Catching the Wind

Quick End

(Trigger warning cont.)

"Aye, lass, wake it, ye nigh fall asleep on me, ye hear? " He slapped the side of her face as he said this and realized she had passed out. Stopping and getting back to his knees he looked at his partner. 

  "She dead?" Motioning for his partner to check, the man leaned down and put his ear between her exposed breasts. Lifting his head back up, he shook it and just smiled. 

  

"Nay, she jist takin a wee sleep is all, so hurry now, ye taken long enuf." his partner responded. 

  

"We needs to wake the lass, I cunn't enjoy it with just a log layn der. Tis no fun, go gets sum water, we wake her an continue." saying this, he stood with his pants still around his ankles.  

  

"Awe, nah, cum now man, just do it, otherwise I be taken her now," his partner stood as he let go of her wrist, and started undoing his trousers. He pushed his friend aside. 

  "Gets ye arse back, I be showin yer hows a real mans does its." working his dirt stained trousers to the ground, he went to his knees and grabbed himself.

All of a sudden, it was as if started to rain blood. A sudden wave of it hit his back and speckled Ally's body that lay before him, motionless. Hearing the gurggling of his partner and then seeing the other scouts head roll off to the side in front of him, he tried getting to his feet, but it was too late. 

Suddenly looking down, he could see the blade that was now sticking out of his chest.  

  

 Ally could faintly hear what was happening, she was in shock and still waiting for darkness. She realized the men had stopped but couldn't move her limbs when the one scout let go of her wrists. She wanted to wake from this dream, or start a dream, either way, she couldn't fight it.  

  

She heard them argue at first, and then with what sounded similar to pulling the bumpy skin off chicken, she felt as if warm rain was hitting her skin and when she was able to finally pry one eye open amidst the fogginess, she could see the scout standing before her had the long tip of a sword sticking out the middle of his chest.  

(Trigger End)

Nikolas heard the screams echo off the trees around him. He had only been searching a few minutes, tracking the barefooted prints left in patches of mud showing through the rocks and branches of the forest floor.

He had a feeling the screams were hers, so swearing to himself, he picked up his pace and headed into the direction the screams came from.  

Coming up to where the sobs of a women begging for help could be heard, he seen the Kings scouts. Crouching in the cover of forest he just watched them. He decided he’d wait a moment, when he realized it was Ally, because he didn’t want to provoke them into killing her.

After a few moments, she had gone silent. He prayed she was still alive as he watched both men stand up and start arguing over which one was going to force himself on her.   

Nikolas creeped slowly forward. One man had pushed the other back and faced her, so now as both stood with their back to him, he took his chance.

Coming up slowly, he swiftly drew his sword and came down at the man closet to him. The sound of the sharp metal could be heard slicing through flesh and bone as the man's head rolled off his dropping body. The other man became eerily still as Nikolas pulled back his sword and stuck it through him like stabbing tender meat from a grill.  

  

Blood had flung everywhere at each movement of the sword. The now lifeless bodies of both men lay at Nikolas’s feet as he stared at Ally’s unmoving naked body.

Fear crept into him as he thought he was too late in saving her. Stepping over the dead men he swore at the Heavens for being so cruel to her.

Seeing her laying there with her breast exposed, bruises forming all over her body, he swore further to himself as he felt time should have been taken in killing the two scouts, as they did not deserve a swift death. He vowed he would kill the King himself for this.   

Gently closing her robe as leaves fell off it, he stuck his hands between her and the earth and lifted her. Cradling her to his chest he could see she was still breathing. Thankful, he headed back in the direction he came.   

Along the way back, he propped her small body to lay her head on his shoulder as he took his other hand and marked several trees with his sword. They would need to get rid of the bodies of the two men incase more scouts came.  

  

“We need to make haste witch, as we are running out of time!” The wizard's plea could be heard as Nikolas came closer to the edge of the camp.  

“Tisn’t time, I tell ye’s! Wen tis night, we will leave, not a second suner, ye ol badger. Do as me say, othern wise I’d send ye back in that ol dusty tower!” Hagthoria snapped at him pointing furiously in the air. Turning she smiled at the shirtless soldier next to her sharpening his sword with a large smooth oval stone.   

“Ah, lad, dare say yer into helpin an old woman, an come to me dwellings? I do swear ye wulds not regrets it.” saying this as she pointed over at the small tent off the side of the main one, she smiled and wriggled her caterpillar eyebrows at the soldier.   

“Uh, aye, uh..well..uh, sorry miss, I need to uh, feed the, uh..dogs, yes! The dogs, I needin not be skirten me duties, else Captain be havin my hide, sorry.” Fumbling on his words, the soldier got up with fear in his eyes and almost ran over the camp fire as he went in the opposite direction.  

Looking defeated, Hathoria shook her head thinking she remembers no dogs being at the camp.

Just then Nikolas emerged from the woods catching everyone's attention.  

He didn’t even stop to explain, but headed straight for his tent. Entering, he kicked aside a wooded stoop that was next a pile of fur pallets on the ground and got to his knees being gentle while laying Ally down.