Chapter Four
The two girls had traveled awhile before reaching their destination. In the few days they spent on the road, Lyn taught Elle so much about nature, setting up camp and surviving off the land, that the Ostian girl wondered how she'd gone so long without knowing these things. When they finally entered the gates of the medium sized town however, Elle was in her element.
"Bulgar?" asked Lyn as they entered. The nomadic girl had her head on a swivel once they joined the throng of people, trying to take in everything, "Why Bulgar?"
"It's the largest trading city in Sacae," said Elle, grinning at the prospect of all the information she'd gain in the next couple of hours, "We'll be sure to fine everything we need here," Including, she thought, in a perfect world, two knights. She reached into her small satchel and handed Lyn a piece of paper and some coins, "Here, this should cover everything on the list," Elle raised another piece of paper, "We'll split up, then meet back by that fountain, deal?"
Lyn nodded, then moved off into the crowd. Elle didn't just move off, she almost melted into the group, first a part of one, then another, eavesdropping. She chatted with the shopkeepers as she made her purchases, and after awhile of such movement, she'd deduced that a pair of knights was staying at the inn by the gates, and was leaving today.
"Complete opposites they were," said the grumpy-looking tanner as he handed Elle the leather she'd asked for, "One a picture of knightly standards, the other a picture of knightly poetical empty-headedness," his frowned deepened, and his white beard crinkled into a rumpled mess, "It'd be best for a scrap of a girl like you to stay away from the green one. Right mad he is, strutting about like he does, sighing with romantic nonsensical fancies."
The girl nodded, "Of course sir, thank you for the warning."
She completed her purchase, then stepped out into the bright sunshine, blinking slightly in the sudden light. The man described that crazy cavalier from Castle Caelin. What was his name? Lane? Shane? This could be perfect!
As if on queue, two knights walked around the corner, their horses trailing behind from the reigns in their hands. The first was clad in red-orange armor, with a stern look under his light red hair as he berated his companion, a brown haired knight who had that annoyingly I'm-cool-looking without-even-trying, laid-back look about him. Elle sighed, then walked a bit farther into the street, loosening her hold on one of her parcels so it began slipping out of her grasp. She gave an over exaggerated gasp, then a rather horrid fake fumble that never stood a chance of her catching it. The package fell to the ground, and the rest tumbled after. Perfect. She knelt down, beginning to gather them, when the green knight rushed over, a grin on his face.
"Allow me to assist milady!"
Elle stood up, smiling with what she hoped passed as gratefulness, but was really relief it had worked, as he gathered the packages.
"Thank you," she said, before frowning slightly, "I do hope I haven't kept Lyndis waiting for to long," she paused after the name drop.
"Your servant milady! If there's anything else I can-"
"Sain!"
The harsh rebuke split the air as the other knight marched over, his frown deeper than before.
"What are you doing?"
"Merely assisting a fair damsel in distress Kent! It is our knightly duty after all."
Elle recognized the second knight, in fact, when she'd been in Castle Caelin just a few weeks ago, they'd had a long conversation about the marquess, and their concern. If it hadn't been for Kent, she'd still be there in fact. Kent's gaze finally met Elle's and he took on a thoughtful face.
"Begging your pardon, but haven't we met before?"
Sain whipped around, "Hey, no fair Kent, I saw her first!"
Elle stiffened, she'd known this would happen, but in order to hold her act, she had to pretend it horrified her, "Good day!" she said rather curtly, removing her last paper-wrapped item from the green knight's grasp and jostling him as she stormed off. Now my intervention is riding on Sain of all people, I can only hope he actually caught my name drop. If that doesn't work. . . She pocketed the small pouch she'd taken and hurried back to Lyn, melting back into the crowd as she heard an exclamation of surprise from the knights. The nomad girl awaited her by the fountain as promised, a smile lighting her face.
"I've only been to the smaller towns," she said without prelude as she turned from the glittering water, "This is amazing!"
Elle grinned, "I've always been a fan of cities and towns myself," she agreed. The two set out, Elle leading the way, after they pushed through the crowd, to the gates where less people milled, they came across two brown horses, which were blocking the road.
Lyn walked up to the owner, tapping on the armor-clad shoulder of the redhead knight, "Would you be so kind as to move your horses? You're blocking the road."
