Arthur stomped back to camp, doing his best to hide his annoyance.

What does that boy know about struggle, thought Arthur, a few days in a dead city and he becomes this arrogant. Arthur preferred when the young Prince was more unsure of himself, it kept him alive in Finepoint.

But Pyp seemed determined to change everything about himself, to destroy the boy he had once been. Arthur sat down on the cart and began to violently tug at the armour on his legs.

That stunt with the farmer, having me draw my sword, the old Pyp would have never entertained such an action thought Arthur. He should be happy, Pyp was trying hard, for the first time since they had met, during their swordsmanship lessons. But Arthur couldn't help but worry at where this motivation was coming from, and how it would affect the choices Pyp made.

As he was struggling with his armour a Els appeared in front of him. "I heard the Prince during his training, should you be pushing him so hard?" she asked.

"It's what he asked for."

"He didn't seem so enthusiastic when he tried to sneak back into camp," said Els.

"It's not my fault he's embarrassed," said Arthur.

"He's a High Prince's son, he shouldn't be getting embarrassed."

"That is the only way he will learn, red in the face from the exhaustion and embarrassment at the fact you can't even touch your instructor with the sword never mind landing a good hit." Arthur had freed one leg from the tangled mess of armour and started on the other.

"Maybe I'll help with teaching him," said Els.

Arthur couldn't suppress his amused snort, "You could do with some teaching yourself, never mind teaching others."

Els crossed her arms, "I handled myself well enough in Finepoint."

Finepoint seems to make master swordsmen faster than an Everlander gets drunk thought Arthur. "A few lucky breaks do not make a swordsman, certainly not one good enough to teach El-, Lady" Arthur corrected himself last minute.

Els frowned at him, "Well maybe you can teach me alongside the Prince."

"I don't want to push too hard, this is the first time he has taken practice seriously," said Arthur.

"And you think I can't be serious," asked Els.

"I think you would be a distraction."

"Then train me separately," said Els.

"Pyp's training comes first," stated Arthur hoping it would end the conversation.

"I could order you," said Els.

Arthur looked up, he half expected her to have some wicked look on her face, but she just stared at him with a serious face. "I'm Pyp's man, not yours my lady, I take my orders from him alone." He finished pulling the armour off his legs and stacked them neatly under the cart. "If you will excuse me I need to organise a proper night watch," said Arthur.

"I've already organised the watch, only you Joth and the Prince sleep the whole night," said Els.

"I can sit watch," said Arthur.

"Mira insisted that you rest," said Els.

"Of course she did," Arthur said softly.

"I told her you wouldn't need it, you've come back from worse faster," said Els.

Arthur nodded, "I don't". And I could do without the strange dreams though Arthur. "I'll take the first watch."

Arthur marched a perimeter around the camp. The moonlight shone down on the dark grass, the wind blew gently across the wide open fields, and trees rustled in the distance. The sound was deafening in the silence of the night, he kept the camp to his back as he slowly circled around. Arthur carried no torch, which made guards too easy to spot, he had known many men who died in the dead of night torches burning in the ground next to him. A slight crunch brought his attention to a small pile of hay. Immediately he crouched low and drew his sword, feet carefully stepped over small twigs and rocks which threatened to give away Arthur's position. As he inched closer the sword was raised above his head point down, and with a single ruthless motion, he plunged it into the hay. He felt it dig into the soft dirt.

Nothing thought Arthur.

He swore he heard a noise from this direction.

+Duck+.

Arthur threw himself flat into the hay, a faint whistle above his head told him he had been spotted. He rolled to his feet quickly and whipped his head around in search of his assailant.

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Treeline thought Arthur as he spotted a silhouette of a man duck out of sight. If that was a crossbow I have time to run him down Arthur made up his mind instantly. He raised his sword high and sprinted at full speed toward his target, the man panicked and stood to run but Arthur was on him. He thrust his sword through the man's lightly armoured chest. There was silence as soon as the man hit the ground. Arthur yanked the sword out of his back and ducked behind a large tree.

Now for the other one thought Arthur, scouts always travelled in pairs.

The gentle wind whistled by Arthur's ear, he strained to hear any sound: a snapping twig, a laboured breath, a clink of sword on armour. Arthur turned to the man he killed and reached down to pick up his crossbow. It had already been cocked and the scout had been in the process of fitting the bolt before he died. Arthur finished the process and swung the weapon around searching for a target.

He'll be in the trees, I just need to wait him out, thought Arthur as he crouched motionless.

An hour passed before any movement caught Arthur's eye, a slight gleam of metal shined from behind a tree trunk. Keeping eyes on the hiding spot Arthur slowly crept from tree to tree, trying to get a clear shot at the second scout. The dead man's partner was heavily armed, a dark brown buff coat was worn under a thick breastplate, the metal he saw reflected off the mans tailed pot helmet.

