Trix felt him lean in, closer, she knew it was any moment now, her gut tightening at what this meant. Then a woman's scream rang out, pained and scared. Trix's eyes snapped open, seeing the side of Edoward's face as he was already looking toward the sound. Following his gaze, she saw men on horses, men that weren't armored knights. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what was happening. They were being raided. Her gut instinct was to look for her pups, but she'd taken them back to her shop as the festivities got a bit too stimulating. 

Sergeant Brynmore was already in action. [color=00aeef][i][b]"Knights! Cover the civilians as they retreat to the village, fortify at Sunset Bridge!"[/b][/i][/color] Trix could barely see over the heads, as Edoward left her with a parting look, one filled with fear, [color=ed1c24][i][b]"Get to the village!"[/b][/i][/color] 

The people were being shepherded east to the village, passing the Sunset Bridge. It was the tallest, oldest bridge, one of the first built by the masons from Stone Crest, on commission of course. The knights began getting a handful of archers positioned there, but with the chaos, they were slow, and most didn't many clear shots to work with. The plan was simple, if they could fortify at the bridge, they could send out sallies under the cover of archers to either side. Trix let herself follow the flow of people, when several horse man came from the north, and rushed their way through the throngs, mowing down people beneath hooves and with blades. 

She could make out her shop from her position, as people began scrambling, screaming. She watched as a woman's head was lopped from her shoulders, arterial blood spurting out. Her hands began shaking and she could taste bile in her mouth, her legs growing weak. A man ran into her, and she was knocked to her hands and knees, where she retched into the grass, somehow not being trampled. Looking up, she saw noticed a loud yipping in the air, one she recognized. 

It was her pups. 

She immediately began trying to crawl through the throng of panicked festivalgoers. Almost at the edge, a boot stepped on her left hand and she cried out in pain. Once she was through, she stood up, studying her hand, wincing as she tried to move it. She wasn't sure if anything was broken or not, but she tried to ignore the throbbing pain. Eyes forward, she began making her way to her pups, hearing their yips. They weren't crying in pain or poor training, they were trying to find their mom, to protect her. 

Closer and closer she got to her fence, and just as she was almost there, a hand grabbed her arm painfully, and pulled her backwards. She was spun, screeching in surprise, seeing a man only a bit taller than her, in leathers. He was a Screamer. She opened her mouth to scream at the top of her lungs, but a fist to the side of her head shut her up, as she was knocked to the ground. Her face was an explosion of pain, as she clutched at it, tears already spilling forth. [color=f6989d][i][b]"No, no no, stop! Stop!" [/b][/i][/color]

The man laughed and reached down, slapping her across the face, bouncing it off the cold, hard dirt. She laid there crying, only knowing the pain and fear she felt. Another set of boots walked near her, and there were two male voices that began speaking, in a language she didn't recognize.

[color=39b54a][i][b]"Seems I found me a ripe one. That's her,"[/b][/i][/color] he spit on her, getting it in her hair, saying the next word venomously, [color=39b54a][i][b]"House. She was running toward it."[/b][/i][/color]

The other laughed heartily, kicking her in the stomach hard with his boot, tossing her onto her side. She laid there sobbing, clutching at her abdomen, wheezing, trying to look up at her assailants. [color=a187be][i][b]"How about we take her in there, and give her some good memories of it?"[/b][/i][/color]

The first man grabbed her by the hair, picking her up to her feet, staring at her eyes, one beginning to swell shut, [color=39b54a][i][b]"Sounds like a plan. I don't need anymore wives anyways, they always nag. But a small little vixen like this? Too good to pass up for a once about. Well, maybe twice."[/b][/i][/color] 

He slapped her again, ringing her ears, and in very thickly accented Common, [color=39b54a][i][b]"Walk."[/b][/i][/color] He began dragging her toward her house, the sounds of the pups increasing. Back in his native tongue, [color=a187be][i][b]"Shut them up will ya? I'll make sure to not leave her sloppy." [/b][/i][/color] The second man nodded, grinning, as Trix realized what he was about to do. She had to protect her pups. She began twisting and flailing, a lucky elbow catching her screamer in the groin, forcing him to let loose of her hair, as he swore. She rushed to the fence, climbing over the stones, tearing her dress in the process. Falling to the ground on the other side, she saw the second screamer looking over the fence at her laughing, as if her efforts were futile. Her pups were immediately upon her, growling fiercely, placing themselves between her and the man. He drew his scimitar, and raised it high, and swung it down.

In a loud shrill voice, Trix shouted, "NO!" and thrust her hands up. The protective instinct within her welled forth, and pushed out of her palms. A small shield quickly formed, and the scimitar bounced off of it, invisible to him, but she saw the damage it did. It wouldn't take another blow. But the man cursed, his arm going numb from the unexpected reverberations, dropping the blade, clattering harmlessly near Trix. She nodded the shield away, scrambling to grab the awkward weapon, surprised, thinking it would be a lot heavier. The pups tried to put themselves between her, [color=f6989d][i][b]"Remus, Remilia, back."[/b][/i][/color] 

They looked confused, but obeyed the command, as Trix backed herself into a corner of the wall of her home and the fence. Both Screamers were glaring at her hungrily from the other side of the fence. The first man, with his axe in hand deftly hopped over, and strolled up to her. She tried a weak slash, and the sword was knocked from her hands, as the head of his axe, the blunt side, was smashed into her gut. She dropped to her knees, as he raised his axe, to silence the dogs. [color=f6989d][i][b]"Please..."[/b][/i][/color] she whispered.

[color=f6989d][i][b]"Do anything with me... don't hurt them..."[/b][/i][/color]

The man paused, smiling as he considered his perverse thoughts. This did offer more opportunity. He grabbed her by the hair, dragged her to the back door, ignoring the pups that couldn't do anything to the thick leather boots he wore. He kicked open her door, shattering the lock and one of the hinges and threw her in. His friend joined him, teasing at the pups with the flat of his scimitar, but not harming them. She hit the wooden floorboards hard, tasting blood in her mouth. The man began undoing the rope belt of his trousers, still outside the doorway, [color=39b54a][i][b]"We're going to have fun,"[/b][/i][/color] in his broken Common.