Arthur had trouble staying on his chosen horse as he fled from dozens of pursuing bandits. Els had pulled ahead of him and was leading him down a hill. Dammed beast thought Arthur as he fought to keep the palfrey moving. Arthur risked to look back at the incoming bandits, they were beginning to break pursuit and return to their burning camp.

"Els we must circle back around," shouted Arthur.

She nodded and sharply tugged on her reins pulling her destrier in a tight circle. Arthur turned his horse in a much more haphazard manner.

"Stay there Arthur," shouted Els as she charged off toward the retreating bandits.

He wasn't about to leave his fate in the hands of a single overconfident noblewoman. Arthur pulled on the reins as hard as he could digging his heels into the flanks of his horse. Els had been circling a large group of bandits, She's skiting too close to their ranks, he watched her narrowly avoid a spear thrust. Arthur heard her scream as a crossbow bolt lodge itself inside her horses chest. The large destrier panicked and charge away, Arthur pulled his horse into pursuit. Sensing weakness prey more bolts flew after Els, one struck home in her horses rear causing it to buck her off its back.

"ELS," shouted Arthur.

The bandits spotted her falling off her horse and rushed forward. Arthurs horse moved faster than the bandits and moved quickly to her side, he outstretched his hand and Els grabbed onto his forearm and held it tightly. Arthur pulled her onto the horse with all his might.

"That was close," she said into his ear.

"Hold on," said Arthur and he kicked his horse forward, the horse whinnied and trotted on the spot.

"Move goddammit," said Arthur.

"Be more gently, press your heels into his sides and lean your body forward," said Els.

Arthur followed her advice and the horse stopped fighting and started moving. Els wrapped her arms around Arthur's chest and screamed in pain as a crossbow bolt dug into her shoulder. She continued to groan in pain as they sped away.

Arthur pulled the horse to a stop when dawn broke. Els was slumped against his back barely moving.

"Els, Els wake up," said Arthur.

He felt her stir against his back, she held onto him as she slid off the horse.

"Els!" said Arthur as he watched the bloody woman slump to her knees.

He pulled himself from the saddle and grabbed Els.

"Pull it out," she whimpered.

Arthur looked at the bolt, it was buried into the muscle of her shoulder.

Looks like it missed the bone, he thought but she lost too much blood. "It can't come out yet Els, you cannot lose any more blood."

He pulled his sword belt off wrapped it around her chest and pulled it tight. He watched the blood flowing from the wound slowly.

"Stay where you are," said Arthur.

He turned back to the horse, there were two bags attached to the saddles, Arthur hadn't had time to check them at the camp. One bag was packed with hard-tac biscuit and a large waterskin. The other had some leather powder charges and lead musket balls, a metal pan and shot moulds were wrapped in a waterproof pouch.

Arthur didn't have time to ponder this bandit's equipment as he reached in and pulled a leather powder charge, the small metal pan and the waterskin out of the saddlebags. Arthur drew his longsword and began hacking at fallen branches, before long he had a small pile of dry wood. He a small amount of gunpowder onto the kindling and struck it it into a fire. While he waited for the fire to grow he cut the sleeve of his gambeson and sliced the fabric into strips. He poured the water into the pan and set it on the now raging fire, he guided Els over to the fire.

"Drink," said Arthur handing her the waterskin.

She took the waterskin with a weak hand and put it to her lips.

"This is going to hurt," said Arthur as he loosened the belt around her wound.

"I'll survive," said Els softly.

"Bite this," he held the belt up to her mouth. "Bite hard."

Arthur poured water down her back and wiped blood away from the wound. He reached into the pan of boiling water and pulled out a bandage. He pressed the fabric onto the wound and quickly tied it around the wound, tying the rest of the bandages into an arm sling and gently pulled Els's arm into it.

"Don't move your arm, at all, and your back should get better," said Arthur sitting on the ground next to Els.

"Thank you, Arthur," said Els quietly.

Arthur dug around in the saddlebags and pulled the biscuit out.

"You need to eat, you've lost a lot of blood, don't fall asleep Els eat," he said handing her the hard-tac. She opened her eyes and nibbled on the tough bread.

"Does it always hurt this much," asked Els.

Arthur mulled the question for a moment. "Depends where you get hit, wounds to the arms are the best to get because even if the rot sets in a surgeon can take your arm off and save your life."

