Araman

~ 26 ~

   Kassen and Raliena took the reins off the horses and let them go in the forest, to find their way home, deciding they were close enough to Verxia to walk, and it was much safer on foot.

They didn't know what to expect when they reached the brow of the hill that overlooked the town, but were not surprised by what they saw.

In the centre of the town Lishini's men were gathering people from their houses and holding them in big wooden cages that had been built by the very people imprisoned in them.

Kassen had heard about them from visitors to Attashar. The army brought all the materials with them, carrying them by hand to build the troops muscles on the journey and teach them discipline.

"We need to get into one of those cages." Raliena said.

Kassen agreed and they headed back to the forest to disguise themselves. Raliena tied her hair in her scarf and pulled her hood up as far as it would go. Both of them rubbed dirt on their clothes and faces and rubbed red berries on themselves to look like blood. Raliena gave Kassen her sword. Lishini's men would certainly take it from them but she hoped they would get it back once they figured out a plan.

When that was done, they made their way down the hill towards the town. Less worried about being seen now they wanted to be captured, but still trying to appear cautious, as one of the town's people might do.

It didn't take long for someone to find them.

"Where ya think ya goin'?" One of the three men that found them said in a thick west accent, grabbing Raliena's arm as she feigned struggling.

"Pretty gal ya got." Another one said, who had hold of Kassen by the arms while the third removed the sword from him, he had pretended to try remove it from its sheath when they caught them.

"Don't you touch her!" Kassen growled and struggled more forcefully than he should have against the man holding him. The third punched him hard in the stomach.

Raliena stayed quiet for the moment trying to gauge the situation. They could easily take the three of them, but that would defeat the purpose of what they were trying to do.

The first man who still had hold of her tried to touch her face and she pulled it away from him, her hair would reveal her if Dergen had told them anything about her. The man yanked her arm again roughly and she whimpered.

"What's matter gal. Ya no like it tough?" The man held her tighter with his arm across her front and pulled her head to one side then smiled sickeningly smug at Kassen as he kissed her neck.

Raliena gave Kassen a warning look and placed her hand on the man's arm.

"Argh!" He yelled, letting her go. "Little phond bit me!" He cursed in his language, holding his arm. His companions laughed at him and he back handed Raliena across the face. She cried out and put herself on the floor as if it had hurt her.

Kassen reacted to her distress and pulled himself free from his captor, turning to punch the man hard in the stomach and then knee him in the face. Before he could turn on the others, the larger, silent man had him by the throat and threw him to the ground, and then the three of them kicked him repeatedly.

Raliena could do nothing but watch as he became as bloodied and beaten as when she had rescued him.

The large man was the one that stopped the abuse and pulled Kassen to his feet. He handed Raliena to the man that Kassen had punched and took the General himself.

They found their way to the main street and saw more people being dragged out of a tavern where they had been hiding. It was burned behind them to draw anyone still hiding, out. They were all pushed into a line and made to march two by two towards the cages.