Priya and Seia stood on a small rocky strand, surrounded by a vast river and steep cliffs. All the others that had lingered there, were long gone, as the darkness had started to fall. Just as they were about to take their leave as well, the single narrow path out was blocked by two wide glooming shadows, who spoke strange language. Seia addressed the strangers politely ”Can we help you?”, but neither of them replied, they simply kept speaking to each other as if planning something.
Priya grew nervous and took a few wary steps backwards, starting to pull out her boots and unstrap her cloak, readying herself to make a run by diving into the river, as swimming was basically the only thing she had ever been good at. As she removed her last boot, she looked up at the cliff, whispering to Seia ”How fast can you climb? I’m a fairly fast swimmer.” Seia kept his eyes on the two strange men as he replied without lowering his voice ”Fast enough.”
At the very moment one of the wide shadows roared ”Nú!” and stormed down the slope towards Priya with an axe in his hand. The other shadow jumped down from the rocks as well, charging towards Seia. Seia drew his sword instantly, dodging to his right, trying to keep both of the men in his sight, taking a Haradrim cavalryman’s stance. Priya, having no means to protect herself, simply threw her boot at the approaching man, who batted it away with his old painted war-shield, laughing wildly at her petty attempt to protect herself. The man moved closer towards Priya, with death in his eyes, preparing to throw an axe if she would try to run. He barked ”Don’t move, lass.” Seia prepared himself for an assault, growling ”Harm her and you will die slow, I swear on the sands of Harad.”
Priya froze, like a frightened hare, recognizing the approaching bald man from the earlier. The bald Northman had accused Seia of attempting to pickpocket him, after Magpie had falsely told him so. Priya looked at the man beseechingly, pleading ”Please sir, I ha…”. The man sneered at her and bashed the rim of his shield into her chest before she could even finish her sentence. He grunted ”Get down.” She was plunged against the ground gasping, looking up at the man, fear plain on her face. She asked with a trembling voice ”Why are you doing this?”. At the background Seia was attempting to finish the other Northman who had attacked him.
The bald man shouted at her ”Shut your trap! You’re no better than a Sverting when you are helping one! Are you blind? He’s a dark-man from the East!”. Priya pushed herself up with a grunt, raising her hand in a sign of reconciliation, she pleaded ”He was cast out, thrown into the desert as he disobeyed his elders. Whatever the quarrel you have with them, you do not have with him. Just let us leave. We mean you no harm, we are simple folk who sell hounds.” She gestured towards her hound, Norman, who was snarling at her side. There was no trace of warmth in the man’s presence as he replied, coldly threatening to kill her, if she wouldn’t shut up. Angered by his threat and the ongoing fight at the background, she yelled at the man saying his ancestors would be ashamed of him, having seeded such an evil heartless man. On top of that, she spat at his face. The man lost his tempter, moving forth suddenly and barking angrily ”Damn you and your dog!”. He raised his hand, planning to sink his axe into Norman. Priya jumped towards his axe-arm, gripping it with both of her hands, trying to steer it to the side with the little force she had, screaming angrily ”You would kill an innocent hound! You bastard!”. At that very instant, the man bashed his shield into her forehead, yelling something wordless. Everything went black before she fell backwards at the downhill, hitting her already unconscious head into a rock.
Her hand went limp and Norman, whose leash she had gripped fiercely, ran free, barging at the man who had attacked his owner. He eventually managed to sink his teeth into the man’s wrist, after which the bald man attempted to thrust a knife between the hound’s eyes. The knife made a deep cut as it ran along his scalp. Norman backed away in pain, slinking through the narrow path and up the hill with his tail between his legs and his entire head slick with blood. Priya laid on the rocks, lifeless, her face as pale as milk, making no signs of waking up any time soon, her fate depending entirely on the actions of those around her.
