As she ventured into the forest she found that the trees were gnarled and ancient. The lighting was dim at best and there was a chill in the air. To make matters worse her courage was challenged when she heard a howl of a wolf, then after a brief delay a closer answering howl.

There was a road that winded through the forest though it was partially over grown in places, clearly it had not been maintained. She had been in that forest perhaps ten minutes before she came across cages hanging from trees, cages that housed skeletal remains.

ot far from them some of the twisted trees appeared as if they had hideous faces. She soon realized that one of the smaller faces was actually a helm of an individual pressed to the bark of the tree, hiding before springing out at her.

From about her she could hear the chuckling of these men as they emerged from the dark wood, three in all as they circled around her.

"What have we here? Looks like the one we saw earlier."

"Indeed. Sable only needs the blood, that leaves us with the body."

"And what a pleasant body it is."

Alynia shuddered out of both being cold and fear. She hugged herself, rubbing her arms in a mild attempt to keep warm. She silently wished she was wearing more clothes. It had been such a hot day earlier, how could the temperature have dropped so suddenly. Alynia took a brief moment to wonder what time it was when suddenly her thoughts were interupted with a howl. Alynia, with a sudden rush of adrenaline, dashed foward, still keen to follow the pathway.

She stopped at the sight of cages. Alynia tilted her head up to look at the them, it was impossible to tell at this distance whether or not they were human, but she decided she didn't want to stay long enough to find out. Breaking into a light jog again, she was feeling much warmer. The thought of the pathway getting creepier and creepier as she steadily made her way forward motivated her to run just a little bit faster until she finally reached a knot of rather gnarly trees. The dim light almost made the trees appear like they had claws. Alynia slowed her pace to a walk catching her breath.

It was only then she realized she was being watched. She eyed each man fearfully as they circled around her. Trying to ignore the mention of the witch, as well as the comments about her body, Alynia's mind was already telling her to run. Just as she was about to make a break for it she contemplated what the first man had said.

"What do you mean 'Saw earlier'?" She demanded cautiously still prepared to make a get away if she had the chance. For some reason these guys didn't seem as friendly as the others she met before.

The three men quickly spread out forming a triangle with her at the center so she could only see one individual at a time clearly and the others just barely ... sometimes they vanished from sight as they drifted behind her a little bit, some times they drifted into sight.

"You were with that friend of yours earlier but when we came back for you, you had gone. You should have been out for awhile so how'd you do it? No, I suppose it does not matter."

She caught the glimpse of movement from her rear right, but as she turned her attention to it she realized to late that it was a feint and someone else struck her across the back before drifting back.

Wolf back tactics, one would keep her busy while another struck and the worse part was that if she did not shift her attention then the feint would just turn into a real attack instead. The three could even keep distant enough where she could only see one at a time but she had seen multiple targets earlier so maybe they weren't use to working together or not taking her very seriously.

Alynia was terrified at this point, her arms were crossed in a defensive x I front of her face, but it did little to protect her from being tossed back and forth between the triangle. Trying to keep her eyes on all three for enough time to be useful was proving to be impossible. Alynia gritted her teeth. Two months of Martial Arts club, don't fail me now! She shot out a powerful kick at the next feint on her left side. She failed to make contact with anything, but she was successful in making a dent in their cruel attack rhythm.

"Where is my friend? What did you do to her?" she cried trying to sound brave.

In all honesty her nerves were about to break. Alynia wasn't used to speaking out so much, put she put on a face that hopefully looked confident but even she could feel her knees trembling. She had long ago realized how out numbered she was. Alynia was resisting her nagging instinct of running, she was positive she couldn't outrun them, but she had a feeling there were plenty of places to hide. But before she could attempt to save her own skin, she needed to find out what they knew about Kim. Either way, she didn't like feeling so vulnerable and open.

Alynia was terrified at this point, her arms were crossed in a defensive x I front of her face, but it did little to protect her from being tossed back and forth between the triangle. Trying to keep her eyes on all three for enough time to be useful was proving to be impossible. Alynia gritted her teeth. Two months of Martial Arts club, don't fail me now! She shot out a powerful kick at the next feint on her left side. She failed to make contact with anything, but she was successful in making a dent in their cruel attack rhythm.

