Chapter 1
The dull sounds of twigs breaking against dry leaves, the occasional jolt into wet mud dulling the roll underneath her as the lull of strange masculine voices brought her pain back to her. Her arms and legs burned like poisonous snakes putting their fire into her blood. Each rock made her body hurdle into the air forcing new pains to her already bruised body. She was bound by her legs and arms tied in front of her as she brought her little fingers to where warmth leaked in through a hole of the burlap sack that was her prison.
The smell of swine stench suffocated her delicate nose from wanting to inhale for life. Her eyes swelled, she grasped what she had hoped and dreamed was now realized a reality. Her heart pounded in her ears in this realization hoping it would stop or that time would fast forward to where the pain would be no longer; only leaving a remnant of this time as a distant memory and happy endings to look forward to. She stifled her tears, she did not want to be noticed, as reality rushed to her- no happy endings were coming her way.
She didn't know where she was other than a cart or a cage, perhaps, moving. She tried to feel around for an opening above her head and she used her toes to find which way was up or down. The movement of whatever that was carrying her jostled her. She felt beads of sweat pour from her brow as she fought now with the constant jerk and jar of her captors' journey.
She saw the blue sky through the small window. She spied two crates that she was sandwiched between, probably spoils from the raid. She had to move her body around the crates that held her near the back of the now understood wagon cart to see if she could roll away. She was determined to not be another item of whimsy taken from the castle to be lotted out as a trinket. She had to free her hands but the ropes were thicker than her small mouth. If she could escape she could find a kind person to release her bonds.
Suddenly the wagon stopped. She could hear the voices more clearly and their heavy boots hitting the ground as the moved around the wagon.
"We will have to cross the river. The rain five days ago has washed out the bridge," a man said in a foreign tongue.
She understood enough where she was going. Her father made her learn the languages of their enemies, so that one day she could lead her kingdom in victorious wars against these people. Her need to get away was stronger than ever. She couldn't have slept any more than the rest of the night of the raid. If she were to escape, she could return home. She concentrated trying to visualize the maps she was made to study. She tried to recall all the rivers and lakes that surrounded her territory.
Courage overflowed her; the rivers were surrounded by allies and friendly kingdoms. If she were to escape, she could go to those kingdoms they would help her, even fight for her! Her allies were strong and would take down these known dangerous foreign raiders. She winced at the idea of these barbarians having already raided all the surrounding kingdoms and that would have been logically to why no warning came to her own.
She felt the floor beneath her give way as she rolled forward and the crates moved to the edge.
"Remove the crates," a voice barked, "It won't float, it will sink."
"Check the girl," another commanded in a gruff voice that made her soul quiver.
She froze her body and tried to be as still as possible, but her heart raced as a rabbit.
"She is still out. You must have hit her with such a force," the men all cackled as one jabbed at the seemingly lifeless sac.
"Get to work, caulk the wagon. We will float across the river," the leader sneered not amused.
The sloshing of boots against the mud and voices trying to overpower another surrounded her. She felt the crates that hugged her sac removed. She was picked up easily and discarded to another part of the wagon like a nerveless piece of cargo. She clenched her teeth to suppress herself from making a noise. It was pertinent for these barbarians to believe that she was still unconscious in order to slip away. Then as quickly as they stopped, they started again and with a sudden jerk her body rolled down as the raiders moved forward.
"The water is not that deep, move faster; we need to get there before sundown,"
What did that mean? Were they going to raid another kingdom? How many prisoners had they already taken and who from her own land joined her? She tried to listen for the cries and tears of her kinfolk but only the rush of water masked her ears and the abhorrent muffle of foreign Aricin tongues.
Frigid cold spilled onto her back as the water soaked the base boards below her. She tried to find her peep hole to see if there was anything that could help her. She located the crates, pieces of the sky and the shore as she rocked back and forth by the water and trudge. She had to do it now. Their own splashing in the water masked their voices even more now. They wouldn't even hear or see her if she rolled off into the water; they all were in front of the wagon. She focused on reaching the other shore. This was her only chance. She began to roll herself to the edge of the wagon, took a deep breath and let herself fall into the river.
The freezing water overcame her, wanting to freeze her heart and muscles. The sac tightened around her body. She was unable to break free. The water's invisible hands tightened the ropes around her hands and feet. She had made a grave mistake, she should have waited till dry land and now she would be overcome by the river.
