Being prepared to be sold off

Arthur was spell bound at this new discovery. At the back of his head, the thought had occurred to him that maybe this was someone he was supposed to know. Coincidently, she turned out to be Marie's mother, the one they had set out to find. Checking the pulse and breathing Arthur concluded that she was dead. Dead? How was he supposed to face Marie now? Well there was nothing he could have done. She had been breathing her last moments anyway. The main point was what she had said; to save her daughter, to save Marie.

Why hadn't it occurred to him that Marie might not have left on her own accord? She had been kidnapped; she might have been defiled or worse killed by now. She had trusted him and he had simply turned his back on her finding her gone.

Determined, Arthur went back in the way he had come, hoping with a heavy heart that his paranoia hadn't led to the girl's end.

...

When Marie regained consciousness, she was completely drenched in sweat. Her head throbbed with a splitting headache and she almost felt paralyzed with her movements. It felt like she could only move slowly, and had a strange feeling of drifting out of her body.

She sat up painfully, struggling to regain the strength in her limbs. Looking around herself, she found herself unfamiliar with the surroundings. She was lying on rough mat, the reason her back had gotten stiff. There were camps around her, carelessly made from animal skin and sticks, blazing fires illuminating the place to supporting the vision. A woman, battered-looking and fragile, brought her water in a container made out of mud. Marie thirstily drained it in one go, gratitude showing in her eyes for the kind gesture. The femme (woman) lightly nodded her head and walked away the way she had come.

Left all alone now, Marie tried to recall the circumstances that had landed her in this alien place. Instinctively, her hand touched the back of her head, retreating instantly at the pain inflicted by it; to which she had been unknown to all the while. The only conclusion she could come up with was that she had been kidnapped, probably by the same people who held her mother as a prisoner. Before she could devise a plan to do anything, the sound of heavy footsteps clouded her brain, a shiver passing down her spine, making her heart thud wildly to come out of its cage. Her instincts told her that unavoidable danger was approaching her, where using her intellect would be like putting her hand in the crocodile's mouth.

'How are you, ma senorita?' A thick voice grunted as a hand slid over her shoulder.

Marie shuddered at the touch, keeping her mouth tightly shut, in case her sharp tongue made a mistake.

'What happened, my little fleeting bird? Did you perhaps lose your tongue? That would be such a pity for a beauty like you.' He spoke while stroking her head as if she was an animal about to be slaughtered. 'Your mother was a tough women, eh. Let's see how much you'll struggle until we tame you. You will be sold off after that, and for a fortune I can surely say that!'

Marie felt like she had been trapped in an unescapable cage, where she felt claustrophobic. The revolting stench from the man made her feel suffocated, to the point of collapsing. His intimidating speech left her drained and lifeless. So in the end, I will be going through what my mother had sacrificed herself to save me from. Her thoughts clouding her rational thinking plan, she did not resist when she was dragged into one of the tents. She had gone numb, oblivious to her surroundings. Until, the man tried to strip her in front of another dreadful looking man. Her senses immediately became alert and she grabbed the man's hand in an unbreakable grip, using all her strength when the matter came to her honor. The icy glare in her eyes that had replaced the meek and subdued look from before, must have been petrifying, so much so that the man involuntarily shuddered, retreating in his steps.

The home (man) in whose tent they had entered had been a silent spectator all the time, finally spoke, 'you have got some fight in you, fille. Very well, that is quite interesting. I love taking things by force, unfortunately I haven't gotten the opportunity for so long. A challenge is always welcome in this place. Shall we play a game to test you?'

Marie turned her gaze to the person who had spoken. In a voice, cold as ice, she said, 'I have no interest in playing games, mister. Unless it has advantages for me, that is in the case that my honor remains intact.'

The man passed her a sly grin, exhibiting a more devilish aura than earlier. 'You are one clever lass, aren't you? Okay there should be a prize for every game. So I promise to fulfil one of your wishes if you succeed. I give you my word for it.'

'Sir! She ain't the kind for you to waste your time on. Will be fine after some beatin', I assure you,' the former man spoke out.

'Duffield, you don't teach what to do right? I feed you, you don't feed me. Get that in your head. Already you have angered me by killing that woman in your rage, who would've gotten a good price in the market, now you dare speak back to me, you audacious bastard.'

Without uttering a sound, Duffield shut his mouth obediently. On the other hand, Marie had only heard the words 'killing the woman in your rage', words that had made the hair on her back stand up in a fright.