The Ransom (Closed to misguided)

[ValhalC]

Gunshots.

Hoofbeats.

A rider.

Followed.

The woman standing on the roadside should know better than to be outside at nighttime on the lawless borders.

The rider reaches low, grabbing her by the collar. He hoists her over his lap, she is bouncing uncomfortably as he pushes his pony onward, faster still. With a free hand, he hastily ties a rope around her midsection, binding her to the pommel of his saddle.

He shoves the reins in his teeth, then with both hands, pulls wheel-lock pistols from his boottops. The horse turns around 180 degrees in the muddy road... Facing the pursuers. He fires both pistols into the crowd, then charges foreward full-bore. He throws the pistols back in his boots and draws his sword, making a suicidal charge through the men following him.

[misguided]

She had been confident of her own safety. Perhaps a naive thought, but since she was still on the land belonging to her father, she had assumed this was safe ground. It appeared she was sadly mistaken.

The sounds of gunfire, hooves was heard as if from a long way away. The few others still on the street had exchanged nervous glances, began to move into their houses and the tavern. Into safety. She had began to move back the way she had come, back towards the lodge owned.

.. too late.

One moment, she had been walking quickly, hearing the quick hooves, coming up faster and faster. Then she had been grabbed, pulled over the lap of an unknown rider. The sudden nature had made her give a scream, she struggled, but had been unable to get loose. Tethered to the saddle.

The horse turned first, jarring her already hurting body, and she had seen a group of riders from the corner of her deep blue eye. Gunshots above her made her give a cry, cover her ears, and then they were riding, full pelt. Her body once again bounced, jarred against the saddle. Towards the men!

Then seemingly, through, into clear space. There was the sound of shouting, another gun shot, but the sounds of the group was passing. She struggled, gave a cry out.

"Let me down from here, what do you think you are doing?!"

Her words were jarred, stuttered out as her body was bounced against the saddle and the man above her. A man she still could not see.

[ValhalC]

His voice was low and hushed.

"Quiet. Keep quiet."

It was dark under the oaks in the half-moon light. The ride continued on for a long time. After some passage of time, a hand came down and lifted the girl by her shoulder, helping her to an upright position.

"That should be more comfortable. Stay quiet and keep your head down."

[misguided]

They rode for what felt like a very long time. Eliza struggled briefly, but the rope held her firm, and she ended up lying quietly. Her mind drifted out of conciousness, how long she didn't know, until she felt his hand on her, bringing her upright.

It was more comfortable, marginally. Her body felt a little numb, she rubbed her arms to try and get some feeling back. The rope was still around her slender waist, keeping her on the horse. She kept her head down, as told. He had a gun, she did not want to anger him.

Her eyes flicked around her, taking in the unknown trees and landscape around them. She had no idea where they were, how far they had gone. She'd been kidnapped.. She gave a soft sob, her body trembling lightly now. Afraid, unsure of what was coming.

[ValhalC]

It was a long, cold, hard ride. Eventually the pair approached a small, ruined watchtower. It was high on a rock, overgrown with weeds and trees. The rider dismounted, and untied the rope from the saddle. It was still tightly tied around the woman's waist.

"We're here. Get down."

His voice was cold, quiet, impersonal.

[misguided]

She could just about see him now, though it was very dark around here. She glared for a moment, then slid from the pony, stumbling faintly in the overgrown grass.

Her fear was growing, and she tried to pull back from him. Her voice when she spoke was trembling slightly, the tone pleading.

"P..please Sir.. let me go. M-my family have money, if that is what you want, they will give you money for my return. I-I am of no use to you."

[ValhalC]

He said nothing. He simply pulled the saddle off his mount and threw it over one shoulder.

He gave the rope a firm tug. Not hard enough to pull her down, just hard enough to indicate that it was time to get moving. He started up the overgrown cobblestone path to the worn fortress's gate.

[misguided]

He tugged the rope, and she was tugged forward, causing a gasp to escape her lips. She got the hint. She followed him up the path towards the gate of the fortress. Her gaze moved over the ruins; it looked dark and forboding in the darkness.

She took a fearful glance back over her shoulder as they reached the gate. There was nothing around for miles, from the look of things. A slight tremble passed through her. What was he going to do with her? She didn't try to ask him any questions or say anything more.

[ValhalC]

He pulled open the heavy wood and iron doors. The light inside was nearly blinding. The inside of the guardhouse was surprisingly nice. Well-lit from multiple torches, the place was like a large, single room house.

The stranger tugged on Eliza's rope again, and pointed at a heavy wooden chair. He said nothing.

