In case anyone was wondering, I was planning for Anomen and Merena to emerge from the tent before the story was over. :-)

Chapter 21

"Danis, this Lady Merena Col…Lady Merena of Berdusk. You will be assisting her tonight, and I know I can rely on you to give her your best efforts in the name of the Order." Sir Anomen said.

"Of course, sir." Danis replied and shyly took the hand that Lady Merena offered to him. "I am honored to serve with you, Lady Merena."

"And I am pleased to meet you, Danis." Lady Merena said, with a smile that reached her eyes. "I have certainly heard many good things about you from Sir Anomen."

Danis blushed. His friend Martel had told him Lady Merena was pretty, but perhaps because she was a ranger like his mother, he had expected someone a bit more, well, matronly. Instead, Lady Merena looked scarcely older that his eldest sister.

But if what Martel said was true…he glanced at Sir Anomen covertly. Danis had always thought of Sir Anomen as much older than himself and the other squires, but in truth, he realized with a start, that Sir Anomen was probably no more than thirty, and a scant few years older than Lady Merena. And from the tales he had heard, despite their youth they had both been through so much and experienced so much that Danis couldn't help wondering whether he would ever come close to achieving what they had already in their lives.

Sir Anomen gave Lady Merena an exasperated look. "My lady, how do you expect us to maintain proper discipline in the Order if you carelessly reveal that we have any good to say about the squires when they are not present?" His voice was aggrieved, but the look in his eyes told a different story.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Sir Anomen. I will try to be properly disapproving and discouraging in the future." Merena said, not sounding the least bit apologetic. Then she gave Sir Anomen a smile that Danis was sure that, if directed at him, would have rendered Danis incapable of rational thought.

Evidently Sir Anomen was not completely immune to its effects either, for he hastily cleared his throat and said, "Danis, if you have no questions about the mission, you should check your gear before you depart."

Danis knew perfectly well that his gear was in order, but dutifully he hurried over to check it once again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sir Anomen grasp Lady Merena's hands and pull her close. Sir Anomen's voice was pitched low, but was still loud enough for him to hear. He said intently, "Come back to me, my lady."

Lady Merena's reply was just one word, said with equal intensity. "Always."

A moment or two later, Merena appeared at his side and said, "I'll scout ahead, follow when you're ready." Then she disappeared into the trees without a backward glance.

Sir Anomen approached, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, "All ready, Danis?"

"Yes sir." He replied. But feeling he should give some reassurance to the knight, he met Sir Anomen's eyes and said earnestly, "I'll…I'll guard her with my life, sir."

Sir Anomen looked startled, and, to Danis' surprise, faintly amused. He smiled and said, "I think you'll find that Lady Merena can take care of herself in most situations." Then his voice dropped. "However, if you could try to dissuade her from doing anything too foolhardy, I would be grateful. Off you go now, don't keep the lady waiting."

"Yes, Sir Anomen." Danis replied. He shouldered his pack and entered the woods in Lady Merena's footsteps.

Danis did his best to stay close behind Merena as she glided silently through the trees, but mindful of her directive that stealth was more important than speed, occasionally found himself falling behind. The sliver of a moon gave very little light, and he was certain if it hadn't been for the night vision spell that Lady Merena had cast on him at the beginning of their journey that he would be able to see almost nothing amidst the dense underbrush. The first time he lost sight of the ranger he grew concerned, but a few seconds later he found that she had stopped in the trees ahead of him. That set the pattern for the rest of their trek; and soon he learned to trust that she would know when to wait for him.

It was hard to judge distance as they wound through the trees, but Danis guessed that they had gone about a half a league when Lady Merena held up a hand and signaled for him to stop. He cautiously approached her position until, standing next to her; he saw the back of a large tent looming white through a gap in the trees. A lone brigand was slouched against the tree nearest the tent, looking thoroughly bored and more than a little sleepy.

