Olivia's Story- Sections 3 and 4

Something loud and rough underneath my body woke me, and I was cascaded with pains. The back of my head throbbed, and I could feel the skin on it pulled taut and tender like it was swelling. Something scratchy was chafing my face, and my body was covered in burns that were stiff from lying on my side. My teeth ached and my hunger had rose to the maximum. One arm was caught beneath my waist, and all my muscles and bruises seemed to stab into me with every jolt of movement.
Movement? I thought sluggishly, Where am I
Careful to keep the look of sleep upon my body, I split my dopey eyes apart. Bright light burst forth as soon as my lids opened, as well as a twinge as a scabbing cut below my left eye broke, exposing itself to the air.
I fought the urge to wince, and closed my eyes. Slowly opening them this time, though blurry, I saw lots of rough straw, littered around with dirt, sand, mouse droppings, sawdust, and all things of other sorts. Looking a little farther, I saw a dark wall of wood with a canopy of trees and mountains beyond the top.
I must be in a cart, or wagon
Closing my eyes, I moaned at the unwanted task of movement, and shifted to my other side. I almost drifted back into sleep, but forced myself to stay awake. After slitting my eyes again, I found I looked into a mound of material. Further examination proved it to be Mary. She seemed all right, I could hear her snoring hoarsely, and no blood showed itself on her skin.
Mmmmmm but it could…NO
I decided I should listen; I had managed to look away but my eyes drooped too much to hold them open. I needed something else to concentrate on, something not dangerously inviting.
In our camp we told out men if they were unsure of nearby company, or thought something out of place, to just listen. Generally it would confirm your suspicions, whatever they were, whether it be danger or just drunk men. Kalmber and I had taken this strategy from Onipopo, our foster father.
A while after our birth, our parents had fled, leaving us with their only trustworthy neighbour throughout the countryside. He had accepted us willingly, knowing we were special. And when we changed, he tried to teach us as much as he knew, and all matters of common sense.
When we were 11, a rebel band had rode up to Onipopo’s farm. We had just finished watering our own private herb garden, and were heading around the front of the house when they arrived.
A tall, wiry man had walked up, asking for Onipopo. Thinking it dangerous to leave a young girl like me alone with a company of ragged men, Kalmber stayed and sent me to get our foster father.
I ran all over the farm, from our one cow’s pen, to the bull’s, the butcher hut, the chicken coup, the main pasture, the vegetable garden, the stream, our sleeping quarters, everywhere. I just couldn’t find him. Where else would he be?
When I returned to Kalmber, the men had disappeared down the road in the direction away from the village.
“Where did they go?” I had asked.
“They said they received a report runner, and that there was King’s men coming.”
“Why do the King’s men want them,” I laughed, “Did one of them tell him what he actually looks like?”
He had laughed with me, but then we hurried into the house. If there really were men from the kingdom coming, we should tell Onipopo. Once again he was out of sight, it was strange, he never disappeared.
When the King’s men were in earshot, we ran into the forest back across the stream. Onipopo had taught us about how merciless Orlineate was, and how his men followed his example. We didn’t know why they were here, but we wouldn’t be in their way.
They traveled all the way up to the farm too, and investigated throughout all our land. They must have thought we ran off with the rebels because our house was empty.
From our perches high in an oak tree, we watched them as they placed little cubes of herbs and oils on the ground and around our livestock pens. Then, they went through, and removed any and all of our food stocks, placing them on their carts.
Sitting there, we were disgusted. To get robbed by our own King, of all our work and life, we hadn’t even committed a crime. What if we had made a hike to the nearby village for a couple of days, completely innocent? Would they still have robbed us, of course they would! They were King’s men.
After they had scavenged all that they could find, they rode back up to the main road, and a few archers stepped forward. A man lit their arrows, and they fired.
