Where To Go Now

After they had ran for a while, one of the women, she could not remember her name, suggested that they split up. If they had trackers the chances of more of them escaping were far greater if they went their own way. Hesitantly, one by one they all agreed and that was the last time she would ever see those faces.

The woods were not that different than those she had seen before. Oak, Maple, Pine and Birch trees were among the more common that she passed. Ferns also and other plants a forest might have. They had no shoes or boots of any kind so her soles became sore rather quickly as she ran. Bruises, large, black runnels formed on her legs and back and they had not come without pain. Running was painful, the large man had done his damage and her left calf kept cramping up. She needed food and water but she had never been an outdoorsman...or in this case, woman. For the better part of the day she alternated running and then walking and then running again. Once or twice she thought she heard dogs but they weren’t nearby nor headed in her direction so she paid them no mind. She found a few berries, the kinds with thorns on their branches so she knew she could eat them. She had read about others without thorns somewhere and how they were often toxic to people. She found water as well, a small puddle that had formed from a recent rainfall. For two days she lived like this. Eating berries and finding water where she could. She had slowed down, the lack of meat in her diet had made exhaustion to come quickly and the more she expended energy, the less distance she was able to go without rest. However she detected the smell of smoke in the distance and she knew where there was smoke, there were people. Perhaps not the sort that would be kind but she’d die out here otherwise she felt. She decided to take a look.

Three men sat around a fire. The smell of rabbit as it sizzled on a spit made her mouth water but they didn’t look exactly the sort that she wanted to contend with. Two were large, big men with dirty faces and missing teeth. Thieves or robbers or some such she decided but they had bags and they weren’t empty. She bet they had food in those bags and maybe even water or wine. With her senses dulled from her fatigue though she had had to get closer than what she was comfortable to see clearly. She could wait them out, they appeared to have stopped to eat or to camp here and it would be hours until dark yet.

Her decision had been made for her when she heard someone move up behind her and he called out,” “Eh...what you lookin fer lass!” The man said and he lunged at her. Angelique was strong, quick and fierce. However the man, as big as he was was just as fast as she in her weakened state and overpowered her easily. With her beating on him, she might as well have been a child, he brought her up into their camp. “Look what I found boys!” he said happily. And he tossed her down as the others stood up, startled and half went for their belts where their knives were she knew. The paused and smiled gap-toothed smiles at her. hungry ,predatory smiles.

‘Eh Kip, what et she a lil git eh? Alf starved I expec,” he said and frowned at her. “Bah, c’mon hep, giv’er a morse or three eh? Look at er, black an blue as she is?” Another told her but it didn’t sound like english, exactly and what she gleaned from their odd way of speaking she could not make out. She did know they hadn’t harmed her yet but two still looked as if they would jump her any moment, the others looked curious and had kinder eyes.

Angelique wished the other women luck before they split up. She could only hope that they would all make it to safety. She was focused on getting back to France. She had almost nothing, but she was sure she could figure something out. She doubted anyone would believe she was engaged to the king looking like she was. She also didn't think it was a good idea just in case someone actually did believe her. She knew she needed to find some civilization or someone to help her.

For hours and then days she moved. For the first day she feared being found by those men, but thankfully they never came. She was exhausted and in pain and so incredibly hungry. She ate what she could, but it wasn't enough. Now she began to fear dying of starvation before finding anyone to help her. One day as she stopped for a rest she began to smell smoke and the scent of meat cooking. It made her mouth water and she heard her stomach growl. She began to move toward the smell, but stopped when she saw the three men. They did not look entirely friendly and she figured if they were hiding out in the woods they must be criminals. However, that might mean that they would have something she could steal. She had just decided to wait until they fell asleep when one of them spotted her. Before she could get away he grabbed her. She struggled but was too weak. She was dragged to the camp and thrown down in front of the other two. She didn't really understand what they were saying. It sort of sounded like English, but not really.

"Plea...please help...me..." She said in the best Engshe could muster.

