They slept in the inn that night, and the next day prepared to implement Manslayer’s plan.

‘Where is Redblade’s camp?’ Ashlyn asked the mayor, Steben.

‘That I don’t know. The only one who might have an idea is Jaelin. He’s not a miner. He comes and goes.’

‘Comes and goes?’

‘Aye. Explores the land hereabout. Travels between settlements. Does odd jobs.’

Ashlyn gave him a puzzled look.

‘Some men can’t stay in the same place for long. There’s nothing wrong with it.’

‘Is he in Eisenberg now? There’s little point if he’s days away.’

‘He got back a few days ago. I’ll fetch him for you.’

Jaelin Topolski was a quietly spoken man. He wore his hair long, and with his slim build, Ashlyn thought he looked prettier than most girls she knew. Prettier than me.

‘I’ve seen Redblade’s camp from a distance,’ he told her. ‘It’s a hillfort that dominates the surrounding countryside. They can see anyone coming from miles away. You’re not thinking of attacking him there, are you?’

‘No. It’s the gang he sends to Eisenberg we’re interested in. We just need to know which route they’ll take when they leave the village.’

‘You’re going to kill them?’ he said with obvious distaste.

‘You disagree with that? How else are we supposed to stop them?’

‘I don’t disagree with it. Killink people just isn’t my thing.’

‘We’re not asking you to do that. Just get us in the right position for an ambush.’

Jaelin appeared to think about it. ‘No. I’ll help you hit them. The people of Eisenberg have been good to me and don’t deserve what’s happened to them.’ He looked at her with almond shaped, green eyes. ‘I know a good place for an ambush.’

Jaelin

Name

Jaelin Topolski

Nickname

None

Race/Nationality

Human/Livanian

Age

26

Daily Wage

7 pence

Action Stats

EXP Level

3

Action Points

4

Hit Points

19

Core Stats

Might

6

Agility

10

Grit

10

Intellect

8

Skills

Scouting, Bows (competent), Knives (competent)

Equipment

Weapons

Shortbow (damage 2-12), Knife (damage 2-8)

Armour

None

Other

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On one side was the beginnings of a forest. On the other, a rocky scarp. The narrow stretch of level grass between them had been worn into a path, probably by the local wildlife. Ashlyn could see why the location had come to Jaelin’s mind.

He took up position on the scarp and looked out the way they had come. He seemed content to stand there forever, unmoving, as if he had become part of the landscape.

The rest of them went over their plan once more.

‘Make sure you eat something,’ Femke told them, in her mothering way.

‘Alright, Auntie,’ Christoph said obediently.

‘Alright, Auntie,’ Ashlyn mimicked, with a grin.

Femke put a thumb and forefinger to Ashlyn’s cheek and squeezed. ‘You can call me Auntie all you like, dear.’

‘Then that should be your nickname. Every merc needs one, you know.’

‘Alright. On the basis that it could be a lot worse, let’s go with Auntie.’

‘Huh,’ said Wilson. ‘A stupid convention that I want no part of.’

‘Oh, you’ll be getting a nickname too, gnome,’ Ashlyn warned him.

‘I will not!’

‘It isn’t up to you.’

‘Isn’t up—by Gehenna, it is up to me.’

‘I can see them,’ Jaelin said, interrupting Ashlyn’s fun. ‘Best get into position.’

‘Numbers?’ Manslayer asked.

‘Ten. A couple of them are pulling a cart behind them. Must be the items they’ve taken from Eisenberg.’

There were a few nervous looks at that. Ten armed brigands was a lot.

‘Huh. Easy,’ Wilson said, then stomped off towards the treeline.

The rest of them moved back from the scarp edge, making sure they couldn’t be seen. Ashlyn was on the side nearest to the approaching brigands, while Manslayer took up position on the opposite end. Christoph and Jaelin readied their bows.

It was more than a stroke of luck that Jaelin had decided to join them. This ambush, combined with having an extra archer, might make the difference between success and failure. Even so, Ashlyn had no faith they were all going to make it through alive. But that was the lot of a mercenary. At the end of the day, they were disposable pawns in a larger game.

She worried about the newbies she waited with. They looked nervous, their pallor white. ‘You need to learn to enjoy this,’ she advised them.

‘Hush, now,’ said Manslayer. It was said without anger, but it was a reprimand nonetheless, and Ashlyn felt a brief mixture of shame and irritation.

She heard the noise of the trundling cart, slowly reaching their position.

Manslayer made his move, shuffling down the steep scarp. Ashlyn desperately wanted to lean forward and look, but knew better. She heard the tramp of feet, the jangle of metal armour. The cart rolled beneath her position.

Then the brigands stopped. ‘Well, what do we have here?’ a voice said.

