PsionicCuttlefish
Supernova
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2012
Everything had gone so wrong so quickly in one day for Elena DeFelice.
It had started out normal enough. She, her peers, and her guards were heading towards a social courting party in the next town over via a carriage in a forest path. As a wealthy merchant's daughter, it was her duty to attend such things.
But then they had come; quickly, decisively, and most unexpectedly. Raiding bandits burst from the trees and surrounded the carriage, attacking the hired guards. They tried to put up a fight, but from the sudden and vicious attack, they were cut down quickly. That was when Elena was able to get her first glimpse at who the bandits were; beastfolk. There was a wolf-man, a tiger-man, even a bear-man, and several more besides. All too late, it became obvious what the bandits were after--not 'riches', but the most precious cargo of the carriage itself. Elena saw the doors of the carriage ripped open and her friends pulled from the transport before a strong, furry hand grabbed her own arm and yanked her out to the ground. The last thing she saw was her friends having gags stuffed into their mouths and blindfolds pulled over their heads before she got the same treatment herself. Moments later, thick ropes had been lashed around her wrists, which were then bound to her waist.
Then came the forced march. A hand was always roughly grabbing her shoulder or pushing into her back, steering her to walk at a very near jogging pace, and blinded as she was, had no choice but to trust the steering hands to keep her from running into a tree. Still, she and her friends (for she could hear them nearby) stumbled and tripped enough that the bandits had to grab them to keep them from falling and drag them, and even half the time was spent slung over some beastfolk's strong furred shoulder like so much luggage. Due to the gags, none of the girls could form words or scream, though they could moan and yelp from time to time. Anyone who made too much noise, however, got a swift slap upside the head. Not enough to injure or bruise, but enough to get them to shut up. The voices of the beastfolk talked to each other now and then, though they seemed deliberately dodgy and overly roundabout in their words, seemingly to keep the girls in the dark about what they were doing and where they were going. One voice in particular could clearly be picked out as calling the shots.
After two or three straight hours of walking like this, the girls were brought to a halt. It seemed to be a rest break, though a relatively short one, and Elena could hear clopping and nickering sounds nearby. Horses. Surely enough, Elena felt herself hoisted up into a saddle while one of the beastfolk sat behind her and wrapped an arm tightly around her torso, and the galloping started. Wherever these beastfolk were taking the girls, they clearly wanted to get there fast.
And yet, wherever it was apparently was far enough away that even horseback couldn't reach in one day. Elena could tell night was falling by the cooling of the air and the darkening of her blindfold, and finally, the motly band seemed to come to a stop for a night. Elena was taken down from the horse and made to kneel on the ground. By the sounds around her, it seems the same thing was being done for the other girls; she could sense they had been lined up.
A voice pierced her ears, the one that was picked out as the leader. "Alright, listen up. We're stopping and sleeping for the night. Here's what's going to happen. One by one, we're going to ungag you and give you food and water. If you scream or cry out, the gag goes right back on and you go to sleep with no food. It's that simple...you're first." Elena heard rustling sounds to her right, and then a quiet unmuffled moaning sound of one of her friends. There was the sound of something like a tin being opened and some more slow rustling that went on for several minutes, then "Alright, she's done. Chain her at the tree over there....you're next." Elena heard the sounds of chains clinking, then more footsteps and sounds directly to her right, and suddenly, one of the other girl's voice pierced the night, right next to Elena's ear.
"Help! Oh gods, someone, help! Please--" Which was then cut off by an almost strangling sound and then loud muffled moans, which was in turn cut off as a loud smack echoed through the air. Quiet, muffled whimpering followed.
"No food for her tonight. Chain her up at the tree." More chain-clinking and then footsteps, directly in front of Elena. A finger poked her shoulder. "You're next. You just heard what happens if you misbehave. Gag's coming off now."
Elena felt fingers working around her head, and the gag was blessedly removed from her mouth, allowing her to move her jaw freely for the first time in hours. The blindfold remained firmly in place along with her arms remaining bound to her sides, however.
