The moon cast silver shadows across the muddy path, its glow glinting off the blade I carried in my hands. My breath turned into fog in the cold night air, shallow and rapid.
Mr. Reed, Pete and I ran through the dark alleys, occasionally joined by new young men who helped fight off the bandits. "How many houses did they steal from?" I called, loud enough for all to hear.
"A few," one of the men replied. "A defenceless man was attacked as well. We need to get the fortune back."
The dark alley that were running through soon came into a Y shaped junction. Mr. Reed guided himself, Pete and a few men towards one side and the rest of them joined me. "We need to get them before they get too far away." I said.
We were waging through the perimeter of the local market of Evendon. It was a close clustered space only a few metres wide and long. Small shops were decked into the area, moonlight couldn't reach much into this area but it was enough for us to decipher our paths forward. There were multiple footsteps tapping behind me, in a very urgent sense desperate to get near the bandits.
I sped up, pushing my legs faster still only with one thought in mind: the bandits somewhere ahead. They were so eerily silent, there was no sound coming from their presence. It somehow put me on the worried thinking that we had lost them.
I rounded a sharp bend, expecting just that. But in the alleyway I had just turned from stood nothing- it was as though the alley vanished into darkness. Their silence jolted me. I stopped, my boots squeaking against the stone. My eyes adjusted to the fading glow of the light behind me before finally scanning the many nooks and crannies before me. Nothing. Only some distant and the sickly glow of lamps, illuminating and mirrored surfaces of glimmering signs. A chill began to coil in my gut- they had not fallen behind; they had disappered . One by one, painlessly cruel cutthroats had snatched the men, without a murmur of noise- like a poacher's trap - all gone - subdued without a whisper.
The air shifted in anticipation as I stepped on the path again. My breath shuddered with panic coated on it. My hand slid to the sword fastened on my waist and made myself ready for attack. I hoped the world that the men weren't harmed too much. My eyes fell on the ground over the footprints huddled together at a spot. They didn't belong to a single person, perhaps two. It had to be two.
And suddenly, a small dagger had come slashing through the air ever so silently directed right into my eyeball. My instinct made me pull back, the cold steel missing my face by a hair'a distance. Before I could fully recover, another flash, this time lower from behind me, aiming for my throat.
I ducked, feeling the rush of air as the blade sliced inches above my head. There were two attackers. My heart raced. I spun around, trying to see them clearly, but they moved quickly, like shadows.
The first attacker, dressed in dark fabric, lunged again. In my hurried movements, my sword fell from my hand and I was left defenceless. I had to do something with my hands only. I parried with my arm and then kicked his knee. He grunted and stumbled back. But the second one was already there, a blur coming from my side. I twisted to avoid a strike to my temple. There was no time to think; I had to react.
My mind sharpened. The larger attacker kept pressing his attack with a wild swing aimed at my ribs. I shifted my body, letting the blade whistle past. In the same motion, my left elbow struck his jaw. He reeled, disoriented. Before he could recover, I spun and delivered a powerful, open- palmed striked to his nose. He collapsed, unconscious.
The first attacker, still off balance, saw his partner fall. A moment of hesitation was all I needed. I surged forward, low and fast. He raised his dagger, but I slid inside his guard. My fist drove into his solar plexus. The air exploded from his lungs, and he doubled over. A quick, hard stike to the back of his dropped him beside his companion.
Silence fell, broken only by my heavy breathing. It was over. Fast, brutal and decisive. I stood over their still forms, their daggers lying useless on the ground.
The men who were ambushed fell out of the space in between the shops, huffing and exhausted at the attack. "You all are well?" I got some grunts and nods in response.
"They were notorious this time. Stealthy as a Cat and very powerful. If it wasn't for Ambre we would have died today." One of the men said as he coughed.
"Indeed. We are grateful. Let's hope that Mr. Reed and others are safe."
The tired out men stayed under the covers until I wagered further to see if their were any more bandits left. Once I figured there weren't any, I went back to aid the fallen. There was some fortune on the bandits that was recovered and we went back to the village square badly hoping everyone was safe and fine.
It turned out that everyone was fine and well, only pete was a bit injured. All the fortunes saved and recovered was given back to their respective families by Mr. Reed accordingly. A few vigilant men were sent out again to make sure they were out of the villages. Soon people began the aftermath of every attack. Discussion that normally bought out no fruit.
"They were very malicious than normal. Normally, the most they could do was push us back and put forward their fist. But these could actually fight. And they carried a similar red band up their arm, like they were the part of the same group." Pete grunted as his wounds were being dressed up.
"That can be kept for a later discussion. Did we get all the valuables back? That was more important than their red bands. Alex, did you make sure of it?"
Alex, a small man who was tending to Pete looked up at us. "Well, I tired to get the most of it from my targets. But Pete makes better sense, we need to know better about them to track them or predict their next move. We cannot keep giving up our lives at risk."
"Alex, these words don't suit you. You are a soldier in the Royal army. You are too set your life for your people." Mr Reed said ghastly.
"That's what I am trying to address, Sir. We should think about this more sensitively. Perhaps take this issue to the King. I am sure we could get some help."
Alex tried to explain himself.
"Might I remind you that we have tried to get this into His Majesty's knowledge. I've written to him multiple times but have not seen any desired result." Mr. Reed replied.
"The King is engaged in activities that perhaps comes under leisure and has simply forgotten his oath for the kingdom." I said vaguely.
"Ambre, you are too respect the King at all costs." Mr. Reed ordered and took a deep breath. "I will be writing to the King once more. I'm sure our needs will be seen." Saying so, he left the square with Mrs. Reed behind him with the sword I had returned. And so enough, everyone vacated the place and left for their homes. My eyes were on Alex as he helped Pete safely into his house. I followed him sneakily.
Just before the door to his house was to be closed, I pushed it against, opening it forcefully. Alex staggered back due to shock but I didn't let him decipher anything and pulled his collar and slammed him against his shabby hut.
"How much more time?" I rasped. "I told you already, I am running out of patience." If one hadn't understood yet, Alex was another person who owed me sensitive information. Much more than Victor ever did.
My hands enclosed his throat tightly as he struggled to make sense of his words. "I- mmm-"
"I'm just a beginner in the army." He croaked. "I am not even qualified to communicate with any higher ranks. If you really wanted that level of confidential information you should've asked someone more qualified."
"You didn't think of that when you gave me your word." I said with barely a whisper. "You made a promise. You looked me in my eye, Alex. So don't you dare hide behind your rank now."
His gaze weakened and he slid towards the ground. I could see the sweat on his temple, the rise and fall of his chest. He was crumbling.
"I- I didn't think it would come to this," he whispered.
"It always does," I said coldly. "You just hoped you'd be out of reach when it did."
I stepped back, allowing him a moment to cough and gather what little courafe he had left.
"If you wish for me to continue cajoling your secret as if it is not real, then you and I might be on the wrong foot." I crouched down on his exhausted form. "Imagine, Alex. What would Evendon say when they find out about you?" I threatened. "When they find out about the real you. You'll have nowhere to hide. We don't want that to happen right?"
Alex's eyes had teared up but it didn't falter me at all. He had made me a promise in trust. And he broke it.
"You will now salvage any information that comes to your ears and pass them to me. Is that understood?" Alex nodded nervously. "Or else, the entire kingdom might enjoy a rather nasty piece of gossip."
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