That afternoon the weather packed in, Tonic rode in on the storm front arriving with the rain. He landed in the back of the cart.
"So, you beat the rain," said Raya.
Tonic squawked and ruffled his feathers looking pleased with himself. They made camp early near a block of trees where the Vior reached out towards the road. Flow was pleased to get some shelter in the trees and the others closed in the canvas as best they could.
"I'm glad we are not out in the open tonight, this is a proper downpour. They had just finished a cake that the Tushney’s had made for an easy dinner when they heard Flow whiney and stamp.
"Something is up," said Will, grabbing the axe and heading out. Coming through the rain were two cloaked figures, one of them with a sword was limping badly, the other with a staff.
"Don’t come any closer" said Raya "or I will make this one count."
The man with a limp leered "I was hoping we would run into you two again. This time there is no easy escape."
Raya steadied her aim and was ready to fire when she was grabbed from behind by firm rough hands. Soon she had a knife to her throat.
Her captor called out to Will.
"Drop the axe kid, or your friend gets it."
Will backed into the trees "Raya are you ok?" he called.
"I'm fine but I think we are in trouble this time, listen to what they say"
The rain continued to pour down.
"Let her go first" called Will.
Tonic launched from the back of the cart like some mystical rain bird. The man with the staff took a step back.
"Call that thing off now!" he shouted as Tonic flew up into the rain.
"Thats the devil bird I told you about," he called out to the new robber.
"Get him to cooperate or I will!” shouted the man behind Raya.
Suddenly from the coppice of trees a dark shadow came bounding out and leapt past Will and Raya. The man that was holding Raya spun his head around letting his hold on her loosen. Raya wriggled an arm free and pulled bitesie from her belt. Before she could react any further her attacker let go completely as he turned to face the wolf that was about to attack. Raya acted quickly and stabbed the back of the man's knee. At the same moment the Wolf leapt at the man. Raya rolled out of the way and grabbed her bow searching to see if there were any more Thugs. Tonic took the que and flew in from the storm screeching but missing the man with the staff as he waved it wildly at him.
"f--k this I'm out of here" he called to the man with the sword and took off.
Tonic came in for another attack and Raya let her arrow loose hitting the man in the shoulder of his sword arm. The man dropped his sword and flung himself to the ground to escape the eagle.
“No more” he cried “I surrender.”
The Wolf was standing over the other man growling savagely.
"Tie the sword man up while Tonic and I cover you. I think your mate Stick has the other one under control.”
Will dashed to the cart, got the rope and bound the swordsman after liberating him of the rather nice cloak he was wearing. Meanwhile Stick had the other man pinned, growling with bared teeth within an inch of his face.
"I can call him off if you promise not to kick up a fight.” called Will, the man nodded.
"Any trouble and I will order him to kill." said Will.
Stick backed off as Will approached. Soon the second man was bound. Will gave thanks to Stick who seemed to understand. He howled then cantered off into the rain. Will searched both men and produced three knives as well as the sword. "Now what," he whispered to Raya, "I don't know but I think we should make for the Tungol village. I don't think I could sleep with them tied up to the cart with another on the loose" Me neither" said Will.
Will apologized to Flow and they hitched her up. It was a soggy plod back to the road and with all the moons blocked by rain clouds it was dark. In the distance a small cluster of houses appeared some light was showing around the door and window shutters of one.
"I'm going to run over to see if they can help." said Will.
A grumpy looking man answered the door but soon softened when he heard Wills story.
"My son lives in the next house and has an underground cool room that we can leave those rotten thieves in. They have been troubling our road for months but the queen, may she rot in her castle, won't send any help. You must tell us how you caught them in the morning... Let go wake up Dantanion"
Dantanion came to the door with an axe in his hand.
"What are you doing waking me at this late hour, and in such a vile storm father.”
Tantion, the father, explained Wills predicament and proposed his idea.
"Ha, sounds good to me let's go get them. You must tell me how you caught them in the morning." said Dantanion.
Will laughed “you and your father both it seems.”
Tantion was smiling too. Once the men were locked away Dantanion sent Will and Raya to the barn.
"You can roll your cart right in. Our horse is in the stable but tie yours up where you like. I'm going back to bed"
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In the morning Raya and Will woke to a clear day with glorious morning sun streaming into the barn. They had slept well past sunrise after their ordeal the night before.
"It's hard to believe that last night really happened except for the bruise on my shoulder and waking up in a strange barn" said Raya yawning.
"For sure, where did Stick appear from, he was like a wonderous apparition. Maybe he was tracking us or maybe it was just luck." said Will.
"Well thank goodness for Stick, we might even owe him now," laughed Raya.
"Good Moring travellers" it was Tantion, "come over for a cooked breakfast, there ae a few people who would like to meet you."
There were a dozen people outside Tention's house who cheered when Raya and Will came around the corner. They both took a step back, not expecting such a crowd.
"Give them some room. First breakfast then we can talk business. Come inside" said Tention.
He sat them at a simple table and fried potatoes and eggs while he explained that these particular highway robbers had been a real problem in the area and the people outside wanted to come and thank them for catching the robbers and to get your help in tracking down the last one down.
"We are not fighters, though we have seen some action, I am a honey gatherer and Will is a farm hand and bird trainer, it was more luck than anything that allowed us to catch them," said Raya.
"What about a tamed wolf and giant eagle? I hear of you animals from the prisoners in the cool store. They were terrified of them." laughed Tantion.