At first, smoke just swirled out of a hay pile, but soon popped into a being of flames. The fire spread, moving towards the butcher house, and the cattle’s pens. It found a path of oil, and flickered down it, until it hit one of the bundles of herbs. Exploding, it sent flames up into the air, catching various other pieces of flammable material.
After ten minutes, almost everything was ablaze. Satisfied, the King’s men continued back the way they came. They would tell the King that they burned down a treasonous farm, and they would be done their job.
After a quick discussion, we reckoned that there was nothing left here for us, and that we would starve if we tried to replant. We decided to find that rebel group. Hopefully, they would take us in, no matter what we would have to do. It would be hard, trying to make excuses of why we would leave every few nights, and show up again in the morning, but we would make it work.
We had run off through the forest, which was always familiar to us, internally grieving. Onipopo had to be dead, or else he surely would have found us in our favourite place in the tree. The one man that loved us, gone. Everything we had ever known, gone…
I realized I had started dozing while thinking about my history. Trying to perk myself up again to stay awake, I remembered what I was supposed to do.
At first I could only hear the sound of the cart, but after only a few seconds the sounds of men’s laughter and talk reached me. A loud, boasting voice made some joke, and another bout of laughter echoed through the area. A different man, probably a leader, yelled something mockingly, but the only words I could catch were ‘quiet, ladies, experiences.’ A few curses were said, and then the men’s voices disappeared.
I didn’t recognize the voices. Who would just yell loudly around the countryside? It was a sure way to be caught, or spotted by somebody you didn’t want to see you.
People, guards, spies, covered almost anywhere in the woodlands around any road or village. Most rebel groups went about on the old roads. They were like a man’s unshaven chin, uncivilized and desolate. That’s what made them so perfect. Not many people rode along them just for the factor of how uncomfortable it was. Also, they were dangerous. If a horse tripped and broke its leg, you were stranded alone. Though, any rebel would rather chance a broken leg than the imprisonment in the King’s pit.
But that’s not what we did…we tried to go along a normal, semi-populated road…but it was quiet…Where am I?
Why were they still talking so loudly? None of our men would have done that without checking with Kalmber, or myself, that’s for sure. Unless…
Oh no, The King’s men must have found us, after-after… I struggled to think of what happened, a thick fog had drifted over my mind. I was so tired. I remembered fires, and Mary running away, and a…lake? Yes a lake, the cooling lake. Then…
A firebomb? I thought. It was a possible explanation for the burns.
So, I am stuck fast now. In one of the Kings holding lines. Probably on my way to… What could I do? I clenched my teeth together. Nothing
Sighing, and releasing my sore teeth, I relaxed my eyes and fell into tranquil thoughts, the knowledge that I was captured pressing me back into slumber


“Quit down, you can talk about your experiences with your lady friends later,” I yelled over to the group of men walking behind the prisoners cart. “You gossip like you yourselves were ladies!” I sighed and stared up at the blinding sun. It was in the middle of the sky, telling me twas noon. Unlike them, didn’t want to hear all the different slaves and servant girls they had used as bed warmers. At least Lakesha and I had only been slight lovers, and she was willing. They sounded too much like the king to me.
Glaring, a few of them called curses, but I just ignored them. We had been traveling the countryside on a loop, now almost back to the castle, for 31 days now. Many of the men were getting short tempered.
Walking all day in the hot sun, with armor and weapons didn’t help the matter. Only a handful had horses, the King only supplied them for the Leaders and few Counts. With so many attacks going on at kingdom farms, the money wasn’t there for spending anymore.
A few fistfights throughout the later days had been started, and they had been punished, though nothing serious had happened yet. Many were ready to erupt, mostly in the ranks of the new recruitments. Those who weren’t used to the life on the road. Not often nights were stayed in Inn’s, and villages and farms were very spread apart this far out. Fresh meals were not common.
Glancing back behind me, I saw our procession was moving quite slowly. At the very far back Shant’s fire archers and knights who had been joking about trudged along tartly, pushing the few Peers of Milia who protected the prisoners’ cart even harder. A large group of wagons protected by Trespond’s men were filled to the brim with supplies, and was farther up ahead than it should be.