She couldn’t be certain but one of the men, the thinnest of the bunch seemed to take some offense at what the others were saying. However before he was able to say much, the two with the hungry eyes were on her. One turned her over and grabbed up her arms, the other moved in between her legs and began fumbling at his britches. English had fled her completely and they didn’t seem to understand her French at all. The thinner man just waved disgruntled at them as the one between her legs pushed into her. Her kicks had made it difficult but the third one came around to take hold of her right leg and then there was little she could do to stop it. He leaned over her and nuzzled her neck as he held her face to the side. She felt him fucking her but he came quickly and then he changed places with the man at her leg. She felt him slide inside her to and he drooled all over her exposed breasts as they lifted her dress up. He came faster than the first she felt and chuckled as he moved off of her. To her horror they flipped her over onto her stomach and the third man came around to rape her as well. He shoved her face in the dirt as he entered her, the weight of him keeping her from escaping out from under him. In the middle of it his cock slipped into her ass during her struggles and he continued like that even though she cried and fought with what strength she had left. Brutally he assaulted her and she felt the warm wetness of him cumming inside her butt. Sweaty from the exertion he spat on her cheek as he got up off of the ground. She felt something warm on her soon after and refused to look as the cruel man relieved himself on her back, chuckling all the while.

Later, they began to eat and the Thin man brought her the fattest leg of the rabbit. He had an apologetic face and they appeared to raz him as he helped her sit up if she let him. He also let her drink from his waterskin, as much as she wanted. He gave her his leg as well and what she could pick off of the carcass after the others had had their fill. She was exhausted and she had seen blood in the dirt near her legs. The rabbit was overcooked but she swore she never had better. She had downed half of the waterskin as the thin man put a blanket over her. She was very tired and even though she knew they could be on her again her eyes just wouldn’t stay open.

She woke to them going at her again, the nasty one held her legs as he jabbed his poor excuse for a cock in and out of her. She noticed his belt knife in his belt though and it would be no difficulty to get at it if she wanted to.

Angelique screamed as the two men grabbed her. She kicked and struggled as much as she could but she was so weak. She had hoped that the third man would help her, but as he walked over she realized he was going to help them. All she could do was lay there and wait for it all to be over. She refused to cry, but was trembling. She stopped struggling as she was flipped over. To her horror the third man, the one she thought would help her, came around and began to rape her as well. Her face was shoved down into the dirt making it difficult for her to even breathe. She just prayed it would be over soon.

Thankfully it was and they left her alone for a while. She was given some food and even though she hated them all for what they had done to her she ate like a starved animal. She gulped down water as well, not caring how she looked. She didn't want to sleep because she knew they would attack her again, but she was so exhausted. And do she awoke to one of them raping her again. It was then that she spotted his knife belt. It was within reach and she quickly grabbed it and pulled out the long knife. She stabbed the man through the neck and as he collapsed she pushed him off of her. She saw another of them come towards her. She threw the knife and hit him in the face. She ran over and yanked it out and slit his throat. She then looked over at the man she thought had been going to help her. She glared at him and waited to see what he would do.

The large man’s eyes went side as red blood splashed down over her. It made him fall back, his eyes already glazing over. With blood on her hands the knife grew slippery in her grasp. Deftly though she flipped it over to clutch the handle and in that small motion, her senses alive with the threat of death and revenge in her heart she tested the weight of it. It would not throw well but if she threw it hard enough…it missed his neck only to land squarely in his left eye. The man fell to his knees wordlessly as she leaped up to pull it out then kick his corpse back into the dirt. The third man fumbled for his knife to but he was so frightened it fell into the dirt. He died on his knees, begging her to spare him just before his heart had stopped beating. After it was over the only sound was that of her own breath and the eerie crackle of the fire as it burned behind her.

When her adrenaline died she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen that nearly doubled her over. That and blood began to flow down her leg from somewhere inside of her. She had not been wounded and the blood seemed thick and clotted. As she lifted her hand to her face to examine the blood she heard what sounded like a bird fly out of water into the air very near to her. Running over awkwardly, holding herself, she saw ferns and just as the ferns thinned there was a tiny pond there thick with lily pads on one end but it was crystal clear. After a rather lengthy bath, the cool water felt good on her hurts, she could deduce from the amount of blood and its eventual stoppage that she had had a miscarriage. Louis’s baby it had to be. And the danger of where she was fled by her as she wept alone for her loss.

Once she regained her purpose and will, she would be able to make a large shoulder bag out of what she has. A quick search of their ‘belongings’ revealed several things. First an entire bag of potatoes. Large and hearty she could stuff a few down into the coals and eat them just before she was ready to move. In another bag were 4 whole rabbits, snares she guessed, a tinder box for starting fires, 3 waterskins, 1 filled with red wine, a large block of white cheese, two whole loaves of bread and a dozen red apples. One of them did have a coin purse but it only had 4 silver and a dozen copper, the denominations of which she was not exactly certain but it was better than nothing. One had a bow that was fairly well made and 2 extra strings and she could make 2 full quivers with all their arrows. One had a short sword and between them all she was able to find a pair of leather shoes, cloth pants, a shirt and a jacket she could make work though most of that came from the thinner man she gutted last and ill fitting at best.

