Zara was nearly running through the alley, trying to beat the rain but also worried about running into those who assaulted her a short time ago. She hoped they were worried about the rain as well and had gone home to shelter by now. As she hurried along, she made a mental note to stop back and get the cloak this week. She knew she wouldn’t be welcome to help out here again, at least not for a while. She got sad as she thought about it. She knew this is exactly what Luis was afraid was going to happen. The thought of having to find permanent work made her feel tired and weary. Most of the work in town had to do with fishing and being on the water. This wasn’t something she would be opposed to but it wasn’t exactly her ambition either. Her mother had worked hard so she could get an education with some of the scholars in town. She had been taught to read and write and do some arithmetic. She really wanted to continue studying, maybe even get a job as an accountant or assistant to someone powerful or wealthy. Well, that was what her mother wanted for her, anyway. She always spoke of Zara not having to live a hard life, being poor and living frugally all her life as she had done.

Zara looked at the sky as she jogged, thoughts of her mother at the forefront of her mind. The moon was full but almost completely hidden by thick, stormy clouds, just as the sun had been all day. As she thought about her mother, she was struck with the realization that she didn’t know what to do now. She had always gone along with the plans her mother laid out for her. It made perfect sense, why her mother had wanted an easier life for her. It was never really an option to question it. But did she really want that? The answer was clear in her mind - no. However, there wasn’t any one thing she really wanted to do. The only thing that burned in her mind was the thought of having her mother and sister back, having a family again. However, she knew that this was an impossible wish. She felt so completely and utterly alone now and it was like a crushing weight on her mind. She had no one left. She was suddenly hit with a thick wave of grief and a sob caught in her throat. She paused in her trek, wiping the tears away with her shirt. As she did so, her breath caught. Up ahead, between two buildings on the left side of the path, a figure had been standing. She couldn’t make out any details about them except they were large and wearing all black. If it hadn’t been for a sudden sliver of moonlight escaping the cloud cover, she probably wouldn’t have seen them at all. The moment she spotted them, they stepped between the buildings and were gone.

Goosebumps climbed up her arms and down her back. She shivered in the cool, salty air as she assessed the situation. She couldn’t be sure that they were watching her but people weren’t usually out this late, never mind standing around a dark alley alone. Not able to explain it, she knew this was going to be trouble for her. She immediately turned on her heel, planning to head back toward the bar and circle through town on the main road. If something happened, she could at least return and face Luis, knowing he would be furious she left but at least she would be safe. As she quickly sprinted back the way she came, covering ground in double the time as before, movement above her once again stopped her in her tracks. It had been from one of the rooftops ahead. If she hadn’t already seen the person before, she would have thought she imagined it. Whatever it was that had moved was big. Really big.

She picked up the pace, practically running now. Just as the lattice she used for her escape came into view just a couple of yards ahead, a figure dropped down into her path. She froze, watching as they straightened from a squat to stare at her from under a large hood. She couldn’t see the top half of the persons face, just their mouth as their lips curled into a small smile. They stood there for a moment, staring at one another. Zara’s mind raced as she thought through her options. This was obviously no regular person, dropping down from the rooftop as they did. She could scream but it was very late. If anyone did hear her, she doubted they would come to her aide anyway. She could try to run, she supposed. She would only need a little luck to make it around the corner of the bar and through the front door and Luis. As she weighed her options, she heard the quiet scuff of something moving behind her. She whipped around, pressing her back to the stone wall of the building to her right. She turned her head between the hooded figure now coming from the way she had been headed and the one who dropped down from the rooftop in front of her. That was when she noticed a third figure, coming up from around the corner up ahead. They had been waiting for their opportunity to surround her, she realized.

She cursed inwardly, knowing her only option would truly be to fight and pray someone would stumble upon her and help. She readied herself, her hands coming up into fists in front of her. She was scared, her whole body trembling as they approached.

“W-what do you want?” she called out to them.

She heard the one to her left chuckle.

The one to her right smirked as they both slowly closed the distance. Neither said anything, just kept coming nearer.

As they got closer to her she noticed their size. The height and bulk of them told her all she needed to know about her chances of fighting them and winning. She let her fists drop a little, already feeling defeated. She wished she had spent more time doing martial training instead of studying now. As the two bigger figures drew up closer, she was able to take in their features in the moonlight.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

The two large men were very obviously not human. Their skin appeared to be gray, or maybe greenish, she observed. Their jaws were large, jutting forward to reveal large teeth sticking out a little and over their upper lip. The one on the right had two large tusks, the one on the left only one was visible. They both had dark eyes that bore into her, sizing her up with amused expressions.

