The Soldier and the Thief

Chapter 20

Robin and Ash continued talking until Fenda ordered everyone to either get into the wagon or choose a spot around the wagon. Robin felt something stir in her stomach when she glanced over at Nik and saw Puddifoot attending to the wound on his back. 

"Don't seem to like her much, huh?" Ash noted, having observed Robin slowly burn holes in the back of Puddifoot's dress. 

"She's a higher-class. All they do is whinge and want more than what they could ever need, while people like us starve." Robin hissed. Ash nodded in agreement. 

"Fair enough, she's been given a lot more than either of us. She's not too bad though. We've had some good conversations." Oh yeah, so the higher-class is a history expert too. Just another reason for me to want to punch her in her over-sized boobs. Robin curled her lip in disgust. She overheard Puddifoot saying she'd sleep in the wagon.

"I think I need a bit of fresh air." Robin muttered, and shuffled over to sit beside the front wheel of the wagon. Phantom grazed near the two horses that belonged to the slave traders. One of Fenda's associates followed her carrying a long length of chain. Robin held up her hands for him to connect the chain. He pulled a whip out and flicked it, the barbed end curling around her right forearm. Robin screamed in shock and pain as he ripped it free, tearing flesh and tendons. Robin scrambled to her feet, intent on running, when the whip slashed across her shoulders. She fell to the ground. She couldn't stop screaming. 

The man picked her up and punched her in the face, snapping her head backwards. Near the fire, Robin could hear Ash's cries as he too was punished. She curled into a ball as the whip lashed against her body. Fenda's silhouette stood in the backlight of the fire, watching the both of them suffer. He said nothing and his expression didn't change when his hand shot out to stop Nik from going to help Robin. 

High Mage Impious watched with fascination as the heart in the dome beat furiously, vibrating the glass. Laying a white wrinkled hand on it, he was so overcome with the feeling of fear that he leapt back as though the glass had burned him.

"What has our little thief got herself into now?" He hissed to Bane. The snake's tongue flicked in and out of its mouth. "Help her? This is not my mission." The snake hissed. "I will watch, and I will report to my King. If he deems it, then so it will be." High Mage Impious turned his head back to the dome. It was still vibrating madly. "How interesting." He purred to himself.

"Stop!" Nik cried when Fenda's associate raised the whip for the final blow. "She's got the message! Stop stop STOP!" Fenda held up a hand and his associate backed off. The second stepped over Ash, who had curled into the foetal position.

"Queer." The man hissed.

"Thank you Safir. Thank you Lennix. I think our two passengers have learnt their lesson." Fenda put his hand down and allowed Nik to run to Robin. She cowered away from his touch and drew her cloak tightly around her, whimpering. Nik heard Fenda punch one of the men and curse him for damaging Robin's face.

"Rob-Sage you gotta let me look at them." Nik pleaded. She muttered something under her breath but the pain turned it into a sob. "Please." One eye peered out from the folds of the cloak - how was that not slashed to pieces? - to make sure it was really him. She slowly loosened her iron grip on the fabric and let Nik push it back to reveal the damage. He tried not to let her see his horrified reaction, but obviously the blood draining from his face betrayed it. 

Her upper arm was slashed to pieces, and at one point he could see white bone poking through the torn flesh. Her eye was blackening rapidly and her lip was bleeding. Unclipping the catch around her throat, Nik pulled the cloak away to reveal the torn clothing over her shoulders. It looked like she'd been attacked by a bear. The wounds from the fight in Racour not a day ago were red around the edges and needed to be bandaged, before they became infected. His back protested savagely as he moved along Robin's body, searching for - and finding - more wounds.