The Masterful Trickery

urneytoMe

----------

years

teeth as he kicked hi

ound of their mocking lau

ndits could mer

ould be there

*

nt to be a jolly

was simpl

ld and disappear-a truly simple plan that they

e wrong carriage, did they? They just h

well if the carri

t was filled with three men

s! But they were and they all bounded down the carriage, unhitched the

ght to be somewhere in the Dark Forest, saving their own arse

s body of a woman while atop her ho

icked her mare to run faster. "Almost got caught

nasal sound o

ed coat flew in the air behind her. The part of the

chasing he

Gua

. "We dinna want them to catch us now.

own heart. She would die tonight if she did no

she di

orest while hiding from the Guards

her woman... and m

lifeless body in front of her. She was not able to secure it as tight as she wo

returned and discover

acceptable considering she was indeed guilty. But to be dragged in front

her again? Why could she not have ju

. It was the

ife not thinking about her. Somewhere in the Town, someone was loo

nd her and her mind snapped

survive a chase on the road. She must find somewhere to hide. She

pproaching men, Alex m

ng the reigns to direct the mare to the right, into

r for who would not? It was the bloody Dark Forest! No sane man-or woman-would dare risk getting lost

red into this part o

but one ought to cross acres of darkness if they wanted to reach it. She had bee

had never s

e road, just at the edge of the forest, the so

t to follow her. She urged Siege five steps deeper into the

large tree trunk. "Hush," she whispered to her

st the trunk and

ake her ch

on, but she doubted the people would be w

o stay for quite some time for

ling the unwilling Siege deeper into the forest a

*

the yellow lights floating in midair. The Guards' horses did not like being surrounded by animals they could barely see and before the Guards knew it, the lamp

hout, "Let's go, they could not survive this bloody place." He tur

of hooves became distant and the shouts of the men rang

side Siege, caressing the mare's hair to calm it down. The sounds of t

Or perhaps she ought to stay her

ld take the woma

sy task, but it was t

*

ated near the vill

e beyond it was the secret village of Meriwether. Scattered around the rock forest were stone pillars or rock trees that extended above, mo

their own secret watchtowers atop the rock trees, making

n above the watchtowers the clearance they needed to shoot more arrows, bullets, knives or rocks, then perhaps the trespasser might survive-if he could find the secret pathway well-hidden between two giant walls of rocks. And if, perchance he survi

es likely allowed it. And if he would ever come through the narrow pathway between the two

s and far ahead were the play of vibrant colors of different crops the bandits tended themselves. Surrounding the entire

for the giant hole above, providing the people of Meriw

way between the stone walls. Yet as the village folks paused to see who arrived, one

, yer dead," Ned

on yer horse's ba

journey wondering where they had been and the moment she walked into the rock forest, the two young men jumped out of nowhere, bombarding her with questions, screaming at her wake how

hat she was carrying with her another load that was not worth a townsend, her c

eserved kicks with the little energy she had left before the

ng they could talk about was how she would l

hers emerged from the largest stone house by the dirt path like a

peated beside her,

approach, "I'll take ye with me te afterlife. Ye and Barto both, ye bleedin' bastards. And

efore her cousins could counter her word

ssed before they ran off to

iege's reigns tighter as the unfaithf

have ye been!" Gustav dem

st smile she could muster. "How 'bout

*

down, lass," Gustav Gr

e scoldin' me, 'Pa," sh

usins ought to

brown eyes. He was looking at the beautiful woman

est. She had had one of the worst two days of her life but it was worth it

g the process, Alex was surprised to discover that her hair was red. Her skin, altho

d asked the same question countless of times and Alex had ceas

at night after having caused this much suffering upon a human being, more so when it was inflict

Nic

ho

holas... Eve

era

. my baby..

echoed in her ears. She had not been able to

from someone,"

had heard the same words from

to be at peace. But that was far from the truth for her bruised beau

her," she sai

ord for he knew he could not stop her even if he would indeed decid

in' out there," she said, wiping her tears wi

other. Ye will come to one of 'em Everards." It was no

e. I'll come te