Maurice was smart for a little girl, she knew at that moment her world had ended, and had to escape the grasp of that lunatic of a man after what he had told her.
The queen had sent an order for her mother to be stoned to death how agonizing it must have being for her mother and now she'd work for him till she becomes of age, is that even allowed.
At the middle of the night she waited impatiently for the moon to rise and the cricket to crick, she picked nothing but her mother's hair tie and her beads abandoning every other thing, she made her first move, peeping through the door to the dim hall way, she walked down the stairs, she heard a low murmuring from the third room she passed, she immediately took off her shoes, tip toeing her best through the darkness to the yards door, finally reaching the knob, the voice in the background sent shivers down her spine, her heart leaped in lost hope, she turned, startled to her bone.
Your as sneaky and tacky looking just like your mother, a spitting image, just a few shades lighter than her maybe you can fetch me more prizes mmmm.... you look just as disgustingly perfect, you will make up for her sins after I have molded you to my taste you shall make unbelievable sacks of golds, he chuckled wickedly while walking towards her.
"Slap",
The little creature fell to the ground a few drops of blood fell from her nose and coughed out a few portions too, pulling the child by the hair, he dragged her back to the room and locking her up.
No food was given to her even the next day, she cried uncontrollably and had gone numb finally loosing consciousness after almost a week of starvation.
A few weeks gone and she was finally able to step out, she was fed properly. Instead of the half meals, she had stubbornly refused to work for the man, the maids in the estate had thought at first she was brave but with constant retributive punishment she suffered, in time they thought that such idea was rather a foolish one, the pitied they child and coerced her to comply to evade the callous rounds of various whippings and imposed negligence of their master's orders.
It was almost six months already since she had been under master Ski, the fed her almost nothing but enough to keep her alive.
Finally, she conceded and he brought her out of the cells underground, as the maids took care of her by the order of their master, her entire body except her face was a Canva covered in scratches, such like she had contacted some severe skin disease, as bruising and infected wounds were dried and scarred.
The young Master Ski had met her eating in the room, eat up now this might be your very last dear, he gave her quite a stare, pulling up his lips for a smirk, you will fetch me a few sacks or a sack of gold.
What is your name? Master Ski asked, My name is Maurice. its not good enough!
Nevertheless, she was dressed neatly and her hair combed and was taken by a carriage, Maurice and Master Ski sat at the opposite ends each staring at different spots, one seemed to enjoy and the other seemed lost and numb.
Finally arriving at her supposed destination, alert to her surroundings she realized she was being sold. Over thirty minutes has gone with the man, the host, she was taken up the stage for display, this was an auction for children, they were items and finally over a hundred and fifty pieces of gold coins was claimed by master Ski, she was being was sold to an old haggard pedophile.
Maurice was finally released from a thin shackle and pulled to the back with another boy the man purchased.
The boy was older, a young teen maybe, they sat in silence for long and his voice cracked, what is your name.
She did not respond immediately, its Maurice.
Do not give up your name that easily, that is the last thing you may ever have that is real, true and yours. get a better name.
she was confused, she did not understand.
The place went silent, they both awaited their fate.
She saw how unguarded the room was and the thought of escaping filled her mind, unlike the boy who was still shackled, she paid no attention to him as she dragged tables together to make a good height for her to escape from the window, as much as she wanted to ignore him, she asked if he wanted to follow her but he shook his head in disagreement and only watched her, on her timing the young boy heard the footsteps coming and could only do one thing, stall them.. he blocked the handle with the wooden chair closest to him running to Annika and pushing her over without warning.
Maurice was shocked by the sudden movements, she sprained her ankle but it did not stop her, she knew from his agonizing screams from getting caught saving her, she picked her self up forgetting her bruisings and injuries, she ran to the forests instead of the road, as the room was located at the back yard facing the forest, she ran as fast without stop, she ran for something she thought was an hour or more.
Maurice walked this time till the night sprawled it's ink on the sky, she was exhausted and lost her to her surrounding, she lost consciousness falling down a slope behind a tree, she was lucky enough to not be found a few minutes after she passed out, a few groups came in search of her, sent out search party, different areas and fortunately enough the tree vines and bushes hide her in their embrace.
She finally woke up to the high disregard of the light piercing through her lids, her body ached as she had never experienced such complete exhaustion and thirst, upon realizing she was in a moving cart, she dashed up to meet a passel of young pigs at her sides, she looked to the driver and realized that however if she was captured or saved it was by an old man, he rode deep into a clearing in the woods and a small cottage could be seen ahead, she relaxed a bit believing he wasn't from Ski.
Ahh child you are awake, what is your name he said, he noticed the young girl he saved from the deep was awake.
Its ANNIKA!
They finally got to the little hut that the old man lived with his wife in the forest of Hermosa and eventually she was raised as theirs, they took care of her. They were unable have babies of their own, they brought her up as their own.
Mrs Lanai was labelled a witch and whore for protecting a banished consort of a certain lords harem, Mrs Lanai was kind enough to offer aid, when the certain lord knew of this act against him, he pulled strings on her reputation. The angry women rioted casting her out in the claims that she colluded with the ways of debauchery to allure their men and Mr Lanai bewitched by her poison, casted aside by her aid, she was unable to defend herself even the woman she aided abandoned her, the woman disappered, she was married to her husband by then but Mr Lanai knew and loved his wife
They decided to make a home outskirts of town close to the forest and there they lived for years, with the villagers knowing that the old couple took in a young child after many years, they believed it was the missing concubine's child. She wondered if Ski and his men ever stopped looking for her. Annika had already been labelled as a witch from her early age of attracting young men with her unravelling beauty.