ACTION ROUND

Brigands

Human

Brigand

Action Stats

EXP Level

2

Action Points

3

Hit Points

16

Jaelin shuffled forward, aimed, and fired his first arrow at a brigand near the front of the ten man pack. Ignoring the ring mail that covered most of his target’s torso, his arrow struck the man’s face. The brigand was sent to the ground, suffering a full twelve points of damage. Ashlyn admired Jaelin’s composure, as he fitted another missile to his string, and shot. This one hit the shoulder of the man next to his first target, taking four hit points.

Next, Manslayer took an action point to close the space to the first of the brigands. He shoved with his shield, the brigand avoiding the move. His sword Slayer came in next, but clattered against the mail, failing to cut through.

With his third action, he connected with his shield. The brigand stumbled back, and Slayer swept into empty space. Only five points of damage. Springing forwards, Manslayer missed with his shield, but finally connected with his blade. The point pierced the metal defences and sank deep, their group’s first kill.

With two action points left, Manslayer continued his assault. His shield barge did little except mess with his opponent’s stance, but Slayer struck again. A low slash was enough to finish a second brigand in one strike.

His final action point was almost an exact repeat, a strike from Slayer making a third corpse.

Ashlyn moved quickly, knowing her role was crucial. Manslayer and Jaelin had done a good job of mangling the front of the brigand group. She had to ensure those at the rear couldn’t escape.

She slid down the scarp, nearly losing control in her haste. Holding both sword and shield hampered her movement. It took her an entire action point to get to the bottom. Then, a second to make her way around the cart and come at the nearest brigand from behind.

Knowing she had to make her attack count, she struck first with her sword. Picking her spot, she slammed the edge into the back of his neck. Twisting her torso around, her shield slammed into his head. He tottered over like a felled tree, knocked unconscious.

Her second sword strike missed its target, but her follow up shield strike at least connected. The second of the cart pullers was down to twelve hit points; his action points dropped to two, which might prove useful.

The Bowman only got one arrow away in his turn, but it dropped another brigand by four hit points, and thus one action point.

With Femke under instructions to hold her position, Wilson was the last of the squad to move. The only other route of escape for the brigands was through the trees, and so the gnome came at them from his hiding place. He was fast, but his legs were short, and it took him three of his four action points before he could engage with the nearest brigand. No doubt exhausted, neither axe strike was powerful enough to get through his opponent’s quality armour.

With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Ashlyn readied herself for the brigands’ response. Had they done enough to withstand the counter attack?

All the brigand with the arrow in his face could do was stagger back to his feet. That left only five brigands to have their turn, and three of those had reduced action points.

The one who Ashlyn had struck took an action point to draw his short sword. She was close to blocking his strike, but the blade glanced off the surface of her shield and bit into her arm, taking her hit points down to thirteen.

When the next brigand—totally fresh—decided she was the easiest obstacle to break through, she knew she was in trouble.

When his spear went for her chest, she moved to block it. At the last moment, he sent it lower, and the iron head lodged into her thigh. Bursts of black and white swam in her vision, and Ashlyn barely kept her footing. He yanked at the shaft. Thankfully, the blade slid out cleanly, but it caught in her leather trews. The brigand panicked, pulling at it, until it wrenched free. With his last action point, he launched a finishing strike. Ashlyn lurched out of his way, somehow still on her feet.

Meanwhile, the brigand with the arrow in his shoulder attacked Manslayer. Despite Rigge’s substantial chain mail and mastery of the shield, one of the two strikes crept through, taking eight points of damage. Perhaps seeing this success, the brigand shot by The Bowman picked the same target. But this time, Manslayer parried one strike and took the second blow on his shield.

Wilson’s opponent, unharmed, had three action points to bring down the gnome. He blew it. The gnome’s size, his shiny breastplate, and new helm, all conspired against the brigand.

Ashlyn, barely able to keep her feet, was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Surely they’d won.

Recognising that Ashlyn was in trouble, Jaelin targeted the spearman who had nearly killed her. Both arrows struck, bringing him down to six hit points.

Manslayer again started slow, only his second sword strike connecting. The brigand with the arrow in the face was put out of his misery. Injured, Edmund only had two action points left. His next stroke decapitated his target. A shield and sword combination slew his final opponent, taking his body count to six.

Ashlyn, with only one chance to hit, swung wildly. She caught the stronger of her two opponents, taking him down from twelve hit points to six.

The Bowman, like Jaelin, tried to help Ashlyn. His first arrow lodged in his target’s armour, causing no damage. The second missed…and struck Ashlyn in the chest.

For a moment, she was able to focus on the arrow sticking out of her leather armour.

Then everything went black.