Young Writers Society

Rita stuck out her chin, looking down at Tasha proudly. "Hm. Sounds about right. At least she's got a mouth on 'er. Can't say that'll earn you much though."

She turned on her heels back over to James. "So you goin' by Mike, now? Can't you ever be more creative with names?"

"I'll take that under consideration." James spat back with sarcasm, his mouth twitching in contempt. "But first, a deal."

"A deal?" Rita chuckled, "Honey, dear, you're really in no position to bargain. I mean, look at you."

"Just -" The man behind him tugged him back, but James continued. "Let her go, and do whatever you want with me."

Rita gave him a look of amusement, twirling a dread of hair in her hand. "Oh, hoho, always the hero, aren't we? So even if I... hm, say, kept you forever?"

James glared at her again, "Rita, I know you steal from random innocent people all the time, but she's not affiliated with me."

So Mike isn't his real name and he knows these people?! Seriously?!

The man holding her is watching the exchange, as are most of the others. Rita is distracted with 'Mike' - her coast is clear. She slips her fingers into her boot and comes back up with the silver Iiedoran blade. Within seconds it's at the burly man's throat.

"Let me go or I will kill you," she snarls.

As attention turned to Tasha, James took the opportunity to leap upwards and pull his hands forward in front of him. As the man behind him was pulled forward James ducked low and pushed back into the guy's stomach, throwing the man even more off balance.

The burly man stood still, and slowly let her go, but another henchman tapped Tasha's head with the barrel of a gun. Several guns, in fact, had been pulled out and were pointed at both Tasha and James.

James closed his eyes a moment, hearing the clicks of all of the guns, ready to fire. He looked over at Rita, who looked at him with mocking pity.

She might not know what a gun is but she knows full well that whatever they are, she doesn't want to aggravate their wielders. She doesn't move - she can't fight and can't run, but she doesn't relinquish her grip on her dagger, either.

"I wouldn't make a move if I were you, dearie." Rita warned Tasha. "You know, I'm actually thinking of letting you go free. Someone with spirit like you doesn't deserve to be around a bum like him." She said, gesturing back to James with her thumb.

"Yeah, well, I'm not just some mangy cur who'll leave my comrades behind," she retorts.

Rita smirks. "Aww, so you won't let him stay?"

"Fuck you, bitch."

Rita shrugged, "Fair enough."

She gave a wave of her hand, signaling her henchmen to shoot at will.

"Duck!" James yelled, recognizing the signal, running forward while crouched down to the ground himself.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

She follows his example, dropping and making a break for it.

What felt like chaos ensued, in the darkness of night, with only a few scattered lanterns here and there to illuminate the forest. The gunfire was inconsistent, as the visuals were unreliable with all of the quick movement. James heard a few bullets whiz by him as he tried to scramble over to Tasha, Wolfsbane, and Nightmare.

He was intercepted by the burly fellow who'd grabbed Tasha in the beginning, and dropped to crawl under the large man's legs. He knew he bested the man in speed, and came out behind him. He knew the man would likely still come after him, so when the guy whirled around to face him with a fist flying at him, James ducked, and sent a right uppercut straight into the guy's jaw. It stunned the man for enough time that James was able to keep running.

It's difficult to locate her allies, but at least she has the nighttime vision of the dog she's named after. She swings up on Nightmare as she gallops past and charges 'Mike', extending her hand and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, hauling him haphazardly onto the steed and racing into the woods.

"Hurk!" James sputtered at the brief yank on his collar but grabs onto Nightmare - nope, not much to hold on to from the back. He grabbed around Tasha's waist, trying not to fall off the back of the fast moving horse.

He looked back, hearing the scuttle and confusion of the thieves as they gathered themselves. Though they made it some distance away, it wasn't long before he heard the pounding of hooves in pursuit.

"Start explaining! Now!" she demands and draws her sword - she'd grabbed it on the way out.

James stuttered some things that weren't really words when she yelled at him, but then spoke clearly. He didn't know exactly where to start but he had a feeling if he hesitated any more he'd lose his head or something else.

"My real name is Tiberius James. I'm a fugitive. I've been hiding out in these forests for about two years. I crossed paths with Rita a little over a year ago and was roped in to helping her with a heist she was planning. It went south, mostly for me. I escaped and she thinks I owe her or something."