Abased - The Exiled Warrior

Chapter 16.1 - Execution

"What?!" Rustam leapt to his feet, knocking the table in front of him and sending his bowl of steaming milk tea through the air. He whipped his sword out of its sheath and pointed it at Shaleh.

"Grab her!"

Instinct took over. Shaleh bolted for the door flap. Before she could reach it a hand struck her legs. Years of training kicked in. She rolled and came up on her knees.

"Yahhh!" an Astaevka warrior wearing a dirty leather jerkin jumped to his feet and charged at her. She ducked his outstretched arms and punched him in the groin with all of her strength. His thick felt clothes absorbed some of the blow, but it was still enough to buckle him over.

"Grab her!" Rustam repeated even louder.

Shaleh jumped for the door flap. It was fastened shut with two clasps to stop winter winds from entering the tent. Her hand closed around a clasp as a hand grabbed her hair from behind.

"Ah!" she cried in pain as her head was pulled back.

She spun around and lashed out with her elbow. A second aging Astaevka warrior with a thin, grey beard held her hair in one hand and a knife in the other. Her elbow smashed into his nose with a crunch. His head rocked back, but he held onto her hair. She desperately kicked out. Panic flooded into her. The kick hit his shins with no effect at all.

The warrior with the leather jerkin was back up. He dived in and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Shaleh went for the face of the bearded man holding her hair. She raked her nails across his eyes and leaned in to bite his ear. He let go of her hair and covered his face. Before her teeth could latch onto his ears the man holding her waist put a leg behind hers and pushed her backwards. She fell with a scream and landed clumsily. Both of the men dropped on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Shaleh kicked, and writhed, and screamed, but she knew it was over.

Once she had become still four people grabbed her arms and pulled her upright.

"Wife!" Rustam bellowed. "Did you know about this?"

Taisha screwed up her face in disgust at the suggestion.

"Of course not!"

Rustam walked menacingly up to Taisha. The sword in his hand was shaking with barely contained rage.

"Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with it," Shaleh asserted.

Taisha's eyes widened in anger at Shaleh. She marched over to slapped Shaleh hard on the side of her face. The blow whipped her head to the side.

"How dare you try to ingratiate yourself with me?"

Shaleh was so shocked that all words left her. She could no longer tell if Taisha was acting or not.

"She dies today," Rustam announced.

Taisha bowed in agreement. "We will reach the summit today. May I suggest that it happens once we have shelter in the keep?"

Rustam's brow wrinkled in concentration for a few seconds before he nodded his head in agreement.

"We won't need her husband once she is dead. We will make it a double execution," Rustam said while sliding his sword back into its sheath.

"No," Shaleh said in a small voice.

Taisha bowed again in agreement. "As you wish, Chief Rustam. I will take her to the supply carts and have her tied to them, ready for the day's march."

"No," Rustam said. There was an untrusting look in his squinting eyes. "You stay with me. You two," he pointed to the two warriors that had stopped Shaleh's escape, "tie her up and make sure she can't get away."