In Defence of the Realm - Four Mercenaries (part 1)

So we begin chapter four, which as been gathering dust for months.  I thought that I could finish it within a page but instead I am splitting the chapter in half, the next section to come next week.

<< Previous

The freelancer sat up and blinked away sleep. A slimy tent came into view, so small that the centre pole came down between his legs. Beside himself and a mat just thick enough to take the edge off the stony ground was a woman. She played with a knife in the kind of idle fashion supposed to intimidate, and wore a fur lined one-piece with clipped on leather greaves. She hadn't looked at him yet so he raised his head, followed by his body, and realised his hands were tied together.

'Oh, you're awake.' His watcher ducked her head through a flap in the canvas and looked back at him. Dastardly was disarmed by the sharp sculpted jaw and penetrating gaze, this was a woman whom you didn't mess with. He sat entranced, until a heavy whack bruised his left cheek.

'What the hell?' he said. There was a man standing at the flap, his hair and beard made a ring like an angry sunflower. He whacked Dastardly again.

'What do you want?'

The man pointed the painful object at Dastardly's nose. It was his trick sword, still in its scabbard.

'Oh no.'

The woman stood up next to the lion man. 'He wants you to pull the stupid sword from the sheath.'

'Why can't he?' the freelancer said. The man thumped him a third time.

'It's gnomish. It won't open without the owner's hands.'

Dastardly groaned. 'Didn't know that. What's in it for me?'

This time the woman held back the blow. Dastardly mouthed thanks.

'We won't break your legs.'

Dastardly saw he was still wearing the Mercurial Boots, but they wouldn't stop the lion man from smashing his shins.

'Is there a way we can do this that doesn't involve me staying tied up?' the freelancer said.

The woman and man growled in unison, before a heavy voice on the outside bounced into the tent.

'What are those two doing?'

Both of his captor's heads swivelled.

'Nothing, Krotar,' crooned the woman.

'Bei just told me that you'd sorted out the mess in the tent – ' the speaker barged through the flap. 'Billiards!' he exclaimed. 'You must be the “animal” who crashed into our camp.'

There was another harmonious growl.

'Get this man untied, you imbeciles! We're better than this!'

The woman started, 'but we were just –'

'No excuses. Honestly Renda, I think our new friend has been setting a bad example for you.'

Renda loosened the rope around Dastardly's wrists and begrudgingly helped him up.  The freelancer groaned, rubbed his arms and stumbled into the evening air where a billy can hung over a fire.  To his right was a collapsed canvas.  On the opposite side of camp was another tent.

'Sit by the fire,' said the apparent leader, beckoning Dastardly.  'I think you owe me an explanation.'

Next >>