Journey of the Warrior Ch. 02

"We brought enough for all of us to carry out your original plan," said Mellany. "We are all here but the others camped a bit away from us."

Eldranna stood up and went over to a pack and opened it, taking out the scale mail I'd been given. She brought it over to me and said," In your haste to leave you forgot this."

Mellany reached into her belt purse and took something out and held out her closed fist. She said, "You also forgot this."

I held out my hand and she dropped the ring that Artemus had given me.

"Father said that he knew you were upset," she said. "He wishes you to have the ring and wear it always. He doesn't want you to be angry with him or the rest of us but he understands that you don't know our ways."

I looked at the ring and thought of all the good that Artemus had done in the time I'd known him. He had always been generous to all in his castle including a lost human who was injured and ill.

I put the ring on and said to the three elves, "I have known Lord Artemus since I came to this land. I will wear it in honor of him."

The three of them started fixing breakfast, so I walked to the edge of the clearing where I'd set up my camp to listen to the forest.

Standing there, I heard the sounds of the small animals around the area and further off, I heard voices. I walked back to the camp and asked, "Where did the rest of the group camp?"

Shardinelle said, "I will show you."

I said, "No. just tell me."

She pointed toward where I'd heard the voices and said, "About a tenth of a league in that direction. I had to think a moment to translate. A league to these people was about five miles to me so that would be about a half mile. Too far for voices to carry.

"Get ready to fight now, "I said. "I heard someone talking and it was much closer than that. Be ready."

I gestured for Shardinelle to follow me and picking up my crossbow and quiver, I started in the direction of the voice I'd heard.

She was very quiet as we cautiously moved toward the area where the noise had come from. I waved her to my left as I advanced and slowly we moved forward.

After about three hundred feet or so, I saw movement. I ducked down and Shardinelle did likewise. I crawled slowly to where I could see another clearing. In it were about 8 men that I didn't know.

I signaled Shardinelle and held up eight fingers. She nodded and moved up also. I saw that she had a bow with her which was a good thing, I thought. We were outnumbered four to one so it helped that we both had long range weapons although mine was a bit slow to reload.

Looking around the camp, I saw a human girl of about 13 or so. She was tied to a tree.

I pointed this out to Shardinelle and started moving to the tree where the prisoner was tied.

I don't know exactly how long it took me to get to her, but when I was next to her I tapped her shoulder while hoping she wouldn't scream.

She jumped a bit then looked toward me and not seeing anything, she looked down.

Holding a finger to my lips to signal silence, I drew my boot knife and cut the ropes tying her to the tree. I knew that she would probably have a hard time moving if she'd been there long, but I planned on only getting her behind the tree and waiting to see how the men reacted.

I got her safely around the tree and gave her a bit of leather from my pocket. ( I don't remember much of home, but pockets I do and they are useful). Biting down on my finger, I motioned to the leather. She got the idea, and from the expression on her face it was just in time.

I looked around and saw Shardinelle a few feet from me. She pointed to the camp and then the girl and held up two fingers. I cautiously looked around the tree and saw two more girls tied to trees. I also saw a female elf tied to a third.

I pointed at Shardinelle and held up one finger and pointed in the direction of the elf. She looked and nodded her head.

Looking around, I saw that the men were eating breakfast so I made sure my crossbow was loaded and the retainer clip was free of the quarrel.

Gesturing to Shardinelle again, I pointed to one who was standing out of site of the others and pointed at my crossbow. She nodded and pointed to another that was on the far side of the camp and hopefully far enough for the men not to hear when she shot him. I nodded.

Taking aim with my crossbow, I shot the guard while Shardinelle took her target. Both were hits and it was two down.

I crawled over to her and said, "Sword." while holding out my hand. She carefully drew the deadly blade and passed it to me.

I put it down beside me and reloaded my crossbow. I loved that thing. It had a handle on the bottom that you pulled back to re cock it that was easier to pull on by far than an elven horse bow or long bow.

After I had finished loading my weapon, I pointed at her then at the man on the far side of the fire. She nodded, and I pointed at the man furthest away from her target and tapped my crossbow, to which she nodded again.

I took aim at my target while she slowly rose to where she could fire. When she was ready, I fired at my target and she at hers.

We both hit, and I picked up the sword and got up. Charging the remaining men, I saw two more arrows fly over me before I got close enough to attack.

My first target was still staring around in shock when I killed him as I ran by. I got to the next one before he'd finished drawing his sword and finished him too.

Slowing down, I carefully looked around. I didn't see anything, but one of the girls or the elf shouted and I turned toward the sound.

A very large man was charging me with a battle ax. As he closed, I side stepped and then stabbed him in the left thigh.

He howled like a scalded dog and went to his knees giving me the chance to knock him out with the pommel of the sword, after which I tied him up.

That made nine and I hoped we were clear. Waving to Shardinelle, I signaled for her to come in.

She helped the girl I'd freed up off the ground and half carried her to the fire while I started freeing the others.

When she'd gotten the first prisoner to the fire, Shardinelle started freeing prisoners too. We got them all and brought them to the fire.

