From the shadows, three massive renegades appeared, muscles bulging in every possible direction, eyes narrow and cruel. They stalked to the carriage, looming over it as if the vehicle itself had personally offended them.
I rolled my eyes. Oh yes. The drama begins.
They peered in, scanning us, smirking like they had already decided how fun it would be to torment us. One massive arm rested casually against the carriage door, fingers brushing the splintered wood.
"Lost, are we?" one said, voice rough like gravel and broken glass. "Looks like you've… had some trouble."
I tapped the edge of my sleeve, fanning myself slightly. "Oh, heavens, yes," I said, in the faintly whiny, high-pitched tone of a merchant girl accustomed to fainting at minor inconveniences. "The road is… just so terribly… muddy! And my carriage… oh, dear, it's fallen apart!"
