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Raedwald blanches as Bran cries to him that Edward has fallen.
God's blood! These villains dared to take down one of our own? They will pay for that, I swear!"
Raedwald spurs Gullfaxi after Bran and Blaidd, eager to keep up with them and maybe kill more bandits than his horse had.
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Seeing Bran and Blaidd going in persuit of the escaping archers. Sion turns his attention to the two injured bandits hiding in the wheat field. He rides Pwyll back to where they entered the field and reluctantly begins to push into the wheat.
You're injured and trapped. Some of your friends are dead, others may yet die. Unless you want to join them come out of the field and surrender! He calls to the two bandits.
"Sion, don't let those two get away! Raedwald and I can handle these three!" Bran shouts to his fellow squire, pointing to two of the fleeing brigands (#11 and 12). He continues to gallop forward into the wheat field. Blaidd runs at the horse's heels, ready to tear more man flesh with his slavering bloody jaws.
Raedwald blanches as Bran cries to him that Edward has fallen. ”God's blood! These villains dared to take down one of our own? They will pay for that, I swear!” Raedwald spurs Gullfaxi after Bran and Blaidd, eager to keep up with them and maybe kill more bandits than his horse had.
Seeing Bran and Blaidd going in persuit of the escaping archers. Sion turns his attention to the two injured bandits hiding in the wheat field. He rides Pwyll back to where they entered the field and reluctantly begins to push into the wheat. ”You're injured and trapped. Some of your friends are dead, others may yet die. Unless you want to join them come out of the field and surrender!” He calls to the two bandits.
The three archers hustle through the wheat, over the fence, and scatter like crows.
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Edward bleeds.
The injured bandits (#11 and 12) moan and reply to Sion, ”Just don’t kill us.”
"Stop now, throw down your weapons and lay on the ground to be arrested and face justice! If you do not, you will be ridden down and butchered like swine!" Bran threatens after riding forward to cut off the bandits' escape.
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I will not kill you if you come out of the field and lay down your arms immediately. If I have to come in after you I will kill you. Sion shouts at the bandits hiding in the field. I won't kill you but I may see you hang Sion thinks to himself.
"THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AND GET ON YOUR KNEES! OR WE WILL RUN YOU DOWN LIKE DOGS! GRIND YOU BETWEEN ROCK AND STONE!" Raedwald screams after the bandits as he rides forward. His temper is rising as the reality that Edward may be dying sinks in.
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"Stop now, throw down your weapons and lay on the ground to be arrested and face justice! If you do not, you will be ridden down and butchered like swine!" Bran threatens after riding forward to cut off the bandits' escape.
"I will not kill you if you come out of the field and lay down your arms immediately. If I have to come in after you I will kill you.” Sion shouts at the bandits hiding in the field. I won't kill you but I may see you hang Sion thinks to himself.
"THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS AND GET ON YOUR KNEES! OR WE WILL RUN YOU DOWN LIKE DOGS! GRIND YOU BETWEEN ROCK AND STONE!" Raedwald screams after the bandits as he rides forward. His temper is rising as the reality that Edward may be dying sinks in.
Seeing Bran and Blaidd so close and hearing Raewald, two archers throw down there bows and raise their hands. The third archer takes off running.
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Edward is severely wounded and unconscious.
The injured bandits (#11 and 12) moan and repeat to Sion, ”Just don’t kill us.” They stand up and start to walk out. One (12) of them collapses in the field from his wounds
With the battle over Sion's injuries start make themselves known. He has to break the arrow that wet through his sheild to remove it from his arm. He enlists the manor's residents to help him bind his injury and deal with the prisoners. The unconscious bandits are carried back to the cluster of cottages and laid out with the dead ones. All the surviving badits are searched and bound hand and foot. Someone is sent to fetch the lord of the manor or his steward.
Sion takes the injured bandit that is still consious out of earshot of the other bandits.
You are in a great deal of trouble friend he says shaking his head sadly. This manors lord is going to come and pass judgement on you. you could loose your hand or you could be hung. It would help your cause a great deal if you would tell us where the three that escaped us went. If you tell me thier names and exactly where they went I will do my best to convince the lord of the manor to spare your life.
Bran immediately rides over to Edward, and dismounting tries to help him as best he can. Unfortunately, Bran has no idea what he's doing. "Ah! He's bleeding too much. Someone come help me with Edward, he's dying!" he shouts to the other squires, hoping one of them has slightly more experience with battlefield aid than him.
Raedwald rides over to Bran and Edward. He leaps down from Gullfaxi and attempts to help Bran stanch Edward's bleeding. He's starting to panic.
