The Adventures of Princess Alvida

5. Monsters

A stabbing pain in her head made Alvida not want to open her eyes. She tried to hold her body still, but it was impossible. The whole room was bouncing up and down. Was she on a boat?

No. She was on land Alvida realized as the fog in her head was starting to let go of it's grip. Pebbles under wheels. Horse trotting. She was definitely on land.

Alvida opened her eyes slowly. And even though most of the daylight was being blocked out by some heavy fabrics, it still felt like knifes piercing through her head. 

Alvida's heart started pounding faster. She looked down on her hands. They were tied together with a dirty, dark rope. And the knot between her hands was attached to one of the bars surrounding her by a set of handcuffs. 

She was sitting on a small bench, with a thin cushion. There was a similar one opposite her. It looked like the inside of a carriage - a really cheap one. It had to be. Alvida could both hear and feel the movements of a horse pulling it.

Except, the walls and ceiling was made out of bars. The door was secured with heavy chains and a rusty padlock. The whole thing was covered in dark, orange drapery. Hidden from the outside world.

A cage. She was sitting in a bloody cage! Memories of the night before came rushing back. She had been taken. Captured! Kidnapped!

Alvida pulled at the ropes. They did'nt loosen. She tried harder. Then started yanking at the them in panic. A thin stripe of blood running down her wrist made Alvida stop. Hopeless.

She took some deep breaths. Panicking would not help in any way. She had to stay calm and logic and figure out a plan. At least she hadn't been raped or killed yet. Galder needed her for something else. She just had to figure out why. For now, all she could do was sit and wait. Consentrating on the sounds around her.

Alvida didn't have to wait long. 

"You can stop right here," She heard Galder's voice. So he was still here.

"Ptrrrrrrrr," Another man's voice.

All movements stopped. Alvida heard someone jumping down on the ground. And some fuzzling with some sort of bag. Then creaking steps. The person had to be walking on snow. That meant they had to be close to the mountains. God. They had already gotten a long way from home.

Some of the damp fabric covering her cage was pulled back. Alvida looked down to avoid the piercing light.

"Morning," Galder said.

Alvida glared at him. He looked like before. How could someone do this to a person without growing horns on their forehead. He was rotten to the core Alvida thought. This was probably normal to him.

Exept maybe his eyes. They looked different . At the ball they had some sort of glimmer in them. He looked like he enjoyed being around teasing her. Now he looked at her with disgust. 

It was the first time someone had acted like Alvida was something else but adorable. And she didn't like it. Alvida suddenly felt very self conscious. She probably looked like shit. Still with Galder's dirty cape on.

The background showed they were travelling down a small road surrounded by trees. And she was right. A thin layer of snow covered the ground and greenery.

"Where are we?" Alvida asked.

Galder didn't answer. He climbed up the two steps and into her cage, and found a seat opposite to Alvida.

"Here," Galder handed her a small bowl of some disgusting mush with a blueish color and a wooden spoon.

Alvida stared at him: "And what do you want me to do with that?"