“Hands up where we can see them.” A voice barked at her and Jessie squinted at the man in the morning light.
“Easy, I don’t have any weapons,” she slowly rose to a crouch and stood, the arrows pulled back on taught bows followed her progress.
“You’re alone? A woman?” Another sneered even as he started pulling her bag apart.
“Hey, be careful with that! It’s everything I own!” Where was Kael? Had he abandoned her? “I am a soldier in the Lord Imperator’s army!” Jessie snapped glaring at the men.
The weapons menacing her suddenly lowered. “Lord Imperator? You are not one of the invader’s scouts?”
“What? No! I’m trying to find survivors… I was… injured in the last skirmish with the False Lord and have just recently made it back to find the city in ruins.”
The leader, or the speaker as far as she could tell, stared into her eyes, his black eyes assessing, even as the men circling her looked away, anguish written plainly across their faces. “There are survivors. We will take you with us. Do not be mistaken, you are still under guard, until you prove yourself or someone can vouch for you.”
Jessie nodded and grabbed hold of it as one of the men tossed her bag to her.
“Let’s move, our shift is almost over.” The leader ordered and the swordsmen fell in formation around her and archers’ faded into the woods.
As they started their march, Jessie caught a flicker of gold at the corner of her eye. Her heart eased and she let out a breath. At least he hadn’t abandoned her yet.
“Easy, I don’t have any weapons,” she slowly rose to a crouch and stood, the arrows pulled back on taught bows followed her progress.
“You’re alone? A woman?” Another sneered even as he started pulling her bag apart.
“Hey, be careful with that! It’s everything I own!” Where was Kael? Had he abandoned her? “I am a soldier in the Lord Imperator’s army!” Jessie snapped glaring at the men.
The weapons menacing her suddenly lowered. “Lord Imperator? You are not one of the invader’s scouts?”
“What? No! I’m trying to find survivors… I was… injured in the last skirmish with the False Lord and have just recently made it back to find the city in ruins.”
The leader, or the speaker as far as she could tell, stared into her eyes, his black eyes assessing, even as the men circling her looked away, anguish written plainly across their faces. “There are survivors. We will take you with us. Do not be mistaken, you are still under guard, until you prove yourself or someone can vouch for you.”
Jessie nodded and grabbed hold of it as one of the men tossed her bag to her.
“Let’s move, our shift is almost over.” The leader ordered and the swordsmen fell in formation around her and archers’ faded into the woods.
As they started their march, Jessie caught a flicker of gold at the corner of her eye. Her heart eased and she let out a breath. At least he hadn’t abandoned her yet.
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For a moment there I thought he was going to tell her to get back in the kitchen.
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