The Legends of Kayshall  Chapter-4 (First Blood)

The Legends of Kayshall Chapter-4 (First Blood)

A Chapter by Bruce Grimes
"

All great fires start with a simple spark even one as great as war. Quote: King Raylanty Larson

"

                                            Chapter-4

All great fires start with a simple spark even one as great as war.

Quote: King Raylanty Larson     

                                          First Blood               

                                  (The Port City of Rican)

  The room was quiet except for the occasional shifting noise that the skeleton made as it moved slightly as it stood watched over its sleeping master. Bang, bang, bang, came a hammering as someone beat on the door.

  “What the nine Hells, is so damned important that you're willing to risk your own head to wake me up?” Eldrick spat as he threw off his blankets and rolled out of bed.

  As he started heading for the door the skeleton stepped in front of him; blocking his way. “Sirrrr wouldn’t it be wise to inquire who that is, Sir.” The skeleton asks.

  “Get out of my way.  I already know who it is; there's only one man who has the courage to disturb in this fashion,” Eldrick said as he shoved the skeleton out of his way. Opening the door he sees Sir Bolandurus standing there with his hand in mid-swing about to start banging on the door again.

  “Good morning Eldrick; please tell me I'm disturbing you,” Sir Bolandurus said as a smile ran across his face.

  Eldrick glared at him.  “You are and you better have something to report,” he said as he turned and went back into the room.

  “Good then my days improved already. I see you have a new toy,” Bolandurus said as he stopped and looked at the silver skeleton. “But yes I have a report. Arch Lord Jedack has moved a large force up from the south and is moving into position to attack Valley Point as we speak,” Sir Bolandurus said as he started to pour himself a glass of wine.

 “Try the red I think you’ll find it more to your liking,” Eldrick said and Bolandurus put down the one pitcher and picked up the other. “How did Jedack get a force that big across the Pedrick without being noticed?” Eldrick ask as he sat down.

  “Well he used our ships to land on the south side of the Demon Swamp; from there they made their way north along the Pedrick Mountains until they were ready to turn west. But that’s only part of it, a small group of Reken’s found what they think is a Drydet Crystal. Arch Lord Jedack has sent it here for you to study. It should be arriving within the next week or two,” Sir Bolandurus said as he drank some of his wine.

  “So Jedack has discovered one of the lost Drydet Crystals and he’s sending it here you say. This is excellent. With the Drydet Crystal’s ability to tap into the underworld; I can raise an undead army at speed; and with the control orbs they can be given their orders and sent new orders if needed. The Drydet Crystal will also make it to where any enemy that falls in battle can be raised to fight for us. Yes this is going to work out nicely; you have done well Bolandurus. You should be rewarded, here take this,” Eldrick said as he pointed at the skeleton causing Sir Bolandurus to choke on the wind he was drinking. “He will serve you well and follow your commands now go I have much to do. You go with Sir Bolandurus and follow his commands you are his now,” Eldrick said as he walked over to a book shelf and started searching through them.

  “Now wait just a minute, Eldrick just what am I supposed to do with this" thing?” Bolandurus ask with a look of shock on his face.

  “I don’t care what you do with it. It is yours now to do with it as you wish. It is heavily armored and capable of combat so it should be quite useful in a fight. Not to mention that it will to follow most any command you give it, so put it to good use,” Eldrick said as he smiled and pulled a large tome from the shelf. Bolandurus turned and left the room with the skeleton following him into the hallway.

  “So can you speak?!” Bolandurus ask as he felt the anger starting to overwhelm him.

  “Yesss master I can speak,” The Skeleton said in a hissing voice.

  “So what are you called?” Bolandurus asks as he stopped at the head of the stairs to physically calm himself before going down to the ground floor.

  “Master Eldrick never gave me a name,” the skeleton replied, its voice hissing like a snake. At hearing this Bolandurus stopped at the front door and took a long look at it.

