"I see you have caught our run away! Thank you Sir. We will take her off your hands now." I cringed, Thomrick, my other step brother and tormented. Many knew him as the punisher. He would beat me black and blue when I got back. I unconsciously moved closer to the stranger. "She is but one small woman. What would warrant so many of you chasing her down?" That deep timbre again. I wanted to curl into it."None of your affair, now give us back what belongs to us!" Thomrick and he sounded nasty! I decided to risk peeking around the stranger. Just then Halvor stepped forward. I moved even closer to my giant champion.I looked from Halvor to the warrior. Nobody was as big as Halvor. At least not until now. I looked up at my human shield. He must have felt it because he looked over his shoulder and down at me. I was afraid he was going to hand me over, but he just winked at me. He winked at me! What was that about?"And I do not know what she has told you, but she is a liar! She must be dealt with!" Halvor focused his attention on me, his eyes narrowing. He moved forward. The warrior did not move, he just swung his sword in a sweeping arc. I shivered and inched even closer to the stranger between me and Halvor. "Do not fear sa litli. We will get you back safe to your family." The words a rumbled whisper. He was wrong of course. The only way this was ending was a beating for me while my whole family looked on. "That is my family. My step brothers, Thomrick and Halvor." I felt the warrior tense. He looked down at me and I nodded my head yes. "My step family, my true parents are dead." I finished the words in a hushed whisper. I never knew my father, he was dead before my mother even gave birth to me. "I am sorry sa litli. We will figure this out." He nodded his head confidently. What was there to figure out? He would return me to my home. Father would order Thomrick to beat me and I would spend the rest of my days trying to keep Halvor from raping me. Which would bring more beatings until, if I ever got lucky, I died. "See! She belongs to us! Now give her over, she has amends to make!" Halvor raked his eyes my way and I felt sick again. I slid back behind the stranger."She belongs to me! If she must return to her home, then it is with me! I would know why you have treated her so." The rumble in the warrior's voice sounded deadly.Mature readers over 18Sexual content and scenarios