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Sion looks around for someone to fetch the lord or the steward but finds no one. Maybe the farmers ran away a minute ago.
The injured bandit replies, "Yeah. Anything to save me. We have a camp about four hours from here."
Edward proves alive but severely wounded and unconscious. He's lost an extreme amount of blood.
The pain from his injured arm is making Sion cross but he does his best to keep his temper in check. He returns the injured bandit to the company of his fellows. He grabs on of the unharmed bandits that he recognized for the fight by the hair and drags the man out of earshot of the others.
Once out of hearing of the others he draws his sword and lays it at the bandits throat. Now cur, I am giving you one chance. Tell me where those of you that escaped have gone or I will cut your head from your shoulders.
The bandit grits his teeth at the pain and the threat and remains silent.
Your a brave man. Sion says to the bandit. I admire that. I really do, but I told you what would happen if you didn't tell me what I want to know. Sion pushes the bound man face down in the dirt and steps on the back of his neck. He raises his sword in the air.
I am a merciful merciful man. I would have tried to help you keep your lives, and your hands if you had surrendered when I gave you the chance. But you fought againsts me, and injured one of my companions. I will give you one. . . more. . . chance. Tell me where those that escaped have run off too, or die. He growls at the helpless bandit.
The bandit squeaks and sputters. "Our camp. Our camp."
After you release the pressure on his neck, he continues, "About four hours from here in the Blakemoor."
Sion sheaths his sword and returns the bandit to his fellows. Then goes over to where Bran and Raedwald are tending to Edward. How is he? he asks.
What are we going to do with these men? I tried to find someone to send for the Lord or his Steward but they all seem to have fled.
Raedwald breathes a sigh of relief as he's able to diagnose Edward's condition.
"He's lost a lot of blood, but he'll live, I think. He's alive, but unconscious. Bran, can you check to see if the farmers here are about? We need to get Edward a bed to rest in or something. I'll stay and do what I can to help him."
Raedwald attempts to do what he can to bind Edward's wounds.
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Bran looks for the tracks of the farmers, and will ride after the direction they went. If he finds them he will command them back to their farm, and send one to get help.
Bran finds the farmers half way to the manor. The farmer accompanies him back to the farm sending his wife to find the steward.
Raedwald, failing miserably at binding Edward's injuries, attempts it again, trying to get him to waken, his failure weighing on his mind and his frustration rising.
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Once back at the farm, Bran tries to get help to move Edward to a bed. He tethers the horses outside the house and ties up the captured bandits. The dead he makes a pile of out in the field. Once these tasks are complete, he awaits the arrival of the steward.
When Bran returns with the farmer who calls himself Dwyai, you move Edward into the farmer’s small cottage and on to their sleeping pallet making him as comfortable as possible. Besides thanking you for your intervention, Dwyai is too shocked about recent events to be much of a conversationalist.
You then pile the dead readying to fire them, when a group of a dozen farmers and slaves arrives lead by Brugyn the steward and the farmer’s wife. You expand on the farmer’s wife’s tale to the steward about what happened. He confirms that this is not the first time bandits have raided one of the manors near the Blakemoor, but it is the first time that prisoners have been taken. One of slaves turns out to be an accomplished healer with a kit, so Edward appears on the mend with consciousness an imminent possibility.
Standing a part from the farmers and slaves, Brugyn turns to you to discuss what to do next in confidence. You remember that your knighting ceremony is in two days in front of the earl’s court who are expecting you at Sarum. It’s mid afternoon, so you can still make Tilshead using the farmer’s cart to move Edward. You expect Martin’s return with troops from Tilshead within the hour if they are on horseback or a few hours if they march.
Sion tells Brugyn what the bandits told him about the location of their camp. He relates to Brugyn everything he witnessed during the battle with the bandits. He leaves judgment of the bandits to the lord of the manor.
Sion suggests to the others that they use the farmers cart to move Edward to Tilshead. There are better healers there and it will be possible to move on to Sarum the next day. They can leave the bandit camp to the lord of manor and his men.
Raedwald's expression is still sour as a slave is better able to treat Edward than he is. He wanted nothing more than to ride out and slay every last one of the bandits for the harm they'd done Edward...but that'd have to wait. They had a job to do, and this would have to wait. Still, it was a disconcerting sign. King Uther's corpse was barely cold and already the land was starting to fall apart. There'd be plenty more bloody work to come.
He takes up one of the bandit's bows and tests it a bit, surprised at the fine craftsmanship despite its previous owner's profession.
"I agree we should use the farmer's cart to carry Edward, at least until he's well enough to ride again. If we're late for our own knighting I'll never forgive any of you!"
