The next morning Thal awoke to the sound of Hunter hitting a spoon against Toka’s metal cooking pot.

“Morning, ladies!” he yelled, “Time to get up, we’ve gotta eat breakfast and go. Half-an-hour. It’s a manhunt, people, not a hike.”

Thal’s back was sore; sleeping on the ground was an aspect of adventuring he would have to adjust to. Still there was some refreshing element to camping he hadn’t felt in some time. The air was clean, the sky was blue and there was a grassy, leafy aroma in the air. At least until Toka threw choice cuts from a couple of yesterday’s rabbits onto a pan, which Thal decided smelt even better. He wouldn’t have thought it possible, but within half an hour his belly was full, his bag was packed and he was on his horse, riding back towards the road. The morning’s journey was also a pleasant experience. After the previous day’s march he felt a lot more confident in a saddle. Time seemed to fly by and Thal almost forgot why he was riding in this company in the first place.

Then it happened. “Thup.” An arrow struck Toka in the shoulder and he fell down from his horse.

“Ambush” Boss called, already dismounting.

Any alarm in her voice was tempered by experience. Truthfully, Thal had called out wasps with more fervour. A roar came up from the tree line as men charged down towards the party. Before Thal’s mind caught up to what was happening everyone was down from their horses, weapon in hand and in formation. There was a loud “twang” and Thal’s eyes caught the resonant vibrations of Hunter’s crossbow as one of the attackers fell to the ground, a bolt fletching-deep in his chest. Before he had hit the ground Hunter was already wrenching back the lever and the peculiar mechanism above deposited another bolt. Thal – still clambering down from his horse – saw Namu brandishing his blowpipe. One swift exhale and a purple-feathered dart struck a man near the back of the attackers. The foremost ambusher reached the party and brought his sword around for a broad swing. Boss, with one motion, parried the attack with her shield and brought her axe down on the side of the man’s neck. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Another reached Sun, who brought his spear-like weapon around over his head and struck the attacker across his chest. Blood painted the leafy ground several feet away. Thal was finally dismounted, wand in hand, and stumbling over to the injured Toka. All conscious thought had long abandoned him; it was all he could do to stop and stare at the ten or so ambushers still descending upon the group. Namu threw a handful of caltrops across their path, slowing a couple of men, one of which was promptly dispatched by Hunter and his crossbow. The repeating crossbow, the rare and oh-so-expensive Gnomic invention was then dumped on the ground in favour of the sabre, with which Hunter charged the other man. Sun strafed to engage two flanking left of the party, moving expertly to dodge and parry their attacks while the blade of his weapon swung menacingly around catching arms and legs. Namu sent throwing stars flying at random attackers, before pulling a curved dagger from his belt and pouncing on one directly. Boss seemed to be in her element, moving her axe and shield faster than Thal thought possible, blocking attacks and landing hits on three men at once.

As the half-orc, the ape-man and the two men fought viciously, three of the ambushers flanked around to the right, with eyes for Thal and Toka. One of the flankers - with a purple-feathered dart protruding from his shoulder - collapsed into a heap. Toka drew one of the large hunting spears from his pack, wound his arm back, then launched the six-foot-long, bone-tipped, projectile into the chest of another, not only stopping his momentum completely but launching him onto his back. The goliath then fell to one knee, clutching at the arrow wound on his shoulder. As a token for his exertion, blood ran in thick streams over his cloth armour and down the length of his arm. The third assailant, a fellow dressed in a poorly-fitting cloth shirt and breeches with a shaved head, was still charging; sword raised and teeth bared in a rictus.

Helplessness threatened to swallow Thal before he remembered the wand in his hand. He brought it up in front on him and chose a spell without thinking.

“Whyne Lhem.”

He almost shrieked the command words, jerking his wand forward as a narrow branch of blue-white electricity connected the end of his wand to the torso of the attacker. Thal had learnt that particular spell a number of years ago, had demonstrated it on many occasions, but had never seen it cast on a real person before. The man with the shaved head seemed to freeze in place as the current passed through him, dropping his sword and then falling to his knees. Thal froze as well, unable to process what he was doing. He simply stared as the man, now free from the spell, picked his sword from the ground and lumbered after him.