Angelique stood there with adrenaline pumping through her body as she watched the last man die. She didn't even bother to close his eyes. She let the bloody knife slip from her fingers to the ground. She took one step when suddenly a sharp pain in her abdomen made her nearly double over. She could feel something wet on her thighs and as she looked down she saw blood running down her legs. It wasn't from an injury she knew and was already clotted. She jumped when she heard a bird nearby and realized there must be water. She rushed over and with her clothes still on she slipped into the water. The realization that she had had a miscarriage slowly began to sink in and she began to sob because she knew it was as Louis.

She cried until she could cry no more and then pulled herself together. She had to find a way home. She felt stronger now in her determination to survive. She rummaged through the men's belongings. Thankfully there was some money and weapons and food. She needed some new clothes but the only ones that would fit her belonged to the man she had killed last. They didn't fit her well, but for now they would do.

Those men would lay there until animals ate them or they decomposed. She'd not bother to bury them after what they had did. With a full belly, one of the rabbits and a few potatoes...and a little bread...and an apple, but ONLY! with a bit of cheese...and a swallow of wine or three to wash it all down. She burped as she started off again, what she needed was a horse and some directions but she doubted those men would be to far from a village or maybe a town she thought. 10 hours by coach give or take and another day by foot could see her out here for several days IF she picked a good direction to go in and didn't just go in circles. What's worse was if Louis were here he'd likely do no better. No, D'artagnan, she knew he would know. He's been everywhere or she thought he had. He had stories of being in binds like these and getting himself out to. Thieving and murder...well let's call that self-defense, shall we? Were not much in them though.

Out here it did seem to get colder. These clothes allowed the wind to get in them and when she rested her sweaty flesh sent chills up her spine. She had walked until she could no longer see and she had no choice but to stop. She has 2 blankets and only knives and a sword as tools besides the tinderbox  now to make a fire.

Angelique ate what she could and allowed herself to drink a little wine, but only a little. She needed her mind clear. With a full stomach and what supplies she could scrounge up she started to walk. She had no idea where she was going, or even which way was a good direction to walk in. She knew there had to be a town or village somewhere close by (at least she hoped). She suddenly began to think about D'Artagnan. She remembered the stories he would tell about getting out of situations like these and tried to remember what he said he had done. As she walked she actually began to wish he was there with her. She missed him, especially now. While he had been around this past year, she hadn't actually spoken to him since she had convinced him not to tell the king who she really was. He seemed to avoid her if possible and she knew it probably had to do with the fact that she had broken the hearts of two of his friends. She hoped, however, that overtime he would come to understand why she had done it.

As darkness fell it began to get colder and she began to shiver a little. The clothes she was wearing did little against the breeze that picked up and she wrapped her arms around her body to try and keep herself warmer. Finally, she had to stop. She was too tired and too cold to go any further and it was far too dark to walk around safely. She debated on building a fire or not, but ultimately decided to build a small one. She knew it was risky, but she needed some food and warmth. After she got the fire going she began to cook some of the food she had left. She even allowed herself to drink some of the wine. She suddenly felt incredibly alone and scared. She began to quietly sing a song to herself in hopes that it would make her feel less scared.

The next day was a miserable one. The rain came down hard and when it didn’t it hung in the air like a mist to keep what was already wet...wet. It also seemed to have gotten colder now that the sun had gone away. She tried to make a fire but the branches and wood she could find was soaked. Drenched to the bone in wet she just moved on. Her pants had began to chafe in places she’d rather not think about right then and her loosely fitting shoes were not much better. D’artagnan’s stories never mentioned any of this. Getting kidnapped, sold as a slave or near to it, starving, being gang raped, a miscarriage, being soaked to the bone and now...chafing. That and missing Louis and her dogs…