Kent gave a slight bow, "Of course," he nudged the mounts out of the way with a tap of his hand to their shoulders, "My apologies."
Lyn nodded, then moved to pass. Kent spoke to Elle, "Hold a moment."
She obeyed, an impassive question on her face. Sain had found Lyn, and the two began a conversation.
"You were in Caelin," stated Kent, "Asking after the marquess' health, if I remember correctly, you were employed as a serving girl at the time."
Elle cocked her head, "I was."
"Serving girls do not travel with missing persons," each word was crisp.
"True."
The knight's gaze narrowed, "And serving girls do not pickpocket knights. Who are you really?"
Adelle grinned, "Someone interested in Lyndis' fate who's got a habit of poking her nose where it doesn't belong," she pulled the small pouch she'd taken from Sain out of one of the small pouches that hung from her belt, dangling the tooled leather from her fingers, where it swung like a pendulum.
Kent tore his gaze from the bag, "Lady Lyndis?" he glanced over to were their two companions chatted, "You mean. . ."
Elle tossed the bag at Kent, who caught it, "Nice catch back there, most knights don't realize such a thing."
There was a slight pause, and the conversation in front of them exploded.
"Shouldn't that be, 'home to callow oafs with loose tongues?'" snapped Lyn, probably in response to something Sain had just said.
The emerald knight smiled wistfully, "You're even lovelier when you're cruel!"
Lyn spun on her heel, her long ponytail just avoiding whipping Sain's face.
"Wait, please! he called, and Elle smiled ruefully at Kent.
"I'll be looking forwards to seeing how you intend to save the situation," she inclined her head slightly as she flicked her hand along the hem of her skirt, a highly informal, even flippant, curtsy, "Good luck!" she joined Lyn, the sounds of Kent scolding his companion following them. The two of them found Samir waiting patiently were they'd left him. Lyn was silent with glowering the entire time they added the new purchases to the saddlebags. The horse seemed to pick up in her mood, taking a skittish approach to the process. Samir couldn't take a rider with the added weight, so the pair walked. Lyn stopped for a moment to adjust one of the saddlebags so it wouldn't rub as bad, when a sound of heavy footfalls came behind them, as if someone was carrying a heavy weight. A rude chuckle drifted from behind them, and they both stopped, along with the man in front of them.
"Aren't you the pretty one!"
Elle and Lyn whirled, to be faced with an uncouth man with a large scar running across one of his eyes at a harsh angle. He was scruffy-looking to be sure, and his appearance was not appreciated by either girl.
"Your name is Lyndis, is it not?"
Lyn paled slightly, "What did you call me?"
A grin, a sick one, stretched his face unpleasantly.
"Who are you?" Lyn's voice had risen a bit, and Elle's hand shifted towards her tome.
The man didn't chose to respond, instead, he swung his axe, (which Elle now recognized as the heavy weight) so the blunt end tapped his leg. He sighed, "Such a waste," he shook his head, "An absolute waste. The things I'll do for gold. . ." he hefted his axe, "Ah, well. Time to die, darlin'!"
The axe descended, and someone bellowed, "Dodge left!"
Lyn, without a hesitation, obeyed, rolling to the left as the axe met the moist earth. Her sword left it's sheath as she did so. Elle realized the genius of the move, the man led with his left foot, and his right side, (Lyn's left) was open, the wild swing leaving him exposed.
"Slash pass the right!"
Lyn did so again, and the villain, expecting her to go for his clearly open left, was caught surprised, he drew back, gasping with pain as he backed up slightly.
"C'mon out boys!" he yelled, retreating with speed.
Right on queue, a group of men, all bandits, sprang from hiding.
Elle backed against Samir, dreading what was coming. You only get caught once, her brother had warned, and you don't usually get the chance to get caught again.
"Lyn. . ." she whispered, even though she'd meant to talk normal, "Lyn. . .There's-"
"More then I can handle?" Lyn tossed her head, "No matter! I'll not give up!" she assumed a fighting stance, daring the group at large.
"Hey! There she is!"
This voice wasn't the commanding one, nor Elle's own, this one sounded like. . .