  “I think I’ll call you Skinny,” Bolandurus said with a slight smirk as he looked at the skeleton, opened the door he walked out into the streets of Rican. 

 

                   (Ruins of Keep Morran)

   About mid afternoon, one of the men on watch spotted a large force riding towards the ruins. The men gathered their equipment and quickly moved into the nearby woods. After a few minutes of nervous waiting, a small group of heavily armored elves rode into the campsite and started looking around. Kallander watched the men for a long moment trying to determine who they were; that he noticed the emblem of the King, the Lion claw on the barding of one of the horses. Motioning for the others to stay put; Kallander slowly stood up and walked out of the woods.

  Seeing him one of the men rode over towards Kallander. “You there, are you part of the detachment that is supposed to meet King Raylanty here?” The Kings men ask as he rode up and looked down at him and then glanced around the area as if he were searching for something.

  Kallander looked up at the man; still just not quite sure about him, then he spotted the arm patch of the Royal guard on the man sleeve. “Yes there are eleven of us between the two groups,” Kallander said as he glanced back towards woods.

  At hearing this, a disgruntled look passed over the man's face. “Eleven you say; that is too bad. Gather your men together and bring them out to the road; King Raylanty will want to see you,” The Kings men said, then he turned and rode back to the other riders and they all turned and left.

  Kallander went back gathered his gear and they all rode out to the road together. Forming a line next to the road with Kallander sitting just in front; they waited for the King. A few minutes later King Raylanty and his staff rode into view at the head of a long column of what appeared to be thousands of troops. Kallander looked on in amazement; for he had only ever heard of such things from the story that his father told him as child.

  Dimez moved his horse forward and pointed towards the King and the rider to his left. “Isn't that the master trainer from the other day?” Dimez ask as he looked at the man.

  Kallander looked at him with a slight bit of amazement. “Yes I believe it is,” Kallander said as he shifted in his saddle.

  King Raylanty rode his horse slowly along the short row of man; taking a long hard look at each one of them, almost as if he were trying to memorize their faces as he stopped his horse off to one side. He seemed to have a very sad look about him for someone of such great power and importance.

  The other commanders looked at Kallander for a moment. “Which towns are you from?” He asked as he sat there looking at the man.

  “We're from the towns of Feg and Cain, Sir,” Kallander said as he shifted in his saddle. The commander looked worriedly at King and the other man with him.

  “Have you heard anything from the towns of Fleat or Krran?” The commander asked as he shifted in his saddle.

  “No Sir, we’ve been here for three days and there's been no sign of any others,” Kallander said as he shifted nervously in his saddle; the commander took a breath as he sighed shaking his head.

  “Okay you fall in behind this first column,” The commander said to Kallander. “The rest of you fall in the rear the main column,” he said as he turned and rode back over to where King Raylanty waited. Kallander and the other man started turning their horses to go where the commander told them; he could still see King Raylanty as one commander sat next to him talking. Then suddenly the king seem to get very upset; turning his horse he rode over to where Kallander was, stopped and stared at him for a long moment, then he turned and rode back to the front of the column. The Kings commanders sat off to one side not quite knowing what to think of this and then they went and joined him.

  The column traveled for the rest of the day and for the next nine on the long and dusty road. The constant beating the war drums kept the Army at an even pace; stopping only to feed and water the horses and make camp at night.

  At one of the feeding stops one of the older Commanders walked up to Kallander and looked him up and down. “You got a good-looking gray there,” The old commander said with a smile.

  Kallander smiled and patted Gossamer on the neck. “Yes he's one of my oldest and dearest friends,” Kallander said as he fed Gossipers some grain.

  The commander just grinned. “We'll just make sure you take good care of him; because in times like these you never know where your next meal might come from,” The commander said as he patted Kallander on the shoulder and turned and walked away. Kallander just looked at him with disgust at the thought of eating Gossamer.

