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A scuffle echoed through the cavern followed by grunts and curses. I leaned forward hoping that it wasn’t who I thought it was. A body flew through the air having been kicked with so much force it sent him flying.
Three burly men were all wrestling a fourth. The fourth threw a man several feet away revealing his facial features.
“Einri.” I whispered, crawling to the other side of the bars closest to him.
He must have heard me because he roared, head butted one of the remaining wrestlers, and elbowed the third. Lunging toward the bars he grabbed hold of them, bringing his face as close to mine as he could.
“Arrow?” His voice was deep and guttural. I could see elongated teeth jutting from his jaws piercing the flesh of his lips.
Thick manacles made of a shiny metal wrapped around his wrists while chains, the links as thick as my arm, were attached to them. His shirt was hanging off his shoulders by threads. The skin beneath was scratched, bitten with dried blood smeared across it.
“What happened?” I cupped his cheek with my hand watching as he relaxed instantly under my touch.
He shook his head while his arms began to tremble with effort. His chest was heaving with exertion. I tried to read his eyes for any clue on what had happened or what I should do. All I saw was he was relieved to see me, and I reassured him with my touch.
“Arrow…I,” his voice cut off when something big and heavy whacked him on the side of his head.
I cried out reaching through the bars and managed to catch Einri’s head before it cracked against the stone floor. The gash on his head made me wretch, but I managed not to vomit. His chest rose and fell which was a relief to see. The wound was looking better with every passing moment.
“Oh, Lady Arrow, don’t worry, he’ll be just fine.” Captain Rekker’s grin was pure evil.
I tried to pull Einri closer so I could somehow protect him with my body, but the bars prevented it. Instead, I glared at the yellow-eyed man who’d bitten my cousin and had now injured Einri. Spit flew from my mouth and landed on his face.
Quicker than I could follow, Captain Rekker was suddenly in front of me, his hand wrapped around my throat. He squeezed and I choked. I raked my nails down his hand hoping to cause enough pain so he’d loosen his hold, but he didn’t even flinch.
“Now, now, Captain, don’t kill the poor girl.” A female voice admonished.
With one more squeeze Rekker loosened his hold on my throat, and I dropped to the floor coughing. Once the flecks of light had receded from my vision, I felt comfortable enough to raise my head.
Captain Rekker and Einri had disappeared, but the woman remained. She was striking. Black hair cascaded from her head in waves, her tanned skin nearly glowed in the dim light, while her emerald, green eyes regarded me.
“Who are you?” I tried to ask but the words came out as a croak.
“Ah, well, that’s an interesting question, isn’t it?” She responded, and it only made me more confused. “I can tell by your face that you have no idea who I am.”
Reaching through the bars she snared my wrist and pulled it through with surprising strength. She withdrew a small knife from behind her ear then sliced my finger before I could do anything. A bead of blood appeared, and the woman bent and licked the crimson liquid from my skin.
“You’ve only just awakened. That explains it.” She mused letting me pull my arm away.
“Explains what?” I yelped, cradling my cut finger.
“Why you don’t recognize me, my dear.” She cooed and I wanted to slap her and listen to her talk forever.
Looking her over again, I didn’t see anything that I recognized until I got to her eyes. Her green eyes made me pause and something in my mind clicked. They were the same color as my mother, the same color as mine.
“Who are you?”
She tsked shaking her finger at me. “Ah ah, not yet. There’s still things that we must discuss.” Twirling the knife, she began to walk back and forth in front of my cell. “Did your mother ever tell you where she was from?”
I didn’t reply, which was answer enough. “There was a village hidden deep in the western woods called Moonbright. The women of this village called themselves maidens of the moon. They served the Moon Maiden and practiced her teachings.”
“One day two men arrived in the village. They each fell in love with a maiden, but the women both refused to leave the village even with the promise of love and riches. Not used to refusal, the men tried to take the maidens by force. For their insolence the maidens killed their lovers because no woman should ever tolerate force.”
“The men were friends and princes from Thimmaria and Brural. When both heirs failed to return, a search party was sent and the truth was found out. Wrought with grief, the ruler of each kingdom made plans to destroy the village. They came in the night silently burning and killing. The full moon was bright in the sky as a small group of maidens returned to the village and found it destroyed.”
“Those seven maidens made a pact that night. They vowed to avenge our murdered sisters and bring the offending kingdoms to their knees. It took many years to plan, and some maidens found happiness and contentment outside of the Moon Maiden’s teachings. All died until only two remained.”
The woman knelt on the stone floor; her eyes bright as she told her story. “I confronted the last maiden and told her I’d devised a way to finally fulfill our vow. But she’d found love and had a child. She was content in her life and had turned from the Moon Maiden’s teachings, like the others.”
