’s passed out. The weasel ain’t got no stomach for ale. I don’t think he’d wake up if we ’ave a little play with our new friend.’

Fletcher grunted. ‘It has been a long while since I had a woman.’

‘I bet you ain’t never had one as sweet as that,’ said Gamel, nodding in her direction, his gaze locked with hers.

Linota was desperate to run, but her legs weren’t responding to her thoughts. It was as if she was watching the events from someone else’s eyes.

Gamel staggered towards her. Behind him, Fletcher laughed. ‘You ain’t gonna be able to perform, old man.’

‘I will and I’m gonna go first,’ growled Gamel.

The fear that had kept Linota frozen to her seat suddenly pumped through her. It rushed through her veins, waking her from her trance. She sprang from her woodland seat and ran into the surrounding forest.

Away from the clearing the darkness of the forest blinded her. She didn’t care. Her only thought was to get away.

Behind her she heard muffled cursing and many heavy footsteps following after her. Her breath came quickly in shallow gasps as she tripped and tumbled over gnarled roots.

She fell and cried out when she banged her knee. She pushed herself up again. She had to get away, the alternative was unthinkable.

Her face was wet and she wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She couldn’t afford to be upset now; the tears would only blind her further. The darkness hindered her, but it was also her friend. If she couldn’t see, then neither could her pursuers. She only needed to keep moving.

The footsteps seemed to be closing in, but she didn’t turn to look as she ran on. Something grabbed at the back of her cloak and she screamed.

She pulled away, darting to the left. Her lungs hurt now. Every breath was laboured. She couldn’t keep going for much longer and yet she couldn’t stop.

A fist closed around her braid, yanking her neck backwards. Pain burst across her skull. She reached behind her and pulled, trying to release her hair, kicking out with her legs as she did so.

A rough hand slapped her face, sending her spinning. She reached out a hand to stop herself from falling, but she was too late. The ground rushed up to meet her. Her head hit the ground and the world went black.

She was airborne, her head resting against a solid chest, strong arms holding her tightly. A scent vaguely familiar and comforting filled the air around her.

Everything was fuzzy. Her legs and arms burned and her head throbbed, but the arms holding her were warm and secure.

Something terrible had happened, but she couldn’t remember what it was. She only knew she had been running. She couldn’t think what from, only that her life depended on getting away.

Her cloak slipped and cold air rushed over her ankles, pulling her from her dreamlike state. She gasped as memories tumbled over her. She’d been escaping from those men who wanted to do unspeakable things to her. And now she was caught.

Shehadto get away.

She struggled, but the arms only tightened around her, her captor increasing his speed. A moan escaped her lips. She might be weak, but she wouldn’t let those men do what they had been planning. She pushed harder.

‘Are you awake?’ a voice asked softly.

The voice was familiar, but it didn’t belong to either Gamel or de Bevoir. She stopped struggling for a moment and squinted into the darkness. It was impossible to make out any features of the man who carried her. The darkness in the forest was absolute.

Perhaps sensing her confusion, the stranger spoke.

‘It’s all right, Linota. It’s me, Erik. I’ve got you. You’re safe now.’

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