  On the tenth day the column arrived at the main Rovers camp; King Raylanty's commanders went ridding back down the columns and started giving out orders to various groups. The Royal guard’s men were told to keep moving forward till they came to the command tent and wait there. It had taken this small Army of only about two thousand men ten days to move what should've only taken four; and now it was joining with a much larger force at the main camp. Kallander wondered how the Army would ever move at speed at this rate.

  Kallander and the others had never seen so much activity or so many people in one place before. He noticed that there were all sorts of Smithies with traveling forges hard at work making everything from wagon wheels to arrowheads. As the column rode through the camp the youngling could also see men of all shapes and sizes as well as all races they could think of. There were all the races of elves even a darkling was seen and some of the Savage planes drifters as well. They saw some of the wee folk of the North as well as some of the gnome warriors of the Coldsper Mountain. There were a large amount of dwarfs there and even a human scattered about; all of whom were working side by side with each other. Then the members of the column saw something that none of them quite new what to think of. It was something out of Legends; that they had only heard about in bedtime stories when they were children. And now they were standing face to face with their bedtime story. It stood about eight feet tall and had the body of a human mail and the head of a Brahma bull; its yellowish white horns extended another foot above his head. He carried a huge War Axe over his right shoulder. The younglings just stared at the legendary creature in wonder as it looked back and started to laugh as they passed. Not quite knowing what to think of what they had just seen the younglings rode on with a look of wonder on their faces. The column finely reached the command tent, Kallander and about five others dismounted and waited outside till they were called in to give their reports. Finely a youngling came out and told them to come in and give their reports to the officer inside. When Kallander’s turn came he told the officer about the large dog like creature and the officer became very interested. He told Kallander that the creatures were called Craggs and he was lucky he only lost one member of his group, and then he was given his new unit assignment and sent on his way. He had been assigned to the first command unit of the Eighty-Seventh Rover Battalion. Kallander found his new unit a short time later and was assigned to a tent. Over the next three days there was a deluge coming down and the unit practiced anyway. The Commander said that the war wouldn’t wait on the weather and neither will the enemy. As time went by the younglings in the new unit started getting to know each other and found that they were all Rovers at the top of their class and most were either the sons of Barons or Dukes.

 

                             (King Raylanty’s Camp)   

 There wasn’t much to do around camp so Kallander spent a lot of his time practicing with his sword and new bow at the drilling area; it passed the time and he needed the extra practice. Lots of the other younglings did the same, as they seemed to need the practice also. On one of these days Kallander was out by the edge of camp practicing with his bow when he heard someone walking up behind him.

   “Do you mind if I join you; I could use some practice myself,” Kallander turned with his bow drawn fully startled by the sound of the voice to see King Raylanty standing there with his long bow. “Easy there, Kallander BloodRaven isn’t it. It wouldn’t do for you to shoot your King, not even by accident,” King Raylanty said with a slight smile as Kallander lowered his bow. “Like I was saying I would like to practice with you, if you don’t mind,” King Raylanty said as he held up a long bow that had ancient elven ruins carved into it. Kallander also noticed that there were two of the Kings Royal Guards standing about ten feet behind him.

   “No my Lord I don’t mind at all; please do,” Kallander said with a slight stammer to his voice as he kneeled.

  King Raylanty waved his hand for him to rise.  “You are the son of Master Archer BloodRaven are you not?” He asks as he was stringing his bow.  

   “Yes sir I am Kallander BloodRaven. Sir if you don’t mind my asking how it is that you know my father,” Kallander ask with amazement in his voice that the King would know who he was.

   “Well your father is a Baron in my court to start with and we fought side by side at Bendel Pass in the last war. I was there the day that the great red dragon came down on the wall. There was your grandfather, your four uncles and your father and myself. The fight was horrendous, a flurry of sword swings and lighting and cold blast and finely it fell, but so had four of us. By the end of the fight there was only your father and grandfather still standing, all four of you uncles had been killed and I would have died if not for your father. It was a terrible day and a great victory all at the same time. They are all entombed there at Bendel Pass with honor and there is a place for your grandfather and father there as well. So they will always be remembered, for what they did that day,” King Raylanty said as he stepped up to take a look at the target. “Then I'm sure you've heard that story a thousand times throughout your childhood,” King Raylanty said as he pulled an arrow from his quiver.

