6

Siofra never liked violence. Her mother died by violence, now it could be her turn.

She was motionless, huddled against a small gap in the cave wall. The cold walls had drained her of her heat and soiled her pink, long gown. Her light brown hair was disarranged and sticking out from some sides. Much of it was due to her kicking and screaming when she was kidnapped. She gazed at the cave entrance, at the light of dawn as it rose behind the distant trees in the hills. It was the start of the last day someone can pay her ransom.

Her eyes ached, tired from crying the days before. She had started to miss the tears dropping on her cheeks and blown cold by the air current that entered the cave.

There were a handful of it torches that lit the area. Two large shadows of bulky guards covered the ground around her. One bandit to each side of her, facing her. Their bodies covered in crudely fitted leather armor. They both had swords attached near their hips and one had a dagger, sheathed in leather by the side of his belly. Their faces were deformed with scars, some long, some short but deep.

Siofra looked around, frightened. When the sun went down her time was up. She had to think of a way to escape. Her movement caught the attention of one of the guardsmen who looked at her. Siofra looked up at him, but only for a moment. The guardsman eyes were too sadistic, evil and angry looking. She quickly hunched her head, being thankful the day’s end was a long ways away, for now anyways.

“Hey, what you think, we going to get the gold and silver?” one guard asked to another. His voice rough like he was having trouble moving his tongue inside his mouth. “I be thinking the boss gone and messed up on this one, he asked for too much. And now we’ll have Tidwield on our behinds” the second guard said in a deep, rough voice. “The boss gone and gambled our whole lives, he did. Either a small army shows up, and ponies up the gold and silver or Tidwield shows up with a large army and hunts us all down in anger” The first guard said.

“If Tidwield comes, I’m hiding deep in the caves, there’s got to be an another way out in these tunnels somewhere” The second guard said as he snorted and spitted at the ground, clearing his throat.

“There is another way out” a creaky, calm voice called out from the dark area, deeper into the cave. “Who goes there” one of the guardsmen yelled as both drew their swords. Another bandit slowly walked out from the darkness where the voice was heard. He had the same crude leather looking armor as the rest, but this one had a battered steel helmet barely holding together and the bottom part of his legs were wrapped.

“Pango, what are you doing there!” asked one of the guards, annoyed as they both sheathed their swords again. “The boss sent me down here to guard the princess, and to make sure you two didn’t misbehave. I’ve been watching you from the dark all night” Pango said in an almost taunting voice.

“You bastard, Pango. Just because you like to kiss the boss’s behind you think you’re better than us!” one of the guards said, annoyed. “Bastard, me? My, and I was just about to show you the other way out of through this tunnel I found” Pango said, in a sarcastic tone. “What other way out?” One of the guards asked, calming down.

“I found another way out, while exploring the tunnels, come I’ll show you” Pango said, signaling with his hand to the guard. The guard grabbed a torch from the wall and walked to Pango “keep an eye on the girl, I’ll be back”.

Pango led the guard into the darkness, as they walked further into the tunnel their torchlight became smaller until it was barely visible.

As time went by, the only guard left became impatient, he would look at the dim torchlight in the distance, take some steps toward it, then come back. “Those bastards been gone a while” he murmured, annoyed.

Then a thumping sound came from the darkness “oh, ow, I almost fell tripping on that rock there” Pango said while walking into the light. “Got to be careful when walking around here” he continued, as he looked at the guard.

“And where——he go?” The guard asked. “Oh the other guardsman? He said he found some gold so he is stabbing at it with his sword. This used to be a mine, you know” Pango said. “Gold!?” the guardman said with disbelief. “Yes gold, I told him he wouldn’t need it after today, that we were getting our fill, but he’s a greedy one that one is” Pango explained.

The guardsman stared at the distant dim light of the torch again. His breath had become slow and heavy. He looked at Siofra then at Pango. “What’s wrong. Don’t tell me——you also want to go dig at the gold. Well you can’t, guarding the princess is more important. If the boss were to catch you, he’ll chop off your heads” Pango said. “I know that, you bastard!” the guard said.

“Here, look” Pango said, as he took out some pebbles of gold from his pockets and showed it, hand palm open to the guard. “I made a deal with him, he gave me some of the gold to cover for him”

The guardsman face relaxed, his jaw hanged, while his eyes opened wide at the sight of the gold. “There’s that much there?” the guard asked. “Yeah, there’s plenty, but that little amount is for peasants. The real gold is coming latter, friend” Pango said as he turned his back to the guard “although, the boss might pocket it all or the girl might no be ransomed at all” Pango said casually, almost like thinking aloud.

“Pango! cover for me while I go gather some of that gold there, I’ll cut some of it with you, I swear” the guard said anxiously, almost begging Pango. “Ah, you know what, this has gotten me thinking, I think I’ll head back there myself to get some gold” Pango said as he walked and started to reach for a torch. “No Pango, let me do it. You guard the girl. I’ll cut you half, I swear!” the guard said quickly as he grabbed the torch before Pango. “Half?” Pango answered. “Yes, half. I swear, Pango” said the guard looking intently at Pango. Pango sighted “the sacrifices one makes for a fellow comrade. Alright, you go get our gold and I’ll cover you. But do hurry up” Pango said. The guard quickly stepped off into the darkness, deeper into the cave. “Yep, just follow the torch light, and careful not to trip” Pango advised.

Pango stared into the darkness of the cave, then turned to Siofra. He squatted down next to her “You there, girl, you hungry? Here take this” he said, as he reached into his pocket and took out a small pack wrapped with green leaves. His hand reached out to her with the pack. “Here’s some rabbit meat”

Siofra looked at Pango, her eyes wide and glazed. Fear overcame her to where she could not move, Pango was not an appalling looking man, but his face was one of a deceiver, someone who could not be trusted. She did not know what he could be hiding. His aged voice did not match his youthful face. He was looking at her from the side of the eyes, his chin tucked in slightly. He had a blank, light, fake smile like the diplomats who Siofra had seen in the palace many times. “I’m not hungry” Siofra finally managed to say, her voice stuttering. Just then her stomach growled, and it echoed throughout the walls. She hoped somehow Pango had not heard it.

Pango stared at Siofra, then sighted. He unwrapped the pack a little, peeling off a bit of the leafs to reveal some golden brown meat inside that glazed with the light. He pinched some of the meat off and put it in his mouth making sure Siofra saw it. He chewed then opened his mouth to show Siofra that he had swallowed it. He made some sounds while his mouth was open, silly, like he was trying to be funny.

She was too hungry to resist, Siofra slowly grabbed the meat from his hand. “Eat up” Pango said.

Siofra took a bite of the meat. It was tender, juicy, crispy on the outside, spices she did not expect from bandits. Pango stood “Well, I got stuff to take care of, if someone asks, tell them the guards went for a leak” Pango said as he left. Siofra realized she was all alone now.