...

"Okay Kate. You can do this. Take a deep breath and concentrate. If you don't... Well, you'll fall to your death." I mumbled to myself as I looked at my legs which were dangling in the air, as I was sitting on the frame of the window.

I took a deep breath and nodded my head.

Here we go.

I straightened my leg and slowly placed it on the branch of the tree which was growing right next to the window. And when I confirmed that the branch was strong enough to hold me, I immediately proceeded with my escape plan.

Once I knew I placed my leg on the branch safely, I put my other leg on the frame of the window and slowly stood up, using the frame to keep my balance in check.

"Okay Kate. One... Two... Three!" I whisper-yelled and moved my whole body out the window and onto the branch, grabbing the nearby baby branches for support.

Yes! Success!

I slowly moved towards the trunk of the tree and carefully started to climb down. And a few grumbles and scratches later, I was safely on the ground.

Another success!

I immediately bolted down the, what I now know is a mountain, and headed towards the village. But as I was going down and slowly approaching the said village, I immediately noticed it wasn't a human village.

"Shit!" I whisper-yelled and quickly took a turn so I could go around it.

Damn dragons. What do they want with me?

Once I was at the base of the mountain and close to the village, I carefully moved around it and tried to be as quiet as possible.

Fuck, my feet are killing me.

I stopped for a second and inhaled deeply.

Come on Kate. You can't stop now.

I took one more breath and continued. As I was running, I noticed the sun was slowly setting.

Shit! I have to get as far away from here as possible before the night falls.

I sped up my running and hid in the shadows of trees when it was needed.

...

"Fuuck!" I wheezed out and leaned on a tree.

I slowly slid down and then looked up at the starry sky. I closed my eyes and tried to collect myself. I was tired and hungry and my energy was slowly leaving me from all the running. I don't even know for how long I've been running.

"If only the damn link worked!" I whisper-yelled in frustration.

'Tharion! Draco!' I yelled into the mindlink for the ninth time, but still nothing.

I groaned in annoyance and slowly got up. Then I continued my journey as I yelled into the mindlink without a break.

'Draco! Tharion! Hello! Hello?!' I yelled again as I continued to run.

'K-... -tie!'

I stopped for a second.

'Hello? Do you hear me?' I said hopefully.

This was the first time I heard something ever since I was brought here.

'Ka-... KATIE!' Both of them yelled at the same time.

I could feel tears gathering in my eyes and I sniffled as I sigh of relief left my mouth.

Finally...

'Can you hear us?!' Draco yelled hopefully.

'Yes.' I mumbled through my sniffles and continued to run when I realized I came to a complete stop.

'Where are you?! We can feel you're hurt! Is it serious?!' Tharion yelled worriedly.

'I don't know where I am. I think I'm at some horde's territory, because I saw a dragon village. And I'm okay. Just got a few scratches from climbing down a tree.' I sniffled out and wiped my tears.

'Shit! So many hordes have villages. We can only guess which one you're in.' Draco grumbled in frustration.

I turned around and looked at the village behind me. Although I've been running nonstop, I'm not far from it. The damn thing's huge for being just a simple village.

'There's a waterfall running through it if that helps.' I mumbled as I looked at the waterfall which looks like it's shining thanks to the moonlight.

'Waterfall? There are only three hordes with waterfalls like that. Can you describe it in more detail?' Tharion asked.

'Yeah. There's a bridge going over it and-'

"There you are." A voice said to my left.

I looked at the shadow in horror. And out of the shadow came a man. But it's not the one who visited me when I woke up. This one had a scarf around half of his face.

'They found me!' I yelled fearfully.

'What?! No!' Both of them roared.

"Take her. His Majesty is already pissed we have to move the party for tomorrow." The man said and two more men came out of the shadows.

They also had scarfs around their faces.

'Katie, what's going on?!' Draco asked worriedly.

'Three men with scarfs over their faces came out of nowhere and they want to take me back! Please hurry!' I said in a panicked voice as two of them grabbed me by my arms.

'Don't worry Katie! We'll find you in no time. I think we know who they might be.' Tharion assured with a soothing voice.

'Who is it?' I asked as I tried to free myself from the hands of these bastards.

But they didn't answer.

'Hello? Hello?!' I yelled, but nothing.

The link's being blocked again.

Fuck!

I tried to free myself a few more times, but my body was slowly giving out. I was way to tired and when we started going up the mountain, everything went black.

...

"When she wakes up, make her eat this and get her ready." A male voice said.

"Yes Your Majesty." A female voice said and then there was a sound of the door closing.

I slowly peeled one eye open and looked around. I saw an older woman putting something on the table across the bed I was laying on. I opened my other eye and tried to straighten up, but a groan left my mouth and I immediately gave up.

"Oh dear. Are you alright?" The old lady said worriedly and quickly approached me.

I flinched away and glared at her.

"Stay away from me." I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm not going to hurt you dear." She said with a soft smile.

"I find that hard to believe." I said with a scoff.

The lady just sighed and smiled again.

"Come. You must eat. You've been asleep for a long time. It's not good for your body if you don't eat." She said and turned around to grab a tray with food.

"You really think I'll eat the food you brought me?" I sneered and finally managed to straighten up.

"It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinking. We're not murders." She said with a chuckle and placed the tray on my lap.

"But you are kidnappers." I grumbled and looked at the food.

My stomach churned at the smell and without even thinking about it, I threw the tray to the side and bolted for the smaller door in the room. Cheering in my head when it turned out to be a bathroom, I dropped to my knees in front of the toilet and emptied whatever was left from yesterday's breakfast.

"Oh my! Are you alright dear?" The woman asked worriedly and tried to touch my hair, but I quickly slapped her hand away.

"Don't *cough* touch me!" I gritted out and groaned when another wave of nausea came over my stomach.

I don't know for how long I was puking my guts out. Probably a few minutes. At some point, I even started dry-heaving.

Stupid body. Put it under just a little bit of pressure and it gives out in no time.

When I stopped dry-heaving, I slowly stood up and leaned on the sink, my body shaking like a twig on a windy day. The old lady tried to help me for the ninth time, but I pushed her hands away yet again. I rinsed my mouth and slowly went back to the room. It looks similar than the one I've been in before I escaped, but this one had bars on the window.

Fuckers.

"Maybe we should postpone the party until you feel better." The lady mumbled to herself worriedly.

"No. We're going to that party or whatever it is." I said sharply.

"Are you sure? I think it'd be better if you just stayed in bed for now. You don't look so good." She said with uncertainty in her voice.

"Yes I'm sure. I want to see the bastard who's crazy enough to throw a party when he literally kidnapped me." I said angrily and sat in front of the vanity I just noticed.

The woman sighed but nodded her head.

"I'll ask someone to bring you something else to eat." She said as she eyed the tray I tipped over earlier.

"Don't. I'm not hungry." I protested quickly.

Just the mention of food has my stomach turning in circles like a washing machine.

"Are you su-"

"Yes I'm sure." I interrupted her with an annoyed sigh.

If I wasn't in the situation I'm currently in, I'd actually like her because she reminds me a lot of my late grandma.

"Okay." She mumbled with a sigh and proceeded to do whatever she's supposed to do.

...