Aide Me

Chapter Ten - Protect Me

They were under attack.

Emaia's heart leaped into her throat and she crawled to the edge of her tent and stuck her head out. The fireplace was out, so all she could see were dark shapes fighting. Weapons glinted in the moonlight and cries of pain carried throughout the camp. Unarmed as she was, she quickly rumbled through her satchel to find the small dagger that Aide had given her in the alley. It was in there somewhere—

"Well, well, if it isn't the missing Rochess heir!"

Emaia let out a startled shriek when a pair of forceful hands yanked her out of the tent and onto her feet. This man was clearly a thug and smelled of old mead and rotten fish. He smiled grimly down at her and revealed a golden tooth.

"Hello there, missy! Pleasure to meet you! Tell me, how much did they want for you again?" He chuckled when Emaia screamed.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

"Everyone is a bit busy at the moment," The thug chuckled, but got distracted by a jingle from her bag. "Oh, what do we have in here?" He yanked the bag out of her hands. "Well, if it isn't my favorite sound in the world!" To emphasize his point, he shook her bag. "Tell me doll, do you have anything for me, too? Maybe beneath your skirt?"

"Get off me, you big pile of stool!" Emaia seethed. She spat him right in the face when she couldn't think of anything else to do.

A murderous expression formed on the thug's face as he wiped his cheek. "Oh, you're shouldn't have done that. I was only going to fuck your front, but now you're gon' get it both ways!"

Emaia didn't even know what he was talking about, all she knew was that she was in danger yet again, and as he had pointed out; everyone else were busy.

The thug raised his hand in the air to slap her, if not to punch her. All she saw was that one moment, his hand was flying through the air – the next moment an arrow was pierced through it.

"My hand!" The thug screamed bloody murder and released Emaia with his other hand. "My fucking hand!"

Emaia stumbled back and snatched the satchel back while the thug was busy screaming his head off. "Take that, you filthy pig!"

And then he was there.

Aide's characteristic shape appeared from the shadows and within seconds he had brought the thug to the ground. He punched him into the soil with a bone crushing fist and then yanked him closer by his collar.

"Lay a hand on another woman and next time it won't be your hand that gets pierced. Got it?" He hissed. His voice was lethal.

The thug cried in pain, but glared up at him. "Shooting a man while he's not looking! What kind of coward are you?! Why don't you fight me for real, huh? Man to man!"

"I don't see any men around," Aide flatly commented. "Now run off and take your boys with you."

The thug groaned when Aide pushed him back into the dirt. The thug then quickly shot to his feet and ran away. Which was probably for the best. Aide looked furious.

He turned to Emaia who was watching the whole thing and granted her a look. "Are you okay? Did he harm you?"

Emaia quickly shook her head. "No, but Aide, your face." He wasn't wearing a mask. He had his hood up, but that didn't cover his silver hair which had slid to the front.

"It doesn't matter," Aide said, but in that moment a new thug came up to them. He emerged from the shadow without any signs and went for Aide. He had a dagger in each hand and was way taller than goldy-tooth.