The hinges creaked as the person pushed with their full weight but the door held strong. I let out a slow breath, hoping that they would just go away. That was before something thudded loudly against the door, but this time, it splintered and a crack of light traveled across the floor of the cellar. Someone let out a small scream behind me, and I cursed them silently as movement outside the door ceased. But only for a moment. A deep voice shouted to others upstairs. I backed up, causing everyone else to press into each other, as the thudding continued until finally, hopelessly, the latch on the door broke.
The door swung from its hinges, hitting the cellar wall with a bang. I gritted my teeth and raised my bow, ready to meet the threat lurking outside the door. A silhouette of a man was outlined against the dim lighting. I couldn't make out much of his features as I altered my aim to the man's chest. He stood taller than any of us in the room, his head brushing against the doorframe. He didn't say a word as I stared him down, his eyes a perceptible glint in the dark. He took a step forward.
His lips curled into a cruel sneer and his dark eyes scanned the room's occupants, shining dangerously before coming to land on me. They roamed up my body, leaving behind an untraceable slime in its path. He cocked his head to the side as he studied me, like the arrow trained directly at his heart didn't trouble him. One man, I thought. I can take down one man. In all my years of archery, I never could manage to hurt a living creature. I always used the targets for practice, never joining in the occasional hunt the guards went on. Now I wished I had taken the opportunity.
"What's this? A little bird?" His words were halting, dipped in an accent that I didn't recognize. Briefly, I wondered where this man came from.
"Leave," I commanded, my voice steely against the rough walls. It didn't betray the trembling I felt on the inside.
"Why should I?"
I let loose my arrow, aiming slightly to the left at the last moment. It thudded quietly as it embedded its point into the mortar beside the intruder's head. I had another arrow nocked and ready before the man even blinked. "Leave. Now." I growled again.
"If you kill me, my men will burn this dwelling to ashes." He sounded almost bored as his savage eyes traveled the length of the arrow mere inches from his head. "With you in it."
"At least there will be one less monster in the world."
The corner of the man's mouth tugged upward in amusement. "Have you ever killed someone with that? Heard the sound of an arrow lodging itself into flesh and bone?"
I tried to contain the shiver that ran down my spine, but I wouldn't let the thought bother me. Not yet at least. Not until all of us were safe.
More footsteps pounded down the stairs until there were half a dozen men filling the doorway behind the raider. I swallowed hard at the rising panic that threatened to claw its way up my throat. Would they kill us? Or would they take us? No. I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let my people perish at their hands. I refused to let my guard down.
No one said anything except for a couple snickers from the onlookers at my pitiful attempt to protect those behind me. My eyes fell to the weapons in their hands, swords covered in blood. It made my stomach churn.
One of the men stepped forward and my grip on the bow tightened, keeping my arrow carefully trained on the first man. He leaned in to whisper something into the man's ear and he turned his head slightly with a smug grin on his face. My eyes flicked between the two.
"I'll make a deal, little bird." My eyes snapped back to the first man. "We will leave this house and everyone in it. What's left anyway." A round of quiet laughter from his men made my blood turn to ice in my veins. "But you come with us."
I felt a tug on my skirt and I didn't risk a glance down but I knew that Ayla was right beside me. "You will leave this town and the people in it alone and never return?" My statement came out like a pathetic question.
The man simply nodded, now eyeing the child holding the fabric of my dress. I stepped to the side, trying to shield Ayla from his gaze. His eyes slithered back to me and held his hand out, palm up. I stared at it, contemplating whether I was fast enough and brave enough to send an arrow into each of the raiders' hearts. He wiggled his fingers impatiently, before I reluctantly handed over my bow, stashing the arrow back in its quiver and handing that over too. The man snapped the bow in half and ripped the string from the wood, throwing the remains to the side. I couldn't tear my eyes from the broken splinters. He grabbed my wrist in one hand and jerked me toward him, wrapping the string tightly around both wrists. I tried flexing my wrists, testing how well the knot held but it bit into my skin harshly, holding firm. I threw a glare at the man, but he just watched me with those vicious dark eyes. He barked some order in that strange language and the men behind him rushed into the room, the silver metal in their hands gleaming. My head whipped around as they surrounded my people.
Without thinking, I brought my knee up in between the leader and myself. Not to kick him, but to grab the dagger I had hidden in my riding boot. I clutched the hilt with both hands and pressed the blade against the man's neck, pushing him up against the wall. The commotion behind me stopped, leaving an unsteady stillness in its place. "Stop them." I hissed, but the man just cocked his head to one side.
"Nori!" Ayla's voice was like its own knife cutting through my soul, and I knew if I turned to her, I might as well be going up against an entire army.
"I said. Stop. Them." I gripped the knife tighter. I could feel him breathing, the even rise and fall of his chest. He wasn't even phased. The man uttered a single word all the while I held his eyes. I almost sank to the ground in relief when I heard the quiet snick of the swords going back into their sheaths. One by one, they slinked back to their master, like a pup denied its treat, and waited for further orders.
The man brought his hands to cover my own, peeling the dagger from my fingers. He stowed it away in the waistband of his trousers with one hand and the other grasped the fabric of my bodice and tugged me close to his face with a promise in his eyes. "You will pay for that."
He shoved me through the cellar door, the rest of the raider group already ascending the stairs. I stumbled, holding my bound wrists in front of me for balance. Now on the main floor of the house, I could see clearly and what I saw I hardly recognized it as my own. The furnishings had been turned on their side, hangings on the walls were torn in several places, and broken bits of china lay scattered on the imported rugs. As we continued through the house, a pit of despair settled in my stomach.
I was not prepared for the scene that met my eyes when we stepped outside. Darkness had fully settled by now, the moon a small orb in the sky, but it did not obstruct my sight enough. Dozens of bodies sprawled on the ground, dead or unconscious I could not say, but the red puddles around them did not bode well. To my horror, I recognized the face of one of them as Davin. He was laying face down on the ground, his sword askew on the ground near him. I started toward him but was jerked back against the raider's side. My stare was intense as I could barely make out the up and down movement of Davin's chest. He'll be alright, I tried to tell myself and kept the worry off my face. I couldn't let them use Davin against me too.
Horses loaded down with knapsacks milled patiently about the grounds, not caring a bit about the bloodshed that had occurred. There was a group of girls huddled together by the horses and their wrists were also bound but with lengths of rope that linked them together. I saw a familiar face in the huddle. Taylen Hayward was my one friend in town that didn't gossip behind my back. We met when we were little when I had snuck out of my lessons at home to go explore the town by myself. When she had learned that I lived in the big house on the hill, she was the only one that didn't care. I considered her my sister.
Taylen's blue eyes were wide with fright and when they met my eyes, she let out a loud gasp. I tried to give her a reassuring smile but it didn't even convince me. I was ushered to the tallest of the horses. My shoulders only came to the middle of the beast's torso. The man heaved himself up onto the horse effortlessly and settled himself onto its back. I suddenly became aware of just how many men made up this raiding party. More than usual surely, at least two dozen. I was surrounded by them. I quickly made up my mind. I would go without a word until we were far away and they could not touch this town.
The leader watched me with critical eyes as I stood still beside the horse. My hesitation must've looked as though I was plotting to escape for he sneered before grasping under my shoulders and hoisting me up in front of him.
He grabbed a strand of rope from one of the bags and reached around my body, looping the rope through the bowstring around my wrists and tying a knot to one of the straps on the saddle. I tried not to think about his arms touching me or the closeness of our bodies. I made a show of scooting as far from him as possible, my back straight as a rod. It did not matter though when the horse started trotting along, I shifted further and further back against my will. This was going to be a long ride.