Bandits

Hey everyone. I just want to let you all know that there is a chance that a word or two may be wrong in this entry. Aigon's handwriting was really hard to make out, and the ink smeared in several places. I have to admit that I'm a little impressed that he does so much writing, though. Imagine writing all of that every night, by the light of a candle, with only a quill and ink to write with. I can't say that I've done it but it doesn't seem very easy to me. Anyway, here's the fourth entry:

Stellas 17, 296 e.m.

Day 4,

I apologize if this is unreadable. I have had a rather frightening day.

We came to the fork in the road, and were trying to decide which way to go. Usually we would just take the left path without any thought, but that path leads to Salindil and we had been warned about it the day before. The problem with taking the right path is that it would put us several weeks off schedule, and there wouldn't be another town to stay the night in before taking the turn that would set us back on the right track.

A few of us wanted to go right. Zillan, Brilynn, and Kadon said that it was better to be cautious, and have a long delay, than to be careless and lose our lives. The rest of us wanted to go left. After all, as Len pointed out, it is their job to take care of the danger. So, rather foolishly I'll admit now, we went left.

Everyone except Len and Zillan were tense and alert at first, but there were birds singing in the trees around us, and the sunshine was warm on our faces. It was so peaceful that eventually even Kayissa seemed to relax. We rode along, most of us talking and even laughing. Riding beside Kyrainna, I learned a lot about her. Even with the things that happened later, I remember our conversation quite well.

"How old are you?" I had asked her suddenly.

Color blossomed in her pale cheeks, and she lowered her bright green eyes. "I am one hundred and thirty two years old. I believe that is about equal to an eighteen year old human."

"That young?" I said in disbelief. "And they let you out of the elven lands? I thought elves were kept carefully under the protection of their elders until they were much older."

"They... didn't exactly let me go." She replied hesitantly. "I had heard stories about humans all my life, and though several of them were about how cruel your kind is, many of them presented you as brave and inventive. I had to see for myself what you were like. So I requested permission to cross the boarder and enter Amystia. There was a brief council meeting to discuss it, but they quickly decided that I was too young. I pleaded with them, but I couldn't change the council's decision. But I knew that I couldn't just stay there. I have never really fit in with the elves. They say I'm a dreamer. They have even gone so far as to call me human-minded! I debated with myself about it for a few days, and one night when everyone was sleeping, I took my inheritance and left. No one thought I would do anything like that, so it was easy. But now I can never go back."

I knew better than to question her further. I had heard the pain in her voice as she spoke that last sentence. I quickly changed the subject, and we rode on.

It wasn't long after that that Len suddenly yelled back at us to stop. He had been riding ahead, under the watchful eye of Kadon of course. We stopped and I rode up to see why he had called for a halt. Before I even reached him however, I heard a high pitched scream, and an arrow pierced my shoulder. Pain shot through me, dulling my senses for a moment. I couldn't see what was going on around me, or even hear it through the pounding in my ears. All I could focus on was the pain, something that I, having lived the comfortable life of a merchant, and never experienced before. Other than a few scrapes and bruises of course. I slid from the saddle and the pain intensified as I hit the hard ground.

Then I forced it aside enough to figure out what was going on around me. The pain did not go away, not at all, but I was able to control it a little after the first several seconds. I saw that we were under attack by a group of men in brown and black clothing. They all wore masks that covered all but their eyes. They were bandits.

There were maybe fifteen of them. All of them carried some sort of weapon, mostly clubs. Daeroth was already taking on two of them, his sword flashing in the sunlight as it parried a blow from one bandit and took another on his shield. Brilynn stood nearby in a defensive stance, sizing up the bandit moving cautiously toward her. Len danced in and out of the fray, stabbing with his dagger. Kadon and Kayissa made an unlikely pair, fighting back to back, their every move seeming to aid the other. Zillan stood a little ways off, staring intensely at the group. I admit, I was confused for a moment about what he was doing, until I realized he was waiting until he had a good shot. Just as that realization came to me, he raised his hands and pointed at one of the bandits. Sparks of brilliant white light shot form his fingertips and struck the bandit. They spread up and down his body and engulfed him. When the lights faded, all that was left of him was a pile of bones and the echoes of his scream. Zillan then went back to staring at the fight.

I looked around for Kyrainna, but couldn't find her. Then suddenly she was beside me, dragging me back to the wagon. I stumbled along behind her, leaning on her for support. Behind the wagon, out of sight of the battle, she laid me down and knelt beside me, examining the wound. She spoke to me in a soft voice as she worked, in a tone very much like a hunter I had once heard use to calm a wounded animal.

"Do not be afraid. You are fine. The arrow did not hit any vital organs. There is nothing to be worried about. Just try and relax yourself." She paused for a moment, and ran her hand over the arrow's smooth shaft. "I am going to try and pull it out. Keep your eyes on my face and think about something that makes you happy." As if the thought suddenly occurred to her, she tore a strip of cloth off of her skirt, wadded it up, and stuffed it in my mouth. "Bite down on that. Everything is going to be fine." She took a firm grip on the arrow and pulled. The pain was horrible. I bit down hard on the cloth and tried not to scream. At the edge of my mind I barely felt another light stabbing of pain in the palms of my hands and my fingernails dug into my own flesh. The sound of Kyrainna's voice was lost on me in my pain. Seeing her holding the arrow covered in my own blood was more than I could take. Blackness overtook me.

I was out for about an hour, as I could tell by the sun's position in the sky when I finally woke up. I was lying shirtless on a bedroll, my shoulder wound bandaged. The others sat nearby, talking in low voices. I groaned at the pain of waking and they all looked over at me.

"Good, you're awake." Kyrainna smiled at me and came over with a bowl of stew. "We ate while you were unconcious. Here, eat some. It will give you back some of your strength."

I lifted my arm to take it, but the pain caused me to drop it with another groan. Kayissa gave me a disgusted look and turned away. Apparently being in pain after being shot is too weak for her. Easy for her to think.

"I don't think we are going to cover any more distance today," Kadon said. "We'll rest here for the night and move out if you are feeling better in the morning."

"The bandits?" I asked weakly.

"The few that we didn't kill ran off." Brilynn replied coldly. "You and your precious amystium are safe for now." I noticed her and Daeroth both giving me disapproving looks. As if it were my fault I was shot with the arrow!

No one talked much after that. There is nothing more to tell for now, and I had really better get some rest.

Aigon Silverwind,

Painfully Alive and Shaken