Chapter 14

"Do you think I would be here if he did not?" she responded, eyes glaring.

The brigands laughed so hard tears came to their eyes. "Come," said the larger of the two, motioning to Eyrmysse with his hand.

As Eyrmysse walked up, Zhevyk, thinking he just might escape with his life, encouraged the men. "She is good. Very good."

"Shutup worm!" shouted the larger brigand. As he ran his hands up and down her body, Eyrmysse continued to glare at him. "This one has spirit," he said admiringly. He turned to his partner. "Give me the dagger and tie up Zhevyk." Taking the dagger, the brigand held the point to Eyrmysse's breast. "I have a proposition for you." Eyrmysse eyed him coolly. "We can kill Zhevyk and you will come with us as… our servant. Or, you can kill Zhevyk and leave here with your freedom." With a flick of the wrist, the brigand held the blade in his hand and extended the handle to Eyrmysse. "What is your choice?"

Without taking her eyes off the brigand, Eyrmysse took the dagger. She then turned and walked up to the securely tied merchant who was propped up in the corner. Zhevyk whispered, "Cut the ropes, we can escape together." Eyrmysse smiled and, with a cruel gleam in her eyes, cut Zhevyk's leggings, grabbed his genitals and hacked at them with the dagger. The merchant could only manage one long scream as he gawked first at Eyrmysse and then at the bloody cavity before he dropped heavily to the floor.

Eyrmysse turned to find the brigands gone. She dropped the golden dagger and dried her bloody hands on her dirty clothes as she ran out of the shop. Eyrmysse ran as fast as she could, as far as she could, before she fell from exhaustion. Breathless, she turned to see if there was any pursuit. But there was only inky blackness where the back streets of Sevhert'ah should have been.

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