She didn’t stop running until she couldn’t breathe because of the pain it caused. She collapsed onto the ground and looked up at the sky. It was nearing darkness and she needed to find a place to be. She started looking at her surroundings and all she found was …. trees

“Damn trees. Damn forest!” She cursed out loud. She rarely cursed, but she didn’t see a reason not too anymore. She had everything ripped away from her and she was alone now. All alone.

She started following a deer path, knowing that they usually lead to water. Sure enough, after about 10 minutes of walking, she discovered a small stream. The water was cool and refreshing, caressing her tongue and her burning face. She sat down and put her feet into the brook. It felt so good!

A huge rock caught her eye as she was looking around her. It was large and was cut away at the bottom, just big enough for a person to be under. She didn’t want to spend more time looking for a better shelter so she crawled under the ledge and laid her head down on the pine needles. Finally she could relax and regain her energy for the next day’s journey.

She must have laid there for hours. Why couldn’t she sleep? Maybe it was from the torment of the day. That’s all she had been thinking about. So, she concentrated on the sound of the brook, trickling quietly by her. She slowly drifted off to sleep, being very comforted by the stream.

All night, she dreamt about a voice. The voice was telling her, over and over again, that it was her fault, it was her fault her mother died. It was her fault that her brothers and sisters burnt to their deaths. Everything could’ve been changed if it wasn’t for her. All she had to do was be ……. “NO!”

Ki Maira woke with cold sweat on her body and panting heavily. She knew that the ruler of Mahriah, Juniar, had asked her to be one of his several wives, entranced by her beauty. But she had refused, several times actually, which made him more upset with every refusal. She had only been in Mahriah for 2 months, visiting relatives, and this man wanted her to be his wife? One of his many wives on top of that! On her last night there, she remembered that Juniar had forced her to have sex with him.

“For the last time, I am not going to marry you! I’m not going to be reduced to another sex slave! I will never marry you!” Ki Maira had screamed across the room to him, wearing a very revealing sheer gown at his request. She looked so beautiful, even when she was mad.

Juniar had been ignoring these comments and he crossed the room to her. He ran his hand along the side of her face and Ki Maira had slapped it away. He tried to pull her into a passionate embrace, but she pushed him off. He became enraged and threw her into the bed. She was startled by the move and didn’t see him landing on the bed with her, his leggings removed. He was ripping at her gown, trying to get her undressed as fast as possible. She heard he yell, “Will you stop moving?!” and for some odd reason she did. She couldn’t move actually. She became frightened as he started taking his time undressing her. She had tears streaming down her face as she realized what was about to happen to her. His clothing was removed and he was forcing her to look at him. He entered her with his large member, causing her to scream in pain. She wasn’t ready for this! He was moving in and out very quickly, trying to make her hurt more. She didn’t have time to adjust to him yet. He forced her to get on top of him and move like she wanted him. It was like she was under his curse! Her body obliged while her mind was screaming no! He was grabbing at her breasts, moving her more rapidly by holding her hips. He started saying that he wanted her to climax, that he wanted her to. Her body started loving the treatment that it was receiving. Ki Maira was sobbing on top of him and finally slipped out of her mind, she had no idea what was going on anymore. She felt her body have the orgasm and he shot himself into her. She collapsed onto him and they laid there because she couldn’t move. She was disgusted with herself, how could her body want him like that?! She woke before dawn and ran back home, away from him.

She came back to the present and felt the tears of regret on her face. She knew it was because of her that Juniar had come to destroy her village. It was because she had refused him. Why couldn’t she just…..

It was dawn now, the light from the sun warming her face when she came out from her hiding space. She cleaned herself in the brook once more. She continued through the forest until she started hearing voices. The voices sounded friendly, but she had fallen for friendly voices once before. She hid in the bushes near by and waited for the bearers of this voice. It was a young man, around her own age, singing a song that she had heard once before. Not by her own will, her voice started singing the song as well, making the man stop. He looked around and his gaze landed on Ki Maira’s hiding spot. She slowly stood up, sensing he wasn’t going to hurt her. He walked over to her and touched a wound on her head that she didn’t know had existed. They introduced themselves. His name was Korin. He lived in a village just outside the wood. He persuaded Ki Maira to come back home with him so her could clean her up and feed her. She realized how hungry she actually was and obliged with a smile.