Completed Bearing the Longhaul

[Malak Baske]

The escort of a single merchant and his transport, however exotic, wasn't exactly the most prestigious job for a member of the adventurer's guild. That said, everyone had to start somewhere, and simple work was better than no work.

"Hold on. Hold on!" Dreckus, their client said. "Sally is beginning to slow down. Let's take a rest." The dwarf said, then opened a jar filled with berries, grabbed a handful and stuck his hand right into Sally's mouth. Malak glanced over to one of the other escorts and sighed. They were getting paid upon delivery, not by the hour. Dreckus's stops had been frequent.

"We're already a day off schedule. Further stops and we risk missing the festival." Malak pushed.

"We'll make it in time, don't you worry. No harm in resting your feet a minute." Dreckus said as he pulled his hand out of the bear's mouth. "You sellswords needn't worry so much. Life will not pass you by as you smell the roses."

Malak grunted, then began making pacing around the perimeter. Something just didn't feel right. Perhaps he was just being over cautious, but even routine jobs had opportunities for dangerous surprises.

 

[Cal Arlington]

"He's quite right, slow and steady is the way to live. There's certainly no reason to live in a hurry." The voice of Cal Arlington said as he walked out from the trees on the road, standing in front of them on the path, hand resting idly on his hilt, bow and quiver slung over his back. Eight more bandits stepped out from the forest, forming a semi-circle behind the caravan. Six had spears and two had bows, all were ready to attack at a moments notice.

Cal stood casually in front of them, a light smile on his face. "I'm sure you can understand the nature of my interruption of your journey. I do not desire the things you are selling, I don't wish to bleed you dry, though I will be taking everyone's coin. If you could please slowly reach for your coin purses while a companion of mine searches the cargo for other coin, it would be greatly appreciated. A friendly warning that quick movements or the drawing of weaponry will result in arrows being fired."

He rocks on the balls of his feet, awaiting the reply of the caravan. Hopefully they cooperated, otherwise things would get quite ugly.

 

[Malak Baske]

Malak heard a new voice from the forest and put his hand on the handle of his blade. Out from the brush emerged a bandit of long brown hair and green coat. The other two escorts similarly reached for their weapons, but quickly showed their hands as another eight bandits slunk out of the trees.

Nine bandits against three adventurers guildsman, and an old merchant. Not great odds.

Malak took his hand off the saber hilt and began looking pulling his coin purse off his belt. Not much else to do, at least with the two bowman. He held the coin waiting for however the bandit troupe planned on collecting the coin, whether it be a man taking the coin or being ordered to drop it and back up, or whatever.

Elsewhere however, one of the companions of Cal Arlington searched the cargo for other coin. Once the man got close enough the dwarven merchant clicked his tongue twice. Sally growled and swung a meaty bear arm at the bandit, knocking him back until he collided with a tree. At the reaction Malak first jumped the side to evade a the nearest bandit's thrust, then pulled his sword and slashed at the foe, attempting to keep the bandit between him and the archer's view, with a small degree of success. Elsewhere the other two guildsman reacted to the bear, albeit slower than Malak, while the Dwarven Merchant seemed to have a trick or two up his sleeve.

The fight was on! Though Malak could only suppress the threat of the odds by virtue of adrenaline.

 

[Cal Arlington]

The man who was struck by the bear remained down, certainly having several broken ribs. The spear men fought defensively, the spearman Malak slashed at narrowly blocking the blow with the spear, lunging backwards. One of the other spearmen jabbed straight at Malak's gut. One of the archers got a clear shot, drawing his bow back and firing directly at one of the other guards, arrow landing in his chest and sending him onto his back. Four spearmen charged at the remaining guard and the dwarf, trying to stay clear of the bear, two going at the bear and trying to spear it with a strong jab. The other archer watched Malak carefully, trying to find a good shot.

As this all occurred, Cal sighed and drew his sword with his right hand, his left hand grabbing a small horn from his belt and blowing on it. Out of the forest came another seven men stepped out of the forest, five with swords and two more with bows. The bowmen fired on the bear, two shots each at its body. Two of the swordsmen charged at the dwarf, and two more encircled Malak with the spearmen, one of the swordsmen standing behind him making a move to stab the back of his leg.

Cal stayed back, watching the battle and motioning for the remaining swordsman to come to him, which the man did. They both watched the fight, Cal and the man ready to hop in where needed.

 

[Malak Baske]

As Malak's blade swung down towards the brigand's chest he moved just swift enough to block it with the haft of his spear. Malak continued to push his weight on the spear, throttling it towards the ground as stepped forward unto the bandit's foot and threw his elbow into the man's gut. The bandit let out a wheezed gasp and tried desperately to recover some air, at which time Malak brought his pommel swinging towards the spearmen's right eye. The blunt hit put the man on his back. There he decided, or perhaps didn't, to stay for the remainder of the fight.

Malak did not fight in isolation however. His actions managed to pivot him away from the bandit aiming a thrust at his gut, and forced the coming swordsman to rethink his plan of stabbing at the back of his leg. No maneuver was perfect however, and the archer keeping watch over Malak was presented with an open target. With good training, an itchy string finger, or perhaps plain luck the archer fired immediately as the body fell. With the Archer only a short distance away the sound of the arrow's flight was followed immediately by it's embedding in the left of his back. His leather armor might have saved his lungs, but certainly not his ribs.

Elsewhere the other guard raised his ax and caught an enemy spear in the nook between axhead and haft. He pulled downwards and went to swing the backside of the ax at the spearmen, but the other charging bandit thrust his spear through the adventurer's chest, stopping him cold.