Lady Merena quietly removed the pack she was wearing and motioned Danis to do the same. Then Merena leaned close and whispered "Stay here." Before Danis had time to wonder what she planned to do, she had slipped away, only to reappear inches from the surprised guard. But a startled look was all the brigand had time for, as Lady Merena struck him in the head with a single powerful blow of her sword hilt that dropped him like a stone.

Danis was still recovering from his surprise when Merena motioned him over. "He's just stunned." She whispered. "Take his weapon, bind him and gag him." Between the two of them, this was soon accomplished. Lady Merena smiled at him. "So far, so good. But now comes the hard part — the two guards at the front." She gestured to the side of the tent. "I'm going to try to lure them here one at time. I don't think I'll need help, but stand ready, just in case."

"Yes, ma'am." Danis replied, and nervously loosened the bindings that had held his weapon in place during their journey through the trees.

Lady Merena silently approached the corner nearest the front of the tent, glanced back at Danis, gave him a brief nod, then, quite deliberately, scuffled her feet against the ground. After a moment of silence, Danis heard an exclamation and some loud curses from the front of the tent. Then to his horror, he saw not one, but the shapes of two men turn the corner of the tent to investigate. Danis started forward, sword in hand, but before he could reach Lady Merena she had uttered an oath of her own and leapt into action. There was obviously no thought of just stunning the men this time; her blade was a blur of motion, too fast for his eyes to follow. The second man fell, his throat cut, within seconds of the first. Neither had time to utter a cry.

Danis, thinking back to his conversation with Sir Anomen, tried not to gape in astonishment. When he reached her side, she was cleaning her sword and gazing sadly at the dead men. "Damn, I'd hoped I could spare them."

"My lady, they were destined for a hangman's rope in any case." Danis said gently. This he understood, though he was doubtful the other squires would; his mother was similarly reluctant to kill unless it was absolutely necessary. But he did not expect to find such an attitude in an experienced adventurer like Lady Merena.

Lady Merena smiled resignedly. "I know. It's just that…I gave up my chance to pass judgment on men's souls a long time ago, and I can't say I've ever missed it."

Danis was still puzzling over her comment when she continued. "Quickly, now, get to the front of the tent; you'll pass as one of the guards unless someone comes to investigate. Let's hope they assume that the other guard has just stepped away. But they'll certainly know that something is wrong if both guards are missing. In the meantime, I'll hide the bodies. When you give the word, I'll slip into the tent and talk to the prisoners."

"My lady," Danis protested, "please let me go into the tent first! They may be startled and cry out or attack. They have seen me before and may very well recognize me."

"Don't worry, Danis, I'm sure I can allay their fears." Merena grinned. "Besides, you look more like a brigand than I do."

Danis blushed. Despite her armor and the concealing darkness, there was no denying that Merena's silhouette was still decidedly…womanly. "Of course, my lady." He muttered as he headed for the front of the tent. He suspected that this decision was something Sir Anomen would consider 'too foolhardy', but unfortunately the knight had failed to give him any suggestions on how to talk Merena out of such actions.

Danis let out a long breath to steady his nerves before stepping into the light in front of the tent. He glanced around, assessing the situation, but at the same time trying to look as much as possible like he belonged there. The only light in the camp was the fire, now burnt down to embers about a dozen paces in front of him, and a few waning torches planted around the perimeter of the camp. The light they gave out was feeble, but still, after the darkness of the woods he felt uncomfortably exposed. He noted a few still figures wrapped in blankets near the fire, and he was relieved to see that the only guard in sight was a brigand lounging against a log at the far side of the camp.

He heard Merena whisper from the side of the tent, "Danis, try to relax! You look far too alert for one of their guards!" Dutifully, he affected his best slouch and attitude of inattention, but he found it a challenge since his training in the Order had taken pains to eliminate such undesirable behavior. Merena spoke again, and even at a whisper, he could hear the amusement in her voice. "I suppose that will have to do. Now, is anyone looking this way?"

The lone guard was now dozing and the men by the fire hadn't stirred. "No, my lady." He felt rather than heard Merena slip behind him and through the tent flaps. The squire tensed, straining to hear an outcry or sounds of a struggle. Instead, there were a few low oaths and cries of surprise, then the quiet murmur of voices. Danis sighed in relief, glad that another danger point had passed.

