Omen: 9, 12

  “Misfortune, perhaps?” Jaygak asked, fshing a smile towards Adam. It was a knowing smile, and her brows raised in an accusatory manner.

  “You never know with me,” Adam replied, meeting with the chief at the vilge’s tre. Jurot and Kitool stood, already waiting for the pair.

  “It’s tax day,” Old Jim informed, gng towards the newers. “The lord’ll e and take our taxes.”

  “Tax day, eh?” Adam said, almost sighing. ‘’t escape death or taxes even in this realm?’ He shook his head slowly at his own thoughts, almost smirking.

  They could see the shapes in the distahree heavily armoured individuals on horseback, oowards the front, with two riding slightly behind them. One of the pair in the back carried a banner, chequered yellow and white. As they approached, Adam he leading rider wore full pte, while the others wore , with extra bits of metal strapped to them treater prote for their shoulders and front.

  As the leading rider approached, slowing once he was within the vilge, he lifted his visor to reveal his face. He was scarred from cheek to cheek, and wore a thick beard under his helmet, which was hidden behind the s that fell like a curtain to cover his and nebsp;

  “Chief.”

  “M’lord.”

  The lord’s eyes fell across the four newers. He heir pte mail, meaning they could have easily been hough no doubt were just fortunate adventurers. Two did not wear armour, but they seemed quite fit and capable, and sidering their ons, they didn’t seem to be wet behind their ears.

  “Any trouble?”

  “No, m’lord.”

  “The tax is due.”

  “Of course, m’lord.” The chief owards another, whht over a small chest, opening it up to reveal the gold and silver. The knight gowards it, and seeing that it was mostly in order, he nodded, and the rider who wasn’t holding the barotted up and took the chest.

  “The tax from travellers is a gold per head,” the knight said. “It must be paid if you wish to survive in a vilge under my prote.”

  Adam chewed on his thoughts for a moment, resisting the urge to speak up. He had so much he wao say, but realised he shouldn’t start a fight with every little lord that he met.

  “Okay,” Jurot replied. “We have yet to be paid, but we have earned more than fold.” Jurot’s head slowly turo the chief, waiting to see what he would do.

  “Right,” the chief said, nodding his head. “We’ll, uh, gather some more silver, shall we?”

  As someoo find some silver, the knight tio eye up the group. Jurot thought for a moment, and he look in the knight’s eyes. It was obviously displeasure, something they had all picked up on, something which they were all used to.

  “Adam,” Jurot called.

  “Yeah?”

  “Bring the pelt.”

  “Okay.” Adam stepped away for a moment, feeling the gaze of the knight against his back. He grabbed the pelt which had beeed, and had been buo one side, and brought it out with him.

  “We are new in this nd, and have yet to learn of its s,” Jurot said. “We will gift you this pelt.”

  “A greatwolf pelt?” the knight asked, his eyes gng across it. “I did hear that you had mao kill it.” He tio eye up each of them. He had also heard that only one of them had fought it, an impressive aplishment. “Did you sy it?”

  “Yes,” Jurot said.

  “Unarmoured?”

  “I do not shirk from blows.”

  “Shall I firm such a matter?” the knight asked, reag for his bde.

  Adam cleared his throat, and was about to speak up, before Jurot spoke up.

  “If you’re willing to-, the Iyrman stated, before he was interrupted.

  “You may,” Kitool said. “If you are willing to allow him to do the same.”

  “You wish to take a swing at a noble?”

  “We have swung at many nobles,” Kitool said. “They are typically well trained, so are worthy to spar against.”

  “You’ve sparred against nobles?”

  “We have fought them in a setting which did not call for either side to die.”

  The knight narrowed his eyes towards the young woman. She spoke in a peculiar way, a way whiobles preferred to speak. He wasn’t sure what she meant by it, or if it was a threat. No, who would wish to start trouble with hey seemed to want to do the opposite, and they had kept out of trouble thus far.

  “I will accept the pelt as a gift,” the knight stated, bowing his head lightly.

  “Good ch-,” Adam said, wing as Jaygak elbowed him.

  “You almost mao get through oing with a hout trying to get yourself killed,” Jaygak stated.

  “I think you’ll fine, Jaygak, that plenty of nobles love me. In fact, I was going to pliment the good lord, and then you so rudely stopped me. Five her, good lord, for she has no idea how to speak with nobles.”

  “What about all the nobles you’ve offended?”

