OoO( 10 )OoO

Lyle woke Talon up early, knowing that if they wanted to get the jump on Twinblade, they needed to attack when they weren't expecting it. Together, they navigated the cavern and exited to the cliffside and entrance to Twinblade's camp. Lyle stood with Talon far away from the giant wooden doors.

"If we are going to do this, then we need to do it with precision. I scouted ahead and there are ten guards sent out to watch the area. They switch every hour, so we need to be careful. Don't go within a hundred yards of the gate or they will see you."

"So, how do we get into the gate?" asked Talon.

"Do you have a weapon?" he asked. She nodded and pulled out two short swords from her back, one longer than the other. "Good, here is the plan..."

OoOoO

"Hey, did you hear about that bandit Mikal? They say he was slain mercilessly by some great hero."

"Yeah, I heard it alright. Stupid hero's think they can kill anybody just because they get a shiny guild seal. Huh! If it was me, I would have killed that hero easily."

"Oh sure, just like you killed Giles when you said you were going to."

"Hey, I told you I had something in my eye!"

"Yeah, sure you did."

Lyle stood in a bush behind the two arguing bandits. They stood blocking the path to the road that lead to the front door of Twinblade's fort. Placing an arrow on his bowstring, he pulled it back and aimed. Letting go of the arrow, he quickly drew another and placed it on the bow.

The two bandits kept arguing back and forth until one fell silent. The other looked at his partner curiously. "Whats the matter mate?" he asked. The bandit fell forward with an arrow in his back and the others eyes widened. He turned to call for help, when an arrow flew and pierced his throat. Silently, he fell to the ground without knowing what had hit him.

Lyle kept his head down and jogged forward to the two bandits. He grabbed one and threw him in the bush, then grabbed the other and started to take his equipment off.

Talon stared at a bandit that stood ten feet in front of her. She tried thinking of a way to sneak behind him, but found it was impossible because of all the cleared land. Silently she cursed at the only alternative she had left. She stepped out from the bush and into plain view of the bandit. The bandit looked at her and was about to call out, when she held up a hand and said, "Wait!" She lifted her shirt slightly and grinned at him seductively. "Wanna have a little fun?"

The bandit smiled and looked around. After making sure no other guards were around, he walked forward and followed her behind a tree. As soon as he reached for her clothes, she swung with the blade behind her back and beheaded him with one swipe. His head fell to the ground and she quickly pulled him out of view.

Lyle now stood dressed in full bandit clothing. He put his armor in a sack made from his cloak and dragged it with him. "Hey you!" he shouted to another bandit in the area. "Help me with this would ya?"

"What is it now?" asked the bandit grumpily. But, after seeing the heavy sack he was carrying, he quickly changed his tune. "What you got in there?"

Lyle waited until the bandit was close, then shoved his sword through his stomach. Thrusting upwards, he made sure the bandit would never speak another word again. The bandit fell in two and Lyle hid him in the brush as well. Lyle stood up and threw the bag over his shoulder, then began walking forward towards the gate. Suddenly, he spun around and aimed his sword at another person behind him. Talon now wore bandit gear as well.

Talon froze as Lyle's blade almost cut her a new airhole. "Hey watch it!" she said. Lyle lowered the blade and put it over his back again. "You really gotta watch where your swinging that thing, you almost killed me there." she said. Lyle smiled slightly and she sighed. "I know, if you wanted to kill me, you would have..."

"Exactly. How many guards have you killed?" he asked.

"Six. Several were a real pain, but I got them. What about you?"

"Four, plus almost you too." he said. "Now, put your clothing in here and help me drag it to the front gate." he said. She stuffed her clothes inside the cloak and they began dragging it up the hill to the gate.

"Stop! Who approaches the gate?" asked someone up top. Lyle looked at Talon and nodded.

"Help! They attacked us down by the cave!" shouted Lyle. Taking his sword, he cut a small injury across his left shoulder to make it seem more real.

"Wait, we're coming down!" shouted the wallguard. In seconds, the gates opened and five bandits ran out. "Where did they go?" one asked Lyle. He pointed down the cliff and the bandits went charging down towards the forest. Talon smiled and together they stood up and walked into the abandoned road ahead.

