***
She did not know how much time had passed in the darkness. The was no feeling, sound, or emotion. She had watched him die from afar, and the next thing she knew was the sound of a wagon. The jostling around of hard wooden wheels careening across every stone. She became aware that she was laying down, half on her side, half on her front with her face pressed against the floor. Her legs were curled together and knees pressed almost to her stomach. Her hands were still bound from behind with coarse rope that itched and bit into her skin. And there were... others. An uncomfortable feeling of closeness hung in the air.
Her eyes slowly opened, greeted with the view of someone's legs as they sat across from her barely a foot away. Suddenly alarmed she tried to raise herself but there was no room to maneuver.
"She's awake, finally. Help the poor dear up.", said the woman sitting across from her.
Hands reached out and grabbed her from the side, pulling her into an upright position with her back against the side of the wagon cage. She quickly folded her legs together so as not to fall back over and tried resting her head against the bars. Another sudden stone in the road taught her that was a bad idea as her vision blurred momentarily. Still sore from when she was taken before.
She looked around now to better survey her surroundings. She was in a wagon cage. Wooden, with iron bars surrounding all sides. A door with a very heavy and thick looking lock at the rear of the wagon. There were others with her, all women, all in rags and covered in grime. None of them were familiar to her. It was also evening, though she could not tell what bell. The only light was offered from a dim lantern on the far outside corner of the wagon, hung by the driver to see forward. There were other wagons as well before and behind, and armed men who walked along side of the train.
The woman across from her spoke again. "What's your name dear?"
"F-f-florence.", she managed to stammer.
There were three hard bangs on the side of the cart that made them all jump. "Oi! Quiet in there!. Property speaks only when spoken to!" The command elicited a series of crude laughs from the other men walking along the sides.
"P-property?", she looked up to the others but nobody responded. The rest of the ride was spent in silent fear of what the day would bring.
