“What are you two doing?” Demands the sombrero clad woman.

“She was going to take the water.” Tries to explain the twin on the left.

“I’m completely willing to give it to her, so long as you two idiots don’t get another drop for the rest of the trip.” The rider raises her sombrero, a wide angry face is found below. “Get her to the wagon, and raise the tent. Gods know how long she’s been out here.”

“She’s a bad omen. Your stock will drop like flies.” Attempts the twin on the right.

“A bad omen? She tested our Lord Sun’s might, in the desert, and made it this far. She’s obviously blessed.”

“That sounds convoluted!” Retorts the twin on the left.

Frustrated, and tired of arguing, the rider pinches the bridge of her nose, shutting her eyes, not waiting to look at these two. “If you don’t do what I say I will halve your pay.” She says calmly.

Defeated, the twins swing their crossbows back across their shoulders, and do as they are told.

Barbara returns to consciousness with the sound of wooden wheels turning, and the occasional bellowing cow as the wooden boards she lies on creak beneath her. She opens her eyes, a pine green tent above her, through the cloth, an eagle soars the sky.

“Rise and shine.” Sings a woman’s voice.

Barbara sits up, looking for her sword amongst the barrels of water and wooden chests around her, she crawls to the other end of the wagon, the woman laughs, keeping her eye on her herd of cows, the reins in her hands.

“You’re safe, I had to scream some sense into those two knuckleheads, but we got you taken care of.” She reassures Barbara.

“They tried to kill me.”

“Did they?” Ask the woman, whipping back her long, black, and gray braided ponytail. “Lucky for you they have terrible aim.”

“I don’t know about that, I saw those bolts coming right at me.”

“Then it’s true.” The woman turns, a soft warm smile on her round face. Come here.” She moves to the right, patting the space next to her. “What’s your name?”

“Barbara.” She replies, taking a seat next to the woman.

“My name’s Lupe. The Sun has you in his favor, your trip must have been rough.”

“I just left home this morning.”

The woman lets out a hearty laugh, Barbara relaxes. She looks at the herd of cows around her, suddenly aware of herself, she realizes a layer of some kind of slimy substance over her skin.

“The sun took its toll on you. It’s an ointment of my personal make, a family secret recipe.” She winks at Barbara.

Barbara returns a smile. “Thanks for picking me up. I literally owe you my life.”

“You saved mine, I don’t know what I would have done to myself if I had to put up with those twins by myself any longer.” She chuckles.

Reminded of the murderous twins, Barbara looks around, looking for them. She crosses eyes with one of the twins, he leers at her, she leers back.

“I don’t think your friends like me.” She remarks.

“Demitrio and Celso. Don’t mind them, here.” Lupe reaches over to her side, handing Barbara a jug of water.

Removing the cork, Barbara downs the entire jug in a few gulps. She gasps out a breath, resting the jug on her lap. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” She says, looking down.

Lupe looks at her through the corner of her eye, a smile on her face. “Gods know I have my fair share of repentance to do. This is me attempting to even the cosmic scales in my favor.” She chuckles.

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In that moment Barbara finally notices a hint of fire in her eyes. She feels safe, relaxing her shoulders, she rests against the wagon’s seat.

“Young Barbara the swordmaster, starting her grand adventure.” Lupe turns to Barbara, a smile on her face.

“Sort of. Master and I got in a fight, we’ve fought and argued before, but, I don’t know. This time was different.”

“Were you two traveling somewhere when you had your falling out?” Asks Lupe.

“No, we lived in a little hut in the mountains north of here.”

“Near where we found you?”

“Yeah.”

A broad grin appears on Lupe’s mouth. “Fascinating. I almost feel bad for not allowing you to learn your lesson.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were about to die in that dessert.” Lupe yelps into a hearty laugh.

Barbara joins in on the laughter, eventually, the laughter turns into tears.

“Hey now, I didn’t mean to make you cry. Cheer up, you making it out of that desert alive is a sign.” Lupe turns to her. “You’re a lucky girl.”

One of the twins appears next to Lupe, his horse greets with a nod.

“We’re approaching the reservoir. We’re going on ahead.” He tells Lupe. “Sorry for shooting at you, that was amazing.” He admits as his horse trots away, before Barbara can neither wipe her tears from before nor compose herself.

“I think he was the second one to shoot.” Ponders Barbara.

“No, that's Celso, he probably shot first.” Lupe chuckles. “He just said: amazing.”

The name of the twins slip past Barbara, her only identifier being who she thinks shot first.

“Usually, I would try to dissuade anyone who pretends to live life by the sword, especially someone as young as you, but in your case, seeing as how that path has brought you this far.” She pulls Barbara’s sword out from beside her. “I think this belongs to you.”

Barbara takes her cross hilt sword back in her arms, her dirty face muddy from all the tears.

“Thank you.” She whimpers.

“Don’t take it for granted.” Replies Lupe, her attention drawn up ahead. “What is going on up there?”

The road leads them to the entrance of a dry gorge, the tall rock alley is wide enough to fit a dozen or so cows with room to spare, funneling in as if on instinct, each cow waits its turn to continue following the road.

Up ahead, a group of armed men stand in the way of any further movement.

“What is going on over there?”

Barbara jumps off the cart.

“What are you doing?”

“Not taking it for granted.” Replies Barbara as she crawls through the cows, hunching over, making her way to the front.

She makes her way through the herd, kneeling behind a row of cattle, unnoticed by the men in front.

"How many animals you two kill today?" An animal pelt hanging over his shoulder, the leader of the bandits eyes the two hulking twins before him.

"Just one desert lizard." Replies the one Barbara is sure shot first.

The man chuckles, his crew of five thugs join in on the laugh as well, their faces covered in dirt.

"You guys are all right. I'll tell you what, just for you, three copper a head." He says looking over at the herd.

Barbara evades being seen. She knows it's about to get ugly, she tries making her way through the herd to flank the bandits, low and out of sight.

"I know you're joking, there’s no way we’re paying you that amount to pass by.” Words continue to be exchanged.

She is surprised to see what appears to be another member of the crew up ahead, also hidden amongst the herd, arming his crossbow, ready to take aim at one of the twins. Barbara deftly approaches, still unnoticed, her hand on the hilt.

“Let’s take it easy. Cooperate with us, and we’ll let you be.”

There was more the pelt clad thug was about to say, he was interrupted by a twin grabbing him by the collar, swingin his heavy cranium back to get momentum, then smash his forehead against the thug’s face. The pelt clad man drops to the floor. Barbara grabs a fistful of dirt in her hands and throws it at the face of the man taking aim with his crossbow.

Swords clash as an increasingly agitated row of cows next to Barbara begin to turn the other direction. Her aim was true, the man with the crossbow rubs his eyes, confused and blinded, Barbara smashes the back of his head with the hard wood guard of her sword, knocking him out. She turns her attention to the fighting behind now retreating cows, the twins hold their own as two and three men gang up on them respectively.

One of the thugs in the trio poking their swords at the giant backs away, slowly raising his hand towards his crossbow hanging behind him. Barbara, disgusted by the foul play, launches forward, her legs not as steady as they are at her health’s peak, but she knows how to throw her weight around, especially for this move.

“What-!”

The thug reaching for his crossbow looks behind him, barely able to see the small figure dart toward him, swinging her sword in a way he couldn’t help but feel looked pretty, an elegant full swing, slicing through him like a hot knife to butter. His upper torso fell to the ground, his last thought of having witnessed something he could only describe as beautiful.

“Holy shit.” Everyone freezes.

“I knew it.” Declares one of the twins.