Songbird's Cage

Chapter 15

It was dim when she woke. Groggy, unaware of what time it was, she dragged herself out of bed. Picking her bags up from the floor, she made her way down to the main room of the inn. Lark was ravenous, willing to eat whatever was put before her. As she walked across the room there was a tug at her shoulder and her pack was yanked away from her. She didn't have time to look or turn before she was pulled onto the lap of a man. Kicking out, Lark struggled against him, but his arms tightened around her, his large hands sliding against her hips.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing here?" he murmured, his low voice catching as she fought against him. She only succeeded in making him cross one leg over hers, trapping her against him. As he grasped her wrists, she yanked him forwards while throwing her head back. There was a vile crunch, and he howled in pain, releasing her. Stumbling away from him, she twisted to the side, but another man seized her shoulders. His fingers were long, grasping cloth and skin. Pulling back, she brought her knee up between his legs. He doubled over, and she caught his jaw with a feral strike. Then her free hand was snatched by a man with brown hair standing across the table from her. He yanked her towards him, slamming her arm against the wood of the table. Trying to pull away from him, she gasped as he twisted it so that the underside of her arm was facing him. She knew that in this position, it would take almost no effort for him to break her wrist if he wanted.

"She has no mark," he growled.

She jerked away from him, but the force of the movement toppled the table, nearly pinning her under it. Rolling free, she jumped back to her feet. Letting out an angry shout, the brown-haired man stalked after her, vaulting over the fallen table, and striding towards her as she backed away. Her heart sank as she felt her back hit the wall, and a sly smile appeared on the man's face. With a final step, his hand wrapped around her throat, pinning her down. Desperately, she kicked at him, striking him twice in the stomach. He groaned, releasing her, but before she could move away, he straightened, grabbing her neck again. Lifting her with both hands, he slammed her back against the wall, making her see stars. This time, there was nothing she could do. His grip was like iron, and she was acutely aware of his fingers digging deep into her skin. She could hear his breathing – the slight hitch as he took a breath from the pain in his stomach. He looked to her with utter contempt. Lark tried to scream, to call out, but the man's grip was too tight. Her mouth worked, but no sound came out. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Weakly, she clawed at his hands, but to no avail. Fear grasped her as everything started to blur, and strange shapes began to swim across her vision.

Then the man's hands were gone. She crashed to her knees, and let herself collapse onto the floor, choking in air. Through blurred vision, she watched her attacker get punched solidly in the nose. Someone had pulled the brown-haired man off of her, and she watched him viciously strike her attacker over and over, until she had to turn away at the sound of broken bones. The brown-haired man tried to strike back, but was promptly kicked in the chest, and stayed against the floor.

Still struggling to breathe, she tried to stand, to move towards the door, but hands seized her again, dragging her away. Lark tried to fight, but her arms were being held behind her back. She was pulled outside into the street, and wasn't released until she was pushed into a narrow alley.

"What are you doing here?"

She stared up at the man, at his hazel eyes and beginnings of a beard. His blond hair was long and tied back.

"Rory?" she gasped. He gazed down at her, quiet for a long time, making her long to hear his voice again. Finally his shook his head.

"Are you daft?" he demanded, taking her by surprise. "What are you doing out here? You could have just died! What if I hadn't been there? What if I hadn't seen? Gods, I barely recognized you!"