"Where is my friend? What did you do to her?" she cried trying to sound brave.

In all honesty her nerves were about to break. Alynia wasn't used to speaking out so much, put she put on a face that hopefully looked confident but even she could feel her knees trembling. She had long ago realized how out numbered she was. Alynia was resisting her nagging instinct of running, she was positive she couldn't outrun them, but she had a feeling there were plenty of places to hide. But before she could attempt to save her own skin, she needed to find out what they knew about Kim. Either way, she didn't like feeling so vulnerable and open.

A rising chuckle from all around her, they still made their feints though they were more half hearted to avoid her attacks allowing her to expend more energy then they were currently using.

"She's with Sable."

"If she still lives."

"And soon you'll be joining her."

Another feint, no, a real attack and while she caught her opponent flush she was hit from behind, tackled to the ground. She felt the shadow of the third man as he darted in to, the creak of metal strong within her ears as the man now in front of her pinned her arms down, the one on her back drawing up her skirt while the one she struck grunted and was getting back up to his feet.

The moment of victory Alynia felt as her kick came into conact with one of them was short lived as she was tackled from behind. She was in a rather uncomfortable position as her breasts were being pushed into the ground. She didn't go down without a fight. Kicking and scratching what ever she could reach before her arms were suddenly pinned over her head. Alynia still struggled, trying to kick the man behind her.

"Please Stop!" Alynia pleaded twisting her body, trying to free herself to no avail.

She wimpered as she felt her skirt being drawn back, regretting her decision not to run. An embarrassed blush appeared on her cheeks as she lowered her head, refusing to let the man infront of her see her face. She heard the man she had hit grunt and stand back up. It almost appeared that she had done no damage what so ever.

"Let me go!" she cried, frustrated.

"Sorry, can't do that lass Sable will want you after."

"Yes, such a looker ..."

The men were ignoring her pleas to be released. The man atop her reached down between his thighs, pausing in his ascent of her skirt only long enough to remove his cod piece setting it down on the ground with a clank and now that it had been removed she could feel the firmness of his body pressed up against her ass.

She could hear the men snickering and could even feel the warm hardened flesh of the man's shaft pressing against her ass as he pulled his pants down enough to expose himself.

"This is going to be more fun than the other one."

Fingers seized her panties drawing them aside to expose her to his creeping sex that dragged against her body creeping ever so closely to her treasure trove, deliberately slow as to draw out this moment for her.

Then she heard it, a twanking sound and the exhaling of air from the lungs of the man behind her as his weight toppled off of her. The man holding down her arms looked up and the other was in the process of turning when the hold of her hands had been released with another twanking sound and a spray of liquid over her back. She could hear the clanking of metal as a large weight fell to the ground in front of her.

"Sorry, can't do that lass Sable will want you after."

"Yes, such a looker ..."

The men were ignoring her pleas to be released. The man atop her reached down between his thighs, pausing in his ascent of her skirt only long enough to remove his cod piece setting it down on the ground with a clank and now that it had been removed she could feel the firmness of his body pressed up against her ass.

She could hear the men snickering and could even feel the warm hardened flesh of the man's shaft pressing against her ass as he pulled his pants down enough to expose himself.

"This is going to be more fun than the other one."

Fingers seized her panties drawing them aside to expose her to his creeping sex that dragged against her body creeping ever so closely to her treasure trove, deliberately slow as to draw out this moment for her.

Then she heard it, a twanking sound and the exhaling of air from the lungs of the man behind her as his weight toppled off of her. The man holding down her arms looked up and the other was in the process of turning when the hold of her hands had been released with another twanking sound and a spray of liquid over her back. She could hear the clanking of metal as a large weight fell to the ground in front of her.

