When Destiny Calls

Chapter III

Sorry for the hiatus.... here's the next part!

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As the sun begins to set, I urge Autumn to speed up. As we near the edge of the forest, three men appear on the path. I suddenly halt Autumn meters away from them.

"M'lady! You are going the wrong way!" Calls the tallest of them.

"I am afraid not my goodman! I wish to continue on this path! Please step out of the way!"

"M'lady, it is almost dark and many creatures would love to stick their claws into a beautiful girl such as yourself!" Call out the man fidgeting with his hat... they're all wearing hats...

"I am aware of the time kind sir, but I must go down this path, for my mother waits for me at the end."

" NO! I-I mean that there is no one at the end of this road. It would be a great honor to have you spend the night at with us, our wives would feed you until you are full and you may sleep near the fire that never dies." Calls the man closest to me.

" As lovely as that sounds I must leave, my mother is sick and I went to visit the Wisewoman who lives in these woods."

"My fair lady, you must come with us. The Black Marks lives in these woods too." Says the tall one while walking towards me.

"Good evening to you, my goodmen but I must be on my way."

"Listen here, lass! You will come with us or else!" With that, the man grabs my left arm and tries to yank me off of Autumn. 

"Hey! L-let go of me!"

I bring my open palm to the side of his cheek and slap him. Hard. Somehow in the process, I manage to grab his hat which exposes his raven black hair.

He drops my arm in shock, but it only takes a couple of seconds for him to recover.

"Oof..." That's the sound of someone being punched in the stomach and having all of the air in their lungs suddenly leave. 

I land on the dirt path with a bruise forming on my stomach, his hat in my hand and three men smiling at me, maliciously.

"Now lass you will do what we tell you when we tell you."

"Hey! Eldritch! My father wants to speak with you! Isaac! Your wife is looking for you and Isaiah it's your turn to feed the wolves, you know how they get when they're hungry and start looking at the children!

"Fabian! My boy! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your father?" Asked Eldritch.

"Nah, he sent me to find you, he wants to talk to you, something about an alliance Inka wants to form and to fetch some water."

How did they know that and how does Fabian know these Black Marks? Oh no! Please don't let Fabian be a Black Mark!

"Oh. Ok. Since you're here, take this featherweight and her horse with you, ordered Isaac, I'll go see what Xander wants."

Fabian hesitantly walks over to me. He grabs my arm and roughly pulls me up. 

"I'll take this one to the stream with me, then I'll bring her to the camp."

"Good lad, give her some water because she won't be getting any when she arrives at camp, Ha ha!" Isaiah laughs maliciously. 

Once they walk away Fabian let go of my arm. I take this as an opportunity to punch him in the eye.

"OW! What was that for?" 

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I say as I get on Autumn.

"I was planning on letting you go." 

"Sure you were. And if they ask where I went tell them I gave you that and ran away." I said, pointing to his darkening eye.

"Oh and Fabian when you meet someone new, please tell them that you and your "buddies" are planning on kidnapping them because you're all part of the Black Marks."

With that, I continue down the path thinking about how I am going to cover up my new bruise.