Another day passed and night has fallen again. The bats flew over the camp and small critters continue to creep under the foliage. John was sharpening his spear outside his tent and was already wearing his coat.

"Where are you going John?" Mary asked.

"Sergeant said that men who do extra nights of work and watch will get extra food." John replied.

"Oh, so you’re going on watch again?"

"Y-yes, Mary. I am."

"Well, be careful out there. I'll be sure to pray for you."

"Thank you, Mary," John kissed her on the forehead, "nothing bad will happen, I assure you. I'm just doing this for my family." he continued with a smile.

Richard and five of his friends approached John and greeted him and his wife.

"Let's go, John." Richard continued.

"Aye. Let's go." John replied.

Mary watched the men walked away from the camp and into the woods. She turned to the tent and was frightened by a moth sticking on the curtain. Mary grabbed a piece of wood and raised it to hit the moth, but a bat suddenly flew pass her and attacked the moth making her squeak.

John had reached the bandit camp with Richard. There were eight of them, all wore padded jackets and hood over their metal caps. On their right was a spear, on the left a shield with the army's colors.

"Just call me Captain," the leader of the bandits said, "this is a one-time operation, after this we never knew each other, we have never seen each other, got it, lads?"

"Aye, captain," everyone answered.

"Here's the plan, me and my boys will hold them back, we know how to fight, it shouldn't be a problem, while you boys carry as much cargo as you can and run back here, understand?"

"Aye, captain."

"Good, follow me."

The bandits went West of the camp guided by their leader with a lamp. After an hour of walking, they reached an elongated depression covered by ferns and the roots of trees a few paces away from the road. The Captain turned off the lamp and slowly their eyes adjust to the darkness. They waited motionless and silently. Bats and insects restlessly raced over them.

Cartwheels was then heard, lamps begun to appear, and hooves were making noise on the gravel. John gripped his spear tightly, his heart started to beat faster as they follow the lamps and sound of horses. The world began to narrow, and he begun to hear Richard breathing heavily beside him.

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"Now!" the captain commanded and charged. The bandits followed him, and they jumped out of foliage at the side of the road. The merchants were startled and immediately panicked, they drew their swords and retreated on the opposite side of the road. The captain and his friends held them away from the two carriages with their spears and shields.

John, Richard, and his friends dropped their spears and begun opening the carriages, they dragged and carried the crates into the dark forest. When John and the others returned to continue the looting, one of the merchants blew a whistle so loud it echoed through the night and startled the birds and critters nearby.

The captain of the bandits turned south and saw a cloud of dust rising.

"Knights are coming from the south, there's still time, carry what you can now and let's go!" the captain yelled.

John ran towards the forest carrying a small chest then a dog jumped and emerged out of the foliage and bit his leg. He fell down, dropped the chest, and screamed in pain as the dog locked it's jaws on to his right leg. The bandits turned North, and knights appeared from the bend.

"Ran for your lives!"

The bandits scrambled and panicked. More dogs ran toward the forest and knights in full plate harness followed them.

"Richard! Help me!" John cried.

Every one of the bandits were gone. The merchants heard his cries, ran towards him and started kicking him on the ground. John tried to crawl away, but the dog held him in place.

A knight approach the violent group and they started to step away from John. His lips were popped, head was bleeding, and his limbs were swelling. John's blood stained the ground.

"Please, sir..." John cried. Tears, blood, sweat, mucus, and saliva flowed down his face.

"Sir, I beg you. Please..." John cried, he could not think of anything to do but cry. He shook and screamed on the ground helplessly.

"My family is starving, sir, mercy please..."

The merchants looked at the knight, were they waiting for a response or maybe they could not look at John anymore, they do not know.

"Sir... I will not do it again I swear," John begged. The knight did not answer.

John crawled to the knight's sabaton and kissed it. The knight drew his sword and stabbed John through back and into his heart, John's body dropped instantly, and the dog finally released his leg.

The knight faced the merchants, he saw them grew pale, and said,

"He's just a dirty dog."

John's blood puddled beneath him. He saw the merchants, the knight, and the dog walk away. He could hear Mary's prayers and the cry of little Henry. He heard Joseph's calls and he simply replied,

"You watch over your mother now."

The merchants continued on their way and the bats continue chasing and eating the insects flying away in terror.