Though it would seem like enough food, the whole camp was rationed; only Norlontre and us Counts got decent meals each night. Whenever we burned down a household or farm, we usually stocked whatever supplies we could from the buildings. Also, when we arrived at towns we demanded payment of food or money, but it just wasn’t enough.
Even more spread apart in front of them were my Peers, some who were riding on an old cart pulled by their horse, while other walked beside. If a man brought his own horse into the ranks, he could use it for anything, it was his privilege.
The rest of the men walked ahead, with Norlontre’s War Horse at the fore, which atop he rode. Generally he kept within the group, but since we were back in the Kingdom’s boundaries there seemed no danger to be in the open for pillage attacks. The other Counts, like I, were spread apart through the ranks.
Chancella, the donkey who was pulling the prisoners cart, was sagging behind, the reason our union was spread so far apart. She had been jumpy ever since we had put the prisoners in there. Suddenly she would haw, and start trying to run, twisting in her harness like trying to escape. Right after that, she would seem to sag, almost hide herself as if being lashed. She looked beat from to many random outbreaks, so I decided to ride ahead to confer with Norlontre about a donkey change.
We had three extra donkeys for if we needed an extra wagon. They were Chancella, Dirgmust, and Trinad. Trinad was freshly trained and Chancella was middle aged, so they were regulars. They pulled the cart, one for twelve hours, then switching off to the next. Dirgmust was the oldest with 23 years, and he was mainly with us to be an extra, for if Chancella or Trinad got hurt or killed.
When I headed with Norlontre I mentioned the donkey, and he agreed that they should be switched so the men could group together and cease walking for a while.
He called for the break, and the Counts cries all over echoed his order happily.
The wagons were put to a stop, and tired walkers took seats on the ground, relaxing with their water and beer canteens. Some of Trespond’s men went and started changing over the prisoner cart’s donkey.
As soon as Chancella was out of the bindings, she tried to run. She stumbled though, as the restraint from the men and her tiredness played in her part. They calmed her and hurriedly took her off the road and tied her to a tree.
A harsh wind rose up, making dust soar into the sky. The men brought Trinad over, placid in relief for the cool refreshment from the baking heat. Suddenly, he spooked for no apparent reason, and started hawing and kicking. The men tried to calm him down with soothing words and murmurs, but nothing would quench him of his fear. He kicked up and broke a hole through the cart wall, startling the two captives. They both jerked, and the fair coloured girl pulled the other away from the broken barrier.
“Take him away from the cart!” I yelled. The donkey would cause more destruction by it than he would any other place.
They led him over near Chancella and tied him up. Norlontre rode over, trying to figure out what was wrong.
“Trinad spooked when the men tried to put him in the harness, and kicked through the wall of the cart. Both of the prisoners are also awake now, though quite dopey, they won’t be up for long,” I told him.
“Tell the men to start fixing the cart, if they hurry, it will only take half an hour.” He ordered me, and then added thoughtfully, “The sleeping draught in our firebombs is doing its job. The inhalation would have probably kept them asleep for many more hours, though they must have been fairly far away or else they would be dead. Or the bomb didn’t get to burn much. Soon they will be back asleep. They are females, quite weak, unlike ourselves. Even men would be knocked cold still if not for the donkey. Actually, I am surprised they woke at all.” He thought again, “They definitely would have had to be far away.”
“ Well, the dark haired girl didn’t seem to really wake, but the light one looks fully.” I replied.
“Hmmm, she’ll fall asleep soon.” He told me.
We put sleeping medicines in our bombs, very strong sleeping medicines, and when they explode they turned to gas. This is so potent, that if the explosion didn’t kill you, then the gases would, or at least knock you out for hours. How close you are to it depends on how much it affects you. The herbs used to make it are three times stronger than a normal infusion, which would easily throw a grown man into sleep.
