The nobles seemed to be a jolly bunch but it sickened me, they wanted me to stop every now and then. Their leader needed to eat and drink, I trotted up and down. "I say captain, are you not hungry, why do you not rest?" He asked in a drunken stupor, I ignored him and carried on pacing up and down.

"I am not here to dine, I am here to protect," I responded. We lost day light, so I encouraged them to keep going at night we had to make up for lost hours.

The carriage squealed as the horses grew tired, I felt bad for pushing them but we needed to move faster. I knew exactly where this sword was, I was going to get it no matter the consequences. It was our third day travelling and I could see the mountains weren't too far away. "Just down that hill and into the mountains you shall find my masters sword," I told them.  We camped on the edge all night. I found a lake behind the company, I tore off my armour and walked into the lake, its cold water bathing my skin, I swam under bathing my hair allowing the water to run through it. I suddenly heard rocks moving from behind me. I turned quickly and saw a young man watching me.

"It's rude to watch a woman bathe!" I exclaimed, then swam over to the shore.

"I am sorry my lady I did not mean to intrude!" He exclaimed, knowing he had stepped over my boundaries. I pulled my armour back on.

"Kneel!" I demanded.

"Why?" He asked.

"Do it!" I snapped, he knelt before me I took my dagger from my belt. "May you be blind and speechless." I hissed.

"Please my lady no!" He begged, I burst his eyes with the tip of my blade and roughly grabbed his tongue, I wrenched it out and cut it off. He gurgled and chocked on his blood, his hands gripped his tongue as well his eyes. I pushed his body onto the ground and walked back to the company. I sat in front of the fire and took a piece of bread being offered around. I broke it apart with my gloved fingers and ate tiny pieces.

"I'm sure a captain of the guard needs more than that to eat!" The noble laughed.

"She's eats as much is needed," I replied, suddenly the nobles throat was cut open from a blade hidden from a soldier behind. The rest of his people were restrained, they all looked at me surprised.

"Why?" A woman spoke up.

"You see my master doesn't trust you, he trusts us!" I exclaimed gesturing to the men who emerged from behind the trees and hostages.

"You mean to tell us we were being followed all the way here?!" A man spoke up.

"Indeed," I smiled. I looked around at the people gathered before me there was only one pure girl, her skin pale, her hair blonde long and had the most beautiful eyes. "Kill everyone but her, she will serve me," I said pointing to the young maiden. She was taken to my horse while everyone was slaughtered.

We dropped the bodies over the hill, mounted our steeds and galloped to our final destination. The girl rode in front while I rode behind gripping the horses reins. We halted outside, I left two guards behind to take care of her. I drew my sword as I walked in and held it above my head. Suddenly someone broke a trip wire and arrows shot out of the walls, I threw myself to the ground, a few men following suit but most were struck by the arrows.
"Fools!" I exclaimed. We travelled deeper and deeper into the dark and unknown. "Keep close."

We came across a river, and a rope bridge above it. "Carefully now men." I advised raising my voice ever so slightly. Suddenly one by one my men were taken from behind me, I turned and saw a huge crocodile rushing towards me. I yelped as it caught my foot but I beat the brute back and ran my sword through its eye sockets. I pulled my blade free and we continued to walk.

There in the final part of the cavern was the sword, I sent one man forward nothing, so I sent another and the same, so I finally crossed and nothing but just as another crossed; the walls closed in and squashed him. I ran up the steps and retrieved the blade. 
But the place suddenly began to collapse. "Lets move!" I exclaimed. We just about made it to the entrance as the whole thing collapsed.

"Captain your foot!" One of my men exclaimed.

"It's nothing, I shall treat it when we get back to the castle," I said sternly. We all mounted our horses and rode back but I soon found myself sliding from the saddle, I hit the ground two men dismounted and ran to me. They unlaced my boot and pulled it off.
"It's infected!" One exclaimed.

"We must carry her back," another said, they took two logs and tied skins around them, till they were tort and laid me in it. The girl still rode my steed, but she was tied to the saddle. We began the journey home two men now carrying me.

A few hours later. . .

"She has a fever," one of my men spoke up.

"I can see the castle from here, were almost there," another answered. We reached the courtyard, but my prince did not run out. I was carefully lifted off and taken to his chambers, my lieutenant knocked on the door with a loud thud.

"Enter," he said. We walked in and he turned.

"Loredana what happened?" Vlad asked.

"Infected bite," he answered.

"Lay her down on the bed, and leave us," Vlad demanded. They gently laid me down, I squealed a little, but remained silent. It worried him, he rushed over after he closed the door. He quickly gathered a bowl and cloth filling it with water, and began to clean my face of dust and grime. He gently stroked my fringe from my eyes.

"Who is this servant you bought?" Vlad asked me.

"Just someone to help me when you're gone," I replied.

"I see," he said, as he began to unbuckle my armour. "You killed everyone but her as ordered?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"Now you rest, I'll be back soon. I'll send your servant into keep watch over you," he said, he left just as the girl entered.

"Come closer," I told her, she walked over cautiously. "What is your name?"

"Sarah milady," she answered.

"Boil some water and fill that copper bath for me!" I demanded so she did just that, when it was ready she helped me out of the bed and into the tub. She gently washed the sponge over my arms, she pulled a chair behind my head and began to wash my hair.

"Miladys hair is beautiful," she said, as she put jasmine oil onto her hands, running her fingers from root to tip.

"Thank you," I answered. The room fell silent except for the water that washed over my skin. Once I was bathed I returned to the bed, she dressed me in a silk shift and I lay under our luxurious blankets.

"Do you feel any better?" She asked.

"Somewhat, it's nice to be home and with my prince," I replied.

Vlad suddenly strode in moving like a black panther, his long thick black mane framed his face and flowed down his back perfectly.

He dismissed Sarah while he sat on the bed. "All you need is rest," He told me. He lay down next to me, taking my hand gently in his."I knew I could count on you to return," he smiled taking a deep breath in, and smelling the jasmine. It seemed to calm him, I found him running his fingers through my mane relaxing me.