ELOWEN
I can't tell what's running down my left cheek, blood or the pouring rain.
Probably both.
I am breathing the hardest I have ever had, trying to outrun men on horses, with the mud clumping into the soles of my boots making it harder to lift up my feet. I can see a small village no less than a half a mile away, I can make it. I know they won't kill me, at least not until they catch me, because they want to give me a proper death. The Kingdom of Natritha, for some reason, does not tolerate citizens stealing produce from their merchants and they definitely don't tolerate killing a member of the royal guard. I did both, but I think I did them a favor, that guard was awful at their job. Now I have to decide whether to give myself up or keep running until they catch me.
I can at least try to make it to the town.
As soon as I get there I will hide in an alleyway near where I know they will be looking and hide in plain sight therefore catching me. This might work.
It has been a while since I have looked behind me, to see how close they are. I look back but I don't see horses anymore, in the rain I can only make out a taller, dark-skin, lean-built, man running at me, faster and in wider strides than I have the energy to outrun r. I turn my head back around, still running, and look at my destination wondering if I'll even make it that far.
I take my chances and start running as fast as I can, while out of breath. I am about one-eighth of a mile away and feeling lightheaded, I can hear the sounds of voices and carts full of food tripping over rocks and shifting their items.
I am so hungry.
I just need to stay concentrated. I decided to shed a couple of layers of clothing, when I first began running away from the men because they were soaked with water and getting too heavy, but I still had my dagger strapped on my left thigh.
That might come in handy.
Since there is only one person following me now, I might be able to slit their throat before they slit mine. My hallowed-out breaths are sounding more like wheezes, like I fell from a tall tree and landed on my back, and got the wind knocked out of me.
I start counting my steps.
One.
Two.
Three.
One.
Two.
Three.
I can make it.
I won't go down without a fight, I reach the small village, and find a decent, but predictable, place to hide to at least catch my breath. I proceed to go into that alleyway that is near the town's center, still wheezing from running and trying to walk even though my legs feel like they are reading to detach for my body, I crouch down on the left side of what looks like a big pipe.
I grab the dagger out of the strap on my thigh and push it up the sleeve of my right arm. While waiting for him to find me, I close my eyes and wonder what the consequences for my crime would involve. A public hanging? Whip me until I'm crying in agony? Or maybe he would just slit my throat right here, without any trial or hesitation.
I feel a hand around my mouth and a knife to my side. I don't scream. I've been preparing for this.
"Stay calm," he says in a hushed tone.
With a quick jerk of my hand the dagger frees itself from my sleeve and into my hand. I kick the leg that he has most of his weight on, which causes a state of vulnerability, and one thing leads to another and he's on his knees against the wall with my dagger to throat. I could kill him right now, but it will only make things more difficult in the long run. Not to mention he looks of importance hence his clean black, short, coiled hair, and his clothes that are stain free, but the long faded pale scars that make up his face say otherwise.
