NOVEL SIMPLE 15. Of deals made
Abigail was too weak to fight. Her arms hurt. Blood dripped from her leg. And she was pretty sure one of her ribs were broken. But even if she wasn't, and she was in perfect fighting condition, it still wouldn't matter. She was outnumbered and outmatched.
The bandit leader had already proven his strength. Showed her that he wasn't someone she could just mess with. Not without a plan. A plan she didn't have and couldn't make up. With backup at his side, trying to fight him would be suicidal. So she didn't.
Instead, when he smiled that crooked grin of his, she lowered her head. Clear surrender. And now, she was being led upstairs. Sarill in front of her with 4 bandits behind her.
She wondered if she could take them and escape. Kick the one closest into the others. Dodge whatever attacks followed and then jump out one of the triangle shaped windows that ran parallel to the staircase. It was a thought quickly killed by another, more profound, one.
Her butt was too big. The window too small.
A shame. One that she sadly couldn't ignore. Instead she focused on something else. Something a little positive.
Like the sobbing coming from above. A pair of deep weeping cries that could only belong to Nerus and Vivian. Which meant that they were still very much alive. Maybe not happy, or unhurt, but alive. And that was better than the alternative.
Just as she thought that, they reached the top of the stairs, and the room with the couple. It was a circular room. With twelve windows, that were thankfully a little bigger than the triangles, all around it. Almost big enough that Abigail could maybe fit through them. More importantly, though, the room had chairs. One in the back behind a desk and a scattered few across from it.
That's where the couple were. Sitting in two chairs furthest from the door. Vivian weeping into her husband's arm as he tried not to do the same.
She gave them a weak wave. "Some bodyguard I am."
And the couple instantly stopped crying, and looked up at her.
"Abigail? You're alive. Oh thank the maker, we thought you were dead."
"She probably will be in a second." Nerus deadpanned.
"You can't say that dear!"
"Why not. It's true isn't it? He only needs us as hostages, why keep her? She's dangerous. A threat. Disposable."
Abigail frowned. "Wow. Great way to lighten the mood."
Sarill, who had been silent thus far, laughed. Loud and long. "Well, he is right. I don't need you alive. But I'm sure that we could work out a beneficial agreement between the two of us. One that doesn't involve me killing you."
Abigail turned, and stared the elf in the eye. "Yeah. Like what?"
"You start working for me. And I don't kill them." He said, easy, like someone discussing buying or selling fruit.
"What? But you need us." Nerus spoke up from behind her. "Hostages for your ransom and all that. My father would never pay if he found out you didn't have us alive."
Sarill stared Abigail in the eyes. "And he may never find out that I have you boy. As nice as a ransom would be, I don't need the money. Besides good help is worth more than any sum your dear old dad might pay."
"And what would you have me do? If I agreed?" Abigail asked, hands curling into fists.
"Oh I'll think of something, I'm sure. But first... Your decision."
At that, silence descended upon the room. The bandits stilled. The couple froze, their eyes lingering on her. It seemed like even the rays of light born from above came to a complete stop. All of it waiting on her.
It was a lot of pressure. Like the weight of the world was now hanging on her shoulders. Every eye a burden that couldn't be ignored. Every breath she took another moment that could end with sudden disaster. More than Abigail was prepared to deal with. More then she had ever been trained to deal with.
But she still had to make a choice. She just hoped it was the right one.
"Alright, fine." She huffed, and crossed her arms under her chest. "I'll join."
And she immediately felt bad. As if she just made a deal with devil. One she had been forced into. But a deal nonetheless. The way Sarill laughed afterwards, didn't help either. It just made the feeling worse. Twisting it into a deeper pit in her gut, a chasm that she couldn't escape. Not now, at least.
"I'm glad we came to such an agreeable arrangement." He said and then turned to one of his bandits. "Clear the room."
The bandit saluted. As did the other three behind him. Together they then began to do exactly that. First removing all the extra chairs, except for one. Then they took the couple. And as they led them out of the room, back down the stairs, Abigail shared one last look with the pair.
In Vivian's eyes she saw sadness. Two pearls of blue dripping with translucent tears. In Nerus's she, she wasn't sure what she saw. But it looked like regret, mixed with rage and something else. Possibly shame. The shame of a man who had made a mistake he would never forget. That would haunt him for as long as he lived.
She was sure there was a similar glint in her own eyes.
Eyes that turned and rolled over toward her tormentor. Toward Sarill. Who sat at his desk in the front of the room. Leaning on the wooden surface, flashing her a cats grin. Smug and devious.
She met it with a frown and took a seat in the only other chair left. A wooden square of a thing that rose up to her upper thigh. And when she sat down on it, massive rump burying the flat board as her hips raged war on the arms, she found herself needing to scoot it forward. Just close enough to the desk that it didn't feel like it was all the way on the other side of the room.
Unfortunately, it took a lot of awkward scooting to get it there. All while Sarill stared at her, clearly amused. And when she was done, finally close enough that the desk was within reach, she stared up at the head bandit. Right in his eyes.
"Now what?" She asked with a shrug. The action sending a ripple through her chest.
"Now what indeed." He mimed with a shrug of his own. "Hm. I suppose I should ask about you. Your dreams and aspirations and all that. Not that I care, mind you. Just... Formalities."
Abigail stared at him, unsure if she wanted to punch him or answer his question and be done with it. Eventually she settled on neither.
"I really wanna leave. Or kick you. Or both."
"No need to be so romantic. I'll give you something to vent your frustrations on soon enough. You just have to wait. In the meantime, do tell me how you came to acquire that armor."
Abigail thought about that. Telling him, that is. And she found that she'd really rather not if she could avoid it. But after a twenty second silence, she quickly realized that he actually expected her to answer. And that he probably wouldn't take no as an acceptable answer. So, for her own sake, she told him about her raid on the black guard fortress.
Which led to him asking her about why she attacked the fortress in the first place. And after a moment's hesitation trying to think up an answer, she settled on telling him the truth. And eventually, the whole truth.
After all what interest would an elven bandit have in a human?
Lots apparently.
"So you mean to tell me, that all those stories about humans are real?"
"Yep."
"The mage wall?"
"Real."
"No... pointy ears?"
She flashed her own at him. "Flat."
"The violence and brutality."
"Your one to talk."
"Touche. But I speak of you're fabled forever war. Waged on all."
Abigail looked him straight in the eyes, surprise evident on her face. "Our what?"
"The forever war. A war waged against all things that live, started by your people millennia ago. Is it real?"
"No. I don't even know how you came up with that. There hasn't been a war in Eoria since... Since before even my grandparents grandparents were born."
"I see. Then either my people have been lied to or..."
"Or you were sorely mistaken."
"No." Sarill said, and then rose from his seat. "No I do believe there is a greater mystery abound. One that might prove to be so very entertaining. And I believe it involves your mentor's capture. So, Abigail the human, I offer you a second deal.
"Scratch my back and I will so greatly scratch yours."