Page 10 of A Soul to Guide

“We don’t actually want to hurt you,” the second man from behind her sighed – the same one who’d asked Lori not to tease Raewyn about the way she spoke. He seemed kinder than the rest. “I already feel bad about this, but if I don’t pay my taxes, I’ll lose my market permit.”

Raewyn clenched her hands tightly. “And what about me?”

“We’ll leave you with enough to eat for a few days,” Lori answered, followed by the distinct sound of metal sliding out of a casing. It must be some kind of dagger or knife.

“I need to pay the inn for my stay.” Her nose scrunched up tightly in anger and worry. “If I don’t, I’ll have nowhere else to sleep.”

“Someone will help you,” the kinder one said. “Someone will feed you or give you a home.”

“Really?” Raewyn scoffed. “Because as far as I’m aware, there are already those without homes within the town. How can you justify your own actions when the next time you see me, I may be living on the street?”

“Did you understand that, Greg?” Lori laughed. “Because I only got a few words.”

Greg, the kinder one, sighed. “I don’t know why you’re bein’ a bitch when it’s obvious what she said. Open your ears, Lori.”

“Oh, shove off.” Lori stepped closer. “No matter what choice you make, youwillbe walking away lighter. So, choose whether it will be painful or not.”

Raewyn unclenched her hands and lifted her chin. “I’ll scream.”

“Good for you,” Jackson sneered. “No one will come save you. I imagine everyone is already watching us from their windows, and yet... where are they?”

“The guards?” Raewyn answered, her voice growing small.

“They won’t care,” Jackson chuckled. “Not if we pay them off.”

“Oh, screw this! Just grab her!” Lori shouted, and all four rushed her.

From behind, both her elbows were grabbed.

“Get off me!” she shouted, lifting her feet and kicking them forward. The bottom of her boots made contact with someone’s stomach, and they keeled forward enough that when she kicked again, she bashed them in the face.

A lot was happening. The sounds of huffs, light coin purses rattling, clothing, and feet scuffling were the only reasons she sensed where they were. Their scents banded together as one mass of violent, grabbing hands, and Raewyn let out a grunted scream.

Someone grabbed her coin pouch and tried to undo the double knotted ties. She shoved her head backwards in a diagonal motion, and the back of her skull smacked into the side of someone’s face. She stomped her heel down at the same time on their foot, and both forced a pained yelp from them.

Their hands around her biceps loosened just enough that she was able to shove her fist forward and hit the person who had grabbed her coin pouch.

No one came to help; no one came to stop them. Despite her yells and their barked commands to each other, no one cared enough to save Raewyn.

“You’re so fucking dumb, Jackson,” Lori spat from the side, making it obvious she was the one Raewyn had kicked earlier. “Just cut it off!”

“Oh... yeah.” The low chime of a blade being withdrawn rang in Raewyn’s ears.

She had more money in her room in the inn. Raewyn knew she wouldn’t be without a safe place to eat, sleep, or bathe, but this money was all she had in this world. She doubted she’d be able to get more.

“Please,” she begged as she kicked and fought, her frantic squirming allowing her to grab at Jackson’s hair and yank on it. “Please stop. Please just leave me alone. This isn’t fair.”

“Wow! She’s so damn strong. It’s like trying to fight off a giant, flailing fish.”

One arm was still being held back by someone unnamed, while Jackson fought to get her to free her death grip on his hair, whining as he did. Lori was pushing between Raewyn and Jackson, probably trying to go for her coin pouch as she wildly kicked.

“Fuck,” Greg muttered under his breath, his voice a few steps away and growing quieter, as though he was retreating. “I can’t do this. You guys were right; I don’t have the stomach for this.”

“It’s a bit late to make that decision,” a familiar deep, mean voice said. The smell of draflium flowers washed over her senses, carried in by the breeze flowing behind her. A shiver ran down her spine. “I feel like this brings a new level to the saying ‘rob someone blind.’ I didn’t think idiots meant it literally. Leave the woman alone.”

“Oh, fuck off,” the nameless man behind her spat before he must have turned around to look at him. “Holy shit. You are the biggest fucker I’ve ever seen.”

“You,” Jackson bit out. “What do you want? We won’t share, if that’s what you’re after.”

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