She didn’t realize she had fallen to her knees screaming until she had to breathe. All the rage and sadness and disgust for what had happened to her flooded out in one large lump. After a few moments she got back up though and just kept on moving. She could have had a nice house in the country and have a man that would not care a whit if she got fat or not from bearing his children. Knowing Armand he’d likely get off on that and love her all the more. She thought of Trevare and then louis as well as she walked but her thoughts kept going back to D’artagnan. D’artagnan, widower, no children, older, experienced, mature, probably the best swordsman alive, capable, would Louis have sent him after her? For some reason the thought of Louis not coming for her himself bothered her but that was a foolish notion. He’d be killed if he were spotted surely. Still, that feeling lingered and so did the hope that D’artagnan might find her...somehow.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that he had made no advances toward her? He had had ‘that’ look once or twice. Well, it was more of a glance than a look but she saw it! She knew! All men looked at her that way! He was no better than any other! She agreed with herself on that point. She sat under a tree and crossed her arms across her. She slept like that as the rain continued to fall and the night swallowed her up.

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D’artagnan left behind him broken arms, a stabbed hand and a rather well destroyed bar to get the information he needed. There is a Captain Doman that ferries women from France to England and he was hard on his scent. He stood on the bow of a ship that splashed up and down into the ocean. His cloak fluttered in the wind as the rain fell down upon him. It pooled then dripped off the ridges of his black hat and he had a determined look in his eye. “I’m coming Lorelei...I’m coming,” he said to the storm that brewed up around him.

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The next day it was still a fine mist that came down as she started off. Nothing would burn but she had some cheese with bread and an apple. Now she shivered uncontrollably. Still soaked she forced herself to keep going forward, always forward. In the distance she spotted a small farmhouse and a barn. Smoke billowed out of the small smoke stack and she heard a horse neigh from inside the barn. As she approached a dog ran up to her and began barking at her. It was a little shaggier than her dogs but not much larger. However no matter what she did she could not calm it. Finally she heard a whistle and saw a man come out of his front door with his musket.

“What do ya want lassie? This ere be nuthin you’ll want, bes ta jus keep movin yah?” he said though she could not understand much of anything he had said. Maybe she could try French?” There was someone also behind him, a woman she thought looking through his armpit. She looked...frightened.

As days passed the determination to live slowly began to slip away. She was so alone and cold and hungry and wet. She had suffered horribly in her life, but this far surpassed anything that she had ever been through. She was starting to believe that this was some kind of punishment from God for everything she had done. For the first time in her life she got down on her knees and prayed to him to let her live and to give her the strength to go on. While she knew that Louis would have sent D'Artagnan to find her, she doubted he ever would. She didn't even know where she was. How could he possibly find her?

She had been walking for hours when she suddenly spotted smoke in the distance. She then heard the sounds of animals. It was a farm! She was shivering almost uncontrollably as she slowly approached the small farmhouse. A dog came out and barked at her but she kept on walking. She only stopped when a man came out of the house with a musket. She couldn't understand what he was saying but she needed to try to communicate with him.

"Please...please help me. I was kidnapped and have been raped and am hungry and very cold and tired. Please just let me stay here a few days to rest. I don't have much...but what I have I will give you," she said in French as she pulled out the money she had taken from the dead men. The look of sheer desperation was evident on her dirty face.

The woman behind the farmer pushed him aside. He tried to argue with her but she shoved him aside. He was a tall, thin man with red hair and a red beard and a straw wide brimmed hat with light brown coveralls li she was short and squat with a peach colored dress and white apron tucked around her round exterior. Her voice though was far from broad however.

"Your speak French?" She said happily in perfect French. "My dear, I am from France myself, you look wet and cold, come, come, warm yourself and rest at the fire, please, please, come," she said and she beckoned her to come with her. Her husband looked confused but did not get in her way.

At first Angelique was afraid when the woman started pushing her husband aside. She actually took a small step back just in case she needed to get away quickly. However, her fear quickly turned to relief when the woman began to speak French to her. Tears came to her eyes when she beckoned her to come inside.

"Thank you...thank you so much."

The smell of fresh baked bread was in the air of the small farmhouse. It was well kept and clean inside, the walls, ceiling and floor were made of wood but there were wild flowers on the small kitchen table as she passed it to their sitting room. The fire blazed in the fire place and she slid up a rocking chair for her to sit in then brought her a blanket.

“You’re drenched, aren’t you, Jack, go...find something to do!” She snapped. The farmer flinched then set down his musket by the door and left the house. “Get those off, this blanket is very soft, I’ll hang them up to dry,” she said and helped her out of those things. She saw the bruises and the chafing but also noticed her beauty. Before Lorelei knew it she had had cream rubbed on her rashes, bites and bruises. Warm, crusty bread with home made butter and a cool glass of milk was offered her as her body began to warm from the fire.