She could see her captor clearly now. A young man, tall and lean, with a mane of long brown hair under a wide black hat. He wore a long cloak and a brown brigandine, with wide breeches and brown, thigh-high riding boots. His eyes are a pallid blue.

[misguided]

When the door opened, Eliza had to turn her head away, her eyes screwed up slightly against the sudden blinding light from within. He tugged her inside, and her eyes moved around the surprisingly nice interior.

A tug of the rope made her gasp, turn her head towards him again, and she saw him indicating the heavy wooden chair. Thinking he would make her if she did not obey, she moved to the chair and sat down, keeping her eyes upon him.

Her long red hair had been hidden by a hood when he had first grabbed her, but during the course of the ride, it had fallen from her head. Her hair now hung down over her slender shoulders. Her gown was just visible beneath the cloak she had worn to protect herself from the cold. After a moment, she spoke, unable to bear not knowing what he had planned for her.

"Why have you brought me here? I am of no value.."

[ValhalC]

He paid no mind to her words at first. Silently binding her torso to the chair's back.

He stepped back and sized her up for a minute. Looking her over. Then at last he spoke.

"I'm going to make this as easy as I can on you. I've left your hands free... Now, you try anything, give me a hard time, and I'm going to have to give you a harder time, understand?"

He spoke cooly. As impersonal as if he were giving road directions to a stranger. He didn't wait for an answer as he walked across the room, removing his cloak and hanging it. Then he went about undoing the buckles of this leather armor.

[misguided]

She struggled slightly, frustration going through her. He had not answered her question, was seemingly ignoring her throughly. He didn't seem to care about her answer either, he had already turned away from her. Her sapphire eyes studied him just for a moment, before she spoke in a grudging, cold tone.

"Fine, yes."

She turned her head away, taking her gaze away from him, her gaze once more taking in the room around them.

[ValhalC]

Removing his gloves and hat, he stepped back over, kneeling before her. He firmly put his hands on her shoulders, feeling the strength in her joints, he moved down her arms. Then he put his hands on her feet, pulling her shoes off, examining them. He nonchalantly grabbed her skirts and lifted them, examing her claves, knees and thighs like a jeweler examines a diamond.

"I take it ye never been kidnapped before..." He stifled a chuckle. "Ain't that something in these parts..."

He reached his hands up around her neck, undoing the chain she wore. He held it up in front of her face for a moment.

"Need something to send to daddy... Let him know I'm interested in doing business." He smiled, for the first time. "Stolen by a riever, that's exciting 'eh?" He then leaned in close "Let me see your teeth".

[misguided]

As he got close to her, she tensed, unused to a stranger being so close to her. His hands found her shoulders, moved down her arms. She inwardly felt thankful there was fabric between his hands and her pale skin. But then his hands moved down to her feet. Up her legs, up to her thighs. She gave a little cry of horror, struggled.

She didn't answer his assumption. A little shiver passed through her as he took the thin chain she wore about her neck away. Her eyes moved to it when he held it up, then flashed with anger as she met his gaze again.

She cringed back as he leaned in close, a little gasp escaping her as she heard the word 'reiver'. A raider. A stab of pure anger went through her, and her hand came up lightning quick as she slapped him sharply across the face.

"I am not a cattle or sheep for you to trade for coins! Isn't that what you reivers normally steal, creatures that cannae fight back??"

[ValhalC]

He smiled. A devil's smile.

"Is true. Cattle, Jewels, coin, magistrate's daugthers, we also don't limit ourselves to theft... There's smuggling, extorsion, blackmail, murder, and... of particular interest to you... Ransom."

He rubbed the red spot on his smooth cheek for a moment. Too smooth, he was young, much younger than many of the rough men in his profession.

"Now, ye can smack at me and make this very difficult for all of us... What you can't do is go very far whilst tied up to that chair. So, the sooner you cooperate with me, the sooner you'll be free to do whatever it is you aristocracy types spend your time doing... So... Howabout those teeth?"

[misguided]

He listed the crimes these reivers commited like he was proud of it. She felt a little shiver pass along her spine when he mentioned ransom, and her hands clenched in her lap.

Her gaze flicked to the red mark she had caused on his cheek, and it was then she noticed just how young he was. She was a little surprised.. from her basic knowledge, she had thought reivers were elder members of clans.

She stared at him for a moment after his words. She supposed that he was talking sense. Her eyes smouldered, before she opened her mouth to expose her mouth and teeth, obeying him.

[ValhalC]

He leaned in to examine them closely. Still good... He stepped back.

"I've got a question. And I want the truth... I'm not your daddy and I'm not passing judgement. But I need to know... Are you a virgin?"

