Chapter 4 (DnkStar)
“This way…!” she indicated, with a nod of her head. As quickly as lightning, she grabbed the young squire up and tossed him onto the back of her horse, and made for a thick grove of elms.
“Wait, wait!” yelled the young squire. “My bag, my baaaa----!”
Kal-El, on foot, followed at their heels. His heart hammering, he turned to follow elf and squire when he heard the unmistakable sound of men’s voices, just ahead! “Too late..!” he hissed through gritted teeth. From ahead he could hear sounds of the first of the King’s men, heading his way!
No--not the Kings men, as he’s expected but a particularly huge band of highwaymen, out for plunder! Common, nameless thieves. All at once, his initial fear gave way to seething anger. “How dare they?!?” he snarled, as thoughts of what must have been a countless number of their innocent victims filled his head. Like a charging bull, he stormed after the first, then another, and still another…!
It was, in true time, only a few seconds between the time that he’d left his comrades, and engaged the first of the robbers; however, by the time that the elven maiden and squire had found their way back to him, he’d plowed through nearly half their numbers--grabbing this one here, tossing another skyward, there. Dumbfounded, the elf stared.
“What’s this??” she gasped in disbelief. Adroitly, and in spite of her shock, she recovered almost immediately, and followed her newfound comrades into battle.
“You there!” shouted one of her would-be assailants, “Are you prepared to die like a dog??”
Dismounting from her horse, she gave a cold smile, and drove her sword into the one closest to her. “Funny you should mention dog--” she cooed, slyly. Suddenly, she turned and
whispered into the wind, in her strange, elven tongue.
As one, the little, white dog and her steed sprang into action! The dog, jumped back on his heels and drove his fangs into the ankle of one of the bandits; while the mare stomping furiously with fore and hind hooves, made short work of another! Still another found himself victim of one of the young squire’s incantations, when he sought to attack the lad. Seeing his attacker’s intent, James waved his hands in the air and muttered soundlessly into the air. Just then, the bandit grabbed for the lad, only to grasp empty air! Where James had stood only seconds before now floated through the air- seemingly of its own accord- a menaciningly large rock. The rocked danced almost lightly, bouncing up and down on the head of the squire’s attacker!
“Owww, owwwww, ooouuuccchh!!!!” howled the frightened and befuddled bandit, as he attempted to fend off the repeated blows from the spinning and dancing rock…
Kal-El, still burning with the heat of anger, took out two more. He lifted one in each hand, and smashed their heads together, with the force of a battering ram!
The battle lasted for scarcely fifteen minutes before the little band looked around breathlessly, and gauged themselves the winners. Almost as one, they slumped to the nearest tree stumps, rocks, and fragrant, mossy earth.
“You, Squire…,” the elf glared.
“James…” he corrected, still catching his breath.
“Why did you hesitate when I called you to come up on my horse?” she, asked, a tone of slight suspicion in her voice.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you…! My bag’s gone missing! It was right there and in the next instant, it was gone!”
“You were willing to risk your life. . .risk all our lives. . .for.. a bag??”
“It’s not just a bag,” he countered defensively. “It’s a magical bag!!”
“A ma.. a magical bag?”, she stammered, her brows furrowing. “Really..”, she said, though, in a voice that told James she was no longer truly listening to him. Instead. She seemed to be listening, peering off into the gathering darkness of night. She walked slowly around clearing’s perimeter, as if searching for something unseen. “I’d suggest we leave here, before these buffoons awaken, and when we’ve rested a bit; perhaps we can look for your bag, James.”
It was well into the early morning hours before daybreak when the little band was finally able to find a suitable place to set up camp and rest. Exhausted, they all collapsed around the comforting fire, readying themselves for an uneasy sleep. All that is, except Diana, who still had that air of alertness, that seemingly searching look… peering, peering into the darkness, for what, James wondered. Eyes, heavy with unclaimed sleep, he finally managed the question that had been nagging him all evening…
“Begging your pardon, Milady, but may I ask what it is that you seem to be looking for…?”
“Why your bag, of course, James.. what else?” , she said with a curious smile.
