It was a warm, beautiful summer night, and Princess Emma of Estoria was dangling precariously from the shoulder of the orc who had kidnapped her. It was certainly not how she had expected the evening to go, but how exactly was a princess meant to prepare for such a thing? The subject of surviving a kidnapping had certainly never been raised by her tutors. In any case, she found herself hoodwinked, gagged, bound, and somewhere miles and miles from her castle.
Well, her father’s castle…
The orcs had also stripped off her nightgown when they’d taken her from her bed.
Humiliating. Completely unnecessary.
I’d fetch just as much ransom clothed as I would… like this.
She felt the orc’s slick, sticky sweat on her chest and stomach as they rode. The stench of it, together with the constant jostling of her captor and his horse, turned her stomach—and she had no desire to learn what vomiting while gagged felt like.
“I’m going to be sick,” Emma called.
It sounded like, “Ahm ong ee ich,” through the gag.
“Shut your mouth!” the orc barked.
She could tell he meant it, and she decided not to press her luck.
They didn’t have to cover my face, either.
I mean really—everyone knows where the orcs live and how to get there.
What does my blindness accomplish besides making me sick and afraid?
…Oh.
Emma knew she should be panicking. But she consoled herself with the thought that—as terrifying, uncomfortable, and smelly as this kidnapping was—it couldn’t possibly be worse than being married off by her father to some droopy old nobleman for political gain.
The King had never cared much for her. His efforts to sell her off only confirmed it.
The orc beneath her shouted an order, and the riders of the raiding party halted. The world around her went quiet—quiet enough for her to finally be heard, though she didn’t dare speak.
The group was still for several moments, listening for the sound of pursuit. But they heard nothing.
“Good! We stop here couple minutes,” the orc carrying Emma said, dismounting.
His shoulder slammed into Emma’s stomach as he hit the ground, nearly winding her. She let out a small “oof,” then held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t punish her for the sound.
“Why? Why stop?” another orc asked. “Mountains still far; we keep going—”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” the first orc roared. “I am captain—you follow my orders!”
No one argued.
“Besides… this not take long,” the orc captain said.
He tossed Emma. She struck the ground on her back.
“Ow! Gods, why…” she cried indecipherably through the gag.
She rolled off her bound hands onto her side.
“I carry her this whole way…” the captain continued. “I take my due before ride again.”
Emma froze, her stomach plummeting.
Oh, no.
Oh, no, no, no, no!
Perhaps I judged my circumstances a bit too hastily…
She felt a hand on her neck and a knife at her throat. The orc roughly cut the rope, then tore away the sack and gag. Emma stared up at him as the moonlit world around her came back into focus. He was gray, filthy, and cruel-looking. He smiled maliciously as he looked her over, his dark eyes filled with lust.
“What… what about job?” another orc asked.
“Job already fucked!” the captain cut him off. “This is bonus… my ‘Hazard Pay.’”
“But what tell Ka—?”
The orc captain turned and punched the one who spoke, knocking him off his feet.
“Anyone else?!” he roared.
No one spoke.
He returned his attention to the naked princess on the ground beneath the great, white tree.
Emma squirmed and screamed as he climbed atop her, pinning her. She spat in his face. Laughter broke out behind the captain, and his expression darkened.
“I not have to be gentle, you know,” he whispered.
Emma whimpered as she struggled beneath him, the reality of her situation crashing over her all at once.
Okay! I’m ready to get married now!
Just—just make this stop!
“Help! Please—anyone! Gods, please!” she screamed, her throat dry, into the empty night.
“We in middle of forest, Princess,” he said. “No one here ‘cept monsters and demons.”
He reached for her. She kicked.
I won’t make it easy!
“Quit—ugh! Quit fighting!” the captain shouted, struggling to get a hold of both her legs.
Then white flashed in the dark.
The horses screamed and scattered as a massive direwolf burst from the trees and slammed into the orc. Its jaws closed on his throat. Blood sprayed. The orc fell without another sound.
Before the others could react, the direwolf was upon them.
The attack was over just as quickly as it had begun.
Emma didn’t move. She couldn’t. She lay there staring at the carnage around her. The direwolf turned to look at her. Its eyes were amber, and blood still dripped from its huge jaws. She breathed shallowly, trembling as tears blurred her vision.
The direwolf began stalking toward her.
It didn’t growl. It didn’t lunge.
It watched her.
It slowly drew nearer—
And then her world went dark.
