Slave to Karma

Trial 9

She had no idea where she was going or even what she would do when she got there, all she was aiming for at that moment was to make it as far away as possible without running into anyone.   

Several times, the horse slowed as her memories of a pampered childhood took over.   She really had been spoiled by her parents, had been denied nothing and was given everything her heart could have desired.   Her noble birth ensured she wore only the best silks,  rare gems graced her slender neck and invitations to high society functions were collected on a daily basis.  In fact, she had never suffered true hardship, so to be leaving behind a world for one she had no understanding of, was only really hitting her now.

Over the past eight years, she had eventually come out of her shell enough to mingle with other girls her age and she had made several very good friends among the elite, which of course had her capturing the eye of societies most eligible bachelors.   Still, she remained quiet and only spoke when spoken to, she had never been able to rid herself of the death of two men who lost their lives because of her, and because of this, society saw her as a mysterious beauty.   Reclusive and closed off, but a rare beauty all the same.

But to now be out in the dark, on a horse, and leaving it all behind with no real knowledge of the dangers she was placing herself in, the thought of safety only began to hit when the hoot of an owl suddenly shattered her fragile sense of calm.

Stilling the horse in mid gallop, her head spun in every direction.  Only the night sounds of the forest moved around her.   The owl hooted again, and now and then, she caught the sound of something moving in the trees above her head, but other than that, she saw and heard nothing.   Still, her heart was hammering in her chest and she imagined the owl could hear it.   But after another wide sweep of her surroundings, and seeing nothing, she once again forced her horse into a less strenuous gallop while also peeling back the dark for anything lurking in the deep black recesses of a forest engulfed in hidden dangers just beyond her sight.

The horse moved gracefully while her hair whipped about behind her and for a moment, she lost herself to the thrilling freedom sweeping through every wisp of hair bouncing off her head.   She had never felt so alive and furiously free, that she didn't even notice the rough snort of another horse suddenly rearing towards her from out of the forest until it was almost too late.

"Get her!" a deep throaty voice roared from the side, a flash of dark material whipping towards her.

Screaming, she barely avoided the hand that suddenly snatched out towards her head.

Thundering towards her from the road, several more dark shadows on horses raced to close her in, while the one on her left, sped up to close off her only escape.   Terrified and screaming, Bai Qian barely caught sight of even more dark figures steaming ahead towards her and in a flash of understanding, she forced the horse into a tight left hand turn which led to her only escape.   And that being the forest itself.

She had heard of the rogue bandits that infested the forest and outer perimeters of the town, gangs of men and sometimes women who attacked lone travellers and even unsuspecting carriages carrying goods and wealth into the town, but in her perfect safe world, they had been merely fairytales conjured to keep good people like herself at home, in bed and safe.

Now surrounded by thick darkness and with only a few smattering of stars to light her way, she forced her horse into the fastest sprint of its life.   She could hear the roaring behind her, and the thundering of hooves galloping to catch up, but her mind was surprisingly calm now that she understood what was happening.   In fact, she took a few precious seconds to marvel at how calm she was actually feeling, because she was more than aware of what would happen to her if they caught her.