Again not much happens in this chapter but I promise things are going to speed up soon.

Known characters belong to Dick Wolf.

Thanks for reading and please do review.

'So this is the last village?'

'Yeah, I bloody well hope so, my feet are killing me, and I'm on night patrol tomorrow.'

'I told you not to piss off Ashford. He can be a mean bastard when he wants to,' said the smaller of the two men. Dressed in rough leather and with swords at their sides they stood guarding the back of a wooden cart. 'Me, on the other hand,' the smaller man continued rocking into his friend's shoulder, 'I've got myself a date with Madeline from the kitchens!' He laughed and with a calloused hand grabbed at his crotch.

'Is Madeline aware of this date?' teased his friend, a small smile playing around his lips, as he turned expecting to see a frown on the hopeful lover's face. Instead he felt his cheeks splashed with something warm as the smaller of the two men crumpled to the ground. Before he could make a noise, had even realised what had happened, an arrow hit in square in the chest and he keeled over on top of his companion, as if he were a puppet and his strings had just been cut.

Olivia crept forward, her back bent, low to the ground. The grass under her toes was dry and warm, the summer sun beating down on it all day, a sun that still hung low in the sky, refusing to give up on the light. She disliked having to kill the soldiers. Spilling blood of men no older than herself, often younger. She sometimes wished she could have the callousness of Finn, to kill and to think no more of it. Not to say that Finn was a callous, far from it, when he loved he loved wholly, but more that he could laugh and drink with a man in the day then slip a dagger between his ribs at night. It would be easier, she thought, if she could feel nothing, pretend that the hot sticky blood dribbling between her toes was nothing but the oil Munch carried, warmed between her fingers. She avoided their faces. Avoided the blue unseeing eyes of the younger man, and the rough stubble that darkened the jaw of his friend. She learnt a long time ago to never look too closely. A soft whistle, imitating the call of a sparrow, drew her from her hiding place and she rose to her full height, knocking an arrow as she went. Aiming over the cart she hit the first rider in the chest and then the second in the neck and they both fell from their horses to thud into the dirt at Amanda's feet. This was the first time Olivia had allowed her to come with them. Trusted her with the short sword at her side, with the money loaded in the cart. The villagers were nowhere to be seen, they knew better than to meddle in the affairs of Olivia Benson, knew that she was working for them. Finn came strolling round the corner, whistling a tune, not caring that he really couldn't whistle. He reached the cart the same time as Elliot and looked up at Olivia crouched on the wood.

'Two, by the northern end, both dead before they even knew I was there.'

'Only two,' Elliot replied with a boastful smile 'you're getting lazy my friend. I got all four that were over by the well.'

'So that's four by me,' Olivia interrupted before Finn could reply, 'two by Finn, four by Elliot and I'm assuming two by Amanda?'

Amanda shuffled her feet slightly and looked down at the ground. She didn't want to admit that she had only killed one, a young boy, only really there to keep note of who'd paid and how much. She never saw the other man, although she had looked not wanting to disappoint Olivia; not on her first raid. 'Only one.' she replied quietly still looking at the ground, 'the other man wasn't there, I looked all over for him but he must have disappeared on the road since the last time we counted.' Elliot gave her a small smile that she didn't see, trying to let her know that she didn't need to feel guilty but Olivia and Finn exchanged a worried glance.

'You sure there wasn't another man?'

'Yeah Finn, I looked all over the village, there was only the one at the eastern side.'

'Okay don't worry, it's like you said, he must have left the company before they arrived.' Olivia responded, although she still looked slightly troubled. 'The three of you know where you're going?' They all nodded 'Right, so from my count it makes two bags each, two villages each. Divide the money equally among the villages and don't take any shit from any of them. Be back here before midnight.' Finn, Elliot and Amanda didn't say a word, just took the money sacks from Olivia and mounted the abandoned horses of the guards. 'Oh and if you do happen to see our missing guard,' Olivia called after them, 'kill him.' They all just nodded with grim expressions and as they were riding away the villagers started to emerge from their houses.

'Eleven men,' a short but muscled man exclaimed, 'the Sheriff's not going to be happy about this.' Although some of the others looked worried his face mirrored the smile of Olivia.

'I don't give a rat's arse what makes the Sheriff happy Richard,' Olivia replied with a laugh, jumping down from the now empty cart, 'Besides, if he only deployed eleven men to guard his taxes he's almost asking to be robbed, he makes it so easy.' Richard laughed along with her and slapped a hand on her back as a red haired woman emerged from the largest house at the edge of the village.

'Olivia, where the fuck have you been! You said you'd be back before May day, its fucking July' Though normally the sight of a Lady cursing would have shocked even the most foul mouthed of drunkards the villagers were used to the language of the lady in question; not even a stint at an Abbey preventing the profanity. Olivia just smiled at her green eyed friend and picked her up round the waist spinning her in circles.

'I've had stuff to do, people to see, you forgive me right?'

Casey frowned but the puppy dog look on Olivia's face was enough to force a smile, she never could stay mad at her friend for long. With a temperament that matched her hair Casey was used to getting her way, but where that would have turned some into spoiled brats it only created a force of will in Casey that not many wanted to fight. She cared for the villagers under her father's command and with Olivia helped distribute the money Olivia held back, only just collected, out amongst those who needed it most. The smell of fresh blood, heavy and coppery had slowly filled the air so the two women turned and walked back towards Casey's house.

'So what have you been doing since I've been gone?'

'Not much. Father and I went to the May Day celebrations over in York. He has it in mind that I'm to marry a young Lord over there.' Olivia laughed knowing what Casey thought of marriage and of the continuing argument between her and her father as suitor after suitor was turned away.

'Olivia he barely even came up to my shoulder!' Olivia laughed harder and put an arm round Casey's waist as they sauntered over to her house.

'I really think it is the nunnery for you then.' She said to her friend. Casey frowned and made a disgusted noise at the back of her throat. Her father had sent her to a nunnery after the sixth suitor had been turned away but she raised such hell that she was only there for two months before he brought her back, despairing that he'd ever be able to control his wayward daughter.

'You'll stay the night.' Olivia made a face and opened her mouth to decline but before she could utter a word Casey started talking again, 'You have to wait near here for the others anyway, and it's been ages since I've seen you. You have to stay I won't allow you to leave.' Olivia smiled at her friend's persistence and although she still had slight misgivings at staying in the place where she had killed so many of the Sheriff's soldiers she agreed, for her friend's sake, that one night couldn't hurt.