“I am from Nice, originally,” she said as she sat down next to her with her sewing box. She had her pants in her hands and seemed to be taking them in for her. “How did you find yourself way out here? Have you been in England long?” She asked.

Lorelei gratefully followed the woman into the farmhouse. The first thing that hit her was the smell of the freshly baked bread, which caused her mouth to water and her stomach to grumble loudly. Glancing around she saw that the house was clean and nicely kept. She saw the fire going in the fireplace and immediately went over to try and warm up. The woman helped her out of her soaked clothes and gave her a large blanket to wrap herself up in. The woman also rubbed some cream onto her bruises and cuts, which almost immediately seemed to help. As food and drink were offered to her Lorelei began to eat like a half starved animal. She ate like it might be the last meal she would ever eat. She then realized how she must look and she became embarrassed and began to slow down. She glanced over at the woman when she said she was from Nice originally and then asked her how she came to be in England.

"I am from Paris. I was kidnapped by men who put me onto a slave ship and brought here with other women. I managed to escape with some of the others and we split up just in case the men came looking for us. I have been just walking and trying to find anyone to help me. I need to get back to France."

“Oh, oh no, that’s terrible!” She exclaimed. “I’ve never heard of anything so terrible, you poor dear, I wish there was more I could do for you,” she did not ask her name. “We do not have much money, out here most people just try to hack out a life so we can afford the taxes,” she said as she thought a bit more about her situation. “Well, you’re in Sheffield though I doubt that will help you. We’re east of Liverpool and the Western coast of Great Britain. France is across the channel on the Southeastern coast” she said with a wince. “And France is not so popular right now, French people either,” she added concernedly. “If you want, you can stay here for a few days or as long as you need. Unfortunately, out here, we can’t send a message, you’d need to go to Chesterfield for that. Its a town to the southeast,” she told her as she sewed.

Lorelei had looked at some maps of England while in Louis study before so she knew about where she was at this point. However, she needed to get a message to Louis to let him know where she was and that she was alright. Thankfully, the woman didn't press her for more information, but was gracious enough to offer to allow her to stay there for as long as she needed. She wanted to reach the town, but she was too weak. She needed a few days rest first.

"Thank you for your generous hospitality," she said after a moment. "I shall stay until I feel strong enough to make it to the town. About how far is it from here?"

She thought about the question for a bit before answering. “Perhaps about 3 days on foot if you set a good pace but it’s dangerous. Rapers and robbers are everywhere, deserters and worse. I’d have jack escort you...but...with the farm,” she began to say as if trying to explain. She looked rather ashamed though. Especially considering that Lorelei was French like she was. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost Jack milady,” she said. Something about the way Lorelei spoke just seemed to fit with that title for her.

“I am...sorry all this has happened, truly I am,” she added and seemed to be arguing with herself as she sewed.

Outside of a bar in Liverpool D’artagnan killed Captain Doman. There were many witnesses, Doman pulled his pistol and shot at him but his shot went wide. D’artagnan had questioned him...harshly inside the bar. Outside he moved up quickly and ran him through. He now knew that the women had been taken by coach headed for a plantation outside of Chesterfield to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Word had gotten back to the Captain however that one coach arrived completely empty save for an unconscious man who was killed for allowing them to escape. If he were a betting man he would bet that that coach held Lorelei. He rode out East toward Chesterfield at dawn.

Three days. She could manage that. At this point she didn't care how dangerous it was. It was her only hope at this point. She would have to simply take the risk. She looked at the woman as she began to apologize for her having to go alone. She shook her head.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I wouldn't dare ask you to send your husband with me. You have already done more than enough. I understand it is dangerous, but it is a risk that must take."

She was given their small spare room under the stairs. It had a small angled door but it was warm and though the bed was small and lumpy it was far better than anything she had the last few days. She slept right through morning and woke up very near lunchtime. There were fried eggs, fatty ham and fried potatoes. All they had was milk to drink from their two cows but it was fresh and filling. Jack spoke much like the Englishmen she had come to know but he was a kind man and one who supported his wife’s decisions even though he had not agreed with them. He worked long hours on his farm. She wasn’t sure what he was growing, more potatoes? And other things, cabbage maybe and carrots she guessed. More than once she was able to witness the care they had for one another though. A quiet life they had chosen to share with one another and they did not seem to drive one another crazy.