Her eyes widened when he mention amputations. "I might lose my arm."

"Hopefully not, I cleaned the bandages and wrapped it tight, the wound was small which usually means it heals quickly," Arthur cursed his loose tongue. The last thing she needs to hear about is your horror stories.

He ran his hands across his own wounds, healing nicely. Arthur spent enough time around wounded soldiers to glean something about healing them, Els was lucky none of them had a pistol or she would have lost the arm.

Els went to lay down on the grass, he watched as the bandages went red. "Stay upright Els, laying down makes the wound bleed more," Arthur propped her up against a tree, she was already asleep when he moved her. Els wouldn't stay up right even with the tree, Arthur sat next to her and wedged her between himself and the tree, her head rolled over to rest on Arthur.

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It's going to be a long morning he thought as he watched the sun rise in the sky.

Arthur opened his eyes, he didn't remember closing his eyes. The sun was high in the sky, it's noon he thought as he moved to stand up. Els was still asleep on his shoulder, he gently shook her awake.

"Wake up, we need to go," said Arthur.

Her eyelids fluttered open and winced in pain as she pulled her back off the tree. "Have I been asleep," asked Els.

"All morning," said Arthur.

"What happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"I remember getting thrown from my horse and you coming to my rescue, then taking a bolt to the shoulder and that's it" said Els.

Her fingers prodded the bandage wrapped around her back. "Did you do that" she asked pointing at the wrappings.

"Yes," said Arthur.

"Hmm, didn't picture you as a healer," said Els.

"I know a thing or two, I wouldn't be a very good soldier if I didn't," said Arthur.

He got to his feet and pulled breakfast out of a saddlebag. He handed the dry biscuit to Els and he began to munch on his own.

"Is there nothing else," asked Els as she tapped the solid bread.

"'Fraid not," said Arthur through a mouthful of food.

The sounds of teeth cracking of pieces of hard-tac filled the small campsite as they both suffered through their first meal. Arthur busied himself saddling the horse and feeding it a handful of crushed hard-tac. Els was still sitting on the ground rubbing her back, she had barely moved since waking up.

"We need to move Els, they will be looking for us," said Arthur.

"Give me a minute Arthur," huffed Els.

The horse was saddled and ready to go. "Els we have to go now, Dove above we've lost enough daylight as it is," said Arthur.

"Arthur wait, stop," screeched Els as Arthur picked her off the ground by the armpits and set her feet on the ground.

Els flexed her shoulder and nodded. "Not as painful as I thought."

"Don't move your arm, you might tear the wound open," said Arthur.

She nodded and went to stand by the horse, she ran her hand affectionately along its neck. Arthur noticed she was whispering into its ear.

"What are you doing," said Arthur.

"Just thanking him for saving us last night," said Els.

"Yes, it was the horse that pulled you from the bandits and wrapped your injured shoulder," said Arthur with a sneer.

"How quickly you forget the night I nursed you back to health in Finepoint, the way I see it is you've just repaid your debt," said Els returning Arthurs sneer with a sly grin.

Arthur was about to launch into a rant about how many times he repaid that debt in Finepoint but Els cut him off by patting the horses saddle. "Are we going then?" she said.

"Yes," Arthur said through a clenched jaw.

Arthur walked past her to mount the horse.

"I think I should be at the front, you're a poor horseman," said Els.

"You're in no state to ride."

"You take the reins but I'll control the horse."

"Fine" said Arthur not pressing the issue.

He hoisted her up onto the horses back and put pulled himself up after her. She put her feet in the stirrups and handed Arthur the reins over her head. Els leaned back and rested her back on Arthur's chest.

"Comfortable," asked Arthur

"Very much thank you, now we ride," she pressed her heels into the horse and it trotted forward. "Which way."

"Back to the road, follow the hedgerow their, it should take us around the bandit camp," said Arthur.

Arthur legs were beginning to develop saddle sores, I hate horses he thought as he rubbed his legs. The going was slow, the weight of two people stopped the horse from traveling at a decent speed. Arthur kept scanning the distance for, any sight of bandits.

"Arthur look out," said Els pulling the reins out of his hands.

When he had been looking out for signs they were being followed he led the horse toward a hole in the grass.

"Pay attention Arthur, I don't want to be kicked from a second horse," tutted Els as she steered them away.

"Sorry, give them here, you shouldn't move your arm."

