"Aren’t you just going to leave without talking to ?" the unexpected visitor asked, her voice trembling slightly even as she tried to mask it behind a cute little pout.
Riley froze mid-step. He turned around slowly, his brows lifting.
"Evelyn? What are you doing here?" he asked, unable to hide the surprise in his tone.
Evelyn stood by the doorway, frad by the afternoon light.
She was the daughter of a respected village elder, praised by everyone as the most beautiful girl in the village.
Her long dark hair was neatly braided, her pale cheeks tinged pink from running, and her big brown eyes shimred with sothing between hurt and determination.
To the n of the village, she was a goddess.
To Riley—who had been with won whose beauty rivaled divine beings—she was lovely, yes, but still just a gentle spark compared to the blazing radiance he had already known.
Not that he would ever say that out loud.
"I asked first," she insisted softly, stepping closer. "Please answer my question."
Before he could stop her, she slipped past him and entered the house.
She looked around slowly, taking everything in—the hunting gear by the wall, the tools arranged neatly, the simple wooden table.
It was the first ti she had ever been inside Riley’s ho, and her curiosity showed in every lingering glance.
Riley sighed.
"Evelyn... we’re just friends. There’s really nothing more to say between us." He tried to make his voice gentle, but firm.
Evelyn’s shoulders stiffened. For a mont she didn’t speak, then she turned to face him fully.
"Well, that might be true," she admitted quietly, "but I want to be more than just friends with you, Riley."
She clasped her hands to stop them from shaking. "I want you to be my man."
The words were simple, but the courage behind them was enormous.
They seed to echo inside the small house.
There were many n after her—farrs, hunters, traveling rchants who visited the village.
n who offered gifts, who wrote silly poems, who fought with each other just for a chance to talk to her.
She was admired, adored, even worshipped by so.
But none of them were Riley.
Riley, the most capable hunter in the entire village.
Riley, the man with quiet eyes and a calm strength she could never find in anyone else.
Riley, the man she had admired since she was young—long before any other girl dared to.
She had waited for him.
Hoped for him.
Prayed that one day he would look at her the way the other n did.
But he never did.
He treated her kindly, respectfully, but never with affection. Never with desire.
Not even with the slightest hint of intention that he wanted to pursue her.
And now he was leaving.
Evelyn swallowed hard, trying to steady the storm of emotions inside her.
She took a small step toward him, reaching out as if trying to catch sothing slipping through her fingers.
"Riley... you’re leaving the village today. I heard the news. And I..." Her voice cracked. "I couldn’t let you go without telling you how I feel. I couldn’t just watch you walk away like I never mattered at all."
Her eyes glistened, but she forced herself to keep looking at him, brave and vulnerable at the sa ti.
"I don’t want to regret this for the rest of my life."
"It won’t be easy, Evelyn. We’re going to have to travel for days," Riley said, his tone low and steady. He looked her straight in the eyes, wanting her to understand what she was choosing.
"This isn’t a simple walk outside the village. Once we go, there’s no turning back."
"That doesn’t matter," Evelyn responded almost instantly.
Her voice wavered, not out of doubt but from the weight of her own emotions.
She took another step toward him, small fists clenched at her sides.
"I will go with you. I want to be with you, Riley. Wherever you go, I’ll follow."
There was a plea hidden in her words, sothing soft and aching.
Riley saw it—saw the vulnerability beneath her stubbornness—and for a mont, he didn’t know what to say.
His gaze swept over her: the young woman with a ripe, graceful figure and a beauty that would make most n lose their senses.
She was earnest, sincere, and surprisingly bold.
He hadn’t planned to take her.
But looking at her now, at her determination... perhaps having soone like her on the journey wouldn’t be so bad.
She was gentle, pretty, and obviously interested in him.
"If you’re sure," Riley said at last, "then you’re free to co along."
Evelyn released a breath she’d been holding.
Relief softened her expression, and for the first ti since she arrived, a shy smile curved her lips.
That very afternoon, they headed to her parents’ house.
Her mother was sweeping the yard while her father sat repairing a wooden chair.
At the sight of Evelyn and Riley approaching together, both parents straightened, sothing uneasy passing between them.
When Evelyn told them her decision—to leave the village, to follow Riley—the reaction was imdiate.
Her mother gasped and grabbed her arm.
Her father’s face hardened with disapproval.
"No," her father said. "Absolutely not. You’re not going anywhere."
"Evelyn, my child, think about this carefully," her mother begged, her voice trembling.
"The world outside the village is dangerous. You’re too young—
"And what about your future?!" her father added sharply. "Your suitors, your reputation, your life here—you’re throwing everything away!"
