Suddenly she jumped in surprise as her sight wandered back to her friend Amis's clear blue eyes stared right back at her, and before Aris could even react, Ami mouthed her one single word. And she easily read it.

Run... Ami I..I'm sorry but I can't.

"I can't leave you back" - she muttered to herself quietly.

She was afraid so much that she was frozen in place but she knew she had to do something, otherwise she would lose the last person in the world who cared about her and when she finally mustered enough willpower to take a few steps back and tried to turn around and find a way to rescue her friend, she bumped into something soft.

With her eyes still directed straight ahead she didn't dare lift her face, after a moment someone slowly patted her head and with both arms hugged her head tightly. Aris was still too frightened to do anything besides staying still, with her mind wondering what would happen to them now, she wasn't naive enough to think that, that was someone that would rescue her and Ami, most licky that was one of the armed men, she tried to think if she should kick him and try to escape and clenched her fist as if it would bring her at least some courage.

But it didn't, she knew that her chance to run or even hide was long gone, so she waited patiently in a stranger's embrace for her fate.

At least I will still be with Ami...

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

She thought as her lips ever so slightly turned into a subtle smile that didn't match with her dejected face yet something was not right as this moment prolonged itself as it seemed to Aris infinitely, her smile disappeared from her face and she panicked more and more every second not knowing what to do anymore.

But all that was suddenly stopped when she heard unfamiliar words behind her.

"Luba! shtot my tako rabit z nymy?" - A deep rough male voice rang out in her direction, and the woman who was hugging Aris slowly took her hands away. To Aris, this only added another reason to feel uncertain about her situation.

But not even a moment later Aris flinched when her hand was held by the very same woman who hugged her.

"Chekat!" - The woman said, and after some time she added - "And you are coming with me, nod if you understand."

To Aris's surprise, her voice when she spoke to her wasn't harsh as when she spoke to one of her comrades but soft and gentle.

To say it was weird would be an understatement.

But...why?

After a few seconds as to not antagonize her Aris looked down even more and nodded a few times and as she did her arm was pulled and she was being guided, by an unfamiliar woman.

After a while, they both arrived in silence at one of the houses and they stepped inside she didn't stop and took her near dinner table in the main room on which now cold unfinished meals were left by inhabitants, woman stopped and let go of Aris's hand, then she sat at one of the chairs turned to Aris. The woman's face was slightly illuminated by candles on the table and walls her face looked rough yet at the same time it had some mysterious charm to it, she wore the same red-colored brigandine that the rest of the armed men had and some knee-high leather boots. Then after a while of just looking at Aris with her brown eyes, she pushed some of her black hair that covered her eyes smiled, and asked.

"My name's Luba and what's yours?"