“My bag?? But we must be miles from where..”
“Don’t be so sure, James. Things are not always what they seem……are they,.. thief?!?”
Diana’s movements became a lightning-fast blur, as she reached into the darkness and grasped at something, seemingly manifesting from the very air itself.
“Wha-..?” Kal-El, too was on his feet in an instant, his eyes tracking Diana’s every movement- instinctively at the ready should she need his assistance.
James, however was not so fortunate. It could have been a trick of the wavering firelight, or lack of sleep.. or ..or.. ? In the end, it didn’t matter what the cause, it became readily apparent to James that whatever was in Diana’s hand; was not easily identifiable to mere mortal eyes! First, a twig, now a vine. .now.. a serpent?.. And finally the unmistakable form of a man..! A man who was clearly in imminent danger of being throttled by the elf-maid’s gauntleted fist.
“Tell him..!” She hissed through clenched teeth. “Tell him what you did with his bag…!”
“Well, Milady...”, gasped the unfortunate creature, “t’would be easier to discuss matters without havin’ yer fist about me throat! If ye would be so kind as to----”
“Very well, but I’m warning you, no tricks, Shape shifter!”
“Shape shifter?!?”, James exclaimed, stunned.
“Aye, a shape shifter I am, lad. O’Brien’s the name. Patrick O’Brien. Although, you may call me ‘Eel’ if it pleases you--- all me friends do. An’ it’s pleased I am to make yer acquaintances. Now, let’s see, the matter was a bag, was it not. No, cannot say I’ve seen the likes of a ba--”, he said, stepping slowly backwards.
He was stopped short, by Diana, and the point of an exceedingly sharp, elven blade.
“Remember what I said, Shape shifter--no tricks!”
He swallowed a loud gulp, and then managed “Yes, a bag--hmmm--would ye perhaps be up to describin’ this bag, then, lad?”
“Well, let’s see…” James began. “ It’s about this big and--”
In a flash, Diana’s hand was once again about the shape shifter’s throat. “I warned you--”, she growled.
“Uh, bag yes--heh, heh.” he chuckled nervously. “Well, it just so happens--by mere coincidence, of course--that I did happen across a wee bit of a bag earlier this last eve` an’--”
Diana and Kal-El exchanged glances, and then both glared in the shape shifter’s direction.
“Eh, well then…lad. This here’s the bag I found. An’ it’s pleased I am to be returnin’ it to its rightful owner, if ye be such.”
“Found?”, asked Diana, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Just like you ‘found’ those?”, she hissed, indicating his tunic and breaches. “Why it’s clear to anyone with half a brain that they’re--"
“--Gnomish!” finished James, showing completely unabashed excitement.
“Yes, Gnomish.” She cast an icy glare over the shape shifter.
“James?!?” , gasped Kal-El. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Oh, I recognized the markings. I told you I had been reading all those books--”, he beamed proudly, but was interrupted by another one of Diana’s fast-as-a -blur movements.
“I’ve had enough of this--of you--- you--conniving, filthy, low-life, thieving--” Her hand was once again, dangerously close to the shape shifter’s throat.
“Now, lass.. ye ought to be thinkin’ things through before ye do somethin’ we’ll all undoubtedly regret later. ‘Tis no shame in bein’ what ye are, right? Well, then why should I be ashamed o’ what I am, when what I am is just that--a thief? An’ a right good one at that. Fact is, we O’Briens are the best in all the land at thievin’. Why, when folks want something’ stole, they look to us as a first choice! Now, ye can’t say better’n that. Can, ye?”
Diana’s hand closed in on what little space lay between her and the hapless creature’s throat. “Hear me, you wretch, and hear me well: any mercy I show you now is because it is true that you have unique ‘talents’ that we may have need of later. And so, for this reason alone, I grant you the opportunity to pay penance for your actions. Cross me though--cross any one in this group--and I will make you very, very sorry, indeed." With that, she abruptly released her hold on the shape shifter.
“Agreed, me lass, agreed. Sounds a perfectly fine bargain to me.”, he stated, eyes wide with fear, and rubbing his sore, reddened neck.
