Rise of the Storm

15 Janna

As the sun sank lower, the road emptied and Janna found there were no other travelers in sight. The fear that she'd been able to keep at bay during daylight tapped on her spine with its icy fingers.

She'd hoped to reach the crossroads and find a room at the inn but there was no sign of it yet and she didn't want to still be on the road after dark. Making camp with no friendly faces about didn't appeal to her either, but it looked like they might not have a choice.

Janna had started looking for a likely spot when she heard voices behind her. All men, from the sounds of them, and different from the diverse chatter of the refugees. She tried to stay calm and urged the donkey off the road. Perhaps they would pass without seeing her.

She just had time to pull off the road and into the grass when they appeared around a bend. They were soldiers, but even more ragged than those they'd seen earlier in the day. Anton bounced on the seat, excited.

"Oh hey, what have we here?" One of them, wearing tattered clothes and a hat with a jaunty red feather doffed the hat into a sweeping bow. "Good evening, fair lady and lovely children." He sounded drunk.

Janna stifled a shudder. "Good evening," she said trying to keep her voice calm. "We'll just stay out of your way so you can pass."

The whole group had stopped and stared at her in a way that made her very uncomfortable.

"As it turns out, we was thinkin' of stopping for the night, weren't we boys?" said the fellow with the hat.

"I was hoping to make it to the Sanova crossroads." Janna's hands shook, but she kept her voice steady enough. "Is it very far?"

"Not too far, I don't think," another man said.

"Well then, we'll be on our way." Janna picked up the reins.

Before she could make another move, a man grabbed the donkey's harness."Not so fast, ma'am." His tone was polite, though his smile was anything but. He grinned, showing a mouth full of blackened teeth. This time, Janna couldn't hold back her shudder.

"No need to be frightened," said another man, coming up alongside the wagon.

There were at least a dozen. Suddenly, she realized she'd do anything to get away. "I'm sure you're hungry." She was talking too fast and there was no keeping the quiver out of her voice. Anyezka started crying and crawled into her lap. "I'd be happy to share my food with you, although then I must be on my way."

"That's most kind," a man said. "We like kind ladies."

"If you'll just give me a moment, I'll get something out for you." She planned to give them all the food she had since she could always buy more at the crossroads, or from a farm. She pushed Anyezka into Anton's arms and jumped down. The man holding the donkey didn't move aside, and she had to brush past him to get to the back of the cart. He leered into her face, breath sour, and she looked away as she squeezed past him. He smacked her hard on the bottom, and she fell flat onto the grass.

"Now that's better," the man laughed. "No use playing high and mighty with us when we're all of us so friendly."

Janna scrambled to stand. Another man came up next to her and held her by the arm. Her knees nearly buckled.

This one was older, and perhaps not drunk. She wondered fleetingly where they'd gotten alcohol. "There's plenty of food." She willed herself not to cry and looked up at the children, sitting in the driver's seat, Anyezka still crying, and Anton's face white and frozen. She had to hold herself together so they could get away. "You're welcome to all of it."

"Oho, she gives up her food easy enough. Wonder what else she has for us?" The one who'd shoved her loomed over her, inches from her face.

Janna slid her shaking hand into her pocket for the cheese knife. She felt nothing but coins.