Chapter 42: Time to Flee

"WARD." Pig burst through the drapes of his tent. "She escaped!"

"How?" Ward rushed to his feet.

"She..."

"Spit it out Pig." Ward slipped both feet into his boots.

"She tricked me. I thought she liked - and I took her to the bathroom."

Ward shook his head. "I'll deal with you later," and ran outside. His middle and thumb curled together as he brought it to his mouth and blew. A high-pitched sound rang throughout the camp, and his men scurried over.

"What happened?" Ox looked at his Leader.

"Pig - lost the new girl," Ward mounted his horse. "What direction did she head?" he asked Pig.

"That way."

"Ox, you're in charge until I come back. I'll go alone." He jumped on his horse.

"You sure about that?" Ox asked.

"YES. Stay here!" And he rode off.

"You stupid ass!" Ox raised his hand, and struck Pig across the face. "Make sure the other girls are secured IRK." Ox screamed.

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All Yuliah could make out was the pounding of her heart as she took off through the forest. She went back and took Pig's rusty sword, not before giving him another kick in the gut. It's always better to have a weapon.

A knot tightened inside her chest, but Yuliah raced onward. Come on ethereal spirit! She dove inside the Ethereal Flow and tried to harness the power, but nothing came out. Then ducked behind a tree and took a breath — several breaths before calming down.

That Pig probably ran back squealing to his master by now. A good twenty minutes, the most, she probably had ahead of them. Yuliah peeked from behind the tree. Good no one, then took off at full speed again. Run towards the sun. That had to be south. Yuliah kept going.

Right past the clusters of ferns, and blooming flowers, then through the scattered trees in the forest. How much time had passed? It didn't matter anymore, keep going that was the only thing she focused on. The throbbing in her side turned into a constant reminder to stop, but Yuliah forced her body onward until both feet gave out. Landing roughly onto her knees she crawled behind a towering group of trees and exhaled. Great. More time lost. She needed to harness the ethereal spirit and Nomen mark together if she wanted to survive this world, but how?

Then it came, a fast and distant clomp... clomp.. clomp.. through the woods. Yuliah's breathing slowed to a halt. The buzz inside her ears picked up. Her head tilted sideways to listened... Hooves! Horse hooves!

Her body jerked up then landed back on two feet again, and each foot slammed onto the ground until she broke into a sprint.

No. Already... I should have kicked that Pig much harder, that would have given me more time. A quick glanced over her shoulder quickened her pace.

There he sped forward on a white horse, at an incredible speed, stirring up dirt and weaved between the trees. His golden hair swept back by the wind and thick brows that slanted upward over a pair of dark obsidian eyes. If it weren't for the evil work he did; he was quite breathtaking.

Louder the hooves sounded till a grunt could be heard directly behind her. Yuliah didn't dare to look. The beat bursting inside her ribs had synced with the clamping right beside her.

"Gotcha!"

It must have been his arm that slammed into her back, then knocked her forward, but he managed to scoop Yuliah up, right into the saddle with him. With her back to the stallions head, her nose touched against the narrow tip of his.

"Where ya going?" His lips curled slightly upward.

She paused and her mouth parted, but the words lodged in her throat. What was happening? That look on his face she wanted to make it disappear. It made her uncomfortable.

Yuliah's fingers wound tightly around the sword hilt fastened to her hip. The belt she took from Pig earlier and drew part of the sword out.

His reflexes were quick, and with his fist, he punched the sword back into its sheath. Then snared his right arm around Yuliah like a rope, and pressed her up against his body, locking both her arms to the sides. She wiggled and squirmed, but it made no difference.

Her face smooshed against his and he continued to smile until a burst of deep laughter erupted. The scent of his body lingered in her nose. Earthy like the woods, like freedom, too pleasant. No, and she twisted her head away. This feeling... It - confused her. Suddenly her lips were on his neck, and bit down.

He hollered out into another laugh and hugged her even tighter. "You fight dirty don't you."

Yuliah kept her teeth clamped tightly onto his neck. What's wrong with him? Did he not feel any pain? Any harder and a chunk of his neck would go missing. She drew blood; the taste of it filled her mouth. Ryas taught her nothing is fair when it comes to fighting for your life and that's what she did.

This man he was the Leader of the Bandits. Who would sell her to the Nomens soon and clenched down even harder. They came to an abrupt stop, and he tumbled off taking Yuliah with him. She swallowed the contents in her mouth and retched.

Her back fell first towards the ground but he shifted her midair, and Yuliah landed on top of him with a thud. Her face grimaced. Why did he do that? He would have had the upper hand if he'd pinned her beneath him.

"How do I taste?" He mocked. "Good?"