  “No, actually this the first time my father and grandfather never talk about the war. They always say there are some things that are better left in the past,” Kallander said as he readied himself to take a shot.

   “Did your father give you those red fletched arrows I see there? If they’re the ones I gave to him so many years ago, you will find them to be real handy to have in the coming days. Well youngling we know how good you think you are so let’s see just how good you really are with that thing,” King Raylanty said with a big smile. Kallander and the King spent the rest of the day shooting targets and talking. The King told him that he spent part of one day each week shooting, so he might see him again.

   The next day Kallander was assigned to a guard post about twenty feet from the command tent. On that particular day the King was standing in front of the command tent just as Kallander walked up to take his place on guard. The King noticed this and turned to one of his bodyguards for a moment and then the guard turned and walked away. A few minutes later he returned and when King Raylanty was done with what he was doing the guard handed him something. King Raylanty looked at it and then walked over to where Kallander was standing and stopped in front of him.`

  “Say Kallander I noticed that you were having to pull a little hard on your string when we were shooting yesterday. That could be why you’re bow was shooting a little to the left; so I have a different string for you and I think it will help,” King Raylanty said as

he handed him a bowstring and walked      on.           

“Thank you Sire,” Kallander said as he looked at the bowstring; it glowed with a light blue hue.

   As the sun started rising up over the Pedrick Mountains, Kallander pushed himself up from his bedroll with a grown and watched once more as the sun burst through Bendel Pass with a sudden flood of light as he got up and started getting ready to go take his post. Kallander had been posted by the Kings tent for two weeks now. The days had been long, hot and very boring; because all he had to do all day was stand around watching lots of messengers coming and going and he had no reason to think this day would be any different. Kallander watched the messengers coming and going for most of the day, when one of the other guards walked over to him and pointed to a small group of robed men that were riding towards the Command tent.

   “Who do you think they are?” The guard asked as he watched them closely.

   “I’m not sure; there not messengers of the Kings army that’s for sure. From the way there dressed they look like they could be priest of some sort,” Kallander said as he watched the group of riders move slowly towards the command tent.

   “I don’t like this; I’m going to find out just who they are,” The guard said. “Ok I’ll get the King,” Kallander said as they walked over to the tent. The guard talked to the two guards in front of the command tent as Kallander went inside only to see King Raylanty talking to two men; he noticed Kallander and motioned for him to come over to him. “What is it Kallander?” King Raylanty asks as he turned to look at him. “My King I think there’s something out here that you should see,” Kallander said as he pointed out side.

   The three guards had started walking towards the group of robed men just as Kallander and the King stepped out of the tent. Then suddenly one of the robed men threw up his hands and shouted something. As he did his hands where encompassed by a blue energy as a ball of flame shot out from his hands straight into the command tent. Kallander saw the ball of flame rushing towards the King and he grabbed him, pushing him to the ground and covering him. The tent exploded in a huge ball of brilliant red flame and the heat wave was so intense that the three guards in front of the tent erupted into flame. The small group of men turned and started riding hard, trying to get out of camp.  A nearby guard managed to get off two shots; killing one of them and badly wounding another and he sounded the alarm.   

   King Raylanty got to his feet and stumbled out of the flames and fell to one knee. Kallander got up and rushed over to him and helped him back to his feet. Then the King placed one hand on Kallander’s shoulder and stood himself up straight and started shouting orders; men and elves alike started jumping at the sight of their King still standing after the attack. Two healers ran over to him; one stripped off his armor and the other smeared some kind of salve on his wounds. Men started removing the bodies from in and around where the command tent had been. One of the healers checked Kallander for burns but found that he had none. In all there had been thirty one men and elves that had been taken out of action by this attack and twenty-six of who were either dead or dying. King Raylanty never missed a beat though; the healers had him stripped to the waist tending his burns as he stood there for almost an hour giving orders and just making sure that as many of the men as possible saw him. King Raylanty had the camp back up and running within the hour with the guards around camp being doubled and every one; no matter who they were got checked thoroughly at several check points in the camp. The next day one of the guards arrived at Kallander’s tent and told him that the King wanted to see him in the command tent. He arrived at the command tent a short time later and the guard sent him on in.