  “Name one.”

  “Only one?”

  “Just one.”

  “There’s Sir Har-,”

  “See? You ’t even name a single noble.”

  “Sir Ros-,”

  “How is it that you ’t even name a single noble when you’re so fident?”

  “Sir Ka-,”

  “Anyhow, how about we stop this nonsense. We’ve got to show our best side to the noble, and it’s difficult with you bickering with me.”

  Jaygak noted Adam’s light tohroughout, uanding he was joking, and she could see how he shook to stifle his ughter. “Adam.” Jaygak’s tone was serious, and very quickly Adam stopped shaking.

  Jurot looked up towards the knight and blinked. “My brother is only known as a fool.”

  “I see,” the knight replied, nodding his head. Once he had received the tax he returned bad followed the trail out, heading to the vilge to receive more tax.

  “I don’t think he likes us,” Adam said.

  “I don’t think he likes you,” Jaygak corrected.

  “You talking a lot of smack for someone whose within axe swinging range.”

  “You talk a lot of smack for someone whose brother is within verbal range.”

  “Jurot wouldn’t attack me.”

  “He has.”

  “When?”

  “When you had the sword.”

  “I didn’t have a…” Adam narrowed his eyes. “That doesn’t t. I was cur-,”

  “Yes,” Jaygak stated, spping his shoulder. “It does.”

  Adam threw a look towards his brother for support, before sighing. “Alright. Sure.”

  The chief stared at the trio, w if they were going to be the death of him.

  The bell rung within the vilge. It had been a couple of weeks sihe knight had takeax. As the days had passed by, the group tio help the vilge deal with the beasts which drew close to the town. It had been a week sihey had st seen as, but evehey had attacked, the vilgers hadn’t rung the bell.

  Adam marched calmly through the streets, the vilgers bustling chaotically, grabbing various arms as a group of ten figures approached the vilge. Three wore armour, six wore thick hides, and another was half naked, her chest almost bare.

  The half naked woman carried a rge scythe, ohat was far too unwieldy for any normal person to wield, but she was even taller than Adam, and was thick with muscle. Her dark hair had been cut short, though not quite as as Katool’s bobs. It was as though she had used the scythe to cut her hair.

  ‘Nice,’ Adam thought. It was theiced that most of the figures were women, all save three.

  “We’ve e for your taxes!” shouted the dark haired, half naked woman. She he appearance of the four, each far more heavily armed than the vilgers, with two wearing full pte. Her lips formed wide grin, revealing her jagged, yellow teeth.

  Adam looked to Jurot, w if he wao talk, but Jurot motioned Adam with his head. The Half Elf stepped forward, rexing his arm between his axe head and his thigh. “Weird, that. I recall we paid taxes to the lord not so long ago.”

  The woman grinned wider. “You’ve got a quarter, otherwise we’ll start ruining your farms, aing a few of you.” She eyed up the four. They did seem quite tough, but they didn’t o fight them in particur, they could just cause some trouble areat. They could always hit another vilge if they o.

  “A quarter?”

  “A quarter’s plenty of time for you to grab your valuables,” the woman said, smirking wider. “Nice armour.”

  “Thank you,” Adam said, gng to his side. “Quarter’s plenty of time to figure out what we should do. Hey, chief, bandits a on problem around these parts?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fair.” Adam o Jurot. “You hahe woman, I’ll hahe three guys to the side?”

  “You don’t want the leader?” Jaygak asked.

  “If I beat a woman I’ll get celled,” Adam replied, chug lightly.

  “What?”

  “Never mind.” Adam cleared his throat. “So?”

  “I will deal with the leader,” Jurot assured.

  “You good to hahree women each?” Adam asked the pair.

  “Hey!” the woman snarled, stepping forward. “What are you talking about?”

  “Just how we’re splitting you all,” Adam replied, casually.

  “Do you know who that is?” Jim asked, staring at the woman. “That’s Red Scythe Brenna. Hadn’t heard she had made her way here.”

  “They got a bounty on their head?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “Looks like we’re eating good tonight,” Adam said, grinning wide.

  “ you really fight them?” Jim asked, while Jurot removed his tunic, revealing his under shirt, which he pulled off.

  “Chief Jim, bandits are our speciality.” Adam shrugged off his cloak, and drew Wraith.

  “Bastards!” Brenna growled. “Get ‘em!”

  A quarter is more than enough time.