Runaway Royalty ✖️ Muke

Chapter 3

"Come on thicket we have to keep moving, we need to find a village." I talk to the horse as I wade to the shore of the small pool of water we found and start to put her saddle back on her. I finish putting her saddle and halter on and climb back on her with my cloak and bag clutched in my arms.

"Come on girl let's get back to the path and see what we find" I say softly, urging the horse further.

We're walking along the path for only a few minutes when we happen upon an old man who seems injured. I pull on thickets halter to make her stop and jump off.

"Sir are you alright?" I ask, walking over to the man who is now sitting on a rock on the side of the path.

"I'm alright my boy, I'm just old and can't walk well, I need to rest often." He says.

"How long have you been out here?" I ask him, starting to become concerned.

"Almost a day, I'm out of food and water and I'm not even close to being back to my village." He says.

"Village? I'm looking for a village can you point me in the direction? And unfortunately I can only offer you water, I only have enough food for three days." I say sadly, un-clipping the canteen from the side of thickets saddle and handing it to him.

"Thank you boy, now what is a boy like you doing all the way out here by yourself? You talk proper so you must be from a wealthy kingdom or village." i freeze for a moment, thinking i have been discovered, but i will it away and answer him.

"I'm from the north. I'm headed to the kingdom in the south, I like to travel." I tell him.

"So one would think you are wealthy, you wear a cloak made from the finest silk and ride a horse with a saddle." He says handing me my water back. I take it and turn around to put it back on thickets saddle.

"I am not very wealthy. I travel, i'm never in the same place twice." I tell him. Still turned to thicket and patting her side. Then something happens, thickets ears perk up and she starts to stamp at the ground.

"Shhh girl you're ok." I whisper to her trying to calm her down. It's when she starts to whinny and stand up on her hind legs I know something's wrong.

"What's wrong girl?" I ask frantically. Then I hear a chuckle from behind me and branches snapping.

"Your horse is smarter than you boy." I hear the old man say. I furrow my eyebrows and Frown in confusion. turning around to ask what he meant, I'm met with five more men standing around the old one, they're all holding some type of weapon. I freeze. shit.

"What's going on?" I ask cautiously. They laugh again.

"We're taking your horse, but you seem to have no supplies, so we're taking you too." One of the men says with a sinister smile.

"Uhm.. I don't have anything I swear! I travel all the time, I never have anything on me." I try to say.

"Ya ya, come on boy we can do this the easy way or the hard way." The old man says again. He seems to actually be injured so I take that as my advantage to jump at him and take the stick he was holding from him, catching him and the others off guard.

"Ha you think your going to fight? What would you know about fighting? Come on boy give up." The old man says walking towards me. I hold the stick up as I would my sword.

"Hmm.. Ok the hard way it is then" the man says and then motions his men to me. They draw their swords and my eyes widen in fright. I gulp and fix my stance keeping the stick in front of me.

"Come on boy show us what you've got!" Someone says and then they all charge at me. Swards hitting swards and swards hitting wood. There are splinters of wood flying through the air. After one especially hard hit the stick breaks and I'm left with two halves. I look around, keeping my distance from them, thinking out my next move.

"Well well, boy knows how to defend himself." One says. Then I take my chance, I kick one of the weaker looking men in the chest and when he falls I grab his sword.

Now I feel more confident, I can take these guys. I'm a prince for god's sake! They charge at me again and this time I am able to fight without worrying the stick will break.

I'm able to wound two of the men but there are still three left and I'm getting tired.

"Give up yet boy?" I shake my head, panting. a sinister smile creeps onto my face. I can go for a while longer, i always fight along side my knights.

"Never"

"Someone trained you well, where did you say you were from again?"

"The north, now are you going to give up and leave me alone or not?" I growl at them.

"Ha boy you think you're tough? There are six of us and one of you." He laughs. Then they all attack at once, swords swinging. They are backing me up to the woods and I wind up tripping on a log and falling backwards.

"Oof" I let out a huff of pain when my head hits a rock on the ground, but when I look up I realized that I'm fucked. All of them have their swords pointed at me, mere inches from my neck. I hold my hands up in surrender. As long as they don't get my bag I'm good.

"Come on boy get up." I'm grabbed by both arms and forcibly pulled to stand.

"Jeez could you be any rougher?" I snap and they laugh again.

"look who we got here men, knows how to fight but can't take a hit." They joke, making me frown.

"Let's go, we don't have all day, tie him up and get the horse." The old man instructs, and then a rope is being tied around my wrists and then attached to thickets saddle.

I'm then tugged forward as they pull my horse to follow them. She tries to resist but they whip her as she makes sounds in protest but follows them. I sigh, I only made it a week and I'm already going to be found out and killed. My kingdom is doomed. I hang my head and allow myself to be tugged along in silence.