Maurice was smart for a little girl, she knew at that moment her world had ended, and had to escape the grasp of that lunatic after the man had told her
the queen had set an order for her mother to be stoned to death how
agonizing for her mother and now she'd work for him till she becomes of
age.
At the middle of the night she waited impatiently for the moon to rise and
the cricket to crick, she picked nothing but her mother's hair tie and her
beads abandoning every other things, she made her first move, peeping
through the door to the dim hall way, she walked down the steps, and a low
murmuring she could gear from the third room she passed, she immediately
took off her shoes, tip toeing her best to yards door, finally reaching the knob
the voice in the background jerked her soul to reality, her heart leaped in
loose hope, she turned startled to her bone.
Your as sneaky and tacky looking just like your mother, a spitting image, just
a few shades lighter than her mmmm.... you look just as disgustingly perfect,
you will make up for her sins after I have molded you to my taste you shall
make unbelievable sacks of golds, he chuckled wickedly while walking
towards her.
"Slap* the little creature fell to the ground a few drops of blood fell from her
nose and coughed out a few portions too, pulling the child by the hair, he
dragged her back to the room and locking her up. No food was given to her
even the next day, she cried uncontrollably and had gone numb finally
loosing consciousness.
A few weeks gone and she was finally able to step out, she was fed properly
Instead of the half meals, she had stubbornly refused to work for the man,
the maids in the house had thought it at first as brave but with constant
retributive punishment she suffered in time they thought that such idea was
one of foolishness, the pitied they child and sometimes coerced the girl agree
to to their master after various rounds of whippings and starvation.
It was almost six months already since she had been under master Ski, he
had finally brought her out of the cells underground, as the maids took care of her by the other of their master, her entire body for her face as body was covered in scratches sucj like she had contacted some severe skin disease as bruising and infected wounds were dried and scarred.
The young Master Ski had met her eating in the room, eat up now this might be your last dear, he gave her quite a stare pulling up his lips for a smirk, you will fetch me a few sacks or a sack of gold.
Nevertheless, she was dressed neatly and her hair combed and was taken by a carriage, Annika and Master Ski sat at the opposite sends each staring at
different spots, one seemed to enjoy and the other seemed lost and numb.
Finally arriving to her destination, she then realized she was being sold after spending over thirty minutes with the man, she was taken up the stage for display, and finally over a hundred fifty pieces of gold coins was claimed by master Ski and was sold to an old haggard pedophile.
She was finally released from a thin shackle and pulled to the back with another boy the man purchased.
She saw how unguarded the room was and the thought to escape filled her mind unlike the boy he was still shackled, she paid no attention to him as she dragged tables together to make a good height for her to escape from the window, as much as she wanted to ignore him, she asked if he wanted to follow her but he shook his head in disagreement and only watched her, on her timing the young boy heard the footsteps coming and could only do one thing stall them.. he blocked the handle with the wooden chair closest to him running to the Annika and pushing her over.
Maurice was shocked by the sudden movements, but she knew from his
agonizing screams from getting caught saving her she picked her self up
forgetting her briusings and injuries, she ran to the forests instead of the
road, as the room was located at the back facing the forest, she ran and ran for something she thought was an hour, she walked this time till the night sprawled it's ink on the sky, she was exhausted and lost her surrounding as she lost consciousness falling down a slope behind a tree, she was lucky enough to not be found a few minutes after she passed out, a few groups came in search of her and fortunately enough the tree vines and bushes hide, her in their embrace.
She finally woke up to the high disregard of the light piercing through her lids, her body ached as she had never experienced such pain, upon realizing she was in a moving cart, she dashed up to meet a passel of young pigs at her sides, she looked to the driver and realized that however if she was captured or saved it was by an old man, he road deep to a clearing in the woods and a small cottage could be seen ahead, she relaxed a bit knowing he wasn't from Ski.
They finally got there and the old man lived with his old wife in the forest of Hermosa and eventually she was raised as theirs for they were unable have babies and they brought her up and she to her inability to bear children and her special gift to foresee events she was then labeled a witch and was casted away, she was married to her husband by then but Mr Lanai loved his wife and decided to make a home in forest and there they lived for years and with the villagers knowing that the old couple took the young whores daughter labelled her as bewitch from her early age of attracting young men and her unravelling beauty.
The next day, the day did start earlier than usual but it wasn't surprising for the people of Hermosa, as there were temporary leaving the city to the nearest communities into the kingdom.
