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The Misfits of DametreosChapter 11: Hijack!
The group strength had increased to five men. Drakko the Black Falcon knight, Lord Barbod the Bull King, Bjarn the Forestman, Reno the wanderer and the newest addition to the group, Willem Blackcloak, leader of the Wolfpack. While the group was walking, Drakko thought to himself how lucky he was to escape the trap. If Bjarn had not helped him, he would have died from the wounds of the arrows. Bjarn has saved Drakko's live and he was eternally grateful to him. Drakko approached Bjarn.
“I want to thank you for saving me from the trap.”
“Think nothing of it,” replied Bjarn.
“I'm sorry for accusing you, thinking that you were responsible for sending those assassins,” persisted Drakko.
“If I wanted to kill all of you, I could have done it earlier and I would have done it myself,” said Bjarn simply.
“I know. That is why I am grateful.”
Bjarn smiled.
Reno spoke up. “So we are heading to the Black Knight Isles.... I heard it's a rough place there...lot's of merchants...murderers…” he said grimly.
“Aye, lad, you ain't seen nothing yet!” Barbod said.
After a day's walk of not much talk and no sign of Forestmen, the group came to a camp where a fire was still smoldering and there were glasses of ale. There was also a pirate's knife stuck in a small log.
“Pirates!” Reno said, looking around.
“Calm it lad, nobody's here.” Willem said, sitting on a chair-shaped log.
Reno pulled out his map.
“Look here,” he said, pointing to the Forestman/Wolfpack border, “If we travel south, we will have to travel through the realms of Forestmen, Crusaders, Classic, Fright Knights and Knights Kingdom! We HAVE to take this route, and we will need supplies, there are plenty of things to get here. What I am trying to say is, if you have not got a backpack, get one now, and fill it with rations and things that may come in useful, fill your quivers, sharpen your weapons, its going to be a long journey!”
Lord Barbod strapped on a heavy backpack and ran to join the others. They began to walk, and Barbod used his spear as a walking stick. This will be a long journey, he thought, And what of the pig of a king of the Falcons? I'll deal with him afterwards. Perhaps these misfits will join me.
As the five companions stumped along, Bjarn, leading the group, let his mind wonder. This is the strangest quest I have ever hear of... he thought, yet it has drawn five companions together to do what? Find a missing necklace?
Bjarn removed his saber and began chopping at the many low-hanging vines blocking the path.
No one would go this far to find a trinket of only sentimental value. It must be magic. Bjarn concluded as Drakko the Black Falcon Knight came up beside him to help cut away vines.
It's odd how people change their attitude toward me when I save their life. Still, it's good to have another ally in the unorganized pack.
The five companions decided to take a lunch break at the Forestmen/Crusaders border. Bjarn's mood decidedly got darker when he looked out upon the Crusader land.
“All that you can see before you used to be forests.” he grunted as he passed a lump of cheese to Reno, “But then the Crusaders came in and cut all the trees down to make their fancy little wooden houses. Bah!” Bjarn spat in loathing.
Willem Blackcloak looked worried. “How are we ever going to get through the Crusader’s realm? They don’t take kindly to Forestmen, Bulls, and the likes of myself.”
Bjarn grinned wickedly. “Watch my friend, just watch.”
With that, Bjarn melted into the trees.
Nearly an hour had passed before Bjarn returned. He was pulling a small peasant's cart behind him piled high with rags.
“What’s that for?” asked Lord Barbod. Bjarn tipped the contents of the cart on the ground and began loaded his many weapons into the cart.
“Quickly,” he hissed, “Strip off all your armor and weapons and put them into here.”
Mystified, the group began to do a he said. Walking over to Drakko, Bjarn smiled and said, “I need to borrow your horse for one moment, my friend,”
“Of...of course.” replied Drakko, still stumped at what Bjarn was leading to. Then it dawned on him. “We’re sneaking into the village as peasants, aren't we?”
Bjarn nodded as he hooked up Shadow to the little cart. “Aye. Best hurry and drape those rags over you four and the cart. We're going to borrow a boat from the Crusaders.”
“While we are in the village, we should try to get supplies...we need enough for my brother when we find him,”
Bjarn snorted. “Reno, we can't spend all our life looking for a lost brother and a pendant!”
Anger burned in Reno's eyes, “IT’S NOT JUST A PENDANT!! YOU WILL SEE!!” Reno screamed into Bjarn's face. Reno drew his sword and advanced on the old Forestman.
“That’s enough, both of you!” Drakko shouted.
Reno and Bjarn were stunned.
“We don’t want to attract any unnecessary attention. We are in Crusaders territory, remember?!”
Reno and Bjarn remained silent.
