No (Genichiro Ashina X OC)

Chapter 1

Thus, not wanting to end up like this and declare defeat, she wanted to find a way to make it back home safely but she feared that if she ever budge slightly, she'll regret it and so, her last wish will shatter in front of her eyes within a second.

'But if I don't do anything right now, I won't have any chance later... I don't even have a single clue about what are they going to make out of me... It's useless to just stay like this and patiently wait for death or whatever, yet, it's risky to raise any suspicion about me being wide awake, they'll surely think that I'll try to break free in that minute, so I suppose that they might harm me then...' She reflected pensively and theoretically while keeping the same composure as before just in case.

That's when she decided to look around her to at least try to identify her surroundings and abductors and so, she took in long, heavy and secretive breaths and started wandering her eyes through her mid long, wavy, dark golden brown hair and falling fringe that were almost covering all her face.

As she tried hard to look clearly through the many strands of her bothering hair, she realized that she was being transported on a wooden cart along other ones beside 3 heavily injured men wearing silk and leather clothes and a certain large, big and tall drunkard with a naked upper body, fully tied up, massacred and certainly unconscious since his head was on the ground, fully wet with the spreading liquid of the open bottle of sake. Then there was at least 10 people sleeping peacefully and comfortably under warm simple covers on a long cart in her right while the one in the left transported 9 other men, all of them were almost in the same pathetic state as the first ones, they maybe had a fight or whatever and the theory can be supported when noticing that there's her same abductors walking next to the cart protectively or in an alerted and careful way... But seeing the horrible state of those unconscious people and her own handcuffed one, the men were surely doing their job, making sure that no one escapes their grip... But for how long was she being on the cart actually?

Being, curious, she stole a glance up at the sky only to find that it was midnight or so according to the moon that was almost positioned in the middle of the pitch black sky.

Night had fallen fast upon the land. No more than a few hours ago, the sky was painted with hues of red, orange and pink, but all color had faded leaving only a matt black canvas with no stars to be looked upon.

The darkness was thick and the torches the guards carried in their hands hardly lit the path allowing her to barely see their faces and clothed upper parts full of contrast of both light and shadow, a few shined spots of the horses dragging the barely lit cart and few features on the fainted ones.

'I can't do anything as long as I'm still on the cart... There's lot of guards monitoring us, there's more people than I remember, plus they seem serious and determined to not let any single thing escape their eyes due to their number since everyone has a specific spot to keep his eyes on carefully and attentively... Furthermore, I barely doubt that they'll set camp for tonight, I'm sure they're replacing each other in different hours of the day which will explain those jerks enjoying their life in my right in such a moment' The woman reflected pragmatically as she bitten her lower lip nervously, droplets of sweat forming on the top of her forehead from angst and breaths becoming deep and steady while she hold her tummy from moving due to her respiration to hide the fact that she was awake.

'But they can at least pause for a minute to eat, right? I mean, I risk of being taken in an unknown dangerous and hostile place if I don't make any attempt and once there, I don't know if I can remain hopeful and sane... Urgh! Damn it! The two options aren't suitable and way too risky! I don't know what I'm supposed to do at all...' She tried to convince herself at first optimistically and reassure her poor aching heart that she still has hope but then ended up mentally cursing herself for turning in the same vicious circle.