Arrow in the knee - I so very much wanted to use that, but I did not!

Chapter 22 - Old Baul

Riin’s POV

Asperd Isles - Spring, Flood Village

The two days waiting for the trade wagon to get here, was used on preparing me for the dangers, of traveling on the road, courtesy of my dear mother. On the day of my departure, father took me to meet the driver for the trade wagon, an old grey haired man by the name, Baul. Baul was the driver of a wagon pulled by two horses, together with him was two men, each riding their own horses. Protection detail, I guess, so the whispers of attacks on the road, was probably more than just old granny's talk. The two guards gave a nod as a greeting, when we reached Baul. I decided to name them, guard one and guard two. Baul had cleared a seat for me, in the back of the wagon, while father talked a bit with him, not that I didn't care to listen, at this point I really just wanted to go off on my own for a bit.

“Take care of yourself now, boy.”

Father's hand landed on my head ruffling my hair into a big mess, he gave a laugh at my expression when he was done, well good for him. He then held eye contact with me for a short while, before turn and looking towards our house.

“I mean it, Riin. You take good care out there now, don't play the hero, okay?”

A smile formed on my lips before I could stop it, I am sure that I'm not going to play the hero, if I can gain something from it, the I might go and check it out.

“I will, father. Take care of mother.”

That drew a new laugh from him, before he gave a short nod, turned and walked away, home to what was probably a crying wife.

Baul, turned out to be an overly happy old man, with him singing the first few hours of the trip. I use the time to relax and power nap as we had a long trip ahead of us. We came to an inn just after the sun had set, [Outpost Inn] it was named… these people and their naming sense. Baul, rode the wagon around the back and a boy around my age, took the horse into a small barn. Guard one and two, then covered the wagon with a big blanket made from treated leather, to shield it from any bad weather, I guess. He gave me a smile and waved for me to follow him, speaking as he walked.

“Come, come, boy. Let's get some dinner.”

With that said, he proceeded to walk inside from the back door, or what to me looked like the back door, might just have been the kitchen door, who knows. Inside I was met with a rather large common room, a small desk that functions as a bar, run along the wall which hold the stairs up to the second floor, a few tables are spread out around the room, all in all its build is build like that of [Wave Inn].

Baul, followed by me who is followed by the guards, walk over to a big bearded man, who is tending the bar, He greets Baul with a smile followed by a rather loud laugh.

“Haha, what's this Baul, have you finally taken on an apprentice?”

Baul too laugh and shakes his head a little.

“No, no, this one is getting a ride to [Flinty Village], now what's on the menu tonight?”

We were shown a table in the corner and are served, what I believe to be stew of some kind. After dinner, Baul took me up to the room that we would be spending the night in, a fourman bunkbed room.

“It's not much, but it's better than a night in the stable, haha.”

With that comment the old man went to undress and proceed to the bed, the two guards had yet to join us, but my guess was that they would soon.

“Get some sleep boy, we are leaving before sunrise.”

A snoring soon followed, luckily for me not as loudly as fathers, I stripped down to by pants and crawled up the small ladder to my bed for the night.

An hour before sunrise I was awoken by the guards closing the door as they left, a quick check of their beds proved that they had taken their few items with them out, getting ready to leave. I crawled down the small wooden ladder and proceeded to get dressed, just as I had gotten fully dressed did the door reopened and Baul entered with a smile on his face. I wonder if the man is a morning person, who can be so happy before the sun is even up.

“Good morning boy, good, good, you are up and dressed, we are ready to leave, grabbed you some bread and butter for the trip.”

With that he placed a package on the small table at the end of the beds, by the smell I would say that it was my breakfast.

“Come down as soon as you are down, we leave then.”

I gave him a nod and grabbed my backpack, as I turned to grab the food I heard him leave the room.

“I will be down by the horses, boy.”

A quick recheck to see if I had missed anything and then I was heading for the stable. Giving a greeting nod to the innkeeper, I left out of the back door. Getting met by the wagon ready to go, the guards on their horses and Baul in the driver seat, I quickly stepped around to the back and got up using the small two step ladder.

“Off we go, off we go.”

Baul's happy singsong voice sounded, as the set the horses in motion.

As the morning sun rose the speed in which we traveled at increased as well, I sat there enjoying my bread slowly along the way. With not much to see, other than the road, the forest to our left with the [Flinty Mountains] rising up deep in it, and grassy hills to my right, I decided to rest some more. Some time later I got awoken by the voice from guard one.

“Wake up, kid.”

I open one eye to look at him in a questionable manner, but soon I was up and awake, as his words registered in my mind.

“We got company.”

Looking up ahead of us, I found five men on horses, armed with swords and two bows, from what I could see.

“Bandits?”

The first guard looked over at me from the corner of his eye, without losing sight of the newcomers.

“Yes, are you any good with that bow? We might need some help if more showup.”

I gave a nod, slowly bring the bow into my hand and readying an arrow.

“Focus on the archers, kid.”

“Understood.”

In such times, I always found that a clear reply and few words worked best, keeping the focus on the target at hand. Baul, slowed the wagon as we neared the men blocking the road, soon coming to a hold, when one of the sword carrying ones held up his hand, as a signal for us to stop.

