.
It wasn't until four days later that an opportunity arrived for Snow and the others to escape. Their recent travels had inquired the bandits to take the western approach in the rugged valleys as not to bring any attention if they were to continue on the main, old road. Many guard patrols were placed on the old road for security, and for the bandits, it only meant hinderance, as well as trouble.
Because the valley was a more difficult path to traverse by its jagged and mountainous terrain, many travellers, merchants or patrols tend to veer away from the place and rather take the long way towards their destination instead of taking the shortcut.
Not that the bandits were affected by it, considering how light their items are on the contrary. Other than looted goods and slaves (Snow, Leroya and Alicia), they can travel at least some thirty kilometers on a good sunny day if there is nothing to slow them down.
For now.
Snow noticed the change in lush scenery when the group turned westward. The green plain in which they'd traveled for so many weeks started to turn mush brown, and finally rocky after a few hours. Trees were replaced by boulders and stones, and dirt and dust replaced the grass which once dominated the soil they traveled. Mumblings from the group were negative, obviously derived by the need to change course while Snow continued to check on the surroundings, a plan formulating in his mind. Leroya and Alicia were behind him, all bound together by a long piece of rope tying their hands together to Snow. It was an effective method to prevent escape; if one tried to run away, they would be hindered by the rope bounding them to the other victim which, in result, would do more damage than good.
Some bandits were behind them, making sure their 'good's won't slip away all at once. Their leader, by the name of Vothmori, who Snow had despised with hatred when they were caught, was leading the way rather fluently, inferring to him that Vothmori must've been to this place many times at least...
Ah...
Vothmori. A scoundrel, brutalist and rapist. It was he who took the innocence of Alicia, he who laughed while she screamed, he who caused the suffering and made both Leroya and Snow watch while the bandits degraded her in front of their eyes. He who will be killed by Snow's own hands one way or the other. Snow vows to that; Vothmori will die, if not today, then soon by the blade which he wields...
The group stopped for rest, and Snow motioned slightly to Leroya and Alicia as the bandits started gathering some water from the nearby stream. He knelt down, avoiding the suspicious gaze of another bandit that took watch on them.
"Escape." Snow murmured through his teeth softly, barely audible to Leroya and Alicia.
"How?" Leroya replied as softly as possible, making sure that they wouldn't force any attention to them while they planned an escape.
"Distraction." he continued, "when I start the ruckus, you and Alicia make a break for it. Don't run; hide..."
Alicia gave a curt gasp, looking at Snow in shock. "You can't be serious...with your wound and all--"
He shook his head, a forced smile on his lips. "Don't underestimate me...besides, if we don't do it now, we will never have the chance again. Get it?"
Snow checked his surroundings again, taking note that the bandit which was assigned to them was lounging around, bored out of their passiveness for a while.
Good.
"Follow the stream upward. I'll meet you there in a few hours. If not...then you," he pointed a finger at Leroya, "...know what to do."
"Snow?" Alicia asked.
"What?"
"You will....come back, right?"
"........"
Even right now, something softened the feelings in Snow. So she still...
He looked at how Leroya was taking her hands into his.
"........"
"I will." Snow murmured, averting his gaze and glared at the nearest bandit. Vothmori seemed to have the main group of bandits, about...what, thirty of them around him to lay out their travel on the ground....
Now would be a good time to escape.
Before letting Alicia question him again, before he could feel more hurt than ever, Snow took the initiative.
"Yo, b*****d!" He called, forcing the attention of the lookout at himself only. "What are you, deaf? I want something to drink!"
The bandit, with a large beard and muscular physique, looked at him at first in astonishment, then bafflement, and finally anger.
"The hell? Who do you think you're talking to?" Angrily the man strove towards Snow, nostrils flared.
"Who else that even has the balls to hear me?"
"The hell you mean?!"
"That's what I just said, you buffoon. Or is your mind too puny enough to even register what I even said? Can't say that you have any balls, if I would murmur..."
It was so easy to intimidate someone with crazy speech. What a laugh...
With a punch, the bandit tried to punch Snow at the face, in which Snow took the chance right now.
Ducking and moving quickly at the same time, he placed a well aimed shoulder thrust right at the man's left chest, knocking the breath out of him. Already reaching for the slung sword near the bandits right holster, he quickly unsheathed it and stabbed it upwards with both hands, quickly ending any attempt in which he might call for help.
He turned about and slashed the ropes three times, freeing the captives and their bound hands before impaling the sword downwards and cutting free the rope bounding his own together.
"RUN!" Snow roared, grabbing the curved blade and rushing towards the group of bandits before anyone could register what's going on. He could hear the bandit who he had slained a few minutes ago take his last breath, blood coating the dirty beard of his...
Alicia was protesting and calling out for Snow, but Leroya quickly took her upstream as large murmurs of surprise and alarm spread throughout the bandit group, all of them reaching for their swords. Vothmori took note and yelled in a fiercing cry; "They're getting away! Get them!"
Snow made sure the bandits that ran after Alicia and Leroya were quickly disposed of, dancing around their swords and removing their hands with a series of swipes. Most fell down screaming, and some were foolish enough to charge in rage at Snow before Snow made quick work of them, their bodies sprawled and blood tainting the ground where he stood on.
He panted, grabbing a dagger with his right hand as he anchored the main weapon on his left. The wound on his right was still slowly healing, so he'll have to do with his left for now.
Cries filled the air, and the bandits charged....
Snow stood in their way, left hand brandishing a curved blade, and the right holding a dagger backwards, taken from the nearby dead bandit...
They got closer...
The air reeked of blood and dust....
Everything felt slow....
And.......
.......................
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