Lost

Chapter 18

10 minutes later of sprinting blindly through the woods I slow down to the sight of a glow in the distance. The village! Finally! I slow down and lighten my step as I limp forward. After a few minutes of creeping forward, I could hear the distance sound of people. The closer I got the more I could pick out the voices. They sounded mostly male. I sneak up behind a wooden house and slide around the corner to get a view of what I'm dealing with. I see a campfire with men feasting to the side, obviously drunk off their asses. I sprint a few feet to a closer hut and hide in the shadows. I check my compass and find myself on the north side of town. The dungeon should be close. Suddenly cheers erupt from the group of men and I glance around the corner to see what's going on. One man in particular rises above all the other men. He wears a fur cape and a huge black beard. He must be the chief.
"Tonight we feast! For the gods have rewarded us with a beautiful young lady that shall serve us forever!"
This earned a huge cheer from the men.
The chief lifted his hands to signals for silence.
"Since I'm the chief, she shall be mine. If any of you disagree with that then you'll be thrown over Hunterman's Cliff!" He orders with a deep below. No one responds.
"Very well then. Barbarous men, I give you, Hera!" He gestures to two men dragging a girl out onto the platform. I look closer at the long, loose golden hair and gasp. That's Astrid. I spot a pile of cloaks a few feet in front of me and move towards it. I casually grab a huge black one, wrap it around, and throw the hood over my head. Then I walk forward and stop at the edge of a hut. The drunken men are a few feet in front of me. I stay close the to wall of the hut and concentrate on the platform ahead. The men are cheering wildly. Then I find Astrid. I can see her face and her eyes are filled with fear as she looks out at the hundred men. She is thrown up next to the chief and lands at his feet. Before she can collect herself, the chief grabs her long hair and yanks her up, receiving a yelp from Astrid. I shoot glares at him from under my hood. She is frantically trying to release his grip from her hair. She connects her fist with his side and he release her grip, dropping her to her feet. She stands up tall and about pounces when she suddenly freezes. A man stands up next to her and points a sword into her side.
I look closer and recognize the man as the other one in the cave who took her. I see him mumble something to Astrid which earns a shocked reaction from her. I see her physically stand taller and try to shield her fear. Then a deep bellowing laugh erupted from the chief.
"Fool girl!!! You think you can attack me?! And WIN?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The men erupt in laughter. The chief raises his hands to silence the drunken mob. His face grows serious as he turns towards Astrid. He raises his hand and my face burns with rage as his hand makes contact with her face, causing her head to whip to the side. Her hair falls over her face and I watch her shoulders sag. Then the chief yanks her chin up and glares into her eyes. Her cheeks are flushed and I can tell she's returning the glare.
"That, was your only warning. Next time you won't be able to walk for days." I hear him threaten. I clench my fists and watch as he releases her grip. Then she looks up, and we make eye contact.