Palace to Plunder (AMBW)

2 PTP

The smell of burning wood woke me out of my sleep. A jolted up and glanced frantically at my surroundings. Was my house on fire? Did I leave the pot on for too long? It took me a long time to process my senses, and why I smelled something burning.

I realized I wasn't in my home. I was in a forest next to a campfire. "WHAT THE—" I gasped once the realization hit me.

"Shush! You're going to attract bears!" A soft voice rang. I looked to my left and saw a short old woman, with white wavy hair and a monocle on her right eye. It was the librarian from earlier. She was dressed in a long black robe covered in dirt and badly patched holes.

"You!" I gasped. "Where am I?! Did you bring me here?" My body shook as a breeze of cold night air kissed my shoulders. I looked down and saw that I was in a completely different outfit. I crossed my arms over my chest. "DID YOU CHANGE MY CLOTHES!?" I hissed.

"If you don't lower your voice, I'll leave you here to be eaten when the bears come." She spat back at me. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"What am I even wearing?" I twisted my arms to get a better look at the gown. It was a navy blue off shoulder cotton dress that reached above my knees, tied around my torso by a thin leather strap.

"It's servants wear." The lady rolled her eyes.

"Can you please tell me where I am, and how I got here? The last thing I remember is going to sleep in my bed." I snapped.

"Didn't I already tell you? Don't doubt until you've experienced the pages." She smiled.

"You didn't." I bit my lip, anxious for whatever harsh reality of words she was going say next.

"I did so." She shrugged. "You were the one who told me to bring you here."

"I did nothing of a sort!"

"Aye, you did."

"Why are you speaking like that?" I glared at her. Now she was just going too far. I never asked anyone to bring me out of the comfort of my own room to this forest!

Before she could answer, the loud sound of gallops beat against the dirt trail, drifting her attention somewhere in the distance. "Oh curses!" She muttered. "They're here."

I whipped my head in the direction she was staring off into. "Who!?"

"Come with me." She grabbed onto my hand and led me behind a tree. I peaked around the bark to get a better glimpse of who headed towards us.

"I thought I heard someone." A tall and dark figure of a man with a gruff voice said. "Check the trees over there." Two more dark figures on horses arrived next to the first man, and whipped their horse reins in the opposite direction of us.

"Who are they?" I mouthed to the old lady.

"They be slave merchants. They take whoever they can find and sell them to whoever bids the highest price of their stock."

"Oh HECK no!" I shouted in anger, before slapping my hand over my mouth. The first man's eyes shot directly towards our tree, and he whipped his horse. They were charging at us. I was going to run, but the old women grasped onto my arm and pouted. "Sorry, lass. You're on your own for now. I'll come for you later."

Before I could register what was happening, she shoved me to the ground, and sprinted off in the opposite direction. "HEY!" I yelped. "WAIT!" Before I could gather myself together and stand, a sharp blade pressed against the back of my neck.

"Stay put if you value your life." The man with the gruff voiced barker. I froze, fearing the worst would come to me if I even took a breathe. The man on his horse threw his sword in the air, and I watched it fall. The handle of it rammed against my head, and I felt my entire world go black.