Vierrah pulled her coat edges closer, shivering against the cooling air. The last touches of the red sun struck through wild, chaotic leaves. Everywhere she looked the world seemed to glare at her. Watching, following, eyeless. She wanted to call out, but feared it would cause the wilderness to attack her.
She searched for any place that offered a shred of comfort. There was none to be found, not in this place of cold and filth and deafening quietness. But neither was there any light beyond the fiery ball which was taking its leave, and if she didn't find something soon, she would be stranded in a dark world she knew nothing about. A faint rumble in the distance announced a thunderstorm not far away: it took her a moment to remember there would be no shield to take the strikes.
Overhead a bright beast flew past and she yelped, throwing her arms over her head. Heart pounding, she slowly lowered them, and saw it perched not far from her. Yellow eyes stared, unblinking, and she shuddered uncomfortably before continuing her trudge to nowhere.
Light drained from the sky while she walked, shadows taking over. One in particular stood out, a dark patch in the hillside. Vierrah squinted in the dark, making out its shape: round, like the ominous mouth of a great beast. A cave. She hesitated, tapping her leg nervously while she looked around the forest. The clouds grumbled again, and a soft drop of cold rain touched her face. Vierrah went to the cave, eyes widening to try and scoop what little light was inside. Cold, musty air caressed her cheek and she frowned, putting her back to the wall.
Rain pattered on the leaves outside; slow at first, then gradually picking up speed. Tiny drops curved into the cave, threatening to wet her along with the wild plants. She scooted a bit further in, keeping one hand on the rough cave wall. How was she supposed to make it to the morning, when everything in this new world was wet and cold? How could... they... let this happen? She was sure someone would come for her. Take her back, tell her it was all a big misunderstanding. A joke, maybe. She slid to the floor of the cave and wrapped her legs in her arms, staring at the glistening leaves just outside the shelter. Her shelter. As if she had been reduced to no more than that colorful beast and its yellow eyes... Would she have to dig in the mud for grubs next too? Her grip on her legs tightened at the thought.
---
Vierrah jerked awake, disoriented while she processed why her room was so cold and damp. Was there water running? She called out for the light to turn on; when it went unanswered, her memory returned. The Wilderness. Her room was gone. Taken.
A soft scuffing sound echoed off the rock walls and she whipped her head towards the dark cave, motionless. Her throat seized up, and she dared not ask what was there. Was it a beast? One of those saber-toothed wolves? She hoped it was nothing, and she strained to hear it. A long time passed, her eyes searching the flat blackness. Nothing. Slowly her muscles relaxed. Lightning flashed, and in its illumination, two figures stood in the cave just beside her. Vierrah screamed, scrambling away, trying to get her feet under her. Rough hands grabbed at her arms, at her coat. She pushed them away clumsily, shoes catching on the uneven ground. Something warm and solid struck her head, clawed into her hair, jerked her sideways. She ran into the wall, shouting in alarm and grabbing at the arms that were encircling her. "Get off me!" She screamed, "get off-"
A hand clamped over her mouth. She tried to bite it, and only met glove. She turned her head, trying to break free, when she was slammed against the cave wall. Her head smacked against the stone, pain splintering in her skull, lights sparking at the edges. Her legs buckled, and the assailant pushed her down, sitting on her stomach. Lightning flashed, and for a moment she could see the illuminated face of a young man with long hair and red paint. His eyes bore into hers. Another figure moved behind him.
Darkness swallowed the cavern, followed by the earth-rattling boom of thunder. Vierrah clawed at the man on top of her, her fingers striking a stiff cold cloth, flesh, cloth- she reached for the skin again, trying to dig her nails in. The man removed his hand from her mouth for a moment, and as she drew in breath to scream at him, something cold struck her face. A strip of fabric wrapped itself around her mouth and behind her head, tightening until it bound her words.
A pair of arms grabbed her feet and she tried to kick, to no avail. She screamed against the cloth; only a faint, muffled sound made it through. The one on top of her grabbed her wrists and slapped another piece of self-tightening cloth on them before rolling off of her. The two figures lifted, and despite her twisting and jerking motions, she found herself being dragged into the darkness of the cave.