I told Shardinelle to go get the sisters and bring them and our gear here while I waited with the freed prisoners.

She nodded and took off silently, disappearing into the forest so quickly she seemed like a ghost.

While I waited, I retrieved my crossbow and reloaded it. That finished, I checked the prisoners and made sure that aside from the pain of returning circulation, they were unharmed.

They seemed fine, so I handed my crossbow to the elf and showed her how to cock it and also gave her the quiver of quarrels.

That done, I started checking the tents that the men had set up. I didn't find anyone else, but they had an interesting assortment of loot. It looked like they had been busy for awhile and were quite obviously bandits.

Interesting, I thought. We were at least two days travel from the Dragons Ridge and we'd already found a band of bandits.

Going back to the freed prisoners, I started questioning them. The elf was the only one that was willing to talk and she told me that the bandits had captured her first. They'd been here for about five days and had attacked several small parties traveling through the area but only taking female prisoners. All the males were killed immediately.

I asked if they had been doing this in other places and the elf told me she didn't know. She'd been taken just before they set up camp. She did know, however, that there were more bandits in the group. We'd only taken out the camp guard.

Thinking about this, I decided to set up an ambush of my own. I doubted we'd be able to track the main group down and surprise them, but I figured that if we got the rest of my party together and had nine of the biggest disguise themselves as the guards, we had a good chance of surprising them.

Shardinelle soon came back with Mellany and Eldranna. We hid our gear out of site of the camp and hid the bodies of the dead bandits.

After we finished this task, I told Shardinelle to go get the rest of the party and bring them back so we could set an ambush. She smiled at me and took off running again.

I called her back and told her she was forgetting something. When she came up to me, I took her sword and knelt, holding it out to her.

The expression on her face was comical. I swear she went from shock to embarrassment to surprise in less than a second before she took the sword and sheathed it. She bowed to me and took off running again.

The other two looked at me in confusion, then Eldranna asked, "Why did you do that?"

"Because she did well," I answered. "She killed four of them with her bow. She obeyed orders and didn't loose her head. I wished her to know that I was pleased with her."

Mellany said, "It was her first fight. I'm glad she did well and I'm glad you're pleased with her."

"Pleased with her actions, yes," I said. "Pleased that she and you are here, no."

"My lord, why are you not pleased?" asked Mellany.

"I keep telling you and you still don't know?" I asked. "I don't want the three of you harmed. It has nothing to do with you personally, it has to do with being afraid for you."

Mellany said, "I understand. All things die eventually, Hawk. While we live we must choose our paths and the three of us have chosen to follow you. It is our choice come what may."

I nodded and changed the subject. "I want you two to work with Shardinelle on your forest skills. If you insist on coming with me, you will have to learn. She's good and I want you all to be that good or better."

They both nodded and Eldranna said, "Yes my lord. We'll work hard to please you, my lord."

I stood up and grabbed her arm and pulled her to me in a hug. I said, "It isn't about pleasing me. It's about my not wanting to loose you. You say I don't understand you or your ways, but you don't understand me either. I have no kin here. My family is gone. I have no home or anything of much valued."

Hugging her tighter, I said, "Except you two. You are the daughters I never had. Your father is a friend as is your brother. You please me just by living. Your smile is a light in the dark to me." Releasing her, I asked them both, "Do you understand that much?"

With that, I walked away. I couldn't face them and wonder if they would live to see the sunset tonight.

I walked over to the prisoners and asked them all, "Will you help me today? I intend to try to ambush the rest of these bandits but I need to have prisoners for them to see. You won't be tied up, but I would like for you to be in the same places you were when the rest of them get back. Can you do this?"

One of the girls looked at me and asked, "You aren't going to hurt us? They said that we were their slaves now and they could do what they want. Will you make us your slaves?" She asked the second question and started crying.

I bent down to her and picked her up. Holding her tight, I said, "I don't hold with slavery. You are a free woman. I'll help you get back to your family after this is over, and I won't allow any one to hurt you. I pledge my life on that."

The girl asked, "You won't tie us back up? We just have to sit where we were?"

"Thats all," I said. When the rest of my band gets here, we're going to set an ambush. I just need it to look like nothing is wrong when they return, so I ask you to do this if you will. The rest of my party is elven and there are only three women in the group anyway. I need you so the bandits don't realize something is wrong."

"You'll protect us?" the girl asked.

I said, "With my life if necessary. I swear to you I will do my best to protect you. You won't be tied up, so when the fighting starts all you have to do is hide. I'll even give you some of the weapons that this bunch had if it helps."

The girl said, "I don't know how to fight, but I'll do what you ask. When this is over, I'd like to stay with you. My family is gone now and I have no where else to go."

"We'll talk about it later," I said. I put her down and told the rest, "I only ask that you help. If you are afraid, you don't have to. I'll hide you where they won't find you until after the fight if that's what you wish."

All of them, including the elf I'd talked to earlier said that they'd help. Two of the humans knew how to use bows so I had them go look through the camp to see it hey could each find one. The elf went into one of the tents and came out wearing a sword that she said had been hers and she'd fight with us when the bandits returned.

