The soldier's voice cut through the tense forest air like a whip crack, his words dripping with menace as he took aim with a gleaming dagger. Beside him, his companion, a man with a face twisted into a cruel grin, casually bit into an apple, the crisp crunch a stark contrast to the impending violence.
The young man, bound and helpless against the gnarled trunk of a tree, felt the tremors wrack his body. Fear coursed through him, mingling with the cold sweat that traced a path down his forehead. Every muscle screamed for him to move, to flee, but he knew better than to provoke these Sicilians soldiers. Their demeanor spoke of a casual cruelty that sent shivers down his spine, rendering him immobile.
The soldier with the dagger sneered, his eyes glittering with malice. "Seems you Frenchmen have a taste for the finer things in life, pillaging , raping , you like that, don't you? Well, there's a fee to pay for that, and today's the day."