The merchant Dreckus threw what appeared to be a small potion onto the ground. If he were wiser perhaps it would have summoned a smoke screen, but instead it throttled him upwards to the sky, and then unto the back of Sally. Sally charged the two spearmen charging at her, and managed to get a paw over a spear, throwing to the ground and batting at one of the bandits. The other spearman thrust into the bear's side, inciting a roar of pain. Three arrows struck into the bear's other side, Sally slowly pivoting to try and swing at the spearmen.

"No more!" Dreckus cried as the reinforcements of swordsman began to flank him. "Take yer coin, but leave my Sally be."

 

[Cal Arlington]

Cal raised his free hand, and his men paused their fighting, the wounded moving back closer to the forest, and the rest keeping wary watchfulness on the two men left and the bear. Cal sighed. "See, this is why you cooperate when I first ask for your coin. Now two men are dead for no reason."

He waves a hand at two of his swordsmen, who sheath their blades and walk to collect the coin, taking any off of Sally as well. Cal stabbed his sword into the ground, resting his hands on the hilt. "So, where you gentlemen headed? Into the town for the festival?" He asks as his men continue collecting the coin, which includes looting the dead for their coin. Once done, Cal nods. "Now, I'm gonna give you." He nods at Malak. "An option. You can leave with the merchant unsullied, or you can join us and make some real coin. Not the shit payments he's giving you." He nods at the merchant. "No offense."

 

[Malak Baske]

The leader, or at the very least spokesman, of the bandits raised a hand, and the bandit troupe stopped their assault. Good thing too, as Malak was fairly certain another arrow was about to be launched at his chest. He kept his sword unsheathed, but lowered the blade as to point to the ground. The two swordsman made their rounds, taking their coin and looting the dead.

Then the Bandit's leader made his way toward Malak, offering him options. A chance to leave, or a chance to join the brigands. Malak looked around at the different members of the bandit troupe, then back at Cal.

"I gave my word I'd get him to the festival." Malak said matter-of-factly.

 

[Cal Arlington]

"Are you genuinely interested in keeping your word or just trying to give a neutral answer that isn't a yes or a no, for fear I'll kill you if you say no but don't want to join me?" He asks, curious, raising an eyebrow.

His men finish collecting the coin, and return to the group. He nods at the arrow in Malak's back. "Would you like our group healer to take a look at that? I shouldn't care to let you live only to have you die anyway."

He draws his sword from the ground, sheathing it and then scratches his beard. "If you do wish to join us but also wish to keep your word, we can help you get the merchant to the festival and then you can accompany us on our journeys. As you can tell we're not exactly evil men, we're just trying to make a living not under the thumb of the Merchant Council or whatever other oppressive government system my men came from."

 

[Malak Baske]

Malak laughed. "You're direct. I like that." He sheathed his sword. "I don't see you as evil men. You're a businessman, and we happen to compete. That's life." Malak pulled out a dagger and began to cut shaft of the arrow at his back.

"That said, I'm not looking for a new job. My next three years are sworn to the Adventurers Guild, and I intend to keep that promise." Malak's dagger cut through the arrow shaft, leaving only what was stuck in his skin and armor to be dealt with. "If you have a healer, I'd be obliged. I'd offer you some coin, but . . ."

 

[Cal Arlington]

Cal laughs loudly. "Yes, I think we can consider your treatment paid for." He waves a hand at one of his archers, who hands off his bow to another man and approaches, reaching into a small satchel. He sits Malak down and tells him to take a few slow breaths, giving him a strip of leather to bite on. He tells Malak he's going to pull it out and begins stripping off the armor he wears.

Cal walks closer to Malak, watching the healer work. "He's going to yank it out and it's going to hurt. After that he'll poor some alcohol on it and then stitch it. You'll be sore for a few weeks but otherwise alive, as far as I can tell."

 

[Malak Baske]

Malak sat down and began to pull at his leather armor, pulling at buttons and overlays until his back was finally exposed. The healer gave him a leather strip to bite down, which he clenched his teeth on before the healer ripped it out. The guildsman grunted in pain, before the healter poured some alcohol on it, then began to stitch.

"You've a large band here." Malak said to Cal Arlington as he sat their being stitched by his attackers. "Probably need to find a lot of work, especially when the festival's out of season. You must be busy if you're still trying to recruit." It was odd conversation, surely, but an awkward situation on the whole.

 

[Cal Arlington]

As Malak is finished being bandaged and stitched, Cal answers. "We're always open to recruiting and we're always busy. We usually work just outside Alliria, so plenty of fat bratty merchants to do our business with there."

His man stands, nodding at Cal to signal the healing is done. "You know, I was a soldier once. Fought for Alliria's militia. I must say, this is infinitely more fun." He chuckles. "I hope there's no hard feelings between us, this certainly wasn't personal."

 

[Malak Baske]

After the wound was stitched and bandaged, Malak donned his armor, re-fastening buckles and buttons and ensuring it had a snug fit.

"Like I said. Just business." Malak replied. "I'll have to stay clear of Alliria." Malak said and went over to Dreckus. "You ready?"

"Aye. Sally's been tended too. She can tough it till we get into town, then we can properly care for her."

"Alright, we'll let's get moving." He urged, ready for this job to be over.

 

[Cal Arlington]

Cal and his men did not prevent them from leaving, and began receding back into the forest. As they were leaving Cal was the last to enter the forest, turning to Malak and speaking. "Hopefully for you, you don't see me again." He chuckles and disappears, heading wherever he was headed.