SLAVE TO THE MATE BOND

CHAPTER 3*MUSKRAT & GREENWEED*

||*RHIAMON*||

The carriage drove along the lonely road all through the evening, taking me from the house for the first time. I expected to see some other travellers along the way at least, but the road was lonely and a bit scary whenever the path led through the thick forest.

The guards made several turns along the way, and I realised I would've ended up in more danger if I had run away. Staying was a good idea, but I couldn't help the paranoia that came after eavesdropping on the discussion earlier. Four guards rode behind us, and two rode the horses of the carriage.

The night shadow slowly spread its blanket over the clouds, leaving no trace of light in the sky, not even stars or moon to illuminate our journey. The carriage had gone off the road back into the path in the forest and I got more anxious the more trees we passed by. There was no sound of crickets or any living form except for the hooting sound of the horses and probably our breathing.

It is safe to say I was scared. I have never been outside the house at this time and I can't control the night fright lingering with me, despite having the other girls here. I looked around and I noticed most of them were already asleep, leaving just me, Hermione and two other girls.

True, the drowsiness crept in immediately as the evening faded into night, but I was too nervous to close my eyes. I didn't want anything to happen while I slept, and Hermione had warned me to stay on alert with her.

We'd been travelling for over six hours, not sure if my calculation was correct, but it should be between six and seven hours. And we are expected to reach Arlo pack a few hours before dawn. I reeled forward, my hands clasping Hermione's knee as the carriage came to a sudden halt in the middle of the forest.

I turned to Hermione with frantic eyes, and she made a gesture with her finger to her mouth, telling me to stay quiet. I nodded, relaxing a bit as I felt her hand slip into mine. The guards got off the horses one after the other, walking a few distances away from us, and Hermione tapped my shoulder.

"I am going to give you something. Just trust me and do as I say." Hermione whispered and I nodded, watching with keen interest as she dipped her hand underneath her skirt, pulling out a pouch and she untied the knot.

"Here, take these herbs, and chew both as fast as you can. They taste awful but you have to swallow fast." Hermione instructed, placing some dried leaves in my hand and frowned,

"What is this?" I asked, out of curiosity. Adriel warned me to be weary of the girls. I just met her and I don't know if I can trust her to just eat anything she handed to me.

"Muskrat root and dyer's greenweed." Hermione responded, glancing back to spy on the guards who all seemed very focused on their discussion.

"What does it do?" I questioned and Hermione shot me an irritated glare. She looked angry, perhaps I annoyed her with my question, but it's only normal if I ask these questions, right?

"Rhiamon, time isn't our friend right now. You either eat that or pass it to any of the other girls. I don't have time for this." Hermione hissed, sounding very annoyed as she took a handful of the herbs and she stuffed it in her mouth, chewing it rapidly.

I mirrored her action, even though I had more questions. Like how did she know to bring these herbs with her, and why does it seem like she was already prepared to do this?

I winced at the bitter taste of the herbs, shutting my eyes as I swallowed painfully, trying not to focus on the odd taste on my tongue and how pungent it smelled.

The other girls who were awake, stared at us like we were crazy and I looked at Hermione, wondering if she was actually crazy, because I didn't understand how this herb would save us from what the guys planned to do. I still didn't know what their plan was and I had eaten this herb without that knowledge.

"What are they planning? You heard them then, what do they want to do to us?" I asked, in a whisper, and Hermione gazed at me like I was a dummy. She shook her head before she answered.

"They want to rape you, or maybe us, but they mostly talked about your body, so I think they're sexually attracted to you and want a taste." Hermione replied, her response should've helped me, but it only confused me further.

I know what she meant by raping me, the guards are planning to force me to have se'x with them, but what I don't understand is why she thinks they are sexually attracted to my body. Why would they be? I glanced down at my chest, inspecting my arms, and I shook my head. What are they sexually attracted to?

I barely have any breasts on my chest compared to the other girls here with fuller chests. I know my n!pples are quite big, but still there was nothing about that. My step-mom always reminded me that no man would want me because of my flat chest, and she said a man doesn't need a woman to have a butt bigger than her brain, that all men prefer women with bigger boobs.

She often jests that I am built like a boy with nothing but round butts and no brain. So what were they attracted to? My flat chest or manly figure? There was no way I would get answers to these questions and I had other things to worry about right now, which was my stomach.

I groaned, rubbing my hands over my stomach as it churned so badly. I looked at Hermione to see her face contorting in discomfort.

"What is happening?" I gritted out, while trying to stop myself from screaming and the churn became spins and an uncomfortable ache.

"The herb is doing its work." Hermione whispered in a low grunt, shutting her eyes. Just as one of the guards climbed onto the carriage, he dragged me up and he pulled me forward. There was another guard waiting to collect me. It must have been the motion at which I swayed when the guard shoved me that made the contents of my stomach rush up my throat without warning and I spluttered vomit all over the guard's body.

My eyes widened, as the guard shrieked, jumped away from the mouth of the carriage and I tried to turn, but I reeled backwards, crashing into the other guards bathing him with stomach acid and the contents of the food I ate yesterday.

"What the hell, get off me you disgusting trash." He growled, shoving me off his body and staggered into the carriage, feeling a hand quickly wrapping around my waist before I hit the hardwood of the carriage.

"I've got you. I've got you." Hermione chanted in a stressed voice, helping sit in a way that had me hunched over the ledge of the carriage,and she took the same position, successfully retching on the two guards standing beside the carriage who were busy laughing at the victims of my vomit.

"Bloody hell!" They both roared, leaping away from the body of the carriage.

"What in the trash did you both eat?" One of them screamed, examining his body in disgust, while the others hurried out of their clothes. All the while, Hermione and I vomited, like it was a contest, more stomach acid coming from me.

"Is there any source of water close by? This wench makes me stink." The leader of the guards snarled, snatching off his top gear and clothes. The commotion had woken up the other girls and they looked around confused.

"Jack, watch them, and that bitch." The leader growled, marching off with the other guards who had also got the rain from our vomits.

"There should be running water somewhere around here." The guards grumbled as they walked deeper into the forests, and I closed my eyes, panting heavily, my body slumping to the side as I felt weak from all that retching.

I'm not sure if it worked, but they were gone and that was a save for now. I hope something happens and they don't make it back on time. I am not sure they'll want to touch me now after what just happened. I hope they don't.

"Here, wash your mouth out." I raised my eyes up as the guard left to watch us as he handed me a water skin.

"Thank you." I murmured weakly, taking the waterskin from him and I washed the vomit residual in my mouth, before passing it to Hermione, who did that same and handed it back to the guard.

"Go to sleep, it will take a while before they find any running water. Unless it rains." The guard muttered, planting himself on his horse. I hope it doesn't rain. I just pray there is no rain, or perhaps the rain will prevent them from doing anything to us.

The other girls went back to sleep, but I couldn't, I didn't want to. Hermione offered her hand and I took it sighing as she gently pushed my head to rest on her shoulders.

"Sleep, you need your strength before they return. You heard the guard, it will take a while." Hermione said, and I shook my head.

"The rain," I countered.

"It won't rain tonight. Rest, I'll watch over you." She assured me and I nodded, closing my eyes. Not sure if I would find sleep or not.