“Come on, I need a man with a background in carpentry, come over here,” I yelled to my men.


Run, can’t run, legs weak. Black field, dead field, bad field. Life, ahead, forest, green trees, animals. Small animals, useless, need big animals. So weak. Need food. Need animals. Big trees, can’t run fast. Need animals. Can’t catch wildcat, to fast, so tired. Legs too weak. Lake. Reflection. Teeth, sharp, pointy teeth. So tired, no fall, can’t fall, won’t fall. Need food, no, not food. Need-
I jumped awake, and pulled away from a loud noise above my head. With my gaze swimming I dragged Mary away from the disturbance, her being still drowsing. I cleared my sight and saw a splintered hole in the wall of the cart, pieces scattered on the floor.
A rampaging donkey was strained against its bridle, from all the men hanging off it to hold it still. The men wore the gait of the kingdom, their sign embellished on the armor (must think of embellishment). I shook Mary until she was partially conscious, covering her ears from the noise.
Finally the men took away the donkey, and another man yelled for the hole to be fixed. Three Peers clustered around the hole to see the damage, and then scurried off, probably looking for supplies.
I felt Mary sigh in my lap, and she started snoring again. I, unlike her, felt wide-awake, and hungry. My teeth ached more than before.
Why did they have to take the donkey away…I shivered, no matter how hungry I was I had to stay focused.
A man rode up to our cart, first looking at the hole, then checked us over. I avoided his gaze, acting frightened.
Seeming satisfied, he rode away from us to the front of a long group of soldiers and carts. Everybody ignored us, other than a couple of men that circled around the cart. Each had their hands on their weapons, and seemed ready to draw.
Our guards, so little I chuckled to myself They really think that we are harmless enough for such few. These men underestimate females.
Every man in our rebel group had learned that lesson. Each time a new recruitment is added, I challenge them to a dual.
Once in our practice sparring I had challenged Bucni. He was our latest recruitment, and like the rest, he had never seen us duel before.
When he accepted my offer, he told me cockily ‘I will go easy on you, Miss.’ He landed on the ground before he had his second jab. Many other overconfident men had tried me out, only to learn in vain, to not underestimate anybody, male or female.
Many experienced fighters I had fought for an hour or so, until we called it quits. Those were the fights I enjoyed. Though, I can’t say I could help myself from grinning when Bucni landed on his buttocks.
Apparently these men have not had that chance to learn, this will help me later.
We didn’t know much of what happened inside the kingdom structure, or what happened with Peers and Counts. Only once did we ever have one of our men captured, but we were able to slip in and kill the party only a night after.
The group had stumbled across our man hunting in the woods with our insignia on him, and with only one Count and a few Peers they barely caught him. When he didn’t return by midday we had scouts out looking, and one of them spotted the Count’s camp. We had sneaked in and silently slaughtered every enemy, our rescue easy. After that we had foraged the camp for letters, whether it be telling new battle plans, or the next location for meeting. We also searched for any useful tools or provisions.
Considering he was only with them for the night, we didn’t learn much about what happened with their captives. One of the main events that had occurred was that the leader, or somebody fairly high up, would come and try to psych the captive out, scare them into telling anything. I would have to act like a pitiful, meek girl, but one with knowledge, or else they would never keep me.
We had been planning, my brother and I, to send one of us into the castle. This was the reason we were trying to meet up with our related group; we had wanted to discuss tactics and ideas. With a good disguise, we could learn of any plans.
Now, if I made the right moves, this could move me right into the heart of the devil’s den. Then, after I had learned enough for that time, he would come to get me. He would know when, he always did.
If I mess up…I just won’t, this will be perfect in the end
We had a type of sense between us, knowing whether each other were in harm or not, if we were close or near, or if we wanted each other. It was like maternal instinct.