But Evelyn stood her ground, even when her mother cried and her father raised his voice.
For years she had been quiet, obedient, gentle. Today she was none of those things.
"Father, Mother," she said firmly, "I’ve made my choice. I will not regret it."
Riley stayed silent. He knew this was Evelyn’s fight, and interfering would only make things worse.
In the end, when her parents realized they could not change her mind, they broke.
Her mother wept as she hugged her. Her father’s eyes turned red even as he kept his jaw clenched.
They gave her extra clothes, a small pouch of coins, and a single warning:
"If he hurts you," her father said quietly, "co ho."
Evelyn nodded, though deep down she knew she would not return.
***
By sunset, the group heading toward the city had been ford. Riley, Evelyn, and three girls decided to leave the quiet village behind.
They loaded a small wooden carriage with supplies: dried at, grain, blankets, a few tools, and their personal belongings.
Two large oxen pulled the cart as they walked beside it.
Their destination: White Bone City, the nearest major settlent, known for its bustling markets and stone walls.
At their speed, it would take two full weeks to reach it.
***
The first week passed easily.
The weather was kind—soft breezes during the day, clear skies at night.
They camped beside rivers, under tall trees, and on gentle hills.
Riley hunted often, returning with deer, boar, or rabbits slung over his shoulder.
Evelyn helped prepare als, wash clothes, and tend to the oxen, wanting to prove she wasn’t a burden.
She walked close to Riley every day.
Asked questions.
Listened to his stories.
Stole glances when she thought he wasn’t looking.
The others teased her lightly, sensing her affection, but Evelyn only blushed and kept walking.
Those were simple days. Warm days. Days when everyone felt safe.
But peace never lasts in the wild.
***
"Don’t move!"
Evelyn woke with a violent jolt as a calloused hand clamped tightly over her mouth.
She hadn’t even taken her first breath when a thick rag was forced between her lips, silencing her scream.
Her eyes widened in panic.
Rough rope scraped her skin as her wrists were yanked behind her back and tied harshly, the fibers biting into her flesh.
She kicked out instinctively, but the man just laughed—a low, ugly sound—and bound her ankles as well.
In less than ten seconds, she was gagged, tied, and completely helpless.
The bandit dragged her out of the makeshift tent, her knees hitting the cold dirt.
She groaned into her gag, tears forming, but the man didn’t care. He shoved her forward until she toppled beside the others.
The three other girls were already there. Also gagged. Also tied. Also trembling.
Their eyes t Evelyn’s—wide, terrified, pleading.
"Look what we got, boss!" one of the bandits crowed as he strutted around the four bound won like a starving wolf circling prey.
"We’re really lucky today! Four won traveling out here all alone, just waiting for us to pick them up!" His grin widened as he stared openly at Evelyn’s pretty face, her frightened eyes, her delicate figure.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun..."
Evelyn felt her stomach twist violently. She tried to pull away, but the ropes held fast.
There were six of them—n with dirty armor, greasy hair, mismatched weapons, and the rotten stench of old blood clinging to their clothes. Everything about them scread danger.
Bandits.
Predators.
Monsters in human skin.
One of them crouched in front of Lea, brushing her hair aside with disgusting familiarity.
Another prodded Grace’s thigh with his boot, smirking.
A third tugged at Sarah’s clothes just to watch her flinch.
Fear thickened the air like smoke.
"I know, right?" the leader said with a laugh, walking toward Evelyn with slow, savoring steps.
He grabbed her chin roughly and forced her face up to et his—his breath hot and foul.
"Today is definitely our lucky d—"
He never finished.
A faint whistle sliced through the early morning air.
Pffft!
The leader’s eyes bulged.
For a split second, Evelyn didn’t understand what happened—until she saw the arrow sticking out of his neck, buried so deep the tip was visible at the back.
Blood sprayed across her cheek.
The leader dropped without a sound.
Before the other bandits could even react—
Pffft!
Pffft!
Pffft!
Pffft!
Pffft!
Six arrows.
Six necks pierced.
Six sprays of blood arcing through the dim light.
It all happened in less than a second.
The bandits collapsed one after another like lifeless sacks, their bodies twitching for a breath... then going still.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
The forest fell deathly silent.
Only the soft drip, drip, drip of cooling blood hitting the earth remained.
Evelyn, shaking violently, stared at the corpses around her, her heart thundering in her chest.
Relief, terror, shock—all of it crashed over her at once.
The girls whimpered into their gags.
Sowhere in the trees...
soone was watching.
Soone who fired six perfect arrows in an instant.
Soone who had saved them.
And Evelyn already knew who it was.
Reviews
All reviews (0)