It had started out normal enough. She, her peers, and her guards were heading towards a social courting party in the next town over via a carriage in a forest path. As a wealthy merchant's daughter, it was her duty to attend such things.
But then they had come; quickly, decisively, and most unexpectedly. Raiding bandits burst from the trees and surrounded the carriage, attacking the hired guards. They tried to put up a fight, but from the sudden and vicious attack, they were cut down quickly. That was when Elena was able to get her first glimpse at who the bandits were; beastfolk. There was a wolf-man, a tiger-man, even a bear-man, and several more besides. All too late, it became obvious what the bandits were after--not 'riches', but the most precious cargo of the carriage itself. Elena saw the doors of the carriage ripped open and her friends pulled from the transport before a strong, furry hand grabbed her own arm and yanked her out to the ground. The last thing she saw was her friends having gags stuffed into their mouths and blindfolds pulled over their heads before she got the same treatment herself. Moments later, thick ropes had been lashed around her wrists, which were then bound to her waist.
Then came the forced march. A hand was always roughly grabbing her shoulder or pushing into her back, steering her to walk at a very near jogging pace, and blinded as she was, had no choice but to trust the steering hands to keep her from running into a tree. Still, she and her friends (for she could hear them nearby) stumbled and tripped enough that the bandits had to grab them to keep them from falling and drag them, and even half the time was spent slung over some beastfolk's strong furred shoulder like so much luggage. Due to the gags, none of the girls could form words or scream, though they could moan and yelp from time to time. Anyone who made too much noise, however, got a swift slap upside the head. Not enough to injure or bruise, but enough to get them to shut up. The voices of the beastfolk talked to each other now and then, though they seemed deliberately dodgy and overly roundabout in their words, seemingly to keep the girls in the dark about what they were doing and where they were going. One voice in particular could clearly be picked out as calling the shots.
After two or three straight hours of walking like this, the girls were brought to a halt. It seemed to be a rest break, though a relatively short one, and Elena could hear clopping and nickering sounds nearby. Horses. Surely enough, Elena felt herself hoisted up into a saddle while one of the beastfolk sat behind her and wrapped an arm tightly around her torso, and the galloping started. Wherever these beastfolk were taking the girls, they clearly wanted to get there fast.
And yet, wherever it was apparently was far enough away that even horseback couldn't reach in one day. Elena could tell night was falling by the cooling of the air and the darkening of her blindfold, and finally, the motly band seemed to come to a stop for a night. Elena was taken down from the horse and made to kneel on the ground. By the sounds around her, it seems the same thing was being done for the other girls; she could sense they had been lined up.
A voice pierced her ears, the one that was picked out as the leader. "Alright, listen up. We're stopping and sleeping for the night. Here's what's going to happen. One by one, we're going to ungag you and give you food and water. If you scream or cry out, the gag goes right back on and you go to sleep with no food. It's that simple...you're first." Elena heard rustling sounds to her right, and then a quiet unmuffled moaning sound of one of her friends. There was the sound of something like a tin being opened and some more slow rustling that went on for several minutes, then "Alright, she's done. Chain her at the tree over there....you're next." Elena heard the sounds of chains clinking, then more footsteps and sounds directly to her right, and suddenly, one of the other girl's voice pierced the night, right next to Elena's ear.
"Help! Oh gods, someone, help! Please--" Which was then cut off by an almost strangling sound and then loud muffled moans, which was in turn cut off as a loud smack echoed through the air. Quiet, muffled whimpering followed.
"No food for her tonight. Chain her up at the tree." More chain-clinking and then footsteps, directly in front of Elena. A finger poked her shoulder. "You're next. You just heard what happens if you misbehave. Gag's coming off now."
Elena felt fingers working around her head, and the gag was blessedly removed from her mouth, allowing her to move her jaw freely for the first time in hours. The blindfold remained firmly in place along with her arms remaining bound to her sides, however.