It was a while before the unconscious bandit came to. Adam had given him quite the knock on the head. Dustin and Adam had already dispatched the bodies of the bandit’s fallen comrades. They didn’t bury them, just tossed them in a pile well past the edge of the clearing. Messengers were not equipped to bury people. The majority of incidents that required them to carry weapons were for fending of wild animals that were brave enough to attack.
Corcoran had been keeping an eye on the bandit while he was unconscious. He had a fire going to boil water from the stream which was a little bit further away from the road at this point. When the water finally came to a boil the two messengers emerged from the woods.
“Ah, there you are” Corcoran said.
“The bodies have been dispatched” Adam said. “I’m sure that some one will find them eventually. There was another path in forest that we passed, no doubt part of the bandit’s network.”
“And what are going to do about this one?” Dustin asked pointing at the unconscious man lying near the fire Corcoran had built.
“This one is going to lead us to what we are looking for” Adam said. He leaned over the bandit.
“And what is it you are looking for, sir?” Corcoran asked.
“Why do you want to know?” Adam snapped back.
There clearly was some tension between Adam and Corcoran. Dustin was just watching and he could feel the tension building between the two men. Corcoran had disappeared right before the attack, but he down played his magical abilities. Just how much did this man know about magic?
“You came into our camp yesterday” Adam started. Clearly the tension had to be cut. “Since then we have waited for you, slowed our pace for you and at the first sign of trouble you retreat into the woods. You claim you have some magical abilities but not that you are a wizard. Nobody has magical abilities other than Kartu.
“Have you been spying for Kartu?” Adam asked reaching for his blade.
Both men locked their eyes on each other. Corcoran was composed and Adam was ready to leap into action and bury his sword in the gullet of this man in front of him.
“There are many things from the past that I cannot reveal” Corcoran said. “You can kill me now if you think that would aid your quest; but at least hear what I have to say first.”
Adam did not want to hear what he had to say; Dustin could tell just by the look of anger on Adam’s face. Dustin moved towards Adam. He couldn’t quite understand why, but he felt like Corcoran would be of use to both him and Adam. They indeed needed to recruit the help of an assassin but this quarrelling would solve nothing.
“Adam” Dustin spoke up. “I think he can be of some use. I maybe new to the territories of the outer circle but if we are going into a den of thieves we are going to need all the help we can get.”
“You are probably right” Adam said backing off. “Let’s get as much as we can out of this bandit and see if he can lead us to his master.”
Corcoran had been keeping an eye on the bandit while he was unconscious. He had a fire going to boil water from the stream which was a little bit further away from the road at this point. When the water finally came to a boil the two messengers emerged from the woods.
“Ah, there you are” Corcoran said.
“The bodies have been dispatched” Adam said. “I’m sure that some one will find them eventually. There was another path in forest that we passed, no doubt part of the bandit’s network.”
“And what are going to do about this one?” Dustin asked pointing at the unconscious man lying near the fire Corcoran had built.
“This one is going to lead us to what we are looking for” Adam said. He leaned over the bandit.
“And what is it you are looking for, sir?” Corcoran asked.
“Why do you want to know?” Adam snapped back.
There clearly was some tension between Adam and Corcoran. Dustin was just watching and he could feel the tension building between the two men. Corcoran had disappeared right before the attack, but he down played his magical abilities. Just how much did this man know about magic?
“You came into our camp yesterday” Adam started. Clearly the tension had to be cut. “Since then we have waited for you, slowed our pace for you and at the first sign of trouble you retreat into the woods. You claim you have some magical abilities but not that you are a wizard. Nobody has magical abilities other than Kartu.
“Have you been spying for Kartu?” Adam asked reaching for his blade.
Both men locked their eyes on each other. Corcoran was composed and Adam was ready to leap into action and bury his sword in the gullet of this man in front of him.
“There are many things from the past that I cannot reveal” Corcoran said. “You can kill me now if you think that would aid your quest; but at least hear what I have to say first.”
Adam did not want to hear what he had to say; Dustin could tell just by the look of anger on Adam’s face. Dustin moved towards Adam. He couldn’t quite understand why, but he felt like Corcoran would be of use to both him and Adam. They indeed needed to recruit the help of an assassin but this quarrelling would solve nothing.
“Adam” Dustin spoke up. “I think he can be of some use. I maybe new to the territories of the outer circle but if we are going into a den of thieves we are going to need all the help we can get.”
“You are probably right” Adam said backing off. “Let’s get as much as we can out of this bandit and see if he can lead us to his master.”
Part 4 begins July 30th
Wow!! You have a real talent for writing! Will follow the rest of it with interest :)
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