  “Kallander, good you’re here. I just wanted to thank you for saving me yesterday, if it hadn’t been for you I would have been killed along with everyone else that was in the tent. I see that you came through it pretty much without a scratch.” King Raylanty said as he walked over to him and looked him over to see how he was doing.

  “Yes sir; I’m not sure why I didn’t get burned from the fire ball, I felt the heat from it but it didn’t burn,” Kallander said as he looked at his unburned arms in wonder.

  “That armored shirt you’re wearing, where did you get that?” King Raylanty asks as he looked at the Bronze Chain shirt that Kallander was wearing under his Rover uniform.

  “Well my Grand Pappy gave it to me,” Kallander said as he looked down at his armor.

“Yes I have seen this armor before. Your grandfather wore it when he fought at Bendel Pass so many years ago. He was wearing it the day the seven of us faced off with the Great Red Dragon, when the dragon breathed its fire breath down on us it killed your four uncles and wounded me. Then your father and grandfather finished killing the dragon using the Ruby Bladed Sword of mine. Your grandfather was protected from the dragon breath just like you were with the fire ball, that armor has a very strong protection from fire enchantment on it. "Yes I remember that armor well,” King Raylanty said as a far off look came over his face.

  In the fallowing day’s camp life returned to normal but the fear of attack was ever present so everyone was on their guard. It had been three weeks sense the attack and finely their commanders gave the order to break camp and prepare to move out. The word came down through the ranks that they were headed for the City of Valley Point.

 

                    (The City of Valley Point)

   The night before the army moved out a storm blew in and a dense and dismal rain began to soak the countryside and continued to do so for days. The spirit of the army started to sink with each passing day as the men struggled with the march as they tried to move wagons and horses through shin deep mud. Finely after six days of the cold rain the storm subsided and the sun started trying to peak out from behind the clouds. This helped some and about three days later the army finely arrived at the City of Valley Point. It was a large walled in city that looked more like a fortress then a city. This was the largest place that many of the younglings of the Colowe Forest had ever seen. As the army approached the city they could see large pillars of smoke coming up from the far end of the city. The wall was eighty feet tall and the towers were around a hundred. The fortress itself was three miles long and a half a mile wide. As the army entered the fortress they could see that the wall was around thirty feet thick. Kallander saw a man meet King Raylanty at the gate and then they rode off to one side, again it looked a lot like that master trainer he had face back at the training camp. The army moved slowly as they moved through the massive city fortress, but the commanders and the army finely arrived at the south end of the fortress of Valley Point. As the army traveled through the city the younglings noticed that the city seemed to be busy; its shops seemed to be doing a thriving business and people of all races where hurrying every which way. However when they got to the other side of the city; it was a whole different story. As was suspected from the smoke there was a major battle going on at this end of the city. Bellowing smoke filled the air making it hard for the younglings to breath and causing their eyes to burn as they past several flaming buildings; the unit commanders stopped them next to the wall.

   “Now listen close your lives depend on it. When you get to the top of the stairs; go down the wall to where the wall commanders tell you and get up against the parapet as quickly as you can,” One of the unit commanders was saying when suddenly someone on the wall yelled down. “In coming; take cover,” Just as a large stone slammed into the building next to the younglings; they scattered diving for cover to get out of the way of falling rubble. The unit commander rushed around checking the younglings to make sure they were all right.  

