A Curious Mask

XVIII- Run!

The Vigos were staying the night in Beliz and then headed home in the morning, so Ri assumed Sir Finch rented the same rooms as the night before. She left Jay, telling him she was going to find Finch, and walked around the small town by herself. She wasn't going to find Finch; she was thinking. She glared at the ground as she went over everything she knew and everything she was a part of.

The thought rang in her mind, I should tell Sir Finch.

She argued with herself. He didn't need to know. It wasn't going to hurt anything... was it? Aye it was. But if she told him, he'd go straight back to the king, bring her straight back to the place she didn't want to be. The truth was, there was more about Prince Rey than she had let Finch believe.

A voice broke her out of her intense thoughts, making her jump.

"Well, looky what we got here. Rianna, is it?"

She looked up into the eyes of Kallin. There were three others with him, all pirates if Sir Finch's generalization was to be believed. They slowly circled her, and she remembered the daggers that she left with her boy's clothes.

She nodded and dove into Kallin's mind, looking for his intentions. Kidnap and ransom. Oh great.

"Where's the knight, girl?"

He stepped closer, the other three surrounding her, smiling at her. The sun was beginning to go down, and she realized that she had meandered a bit away from the town. They were in a field.

She gulped and feigned confidence. "He should be here anytime now."

Kallin chuckled. "I admire the fact that you try, but he ain't anywhere near, lovely. What's yer last name?"

She stiffened as he gently reached up and ran his hand in her short, bright red hair.

"I don't feel inclined to inform you while you touch me so."

He grinned, showing a dimple just above his goatee. "Well, the higher the noble house you belong to, the less likely I am to see how good those full lips taste."

She already knew he was lusting after her, but that comment still fazed her. She hugged herself and tried to shrink away from them.

"I'm not going to tell you."

He quickly and roughly grabbed her, jerking her closer to him. His menacing brown eyes drilled into her stuck ones, and she whimpered slightly.

"Aye you will. Now," he ordered her harshly.

"I'm Rianna Morden," she whimpered.

He cursed and jumped away from her, but then narrowed his eyes. "Yur lyin!"

A steely voice cut in. "What are you doing, Kallin?"

Kallin turned to face the voice, belonging to none other than Wesly Roberts. His gaze was hard, but he was looking at Ri, not Kallin.

"She's a noble brat. Thought she'd make us a pretty penny."

"What did I tell you about Buttercup's family?"

"She's not a Vigo," Kallin argued.

"But she's under the protection of a Vigo! A freakin wandering knight Vigo!"

"Aye, but he ain't here! He's on the other side of town beatin up a bale of hay! If we can get across the border, which is only a mile that way, we're home free! Plus, she's a Morden! A frekin Morden!"

Wesly shook his head. "We are not getting on a wandering wister's bad side. Period. The end."

Kallin paled. "Did you say wandering wister?"