She felt much stronger after three days of rest. She had been fighting what she thought might be a cold but it had seemed to be stayed off for now. Her clothes mended and properly taken in she could no longer pass for a man but they felt much nicer to wear and they had been cleaned so they even smelled nice. She mended her sack also and added another strap to make it more of a backpack. She gave her more bread and pears that were ripe enough to eat if not barely so. Jack, surprisingly gave her a pouch of dried beef. It would keep for a long time she knew but it was very spicy, something she was not used to. He also gave her a straw hat like the one he wore. She guessed he must had made it for her at some point and also a flat of canvas, several feet of rope and a hatchet, freshly sharpened. The woman said that she reminded Jack of his daughter who had died a few years ago and they waved a bye to her as she moved off toward Chesterfield.

Fortunately the rain had not come but she knew it would fairly soon. Would she ever see the sun again? She wondered. She might doubt not if she had to remain here. She passed ore farms, some larger, some smaller but they always seemed to have dogs and one dog, a thick, grizzly-haired thing had actually calmed when it came up to her and allowed her to pet it. It ran off though as she continued on her way. She saw pigs and chickens, sheep and cows and people who watched her warily as she stepped through. There were few fences but there weren’t enough trees for her to walk through to avoid the farms so she had little choice but to just keep going. Two young boys who had been playing in one of the pastures came up to her. One gave her a carving of a hedgehog he had made and the other just ran when she tried to talk to him. For the most part, these people were no different than those in France. They tilled their farms, fed their livestock and lived like any other farmer she had ever seen. They seemed like hard workers but not particularly happy or friendly for that matter.

It rained for most of the second day. She had taken to wearing the canvas as a shawl over her head. It kept her from getting soaked but she did feel damp from the misty air. It was also getting colder again. So cold she shivered when she tried to lay down to sleep. When she woke she could see her breath in the air and wondered how long that would last. With only a little food left she made it to Chesterfield. In the distance large buildings rose up out of the fog and smoke billowed out of what must be dozens of smoke stacks...more as she got closer. There was also a large river and large wooden bridges that spanned the river that flowed southward at a fast pace. As she approach the first two men in brown leathers with brown leather, flanged helmets and spears walked out from a small wooden booth that stood near the bridge. “Ow are ya lass, speak yur name an yur business, no tolls today,” he said quickly though also lazily as if he had said the same thing many times already.

Lorelei had been extremely grateful for the hospitality she had received. She tried to give them some money for all they had done, but they wouldn't take anything from her. It was sad to go. The farmer's wife had been the only person so far she had met who spoke French and she had reminded her of home.

She had regained most of her strength, but not all of it. Thankfully, most of her wounds had healed though. She walked in the direction she had been told would lead her to the town. She encountered some rain and animals, but no robbers or rapists, much to her relief. She walked as quickly as possible, but on the second day as it began to rain she became very cold again and moved more slowly. At this point the only thing which kept her going was the thought of getting home.

Finally, on the third day she spotted smoke from chimneys and knew she had reached the town. She was pale and shivering uncontrollably as she reached the gate. Two men in leathers appeared and stopped her. They spoke in English and she knew she would have to try and communicate with them. She had learned a few more words in English at the farmhouse, but the men would also be able to see the look of desperation on her face.

"Plea...please help me," she practically begged. "I have...walked far. I need to...get letter to France."

The second guard came over when the first waved for him. Unfortunately for Lorelei, they recognized her accent and the first had already began to rub his chin as he looked at her with suspicious eyes. “She’s another French whore,” he said and sighed annoyedly. He could make out part of what she said but he just waved her through with a disgusted look on her face. The other was not so gentle and actually shoved her. With her pack as heavy as it was she fell forward and she scrubbed her hands on the rough, wooden boards of the bridge. They laughed at her uproariously as she slowly righted herself.

“You’ll not find many friendly faces for you lassie,” one of them said in French. “Cause any trouble and it’s the jail for you and you’re a pretty one, they’d like you down there,” he said to her back. He spoke in English to his partner and they both laughed again at her as she moved across the bridge.

The town bustled with activity. Blacksmith’s hammers, vendors cried out their wares and people spoke loudly to one another across the road before her. Shops, houses and building lined the shallow, stone streets. Coaches clip-clopped across her path and the driver almost hit her with his whip if she had gotten any closer. Urchins, boys she guessed ran across the road chasing one another as she continued on and two older boys, she guessed in their teens actually crashed into her. She felt the first one cop a feel on her right breast before they ran off before she could admonish them, laughing as they ran. A girl with a cart cried out...something, as she passed and she guessed it had something to do with fish as that was what was in her cart.