   “Ok, you’re not broken or bleeding so get up and on that wall now!” The commander yelled as he grabbed some of the younglings and pushed them towards the stairs before the fear of battle could get a grip. When the younglings reached the top; another  commander directed them down the battlement. As they moved down the battlement an arrow flew over the wall hitting the man in front of Kallander in the chest and sending him flying off the wall to the street below, Kallander just stood and stared at him laying down there. “He’s gone and unless you want to join him, keep moving,” One of the unit commanders said as he gave Kallander a shove.

 Finally they were told to get up against the parapet and keep their heads down. When Kallander finely looked over the wall he could see an army of tens of thousands and they appeared to be building around twenty massive siege towers that stood about twenty to thirty feet taller than the wall. They had trebuchets that were firing into the city and it looked as if they were moving ballista’s into place on the battle field as well. The trebuchets and the ballista’s were all well out of range of the archers on the wall but the siege towers where within arrow range so the men and elves on the wall did their best to make life miserable for the men building them. It seemed to have little effect; except maybe to slow them down some. The next day the ballista’s where in place and they started firing flaming spears over the wall and they were sticking into the sides and rooftops of buildings and setting the city aflame. The trebuchets were throwing massive stones into and over the wall, which were having a drastic effect on the city. Some of these stones where hitting the top of the wall hard enough to break away large chunks of the parapet and because of this; the men on the wall were being killed at an alarming rate. In four days there had been two unit commanders and one sergeant killed. But this was the least of their worries. The Rock Trolls that had been building the siege towers had finished them and started moving them into place and by the end of the next day the towers were next to the wall. The towers where covered with green hides; so they wouldn’t catch fire easily. The towers themselves stood a good twenty-five feet higher than the wall and they had twin ballistae set a top of them to fire down on the wall. Then suddenly the attack was called off; Kallander stood there looking down at the Arch Mages' army for a long moment; then he sat down and watched the sun setting behind the Coldsper Mountains. 

                              (The Ruins of Uton)

  Off to the west of the legendary Ruins of Uton, Shamonah slowly approached the eastern edge of the once great city. She stopped and looked at what was left and tried to remember what it had looked like before the great battle had taken place. The once grand city with its brick streets and countless parks was now starting to turn into small forest and vines and plants were growing up and taking over the ruins. There were strange and wondrous creatures wandering about the ruins. Shamonah made her way through the ruined city till she came to a small wooded area. Then she followed a small over grown path; Ruby’s hooves cracked and scraped their way throw the dirt and dead leave’s on to the once beautiful stone walkway. After a short time the pathway opened up into a small clearing as a fresh breeze started picking up causing her long black hair to flap around her face. Shamonah ran her hand along it pushing the hair from her face as she scanned over the small clearing. She could see the once beautiful garden and the fountain that stood in the center; the garden is now grown over and the fountain is no longer flowing with water but is full of green scum instead. As she looked around she could see what was once a beautiful little house that was well tended and loved. The house that is now in ruins and over grown with vines and other plants. Her eyes started to water as she looked around the clearing as she dismounted her horse and started to walk around the ruins of the house. As Shamonah rounded the corner of the ruins and walked towards the back of the clearing. Approaching the edge of the clearing there were three vine covered mounds that came into view. She walked up and knelt down in front of them and held up the hilt of her sword and bowed her head and prayed for hours. At about sunset she built a small campfire and cooked some food and then she lay down and went to sleep. After a day of cleaning up the grave sights Shamonah set out ridding to the east. About two days later Shamonah’s horse topped a small hill and she turned her aside. Shamonah could see The City of Valley Point off in the distance; she could also see large pillars of smoke rising up from the southern end where an army was attacking the city fortress.

   “Well it looks as if Martex has visitors and they aren’t very friendly,” Shamonah said to herself as she got down from the roan and started making camp. Shamonah watched the smoke rise from the city as the sun was setting behind the Coldsper Mountains and wondered if she had arrived in time.

