The bandits had had plenty of time to prepare. The girl had stolen their horses, leaving them injured, and on foot, but they knew the road she'd been on led to  only one place. When they reached the village, there was no sign of her, despite all of their searching. At first, they thought they'd missed her, then on a hunch, the leader had placed them in a wide perimeter around the village, watching the woods and grasslands that surrounded the village. No matter what direction she came from, one of them would see her.<br/><br/>He almost missed her. Almost didn't see the shadowy figure creeping through the shadows. He'd begun to doze in the heat of the sun, even from the shaded perch in the trees. She'd passed his position and was nearing the village when he saw her. In a panic that he would miss her and face punishment, he whipped out the item he'd been holding for hours. They'd all been given one, and told how to use it. It was easy to use, and he did it quickly. Raising the tube to his lips, he aimed, puffed, and fired the dart. It hit perfectly, padded by her shirt, yet still managing to penetrate her skin.<br/><br/>As he watched, she squirmed, reached back to scratch the spot. The dart fell free and disappeared in the brush. She didn't seem to notice. Grinning, he watched her go before climbing down. It was only a matter of time, now...<br/><br/>*****<br/><br/>The back of her arm itched. Whatever insect had bitten her must have left an irritated bite. Lovely. Just what she needed. Scratching the bite, she finally entered the village and headed directly for the smithy, hoping desperately that he would have the parts she needed already. If she had to wait days for him to make them, she didn't know what she'd do.<br/><br/>She was lucky. He had them. Relieved, she made her purchase, then headed for the tavern to find a quick meal before setting off again. She was starting to feel shaky and cold. It was time for a meal. She needed to keep up her strength if she wanted to make it traveling alone. Sitting at the table eating her meal, she frowned. She'd thought the meal would make her feel better, but somehow she was still feeling dizzy.<br/><br/>Refusing to take it easy, she finished her food, packed up her burden, and headed out of the tavern to set off along the road again. There was a well at the center of town. She approached it to take another drink. As she walked toward it, the ground suddenly began to move under her feet. She staggered and swayed, focusing on the well, determined to  make it.<br/><br/>She never did. Before she was aware of it happening, blackness took her... and the bandits finally moved in.