I ran the fire licking at my heels my singed boots crunching on dry leaves and cracking twigs as I ran, rabbit clutched in my hand by the ears. I was not leaving those bastards my kill. My bow rattled against my back and my dagger bounced against my I ran I heard voices all around me angry shouts of the bandits that had caused the fire itself. Seemed a bit overkill but I was to busy running for my life to care. I stumbled out of the treeline, tripped on a final root and sprawled onto the floor.
"Shit" I exclaimed from my heap on the ground. As I pushed myself to my feet groaning with the effort, I saw 3 bandits stood before me.
"Well, well, well look what we 'ave 'ere" the one spoke. Raggedhide armor and a chipped iron helmet with one of the signature horns snapped of halfway, iron sword hanging at his hip.
"Pitiable ain't she" said the one on the left, dirt spattered, bald head grinning maniacally while unarmored on his head,he wore heavy steelarmor over the rest of him a bow hang over his shoulder with a measly3 arrows within the quiver.
The final bandit was hidden by a hood and wore black robedobscuring all vision of his nothing but lightning began to crackle in his hands. I had to think fast so I threw my rabbit directly at the one with the bow the surprise of my action draws all the eyes of my enemies momentarily but it is enough I unholster my bow bring it level and notched an arrow, it flies straight and true into the shadow of the robed bandits'hood. He madea strangled sound and dropped as therabbit collided with the bowmans face. The swordsman was faster he came at me with an overhand swing. I had not the time to shot another arrow so raised my bow and braced. The bow snapped in impact one piece glying of to the left, I clutched the other piece painfully tight, the blow sent a jolt down my arm. I quickly swung the remaining half of my bow at his head the dink noise it made when it hit his helmet was quite satisfying, it stunned him momentarily andwith my other hand drew my dagger and landed three iron punches on his exposed neck. I had no time however to admire the blood pouring from his neck as he crumpled. The bowman hadrecovered from his rabbit encounter and an arrow wizzed past my nose as I turned and flung my knifepoorly,it embedded itself deep into the bowmans thigh. He fell to the ground anyway though,in a screaming fit of pain,his remaining arrows scattering in the grass. The quite after a battle always perplexed me, well not on this occasion, the screams of the wounded bowman sort of drowned out that quite. I picked up the sword from the bloodstained grass and walked calmly other to the last bandit, you see with bandits its all about appearances. I pressed the sword to his throat just to the point it drew blood.
"Shut up" I screamed at him. Slowly his whimpering stopped until it rested at simply heavy breathing and the occasional whimper. "There better," I said softly, "now whats your name."
"Horsk" he grunted out painfully.
"Ok now, Horsk do you think you could make it back to your little camp in your current condition?"
"Gods no"
"Well then" I stabbed him through the throat and let Horsk fall back to the ground. I slowly reached down and gathered his three arrows, picked up his bow and tested the draw, it was good just like my old bow minus a few chips and still very much in one piece. My first stroke of luck all day. Sadly my moment of happiness was broken by a slow clap accompanied by five bandits the central one the bandit leader, Davros.
"I'm impressed, genuinely impressed Lola, I have to say I took you for simple thief, advanced thief but only thief. But taking on Mix and Match and mage all together, wow." Davros said in a tone that just screamedIM BETTER THAN YOU.Appearances are everything with bandits.
"What about it?" I say faked calm layed on a touch too thick.
"Modest too, well Lola, the about it is I could use you in my little outfit. There is however one little problem. The money Lola. The money you stole from me." He stared at me for a while after that, I don't know if he expected me to flee in terror or was just pausing for emphasis. "However, I do believe I can find it in my heart to forgive you if you give me say, four fiths of my money back,consider the rest payment for proving your worth to me. Deal?"
I walk other to Horsks' corpse and slowly remove my dagger from his thigh, taking deliberate time. Appearances are everything with bandits. I yurn back and stare deep into Davros' eyes of course there is no choice. Death or a sizeable amount of gold, and when you put it that way...
"Deal!"