The day started earlier than usual but it wasn't surprising for the people of Hermosa, as they were majority of indigenes who could afford or manage to move away from the community to the nearest communities, there was the matter of security in the kingdom.
The current states disaster and high rise of invasion in the kingdom's borders had increased subsequently, crimes, draught and wars was drawing closer to the kingdoms border and Hermosa is the city at the border,
The distribution of order to evacuate the village was given by the province to leave immediately or have themselves to be blame, they average people had since gone and the people struggled to get shelter over their heads in the safest village in the mountains.
Miss Annika walked out for her daily routine, she spent some time in the village library reading on politics and economics, she goes to the wool store and got a few yarns, got back home to pick up sticks, milk the few cows and feed the pigs.
Annika lived a life above average, she lived comfortably with her dogs and cows, with a dozen pigs and hens to accompany her and she had thought no reason to leave. She had no life beyond this and her creative talents to draw and write was mesmerizing as that was what Mr Arun said, he was the village scholar and had thought and encouraged her to publish a few books. But women were never recognized. He had even gone as far as to advise her to use a certain name as far as she would get her income, who would know, not every philosopher and writers they knew.
However, while the people gathered themselves in carriages, Maurice had a rough time getting her quill and quires for writing and drawings as the stores where all closing up, they had until a week of surety to leave the village.
Walking back that evening after her days work, she sensed the abnormalities of the village but shrugged it off because a great numbers of people where already leaving the village so the quietness was expected, she finally found her requirements and took the road narrowed into the woods, it was closer but was thick with dense bushes, she grew closer to her destination and the unwavering smell of copper filled her nose, she halted and all sort of imagination clustered her but her heels made fast as she got to her cottage, and the trails of blood and thick puddles of red was obvious in her surroundings, her home seemed like a slaughter home, moving around in her house the only surviving creature was the wolf cub she had recently taken in a week ago when she went fishing, it hide itself perfectly, she wouldn't have seen it if not for it's whimpers, it looked like it tried escaping and hiding quietly, however it was still heard from its sustained injuries.
She didn't understand what was going on, was it the invaders that caused this havoc in her home, her thoughts where interrupted by the heavy galloping coming outside her yard, rushing to the ripped door, she saw a horde of horses approaching, all dressed up like A level soldiers on armors with an engraving of a crest, a crest of the house of Sunbeam obviously this group was definitely from high rankers.
Woman you should leave here it's not safe one of the men without a helmet spoke, this group were sixteen, from Maurice's calculation, from the petit structure, two females and fourteen males, they were dressed in dark clothes, seems that the first four which faces were completely covered with dark scarfs, were on a black sturdy horses were ranking.
This is my home i have no where else she replied standing her ground.
One of the men who seemed to have dealt with stubborn villagers who
refused to leave, she could see him rolled his eyes, the others got off their horses except the silent four who strode their horses around the area examining it.
Do you wish to die here, look at your home and livestock, only that your lucky you survived the attack he spoke.
Do not worry about me I can fend for myself. The man seemed exhausted from convincing her, he only left her after sparing her a long pitiful stare and left to answer one of the men on the black horses, they men soared in and out of her house and could not help but feel irritated by the intrusion, from how much she knows, she didn't even know if they were they ones to vandalize her abode.
I will not have it that you and more men intrude my privacy for so much the heavens may have it I do know if your group is indeed the invaders given that I don't know who you people are, I do not recognize if you're part of the country or not sir.
The whole area dropped silent in the accusations and finally one of the person's on the horse got off and walked to her.
A sweet tantalizing voice of an authoritative woman spoke.
Apologies Miss, orders from the royal house. We are the Sunbeam soldiers and we are designated to survey the activities and help move the residents of the commune to closest and safest community she spoke, It is quite strange that nearly all the residents of this commune has exited, it is a small one not to say, the village i mean, but seeing a young woman as you in a family cottage, how is it you were not harmed nor leave, were are your family, y'all need to leave right away.
Annika had seen this point was a lost of course as she was cornered under her own truth, she stammered I.. I do not have anywhere nor any family relations to go find.
Surely a lady like you should have someone.... one of the soldiers jumped in, Sir Alhearaah.
What is it?
They was a rumor of a witch in the woods perhaps she is the one.
I am no witch, I couldn't bear such accusations at this point.
Do tell why your home was attacked not too long ago and you survived.
I was at the library and was merely lucky .
All shops and stalls has being closed since yesterday that's the inclusion of the library, luck is what a witch would say.
Why would I destroy my own home if I was a witch.
Some sort of ritual and you had to play the victim because you know you
can't out run the royal hunters.
Enough clatter bellman, witch or not the time to find a witch is long gone
said the woman who returned with the wolf.
You have to vacate here, it's not safe, willing or not ma'am, we advise you
head in and pick the rest of the important things of yours Allaeraah declared.
Her unwillingness was plastered but she couldn't continue to be thoughtless, walking back the woman called back.
Miss..?
It's Annika.
-_-
Dallas..., Annika Lanai.