Escape {On Hold}

Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

I skidded to a halt, Ronan almost bumping into me. I heard him grumbling a complaint, but I shushed him.

"Get down," I hissed. He complied, and we both dropped to the ground behind a row of bushes, my bow laid out on the ground in front of me. I shuffled forward, peering through the bush in front of us. A man stood facing a girl, who's back was to us. Her dark brown hair tumbled down her back, with pins still stuck in it from where it had been pinned up. Her hands were dirty from working in the fields, and a spilled basket of corn lay on the ground. Another bandit was picking up the corn and shuffling off with it. I hissed to myself. The girl was my age, and obviously frightened.

It was Aifric.

I knew I had to think fast, and get her out of there, but the man stepped forward and grabbed her hip, turning their bodies sideways so I could see both faces, running his fingers up and down her other side. I sucked in a breath in the same moment Aifric did so.

"Now, you'll tell no one of this. You'll say a bear scared you and made off with the corn," he growled. For a moment, Aifric looked as though she'd agree, then determination set into her face.

"No." The man looked startled. He drew his knife from its sheath by his hip and pressed the point under her chin.

"What?" he hissed; fear flashed through Aifric's eyes.

"No," she squeaked out. The knife found its way to her chest, just above her heart. Her breath was rapid as she stared at it. His fingers now clenched tightly around her waist.

"I wonder what would happen if I just slid this into you," he hissed at her. Her eyes widened, then closed tightly; her lips moved silently in a prayer. I had to do something. Her stuborness would get her killed.

I nocked an arrow. If I missed, it would mean Aifric and Ronan's life as well as my own. As soon as I stood up, he'd see me, and know something would happen. I took a breath.

I stood up quickly; I had aimed and drawn back before he'd turned to look at me. His eyes widened a moment, then he sneered at me.

"A little girl playing with daddy's weapons, I see. Well, well, we may have a problem here." He let Aifric slump to the ground, where she cowered away from him. I glanced at her, but gave her no further thought for the moment. I knew her heart was still pounding, I could practically hear it.

"Leave us alone," I said slowly and coldly. His sneer became more pronounced. I saw Ronan go to her out of the corner of my eye.

"And if I don't? What are you going to do about it?" His smirk was unbearable. His laugh sent shivers up my spine.

"I'll put an arrow through you. Now, tell your man there," I gestured with my head to the other man, who stopped in fear, "to put the knife down and both of you will leave." The man backed away from Aifric, but he still looked doubtful that I could shoot him. To prove my point, I put an arrow through a cob of corn. The second man holding it dropped it with a yelp.

"Boss, mebe we's should leave this 'ere village alone," he stuttered. The other man, obviously the 'Boss', glared at me before departing. Before disappearing into the forest, leaving the corn on the ground, he uttered final words.

"We'll get you soon, little girl."

I ran to Aifric, picking her up off the ground. I saw tear streaks had cut through the dirt on her face. I hugged her, and she hugged me back.

"I thought he was- I was going to-," her whisper was cut off with a choke. I nodded in understanding.

"Who were those men? What did they want? Why were they here?" Ronan asked in a jumble of words.

"Slow down, Ro. We don't know." My words reaffirmed what Ronan knew- nothing was certain, and no one had a clue what was going on. He let out a breath. I kneeled on the ground, picking up the corn and putting it back in the basket.

"We'll have to wash this off before you eat it," I reminded Aifric. She rolled her eyes; I could tell she was trying to be brave, to just brush off the incident, but the shaking of her hands told me that it was a mask.

"Ro, tell Mum I'll be back in less than an hour, I'm walking Aifric home."

Ronan looked as though he was about to protest, but he just nodded and ran home.

**********

"I'll see you later, Aifric," I called to her as I walked away from her house. She lifted a hand in reply, then turned inside.

I sighed to myself. The thief's parting words had startled me. We'll get you soon, little girl. What had that meant? Did that mean he was going to come back and kill me? I had no fear that I couldn't beat him in a contest with any weapons, but hand to hand combat was theives' specialty. I'd have to ask Kane to help me brush up on my close combat skills.

I sighed again as I thought of the threat Kane was going after. Hopefully, they'd just be simple, idiotic thieves.

Oh, how I wished to just know.