Bran nods.
Raedwald stays quiet during the ride and smiles when they see the manor.
He listens with Bran to the steward, eager to get underway.
"So, Brugyn, the bandits have yet to be located? Have there been any more skirmishes with them? Any more raids on farms?" Bran asks the steward over dinner.
"No, sir knight," Brugyn replies. "Sir Jaradan found the main camp where the prisoners said it was, but it was hastily deserted. He's been sweeping the Wood since then. We've boys ready on horses and signal fires to alert us if there are any more raids, but fortunately nothing so far."
How bid was the camp Sir Jaradan found Brugyn? We captured what? Eight bandits the day a few days ago. How many more could there be? Sion asks when Brugyn tells them the camp was deserted. By the way, what happened to the prisoners. If we interogate them again we maybe able to get information on where thier friends would have run too?
"The six prisoners were sent to Tilshead. We burned the three dead ones." Brugyn replies. "The camp was just described as big enough to me. Sir Jaradan would be able to answer your specific question."
The prisoners being in Tilshead makes it difficult to interogate them. Sion muses. If we really need to talk to them we know where they are, and I suppose any other questions will have to wait on Sir Jaradan.
"I worry we may walk into greater danger than we did when we first met them, then. If they're scattered in the forest, they can ambush us at will."
"There's only four of us, and they don't even know we're here. I doubt they'll be coming the entire forest seeking out armed knights to ambush," Bran says sardonically. "Let's meet up with Jaradan and get the most current information before we decided what to do. Will he be back in the morning, or can one of the messengers take us to him in the morning, Brugyn?"
"You can accompany the first messenger tomorrow morning if you would like, sir knights." Brugyn replies with a smile.
That sounds like a good plan. Thank you for the hospitality Brugyn. Sion says as he stands. I think I am going to get some sleep. I assume the messenger is leaving early tomorrow?
"The first bell after dawn." Brugyn replies.
"I believe I will retire as well," Bran says, nodding and standing along with Sion. "Good evening brothers."
Edward stands, saying the good evenings before heading off to bed.
After breaking your fast, the messenger leads to Sir Jaradan’s camp. The messenger turns out to be a teenage boy leading a pack mule of supplies and scrolls from Brugyn. He takes you to a trailhead that leads into the thick Blakemoor Wood. Your walking pace makes slow progress as you travel on guard for ambush and low hanging branches.
You reach the camp after several hours, but it is deserted. Firewood is gathered. Wood structures remain, but nothing of value is left. The boy doesn’t look surprised. ”I’m supposed to leave the stuff here.” He says starting to unpack.
"Strange that they're not here to greet us. Weren't they expecting us?"
"No, they are off looking for bandits. I'm sure they'll return later for a meal," Bran replies. "They have no way of knowing we were coming."
Edward dismounts, then begins helping the bow to unpack despite his injury. After a bit he glances around. "I think I might scout around the area. I should be back shortly."
Edward makes a perimeter of a few hundred yards, circling around and learning the land as well as scouting.
Has it been deserted everytime you have come out here? They left no guards?. Sion asks the boy.
I think it strange that they left no one to guard their camp. Sion says as he looks around the camp. I suppose we have no choice but to wait for Sir Jaradan's return.
He loosens the cinch on his saddle to make Pwyll more comfortable while they wait, and lets Rhianwen perch up in one of the trees. What shall we do while we wait?
"Keep alert? Like I said, possible ambush."
The boy replies, "Yes, they bring their gear with them, sir knight." He busies himself burying in the material in a makeshift cache covered with a dirt covered pelts.
After several dozens of minutes while the boy secures the material and eats an early lunch, Edward returns. He finds the Wood thick. He thinks he found two foot paths. The boy readies to leave.
A couple of hours after the boy leaves, you hear someone approaching quickly on foot using one of the two paths that Edward found, presumably the one that they took this morning. You ready yourselves for an ambush confirming that there is only one arrival.
Crashing through the last tree into the small clearly of the camp, a man-boy about the same age as you dressed in boiled leather armor slides on the ground breathing heavily. He appears to have been running for some time and not to have initially noticed you. He has dagger in a belt sheath but is otherwise unarmed.
When he finally sees you and recovers from the shock, he starts mumbling some thanks to God. "... they've got 'em. They've got 'em. They've got 'em." He repeats helplessly many times. "They ambushed us and captured Sir Jaradan. I ran. They might be behind me..." His voice tails off as he lays on the ground looking at the sky laboring to breath.