The man who had held up his hand, gave a smile, showing a lag of mouth hygiene at that.

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“Good greetings to you.”

The guards seemed to tense up a bit, I kept ready as Baul answered the man.

“Greetings to you too, if you could move a bit so we could pass, it would be much appreciated.”

I could hear that even as the old man smile, his voice was tense. A laugher broke out from the group, at Baul's words, the guards at each side of the wagon, tensed up even more.

“Haha, of course good sirs. That is, as soon as you have unloaded yours goods.”

“Ah, well then we might have a small problem, since I can't go and give away, my goods to all who asks.”

At the the front guy doing all the speaking, gave a overly loud sigh.

“Ah, I see, what a shame, well then boys.”

At that the group of men behind the went for their weapons. I hooked the arrow and drew back the string, the timing had to be spot on here, the moment the man turned to grab his own bow, I stood and took aim at one of the archers in the back, then released the arrow. My aim was true, as they say, hitting the man square in the face, making him drop dead, four to go.

The faces of complete and utter shock, would have made me roar with laugher, if not for the situation we were in. As the archer dropped down from his horse, the guards drew their own swords, guard one even went and smiled, as he looked at me. The surprise of having one of their men killed soon faded, the bandit in the front, growled and drew his own sword. I hooked one more arrow staring at the last archer, daring him to go for his own bow. The two guards got to work on the ones closest to them, clearly better trained the the bandits at fight on a horse, they was taken care of rather easily, with only minor cuts. As the most talkative of them, decided that running would be the best option, he was cut down as he turned his horse around, the archer got an arrow in the chest, courtesy of my pretty self. The fight ended with the archer dropping to the ground more dead than alive, guard two put him to the sword, darn experience stealer, oh well, as long as we are alive. I wonder how much experience I got from that guy.

You have killed a human - [Bandit], a lawless person. Doing so, you have gained 100 experience.

I looked around the area for a few minutes, before Baul's voice sounded out.

“There are no more, boy, or they would have been with the others.”

He looked at me as I jumped down from the wagon, walking over to get my arrows back.

“Are you okay, boy?”

Okay? does he mean like mentally okay? if so, who knows…

“I'm fine, sir. Just need my arrows back.”

Guard two, laughed at that comment, looking over, he and guard one had started to search the bodies of the dead ones, when done, they dragged them to the side of the road.

“What is going to happen to the horses?”

I really want a free one, and since I helped kill off the bandits, I think that deserves a free horse.

“We will take them to [Flinty Bay] to sell, why boy?”

Huh, why… is he fucking stupid or what, of course I want one, idiot old man. Raising a brow at his comment, I walk over to a black one, standing near the first bandit that got his end by my arrow. Patting it on the neck, or whatever that is called on a horse.

“Mind sparring me this one?”

I look over to judge his reaction. He sat still, just looking at me for a bit, while the guards drag the dead off.

“Boy, do you know how much a horse cost?”

Nope, no freaking idea, but I guess that he is about to tell me, I shook my head, seeing as I don't see how that has anything to do with the horses that he has just gotten for free.

“One like that, can easily go for around seventy gold pieces, and the saddle alone can cost as much as ten gold pieces.”

Mother fucker… that's a lot of money, still I truly don't see the problem here.

“I see, so with the four horses and saddles you have gained three hundred twenty give or take a bit, more or less for free.”

He stares at me for a short while, looking deep in thought.

“Good with numbers I see, boy.”

“Perhaps.”

Man, I really don't want to have to fight with this guys guards, over a stupid pony, well horse, but still not give me one as a thank you would be a fucking dick move, just saying.

“So, you want me to give you, a child, a horse with saddle, for free, worth eighty gold pieces at least.”

Deep breath, deeeeeep breath, I look him in the eyes as I begin to talk again, making sure he knows where I'm standing on this.

“You would have been outnumbered, had I not shot down two of them, and had the talkative one, decided to fight instead of trying to run off, even if they were untrained in fighting on horseback, you would probably have lost the encounter. You don't look able to join in on the fight so, it would have been two swords against, three swords and two bows, who by the look of this guy, could have gone into close combat with your guys. So, I don't see how giving me a horse that you have gotten for free is a big problem.”

Baul, seem to grumble a bit after my rant, only stopping when guard one speaks up.

“Boss, the kid is right, even if he is a bit rude about it.”

Ha, take that fucking old senile man, Baul looks over to guard two, who also gives a nod in agreement with guard one. He gives of a heavy sigh.

“It seems that the horse with be yours, boy. You should however, fix how you talk to your elders, mind you.”

“I will be, polite towards my elders, as long as what is said or done, is not unreasonable, mind you, sir.”

Fuck you, you stupid ungrateful little money grinding asshole, not that I would say that outloud, nope, I instead put on a smile, and give a ‘thanks’ to the very reasonable and helpful guards.

So, I have learned a few new things, as we have made our way towards [Flinty Village]. One, getting on a horse is hard when you can't reach the fucking saddle, two, riding hurts your butt like hell, how I'm going to be able to move, better question how the fuck will I get down from here, I can't feel my legs or my ass for that matter. I seems to have been give a ‘fuck my ass hurt’ look on my face as the guards gives quite a few laughs at their end, each time I accidentally move to much in the saddle, yeah, yeah very funny.