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Bandit's Folly Chapter 7, Chronicle I By William Black "Will, who are they?" Morgana strained her eyes trying to peer out into the noon day brightness. The Druid knight reached out with his thoughts and felt... "Bandits!" He shouted as he raced back towards Willow to grab his sword and shield. Morgana joined him and took up her rapier. The bandits were soon upon them, six in number. They brought their horses to a halt just before the knight and his Lady. "Well, well." The leader, a big heavyset man with one eye missing, spoke in a deep baritone voice, "What is such a lovely couple doing a’way out here in the badlands? Don’t you know it is not safe to be out here alone? Demons, fairies, trolls, and God knows what else might attack you way out here, and leave your bones the only evidence of your passing!" At this the other men roared with laughter. William was without his surcoat, so the bandits had no idea who they were confronting. "I would advise you, kind Sir, to continue on your way without troubling yourself further about us. For you are quite right; you never know who you’ll meet out here." Morgana feigned an attitude of fear. "Will, please don’t let them hurt me. Give them what they deserve and let them be on their way." She trembled convincingly. One of the bandits dismounted and went towards her. "No Jackdoth. She is mine." The leader prodded his mount closer to Morgana. Will, for his part, stepped between her and the big man’s horse. "Beautiful mount." Will said placidly placing his hand gently on the horse’s soft nose. The Druid then sent a small shock into the startled beast, causing it to rear in pain and confusion. The big man screamed an oath as he fell heavily to the ground. This was the signal to Morgana, who sent bolts of flame racing at the four remained mounted men. They too fell of to the ground, yet were soon on their feet attempting to mount an attack. The man called Jackdoth, his sword drawn, was the first to reach Will. The Druid easily avoided the man’s sword thrusts. Will danced to his right, trying to close the distance between himself and Morgana, who was engaged with one of the other robbers. "Well, my love-what do we do? We are so out numbered!" Morgana laughed with delight as she did a quick whipping motion with her rapier, sending the bandit’s sword flying away from the shocked man. "Hmmmm, what do I do with you now? How about...," she sent a gust of wind into the man’s face, blinding him momentarily. When the fellow recovered it was not the Lady Morgana he faced, but a wood demon. Its mouth open to devour whatever part of him came within range. The man screamed in horror and fainted. The Druid knight shook his head in dismay. "Morgana, shame on you! That poor chap could have died from a heart attack." Will turned on Jackdoth who continued slashing away, "Do you want to suffer the same fate? No? Well, how about this?" William disappeared in a flash of light. Jackdoth looked around in confusion. So did the other men who had not yet joined the attack. Just then a dove landed on the astonished bandit’s head. "Nice place for..." Jackdoth cursed in disgust, shaking his head and trying to wipe his hair clean with his hand. "You, my friend, have no sense of humour!" William patted the dismayed thief on the back affectionately, then knocked him out with a swift punch to the jaw. The leader of the bandits hollered in rage, "Enough, wizard! Or your Lady dies." William glanced over to the big man as the remaining bandits, bows poised to shoot, pointed their arrows menacingly at Morgana. The Lady just shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. "You will tell me who you are, or I will command my men to shoot her through the heart. I guarantee they won’t miss. What I do with her then, you will have to sit and watch!" The big man’s voice was now a venomous hiss. Morgana looked deep into the bandit leader’s eyes. "Don’t you know who you are fighting? Haven’t you ever heard of the ‘Druid knight’?" William’s eyes flared with annoyance at Morgana. "Hmmmm. I'm honoured. Your ugly head will bring a hefty reward. I won’t have to be a... collector of other people’s goods anymore. But then, I don’t think I can give this life up either. It is just too much fun." The man laughed wickedly as he approached Morgana with lechery in his eyes. "As for you my pretty..." "Who put a price tag on my head?" William stepped between the big man and Morgana, his curiosity aroused. "None of your stinking business. But let’s just say you are as good as dead. Now move aside." "Do you know that you are as stupid as you are fat?" Will began to laugh joyously. The big man’s face turned livid and his hand swept down to strike the Druid. But Will ducked and let the blow pass harmlessly overhead. "Wait, my friend... look!" The big man looked around. His henchmen were all flat on the ground out cold. "That’s it!" The robber’s sword flashed wickedly in the sunlight. Will parried and feinted, working his way around his adversary with skill and nimbleness. For every thrust of the lumbering man, Will parried and struck back. Morgana sat herself on the ground and looked purposely bored. Then Jackdoth regained consciousness. Disoriented as he was, he could just make out the swordplay between his boss and the knight. He fumbled with his throwing knife and in a dazed effort threw it at the knight’s back. Will sensed the blade’s flight and dodged just in time. The knife buried itself deep into the startled bandit’s chest. He sank to his knees, grasping desperately at the knife as his life drained away. He looked pleadingly at the Druid, "Help me!" But even the skills of the knight could not mend the damage done to the old thief. The bandit slump forward in death and lay still. Jackdoth stood where he was for a moment, then filled with madness and guilt, made his way to one of the mounts. He climbed on, looked with wild eyes at Will and Morgana, then muttering incoherently, spurred his horse onto the plain. He was out of sight before Morgana rose up to stand with the Druid knight. Will looked at her, then at the remaining bandits who were still unconscious. He sent druid lightning at the remaining horses. They bolted in panic out onto the open plain. Morgana gave him a swift smack across the arm. "What did you do that for, you maniac? I could have used one of those!" Will looked at her with a hurt expression. "I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about keeping one for you. I was just trying to prevent those idiots from having too easy of a time getting back to civilisation." Will glanced away and walked to where Willow stood. He mounted her and nudged his steed close to Morgana. "Morgana, let’s be going." With that he helped her up to her place behind him, then spurred Willow forward towards Morion’s realm. William Black © Continues... Chronicle I, Main page |