"Disgusting." Yuliah bunted him with her head, and he released her. Ouch! That hurt more than she thought it would. Now that her arms were free she could finally reach for the sword, but the moment her hand went down, he tore the belt and sword from her hips, and her bottom slammed against his. He smiled then hurled the sword and belt away. No! He's always a step ahead of her. Yuliah's knee went up and his hands blocked her knee and squeezed down.

"I know you fight dirty. I don't fight fair either." He gritted his teeth and managed to grab a handful of her hair, tangled his arm around hers and then tugged.

Yuliah winced but refused to scream as the pressure increased on her knee cap, left arm, and head.

"You sure, you wanna lose all this pretty hair?"

Yuliah ended up on top of him, straddled to one of his thighs, with her head pointed to the sky. His body tensed beneath hers. Something needed to happen, or he'd win. With the free arm, she pushed it against his windpipe hard as she could. The grip on her hair loosened.

Yuliah looked down into two black pearl eyes that bulged as he gagged for air. Could she kill him? Her knee ready to snap in his hands, but kept the pressure tightly against his neck.

There it was, deep in those black eyes, the hope of redemption and she let go. "STOP." She stared into his eyes. "Just stop." He let go of her hair, arm, then knee, and she rolled over letting out a long breath.

He flipped on top of her suddenly and pinned both Yuliah's arms above her head.

"What do you want?" She laid there without moving. There was a sadness to his eyes and face. Or maybe she was wrong, but it didn't matter at this point. She was too tired to fight anymore.

"I have a gift for you." He dangled a small golden chain in front of her face.

"I don't want it." Yuliah pushed him away, but he was stronger. Getting tied up, it was the last thing she needed right now, but maybe not. Something seemed off about him, more than what he portrayed to be. Those women in the cage did not fear him. Neither did Nian. He didn't allow the men to do what they wanted with the girls. What kind of man was he?

He bounded the golden chain snuggly around her hands and locked it with a key. Then pulled her to both feet.

He smiled and tied the key to a loop down his pants. "Just in case you feel bold." He lifted Yuliah onto the horse and slid in behind her.

Her head spun back, and she leered at him. "It's Ward right?" Her brows raised. "Is that your real name?" She asked. "That explains why everyone in your pack of losers all have idiot names." She wanted to make him angry to test her assumptions about him. "Your man Pig. He's the sickest of you all."

With a hard tug, he jerked the reins of the horse, and they jolted forward. Yuliah slammed into his chest; her lips grazed his chin. Ward chuckled.

"It's not my real name. You see names make it personal. In this line of work too many lives come, go, and die. The only way to not be effected by it is not to get attached to anyone. If you don't know someone by their name. You have no attachment to them. They are just another face among the hundreds." His eyes gazed deeply into hers.

Yuliah could read him, unlike Ryas. "Whatever makes you sleep better at night." She exchanged the flutters in her stomach for a piercing look.

"I might sell you I might not," he shrugged. "It depends on what you can do for me."

The warmth from his breath and lips hovered right next to her cheek. If she moved just a hair, he'd have her cheek on his lips. "Why don't you unchain me and I'll show you what I can do to you," Yuliah bluffed. Ryas taught her enough to fight an amateur but not a learned fighter like Ward. From his movements, body, and strength he'd trained as a fighter.

Ward laughed. "As much as I'd like to see that. I'm a bit worn out from you already." His hand lightly touched the bite mark on his neck. "You even drew blood," he sneered at her. "Good Gods. I hope you're not rabid," his forehead furrowed.

"Maybe I am," Yuliah smirked at him. She believed it now. That he would not hurt her, and she could use someone like Ward to help her get to the Southern Kingdom, but she'll have to be smart about it. Ward was not an idiot like Pig.

He put both hands on her head and faced her forward, "Stop looking at me with those eyes."

"Why? Are you afraid I'm creating a connection?" Yuliah laughed loudly for the first time in long time. She couldn't even remember.

"Don't play with me. I might keep you for myself." He threatened.

"I'm not property you own. You can't just -" Yuliah gasped down at her arm. "NO. Not now." The blood vines were brighter than before. They shot up past her forearm and wrapped around her entire arm. Each vine etched brightly on her arm, upward, and set her skin on fire. She screamed from the pain.

"What the fuck!" Ward turned her around. "What's wrong with you?"

Yuliah's eyes burned violet, and the Nomen mark glowed bright red. "Nomens. My arm it does this when they are close by." She slumped onto Ward's chest. As quick as the mark appeared it disappeared.

Ward pulled the reins hard on his horse, but it was too late. Right behind him came the pounding of not hooves but of heavy feet and snarls. He turned his head around to find ten Nomens sitting on their beasts chasing after them. "Fuck!" he yelled.