Cassandra ran through the darkening wood along a game trail; blood pounding in her ears, lungs burning in her chest. Tattered clothes clung to her sweaty body in the stifling heat. Heedless of the branches that tore at her clothing and flesh, she crashed through the undergrowth. Her pursuers were getting closer. Their curses and taunts were like the baying of hounds. She cried out in desperation knowing full well no one would answer. She would not be able to run much longer, but maybe, if luck was with her, she could get just far enough. The Lady was fickle this evening: she tripped over a rock and crashed to the ground. The pursuit was almost upon her. She staggered to her feet only to fall back to the ground as a thunder bolt of pain shot from her ankle. Crawling along, desperate, she got up onto her one good foot and limped painfully onward. Shouts erupted from behind her. They had caught sight of her, seen her fall: they knew they didn't have to hurry anymore.
Breaking into a small clearing she fell onto her back. She had no strength to get back up despite hearing them coming. They sauntered into the clearing. They were big and ugly. In fact that's what she had called these bandits after they attacked her carriage: Big and Ugly. She had left them to figure out which was which as she bolted for the game trail. They had gotten a lot uglier since the beginning of their little run. They drew their swords. Nothing fancy for these two, their weapons were simple and functional; they would be more than enough for the job at hand. The one she decided was Ugly stepped forward.
"Here kitty, kitty, we ain't gonna hurt you, too much. Silly Kitty should have left the jewels behind maybe we wouldn't have chased you."
Big moved forward as well.
"Suit yourself, I'm gonna hurt her a lot for making sport of us. I'm gonna leave her beaten and bleeding after I've had my way with her."
Cassandra tried to scramble away as they laughed. Her hand found a rock. In desperation she threw it with all her might but Big merely stepped to the side and it landed uselessly in the wood.
"Oh my, Kitty's got claws!"
He sheathed his sword, secure in the knowledge that she would not be able to put up much of a fight, though he secretly hoped that she would. As he began to unbutton his breeches something changed in her expression. She was smiling. It was not a nice smile either, it was the smile of a predator just before it pounces. The kick came from out of nowhere. One moment she was on her back and the next her knee was solidly in his fork. Before he even had time to register the pain her elbow swung around and caught him right on the bridge of his nose with a loud crack. Blood erupted from the wound as he staggered backwards tripping over his breeches and landing solidly on his back.
"I kept the jewels because I wanted you to chase me!"
She looked down at her work quickly then glanced over to Ugly. Her eyes shone with malice. She was, in her own estimation, a born performer. Her little accident with the rock was worthy of the greatest stage and that cowering, she was remarkably good at pretending to be afraid. It had been so easy to lure the brutes here, to run just fast enough to keep them bumbling along after her but not too slowly as to have to face them in the tight confines of the forest. Here she had room. Here she could perform. She ran at Ugly and as he prepared his sword to swing at her, she jumped. The sword cut through thin air and, having over extended his attack, he was off balance as she landed behind him as quietly as a cat. He swung around just in time to see her foot connect with his nose. Another gout of blood from yet another broken nose. He swung clumsily at her as she darted back, drawing two stiletto daggers from the small of her back. A second later he fell gurgling to the ground with a satisfying thud. She tried to turn to finish off Big as well but she suddenly found it impossible to move. He slowly moved into view. His eyes burned with eldritch fire. One hand clenched around a talisman hanging from his neck the other outstretched towards her. Her eyes widened in very real fear; he was a sorcerer!
"You're gonna pay fer what you did to Burt! I'm gunna pull you apart, piece by bloody piece! But first things first."
She felt herself lifted off the ground her clothes and jewelry were slowly torn from her body as Big twisted his hand. She could see the disgusting lust in his eyes as he gazed upon her nakedness. She wanted to retch as she struggled in vain. The lewd expression on his face turned to surprise as blood began to drip from his mouth. He fell forward, two arrows protruding from his back. Cassandra felt the spell release and she hit the ground hard. Shaken, she felt a cloak fall across her shoulders. She looked up into Kalvin's smug, smiling face.
"You took your jolly, bloody time. Enjoying the show were you?"
He handed her the rest of her spare clothes.
"Cassandra of Lenvin caught off her guard, oh my yes, that will be a sight I will remember for the rest of my life."
She shot him a glance that said the rest of his life would be a great deal shorter and a lot more painful than he wanted. His smile lessened, but only a little. She stood up resplendent as always in clothing that accentuated her form while still remaining practical, always in dark grey, like her eyes. They shone out from her long sable locks as she shook a few twigs loose from their curls. She then retrieved her stilettos, kicking Big's cooling body as Kalvin was retrieving his arrows.
"I hate magic!"
He crossed his arms, cocked his head to the side and looked at the ring on her right hand. She followed his gaze.
"I hate magic when it's used against me!"
His smile broadened again.
"Like that night in Kryl?"
She looked at him with blazing fury which melted into a lyrical laugh. Her eyes danced as she took him by his leather jerkin and pulled him close for a deep kiss.
"Please tell me you still have it!"
