Harper was picking the herbs she was now able to identify from the palace gardens, a basket tucked against her waist. Ashwagandha, Echinacea...She plucked their leaves, checking for insects, spots or infestation, smelling them for their raw unfiltered scent as she put them in her wicker basket.
Maerva had proven to be a strict but fair teacher, and Harper was prospering under her tutelage.
The breeze flowed lightly through the large open area as Harper stopped to feel it flow through her air and ruffle her dress.
The mountains in the distance, the beautiful sun as it spilled down warm morning light on her.
She smiled, a rare moment of happiness that she had been unaware could exist as she continued with her task.
If only she was not so engrossed with her work, she could have seen them coming.
A hand clamped down on her mouth as another wrapped around her waist.
She let out a muffled scream, dropping the basket as she tried to free the hand around her mouth. She moved ferociously, as she struggled against the attacker.
He was too powerful.
When he started dragging her backwards, her fear skyrocketed. She let out a long drawn-out yell, desperate as she started hitting him, his hand around her waist, his feet, the part of his stomach she could reach with her elbow.
It didn't work.
NoNoNoNoNo!
She was panicking, looking back at the palace in the distance, hoping somebody would see her predicament. It was the middle of the day!
But aside from a few fluttering curtains, nothing. No wait! There it was, a shadow in a window!
She prayed they had seen her.
The attacker had grown tired of her protesting, as he quickly loosened his hands to haul her up higher against him. He was too large and she was too small.
She cursed her shortness in that moment.
Her feet left the ground, and she was no longer being dragged but carried! But the change of his hold had given her the opportunity.
She bit down on his hand around her mouth as soon as she got free.
He yelled, dropping his hand momentarily from around her mouth, but that was enough.
"HELP!!"
She used her hands to evade his from clasping around her mouth again, dangling in his arms.
"Help! I'M BEING AB-"
Thud
Her head rang from the vicious drop. She had not seen that coming.
He quickly climbed on her prone form, pinning her hands against her back with his knees as he fisted her hair in his grip, and slammed her head down once again.
The shrill ringing increased, drwoing out the surrounding. The sunlight which she had been cherishing recently felt like a curse as she turned her head away to the other side from the brightness.
She could see and feel herself being turned around, and when the kidnapper realised she was no longer fighting, he picked her up like a sack of potatoes and threw her on his shoulder.
Harper hung there, limp as she watched the ground move under her, helpless.
The man walked leisurely away from the palace grounds into the woods lining the area. The birds and animals, now fully ative moved about them as they walked. Well, he walked.
She was drifting in and out, her head still ringing and her nausea worsening by the second due to the movement, she wanted more than anything to shut it all out, close her eyes and let herself rest.
Harper slowly closed her eyes to do just that...
No.
She shook herself up, the movement almost bringing the bile to her throat.
No. She had to stay awake. She needed to remember the path.
And so the two walked, her counting the steps, and trying to memorise the position of the Sun to their path (not that it would do much good, the only thing she knew about finding direction was that the Sun rose in East and set in West)
They walked and walked, until at last they came to a cave. This part of the forest was deeper, and only the stubborness of the sun shining through the thick foliage made it visible enough to take a look around.
No, no. It was not just any cave. From the carved shelves in the wall, the lit candles, the large stone table in the middle housing various jars and bowls, and the animal skin...it was clearly not just a cave.
Fear slowly rose up in her.
Her eyes fell to the blankets in the far corner.
It was a home.
"So we meet at last." Her head whipped around to the voice.
A figure emerged, a stunningly gorgeous woman. She walked out of the shadow and in her view, slowly circling around to the side to see her properly.
The man dropped his kidnapee to the ground.
Harper twitched in pain, groaning. Oh, how badly she wanted to rest.
The woman circled around her, circling her like one would a prey. Her dark curly hair fell to the waist, moving with her, her pale skin glowed. She was mesmerising.
She walked to one of the jars in the corner, and opening the lid, took out what looked like an eye. She brought it up to her nose, sniffling before she looked back down at her victim, her eyes shining wickedly.
Harper tried dragging herself back, but it was no use. The woman poured the eye in the bowl on the table, before snatching Harper's arm and dragging it on top of the table.
Harper's body followed.
"Ah!"
She winced as the lady took a knife and put a cut against her wrist, holding it over the bowl. The knife-lady let go as soon as she had enough, and added a few more ingredients.
"Finally..." The beautiful woman, whom Harper at this point was betting on being a witch raised her hand above her head, chanting as she stood over the bowl.
The winds rushed in, candles flickered as crows, from somwhere in the forest squawked angrily.
Suddenly, a barrage of them flwe in, smashing themselves to death against the opposite wall.
Harper kept still. Shocked, afraid.
The woman- the witch- very calmly walked over to the dead and twitching crows, swiped a finger against the blood pooling on the floor and brought it to her mouth, licking.
She hmmed as she suddenly motioned to the man, and he hauled Harper up. The scene had restored some of her earlier strengths, and she went struggling.
The witch plucked her choice of crow feather and walking over to the bowl, dipped the end in. She held Harper's head as she drew something on her forehead.
Harper struggled. Whatever it was, it was not good.
"That seems enough. He will be grateful." She stepped back from Harper, "You, darling, are now ready for the Hunt."
Harper had heard enough. Her nausea couldn't be controlled anymore.
She barfed.