Peter and Heather crept though the woods, listening intently.
"Shawn reckoned that they should be somewhere up near Copperhead, lots of caves up there.
Following the poachers paths they made good time. Heather, who was leading suddenly stopped and looked around.
"What's wrong?" he whispered.
"Someone is watching us." she hissed.
Peter looked around, the hairs on his neck prickling. They stood back to back, watching the woods. Above them a bandit slid down headfirst on a rope. When he was in-between them, he asked quietly.
"What's this, lovers lane?"
The speed of their response briefly startled him.
Heather spun and punched him in the chest, going down on one knee.
Peter leapt and spun in the air, kicking the bandit in the legs. He flipped on his throat and landed face first in the mould.
A clapping noise from the side of the path startled both of them. Peter shot out a hand and a dagger thudded into another guard.
"I suggest you don't try that again." said a nasty voice from behind them.
They turned together to see a man standing in the bushes. His face was pudgy and pockmarks, and scars crossed his face. He leered at Heather.
"Are you a really bad shaver?" Peter wanted to know. This seemed to put puppy-sandwich of his track.
"What?" he demanded.
"Are you a really bad shaver?" Peter asked again.
"What are you talking about? It doesn't matter, get moving, or the archers will shoot you. And don't try to fade. Can you move faster than an arrow?" He leered at Heather again.
"Maybe we can have a talk later." he suggested.
"Maybe I can kill you later." Heather sneered. Puppy-sandwich laughed.
"I like a girl with spirit."
Peter muttered under his breath, "I wonder how he likes girls with steel-cap boots."
They were marched into the bandit camp at arrow-point. Most of the kidnapped were in a corral in the middle of the camp. Peter stared at it for a moment, then hissed at Heather,
"Where's the Witches?".
Heather's head spun around. They were not in the corral, and couldn't be seen anywhere. Then she noticed the small tent with a dozen guards around it. She nodded at it. Peter stared at
it for a moment then nodded.
"Into the corral. But you can stay with -AGHHHH!" Puppy-sandwich had grabbed Heather's arm. She had responded by stamping on his foot, elbow into stomach, knee into face. He collapsed,
making bubbling sounds. There was laughter from inside the corral, but also from outside. A tall woman, dressed in black and with the latest in sharp weapons for the discerning bandit
chief walked up.
"You've got spirit." she said, almost admiringly at Heather. She moved to slap her, and Heather's hand shot out and caught the arm. The chief snarled at her.
"Into the corral! Otherwise I'll perforate your boyfriend here." Heather looked at Peter and laughed. The chief looked a little confused. Peter nodded, almost unnoticeable. Still laughing, Heather lead the way into the coral.
Several hours later, the sun had began to set. At Lancre castle, torches flared in the courtyard. Shawn had given the Lancre Army a short lesson in how to use a sword and a spear (you hold the blunt end, the sharp end goes into the enemy), but many had retained their scythes and axes. Shawn was pacing back and forth on the battlements.
"Why haven't they returned." he muttered. Verence appeared behind him.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan two." He leant on the battlements and stared out over the forests.
"Do you have a plan 3?" Shawn demanded.
"Yes. We give the bandits what they want, so we get what we need."
Shawn thought about this.
"I don't like that plan."
"Neither do I. Anyway, lets move out. They have got to be on the High Country, so if we move that way we can save time."
"But we still don't know where the camp is!" Shawn wailed.
"We will." Verence had the look on his face that kings usually get before they go and conquer a small continent.
"We will."
In the corral, Peter had been moving towards an edge. Looking around to ensure that he was unobserved, he took a signal flare from under his jacket and lit it. There was a "WHOOOSH" as it flew into the air.
"Who did that!" A guard screamed. A dagger hit him in the throat. Peter leapt over the barricade and disappeared into the night. Heather grabbed a rock and threw it at a guard.
There was a scream from the darkness as a guard found Peter. Unfortunately, Peter had found him first.
Verence saw the flare.
"Lets go!" he shouted. The Lancre Army moved into the forest, keeping as quiet as they could, closing in on the camp.