"I wouldn't have to if you knew how to ride a horse."

"I know how to ride, it's just not something I do often." Arthur pulled his eyes away from the smoke trails of the burning bandit camp and focused on the field ahead of them. He could see the road snaking off into the distance.

"The road," exclaimed Els.

She kicked the horse into a gallop as Arthur steered them to the road.

They moved quickly along the cobbled highways, the light breeze whistled in past them as they thundered toward the looming city. Heartford sat on one of the largest rivers in the High Kingdom, the central keep was built around the large river Ford from which the city got its name. The gates were heavily guarded, that's more guards than usual thought Arthur. Bands of cavalry patrolled the outskirts of the city gates. One such band stopped Els and Arthur from approaching the gate.

"Hold," said one of the guards.

Arthur tugged on the reins and brought the horse to a halt.

"Announce yourselves and your business in Heartford," said the guard.

"Lady Els Weimaer," said Els. She pulled her family signet off her neck and showed the guard.

"I'll have to find someone who can identify you before I can let you in Lady," said the guard.

They waited outside the front gate until a member of Els household showed up to confirm she was who she said she was. It was an uptight old woman, dressed in a traditional smock, who came out to inspect Els.

"Young lady what are you wearing," she harped looking up at her.

"Madame Shima, lovely to see you again." Arthur could tell from her tone she was not.

"What are you doing on that horse, your father will be wroth," said Madame Shima.

"Yes Madame," sighed Els.

The horse trotted through the gate with Shima walking alongside them complaining the entire way.

"Come lady get down from that beast and let me get you a carriage," said Shima.

"I can get to the estate on my own Madame," said Els.

"My lady you know what your father will say, it is for the best if you do as I say," said Shima.

Arthur watched the exchange with interest, Lord Weimaer was a notoriously harsh man who ran the most successful family in the Southlands. Not much else was known about him, but it seems Els it scared of him thought Arthur as Els looked away from Shima and began to pull herself from the horse.

"Let me help," said Arthur as he began to lift her out of the saddle.

"You will not lay hands on my lady," screeched Shima hitting Arthurs hand with a thin wooden stick.

He bite back the urge to curse the woman, and Els just shook her head and struggle to get down. When her feet struck the ground she quickly turned back to him.

"Arthur where will you go now," she asked.

"To the High Princes keep to present myself to Pyp. And hope he doesn't see what we did as betrayal," said Arthur.

She nodded quickly, "I'll meet you there tomorrow Arthur, wait for me," she said before Shima grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.

Arthur was left alone on his stolen horse in a street crowded by soldiers. He slipped his feet into the stirrups and kicked his horse into a trot toward the centre of Heartford. It was pleasant to see the streets busy with activity, the chilling scenes from Finepoint still cropped up in Arthur's dreams.

My dreams, ever since Finepoint my dreams have been constant and vivid thought Arthur recalling the sublime scenes from his unconscious mind.

Arthur navigated his horse around the small groups of people gathered outside of food stalls and storefronts. Arthur remembered the advice Els gave and kept his horse under control and kept himself from trampling anyone. Dozens of armed patrols marched through the streets, Baldwyn must have called the state levy, this is more troops than Heartford saw during the spymasters war thought Arthur as halberdiers and musketmen marched by. The streets became less crowded when Arthur got closer to the central keep, houses gave way to massive lordly estates with household guards keeping watch over the lavish front gates.

Arthur approached the thick wall grey walls of the keep, the yellow-black banners of the Mawsons hung on either side of the gate. Musket were trained on him as he was stopped by the captain of the gate.

"Arthur is that you," came a voice from the wall above.

"Tager," said Arthur.

"Let that man in, he's a member of the Prince's guard," Tager shouted as he disappeared from the wall.

The gate slowly groaned open and Tager was stood fully armoured. It was a deeply sloped chest plate with segmented pieces covering his shoulders and arms. He wore a straight sabre on his left side and a flintlock pistol on his right.

"You got some new armour I see," said Arthur.

"The new High Prince thought his personal guard should be equipped in the modern style," said Tager.

"Where is the High Prince," asked Arthur.

"He's currently feasting with the lords, Pyp arrived a few hours ago, we all thought you were dead," said Tager.

"I came close enough," said Arthur.

"Come, I'll take you to the High Prince he will want a report," said Tager.