The men came closer. Swords in their hands, which weren't as neatly polished as those of the Town Watch. They were covered in dirt, as if they'd been lying in the grass for weeks. The red color characterizing the men in the beginning was gone. They were simple men, no different than those living in her town. Their hair was long and unkempt, their clothes ragged and mended in several places. Bodily care seemed of no value to them, making their smirks look even more terrifying.
Her bow was trembling. She tried to hold her hand still and man up. She however was so outnumbered that she knew she would never escape them in a fight. She needed Diaval's and Raven's help, but neither of them was close. Had they already fought these men?
"Who are you? What do you want?" Her eyes shot from man to man; she didn't know who to look at.
"Lower your weapon, girl. We're not here to hurt you," said the man who stood closest to her. His beard was as wild as the brown hair covering his head. She couldn't even see his lips move. His impetuous, red-brown eyes were impossible to miss. They moved up and down her body hungrily and Alesana tried to convince herself that her own fear was creating that illusion.
She would certainly not lower her arrow, even though she didn't dare to fire either. It would probably take someone to touch her before she would find the courage to shoot. Hopefully, her weapons would keep the men from doing so.
"Don't come closer!" she warned them. "Or I will shoot!"
"You can't shoot all of us. Be smart, girl. We just want to talk."
"With so many weapons?" Her distrustful answer had left her lips before she knew it. The man didn't answer. He looked her right in the eye, increasing her nervousness.
Sudden light flashes took her breath away.
Did panic take over? Was she going to faint?
The man took a step closer. A light flash split the air, followed by a green one. Her stomach shrunk in fear. None of the men responded to the flashes.
Was this really all in her head?
Something fell on her shoe. With a shock, she noted that she'd dropped her arrow. She felt intoxicated as if an invisible mist had ascended from the ground, invading her nostrils unnoticed.
The man raised his hand, cupping her jaw. Shivers rolled down her spine. She was so dumbfounded she couldn't move.
"These eyes," he stammered. "They were right."
Light flashes. Blue. Orange. Yellow. Following each other soon and sooner.
"Stay away from me," she answered with a certainty that surprised her. It felt like someone else said the words.
"Even if I'd want to, I couldn't..."
The man pulled back his hand. For a brief moment, her skin was untouched; then she felt the blade of a knife. Fear erupted inside her. She wanted to scream, but not a single sound passed her lips.
Colors exploded, she could no longer see the man's face. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut to make the absurd rain of colors disappear. It didn't help.
Slowly, the colors faded as if washed away by a heavy downpour. The edge of the knife was still there, pushing against her skin, right beneath her eye.
Her sight returned.
Yet, what she saw was so shocking she dropped her bow. The eyes still stared at her, although they'd lost their color. The wild hair of the men had clotted into unity and she could see right through it.
She could see the other men, who looked just as bewildered as she felt. Cautiously they stepped back, away from the chief who had turned to glass, right before their eyes.