[misguided]

She gave him a frightened look, closing her mouth now that he seemed to be done with his examination. Why did he need to know that? Actually.. she wasn't certain she wanted to know. She hesitated, considering refusing to tell him.. but deciding to simply answer.

"Yes, I am." The way she spoke made it clear she found it offensive that he was assuming she wasn't pure. Then, unable to keep back her question, it came in a rush.

"W-why do you need to know that?"

[ValhalC]

He walked over to a desk and picked up a raven's quill and began to write. He answered again in his cool, unfeeling way.

"Price negotiations. There are some Turks who are willing to part with a lot of coin for a herem girl, but they only want intact ones..."

He trailed off, hastily scribbling away.

[misguided]

"W..what?"

She stared at him for a moment, her expression shocked. Shock that quickly turned to fear and anger.

"N-no! You cannae just sell me.. you said this was ransom!"

Her eyes were on the raven quill moving quickly in his hand. Wondering what he was writing. Becoming scared and confused now, she lapsed into silence.

[ValhalC]

At this, he gave abit of a laugh.

"Relax... I'm not going to sell you Turks... I'm not a monster... At least, not completely."

He trailed off again, writing for a bit, then spoke again. A little more warmth was in his voice.

" You see, I need your family to believe that I am willing to sell to the highest bidder... Nothing personal, you understand, just business."

He went back to writing, half-muttering to himself.

"Don't know what the to do is about virgins anyways... They just lie there and look surprised."

[misguided]

His words made her relax.. a little. Though at the moment, she didn't trust him or what he would do. She watched him continue writing for a moment, then he spoke again. She was a little surprised that his voice was warmer.

"It's still.. I have done nothing wrong, and yet you kidnap me, touch me like some common streetwhore? That is personal."

She turned her head away slightly. Not liking being tied down to the chair like this, wanting to move away from this room, or even to just lie down. She felt suddenly tired. His words about virgins made her turn her head, a frown on her face

"What's that supposed to mean?"

[ValhalC]

"No dear, it's business..."

He got up from his desk and grabbed a jug in the kitchen, pouring out a couple of mugs worth of ale. He walked over, offering one to her, then drug a chair over, so he sat opposite her, sipping his ale. Utterly ignoring her question.

"Now, if the Grahms or the Carruthers had gotten you, that would be personal... Believe me, personal like you wouldn't want to imagine..."

He took a big sip of his ale.

"As for me. I need enough money to get me out of this... thing... That I'm in with the Johnstones."

He stood up.

"Now, let me tell you something. Those men, the ones following me, the Latimer brothers... They're still looking for ye. And they'll have no qualms about selling ye to Turks, do ye'ken?"

[misguided]

She took the offered mug of ale after a moments hesitation. Taking a hesitant sip, only to look up with a little gasp of shock at the clan names he uttered. Clans she knew, clans her father had mentioned quite recently, in fact.

She lowered her gaze. Not seeming to hear his question.

"The.. the Latimers?" Her voice sounded a little dazed, frightened. She had heard of them too. She tightened her hold on her mug a little, taking a quick, deep gulp of the ale within.

"But.. what do the Latimers want wit' my family? My father may not have shown them allegience, aye, but that don't make us worth raiding! M-my father doesn't even.." She trailed off for a moment, then spoke again "We are hardly the richest on the borders. My father cannae get much money out of the people that live on the land 'cause of people like the Latimers!"

She took another gump of ale. She was trembling faintly. The fact that she knew the clans, knew their noteriorty, had left her shaken.

[ValhalC]

He showed amusement at her apparent naïveté.

"Welcome to the borders, love. The men out there'll slit your throat for a pence, sodomize you for a grin."

He took a swig of ale before continuing.

"Given your current... marital state... They'd probably sell you to the aformentioned Turks for a hefty sum... They like virgins... 'specially the pretty young type with red hair."

He paused for a second to let the gravity of it sink in.

"Now, here's how it goes... If I can trust you, I'll untie you. But I will warn you, this place is not secret, and there may be others sniffing about, and I cannot guarantee your safety if you leave this room."

He pulled out a small envelope with the letter he had written in it, and the necklace he had removed from her person.

"Now, tomorrow morning, I send this out to your father by way of courier."

He placed the necklace in the envelope.

"Three days time, we meet at a little place I picked out on the annandale, his money becomes my money, you go home and I go to London, hopefully find something I can use to get clear..."

He trailed off again. Then came back sharply

"But, should you try to sneak out, the Latimer brothers catch you, ship you off to the ottomans to become the trollop of some fat sheik who stinks of chickpeas... I can't promise that's the worst that could happen... I don't want to imagine what some of the Johnstones would do to you... D'ye ken?"