A Right Hand Woman

Part 1. A Right Hand Woman

Life was hard but happy. A home, a husband, sons, a little money put away and plenty of hard work to spare on a our farm. A simple, happy life. But one I was never meant to have. My name is Raven. Growing in the valley of Dayan, a girls life is mapped out for her, and I was no different. Grow up, find a husband, raise children, make money for your husband and family, die. And being of a good family, it seemed I would accomplish that in life. Having reasonable looks, I had had a few suitors to choose from. Long brown hair, a gentle round face, average height but slender. Not the prettiest girl in the district, but good enough for marriage. David was my choice. Quiet and honest. He won my heart with gentle words and a promise of love and children. This promise he kept for many a happy year.

Mere days before the raiders came was the day we had finished the summer harvest. After months of hard work, we had the final wagon of corn ready to go to market. The plan had been that my husband David would stay on the farm and ready the fields for ploughing and planting, whilst I and a couple of farm hands would take the wagons and sell the produce.

I exited our home with both our sons clinging to my skirts. I’d just finished cleaning myself up a bit and packing a bit of supper for the journey. Kneeling down, I kissed both my sons on their cheeks and warned that to be good for their father till I returned and to keep up with their chores.

‘Yes mother’ My youngest Raul half sobbed. Christian, our eldest just nodded and kissed me back. More and more like his father every day, I thought.

‘Right then’ I said to David. ‘We’re all ready to go now, come give me a kiss so I can be on my way’

David scooped me into his arms, kissed me hard on the lips and whispered in my ear for me to be safe. Not a man of many words I thought, but a good man non the less. With one final look around, I cracked the reins and we were on our way. Little did I know it would be the last time that I would see my family alive.

We had been travelling non stop through the coolest parts of the night. With the rising of the morning heat, we found a good place to stop for a rest. ‘ Make sure those mules are well watered before you find them somewhere to graze’ I called out too the two hands, Nathan and John, who were helping with the sale, before finding myself somewhere quiet and shady to sit and rest a while. It seemed such a nice warm morning, a day to just spending sitting by a river darning or splitting peas.

Galloping along the road they came. Men on tall horses, ragged and dirty, looking like they had been travelling hard and long. They drew to a stop and the men that looked to be their leader, stepped down from his horse and stretched his legs and arms. Fear coursed through me immediately. These men didn’t look like they were here for a rest. I slowly got to my feet and lowered my hand to a dagger at my waist. I’d never used it for anything other then skinning beasts that David had brought home, but it wouldn’t stop me from defending myself.

‘Easy woman!’ Sneered the man who had also reached for his sword. ‘We mean you no harm at all’. But from the look in his eyes, that wasn’t the truth. A sound from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder. Three men all with heavy swords, advancing on me. Looking back at the main party, I saw that more men had gotten off their horses and some had started to walk off to where Nathan and John had taken the mules. No good. ’What do you want here? We have no money and only a little food. There is nothing here for you. Now please move along’ I said. The men looked at each other and burst into laughter. The leader took a step towards me ‘You have plenty here for us woman. This corn will fetch us a good price, and so will you’

One of the men that had been creepy up behind me took that as his chance to grab me. Wrapping his arm around my neck, he lifted me off the ground. I reached down, grabbed my dagger, and reaching round, stabbed it towards his head. A warm gush of liquid splattered the back of my head, telling me I had hit my mark. The man released me while holding his face and screaming. He staggered back to his comrades where I noticed his eye socket was a bleeding mess. I readied myself for another attack. No one moved. Then the distant screaming started, ‘Nathan… John…’ I whispered. The two men wouldn’t stand a chance. Gentle men that had no violence in them.

‘Seems she doesn’t want to come easy lads’ Said the leader, as he took a step forward. ‘Well we can change that’ he sneered. Another man rushed me from behind, wrapping his arms around my waist, while the leader walked forward. In one fluid movement, he pulled back and punched me in the face. I felt an explosion of pain and heard the snapping of my nose. With blood pouring from my face, I blacked out.