Chapter 3: Bandits' Pride


Wil looked ahead. "That should be perfect!"

Sain looked ahead too, pretty dubiously. "That old fortress? I hope you're kidding!"

"No. The people around can't afford to put up groups of strangers. This will offer as much protection or more, under the circumstances." The two young men were scouting out camping spots for the night of the same day Wil and Florina had joined the group.

"Ah, well." Sain sighed and shook his head. He rode back to tell Lyn and Ceniro the news.

"That sounds fine to me," said Lyn.

"After all, we're not expecting marble halls," added Ceniro. Kent nodded. Florina mumbled something about being happy with Lyn and took to the air.

As they entered the fort in the warm evening air, a shadowy figure came forward.

"Pardon me, milady..."

"Ah! Who's there?"

"My name is Natalie," said the brown haired woman dressed in blue. "I beg your pardon for startling you, but... um..."

"Natalie, what are you doing here?'

"I'm looking for my husband, Dorcas. He's well built, with red hair... Have you seen him?"

"No, I'm afraid not..."

"My... my leg was injured long ago and never healed properly... I'm afraid he's gotten into dangerous business trying to raise money to heal it."

"Lady Lyndis!" called Kent. "Bandits again! More of the same bunch we fought already today, I think. They're shouting something about revenge."

"Persistent bunch, aren't they?" asked Sain, raising an eyebrow laconically.

"Well. Lyn, please go to the east gate. Sain, Kent, take the south gate. Wil, I'd like you to keep your eye on the west wall; it looks pretty unsteady. Florina, go with Lyn until I say something else." The warriors hurried to Ceniro's suggested positions. A large band of axemen clustered around the south gate, but didn't really make much of an impression on the seasoned knights guarding it. Two axemen attacked Lyn, one throwing a hand axe at her. She ducked. Then she went to talk to him.

"Hey! You... is your name Dorcas?"

The man with auburn hair and a slight beard jumped. "How did you know my name?"

"Natalie's here! We're protecting her! Dorcas, why fight with these people?"

"...I needed gold for her leg... All right. I'm done with these idiots. I'll fight with you."

"What!" yelled the other bandit. Dorcas turned, bowed apologetically, and cut him down.

"Convinced?"

"Yes. Ceniro! We have a new friend!"

"Good! Send him over to join Wil; the wall's going to come down in a bit. Florina, there's a group of swordsmen arriving from the north. They're coming one at a time, so you should have no trouble. Just stay in the trees so they have trouble catching you."

The battle lasted until sundown. As darkness descended on the land, Kent, Sain, Wil, Dorcas, Florina and Lyn found they had suddenly more breathing time. The bandits were gone with the sun.

"Looks like they gave up," said Kent wearily.

"Two battles in one day," groaned Wil.

Inside, Dorcas was speaking to his wife. "Natalie, I'm sorry."

"That's okay. I was just worried."

"Are you both all right?" asked Lyn.

"Yes. I'll take Natalie home now, and come back tomorrow morning."

"Why can't we just say goodbye now?"

"Well... I'd like to join your group to thank you."

"We'd love to have you," said Ceniro.



They set watches that night. Lyn could see the tall figure of Kent could be seen in the doorway; Ceniro was guarding the outer door. Later they would switch with Sain and Wil. She listened idly to Ceniro and Kent, talking as they watched, while she waited to fall asleep.

"Kent, don't you think I'm not very good?" Ceniro whispered.

"You're brilliant," Kent whispered back. Ceniro moved a step closer in the knight's direction.

"No, it's not that. I'm fine with directing people. It's only that... I have a problem seeing dead people. Even if they're bandits, with the 'kill or be killed' rule, I wonder what would have happened if they hadn't been killed. Whether some day, it might have turned out all right. Innocents are worse."

"I know. Those, we wonder what they would have blossomed into."

"But dead bodies just bother me."

"That's normal."

"Truly?"

"Yes. I've been trained in combat since I was thirteen. I'm twenty now, and so is Sain. We have to get used to it, or else it will destroy us."

"I see." Ceniro became very quiet, and Kent didn't disturb his thoughts. "I'll work on it."

"I'll try to help."



Wil sighed and rubbed his feet during a short break the next day. "Do these people do nothing but run?" he muttered. Florina, Kent, and Sain, on horseback, had a clear advantage over Lyn, Ceniro, Dorcas, and Wil, but the poor archer was having difficulty even keeping up with the other three on foot.