Drakko continued, “If we are discovered, these people won’t give us a warm welcome. Besides the Bulls, the Black Falcons are not fond of the Crusaders too. So let’s carry on.”
Reno pulled his sword away and sheathed it, his anger burning inside. With some difficulty, Bjarn stumped over to Reno and extended his hand. “Reno, I offer my apologies. That your lost brother of yours is more important to you then I'll ever know...I...never had...a family…”
Reno was still angry, but he was surprised at Bjarn's show of emotion. Without hesitation, Reno grasped the old man’s hand. He said firmly, “Bjarn, we are your family. Don't forget that. And thank you.”
Lord Barbod leaned over to Drakko. “You know, Drakko, he's right. We are a family of sorts.”
Drakko looked at the Bull King in mock shock. “But my dear Barbod, you didn’t address me as ‘bloody Falcon’!”
Before the stunned Lord Barbod could reply, Willem Blackcloak spoke up. “Lads, it looks like our little family gathering has caught the attention of the locals. May I suggest a little hike to the nearest ship a soon as possible…”
“Aye, that might not be a bad idea…” Reno looked around to see a large amount of guards running at the misfits.
“I think a good time to leave is... NOW!” Willem shouted and the misfits ran toward the port, closely pursued by the guards.
Bjarn was the first to see a ship.
“There! Ship!” he shouted.
The group ran over to the ship as a volley of arrows sailed over the group, but one of the arrows hit its target.
“I hit the old man!” A Crusader shouted in triumph, and sure enough Bjarn was lying on the ground, an arrow in the back of his shoulder. Reno acted immediately and darted towards Bjarn. Reno reached his friend and hauled the wounded Bjarn on to his feet.
The guards were still far away, and so Reno picked up Bjarn’s bow. “I wish I learnt how to do this!” muttered Reno as he let an arrow fly.
It hit it's intended target, killing the Crusader. Another couple arrows came from the ship, fired by Willem.
“I'll give you cover boy! Bring Bjarn onto the ship!”
Grunting, Reno dragged Bjarn onto the ship, and cried, “Barbod, get us out of here! Cut the anchor, kick away the gang plank, anything to keep those Crusaders away!”
Reno quickly snatched his healing ointment from the cart and thrust it at Bjarn. Wrenching the arrow out of his shoulder, Bjarn splashed some ointment on his wound and dragged himself to Drakko's side, who calming Shadow. “Leave the horse to me,” Bjarn growled, “Help the others!”
Reno darted up the mainmast and franticly billowing the sails as Lord Barbod was racing up and down both sides of the ship slicing through the ropes tying the ship to the harbor. Willem Blackcloak charged to the helm and started feverishly chopping at the stout anchor chain with an axe left by one of the Crusaders.
Quite suddenly, three things happened all at once; Reno let loose the last sail just as a gust of wind pushed the ship away from the harbor, Willem sliced through the last shreds of anchor chain, and a brave Crusader leaped at the fleeing ship.
The Crusader was just about fire his crossbow at Reno when Shadow bucked and kicked the Crusader in the back, breaking the man's spine and sending him flying overboard.
Bjarn raced to the side of the ship and sent up a warning shout “They're firing burning arrows!”
Before he had time to repeat the cry, a volley of flaming death arched though the sky and attacked the ship. Bjarn dodged the arrows by throwing himself behind the cart he had stolen, but the others were not so lucky. Willem, exposed at the rear of the ship, caught two arrows in his chest. He slumped over the helm with a groan. Lord Barbod had been shot in the leg, but that did not stop him from snatching up Bjarn's bow and firing arrow after arrow at the shore. Drakko had avoided the arrows, but Shadow whinnied in pain as a stray arrow entered his flank. Reno had been spared too, but he had a nasty sprained ankle when he had fallen half the length of the mast.
Bjarn crawled over to Reno, who was the nearest, and spread the ointment over Reno's swollen foot. “Don't worry about me.” Reno hissed, “Help Willem!”
They both ducked as another volley whirred over them. “We can't hold up much longer!” Drakko shouted, who was trying to pull the arrow from Shadow's flank.
Lord Barbod seeming unfazed. “Any moment now…” he muttered to himself.
Quite suddenly, the ship gave a shudder as a rope tied to the dock drew taut and pulled the supports out from under the harbor. The dock collapsed, sending all but two of the Crusader archers into the water. Smiling grimly, Barbod sliced through the last rope and rushed up to Willem Blackcloak. Amazingly, the leader of the Wolfpack was back at the helm guiding the ship as if nothing had happened.
Lord Barbod gawked “But I thought…”
Willem Blackcloak smiled. “I never going anywhere without my chain mail.”
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