Half a day she wandered the town, she had heard no one speak French and many looked at her suspiciously as she passed them. There was a bar but when she stepped into it it was filled with men. Most looked drunken and stared at her with the same, hungry eyes the rapist had and so she quickly backed out the way she came in. Now though there was an Inn before her and she knew most Innkeepers knew more than one language if they were good or long in the business. She entered and the common room was only half filled, men and women both as she strolled up to a tall man in a blue coat and britches that looked like he was important. He put up a finger as if she wanted her to wait as he wrote in a large, leather bound book that sat on a table next to where he stood. When he finished writing he set down the quill and looked over at her. “1 pound, 3 quid fer a night, 2 quid more for food and drink and ale be extra eh?” he said in a quick jumble she could not translate. At her pause his eyebrows rose expectantly.

Lorelei didn't understand what they were saying, but she didn't like how they were looking at her. She felt embarrassed, but desperate. She hoped they wouldn't try anything with her because she was too weak to defend herself very well. Thankfully they didn't, but as they let her through one of them have her a shove. She fell forward and they began to laugh at her. Hatred ran through her veins. She hated this place. She hated the people here. She wanted to return home. She missed France so much tears began to come to her eyes.

As she walked she began to alternate between feeling incredibly hot and shivering from cold. She felt sick to her stomach and felt weaker with each passing minute. She walked into a bar to try and find some water, but as she walked in several men looked up and at her in a way that made fear course through her veins. She quickly left and began to walk again. She was sweating now even though she was shivering visibly. She was feeling dizzy as she walked into an inn. She approached the innkeeper, but he held up a finger to make her wait as he finished something. Finally, he looked up at her. She tried to be strong but she felt like she was dying and she was desperate for help.

"Please help me," she said in French. "I was kidnapped and need to get home to France." She pulled out what little money she had and put it on the counter. "This is all I have. Please..."

The Innkeeper winced when she spoke and his eyes fluttered over to one of the tables where a woman and two men sat, drinking their ales. Before she knew it she was being beaten and kicked outside the Inn. She felt so weak and dizzy but they spurned her to start running even though she had lost her pack somewhere, she didn’t know where though. The woman had cut her hair, cut it short while the others laughed and would have cut her throat if she hadn’t started running. Her vision blurred as she ran, she could hear their angry voice behind her. She had forgotten about the river and when she looked back to see how close they were she tripped and fall down the slope smack dab into the fast moving river.

The water was freezing and her clothes threatened to pull her under, she was so incredibly weak from her ordeals and whatever sickness had befallen her. It tossed her and kept trying to pull her under. She didn’t know how long she fought its undercurrents or how much water she had swallowed before all went black.

D’artagnan had heard the commotion but he hadn’t seen her until she was in the river. He got on his horse and chased after her but it was quite a while before he found a place he could go in after her. She was soaked, to the bone, frozen and yet he felt that she was burning up. He rode with her to Sheffield, a much smaller village but he knew an Innkeep there that had not refused his coin.

He carried her up to their room but her skin felt like ice and the fire was really to far away to do much good. He had seen this before in his travels and if he didn’t get her temperature up either the coldness of her body would kill her or the fever would. He moved the bed closer to the fire then stripped off her clothes then stripped down to his skin to lay with her. Her flesh was icy and he himself began to shiver the longer he laid with her. He wrapped her tightly into his arms and set the thick blankets atop them.

“I know you can’t hear me Lorelei, But it’s me, D’artagnan,” he said softly. He didn’t know why he spoke now but he felt...awkward and he wanted not to think of them being naked together in a bed. “I would have looked for you without end to find you but you are safe now,” he said as he smoothed down her hair. “They tried to break you but you are stronger than they think. You will come back to me Lorelei...please come back to me,” he murmured as he kissed her cheek then chastely kissed her lips before shifting back to hold her tightly in his arms. She felt...good like this in his arms. She made him feel...young and strong again. He was nearly old enough to be her father but he had always had feelings for her. Feelings that he knew would never be revealed if he had anything to say about it. He would get her back to the King if it were the last thing he did. He would.

OOC-I'm assuming we are not going to have them sleep together now since she is extremely sick.