After the quick meal they went out to meet the crowd. They were farmers and rural traders, all there because they had had trouble from the robbers in some way or another. One of the group explained that many desperate people passed on the road, but this group had stayed for months and were vicious in their attacks on traveler's. They believed that the group had a hideout to the south of the village not too far off the road. Collectively they had gathered up a dozen copper coins to give them as a thank you. They said they would like Will and Raya to help track down the last robber and their den.
"None of us are fighters but we have all had enough, Dantanion has ridden out to bring back Gilbert with his hunting dog. With your wolf and Eagle, we should be able to find that last man of the group." said one of the women.
"We would love to help but there is no wolf. He is a wild one I helped once, my eagle may be able to help. I am a bird trainer, and a hauler of goods and Raya here is a honey collector. All the same we would love to help if we can" said Will.
"I use this road all the time and agree with Will that together we can all get this done." said Raya.
Gilbert and his dog arrived as they were finishing describing the ordeal of last night. He suggested that they started where the fight happened. It was an hours walk but it was great to feel so safe going with so many people. They all had the same view of the queen saying that she had never sent soldiers to defend the road, only the taxman. At the site of the skirmish the ground was torn up, any scent was scattered and diluted by the rain. Still Gilbert managed to pick up the trail of the last man by making a wide circle of the scene. It was relatively easy to track the footprints with the softened wet ground. After following them for an hour or so towards the Vior they found a more defined trail leading into a coppice of trees.
"Well, I reckon he is in there but buggered if I'm going in to flush him out." said Gilbert.
The others looked around at each other not knowing how to proceed. Will smiled at Raya then stepped up to the front of the group. First, he whistled to Tonic who called back and came circling in.
"If you come out now, I won't release the Wolf in there, my eagle has the coppice covered along with a dozen of us. You have 10 seconds... 9 ... 8 ... 7 ...!" Yelled Will.
"Ok I'm coming out, keep a hold on that bloody beast."
A wet and battered robber emerged with his hands held in the air. Gilbert lashed his hands together and a cheer went up through the group. He was searched for weapons but carried none.
"Ok let's split in two. You lot stay with the prisoner and the rest come with me.” said the lead woman.
Inside the coppice was a rough camp. They found an axe, a knife stuck into a tree and some cooking pots. All valuable things to a poor community, the woman who had divided the group came up to Will.
"There is more here I'm sure, do you think you eagle could persuade our friend out there to tell us where it is?"
"It's worth a try." Will replied.
The woman, Maple, asked where the rest of the robber's stash was, and the man refused to say.
"Will" she signalled to him.
Will whistled to Tonic and pointed at the man. Tonic who had been watching the whole proceedings with interest spread his wings and let out a fierce cry as he took to the air straight at the Robber. The man threw himself on the ground crying out.
"it's under the stump on the north side of the coppice."
"Perfect, we won't have to get the eagle mess you up again. it wouldn't have been pretty," said the Maple.
Calling in the others she headed to where the stash had been hidden.
Sure enough, there was a hollow under a stump obscured by some low shrubs. Inside it was a small chest. They were about to smash the lock with the axe when Gilbert appeared around the trees,
"hold on, hold on, you might like to try this first" and produced a key he found when searching the prisoner.
Inside was a small fortune in the eyes of the farmers. Handfuls of Silver and copper coins, some jewelery and ornate candle sticks, cutlery and a few gems.
"whew" whistled Maple. "This will see us all through the next winter and then some."
On the way back she proposed that they split the findings in half. One half would be split between the party that had gone to find the man, the other half to be spread around the community as an even share per person, and the axe goes to Gilbert,
“cos he aint got one" she laughed at some standing joke that many of the other villagers enjoyed about Gilbert and his axe or lack of one.
Gilbert took it graciously "I would be most appreciative of such a reward for my troubles today."
And so it was settled, all agreed on the plan.
There was a party that night in the big barn. Before the treasure was divided up, they bought a hog from Tantion and vegetables from various people in the village to make a huge feast for the whole community. The treasure was divided up and the appropriate share given to each person who arrived and shares with friends to others who could not make it. Best of all they tied up the three men and made them watch as their treasure dispersed. After the feast they set a huge fire alight, people bought out drums and fiddles and danced into the night.
Will and Raya were given 3 silver pieces each and an ornate necklace to split as well as being told to keep the sword and three knives.
"Those are your own spoils of war" said Maple grinning from ear to ear.
"Well, I'm glad it turned out so well for everyone," said Raya.
"What will happen to them" she asked.
"Some of the villagers will take them to the castle and they will likely be put to work in Seafon-Masah most likley. I don't think they will trouble us again."
In the morning there were still many guests milling around, some still asleep in the barn.
“We haven't had a knees up like that for a long while," said Tantion. "Let me get you fed before you hit the road.”
After breakfast he wrapped some cold meat from the night before in a cloth.
“Take it before the scavengers wake up and finish it off,” he chuckled. “And do stop in any if you are coming through.”
“It was a pleasure meeting you and your community, I have passed here so many times and now I can enjoy seeing familiar faces” said Raya who gifted Tantion some of her honey in return for his kindness.
“You have been a wonderful host” she added.
It felt strange to leave to a huge cheer from the guests and then receive several more as they made their way along the road. To soon they left the area headed for the Tungol scholar's village. They didn’t stop there for long but picked up a passenger and a few sheep to drove into town. The Tungol scholar they picked up was called Fern and was taking her turn at the castle.
“I hate going there these days it has such a cold feeling. Back in the day I would have had trouble rustling stock like this but nowadays I feel it is more than justified and I get a ride to town as well.” she said smiling.