“Whyne Lhem.”

The man in cloth was expecting it this time, but he fell nevertheless, face contorted and body in spasms. This time Thal held the spell. The blue-white branching lines did not relent as the man lay there shaking. Thal dare not break off the spell, lest the man rose and he had to do it all again. He did not yield the spell until well after the spasms had ceased.

Thal couldn’t be sure how the rest of the fight concluded; his eyes never left the body in front of him. He looked to be short of his middle years.

“Thal?”

His clothing, where it wasn’t singed, suggested banditry hadn’t proved a lucrative path.

“Thal?”

He wore no ring, so unmarried. Perhaps he had some sweetheart waiting for him in a village somewhere. Wisps of smoke continued to rise from his person.

“THAL?”

Startled, the young mage turned to see Hunter standing beside him, hands raised as if to protect himself. Thal hadn’t noticed himself raising his wand at Hunter, and rushed to lower it.

“I saw the lightning. Figured that’d be your handiwork. First time?”

Thal didn’t know what to say. He looked around at the scene. Sun was tending to Toka, Namu and Boss were examining some of the bodies of the ambushers, and all were pointedly not looking at him. He didn’t know whether to feel like an embarrassed beginner or an ashamed murderer.

“Are you… uh. Are you gonna be alright?”

“I’m fine. I think. I’ve just never…” he looked back to the body, then to Hunter. “I’ve never done that before. I know you warned me, I just never thought…”

Thal’s eyes fell to the wand in his hand. It looked the same as it always had, but there was blood on it now, in his eyes. A stain that would never come off. For the first time he held his wand and felt the weight of a weapon.

Why couldn’t it have been a monster, like in the stories? A gant-y-tan or a goblin or something. Just not a person. Not for the first…

Thal’s attention was dragged back into the present by Boss’ face, inches in front of his.

“You killed a man, correct?”

“Yeah...”

Thal’s reply was uneasy. Those might have been the only words Boss had spoken to him and him alone since the tavern back in Berrus.

Stolen novel; please report.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

The words were kind, but Thal couldn’t detect a trace of compassion in her voice.

“Well I…”

“I don’t care.” She cut him off, curtly, “Nobody cares. I just killed three men, and I’m not about to cry about it.”

Thal was stunned.

“Could you do it again?”

“Uh, I… I mean I…” he was stuttering when Boss cut him off again;

“Could you kill tomorrow? Could you kill later today if I asked you to? Or do I have to send you home?”

Mechanical, unfeeling had given way to real anger in her voice.

Did I do something wrong?

“Yes” was all he mumbled.

“Could you do it again?”

The anger was more pronounced now, her voice like thunder.

“Yes.”

He tried to match her volume, but the word caught in his throat.

“Good. And don’t hesitate next time. I saw what you did. You compromised our flank and you put Toka in danger. When we’re fighting, we have each other’s backs. Inaction puts us all at risk. I do not want to see that again.”

“Can we speak for a moment?” Hunter cut in.

His face was livid and there was venom in his voice. Boss said nothing, only shot him a look that could freeze blood.

“In private.” he added, his expression unchanged. The two marched into the woods. Raised voices could be heard, but what they said was unclear.

“Pay her no mind” said Namu, now standing beside Thal. “She doesn’t mean to single you out, she’s just keeping us safe. In her own way. Now come, this is the most important part of any battle; the looting.”

As he finished speaking the Vanaran was already strolling over to the nearest corpse.

“And don’t just check their packs and coin purses” he called over his shoulder, “there could be rings, necklaces, expensive keepsakes. You really have to check everywhere.”

These were not comforting words, but it was the kind of talk Thal had come to expect from Namu. Sun was absorbed in healing and Toka’s attention was squarely focused on the arrow being drawn from his shoulder. Unsure of what else to do, Thal joined the Vanaran, happily going about his grim task, serenaded by the yelling emanating from just behind the tree-line.

What was it he said? Check everywhere?

A short while later Hunter and Boss emerged from their discussion.

“These were not the prisoners. They’re just some bandits.” Boss called out. “But we’ll track these ones back to their hideout anyway.”

Hunter looked at her sideways, rolled his eyes, then spoke up in expository tones.

