Every jostle of the cart, each jolting vibration as the wheels hit a rut in the road, sent lances of pain through her head which then reverberated through her body like ripples of water. The haze of drugs slowly faded until it could not block out the pain and discomfort of her cramped position. Groaning weakly, she tried to lift her head, peeling her eyes open to look around. Either sheâ€™d gone blind, or there was no light to see by. She could feel a perfectly flat surface under her. Her fingers probed, exploring, and found rough wood under her, then after a momentâ€™s blind exploration with her hands, she found all surfaces surrounding her to be the same coarse wood.<br/><br/>â€œCoffinâ€¦â€ she muttered thickly, â€œIâ€™m in a coffinâ€¦â€<br/><br/>Her pulse began to pound, struggling against the restraining, heavy effect of the drugs. She couldnâ€™t remember clearly enough to understand what had happened, but she knew herbs well enough to know what sheâ€™d been given. Swallowing hard, she fought against the panic and claustrophobia she felt. Hearing voices outside her box, she became aware that it was moving, remembering only then that it had been the jarring motions that woke her in the first place.<br/><br/>â€œNot buried, thenâ€¦â€ she moaned, her voice rough and tense.<br/><br/>â€œCommanderâ€¦â€ a nasally voice whined from close by, â€œI can hear â€˜er movin in therrâ€¦â€<br/><br/>â€œImpossible, you twit.â€ Came a refined, gentle voice that dripped with disdain, â€œI gave her enough to keep her out at least until morning.â€<br/><br/>â€œButâ€¦ sheâ€™s movinâ€™â€¦â€<br/><br/>â€œThe whole cart is moving, foolâ€¦â€<br/><br/>â€œWhat if someone hears when we get to the city?â€<br/><br/>A long silence. She almost thought she heard a labored sigh, then finally, a response came, â€œVery wellâ€¦ Lets find a place to pull off into the trees. We could use a chance to stretch our legs anyway. Weâ€™ll be reaching the city before long. It is best to make sure she wont be causing trouble.â€<br/><br/>She felt the motions of the cart become more violent and the world tipped as the cart descended off the road into what sounded like vegetation. Feeling ill and dizzy, she did her best to remain conscious, trying to prepare herself for what may possibly be her only chance to catch her attackers off guard. They would stop before long, and then they would be opening her box to check on her.<br/><br/>==============================================<br/><br/>The festivities in the bar were reaching a comfortable, chaotic level of madness. Kell grinned at a fellow carpenter who heâ€™d just defeated, and pocketed his winnings. Reaching out, he caught the wrist of a passing bar maid and winked at her as he requested a drink. With a giggle, she nodded and moved off to fill his order. He watched her go with a playful smile. Allowing his gaze to roam around the room, he noticed a glint of red and focused on it. Heâ€™d seen her before, the herbalist healer. He suspected there was a lot she hid from the world. It had piqued his curiosity more than once. He met her gaze, his deep black eyes glinting with good spirits and a hint of humor.<br/><br/>Just then, a new figure sat down before him, snagging his attention. A stranger. Eyeing the kid up and down, he appraised him in great detail. He had the appearance of a humble, simple minded carpenter, but his eyes gave him away. There was more to this man that met the eye. Something about the young man caught his interest.<br/><br/>â€œTell yeh whaâ€™, ladâ€¦â€ he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table, â€œoiâ€™ll give yeh the first rounâ€™ at no chargeâ€¦ Show ye what yer gettingâ€™ yerself intoâ€¦â€