Orcs, she thought as she observed them back. Though, maybe not quite…

She noted that their features were softer, more rounded. More humanlike she suddenly realized.

So half-orcs then, she thought, surprised, having never met or seen one in real life.

Realizing they hadn’t attempted to grab or assault her, she lowered her hands to her sides and straightened. She turned her attention to the smallest of the trio, the one who dropped from the rooftop, standing directly in front of her. It was a man, his features more human-like but slightly… off. It was harder to tell what exactly was different about him in the dark. He stared back at her with a bemused, mischievous grin. She glared at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest now, waiting for an explanation for their ambush, seeing she likely had no other choice.

Upon seeing that she obviously wasn’t going to put up a fight, the man in the middle stopped grinning. His lips puckered into a pout, making him look almost childish.

“Oh, what,’ he asked in a disappointed tone, “not going to try and fight us now?”

Zara glared at him, not daring to speak and provoke them further.

“Fine,” the man sighed, putting his hands up in front of him, “you must be wondering what we’re doing here, cornering you at this late hour, I imagine?”

The man had a slight drawl, the hints of an accent she didn’t recognize. It made his voice lighter than the gruff, deep voices of the dock workers she had become so accustomed to. There was an undertone to it, mischievous, teasing. It made Zara all the more curious about what these three were doing in her small town. It also made her cautious, every sense telling her they were even more dangerous than they appeared.

Zara looked between the three and gave one small nod to indicate she heard him, never giving up her defensive stance.

The man stepped forward, reaching out a hand to tilt up her chin. She flinched at his touch but didn’t pull away, stubbornly glaring while he grinned at her.

“Such a pretty little girl to be involved in bar skirmishes, don’t you think, boys?” he asked the other two, never breaking eye contact with her. One of the massive men grunted but said nothing. "How old are you any way, hon? Fifteen? Sixteen?"

Zara raised an eyebrow at the mention of the incident in the bar and looked at him harder now. Her eyes widened as she realized she recognized him from earlier. Someone who recently started coming in for a drink. Sat by himself and was quiet and polite. He had a huge scar across his forehead and that was what made his features off in the dark. In the light of the bar, it looked like a burn. She remembered him tonight, sitting at the end of the bar alone. She had cleaned up a few of his glasses but they hadn’t spoken.

He usually wore a heavy cloak and she had only ever viewed his face partially shadowed in his hood. He only ever spoke a few curt, necessary words to order and nothing more. She had assumed he was someone who came into town on trade or business, stopping for a drink and then going on his way. He wouldn’t be the only one.

Being a port town, they frequently got travelers who would return on business and come to exchange a pleasantry with Luis. He had an amazing knack for remembering every face that ever passed through his pub. It made Zara’s head spin the number of people he remembered and how he’d always remember stories they told him or the names of their family members to ask how they were doing. It made everyone feel comfortable there, like they were in the company of an old friend. Zara supposed they actually were. She also suspected it was the reason Luis’s bar was always so full and business stayed good, even when others in town were facing the hardship of the cold winter months when trade slowed down.

She scrutinized the face staring into hers more closely, noting the way his green eyes pierced into hers. There was a long scar down the side of his face, seperate from the burn, noticeable as a bright white streak even in the pitch black of the alley. His hair was dark, the exact color she wasn’t sure of in the night. It was long and straight, tied back at his neck, a few stray pieces framing his face. His features were slightly angular and sharp, not at all unattractive, but strange somehow.

He watched her take in his features, his lips drawing up into a smirk as she studied him. Aware of his growing smugness, she defiantly stared back into his eyes, unwavering.

He removed his hand from her chin and she drew back as much as she could, not wanting to invite him to touch her again if she could help it. Her back was now almost flat up against the brick wall of the back of one of the shops. She didn’t need to look around for an escape route, she knew there were none. The men in front of her knew it as well.

“Who are you?” She asked finally, breaking the tense silence.

“Now,” The green eyed man said and smiled slyly, as he gestured to the big men beside him. “You’re asking the important questions.”

The man turned and began to walk away between the two hulking figures on either side of him. Zara moved to follow but before she took a full step, she saw the man signal a quick hand gesture behind his back.

“Bring her,” was all he said.

Zara opened her mouth to protest but was met with a heavy smack to the back of her head and then everything went black.