((Read the first part, Boats.))
Gathering herself to her feet, the Bandits began to circle around Zoeya as if she was just another piece of fresh meat for the wolf-like men. She even though she heard a couple snarl, though it could have been her imagination. Zoeya took a moment to compose herself, straightening her back as she lifted herself to her feet, feeling the slight pang of a bruise forming where she landed. It took her a moment, but Zoeya slowly mustered as much confidence the once timid girl could, speaking out to the bandits, "You are on my island."
Silence rippled through them from her claim, as if they were taking it serious for a second, but then they roared in laughter, only proving the couldn't believe that such a small woman stood up against such a number of men. A snarl escaped from one, snapping out, "Oh, who do you think you are?"
His gaze scanned over Zoeya's masked frame as she kept her posture, meeting his gaze, "This is my home, I was here first."
If it had been ten years ago, Zoeya would have ran to hide behind Zahaer, crying. Though now as she calculated what she would lose in the situation, Zoeya realized that cowering wouldn't help her. She had nothing else to loose, so the confidence began to build up inside the young woman, a confidence she had never held before in her entire life of timidness. The bandits could see this confidence, this unwillingness to back down in Zoeya's eyes. However, for them they took it as a threat, making them ready to pounce and distinguish the flame inside of Zoeya.
However the man lifted his hand, stopping the others from pouncing as his gaze remained locked on Zoeya, "Ok, little girl. I'll give you a chance, run and live, or stand here and die."
With this, Zoeya tilted her head, moving to draw her sword. She was outnumbered, 9 to 1, but it was her island. She wasn't about to loose her home, but she also knew if she was to be killed, she would loose all homes. Though perhaps it was time to let herself be killed. Her mind ran through anything before a voice slid into her memory, her sister's voice.
"Zoeya, please don't die. Promise me you won't die."
Zoeya suddenly went back to when she was escaped the first bandits, or was freed. She couldn't exactly remember which one. Either way, she didn't go back to her own home. Her body felt limp, ruined as her sister carried her, running into a small band of people. They had a healer, Zoeya remembered that. A healer Zoeya grew to associate with pain. Whenever she touched Zoeya to clean her wounds, Zoeya only knew it stabbed a sharp, stinging pain through her entire body.
The injuries on Zoeya's body were severe, causing her extreme pain and almost killing her. Her sister had pleaded to Zoeya, begging her to stay alive. And in her head Zoeya, promised her sister she would survive no matter what.
Zoeya's mind came back to the problem at hand. Although she was willing to let herself fight and die, she wanted to survive at the same time. The conflict raging in her head before she stopped her hand. Today wasn't her day yet, and with that Zoeya surrendered. Running away from the bandits instead of fighting. From that day on, she was more careful when bandits past through her home, knowing she dodged an arrow that day and it was unlikely she'd ever walk out of a situation like that alive.
Then again, despite all the unlucky events in Zoeya's life, she did always managed to make it out alive. Hopefully that part of Zoeya's unluckiness will pass on for the rest of her life, but Zoeya is an unlucky girl.
