My feet hurt like hell and I was cold. I was shivering under the coat. I was also thirsty. I could kill for some warm tea with honey.
After walking for many hours I was now slower, I wanted to sit down and rest. Even more so as I knew that for the coming whole day there was no place I could rest.
The sun was shining brightly when I heard some voices behind me. Immediately I jumped to the left and hid behind trees, hoping they might pass without me being noticed.
It was the caravan. The very one I used to escape from the castle. It was tempting to stop them and ask for a lift but there were two problems, first I had no money to pay for the ride and paying with jewelry would surely draw too much attention to me, secondly the guards will go after them, for sure. They weren't stupid and they are probably searching for me right now.
The caravan was passing slowly and I was lying almost flat on the ground. It was even colder than before, luckily they passed me by and I stood up only to lay low again. This time they were men on horses, I assumed they were from the castle. They passed me by as well, they must have been after the caravan. After a short while I heard some shouting. I went deeper into the forest. I was afraid they might notice my footsteps on the snow, that they might turn around and find me.
The snow was deep here. I was making my way through the forest making sure I was moving along the road. From behind the trees I noticed the guards searching through the wagons and questioning the men. I was scared. They can't find me, that was all I could think of. I was moving further away but still along the road, I didn't want to get lost. Soon I couldn't hear them anymore.
Walking through the forest was way harder as the snow was fluffy and uneven here. I had to put more strength into pulling my feet out of the snow drifts. After a while I was too tired to take any step further. I saw a fallen tree and I sat on it. I was cold, thirsty and on the verge of collapsing. I felt like crying. I don't know how long I was sitting like that when I heard snow creaking underneath somebody's careful steps. I immediately jumped on my feet. I saw a single man, clad in a brown coat with a hood and carrying a sword. I knew him. He was with the caravan, the very one who discovered me hiding in the wagon.
"I thought I saw somebody hiding in the forest, I guessed it might be you. You came pretty far."
He had a low voice, he had to be in his late twenties. He looked calm and I was wondering if he came here to catch me and bring me back to Lorcan's castle. I was petrified.
"I thought you must be someone important, you are the Lord's love boy." He smirked.
"Why did you run away?"
"None of your business." I heard myself saying it. I was tense and ready to put up a fight.
"You are a feisty one, huh?" He smiled. "No need to be afraid of me, I will help you to get out of here. It's getting late and we both need to rest. Come with me, there is a hunter's house nearby." He passed me by and I followed him. I was too frozen and too tired to walk far. Despite being so tired I kept thinking why that man decided to help me. He was fishy and I needed to keep my guard up.
The hut was closer than I thought. It was wooden but it had a stove made of rocks and there were some logs inside to make fire. The mercenary knew how to survive in the winter and soon I could feel the warmth of a fire. I sat closer and stretched my hands. It felt so good.
"I will make us something to drink, there is some teal left." The merchant was snooping around the shelves and I just enjoyed the heat coming from the fireplace.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked, looking at the man's back as he was preparing the tea.
He turned around and looked at me.
"For the money I guess."
My heart stood still for a moment. He was going to sell me or bring me back to Lorcan. I knew it.
"Wow you sure are scared. Was it that bad in the castle? Didn't you enjoy it?" He came closer and pulled my hood down.
"Well I'm not into men but you look pretty. Prettier than many girls I have met." He smiled.
"Are you going to bring me back to the castle?" I felt the cold creeping back straight to my guts.
"Do you have anything else to offer?" He smirked. He looked so confident as if he already had the power over me. I hated that. If you are weak you must always submit or look for allies.
I put my hands in the pocket and took out a big brooch with a ruby.
"This is for bringing me here and the tea. I will give you more if you help me to get to another city."
I saw the sparks in his eyes. I knew Lorcan was generous, his gifts had value. The man grabbed the brooch with greedy hands and I used this opportunity to attack him with a knife. I was fast and I had the surprise element on my side. I managed to throw him on the floor and punch him. I was putting the knife to his throat but to my unfortunate surprise he managed to force my hand back. I was putting all my strength into it, we even rolled on the floor. In the end he landed on top of me and pressed my wrist so tightly that I dropped the knife.
Well my father once said if you attack another country be ready to bear the consequences. I was desperate and determined to use anything I could. I looked at him from under my lashes and said quietly.
"Sir please get out of me."
The man was breathing hard as he was holding my hands while straddling me. There was an awkward moment of silence.
"Damn you are good. For a fuck's sake I even considered doing you but I'm not that stupid. Beauties like you bring nothing but misery, so don't expect me to fall for it. Yet I get why the Lord goes crazy about you."
His weird smile was the last thing I remember before he hit me hard and I lost contact with reality.
When I woke up I was on a bed covered in my coat. The fire was still blazing and I was confused. My head hurt and the mercenary was gone. I checked my belongings. All the jewels I took from the castle were gone too. Well almost. I had a small trinklet in my hair and the guy must have missed it.
I looked at the window and it was day again. I guess I have been unconscious the whole night long. I should be thankful because the man didn't kill me and he even left the fire to keep me warm. The tea was still there so I drank it. I also had some food leftovers which I ate. I felt numb. The whole great escape was a big failure. For a scary moment I thought about going back to the castle. I had to laugh at my own weakness, I knew perfectly well what would happen if I came back. Andy's lips were stitched because he said something the Lord wasn't fond of and I dared to run away from him. He would have done something even more painful before killing or crippling me.