Many times over our years it had helped us find each other, or to help if the other was in pain. Ours was much stronger, being born together and all, even though it was still a blood trait of ours, being…special.

“Sir, I think one of the prisoners is awake,” I told Norlontre.
It was a couple hours later; we had fixed the cart, and finally thrust the reluctant Trinad into the yoke. After marching for a while, one of Milia’s guards who was watching the prisoners approached him saying that he had seen the fair girl’s eyes open suddenly on bumps on the roads. Though at other times she seemed to be sleeping.
Milia called me over, and we went and took a look. When I prodded her on her back with the butt of my dagger she jerked up and hissed at me, then turned away frightened. I had rode up to Norlontre to tell him.
“What do you mean, they should still sleep for another few hours,” He has asked me.
“Come see,” was all I replied.
“Let’s take a break lads!” He called out, and all the men that heard him smiled. Not usually would we stop so often in one day.
When we approached the cart Norlontre made a sharp call, making the guards recede from it. They had been silently pulling at the prisoners’ hair, grabbing a small piece then tugging on it gently. An overly brave man had started to stroke the blonde’s face, and pluck at her ruined dress.
“What do you think you are doing?” I snapped at the men, wiping the smiles off their faces.
“Do not touch them! You know the punishment for anybody who meddles with the King’s prisoners!” Norlontre’s voice was an icy wind, memories floating from it into their minds.
“It was only a little pull at her hair, no harm done,” murmured the ambitious guard.
“It did not seem so, and your fingers would proclaim your words untrue if they could speak, wouldn’t they Horslem?” Norlontre lowered his voice and stepped right up to the guard’s face. “I could disclose this happening to the King’s office. You will have to prove to me that you are man enough to redeem some height, because right now, you are dangerously close to my crossing point. Report to me this evening.”
Horslem mumbled a sheepish, “Yes sir,” and the Leader turned to the other men.
“All of you men will have a look-out duty this night. Think of this as a gracious punishment. Other times I may not be so generous. Now, back away.”
The men scattered farther away, and we stepped up to the cart. Quietly, I took my dagger once more, and tapped the light one on the nervous part of her knee. She gasped as her leg twitched, and pulled it up to her chest. We walked around the other side of the wagon, and watched as her vision switched back and forth between us.
“Speak to us, or we will make you,” Norlontre ordered quietly.
She moaned to herself.
“What is your name?” I asked.
“Wh-who are you?” she asked, her light voce cracking.
“I repeat, what is your name?” I inquired, a small amount of force behind my words.
“My name, I am Fe-Fel-Felicit-ty.”
“Your name is Felicity, correct?” Norlontre inquired.
She muttered an agreement.
“Where do you come from?”
“I-I can’t remember; my head hurts, where are am I? Please, make my head stop hurting!” She moaned loudly.
I glanced as she crumpled into herself, hiding her face beyond a veil of matted golden hair. A large, egg-shaped mound was protruding from the backside of her head.
“Would she lie?” I murmured to Norlontre.
“Judging from the look of her cranium I would assume not. Even if she was, I don’t think it best to ask right now. The information we extract from her can wait until we are in a secure place, with no sneaky listeners.” His eyes motioned to the guards lazing around. “We will stall the questions ‘till later. What do you think?”
“Night time for poppet?”
“You read my mind.”


I had been cursing at myself. My hunger growling from inside me, I had been concentrating on controlling my thoughts. My lack of effort towards ‘being asleep’ started to alert a guard. When he went to talk to a Count, I knew I had to get my story straight.
Mentally considering the throbbing pain coming from my head, I knew I would have a large welt. I could use this in my favor. With a crackly voice, and plenty of moaning I would surpass most detection.
Once again I was too deep in thought, and when a man thumped me in the back, I reacted. I jerked up and hissed, my hunger taking control, and then I realized what I was doing, and flopped back down. Pretending I was exhausted, I prayed he would leave again.