At this point Alynia had tears in the corner of her eyes as she felt the man's hardness ontop of her. The other one? Had they done the same thing to Kim? She let out a gasp as her nether regions were exposed to the cool air. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his dick edge closer to her sex. 'Oh not here! Not now!' her mind cried as she squeezed her thighs together stil trying to evade him.

Suddenly there was a clanking and shortly after the weight ontop of her was thrown off. Alynia tried to twist her head over her shoulder to see what had happened but it had seemed that the man pinning her arms was preventing her from turning her head too far. This problem was shortly solved as the man holding her arms was knocked away. Alynia let out a shriek and sat up quickly as someone fell down in front of her. She quickly pulled her skirt down. Alynia was almost too afraid and embarrassed to turn around to face whoever or whatever had saved her.

At this point Alynia had tears in the corner of her eyes as she felt the man's hardness ontop of her. The other one? Had they done the same thing to Kim? She let out a gasp as her nether regions were exposed to the cool air. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his dick edge closer to her sex. 'Oh not here! Not now!' her mind cried as she squeezed her thighs together stil trying to evade him.

Suddenly there was a clanking and shortly after the weight ontop of her was thrown off. Alynia tried to twist her head over her shoulder to see what had happened but it had seemed that the man pinning her arms was preventing her from turning her head too far. This problem was shortly solved as the man holding her arms was knocked away. Alynia let out a shriek and sat up quickly as someone fell down in front of her. She quickly pulled her skirt down. Alynia was almost too afraid and embarrassed to turn around to face whoever or whatever had saved her.

Another twang, this time she was free and could see an arrow clatter off the links of mail that the third man wore. He again grunted in pain more at the impact of the weapon but took off into the forest, another arrow thunking into the bark of a tree that he disappeared behind.

A brown shape rushed towards her, a young bearded man that had an axe encased on his back alongside a quiver of arrows, a hunter perhaps? Here of all places?

"Are you alright miss?" He asked as he knelt down beside her trying to determine if the blood that sprayed on her from one of the kills had been her's or not. What exactly had he seen? No he would have been too distant to notice anything she hoped but either he shifted the focus of that moment to her health and wasn't saying anything or had seen and wasn't mentioning a thing either.

"I'm alright..." she stated a bit unsure watching the third man run into the dark woods. Alynia's eyes shifted to exams the face of the hunter and followed his gaze to the red stains on her shirt.

"I don't believe this is my blood" she reassured suddenly, though in the rush of the moment she wasnt so positive herself. She reached a shaky arm up to rub the tears that had been welling up out of her eyes.

"Thank you very much for.. Saving me" she stated. A slight pink flushing her cheeks after realizing how dirty she must have be after being pushed down in the dirt in addition to thrashing about. Alynia sighed softly, she probably didn't look very presentable.

"May I ask your name?" she asked standing up successfully even though she was wobbling a little. She dusted her self off and ran her fingers through her tussled hair hoping to straighten it out a bit.

"You are most welcome. I apologize about the damage to your garment but I'm afraid that it could not be helped. As out numbered as I was I had to take full advantage of their surprise for as long as possible." He glanced in the dirction that the survivor dashed towards then glanced back.

"I am called Arn. May I ask why you are here? The forest is frought with dangers and these, I'm afraid are the tamest of dangers. This close to Sable's domain I am sure that your beauty has already gathered her attention.

"Those were her henchmen ... well still present for one of them I'm afraid."

"Its alright." Alynia stated trying to asses the damage to her body and her clothes. Other than a small rip in the front of her skirt, which she assumed was the doing of one the henchmen and the red smudges on her shirt, her clothes were thankfully intact. Alynia tested her arms which felt numb after being squeezed so tightly, but other than that she seemed uninjured. Alynia lips formed a sweet smile upon hearing him call her beautiful, even if was the very thing putting her in such danger.

"My name is Alynia and i'm looking for my friend, Kim. I've been told she might have been taken to Sable's palace." she explained before holding up her hand as if to stop Arn from speaking. "Please do not try to convince me to turn around. I've made it so far, I can't imagine turning back now. No matter what dangers I face."