OoOoO

They both crossed the road with ease, only getting a few eyes on their bag. As they approached the camp, Lyle stopped at the next gate and yelled, "Hey! Let us inside!" The bandit on the wall looked down at him.

"What buisiness do you have in the camp?" he shouted back.

"I have a bag of loot for Twinblade. You know Twinblades rule, show loyalty and be rewarded. So open the gate and we'll let you share the glory."

The bandit thought for a second, then smiled at the thought of being promoted from gate guard to bodyguard. "Alright, but make sure you tell Twinblade about me. Names Randall, put in a good word for me." said the man and he turned the crank for the door.

"That I shall." said Lyle. Slowly, the wooden gate opened and the two walked into the campgrounds of the bandits. Turning to Talon, he said, "Alright. Lets get out of these stupid clothes."

"Won't they suspect that we aren't bandits if we aren't in bandit clothes?" she asked.

Lyle smiled. "Mercenaries are allowed in Twinblade's camp. Word has it that he is trying to start his own army, so we will just pose as mercenaries and keep progressing through the camp until I can get a shot at Twinblade."

"So, if anyone asks, I tell them that I'm a mercenary?" asked Talon.

Lyle nodded. "Yes, and if anyone gives you trouble tell me." he said. Lyle looked at the camp and saw that several canvas were erected in the left side, obviously a makeshift tavern for rainy days. He lifted the cloak and walked into the tent and looked around. A bar and several tables were set up, with one man sitting at the table in the center.

The man looked at the pair that walked in and smiled, "Ah, would you like something to drink?" he asked standing up. He looked nothing like a bandit, but more like a homekeeper.

"Sorry, we are just looking for a place to...well, you know, sleep." he said. Talon glared at him in horror, but the man smiled again.

"Oh, I see. We have private rooms over here, though they aren't exactly soundproof." said the man.

Lyle smiled and said, "Don't worry, its fine. Shall we go?" he asked Talon. She shook her head and he glared at her. "To the room so we can have some privacy." he said holding the bag forward.

She looked at the cloak and smiled stupidly. "Oh, yeah. Lets make it quick." she said grabbing him by the collar and dragged him into the canvas room. Together they stood in the room as Lyle opened the cloak.

"Do you want me to turn around?" he whispered. She nodded and he turned his back to her as she stripped. "So Talon, what's your real name?" he asked.

She looked up at him as she put her equipment back on. "Why should I tell you?" she asked offensively.

"I'm not saying you have to, I would like to know, thats all." he said.

She smiled slightly. "Getting soft huh? You shouldn't act like that, it doesn't suit you."

"I know. I seem like the type who just goes around bullying others, right?" he asked. When Talon said nothing he continued. "Truthfully, I used to be like that when I was a kid. But a lot has changed since then, I'm not that bad of a guy if you get to know me."

"Is that so? Well Mr. Not A Bad Guy, give me one reason why I should give you my name?" she said.

"Because, I would like to know." he said smartly.

"Not good enough."

"Fine, I don't want to know then." he said.

"I'm finished." said Talon, and she turned around facing the wall. Lyle turned and tore his bandit clothes off, then began to re-equip himself.

After a few moments of silence, Lyle finished armoring himself and he turned to exit the room. "By the way, my name is Lyle." he said, then walked out. Talon turned and stared at him for a second, then followed.

OoOoO

Together, Lyle and Talon travelled through the bandit camp collecting information. Most of the bandits in the camp thought nothing of two mercenaries walking around, but some became aware of the two and started to follow them around. Eventually they got suspiscious enough to leave and tell Twinblade himself of their presence.

The two approached their master cautiously. "Why have you interrupted my dinner?" asked a dark voice from under the dark shadow of a canvas.

The two men bowed onto their knees and spoke in stutters. "S-Sir, we suspect there m-might be a hero in the c-camp." said one.

The man smiled. "And why would you say that?" he asked.