When he came back I would have to be prepared, and act well. Of course I would still be suspected of lying, but if I couldn’t remember much, what use would I be of at the moment? They would have to wait until I was healed to remember anything vital. Being caught so close to the kingdom; I would be inside the walls by the time I had ‘remembered’. Our plan would work out perfectly.
Only problem; I needed to feed. They had fed me nothing. If I didn’t get something soon, my instincts would take control, and I would go berserk.
I heard men walking up again, and I prepared myself for whatever they would do. Only, when they tapped the sensitive point, I couldn’t help gasping. It was a good idea; it would wake me were I asleep, and show me awake if not. I panicked for a moment, but then realized that that would work with my act. Sorting myself out, I waited.
They walked around so I could see them, and I, pretending to be nervous, gazed hurriedly at the two that were there. They started to ask me questions, and I made small responses, mostly groaning. When they asked my name, I stalled them, and found a perfect fake.
“My name, I am Fe-Fel-Felicit-ty,” I groaned out.
After, I acted out horrible head pains, and they started to mutter back and forth. When they finished, they smiled, as if laughing at some joke.
Then, to my surprise, they walked way. One traveled out of my sight, while the other, the one I had hissed at, went to a group of wagons.
After digging around, he picked something up, and walked back. The other man that was there before, who I assumed was a Leader, re-appeared also.
The man with the items, probably a Count, opened the bottle in his hands, and poured some liquid on a cloth. He motioned to somebody behind me, and covered his own mouth with his arm. One of the cart’s guards leaned over the edge of our wagon, and grabbed my shoulder, forcing me upwards.
The Count, who at this I point I mentally named ‘Count Bastardo’, grabbed the back of my head, and covered my mouth and nose with the cloth.
I knew what he was doing; he was trying to anesthetize me so I would slumber until we hit the castle.
There is only one problem with that…Uh oh
I struggled pitifully; I couldn’t really fight, because I was supposed to be dizzy and nauseous. When a normal, hurt person would usually take a breath, I took one, but his fumes didn’t affect me like they would a normal person.
At first, I just sat there breathing, watching the Leader’s expectant eyes. Then, I started giggling.
I couldn’t stop. Soon, gales of laughter left my lungs, and I had flopped back on the floor writhing, but not in pain. In fact, all the pains in my body disappeared. This seemed so funny to me, no hurt!
I choked in air, trying to breathe through all my fits. The men didn’t help, many more had gathered round, and they looked so humorously confused!
I giggled again, “Take that look off your face, silly men, you are so funny!”
The two that had been there in the beginning walked away with a few other men, but even more gathered around our cart, watching me guffaw.
“Come back you boys!” Giggles again. “You don’t know who you are messing with!” Minutes later, I was still giggling, now laughing at how Mary snored away while I had so much fun.
The other men came back, their faces grim.
“Awww what’s with the long faces?” I gasped between words, trying not to burst.
“Somebody pull her out of the cart!” The Leader yelled.
Immediately many hands were on me, all pulling me to and fro.
“Gentle!” I shrieked out, and then laughed again at my boldness.
They all let go at my outburst, and then one man pulled me to his side and over the edge of the cart. I held onto him tightly, my legs weak and in need of support.
Count Bastardo walked up, and I fell into a fit again, the man supporting me taking my whole weight.
“You are so pretty Count Bast…” I giggled off. For the first time I realized how good-looking he was, and how close to my age.
He sighed, and looked to the Leader. Seeing the nod, he turned back to me. His right arm flexed and pulled back, while the man holding me pushed me in front of him, still gripping my shoulders. I realized what the Count was doing just in time to cut off my laughter and momentarily tense my body.
As I closed my eyes and forced my rigid muscles to relax, his fist hit my temple. I crumpled down to the dirt, despite the man’s tries to catch me. Breathing shallow, my vision blurred and went red as my lids closed over the sun. A metallic taste entered my mouth, and I choked. But before I blacked out, I had one thing to say.
“S’not funny guys.”