“These gentlemen could have either murdered our quarry for us or hired them. Or never laid eyes on the bastards. But a lead's a lead.”

It didn’t take long for Namu to find the trail of a dozen men, and everyone proceeded on foot leading their horses in the direction of the bandit’s hideout.

After ten minutes of walking they spotted a collection of tents surrounding a campfire and a small, wooden hovel. Two men could be seen sitting by the fire, but from the party’s position no-one could be sure if there were more. Namu went in for a closer look, crawling silently through the undergrowth. He came back reporting that the two by the fire were alone.

“Alright,” said Hunter in a low voice, “Toka, I want you to handle the one on the left with your bow. Thal, you have the one on the right.”

Me? You’re the one with the bloody crossbow, Thal thought, to himself, while nodding in agreement.

He and Toka set off, and moved low through the undergrowth towards the camp. His heart quickened in steps as he came nearer to his target.

Which spell do I cast? It has to be fast. But it also has to fell the man in one hit.

He settled on a Ray of Freezing; it would be precise, immediate and if it failed to take down the man, he would be slowed by the extreme cold. At least long enough for a second spell to be cast.

Thal looked to Toka, whose shoulder seemed to give him no trouble as he drew his enormous bone-hewn bow and notched an improbably large arrow.

It must be three feet long. At the right angle he could probably skewer both bandits with that thing.

“On my count of three” Toka said, softly and deliberately. Thal raised his wand.

“One.”

Thal took a deep breath.

“Two.”

He began speaking the first words of the spell; “Vors…”

“Three.”

Toka loosed his arrow and it found the neck of his target, nearly taking the head off with it.

“... Jhil.”

Thal stood upright and threw his arm toward the bandit. A narrow, silvery-white line shot out the end of his wand and hit the bandit in the side, causing him to fall to the ground clutching at his ribs. If he tried to scream, it didn’t work. Though Thal could hear the man’s sharp, violent intake of breath even from where he stood. A follow-up spell was ready, but the man had fallen behind the log he was sat on. Thal no longer had a clear shot.

If I have to go over there…

“Chuum Schill.”

Mage’s Armour created a magical layer that outlined Thal like a glove. The mostly-transparent, shimmering barrier would shield him from a limited amount of damage. Limited, he reminded himself. He approached the camp cautiously. Unasked, Toka followed close behind, arrow notched. Thal was immensely grateful that he did.

Whimpering could be heard as the two strafed either way around the wooden log, and as they came around Thal could see clearly the injury he had imparted on the bandit. The ray had ripped open the side of his cloth tunic, broken the skin where it hit and turned all the surrounding flesh blue. He was shivering violently.

“Bastard!” he screamed at Thal. “Damned wizards!”

Before the man could make another sound Thal cast a blue arc of lightning to silence him.

That makes two today. Two lives.

Thal’s stomach seemed to drop a couple of inches and he could almost taste the rabbit he had eaten that morning. He heard footsteps and looked back to the approaching party, then back to his victim.

I shouldn’t have let him make so much noise.

He anticipated another talking-to from Boss. But she walked by without saying anything.

“She’s not mad, because you didn’t hesitate this time,” Hunter whispered. “Plus she knows, that you know, that you should have killed him with the first spell. She’s not gonna tell you something that you already know.”

It took a second for Thal to get his head around this information.

Boss’ leadership style might take some getting used to. That and the murdering.

“One more thing, you might want to get yourself a misericord. Not a literal knife, mind you. Just something quick and painless, for when they’re already down. I’m sure you can think of something. If not, well you do have an actual knife. Just a thought.”

Thal nodded to Hunter and – pondering the grim request – joined Namu, who was already ransacking the camp. After discovering and claiming a wooden chest filled with one hundred Oros, a couple of mundane short-swords – to be hauled back to Berrus and sold – and some beef and potatoes in the bandit’s pantry, the group returned to Sun, who was waiting just outside of camp with the horses. Mounted, they set off again in the direction they had picked out that morning. It was well past midday by this point; the adventurers were tired from the earlier battle and the smell of meat and potatoes was too tempting. As soon as they were comfortably far away enough from the site of the attack they stopped for lunch.