monsters and men

He hadn't meant to be out this late; the shadows already stretching with the sinking sun and the air earning a bit of a chilly bite to it. The subtle fall breeze rattled dead leaves from the tree branches, oranges and browns fluttering until they settled on the dirt path.  

He knew he should have stopped at the last little town, but he had been sure that he could make it to the next one by nightfall. Well, he probably could have, if he hadn't taken the wrong fork in the road several miles back. Always getting lost, he was, but at least this time he remembered to pack his pistol… and tucked into his boot was a dagger that he didn't really know how to use. He clearly had it under control. 

Or so he thought. 

In a blink of an eye, the brush around him shook and before he could even process the men that surrounded him, he felt the reins ripped from his hands, his horse pulled immediately to a stop. He reached for the knife in his boot, but froze at the sound of a click from a crossbow, his fingers wrapped around the hilt. 

"Drop your weapon and get off the horse." Atreus considered them for a moment, weighing his options as he quickly scanned the five thieves around him. You can take them, he told himself, a surge of confidence washing through him, his fingers wrapping tighter around his blade... until his gaze landed lastly on the crossbow.  

Nope. No. Give up. 

"I don't know what you think you're going to get off of me, gentlemen, but I'm traveling light. Hardly worth the trouble if you ask me." His voice shook as he dropped the blade, letting it fall before he swung a leg over his saddle, dropping to the ground with a thud of his heavy boots. 

"Shut up." A rather burly man stepped forward, a knife tipped in his hand before pressing the tip into Atreus' chest. His hands made quick work of checking each of his pockets, patting down his clothes from his coat to his boots. 

Atreus huffed, knees starting to shake with his racing heart, despite the way he tried to appear unphased. "At least buy me dinner first, darling," he sneered as the man stopped on his pistol that was strapped beneath his arm, pulling it out of its holster and tossing it to the side with a clatter. 

"I said shut the fuck up." The thief growled, pressing the knife harder against his chest. Atreus winced, brow knitting together and teeth clenching so hard, his jaw ached. 

"Aren't you just the rudest thief I have ever met! You want something from me? Go fucking chase it!" He hissed back, and in one quick movement, he reached around to slap his horse on the flank. The horse leapt forward, ripping the reins from the hands of the thief that still held it, and took off down the road in a frantic gallop, saddle bags and all gone with it. The other thieves scrambled to get out of its way before the shouting began. 

"Well don't just stand there!" "Why'd you let it go!" "Go fucking catch it!" 

Atreus found himself laughing up until he felt his shirt tighten around his neck, the thief with the knife pinning him back against a tree with the blade moving to his throat. "I wouldn't have done that if I was you." Atreus' breath hitched, knocked from his lungs as he tried to tip his chin away from the blade. "You wouldn't do me justice," he bit back, but his eyes were wide with fear, knees shaking, mouth dry as he tried to swallow his nerves. 

Fuck.