The current state disaster and high rise of invasion in the kingdoms borders has increased subsequently draught and wars was drawing closer to the kingdoms border and Hermosa is the town at the border, an order to evacuate the village was given by the province to leave immediately or have themselves to blame, they average people had gone since and the people struggled to get shelter over their heads in the safest village.
Miss Maurice walked out for her daily routine, spent some time in the village library reading on politics and economics, she goes to wool store and get a few yarns, go to back home pick up sticks, milk the few cows and feed the pigs.
Maurice lived a life above average, she lived comfortably with her dogs and cows, with a dozen pigs and hens to accompany her and she had thought no reason to leave. She had no life beyond this and her creative talents to draw and write was mesmerizing as that was what Mr Arun said, he was the village scholar and had thought and encouraged her to publish a few books
and had even gone as far as to advise her to use a certain name as far as she would get her income, who would know, not wasn't every philosopher and writers they knew.
However while the people gathered themselves in carriages, Maurice had a rough time getting her quill and quires for writing and drawings as the stores where all closing up, they had until a week of surety to leave the village.
Walking back that evening after her days work, she sensed the abnormalities of the village but shrugged it of because a great numbers of people where already leaving the village so the quietness was expected, she finally found her requirements and took the road narrowed into the woods, it was closer but was thick with dense bushes, she grew closer to her destination and the unwavering smell of copper filled her nose, she halted and all sort of imagination clustered her but her heels made fast as she got to her cottage, and the trails of blood and thick puddles of red was obvious in hersurroundings, her home seemed like a slaughter home, going round and in her house the only surviving creature was the wolf cub she had recently taken in a week ago when she went fishing, it hide itself perfectly she herself wouldn't have seen it if not from it's whimpering, it looks like even however it tried to hide but sustained injuries.
She didn't understand what was going on, was it the invaders that caused this havoc in her home, her thoughts where interrupted by the heavy galloping coming outside her yard, rushing to the ripped door, she saw a horde of horses approaching, all dressed on armours with an engraving and a crest, a crest of the house of Sunbeam obviously this group was definitely from high rankers.
Woman you should leave here it's not safe one of the men without a helmet spoke, this group were sixteen, from Maurice's calculation, from the petit structure, two females and fourteen males, they were dressed in dark clothes, seems that the first four which faces were completely covered with dark scarfs on their black sturdy horses were ranking.
This is my home i have no where else she replied standing her ground.
One of the men who seemed to have dealt with stubborn villagers who
refused to leave, she could see him roll his eyes as the others got their horses except the silent four who strode their horses around the area examining it.
Do you wish to die here, look at your home and livestock, only that your lucky you survived the attacked he spoke.
Do not worry about me I can fend for myself. The man seemed exhausted from convincing her, he only left her after sparing her a long pitiful stare and left to answer one the men on the black horses, they men soared in and out of my house and could not help but irritated by the intrusion, for how much she knows, she didn't even know if they were they ones to vandalize her abide.
I will not have it that you and more men intrude my privacy for so much the heavens may have it I do know if your group is indeed the invaders given that I don't know who you people are, I do not recognize if you're part of the country or not sire.
The whole area dropped silent in the accusations and finally one of the person's on the horse got off and walked to her.
A sweet tantalizing voice of an authoritative woman spoke.
Apologies Miss, order from royal house.
We are the Sunbeam soldiers and we are designated to survey the activities and help move the residents of the commune to closest and safest community she spoke, It is quite strange that nearly all the residents of this commune has exited, it is a small one not say , the village, but seeing a young woman as you in a family cottage, how is it you were not harmed nor leave.
Maurice had seen this point was lost of words as she was cornered under her own truth, she stammered I.. I do not have anywhere nor any family relations to go find.
Surely a lady like you should have someone one of the soldiers walked
jumped in, Sir Alhearaah.
What is it, they was a rumor of a witch in the woods perhaps she is the one.
I am no witch couldn't bear such accusations at this point.
Do tell why your home was attacked not too long ago and you survived.
I was at the library and was merely lucky .
All shops and stalls has being closed since yesterday that's the inclusion of the library, luck is what a witch would say.
Why would I destroy my own home if I was a witch.
Some sort of ritual and you had to play the victim because you know you
can't out run the royal hunters.
Enough clatter bellman, witch or not the time to find a witch is long gone
said the woman who returned with wolf.
You have to vacate here, it's not safe, willing or not ma'am, we advise you
head in and pick the rest of the important things of yours Allaeraah declared.
Her unwillingness was plastered but she couldn't continue to be thoughtless, walking back the woman called back.
Miss..?
It's Maurice.
-_-
Dallas, Maurice Dallas.