Idiot, you don't wear armour when you don't want to be seen thought Arthur as he lined up his crossbow. A loud scream was followed by the bolt hitting it's mark. He aimed for the neck but the bolt fell low and pieced his chest through his left armpit. Thrashing on the ground he made no attempt to flee or get to a safer position. Arthur waited to see if any other scouts were loitering in the distance. He approached the dying man when he decided it was safe and stood above his sword raised.

"Wait! Please don't kill me," screamed the man on the ground.

Arthur looked down at the man, Jamis was right this bandit was exceptionally well-armed. He carried a flintlock pistol tucked into his belt and a finely crafted cavalry sabre in a richly adorned sheath.

"Who are you," said Arthur placing his sword on the man's bare neck.

"A noble, a rich noble, deliver me to my father and you will be well rewarded. So please put the sword away." pleaded the man.

Arthur swiped the tip of his sword across the man's neck, his eyes went wide as bright red blood flowed into the soil.

A noble, thought Arthur amused, no noble would stoop to night-time scouting.

His arms were curious, and Arthur pulled the weapons and armour off his body, Well made, expensive, no way they could afford them without help thought Arthur. Why did I duck that crossbow bolt thought Arthur, he hadn't heard the bolt in the air, he was still convinced the scout would be in the pile of hay. Something had told him to move, Arthur didn't like the thought. He bundled them all under his arms and made for the camp.

The others were not thrilled when Arthur arrived shouting them all awake.

"Everyone up. Up. We are moving now," shouted Arthur.

"Arthur what's going on," said Els as she stood half-dressed sword in hand.

"Bandits close to camp, I killed two but there will be more," said Arthur.

The camp slowly awoke, Joth climbed out of his small tent and stretched his arms, Mira rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked around confused, Grace was already hitching the horse to the cart.

"What is the meaning of all this noise," said Pyp as he pulled himself from his bed on the cart.

"We must leave sire, there are bandits are scouting the fields," said Arthur, he set the looted armour down next to the young prince, "For you sire, fine crafted arms and armour."

Arthur had cleaned the blood of the chest plate and helmet and it shone in the moonlight.

"Where did you get this," said Pyp.

"A dead scout," said Arthur "Here let me fit it on you."

Pyp didn't respond, he was busy holding up the pistol, "A flintlock," he said pulling the hammer back.

"Yes my lord one of the weapons he was carrying, we must hurry," Arthur held out the chest plate.

Pyp put the pistol down and allowed the armour to be put on him. When he was finished Pyp stood on the cart, he had the ornate cavalry sabre and flintlock pistol on his waist, with the pot helmet and chest plate protecting his upper body. The armour wasn't a good fit, the helmet was too big and the chest plate was loose around the shoulders but seeing Pyp in armour relieved Arthur.

"Is this necessary, we don't know if the bandits would have found us, I was enjoying my sleep," said Joth.

"It's not a risk I'm willing to take," said Arthur.

"We leave now, everyone pack up I want us ready to go in the next hour," said Pyp talking over Arthur.

The tired followers slowly packed away their meagre lodgings and formed up into a marching column. Arthur led the way back to the main road and set a hard pace on the hard cobbles.

"This isn't good Arthur," said Els.

"No it is not," said Arthur.

They were both stood behind a small section of wall looking out at the road which snaked ahead pf them.

"I knew those forest crofts would be our biggest problem," said Arthur.

A large camp stood half in the forested area and half on the road. They counted well over a dozen large tents and nearly a hundred small campfires, there was a small area fenced off for horses.

"Do we go around?" asked Els.

"They'll have guards spread through the forest area and the other side is flat and open, no way to get across without being spotted," said Arthur.

"So we have to go through them," said Els.

"There are hundreds of them, how might we go through them," asked Arthur.

"Then what do we do," said Els.

Arthur didn't say anything. Why is that my responsibility? thought Arthur though he knew the answer. He got them all moving early and so it fell to him to get them through.

"We've seen all that we can, the others may have some ideas on how to get past," said Arthur.

Walking back to the cart Arthur searched his memory for any similar situations he had been in or heard of. Nothing came to mind. he had always been a part of the larger force. Arthur didn't know for sure they were the same bandits he encountered when standing watch, but there was a slim chance they were not connected. Arriving back at camp Pyp was the first to speak to them.

"Well, what did you see, is the road ahead clear," he asked.

"I'm sorry my lord, the bandits are camped on the road ahead, there is no way for us to get around," said Els.

"How many of them are there," asked Pyp.

"Too many to fight," said Arthur.

"How many," Pyp asked again.

"At least a hundred," said Els.

"We wait, it's early and soon enough they will move on," said Pyp.

"We don't know where they will go, they were scouting in our direction, we have no reason to believe that they won't be bearing down on us," said Arthur.

"They are the same bandits Jamis encountered days ago, the pistol you took proves that, why would they turn back," said Pyp

Arthur had no response to Pyp's logic.

"Then we wait, and they will move off and we will have an open road to Heartford," said Pyp sitting back down.

"Yes sire," said Arthur gritting his teeth.