The knights! Elle gave a silent cheer as she unclipped her tome, readying herself. Kent led his companion, and another man, and they reigned up next to them. Sain kept going, cutting off the lead bandit with a flourish of his lance.
"Hold! You there! What is your business?"
The bandit sputtered something incomprehensible.
"Such numbers against a couple of girls?" Sain scoffed, "Cowards, every last one of you!"
"You!" exclaimed Lyn, staining at Kent, as the second man slid off from his saddle, "You're from-"
"We can discuss that later," said the crimson knight curtly, "It seems these ruffians mean to do you harm," he drew a sword, "If it's a fight they want, let them look to me!"
Lyn stomped her foot, "No!"
Elle looked at her like she was crazy, "What? Lyn, be-"
"Stay out of this Elle!" she tossed her head, "This is my fight!" she told the knight.
"Excuse me."
The group turned, distantly aware that Sain and the lead bandit had already begun to fight. The man who'd just dismounted was who'd spoken, his grey eyes hiding merriment at this ill-timed fight when they should be. . . fighting.
"My name is Mark, I'm a tactician by trade," he gestured to the field at large, "I was who shouted earlier."
Lyn nodded, "Thank you, truly."
Mark didn't seem to hear, in fact, Elle could already see gears turning, "This is my area of expertise, please, allow me to assist," he paused, "Assuming this is acceptable of course?"
Lyn jumped at the chance, "Yes, it is. You may lead Mark!" she raised her sword above her head, "Let's go!"
Mark smiled, then mounted again and tossed a sheathed weapon at Kent, "Here, I believe Sain will be needing this, I have yet to see him fight with anything but a lance."
"Accursed knights, always tampering in others' affairs," the cornered man spat out.
He was surrounded by the group, Adelle had her Drivsno tome out, her right hand extended towards him. Sain's lance covered the man from behind, and he waited to strike with a heroic-looking stance he and his mount shared that was impossible to duplicate. Kent had his sword drawn still, and was eyeing the bandit leader as one might a worm or a slug. Mark looked thoughtful, his hood long removed and his short, dark brown hair stood on end from all the times he'd run his hand though it in thought. Lyn panted slightly, every fiber of her being poised to strike at slightest notice. There was a slight rustle in the trees behind them, and Elle's head whipped up.
"Someone's in there," she said.
"What do you-" began Kent, before being cut off by a twang of a bow and the whiz of an arrow.
The group ducked, but the projectile wasn't intended for them. The deadly missile hit the bandit leader squarely in the back, and he gasped in pain.
"Blast. . ." he grimaced, "There was only. . . Supposed to be a lone. . .girl. . ." he fell forwards, lifeless.
The group exploded into motion, and before anyone could stop her, Elle was off. She plunged into the small forest that had been behind the bandit, her keen eyes whipping back and forth. The archer can't have gone that far, she thought, there wasn't enough time! An arrow whizzed by her head, and she turned quickly, just in time to see the archer's retreating back. She followed, but she wasn't fast enough, in fact, the black-haired man seemed to have almost inhuman speed and agility as he dipped under the low-handing branches and jumped over the underbrush too think to run through.
"Hold!" she shouted.
Did she expect him to stop? No, but sometimes you could get a slight hesitation with the right tone of voice. No such luck this time though, as the black haired man turned on the spot and vanished, leaving Elle with nothing to do but skid to a halt, tome raised as she surveyed where he'd disappeared.
"Blast! He's gone!" she slammed Drivsno shut, clipping it back onto her belt with perhaps a tad more force then necessary.
There was a slight crunch of dead overgrowth behind her, and she spin, ready to lash out at whoever it was. The object of her attack gave a feminine, high-pitched squeal of surprise, and Elle stopped her kick just before it made contact with Lyn's face.
"Sorry!"
Lyn took a deep breath, "It's fine," she looked about her, "Did you find him?"
The Ostian girl shook her head, "No, he's gone."
Lyn fidgeted, "Elle, you couldn't, well, could you help me talk to those knights? The green one makes me feel kind of funny."
Elle nodded, "Of course."
The two left the clearing, and as Lyn picked up her cheerful manner again, Adelle couldn't help but wonder, who'd wanted the bandit silenced? The question sent her mind whirling into overdrive. One thing was certain, this would not be the short journey she'd thought it would be.