(Thank Lilly Cash for the chapter title :p )
The ground shock as rows of armoured horses galloped towards the village. Shouts and screams filled the air as the night sky was suddenly lit by a cloud of burning arrows. Evanya ran. She had to find her father. She had to find him before the approaching siege hit the village. Hurtling along she zigzagged between the huts. Somewhere to her left a woman screamed her son fell to his knees in front of Evanya. An arrow in his back. A clang of metal on metal caught her attention. They had reached the village. Men came pouring out their huts some sword in hand some still asleep confused by the sudden racket.
Someone grabbed Evanya’s arm and pulled her down just as an arrow whizzed over her head. She was about to thank her saviour when he slapped her and forced her on the floor. Trying to pin her down with his knees he tore at her dress ripping open the bodice and started to pull up the skirts. She screamed and struggled. He slapped her hard across the face, “Lie still bitch, or I’ll cut your fucking throat”; Snider drew a blade and held it against her skin. She could feel the cold sharp blade pushing into her wind pipe; she stopped struggling for a second fearing for her life. “That’s right just let it happen.” His voice made her skin crawl, “I’ve been watching you dress, undress,” he whispered into her ear, “I may not work to well down there,” He tugged again and the gown gave way exposing her to the cold violent night, “but I can improvise” he waved a crude looking piece of wood he’d obviously whittled into shape for the occasion a wicked grin lit by the burning village. Evanya screamed and struggled, she closed her eyes wishing it to be over quick.
A sudden spatter of warmth however made her open them again. On top of her knelt Snider, his wicked grin ruined by the sliver of the blade now sticking out from his mouth, dripping blood all over Evanya’s pale skin. Behind him stood Tarik, bloody and tender. He kicked Snider’s corpse off Evanya, “Did he hurt you?” His voice shook as he took off his shirt and pulled it over her. She felt his warm hand brush her rib cage sending sparks flying through her skin. She couldn’t speak; instead she just nodded and buried her head in his chest. “Come one we need to get you out of here now” the urgency had come back. Suddenly aware of the battle around them Tarik lifted her and ran the warmth of his hands round her shoulders and legs calmed her a little. She tried not to look but no matter how hard she tried Evanya couldn’t ignore the screams of the people she loved the people; she grew up with, as they fell to cold steel and arrows. Tarik roared, Evanya went flying from his grip and landed hard on the blood stained ground. An invader had swung at Tarik’s back luckily only grazing him. Tarik turned drew a sword. They circled each other watching, waiting for someone to make their move. The invader lunged and Tarik raised his blade to meet his. The sound of the clash rang out. Tarik side stepped and pushed the invaders sword out of the way. Before he managed to get back his balance Tarik swung hard and took the invaders head clean off his shoulders.
“EVANYA!” Magmah was screaming at her trying to scramble towards her. Evanya saw her best friend, legs trapped under I fallen horse. More invaders were advancing on her. Ervik appeared from nowhere. Evanya watched him fighting for not only his own life but that of Magmah and his unborn child. There were three of them. He killed the first easily a foolish boy disobeying the orders from his companions; the other two were now attacking. One caught Ervik off guard and wounded his leg. Ervik lashed out and caught him in the throat with his blade spilling his life force all over the floor. He stared at the last a feral look in his eyes blood smeared across his face. The invader lunged; wounded, Ervik didn’t dodge in time. He felt the hot sting of metal slice his arm and dropped his sword. The invader kicked him down to his knees and raised his sword above his head. Magmah’s screams loudest of them all as she watched the invader bringing the sword down. Suddenly Ervik rolled to the side narrowly avoiding death, pulled a knife from his boot and stabbed the invader in the stomach gutting him. He left the invader trying to hold in his insides and crawled to Magmah, “I’ll get you out of here I promise. You, me and the little one. We’ll survive.” He caressed her face and kissed her tenderly on the lips “I love you Magmah.” He smiled. Magmah stroked his cheek, “I lov… ERVIK!” An arrow lodged itself through his neck. Confused, Ervik tried to pull it out; the barbed arrow head opened the wound further. Ervik’s body convulsed grotesquely. Magmah watched as her fiancé bled out.
Evanya looked around. The huts and stalls were all on fire, bodies lined the streets. Villagers were running around panicked trying to find safety as the invaders hunted them down like game. Someone grabbed Evanya’s hair. “This one will do nicely,” shouted a gruff voice behind her, “and look she’s all ready for us,” he tugged at Tarik’s top. One hand around her throat he pulled her against him, his free hand slowly working its way up the her thigh. She could smell his hot breath against her ear and feel him getting hard against her bottom as she struggled to free herself. His companions laughed. He whispered in her ear, “When I’m finished with you, my love, I’m going to let everyone in the barrack fuck you and when we’re finished were going to tie you down and let the rats have you” he chuckled, “would you like that my little whore?”
“Braycrook, that ones for the king.” I gravelly voice thick with an accent Evanya had never heard before interrupted her captor’s mumblings.
“I found her. She’s mine” Braycrook replied lifting Tarik’s top and grabbing her ass cheek.
“Remove your hands Braycrook before I remove them with an axe” said the voice full of authority. Braycrook hesitated then turned Evanya around and threw her to his Captain, he skulled off cursing. More hands grabbed Evanya and pulled her towards large wooden cages. She fought and tried to run but the strangers were too strong, they threw her into one of the cages and bound the entrance shut.
A small voice came from a corner of the cage, “Evanya?” it questioned. She span around to find Magmah sprawled out on the floor one of her ankles heavily bandages. “Magmah” Evanya cried running over to her best friend. They huddled together holding each other. Neither said anything as both of them were in shock. They watched as more people mainly women were loaded into the cages the only men to survive were the ones deemed useful for what purpose no one knew. A commotion outside caught Evanya’s attention. “We caught these two trying to escape sir, what should we do with them?” Evanya strained her neck to get a better view of the captives one was fighting against his captor the other stood very still. “Bring the young one,” he paused for a second and inspected the still man, “kill him.” He ordered. Two invaders dragged away the struggling man towards one of the cages. As they did the fire light caught them throwing their faces into relief. Evanya watched as Tarik was being beaten and forced into a cage until a cry from the other man caught her attention. She looked back just as they slit her father’s throat.