"Eh?" said a small voice near him.

"Oh, hi! Florina," Wil said, a bit louder. "Did I startle you? I didn't mean to, it's just I'm not used to running all day like this."

"Oh," she said.

"Hey, Florina, you all right?" Wil asked in concern. He couldn't figure out how a girl could be so shy and timid. Was it psychologically possible?

"Um.... yes..." She edged a little further away from him and buried her face in the Pegasus' mane.

"Oh, right, the bow... gotta hide it," Wil mumbled. He dropped it behind the log he was sitting on. "Don't look so... nervous. I won't hurt you, you know?" Actually, he would have said terrified, but that might be overdoing it.

"... I guess... yes..." She actually glanced at him.

"Why are you so afraid of guys in general?" he asked curiously

Florina now looked positively embarrassed. "... I'm a girl..."

Wil blinked. "So?" He said it pointedly, but kindly.

Up ahead, Ceniro was talking with Kent. Since Florina was blushing a deep red, amost purple, Wil got up and patted her shoulder - she flinched - and went to join them.

"We've almost reached the border," Kent was saying.

Lyn looked up from checking her sword. "Once we cross, we'll be safe from bandits, right?"

Kent nodded. "We should be."

"I doubt they'll be willing to pursue us across their border," commented Wil.

Sain had a fake dreamy look on his face. "And the landlady of the inn at the crossing is said to be a beauty... and to keep a good table. Ah, Kent, food and love! Best things in the world!" He ducked as Kent swiped at him.

"If your behavior is as deplorable as ever, we'd best stay elsewhere," Kent told him, with just the hint of a smile on his face. "We're not here for sightseeing."

Sain pulled the corners of his mouth down comically. "Oh, come now! That's not fair!"

Lyn grinned. "I guess the inn will be all right, Kent." The knight shrugged. Sain knelt and kissed her hand; she snatched it away.

"Oh milady Lyndis! You truly are an angel from on high!" Lyn stood, trying not to look amused. Florina came over and hugged her.

"We'll be able to get a good night's sleep, finally!"

"It remains to be seen whether we can get there before dark, you know," pointed out Ceniro. A rustling from the undergrowth behind him punctuated his sentance.

"Oi! I've found 'em!" yelled someone in an uneducated voice.

"What!? Not again! They're still after us?" yelped Wil, diving for his bow.

"Ya won't get away dat easily!" called another bandit drunkenly. "Everyone'll think we've gone soft!"

"So what!" Lyn screamed at them. "We don't care! Get in our way, and you'll die!"

The bandit smirked. "Cheeky little thing, huh? Wipe 'em out, lads! Even the women!"

Ceniro's group had been slowly retreating. "Kent, Sain, Wil, head north please. There's a band up there. After dealing with them, head east again and take out anyone who challenges you."

Someone else was approaching. Loud talking could be heard.

"... So mad!" This was a squeaky woman.

"...Told me ... certain... correct path," said a man with an Etrurian accent.

"What's your point... trying to say?"

"...Swear... not... woman ... escort ... Ostia," said the man in a lower voice.

"What's that... to mean?"

"... Heard ... needed ... frail Lycian priestess..."

"That's ME!" The squeal could be heard by both sides. Ceniro winced and began heading over there with Lyn and Dorcas. Florina, per instructions, flew over a tiny lake to the south and had a quick and deadly dance with an enemy swordsman.

"Frail? You?" asked the Etrurian in disbelief. "... No need of any escort. Even ... most hardened of ruffians ... flee ... five minutes ... Your money. ...Please go on to Ostia alone?"

"No! You're my escort, ... MINE! You're so neat and tidy. You're personality's nothing special, but you're not bad to look at."

"I believe that's my line," said the man with a sigh. "All the way to Ostia?" He began muttering to himself. Lyn got in a skirmish with an axefighter that was throwing himself at her. Dorcas threw his axe but missed. Ceniro finally caught a glimpse of the approaching travellers, though most of his attention was taken with helping Lyn and Dorcas.

The girl squealed. "You're so gloomy. Oh, hey, Erk! Wow! Look at that! A fight! A fight! A girl's fighting those bandits!" Ceniro caught flashes of pink as she jumped up and down behind some shrubbery.

Erk sighed again. "Oh, yes. First opportunity for trouble, and she jumps right in. Hoo, boy."


Chapter 2: Lyndis's Legion    Contents    Chapter 4: Fire in the Castle