---
Vierrah didn't know how far they'd gone, only that her muscles were burning from trying to pull herself out of the grip of the two wild people. She had given up on shouting; the cloth made that useless. Instead she stared wide-eyed, trying to make out any sign of where they were. The outside was long gone, only the occasional echo of thunder reached them now. They came to a sudden stop, and her spine bent oddly when the man holding her legs tried to keep moving.
"What now? We're almost there."
Vierrah was startled to hear the man speak. And with actual words, rather than some kind of bestial grunts.
"I can't remember which turn it is."
The voice at her feet was a woman's: Vierrah blinked in the darkness, trying to process this new development.
"It's left."
"Which left?"
"Let me lead." the man said, irritation in his voice.
Vierrah felt herself spin before they continued with her now head-first. She jerked her arms and legs, trying to break free: one leg dropped and she kicked at her captor. Her shoe met something solid but which rolled underneath.
"Bitch!" the woman cried out, "Stop it!"
Vierrah kicked again, landing another hit before the woman grabbed her ankle. Vierrah screamed angrily, her brush with freedom igniting a ferocity in her.
"Stop!" the woman screamed again, her voice reverberating through the cave.
Vierrah pulled at her legs, trying to free them. She felt her captors let go of her, and for a disorienting moment, her body was falling. Then it hit the stone floor. Breath rushed out of her lungs and she wheezed. Cold fabric tightened around her ankles, binding them together. Vierrah's lungs pulled for air, as much as her uncovered nose could take in, while her thoughts scrambled. She erupted into a fit of coughs, and in between them, fingers wrapped into her hair and pulled her head up.
"Tire yourself out." the woman said, her voice hard and little more than a whisper in Vierrah's ear, "It'll make it easier."
Vierrah went cold. Her eyes stared at the darkness where the woman loomed over her. Were they going to kill her? She whimpered softly against the cloth.
"You have two options." the woman continued, "You can keep fighting and get your throat slit, or you can knock that shit off, cooperate, and live. What's it gonna be?"
She was silent.
"You wanna live?"
Vierrah nodded.
"You gonna cooperate?"
She nodded again, tears welling in her eyes. Arms wove between her own bound ones and under her back, lifting her off the cave floor.
----
They didn't seem to go far before Vierrah could see the shadows of a faint yellow-orange light. A flickering light. Flame. While it grew she looked at her captors, as best she could in the awkward position: at her feet was a half-bare-chested man carrying her legs, whose face was focused ahead. Bits of silver metal in his long hair and on his crude coverings flashed in the growing light. Above her was a woman with wild, thick hair. Thin straps and torn netting covered part of her upper body, except for a breast which hung free. Dark paint marked fierce eyes, which glared down at her. Vierrah looked away, feeling heat in her face at the sight of such immodesty.
The cave grew brighter, and the sounds of crackling flame could be heard. Warm air touched at her, and she gave an involuntary shudder. The tunnel opened into a small round space. Strips of fabric hung from the walls, wrapped around an eclectic assortment of items, most of which she recognized and none of which looked to be in serviceable condition. Suddenly her mind clicked, and her eyes widened. They were scavengers!
"Well well, I thought I heard you shouting. Didn't think it was at something like this."
Vierrah's head swiveled, tracing the unfamiliar voice to a young man with a half-shaved head sitting by the fire. She felt her heart sink: there were three? How many more?
"We found a bit more than scrap this time." the first man said. Vierrah thought she heard a hint of pride in his voice.
"Bitch tried to kick my tit off." the woman said, dropping Vierrah's arms without warning. She walked to the fire and leaned down, grabbing the sitting man's chin in her hand and pulling it to her face in a kiss. When it broke she grinned at him through half-closed eyes and whispered, "You know what this means."
The sitting man placed his hand on the side of her face with an unexpected tenderness. "Business first, my love."