"Shawn reckoned that they should be somewhere up near Copperhead, lots of caves up there.
Following the poachers paths they made good time. Heather, who was leading suddenly stopped and looked around.
"What's wrong?" he whispered.
"Someone is watching us." she hissed.
Peter looked around, the hairs on his neck prickling. They stood back to back, watching the woods. Above them a bandit slid down headfirst on a rope. When he was in-between them, he asked quietly.
"What's this, lovers lane?"
The speed of their response briefly startled him.
Heather spun and punched him in the chest, going down on one knee.
Peter leapt and spun in the air, kicking the bandit in the legs. He flipped on his throat and landed face first in the mould.
A clapping noise from the side of the path startled both of them. Peter shot out a hand and a dagger thudded into another guard.
"I suggest you don't try that again." said a nasty voice from behind them.
They turned together to see a man standing in the bushes. His face was pudgy and pockmarks, and scars crossed his face. He leered at Heather.
"Are you a really bad shaver?" Peter wanted to know. This seemed to put puppy-sandwich of his track.
"What?" he demanded.
"Are you a really bad shaver?" Peter asked again.
"What are you talking about? It doesn't matter, get moving, or the archers will shoot you. And don't try to fade. Can you move faster than an arrow?" He leered at Heather again.
"Maybe we can have a talk later." he suggested.
"Maybe I can kill you later." Heather sneered. Puppy-sandwich laughed.
"I like a girl with spirit."
Peter muttered under his breath, "I wonder how he likes girls with steel-cap boots."
They were marched into the bandit camp at arrow-point. Most of the kidnapped were in a corral in the middle of the camp. Peter stared at it for a moment, then hissed at Heather,
"Where's the Witches?".
Heather's head spun around. They were not in the corral, and couldn't be seen anywhere. Then she noticed the small tent with a dozen guards around it. She nodded at it. Peter stared at
it for a moment then nodded.
"Into the corral. But you can stay with -AGHHHH!" Puppy-sandwich had grabbed Heather's arm. She had responded by stamping on his foot, elbow into stomach, knee into face. He collapsed,
making bubbling sounds. There was laughter from inside the corral, but also from outside. A tall woman, dressed in black and with the latest in sharp weapons for the discerning bandit
chief walked up.
"You've got spirit." she said, almost admiringly at Heather. She moved to slap her, and Heather's hand shot out and caught the arm. The chief snarled at her.
"Into the corral! Otherwise I'll perforate your boyfriend here." Heather looked at Peter and laughed. The chief looked a little confused. Peter nodded, almost unnoticeable. Still laughing, Heather lead the way into the coral.
Several hours later, the sun had began to set. At Lancre castle, torches flared in the courtyard. Shawn had given the Lancre Army a short lesson in how to use a sword and a spear (you hold the blunt end, the sharp end goes into the enemy), but many had retained their scythes and axes. Shawn was pacing back and forth on the battlements.
"Why haven't they returned." he muttered. Verence appeared behind him.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan two." He leant on the battlements and stared out over the forests.
"Do you have a plan 3?" Shawn demanded.
"Yes. We give the bandits what they want, so we get what we need."
Shawn thought about this.
"I don't like that plan."
"Neither do I. Anyway, lets move out. They have got to be on the High Country, so if we move that way we can save time."
"But we still don't know where the camp is!" Shawn wailed.
"We will." Verence had the look on his face that kings usually get before they go and conquer a small continent.
"We will."
In the corral, Peter had been moving towards an edge. Looking around to ensure that he was unobserved, he took a signal flare from under his jacket and lit it. There was a "WHOOOSH" as it flew into the air.
"Who did that!" A guard screamed. A dagger hit him in the throat. Peter leapt over the barricade and disappeared into the night. Heather grabbed a rock and threw it at a guard.
There was a scream from the darkness as a guard found Peter. Unfortunately, Peter had found him first.
Verence saw the flare.
"Lets go!" he shouted. The Lancre Army moved into the forest, keeping as quiet as they could, closing in on the camp.