Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 6 Unexpected Guest

Gabriella's POV

The booming thunder and flashing lightning is keeping my nerves on edge, I jump with every sound I hear, only to realize it's just nature being itself. That's easy to keep assuming since I still don't see anything around me to be worried about so now I just feel silly, wondering if that is what I heard before. I look down trying to just finish this up since I was practically done. But everytime I look down that same uneasy feeling takes over as if something inside of me is telling me to keep my eyes and head up. As if there is an actual reasoning for my madness right now.

I glance up again but this time trying to be casual while I keep staring out until I get a really uneasy feeling within me. I am not seeing a thing, but feeling eyes on me. I shake my head, ringing out my dress a couple more times before completely climbing out of the water, shaking my cloth out as my eyes continue to bounce around. That is until all my attention is grasped by a man I have never seen before. He comes out from the darkness of treeline with his eyes glued to me. I gasped in shock, automatically trying to cover my naked body with my soaking wet, cold cloth in my hands.

"What are you doing out here? All alone." he asks me as I shake my head, trying to walk past, as he puts his arm out, connecting with the tree in front of me, automatically blocking my path and stopping me. I start to panic as I blurt out. "Mother Ann is expecting me back from washing my dress.. very soon." I say to him, letting him know I will be missed and that she knows exactly where I am at, even though I know she wouldn't come looking for me, let alone help me if I needed it. I just hope he doesn't realize that.

I watch his eyebrows raise before he smirks. "Will she now?" he asks suspiciously, maybe seeing through the lies I tried to spew effortlessly, I nodded, keeping the lie going as long as I can while trying to push past him again, but he doesn't let me as he starts to lean forward, pushing me back towards the water, making me feel as if I am cornered. "Let me pass." I declare in the most stern tone I can muster, as he chuckles at that statement as if I made a hilarious jest for him. "You know that is not going to happen."

I start backing up, but he takes a step forward with every step that I take back. That is until my back runs into a large boulder that is beside the water, so I stop in fear as I watch him puts his arms out on both sides of me, practically boxing me in against the tree behind me. "I need.. to go.. now." I stutter out between shivers trying to say this with what little confidence I have inside of me right now, but this just causes him to hum out as if he likes the sound of my fear and shivers combined. "Oh no, are you cold? I can warm you up." he says as I shake my head instantly, extending my arms straight out to push him back from me.

"No.. leave.. me alone." I snap out between sniffles and shivering, but he doesn't take this as an answer. I am not as convincing as I was hoping. He tries to inch closer as I push and kick, instantly making contact with his leg as he groans out, giving me the opportunity to kick him where it hurts, between the legs. I watched as he crumbled to the ground in front of me, coveting his privates while I attempted to run past by going around him with the little bit of space given. Without a moment to lose, he sees my actions and grabbed my ankle, not letting me get far at all.

Extending my arms out for the nearest help to me. I am able to grip the branch of a tree, further to our side, hoping it doesn't break under the pressure I am giving it. I am holding on with the strength I have, just to keep me from falling with him while I try to kick him with the foot he has a hold of. Mostly in the hopes that I make contact with his body or at least get him to let go of my leg. Part of my plan works as my heel hits him in the face, causing him to let my leg go enough for me to slip it out of his grip. I watch him grab his face so I try to run.

I slip in the mud and stumble around him, not getting as far as I would have liked, only a couple of steps as I slip around, just using the one branch then the next to keep me on my feet. The sloppy, cold mud is seeping between my toes while I try to gain some traction and space between me and the threat but that is not happening as much as I would have hoped for. When I finally get some speed going, being able to get far enough from the mud and water to gain some traction. I can hear a loud thundering of steps from behind me that seems to be getting louder by the second, indicating that he is probably close to catching up to me.

I frantically try to pick up the pace, but I am too afraid to look back to see how far away he really is from me. That goes until my arm is grabbed and I am thrown to the ground, with my clothing flying to the side. I yelp out in pain, feeling my cold skin hitting the ground and scraping as I slide across it. I groan out before looking up to see this man not looking remotely worried or as if he may feel bad for what he has done to me. "Leave me alone!" I declare with what little confidence I have left in my abilities and getting out of this situation. But no matter what happens, I know that I won't stop fighting.

