Bandit Nate POV:

"Grab any thing of value and kill whoever steps in your way," Will said, looking at each of us.

"Wait, I thought we were just grabbing stuff not killing?" I asked with huge eyes. I would not kill. Will's angry eyes turned to me, why did I speak? It always gets me in trouble.

"Do what you must to get out alive. If you don't kill, they'll kill you," he hissed at me, the men around chuckled. "Now let's go," he ordered.

We started riding towards what seemed to be a peaceful village. I rode to a side street and watched as people came pouring out of houses to defend their homes. They were doomed, the men I rode with didn't care who they hurt. They had killed my parents and sisters in front of me. I didn't want to hurt anyone so I decided that I would just wait and watch until houses were empty and sneak into them. I peeked into the window of the house next to me and slid through one. I felt a cold dagger go against my neck and turned to see a young boy a few years younger than me standing in front of two very small girls. I raised my arms and dropped my sword. "I don't want to fight," I told the boy.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

"I came to gather items to sell so I can live... I won't hurt anyone," I said honestly.

"Aaron the bakery is burning," a girl around ten said running into the room she stopped when she saw me.

"Kate, get behind me," the boy called, the girl quickly obeyed.

"Look Aaron," I said using the name the girl had. "Let me help you get away... I know which way the men will go..." I paused and looked at the young girls who were crying. "Take your sisters and get out of town... go to the castle and you'll be safe," I told him.

"Why should I believe you?" he asked.

"Because I don't want to see children die," I said, then took a step towards him. "Three years ago I saw my baby sisters killed in front of me. I promised myself I would not let that happen to any other girls," I said quietly, with a single tear slipping from my eye as the nightmare replayed.

"Aaron, he's telling the truth. I can tell from his eyes," Kate said, walking over to her brother and placing a hand on his arm.

"Fine. How do we get out?" Aaron asked me. "Climb out the window I just came in, go to the back alley, climb over the wall and run to the woods towards the north" I told him.

"Kate, climb out and I'll hand the twins to you." he said. She quickly obeyed. I grabbed his arm before he could climb out.

"Take care of your sisters, even if they bug you you'll miss them if you let them go," I told Aaron he just nodded then slipped out of the window. I watched them climb the window then turned and filled my bags with treasures. I closed my eyes tightly as I heard the screams and cries of hurting people. I could smell the smoke now. After about a half an hour I ventured out and gagged at the sight of bodies. Many were still alive, but not for long. I rounded the corner and stopped. A young girl lay over an older gentleman. I heard footsteps behind me and knew I needed to get this girl to safety. I started running towards her to warn her. When she saw me, she took off into the woods. At least she wouldn't die by the hands of anyone from my group.

"Grab your horse and let's go." Jacob yelled at me as I passed him in the street.

Our group was gathered outside of the village and one of the men had a girl slung over his shoulder. "Have a pretty little lady," he chuckled, tossing her onto my horse. I looked down and saw that he was right, she's beautiful.

It had been nearly four hours when I felt the girl moving in front of me. I didn't say anything, just let her be. As I waited for my turn to cross the creek I felt the girl trying to slip off. I quickly grabbed her and pulled her back. "Stupid girl," I whispered, if any of the guys saw her trying to run they would simply kill her. She was wiggling too much and this could cause trouble for both of us. "Stop wiggling or one of the other men will hold you and they won't be too kind." I said glancing at the men.

"So you're being nice to me?" she scoffed.

"Actually, I am." I told her. "I'm not making the ropes burn into your skin or holding you in an awkward position like they would... Those men are beasts," I said.

She scoffed again. "You're just as bad as them," she said, too loud for her own good.

The men turned around and looked at us with wicked smiles. "Our little beauty awake?" the man who had tossed her onto my horse asked.

"I'm no one's beauty," she yelled, wiggling to get free.

"Stupid move," I thought as the man rode back beside us.

"Let me help you Nate." the man said then knocked the girl out making everyone laugh. I flinched.

"Stop touching her," I said, narrowing my eyes on him.

"Getting feelings for the girl?" one man asked. I just ignored them and moved forward. After a while we made camp for the night, the men had me tie the girl up a distance from the camp, but close enough so we could see her.

"Hey look our little beauty is awake again," the same man said. "Nate, go give her food we don't want her dead before we get a piece of that beautiful body." Jed said nodding to the girl.

"If we touch her before the boss sees her we will all be dead." I said, with my back to the girl.

"Just go give her food little lover boy," Jed chuckled watching me storm off. I really hated these men; they were dirty pigs with no feelings. I held out the sandwich and water.

"Here," I said, not really wanting to be close to her, yet feeling like this was the only place I fit in. I felt like I was trapped as well.

"I don't seem to be able to use my hands at the moment." the girl said.

"Oh uh, yeah," I stuttered, forgetting that she was tied up. "I can't untie you..." I said quietly. I knelt down beside her trying to figure out how to get food in her body. I put the food in front of her, but she turned away. So I did what I did with my younger sisters when they would not eat. I caught her chin in my hand and gently pushed the food into her mouth. She glared at me the whole time. I couldn't blame her though, she was being held against her will. I started to lean in and tell her I would help her escape, but I never got that chance because she bit my nose and before I knew what was happening she spat in my face. I quickly ran away, back to my tent away from the chuckling men.

The next couple days, I fed her all her meals and had her on my horse. She saw me as one of them and therefore would not trust me. The night before we were to meet the boss, our camp was attacked. Within minutes every one of the bandits was dead or captured and I was surrounded by a small group of men. I recognized them as the men at arms from the nearby village of Vibria. They could take the girl to a safe place and get her started on a new life. "Please take me if you want, but save the girl," I begged, holding up my hands.

"What girl?" the leader asked. I pointed towards her.

"The other men captured her and were going to sell her for pleasure," I said. They all turned to see if I was telling the truth and as they did I slipped into the woods; stopping a short distance away to see if they would free her.

"What will we do with the girl?" one asked as they walked over to her. "We'll take her to the village and find a family to take her in," the leader said, walking over to her. Like she had done when I walked towards her she began to shiver and even before he could talk to her she passed out. They quickly untied her and one of the men scooped her into his arms and carried her to his horse. He passed her to another man then mounted his horse and retook her in his arms wrapping his arms protectively around her. She would be safe.