Of Winds And Quakes

54. The Run

Year of the Roses
Floral Season
Bynin Village
Altsas

Alysia

I'M STARVING and tired. I've been riding since yesternight and sunset is near. I can already see the tease of light at the horizon. Lady Gin-Gin whines softly probably as hungry and as tired as I am. I do my best to ignore her. Our pace has slowed down greatly and now, we are trotting down and unfamiliar road.

But I have hope because at a distance, I can see a small flicker of light. I'm approaching a village and that gives me hope so I go on. No matter how hard my belly groans or how heavy my eyelids are or how painfully my heart aches, I'll continue. And if Lady Gin-Gin decides to stop, I'll walk.

I see advancing silhouettes, and I'm thrown into unease almost immediately. I'm supposed to be happy for seeing people but it's quite the contrary. Lady Gin-Gin neighs obviously seeing that we have company.

"Who's there?!" A gruff voice demands. The voice makes shivers run down my spine. A burst of light stuns me, I blink and my eyes adjust to the burning torch. "Look what we have here". The man sniggers and the two other men echo it.

"What are you doing here little girl?" The stout man asks with a gleam in his eyes and a smirk playing on his lips.

I gulp and hold on to the reins tighter. "That's none of your business!"

"You will regret that sharp tongue," the tallest man growls. He steps forward and before I can understand what's happening, he seizes my bag. "Give me that!"

I try to snatch it back from him. He growls and points an object to me. The silver blade gleams reflecting the light of the knife. I yelp, these men will not hesitate to use it on me.

The stout man steps forward and turns to the man who is obviously the leader of the group, "we should teach her lesson," he looks at me flashing brown teeth, "what do you think?" And he begins to laugh throwing his head back.

My breathing is ragged and tears begin to burn my eyes. "No!"

The tallest man steps forward and wraps his calloused arm around my arm, his nails digging into my skin. "Should I bring her to you?" He asks the leader. The leader stares at me with something like pity in his eyes. "She has already given us that", he nods to my bag hanging from the tallest man's hands," she must in distress travelling at this time of the morning. Let's go."

The tallest man and the stout man share stunned looks, they turn to snarl at me and the tallest man's grip tightens painfully making me jolt. "You are so lucky."

And they disappear, their footsteps fade until I don't hear the crunch of their boots on the ground.

Tears well up my eyes but I'm grateful, I'm grateful that they didn't take the only thing valuable on me, my earrings. The dresses might fetch them a good price.

I wipe the salty tears off.

"Let's go, Lady Gin-Gin". And She starts to canter.

I arrive the village finally, I can't even see in front of me. The only source of light is a large hut. I dismount Lady Gin-Gin and limp to the hut, I've already began to lose the feeling in my legs.

The hut stinks of beer. The pungent odour assaults my nostrils, and makes my stomach churn. I step over a groaning man and my eyes dart around until it lands on a large man sitting alone at a corner.

He raises his eyes and our gazes lock, I gasp, the man's face is disfigured with an ugly scar I look away and walk as fast as my legs and carry me to the counter. I see two women; one is small the other is tall and sneering. The small woman with girlish features gives me a smile as I advance towards her.

"Hello." My voice quavers and croaks.

"Hello," she looks me up and down," I can tell that you are not from around here."

I nod. "I'm a traveller. I-I like to have a drink before I'm on my way."

The girl-woman nods and turns to the barrels and jugs behind her. She grabs a wooden mug and pours red liquid from a jug into the mug. She pushes it to me and I take it, not minding looks I am getting from drunk customers, I take a big gulp of the sour wine. I lick my lips and call out to the woman. "Excuse me," She turns to me. "I-I don't have any money on me but... I have this," I take off my earrings and push them across the wooden plank that serves as a counter.

She eyes them warily," where are you from?"

My eyes skim the room with one sweep and when I'm sure no one is in earshot, I say "Kintil."

She nods. "There was a girl like you just two days ago. She stayed at the inn until she recovered from escaping her slave traders."

My heart sinks. The injustice against Kintilese people is unbearable. A lone tear escapes my eyes. "What was her name?"

The woman hesitates. "Mavli."