I listen to his echoing cackle that sends a chill through me while I look to each side for anything to help me. My eyes instantly lock on something that could help, a broken branch on the ground off to the side of me. I reached out for the branch, but it is out of range. So I lunge for it again, this time feeling it move between the tips of my fingers as they desperately try to wrap around the end of the branch just so I can use it. But as I feel it getting further into my grip, my leg grabbed as I am pulled closer to him, but luckily being able to grab the branch as I quickly looked back at him, pointing the sharp end of the branch at him, causing him to smile.

He doesn't look threatened, it looks as if he liked this back an forth between us. I can feel his hand letting go of my leg and drifting up my skin as if it is some sort of pathway. I try to push myself back and away from him and his groping touch, with just the strength of my legs. But he uses his hovering advantage to grab my legs and pull me back to him again. I instantly swipe one of his hands off of my leg using the branch, before pointing it directly at him.

The tip of the sharp branch instantly connects with his chest, causing him to stop in motion even if it is just for a moment. I swallow the lump in my throat, feeling my whole body trembling for many reasons in this petrifying moment. I can see the tip of the branch shaking as I try to hold it still, but that is easier thought than done. His smile gets bigger as if he doesn't believe I will or can defend myself, even with this branch in hand. I lock eyes with him, but surprisingly he is not who has my attention at this very moment. I can see a large shadow of a person behind him. I can only assume because of the big size of that silhouette, that it has to be a man behind him.

I slowly shake my head in confusion, just thinking I am seeing things. But as the clouds move out of the way to let some moonlight through with the rain, my attention is grabbed by the glare of the moonlight that seems to be reflecting on the metal of the suit the man behind this threat is wearing. It's a guard who looks like a statue. The threat sees my confusion as he starts to turn around, instantly getting startled as he tries to back up towards me, but I kick the back of his legs, sending him to his knees in front of me and the guard.

The guard hovers over him before swinging and hitting the threat in the side of the head. I watch his head whip to the side as his body folds up before falling. I can't keep my eyes from this sight as I watch in shock while he instantly crumbles to the ground in front of me. The shocked and terrified squeal that escapes my lips surprises even me, but that doesn't stop me from automatically scooting across the ground and away from this man as well, before he tries to hurt me too.

The guard's eyes are locked on the threating man until he knows that he is not a threat any longer. I watch his head turn towards me, showing he is looking over at me before quickly looking away again. I hold the branch tight in my grip, pointed directly at him, silently showing him I am not afraid to try to use this on him if I have to, since I was already doing that before he came along. He glances back to me shaking his head, "The threat to you is taken care of.. I am no threat to you. I swear on my life." He softly says as I watched his hand going up but so does the point to the branch because I don't trust it.

I observe as he unclipped his cape before draping it over my body without hesitation. I am frozen in place not only because I am terrified but because of every inch of me being numb. So I easily let the cape fall over most of me, and when the cloth makes contact with my skin, it's warming me up almost instantly. I dropped the branch off to the side before I grabbed the edge of the cloth, holding onto it for dear life as I shivered and thaw all at the same time.

I keep my eyes on him as I watch him look around until he finds whatever he is looking for, turning instantly and heading straight for it, my tunic and undergarments. I swallow the lump in my throat, watching his every move, from grabbing them to shaking them off. I am assuming to get the dirt off, but with everything soaked, that has to be easier thought than done. He attempts this a couple of times before turning back towards me and slowly bringing it closer to me. He sees me jumping at this action before stopping in place, then tossing it over to the ground beside me.

I do have to appreciate, even if it's just silently, how respectful he is being in this very vulnerable moment for me. He is showing me how much of a threat he is not, which I can not be any more grateful for, but also showing me that there are some good, genuine people out there in this dark world. I don't know if I can actually trust this stranger no matter how much he has helped me, but I won't deny his help when he is all that came to my aid. I stay silent, not knowing what to even say as I listen to the raindrops pinging off of his armor while I look around, wondering if I should try to make a run for it or just take advantage of his care at the moment.