Author's Note: Dielte's name is pronounced deel-ta.

The Dreizack house was a tiny one, the property they lived on not their own. Carsten Dreizack had fallen ill several years ago, and passed away. His widow, Melusine, along with their two children, now did all the work on the small farm. It was becoming difficult to get by, especially with Lord Gozzo's taxes. Still, if they all worked together, they managed to make ends meet.

Sixteen year old Dielte was awakened by the sound of her brother's feet hitting the floor beneath the loft they shared. She would have assumed that he was just going out to relieve himself, but the rustlings of activity below were out of the usual. Dielte peeked over the edge of the loft, trying to make out what her brother was doing.

Franz had donned a shirt and was putting on his boots. He crept past the pallet where their mother slept and through the door. Dielte threw on a shawl and shoes and dropped down the ladder to follow. She wondered if he'd heard something and was going to investigate. Perhaps the geese had escaped? Or was there a bandit outside? Either way, Dielte wanted to help.

She was puzzled when Franz started on the path to town. She was even more confused when he left the streets of Ober-Getzenburg, taking a seldom-used road into the forest. All the while, Dielte followed him at a distance, trying not to be discovered. She didn't quite know the reason why, at first, only that the quiet night seemed to require it. The further her brother went, the more curious Dielte became, and the more certain she was that Franz wouldn't bring her with him if he knew she was there.

Dielte dropped further back when she spotted a light on the path ahead. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd show up." The voice was that of the torch-bearer. It seemed vaguely familiar to Dielte.

"I have to wait until everyone's well asleep." Franz replied.

"Get a move on, then, you've probably made us both late."

Now Dielte could keep much further away without losing Franz and his companion, thanks to the light of the torch. They left the path and bulled through the undergrowth for a bit before hitting an even smaller trail, if you could call it that. The two boys spoke to eachother now and again, Franz mostly asking questions of his friend. Their unknown follower could never really hear what they were saying. She only knew that there was something very strange going on.

They came to a clearing, lit by a generous fire. Dielte concealed herself behind a beech tree whilst her quarry joined the group of shifty-looking teenagers there. Now she caught a good look at the boy who'd led Franz here, and wasn't entirely pleased to find that it was Siegfried.

She didn't know the Schtauffen boy very well. Everyone knew about him, to be certain, for his father was the hero of the town and owned a fair deal of property. Franz was sometimes his friend, and in Dielte's opinion, more like his lackey. Siegfried was more arrogant and self-assured than she liked.

Helmut stood up to greet them. "Siegfried. I think that's everybody who could get here tonight. In case any of you weren't with me the other day, this is Franz. He's with us - at least, he will be when we see what he's made of."

Siegfried pushed Franz and his words of thanks aside. "What did you want us to meet like this for, Helmut? Not just to roast apples, I hope."

"Beef, actually, a treat. We earned it, didn't we?" Helmut sliced off a hunk of the meat that sizzled over the fire. He passed it to Franz, but didn't offer any to Siegfried. "Liberated from Lord Gozzo's larder. Speaking of wealthy men, I've heard that there's one who's going to be coming through our area, right Kaspar?"

Kaspar nodded. "Right, there's a traveling merchant coming from Altenham. He sells his wares from town to town. He's been on the road a while, which means he must be pretty loaded down by now, in his purse, if you know what I mean. He's coming by this way, first to Ober-Getsenburg, then on to Kurtstadt before heading back north through Uberwasser."

Helmut reassumed speaking. "His name is Detlef Rupprecht. Word is he goes well protected, with at least seven guards. There are sixteen of us now, counting Franz. We can lighten his pockets at the bridge between Getsenburg and Kurtstadt."

"Don't you think we should ambush him after he leaves Kurtstadt?" Siegfried interrupted. "Rupprecht will have that much more money to take after he sells his wares in Kurtstadt."

Helmut scowled. Ever since he'd invited the younger boy to join them, Siegfried had gained a great deal of respect among the Schwarzwind- too much respect. "We're unfamiliar with the road north from Kurtstadt. It's a wide road, and without the woods growing close in. That leaves us nowhere to hide, therefore nowhere to spring from. The bridge has always worked in our favor- of course, you haven't been doing this long enough to know that."

Siegfried rose to his feet. "You say you're unfamiliar with the road out of Kurtstadt, yet you also tell me there's nowhere to hide on it. How would you know? Marten lives in Kurtstadt, get him to scout it out. You just like to hide behind your bridge because it's familiar. Besides, wouldn't the insult be best just after Rupprecht finishes his sales? All his work behind him and all his gold before him, when a wind blows through and snatches it away."

All the while, Dielte had been creeping forword, belly down on the forest floor. She was now concealed in the bushes just behind Helmut. She could see the firelight playing up Franz's red hair. He spoke up now: "I think it's a good idea."

"I guess, but the bridge always worked for us before," said Kaspar.

"I'm game," said Lewenhart, "We're the Schwarzwind, after all. We're not afraid." Most of the group seemed to share his opinion.

Helmut kicked the remainder of the roasting meat into the flames. "That's all well and nice, but I'm the one in charge here. We ambush Rupprecht at the bridge, and that's final!" Schwarzwind fell silent. Their leader took a few steps back, preparing to outline the details of his plans. What he did instead was step on Dielte's hand. Her gasp of pain caused him to wheel around. "Who the hell are you!"