Well you were right Raedwald. There was an ambush. We just weren't the ones that were ambushed. Sion says when the man trails off.
Oi, whats your name? he says to the young man on the ground You need to tell us everything. Start with who you are and who was with you.
"No time!" Raedwald barks.
"Prepare to fight!"
He readies his lance and tries to move Gulfaxi closer to the others so they aren't surrounded if those bandits really are following the runner.
Bran grabs the composite bow he took from the bandits and mounts up on Llewyan. "Let's go, if they are coming we'll need to fight them anyway, and if they aren't coming we need to rescue Jaradan."
Edward gives a curious glance at Bran grabbing a bow, then draws his sword and buckles his shield on. "Keep it quiet, see if we can get the jump on them." Edward finds cover by a tree near the path he suspects them to approach on.
Between heavy breaths, the man-boy says, "I'm Ieuan from Tilshead... My captain is Issa... You were there about a week ago... Sir Jaradan led a dozen of us in here... The first day, we found their camp deserted... It's that way..." he points to the second, older path that Edward found.
"We were hunting them... but they set traps and an ambush... tree deadfalls and pits... and arrows... lots of arrows... I was in the middle and ran into the thick woods... finally found our path and have been running back here... heard them celebrating the capture of Sir Jaradan... maybe a half-dozen or a dozen... hard to say."
We need you to lead us back where they captured Sir Jaradan. Sion says to Ieuan as he goes to Pwyll and tightens the cinch. Sion swings up into the saddle and whistles for Rhianwen. Then he takes out his own bow. I agree with Bran on this. If there are a dozen of them we will need to use every advantage we can get.
Between heavy breaths, the man-boy says, "I'm Ieuan from Tilshead... My captain is Issa... You were there about a week ago... Sir Jaradan led a dozen of us in here... The first day, we found their camp deserted... It's that way..." he points to the second, older path that Edward found.
"We were hunting them... but they set traps and an ambush... tree deadfalls and pits... and arrows... lots of arrows... I was in the middle and ran into the thick woods... finally found our path and have been running back here... heard them celebrating the capture of Sir Jaradan... maybe a half-dozen or a dozen... hard to say."
"Yeah, mount up boys. Let's see what they do with us on their trail," Bran agrees. "Lead the way, Ieuan."
Reluctantly, Ieuan leads you and your horses back toward the ambush. He tells you that he and Sir Jaradan had been on foot, because the Wood is very thick. The footpath is tight for the horses constantly dodging low hanging branches. After an hour of walking and the last fifteen minutes of skittish nervousness, you arrive at the site of the ambush marked by dozens of broken arrows.
You find two dead guards and bloody tracks where the rest fell and were captured. The Wood is eerily silent except for the nervous noises of the horses. Scavengers have yet to find their new banquet. Ieuan rearms himself with a fallen spear.
Edward looks down with bit of sadness. "We'll have to bury them once we have the time for it." He begins scouring the area, looking for tracks to see what happened and who went where.
"Aye. Probably shouldn't search through the night, though. We'd be riding blind, perfect targets."
"It might be best to head back to the camp and fortify ourselves for the night, then pick this up at dawn."
Sion climbs down and heaves the dead across Pwyll's back. Lets get back to the camp then. he says and starts leading Pwyll back the way they came. hopefully they will assume they got everyone and won't come looking, maybe we should go without a fire tonight just in case.
"Probably a wise move, Sion," Bran agrees. "Blaidd and I can take second or third watch."
Edward takes a few minutes circling the ambush site. He finds three effective hunter's blinds that could accommodate at most two shooters each. There are lots of tracks that appear to head in the direction of the bandit's original camp.
"I volunteer for first watch. You men see better in the dark than I do, so I'd be less effective later."
I will take the last watch Sion says as they are settling in for the night. Wake me when it is time.
You return to Sir Jaradan's camp as the forest starts to get very dark. You spend an uneventful evening.
Raedwald stretches and yawns and awakens.
"Let's get going."
He begins assembling his gear.
Should we leave the horses? It is really tight in there. Sion asks as they are getting ready in the morning. They maybe more of a hinderance than a help.
"Well, they can fight on their own. No need to ride them. We need all the help we can get."
"Better to keep them with us than leave them where they could be possibly be stolen."
Very Well Sion says then leads Pwyll into the trees Lets go boy. I hope they weren't stupid enough to kill Sir Jaradan. He walks with his bown in his left hand leading Pwyll with his right. Rhianwen is perched on the horn of Pwyll's saddle.