Time passed slowly for Danis, and just when he was beginning to get nervous that nothing seemed to be happening, the tent flaps opened and a man emerged to stand next to the squire. It was Fental, Lord Sembal's senior armsman. He was carrying a sword and wearing the brigands' scavenged leather armor that Danis had been told to bring along in his pack. Fental nodded genially to the squire and said in an undertone, "It's good to see you, lad. Some was saying," his expression told Danis what he thought of those 'some', "that the Order had forgotten about us, but I never believed that for a moment."

"Never, sir!" Danis exclaimed in unfeigned outrage. "Sir Anomen has thought of little else since the ambush than freeing all of you!"

"Simmer down, lad," Fental chuckled, "I never thought that. But there's no denying it was a relief when Petras came in this afternoon and said the ladies had contacted him to say that a rescue was planned for tonight."

Danis bit back an exclamation of surprise. No wonder Merena wasn't overly concerned about the prisoners' reaction when she entered the tent! He was wondering whether he dared press Fental for more information when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up into the face of one of other captured men from the caravan, who whispered, "Get inside, squire. The lady ranger asked me to take your place."

He gratefully slipped into the tent, and saw that there had indeed been significant progress while he was standing guard outside. As planned, the back of the tent had been slit open and the prisoners were now gathered in the small clearing behind it. Danis found Lady Merena speaking to an older woman who had a sour expression on her face — Lady Swiftnell. The women seemed to be having some sort of disagreement, and Danis quickly recognized the cause of it; a cowed-looking maid standing next to Lady Swiftnell, her arms piled high with clothing and other assorted belongings.

Merena was shaking her head. "I'm sorry, but no, my lady. Everyone must be able to run if the alarm goes up, and there's no way she can do so burdened like that."

"But…" Lady Swiftnell began.

Merena held her hand up to forestall the older woman's arguments. "If all goes as planned, you can come back and claim your possessions. If it doesn't go as planned," Danis saw a look of veiled amusement cross Merena's face, "Then you will likely have more important things to worry about than whether your shoes match your dress."

Lady Swiftnell glowered at her, but did not argue further. When Merena glanced up and saw Danis approach, her face lit. "Ah, Squire Danis, good. Could you please return Lady Swiftnell's belongings to the tent?" When Danis approached the maid, she gratefully handed her burden over to him, clearly relieved that she didn't have to openly defy her mistress.

When Danis returned, Merena was waiting for him. "Danis, we're finally ready to go." She said, rolling her eyes at Lady Swiftnell's rigid back. "I'll take the front, and lead them to the clearing I showed you earlier. I need you to follow in the rear, and make sure no one strays."

She pulled two small torches from her pack and lit them from a tinderbox with practiced ease. "I know it's risky to have these, but I think the risk is greater that we will lose someone in the darkness if we do not." She caught his eyes. "You know what to do; if the alarm goes up, put out your torch and get them moving as fast as possible. Fental and Petras will delay the pursuit as long as they can, and hopefully, the brigands will not find it easy to find us in the darkness."

Merena smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't look so worried, Danis! Everything has gone very well so far, and our part is almost done. Now it's up to Jaheira, Sir Anomen, and the other squires to do their part.

With that, she led the party into the darkness.
Jaheira approached the string of horses cautiously. She was certain they could already smell her and hear her coming, but she the last thing she needed was for them to become alarmed and wake the whole camp with their cries. A glance at the camp assured her that no one was looking her way; indeed, she noted with disgust, the one guard that could observe her position was dozing against a log. She walked among the horses, patting them, speaking softly to them to soothe their fears…and methodically loosening the ties that kept them from straying. Jaheira made certain they still looked tied to a casual observer, but she knew if the horses gave anything more than a gentle tug the leads would pull free.

Jaheira found a concealed spot to wait. It was a bit of risk to loosen their leads ahead of time, since they could bolt prematurely, but she knew the signal could come at any time and she wanted to be prepared. So she waited, as patiently as possible under the circumstances, comforted by the fact that the brigand camp remained still and quiet.

