They had only been walking for a few minutes when there came a rustling
from the underbrush on either side of them. Then five big men, dressed in
unkempt brown rags and all wielding big nasty-looking weapons stepped out
in front of them.
"Well, lookie here, boys," the giant one in the middle drawled. His head was completely shaven and he was slowly tapping a massive wooden club against one hand. "Fresh meat that dost not know it be dangerous to wander these woods alone." He and the other men cackled maliciously.
"Please tell me this is still a re-enactment of some kind..." Aaralyn squeaked, slowly backing off with Ethan at her side. The five men looked like outlaws or bandits straight from the set of a Robin Hood movie. And from the threatening expressions on their faces, they were taking their roles way too seriously.
Ethan gave a nervous chuckle. "Hey guys," he greeted them, "we're kinda lost here. I don't suppose you could help us out and point us in the right direction? Like -"
But instead of laughing it off, the five men began to form a tight circle around him and Aaralyn. The two friends stared at each other, then at each of the hostile, leering faces around them. "Eth, I'm getting scared," Aaralyn whispered to him.
"Its ok, they're just kidding around- "
One man with a long puckered scar running down the side of his face began to swing his sword in preparation for an attack. The blade was stained and well nicked with use. Ethan gulped. "At least, I hope they're just kidding around..."
"Give us thy bags." The shaven-head man demanded. He seemed to be their leader.
Aaralyn clutched the straps of her backpack in white-knuckled hands. "I think they mean it, Eth."
"Ok, let's just play along then..." Ethan told her in a low voice. "If things get serious, we can always revert to plan B."
"And that would be?"
"Run like mad."
Slowly, very slowly, Ethan shrugged out of his backpack and held it out to the outlaws. A man with an unruly nest of brown hair down to his shoulders snatched it from his hand. Aaralyn followed Ethan's example. The outlaw dug into the backpack, taking out a map, compass, water bottle, and throwing it all on the ground in disgust.
"Thy gold, where be it?" the leader growled angrily.
"Gold?" Ethan answered, puzzled.
"It be on them!" the scar-faced man pointed with his sword.
Throwing the bags away, the outlaws attacked.
"Well, lookie here, boys," the giant one in the middle drawled. His head was completely shaven and he was slowly tapping a massive wooden club against one hand. "Fresh meat that dost not know it be dangerous to wander these woods alone." He and the other men cackled maliciously.
"Please tell me this is still a re-enactment of some kind..." Aaralyn squeaked, slowly backing off with Ethan at her side. The five men looked like outlaws or bandits straight from the set of a Robin Hood movie. And from the threatening expressions on their faces, they were taking their roles way too seriously.
Ethan gave a nervous chuckle. "Hey guys," he greeted them, "we're kinda lost here. I don't suppose you could help us out and point us in the right direction? Like -"
But instead of laughing it off, the five men began to form a tight circle around him and Aaralyn. The two friends stared at each other, then at each of the hostile, leering faces around them. "Eth, I'm getting scared," Aaralyn whispered to him.
"Its ok, they're just kidding around- "
One man with a long puckered scar running down the side of his face began to swing his sword in preparation for an attack. The blade was stained and well nicked with use. Ethan gulped. "At least, I hope they're just kidding around..."
"Give us thy bags." The shaven-head man demanded. He seemed to be their leader.
Aaralyn clutched the straps of her backpack in white-knuckled hands. "I think they mean it, Eth."
"Ok, let's just play along then..." Ethan told her in a low voice. "If things get serious, we can always revert to plan B."
"And that would be?"
"Run like mad."
Slowly, very slowly, Ethan shrugged out of his backpack and held it out to the outlaws. A man with an unruly nest of brown hair down to his shoulders snatched it from his hand. Aaralyn followed Ethan's example. The outlaw dug into the backpack, taking out a map, compass, water bottle, and throwing it all on the ground in disgust.
"Thy gold, where be it?" the leader growled angrily.
"Gold?" Ethan answered, puzzled.
"It be on them!" the scar-faced man pointed with his sword.
Throwing the bags away, the outlaws attacked.