He tries to smile at his attempted joke, but his frustration is visible to all.
He also asks Brugyn if there's anything they can do to help Dwyai and his wife, recover from the loss of their property and probably a good portion of their crops too, trampled by knight and horse and robber.
"I think the plan is sound as well. We've done what we can here," Bran says when the squires are discussing their next course of action. He also equips himself with one of the bandit's high quality bows. Once everyone else is ready he will offer to hitch Llewyan to the cart and ride in it with Edward.
By the time you carefully move Edward to the farmer’s cart, Martin arrives with the cavalry: Sir Jaradan of Market Lavington and a half-dozen mounted spearmen. Sir Jaradan quickly takes control of the scene and thanks your intervention. Brugyn and Dwyai extend their heartfelt gratitude as well. The farmer’s wife empties her cupboard of food for your trip; she will not take no for an answer.
You arrive shortly after dusk at Tilshead. Martin and the slave healer accompany you. Sir Elad and Sir Jaradan’s wife quickly marshal the household to care for Edward and yourselves. After the circus response, you finally relax at supper. Edward is finally conscious and joins you for supper stubbornly ignoring the healer’s advice. Sir Elad plans to send his healer with Edward to Sarum, so the other healer can return the farmer’s cart. Any counter-attack by Sir Jaradan will probably require their healer as soon as possible.
You, Sir Elad, and Sir Jaradan’s wife sit around the long table enjoying dessert wine.
Edward limps towards the supper table, waving off the healer. "If I collapse you're right here." He carefully sits, lip twisting, but then he smiles. "Well since we're all alive I'm guessing it ended well. How are the bandits?"
"Mostly dead, the rest were captured and confessed. Sir Jaradan is leading a force of armed men to their camp to deal with them now. We got you a nice bow while you were napping," Bran replies, teasing Edward.
"Forgive me, Edward. I should have been there with you. Maybe had I been there, you wouldn't have been dog-piled by those brutes." Raedwald has been stewing since the battle, and it's been hard for him to concentrate.
Edward shrugs it off. "I got a bit pig headed anyways, by all rights I should have left about five seconds earlier."
Edward! Sion calls when the other squire appears in the hall. Here! sit down before you fall down. making a space for him and pouring him a cup of wine.
I am suprized they put up so much of a fight. Especially knowing what would happen to them. They should have laid down their arms and surrendered immediately.
"Men who resort to banditry usually aren't the brightest. But I think most of their threat was those bows, I wonder where they got such quality work."
"From the Saxons, maybe? I've never seen bows like these in Britain, so perhaps they came from across the narrow sea."
I don't know, would the Saxons really give arms to a people they hope to conquer, and I doubt they would give them such quality weapons. The bandits are Sir Jaradan's problem now. We need to get back to Sarum, unless you would rather be a shopkeeper rather than a knight.
Edward taps the side of his head. "Have to know your opponent. If we're going to be facing dozens of bandits with bows like that I plan on getting some bigger armor. Or even a bow myself to shoot back."
Sir Elad listens like an older brother to the squires' banter and offers, "I saw bows like yours used by highlanders from Gomeret at St. Albans. They sided with the Saxons, the bastards."
Raedwald nods as Sir Elad proves his theory partly right.
"Nothing stopping you from using the ones we got. What better way to keep a weapon out of an enemy's hands than using it yourself? Sure it's not the knightliest of weapons, but God will not care what weapon you sent scum like them to him with."
Sir Elad, Sion asks Is there any news. We have heard little during the last few months of training. What are the Saxons doing? What lords have made claims on the throne? What position is Salisbury taking?
"Any news?" Sir Elad repeats the question with a smile. "You've only been gone a day or so. Besides, that type of news circulates at court, which will follow your knighting ceremony. Save your questions for there. But be careful of the courtiers . Don't get in the middle of the games that they play. Unless of course, you like that sort of thing."
"Hmm." Edward grunts with acknowledgement. He tries to get some food down, learning how to move without stretching his wounds.
When the conversation winds down Sion excuses himself and goes to bed. It takes more time than usuall to get ready the next morning because of his injured arm but he manages without help.
At breakfast he asks Edward How are you feelin today? Well enough to ride or do you want to borrow a carriage from Sir Elad?
"Horse between my legs will be nice. I won't ride in a carriage 'till I'm dead, and even then I'll probably still whine about it."
Raedwald remains silent for most of the day, and rises early to get ready for the ride to Sarum. He couldn't wait to get it over with so he could really turn his attention to knightly matters.
Bran, like Raedwald is silent. There is much to consider and they have a big event ahead of them. He can't wait to become a knight, but at the same is worried for Briton and the future.