Finally, the signal came, the call of a night bird that was native to the area, but the call came in a pattern that no real bird would employ. She let out breath of relief that she hadn't noticed she was holding, and smiled grimly to herself. Now, with the prisoners spirited away to safety, the brigands could be dealt with.

She tested the wind; it was at her back as she faced the horses and the camp beyond. Perfect. "I'm sorry, my friends." She said softly, and began to concentrate for the transformation. A few moments later, the horses began to rear and whiny in alarm; the friendly half-elf that had been standing near them was gone, replaced by large, snarling wolf. The wolf approached and began snapping at the hooves of the rearmost horses, which caused the horses to react as any would — they pulled on their leads, and finding themselves free, bolted away from the wolf, toward the lights of the camp.

Jaheira grinned in wolf form, and snapped at a few select horses to spread them apart as they neared the camp, all the better to cause chaos and confusion. Some unlucky men sleeping by the fire did not wake and move fast enough, and were trampled as the horses passed through. Even the lucky ones, unharmed by stampede, stumbled about with no direction, confused and frightened by what had happened.

As the horses passed into the trees on the other side of the camp, Jaheira fell back a bit, hoping to slow the horses' blind flight. Then, with a nip here and a growl there, she began the process of gathering the horses together and herding them in the direction that she wanted them to go.
Anomen sat at ease on Challenger and regarded the brigand camp spread out below him. All was still, as it had been since Jaheira had led them to this spot earlier that evening before disappearing into the darkness to prepare for her own task. A few paces behind him, the six remaining squires sat on their horses, encased in a bubble of silence Anomen had cast as a precaution against nerves and over-excitement at the prospect of battle that might alert the camp to their presence prematurely.

He was ready. The squires were ready. All they could do now was wait. He glanced back at the squires and smiled in sympathy to see them shift restlessly on their horses. In this situation, he found waiting to be just as trying as the squires did. Anomen's thoughts turned to Merena, somewhere out in the darkness, and he couldn't quite suppress a stab of worry over her safety. When he gazed down at the quiet camp, his heart eased; surely, if she and Danis had been discovered the camp would be in an uproar.

At that very moment, the west side of the camp erupted in the sound of horses neighing in fear, and his heart clenched. In the next moment, however, he recognized the sound, and almost laughed aloud in relief. Not only was there no cause for concern, it was their signal to act! The neighing grew louder as the frightened horses pounded toward the camp, a dark shape bounding behind them. Anomen chuckled to himself. Jaheira is nothing if not subtle.

The wait was over. With a few words, he dispelled the silence around the squires, and then turned Challenger to face them. "Men, it is time. Remember, capture the villains if you can, strike them down if you must, but do not endanger yourselves by staying your hand if you are unsure. They have forfeited their right to gentle treatment and likely have a hangman's noose in their future. If they choose to flee into the trees, do not follow; there will be time to hunt them down after the camp has been secured. Finally, although most of the prisoners have been taken to safety, some — women, most likely — may be sleeping in the other tents." The squires looked away uncomfortably at what this suggested. "So make certain your foe is a foe."

He reined Challenger around to face the camp once again. While Anomen was speaking, the horses had stampeded through the camp and disappeared, leaving confusion and destruction in their wake. He could see men stumbling about, trying to make sense of what had happened. And it is about to get much worse. Anomen thought to himself with a smile. He quickly cast protective spells over himself and the squires, then began his prayers again. On his left sprang up an enormous fire elemental, almost too bright to look upon; on his right, a shining deva appeared, accompanied by celestial music. Behind him, the squires gasped in surprise.

Anomen nodded to Martel, who sounded the horn he was carrying. As the last echoes died way, Anomen stood up in his stirrups and cried: "Men of the Order, in the name of justice, in the name of Helm, attack! In the name of the Order, attack!"

The squires cried out in unison, "For Helm! For the Order!" and followed Anomen down the hill and into battle.