The Princess's Servant

31. The Raid

When Holden awoke the third time, it was to the sound of washing water and sneaking shoes. The prince split open his eyes to spy the crouching huntress laying bowls by his bedside. Fresh water, fresh fruit. Loaves of bread (plural) and hunks of candied jerkied salmon. By the gods, these looked like offerings! Holden couldn't believe the rainbow assortment before him.

How often was it that one awoke from the hell of sleep and into the heaven of reality?

"Sorry to wake you," Nara said with a sheepish smile.

"You didn't wake me," Holden said before she could worry any more on it. "I was just getting up." He rubbed his eyes with one hand and clutched his blanket with the other.

"You were tossing in your sleep," she said, pushing the ceramic bowls a little closer. "Bad dream?"

Holden stuffed his face with a handful of grapes. "Something like that," he said through the skins.

Nara smiled another saddened smile and for a moment there was silence. Except the silence was the loudest that Holden had ever heard, with the sounds of clashing, crashing, slashing and smashing, not to mention mashing. The young prince sat alert and peered through his tent's flap for signs of trouble.

"What's going on out there?" He asked, succeeding poorly at suppressing the panic in his tone.

The huntress tossed her head back. "Oh, the local bandits are at it again. They come sniffing around a few times a moon. Nothing we don't have handled."

As soon as Nara had said it, a distant throaty scream reverberated throughout the camp. The huntress paused her movements, but shook off her concern as easily as it had mounted.

"Oh, little Daren, always so dramatic. I know he sounds desperate but those bandits never get up to anything too terrible. After a spot of food really, is all."

"Somebody help! They're trying to kidnap me!" Holden heard 'Daren' scream from afar.

Nara smiled a nervous smile that seemed to be more for her own comfort than for Holden's. "The others have this," she said. "They're all excellent fighters."

"Why isn't anyone helping! Please, they're going to take me away! Nara? Anyone? Help!"

Nara sighed a deep sigh and pressed out of her crouch. She muttered something about 'having to go check on him,' as Holden tried to process what was happening.

He chugged down his water and grabbed his bowl of food as he stood from his bed. The morning air prickled his skin as it rushed easily into his cotton clothes. But he shook off the shivers and made his way towards commotion.

Shoving another fistful of plucked globe grapes into his mouth, he surveyed the scene.

Above the stakes of tents and through the hides, the prince took notice of four bandits. A bandit he first mistook for a child on account of his small stature was chasing around some kiddos with an axe. A thief who looked more like a wispy beanstalk than a criminal held up some women for their bread rolls. There was a buff bandit in a clunky helm who rifled through a villager's tent, and a muscular female bandit who fought off the camp folk with a fire poker. But the screaming was coming from...

A fifth bandit with broad shoulders and a body like an ox. He was the one with little Daren in his arms.

The young boy writhed and struggled against the brute's grip but it was no use. He would have had better luck trying to push over an old oak, or a brick wall. The bandit who carried him held his other hand up high while the female bandit yelled.

"Stop!" She said with the force of a cannon, and for a moment everyone listened. "We're jus' here for yer gold. Hand it over an' we'll be on our way."

Likely story, Holden thought. These guys weren't there for gold. They were there for ruckus and mayhem and gold, with maybe a dash of tomfoolery. He prayed the villagers wouldn't give in.

"But we don't have any gold," said one of the women, who's bread roll had just been snatched from her fingertips. "We're naught but poor hunters."

"Don't give me that!" The small one snapped. "We know there's gold here. Hand it over."

This scene sounded familiar, the prince thought. He crept a little closer to the chaos, pleasantly surprised to find that a few hours of uninterrupted sleep had done wonders for his injured leg. It still stung as he slinked, but not nearly as much as it had. With any luck, he'd be able to run on it again come night.

Nara, who had previously been corralling the remaining children to safety, stepped forward towards the kid-nabber. "Fine," she said. "Take it." And she slung the half-bag at his feet. "But leave him."

"Nah," he said with a rasp in his voice as he backed away with the boy. The skinny one picked up the pouch and tossed it to the female bandit.

Nara took another step closer. "Take me instead!" She said, and Holden realized this was the first time in his life he'd actually heard those words. The bandits looked at each other until the broad one nodded once.

The skinny bandit threw a length of rope around the huntress and wound it a few times round before pulling it tight. He shoved her between her shoulder blades to push her forward. They did not release the kid.

The villagers protested, but much too weakly — the bandits acted like they didn't hear them. Holden felt an idea tug at his heart and it scared him. It was the type of idea you wish you'd never had; the type that weasels into your mind and won't leave unless you act on it, and the type that makes you feel horribly guilty if you don't. Holden took in a breath, and for the first time, understood what Nara meant about curses.

"Stop," Holden said, his voice cracked and tired.

To his surprise, the bandits listened.

"You don't want those two as hostages." There was an audible fatigue behind his words. "They're worthless to anyone besides this village, and you've already robbed them, haven't you?"

"Oh?" The female bandit said. "And I suppose you can give us something better?"

Holden sighed, a stone in his stomach that he had swallowed. "Take me," he said, annoyed with his own words. "I'm a prince— of Ward. Take me back to my palace and my family will reward you generously for my return." He had to admit, he wasn't sure if that was true. Afterall, his brother could be rather fickle and his father... His father might be delighted he was gone. But Holden was certain that if he could slip the Princess of Possessiveness, he could slip anyone.

The bandits exchanged another look and the skinny one came around with the rope. As he tied his hands behind his back and his arms to his side, Daren was tossed free.

"But Nara—" Holden started as they headed for the settlement's cart.

"Is entirely worthy of our capture," the small bandit said. "You were right about the boy — he's not worth a coin. But this one." His eyes trailed over to the bound woman who proudly marched with the heathens. "She's worth a hell of a lot more. Ain't ya? Princess."

A/N: ... I thought today was Friday. It is not.

Apologies for the late chapter and enjoy an extra long one as compensation! And please please vote if you enjoy the story — it really helps it reach more readers! :)