"I have seen this man before your lordship. He is the one they call Lyle the Sabre." said the other. The young girl standing next to the man raised her head.

"Lyle?" she whispered to herself.

The man looked up at her. "You have heard of him?"

"Yes, and I have seen him as well Twinblade. He is a great hero for one as young as he is." she said. "I have also seen that he will come here and challenge you."

The man laughed loudly, as did all his men. It was common for his men to laugh when Twinblade did, after all, anything he thought was funny was funny, and nobody dared challenge that. "He comes to challenge me? This Lyle must have a death wish. Nobody has challenged me and lived to tell the story."

"Beware of this one Twinblade, my preminitions have not failed you so far, and now they tell me that you should fear the one called Sabre." she said.

"I fear nobody. You there, how big is this mighty Sabre?" asked Twinblade.

The man stood nervously. "He is a bit taller than myself, and well built as well."

"See, he is puny compared to me. This hero is nothing more that an obstacle in the road to my ultimate plan." said the giant man.

The girl sighed and said to herself, "Then that will be your downfall."

Twinblade turned to the two men smiling. "You go and keep an eye on this hero. Tell me everything he does, everywhere he goes, and everyone he talks to. This time, the guild will get their hero back, but won't it be a surprise when he comes back mounted as a trophy?" His men laughed again.

OoOoO

Lyle sat at the table with the man in the tents, draining him for all the information he could. The man seemed rather eager to talk to Lyle, and gave him much useful knowledge of the camp.

"So, what is the pay like in being a mercenary?" asked the man.

"Good, but it should be better. So, There is another camp ahead that houses Twinblade's elite bandits, and I need some kind of pass to get inside it?" he asked.

"Yes, a bandit camp pass. I have one myself, only cause I'm Twinblades merchant. If he wants weapons, armor, and food for his men, then I'm the one that gets it for him."

"Do you know where I could aquire one of these passes?" asked Lyle curiously.

"I'm afraid not, those are rarely given to anybody in this here camp. Only to Twinblade's most trusted men."

Lyle continued to question the man, ignoring the dark figure of Talon creeping across the floor and behind the bar. Talon searched around behind the bar while Lyle asked him another question. "So, what does a bandit camp pass look like...incase I run into one." he asked. Talon stopped and listened as the man described the pass.

"Hmm...its a flat cloth spun banner, only about as big as a plate. Its read in color and has Twinblade's mark on it, a bandit skull with two giant swords crossed behind it. Some of the men outside have passes that they no longer need, maybe one of them will sell one to you."

Lyle smiled at the man as he saw Talon raise the pass into the air, then sneak out again. "Buy something from a bandit? That would cost me more than I have. I'll talk to you later, I have some buisiness to attend to." he said standing up.

"Alright, come back anytime you want some more information." said the man as Lyle walked out of the tent.

Lyle exited the tent and looked around for Talon. She was nowhere to be found, until something heavy landed on Lyle's shoulders, almost knocking him off his feet. The bandit pass appeared in front of his face and he looked up to see Talon sitting on his shoulders. "Haha! It worked, we got the pass!" she shouted.

Lyle smiled and took the pass. "Red banner with a bandit skull and two swords. Yep, this is it." he said. Talon placed a hand on his head and flipped off his shoulders and onto her feet.

"So, whats the plan now chief?" she asked.

"Well, we have done a lot today and its almost sundown. You can sleep for a while."

"Sleep around bandits? Are you out of your mind, one look at me and they won't think twice about pouncing me were I am." she said.

"I know, that's why I'm staying up as a watch." he said. "Any bandits that even look at you funny will get a taste of this." he said drawing his sword.

"How do I know you won't do something funny?" she asked.

"Because, I still need your help to find my sister." he said. Talon's eyes softened as Lyle's face turned serious.

"I...I didn't know you were looking for your sister..." she said.

"Don't worry, I know we can find her once I get Twinblade out of the way." he said.

Talon smiled again and together they walked over to an unused tent. Talon layed down on the straw bed and stared at Lyle. "You are pretty confident you can beat Twinblade." she whispered.

He smiled and said nothing.