Shopkeepers and townspeople alike rushed out into the street to see what the cause of the commotion was. A chattering throng of people formed. Krista had only been in the town for a short time, but she had already left a favorable impression on almost everyone. The two men dragging her were forced to a halt by the congested crowd of people.
"What is the meaning of this?" Bellowed out the burly form of the butcher, as he waved a knife in the air.
One of her captors growled out, "Step aside and let us pass if you know what's good for you!"
"I will not! What is it you do with our herbalist?" Replied the angry butcher.
Her captors responded, "She's no herbalist! She's nothing but an escaped slave and we're taking her back for the reward on her head. Now stand aside!"
Both men drew their swords and the crowd moved backward slightly.
"Is this true Krista?" The butcher asked.
Tears in her eyes Krista nodded, "I was a slave, but I'm not any longer! My master is dead and he gave me my freedom and some money to make my own way. I swear it to you!"
The half truth came easily to her lips in her desperation. Her captors moved forward and the crowd hesitantly parted before them. What were they doing?
"Wait you can't let them take me! I'm one of you! I've treated your sick! Mr. Solat if it hadn't been for my medicine your son would have died! You can't let these men take me!" Krista twisted her neck around to look back at the townspeople, imploringly begging for them to come to her aid, but they stayed where they were as the two men drug her to where their horses were tied up.
They pulled another horse from the coral and threw her across it and tied her hands to her feet beneath the horse, as she screamed and pleaded to the townspeople to help her. But the townspeople remained standing as they were their faces downcast as one by one members of the crowd slipped away from the scene.
The two men mounted their horses and loped out of the town tugging Krista's horse along after them. After several miles the two men stopped and one came back and cut the rope binding Krista's hands to her feet.
She was picked off the horse and thrown roughly to the ground onto her face. Everything hurt from the rough ride.
She started to push up weakly from the ground when a voice from her past spoke, "Well, well, what do we have here but old scarface herself!"