 

 

 

                             (On the Krerry Costal Road)  

      The morning after Shamonah had been there a storm rolled in off of the Metheal Ocean hitting the city of Krerry and keeping Croesus from leaving for almost a week. These types of storms were common for this time of year and didn’t last long but this one had taken a toll on the city; ripping the roofs off of many of the houses in Krerry. But now the storm had lifted and Croesus packed his gear as he prepared to start tracking down this Sir Bolandurus and his master. After having been stuck in the small one room house for close to a week it was nice to get outside and breathe the salt air again. On the way out of town he stopped at the Constables office and picked up any wanted posters he had there. One in particular caught his attention; it simply stated Wanted Dead Shamonah Siyling for the Murder and Attempted Murder of members of the high Council of Twelve. Proof must be provided in the form of her sword at which time a reward of ten thousand gold chings will be paid by the Arch-Mages' council.

  As he left the city he turned down towards the coast where the sea cliffs were, when he reached them he took two bags from his saddle bags and walked down a narrow path to where there was a small cave just barely big enough to crawl into. Once inside he lit a candle, the cave opened up a little but not enough to stand and at the back there was a pile of dirt and sand with a ring of smooth stones around it. He began to dig in the dirt and sand until he finely found a small chest that was hidden in it, using the key he had he opened it and placed the two bags in it. Then he covered the chest backup and left the cave. His big black horse was waiting for him by the road, as he mounted up he could see smoke from what appeared to be camp fires off in the distance by the sea cliffs.

  “Well Riddle my old friend, it looks like we may have some bandit trouble up ahead,” Croesus said as he removed his long sword from his saddle pack and slid it in the saddle scabbard. “I wonder just how long it will be before some of them are stupid enough to try to demand a toll from us. What do you give it one day two at the most? I can see it now; that Witch has sent us on a grand adventure. The bad part is, I don’t think we will live through it my old friend, but let’s get started anyway,” Croesus said as he mounted Riddle and started riding north.

  After traveling for the better part of the day he was finely approaching the Cedar Creek Bridge, which is well known as a bandit hang out. It was said that when one of the Arch Mages army’s moved south recently they cleaned the bandits out of this area, but there like roaches they keep coming back. There only seemed to be one campfire from what Croesus could tell. Croesus drew his sword and slid down from the saddle, patting Riddle on the neck “Stay here boy, I’m going to check it out,” he said as he moved towards the head of the bridge. As Croesus moved closer a man armed with a war spear and wearing chain-mail emerged from the underbrush beside the bridge, he looked to be a former soldier and possibly even a deserter.

  “You will pay me a toll of fifty gold chings to cross the bridge or die,” he said as he brandished the spear at Croesus. Croesus looked at him for a moment as he assessed the situation.

  “Ok I will pay you bandit, but only because I have no time to be messing around with you,” Croesus said as he stuck his sword in the ground and pulled out a small pouch and started walking up to the bandit to give it to him.

  “You are a smart man, it is better to pay then to die,” The bandit said as he reached out to take the pouch.

  “And you are a stupid man you should never let your enemy get within arm’s length of you if you wish to live,” Croesus said as he dropped the pouch of gold chings and grabbed the bandits arm pulling him close, stabbing him in the heart with a dagger from his belt. The bandit stood there with a shocked look on his face for a moment and then fell to the ground. After checking his papers and finding no matches Croesus collected the armor and weapons and what little chings the bandit had and continued riding north. 



© 2013 Bruce Grimes


Author's Note

Bruce Grimes
tell them what you think about it guys it's; hard for me to fix what I don't knows broken

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There's not much wrong with this chapter other then the spelling this is a great chapter I love it keep it up

Posted 12 Years Ago


Yay!!!!!!!!!

This is wonderful!

Posted 12 Years Ago



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Added on December 15, 2011
Last Updated on March 26, 2013


Author

Bruce Grimes
Bruce Grimes

Hastings, MN



About
I had a rather unique childhood to say the least. This and the firm belief that I had a angel watching over me; made it to where I lead a rather eccentric young life. It also contributed greatly to my.. more..

Writing