The two girls who had claimed to know how to use bows came back, each with a long bow and quivers. They both went to where they'd been tied and hid the bows and quivers then came back to the fire.

I waved Mellany and Eldranna over and introduced them to the five, saying, "These two are my sworn companions as is the one who helped me free you. If you need anything, ask them or me."

The five nodded and one handed each of us a plate of food. It wasn't much, just some stew but I appreciated it since I'd missed breakfast.

Shardinelle returned with the rest of the war party while we were eating. After I finished my meal, I helped get the ambush set up. We put the bowmen on one end of the camp and the rest on the side away from where the captives had said that the bandits went when they'd left that morning.

This done, I took Shardinelle and Deliand, who'd come with the rest of the band, and we followed the tracks made by the bandits when they'd left that morning.

We went about a tenth of a league and found places to watch the path and waited. I think we were there for about four hours.

Deliand heard them first and signaled the rest of us and pointed to where he heard horses moving through the forest.

I had to wait for a few minutes before I heard them and then I saw them.

Either the captives had lied to us or the group had joined another. There were at least thirty that I could count through the trees, and from the sound, probably more.

I whispered to Shardinelle and told her to return to the camp and warn the others to get ready for a much larger group than expected. I also told her to tell the freed captives that they should hide as this looked like a harder battle than originally expected.

She nodded and ran off very quietly.

Deliand and I waited till the bandits were much closer so we could get a better count on them. I counted thirty six and Deliand agreed. I also saw at least three human and two elven captives which I pointed out to Deliand.

He nodded that he'd seen them so I motioned for him to move back to the camp.

He wasn't as fast as either Shardinelle or me, but he was very quiet, not that it mattered. The bandits were making enough noise to cover the sounds of a heard of elephants.

We got back to the camp and I saw that all the freed captives were still in their places. I didn't have time to get them to safety now so I just nodded to them all. It took courage to sit like that and be a target. Especially for the two unarmed ones. It's even harder to play bait when you can't bite back.

The ambush worked. We got every one of them, taking three alive to add to the one prisoner I'd taken that morning.

Our casualties were light considering how outnumbered we were. Two dead and four wounded for thirty three dead and three captured. I checked the girls and found them to be well, and told all three of them that I was pleased. They'd all obeyed orders and fought well.

After that, I checked the freed captives and found that the girl I had promised to protect was slightly injured from a stray arrow but the rest were well. The new ones the bandits were bringing in were unharmed but frightened until the girl I'd comforted that afternoon told them that I would protect them as I'd promised to protect her.

We set up camp that night, allowing the freed captives to use the tents. I moved the group who'd sworn service to me to one side, bringing the girl from that morning. The elf we'd freed joined us also.

Sitting around our small fire, I said to them, "You all did well today. I'm proud to have fought with all of you." I looked at the unnamed girl and said, "That includes you, child. It took a lot of courage to stay when I sent back word that the enemy party was almost twice what we expected. I also thank you for calming the new captives. Well done."

She leaned against me and sat there looking at the others.

I told them what she had told me about her family and said, "Since we will be traveling together we each must agree if someone new joins us. This child has nothing now. I ask you if you will accept her as an equal. She has shown that she is brave and willing even if she has no weapons skills. I find that such courage is worth more than skills."

"Will you accept her as a companion?" I asked them.

Mellany looked at me and said, "It is your right to take a servant or a new companion. We follow you willingly and will travel where you go and with whom you choose."

I shook my head and asked, "Remember what I said about not knowing or understanding my ways?" She nodded and I continued, "Well this is one of the things you don't understand. I won't choose who you travel with. You have the same choice I do. I ask again, will you accept this child?"

Mellany stood and walked over to us and knelt in front of the girl and asked, "Do you want to join us?"

The girl nodded and Mellany said, "My name is Mellany, sister. Be free with my name." She stood back up and walked over to where she had been sitting with Eldranna, who stood and walked over to us and repeated what Mellany had done, except that she hugged the girl.

Each of the others did the same until they had all told her their names and welcomed her as a sister. Last was Shardinelle, who knelt and said, "My name is Shardinelle. Be free with my name and be welcome to my heart, sister." Finishing this, she held out a very finely crafted dagger in a beautifully worked leather sheath.

"This was my fathers," she said. "He died 10 years ago fighting bandits. Today, you fought them and helped us defeat them. Carry this with you and I and my fellow companions will teach you its use."

The girl looked at the dagger and then up into Shardinelle's face and asked, "Why would you give me such a fine gift? I didn't fight today, all I did was sit against a tree and then hid when the bandits came back. Why would you give me this?"

Shardinelle said, "Because I too lost my father and my mother left when I was younger. I have no close kin left and am also alone. I will take you as sister in my heart if you will accept me."

The girl let go of my arm and grabbed Shardinelle in a hug.

While Shardinelle held her, Mellany and Eldranna came over and said, "Welcome to our family cousin." They hugged the girl too, then the three of them sat her down and sat with her.

I whispered to Shardinelle, "Well done. She needs this and you gave her a greater gift than that dagger. Truly well done my lady."

This ends chapter 2 of the tale of Hawk